Dalan Chiut: August 2009

Monday, August 31, 2009

Monday Madness

After a shit day at work, I have decided to read a bit and them watch True Blood. And afterward hopefully dream of Eric Northman and forget my day. Just thinking of my favorite quote from him helps. I know you are wondering what that quote is by now, and with me being everything but shy and introverted, I'll let you have it...
"When you smell like that" he said, "I just want to fuck you and bite you and rub myself all over you." - Eric Northman. Now you f*&%ing know my dreams will be good ;-)
See ya tomorrow with a shitload of freebies
Cheers, IkeaGoddess

Popularity

Or, more precisely, how to be UNpopular.

Just in case you were wondering how to achieve this famed state, I offer the following, with guaranteed results:

Tell boys they may not whack the heck out of each other with the sticks in the yard {playing, not fighting, but still...}.
Tell the wild man that he cannot skateboard off the brick stairs at any speed, especially not high speed.
Remind them to take their medicine even if its yucky.
Make soup for dinner.
Tell them no ice cream for breakfast.
Or lunch.
Tell them to turn off the tv.
Tell them to go outside and play.
Or do their homework.
Or that you quite ready and happy to go in and clean their rooms, without their help.

Tell them that they cannot wear flipflops to Mass.
Make them salad with dinner, again.
Enforce the chore schedules.
Ask the daughter if she has cut her hair, again.
Tell the teen that she cannot wear makeup to the football game.
Then tell her she cannot wear makeup um, anytime, she's too young.
Then tell her that her nose is only a little bit broken and it is still cute (just a little crooked).
Go on a date with your husband, only.
Ask them to water the flowers and garden.
Consider, out loud, getting a giant Sprinter van.

Now these are only a random selection from the past two days. But, the list, it keeps on growing and growing...and I am an expert on this one!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Sunday’s Freebies

Supernatural Smile for A Sunday

Now, this is an odd one and maybe you've seen it. But seems somehow fitting for a Sunday.
This monk smiled, AFTER he died, after he was prepared for burial. Not a single muscle contraction, but a full face smile.
Go, read and see for yourself. Ya gotta wonder.....It makes me smile too.
h/t: the Anchoress.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Saturday’s Freebies

Hi gals,
this afternoon Chris went to work and Damien visited his grandma for a couple of hours. That left me with some time to set up my new blog and write the first posts. It’s all about the stories that I read. If you are interested, you can check it out here. I hope to keep updating as I read new stories.
Here are some freebies, more will follow tomorrow.
Have a fun weekend
Cheers, Angie aka IkeaGoddess

Templates:

http://digiscrap-creation.blogspot.com/
http://baoscrap.blogspot.com/
http://artisticmusings.typepad.com/artistic_musings/ in the newsletter 2x
http://chaninscorner.blogspot.com/
http://freebiesforever.blogspot.com/

Quickpages:

http://julydesigns.com/blog/ 3x
http://artisticmusings.typepad.com/artistic_musings/ in the newsletter 2x
http://brandy-designs.blogspot.com/

Alphas & Wordart:

http://scrappaperie.blogspot.com/
http://artisticmusings.typepad.com/artistic_musings/ in the newsletter
http://elegantwordart2.blogspot.com/ 2x

Kits & more:

http://akilounedesigns.fr/index.php
http://artisticmusings.typepad.com/artistic_musings/ in the newsletter 2x
http://crystallongbrake.blogspot.com/
http://digital-crea.fr/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=3095
http://suzyqscraps.com/blog/

THE GREAT OUTDOORS FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO SHOOT STUFF

I grew up in California where an "outdoor store" meant REI or some similar eco-friendly, lightweight hi-tech-geared frolic in the wilderness kind of place. I'm not sure what the East Coast equivalent is - maybe EMS (Eastern Mountain Stores.) It wasn't until I started driving back and forth across the country on my book tours, that I encountered Cabela's.

It is, as my girlfriend put it when I first took her to one, "REI for people who like to shoot stuff."

Now I happen to like Cabela's. I don't hunt, fish, butcher my own meat or many of the other things that one can equip oneself for there, but still, I find the enormous stores endlessly fascinating. And they do carry a large variety of stuff that I do want: clothing, shoes, geegaws and doodads, pocket knives, great first aid kits, the best selection of cast iron cookware I've ever seen, etc.

The sad thing about this is that I have a number of friends here on the West Coast, and some on the East Coast who are going to think I'm being sarcastic, or ironic, or something other than honest about the fact that I like Cabela's so much. You know who you are.

I would like to encourage those friends of mine to take a couple of long road trips across the country; taking their time, talking with a whole lot of people whose lives are different than their own, seeing the stores that sell different stuff, eating the food that most people in this country really eat, etc. I do not think it is possible to truly understand or appreciate the United States when you confine yourself to its coasts, and maybe from time to time Chicago.

