7 QT 44: Optometrists, cold brew, and graduations
It's Friday! Today I'm sitting down to record a podcast, I have a few phone calls to make, and then it's just Joseph, myself, and a little bit of weekend relaxing before we head out of town for graduations. I have a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper in our fridge and two mason jars full of cold brew, so it's going to be good.
But before Joseph and I pack an overnight bag (plus a few cans of Dr. Pepper) and head out to family barbecues and graduation ceremonies, here's a quick look at the seven most adventurous adventures we had this week:
1. A recap of our concert weekend
Joseph and I went to a Trout Steak Revival concert in Lawrence last weekend. It was a great concert (if your band has a banjo, you've won me over already). However, unlike our college days where we could stay up until 2:00 am without even feeling drowsy, Joseph and I called it a night at 10:30 and got on the road to head back to KC.
The Kansas City Civic Orchestra concert at the Kauffman was beautiful. I haven't played my viola since I was in college, and even then I only pulled it out every once in a while. I've been inspired to order a new bow and get the viola re-strung. Have I done either of those things yet this week? No, but I've been inspired, so that counts for something.
2. Marry a man who . . .
...surprises you with a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper when you get home. And then gently reminds you that you should probably have one a day and stretch the 12 pack out over the next week and a half. If we're being honest, we all know that 12 pack will last me a week. Maybe.
Also, I'm pretty sure I have Dr. Pepper telepathy super powers - which let me tell you, is so much better than being invisible or flying. I was thinking about Dr. Pepper on the drive home last night (don't judge my car thoughts) and TA-DA! the Dr. Pepper was waiting for me when I got into the kitchen.
What else should I start thinking of more? Vanilla lattes? Puppies? Maybe my telepathic powers are stronger than I think. Goldendoodles. Goldendoodles. Goldendoodles.
3. Pardon my lazy eyes
I went to the eye doctor on Wednesday and learned that my prescription is so strong that it's making my eyes lazy and not want to focus on their own. So my new eye doctor is going to slowly start scaling my prescription back. Hopefully this will go well - if not, pardon me as I bump into things and apologize.
Because of the new prescription though, I picked out a new pair of glasses, so I'm not complaining. I went with a magenta pair of cat eye frames, which are so spunky they make me want to cut my hair back into a pixie and start wearing funky earrings again.
.Did I remember to grab a picture of said frames for a seven quick takes post? Nooooo. But no worries, the frames will be in within a week so maybe in 7 Quick Takes volume 45 they'll make their appearance.
4. Are you an imperfect Catholic mama?
This podcast episode is for you. In a special, Mother's day episode, I sit down and chat with Colleen Duggan. She's the author of a new book Good Enough is Good Enough: Confessions of an Imperfect Catholic Mom. Can I get an amen? I loved how authentic and vulnerable Colleen was on our episode together. If we lived closer, I'd totally be going over to her house for coffee dates and to play with her littles.
You can listen to Colleen's thoughts on motherhood over here. Her book makes a great Mother's day gift for the Catholic mamas in your life!
5. Speaking of Mother's Day
Sometimes the days we thought would be the happiest turn out to be some of the hardest. This week over at Aleteia, I wrote a piece about what I wish someone would have told me the first Mother's Day after losing Marion.
If Mother's Day is a day that brings pain and tears, know that you're not alone. You're a beautiful woman, you're loved, and you're remembered.
6. Catholics and saint bodies
If you go to Siena, you can see the head of Saint Catherine. In Rome, you can visit the foot of Mary Magdalene in a church. What is going on here?
This week at The Catholic Podcast, Joe Heschmeyer and I dug into the Catholic (sometimes morbid) practice of venerating relics. We discuss what relics you should check out if you live in the US, why Catholics venerate relics, and we even dig into the controversy surrounding the phrase 'worship the Cross'. Aren't we supposed to only worship God? Check out our answer over at our website.
7. Wilson, the protester
Wilson really has nothing to protest. He has a clean cage, a rug of freedom, a full water bottle, and he helps me eat spinach leftovers. It's a pretty sweet gig, in my opinion. In Wilson's opinion, however, it's a whole different story.
This week he's protesting his food. We picked up a new bag of food from Menards for him and HEAVEN FORBID they changed the color of some of the pellets. Same ingredients, same rabbit food company, apparently drastically different taste. So Wilson will pick and choose his favorite color of pellets and leave the rest sitting there. He now has a bowl full of the food he refuses to eat and I can't fit anymore food in there. We'll see what happens next week.
Have a great weekend!