Now that isn't to say that there aren't some things about places like Cabela's that I dont' find bewildering. I just received their fall catalog in the mail, and here are some items from it that I find odd, amusing, interesting. I can understand what they're for, and why some of my fellow Cabela's shoppers might find them indispensable; but as I mentioned, I don't hunt. At least not the sort of hunting this stuff is for.

I do suppose that if I ever want to show up at a Halloween party costumed as Bigfoot, this would come in very handy.

On the other hand, if I do find myself in the woods during hunting season, I'd far rather be dressed in colors that scream, "Don't shoot!."

It has been said that accessories make the outfit. Paris Hilton, and others of her ilk, most likely do not shop much at Cabela's. But one of the accessories I've seen pictures of her with, is her pooch in her purse. I was pleased to see that Cabela's offers its version of the same thing. And a much more impressive version in my opinion.

As mentioned earlier, I do honestly like Cabela's, a lot. But there are certain things about it that give my Left Coast-liberal, gun-control-favoring heart and head moments of pause. I find the text on this page somewhat frightening. I don't think Ted Nugent would. But I never much liked his music either.

"The Freak Nasty is just that. It's the bad boy of the ScentBlocker® line. It has everything I need to get close and drop the hammer on the big boys."

Friday, August 28, 2009

Martrydom of St. John the Baptist

Carvaggio, 1608

Ok, that title is a more polite way of describing this event. In my house full of rough and tumble boys, they tend to use the other, more graphic title: The Beheading of John the Baptist.

Sigh.
I guess in our modern era of shock tv and horror movies, even this grisly story seems tame.
What a shame. Maybe it should shock and make our stomach's flop and faces wince.
It does mine.
I used to (still do, really...sometimes) wonder why we had to have these gruesome stories in the bible, and even commemorate them. I mean, really? As they say, "Why can't we all just get along?" Why can't it be "nice?" Let's just look at the pretty stuff.....yes, Pollyanna....

But as we all know all too well, REAL life isn't always pretty. Real life has real hurt, real gore, real unexplainable happenings, that can't be explained away....except perhaps by the real existence of evil and our all too human nature to be seduced by it.

And this true story, that we remember especially today, is about evil, to be sure.
I mean, Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter...because her mother told her to ask as she danced. Her mother was so torqued at John for calling out Herod on his adultery (with her), that she pressed her daughter to ask for his death, and decapitation at that.
Talk about a vengeful woman...

Anyhow, this story is not only about that evil impulse and gory act. It's about John the Baptist being both a harbinger of Christ and His sacrifice to come, but also a man who stood up for Truth - no matter what.

Massimo Stanzione c. 1634.

Now, even in our modern days, holding onto truth can sure get hard. Especially when so much of the idea of truth has become a dull gray slide rule......there is not much black and white anymore; absolute truths or rights or wrongs. Or, so it seems in our popular modern culture. And yet, of course, there still is real truth, but it's not always popular or 'pc' or whatever. And while I haven't heard to too many folks getting beheaded for being 'non-pc' lately, there is still a pressure out there to just...not. Not get involved. Not care. Not worry about anyone else. Not call it like it is. Not get into anybody's business.

But really, it IS a fine line. I myself have more opinions than most, but I find the words "Judge not" ring in my ears. So, how to jive that all up? I don't know. I tend to do the best I can on the fly. Which is probably pretty poorly, most of the time. I'll either get too timid to speak up, or too tired, or I will speak up and stick my foot in it. Typically I just throw my opinions out there anyhow.

So, I can let my boys play with swords and be good guys and bad guys; acting out the scary hard ideas of good and evil, right and wrong. And this story can have a place in that sort of teaching, eventually. St. John the Baptist teaches us that we should not be afraid. That speaking the Truth is hard, possibly even dangerous. There is real danger in life, and sometimes it cannot be escaped. But, it is worth it.

And the caveat is: the Truth is Love. Love is Truth. And so....if you (ok, me) can try speak of Truth/Love, with courage....then you or I will live it as well.

Icon written by Constantine Youssis

No freebies this evening

We are having some friends over this evening, so I don’t have time to go freebie hunting. I’ll be back with more tomorrow.
Have a fun weekend
Cheers, Angie aka IkeaGoddess

Feast of St. Augustine!

Its the feast day of St. Augustine!
Ok, now this saint, from north Africa, is one of the biggies: a doctor of the church of course and one of the great writers throughout Church history. I like him for so many reasons, not the least of which is his connection with his mom and her devoted prayers for her son. You know, I will always have a soft spot for a mom and son....

His teachings are noted throughout Christendom for their lasting influence and, simply put, their beauty. Perhaps it was his years of living a life that was wild, utterly hedonistic, and dipped into all sorts of heresy and convoluted ideas of god.....but when he returned to the Faith, he did so in a big way, using his brilliant mind to convey the beauty of Truth to generations to come.

"Late have I loved you..." Indeed. And perhaps, that is part of his appeal to so many, so many of us (ok, me), have really felt that, lived that. Late, have I loved You. I missed so much, for so long. The "band width" of my life was so slim, and I didn't even know it. But I was fooled by the hedonistic life I lived into thinking it was so wide. I was arrogant enough to think I knew it all. Only, later, later when I finally "let go" of my grip on that did I finally come to realize how small it all was.

And then St. Augustine, once more, came through for me with one of his most famous prayers: "You have made us for yourself, oh God. And our hearts are restless, until they rest in you." Ah. I know, I'm paraphrasing that quote, but that's how it sticks in my head and heart. And that about sums it all up: St. Augustine, life in general, me in particular.

Happy feast day!
St. Augustine, pray for us!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Thursday’s Freebies

Wow it’s Thursday already, this week has just been flying by. Only one more workday for this week and then I’m off the weekend. After being away from work for 3 weeks, there is a bunch to catch up on. And this weekend, I want to continue writing and finish up my new blog so I can show it to you. I still have a header to create. I am looking forward to that.
This week Chris is on the late shift, so it’s only Damien and me, and so far Damien has been really good. Today he even reminded me that he hadn’t brushed his teeth yet when I forgot about it. Usually he fusses over having to brush his teeth, so that nearly blew my socks off this evening. As a reward I read him an additional bedtime story. Lucky for me, he is now sound asleep.
I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate the comments you have been leaving me lately. Thank you and enjoy the fabulous freebies some designers have made for you. Please leave them some love too when you download their designs. That’s what keeps us all going :-)
Cheers, Angie aka IkeaGoddess

Templates:

http://happydigiscrapper.blogspot.com/
http://ledigidechoukette.blogspot.com/
http://midnightscrapping.blogspot.com/ P365
http://sweetazshooga.info/
http://www.purecreativitydesigns.com/

Quickpages:

http://bekahs-escape2scrapland.blogspot.com/
http://kimerickreations.blogspot.com/
http://marnidesigns.blogspot.com/
http://designofmia.blogspot.com/
http://scrapouilleries.blogspot.com/
http://scrappindigikreations.blogspot.com/

http://scraporchard.com/forum/showthread.php?p=133542#post133542

Alphas & Wordart:

http://chaninscorner.blogspot.com/
http://elegantwordart2.blogspot.com/
http://zigglescraps.com/
http://zigglescraps.com/mypeeps/
http://bellisasscraps.canalblog.com/

Kits & more:

http://pamleforsdesigns.blogspot.com/
http://scraphannah.blogspot.com/
http://irenealexeeva.blogspot.com/
http://raspberryroaddesigns.blogspot.com/
http://stacysbackdoor.blogspot.com/
http://sarahtawisha.blogspot.com/

http://suelicolbert.blogspot.com/
http://gingerscraps.blogspot.com/
http://www.christinabrowndesigns.com/

Feast of St. Monica

Painting of St. Monica, by John Nava

Today is the feast of St. Monica!
Here is one of the premier examples of patience, especially for us moms.
Really, I should unofficially consider her a patron, because here is a mom who showed such patience and perseverance in prayer...and these are some of the traits (especially that whole patience thing) that I severely lack.

Painting of St. Monica, by Janet McKenzie

St. Monica, a saint from north Africa, prayed for the conversion (successfully) of her husband and his mother. But, most famously, she prayed and prayed faithfully for the conversion of her wild, wayward son, Augustine. Augustine was a son that would give any mom many sleepless nights and teary phone calls with girlfriends. And while Monica wasn't of the phone call era, I suspect she had many a night awake fretting over her boy. He was wild and ignored her pleas, getting into all sorts of revelry (can read more about him tomorrow on his feast day!).

But Monica persevered, because this was her son, she knew the truth and she had the faith that her prayers would be answered according to God's will....sooner or later. Well, it was something like 17 years later, but it happened. Not only did Augustine turn his life around and step back onto more solid ground, but he converted to the faith and was ordained by St. Ambrose himself.

I like to think it is in no small part due to the faithful lasting sure prayers of his mom, as well as her prayerful example and steadfast love, no matter what. She didn't shun him. She might well have corrected him, being his mom and all (whether or not he listened).....

{I know this is an old holy card image, but it makes me laugh.
It's St. Monica praying for St. Augustine,
but that's the same look my boys have when I'm giving them advice...
which is surely also a scene from the life of these two!}

....but she never stopped loving him. And that is what will turn even the hardest furthest of hearts back to the truth of Real Love. So I love St Monica, and she reminds me to never give up. Ever.

Happy feast day.
St. Monica, pray for us!