Seven Quick Takes - (#12)

1. This is my new favorite piece of paper. I've waited a long, long time for this piece of paper. Longer
than I ever waited for a degree, and wayyy more anticipated. This was received after I made the final payment....and it represents 100% of my education paid off (from AA to MA to post graduate studies)!! If this isn't a form of conceiving hope, then I don't know what is!

2. This is my new favorite piece of glass. Because I made it! A dear friend showed me how to do it and I had a lot of fun making it. Before I learned the process, I had no idea how it worked. This was the result of 17 different shards of glass and a little bit of frit (glass dust) being fired at over 1300 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours. Here's the interesting thing I learned about glassmaking: you really have to know what you want to do and how you want to accomplish it. I didn't know either. But who can go wrong with a Little Flower tribute? She's been pretty present in my life for the past five years, so that's what I went with....but now to figure out what to do with my little handmade cabachon. Pendant? Part of a handmade shrine? Ideas?

3. This is my least favorite advice from this week: One of my best friends told me that he thought I was "choosing to live in the past" when he saw me acknowledge the life and death of my son on a facebook post months ago (read it here). It amazes me how almost 20 years of friendship can leave two people so disconnected on a topic they both completely agree on: the importance of family. He then went on to make it better by saying that "at least if I never have children, I can have a nice married life without kids". I'm pretty sure I'm done listening to people tell me how they are processing my experience with child loss and infertility. Even the people I love dearly! Go hug your infertile friends, people!!

4.WIWE: This is my new favorite recipe for the week. I don't use any spirulina, but I do use a little matcha powder. The flavor hearkens directly back to the after-dinner Andes mints my grandmother used to give me as a child, but with clean ingredients that I don't have to worry about! Next up to try is this pie. Last week I made this and these and they were amazing.

5. This is my new favorite probiotic. I gotta say, me and my 900 billion new friends... we're pretty tight. All puns intended. I saw a change in my digestion within 24 hours of starting these. None of the bloating I've read others talking about either! If you are on a mission to heal a leaky gut (like I am), then here's what my current regime entails: Bio Kult, Prescript Assist, and Ultimate Flora (Critical Care) all rotated with each other. I've read that using probiotic strains that are native to soil is a better way to begin repopulation... so that's where the Bio Kult came in. The others are just to keep the strains rotated to built back gut flora quicker. This new one is ridiculous. I lost 3 inches off my waist over NIGHT. Now granted, I don't have UC or IBS diagnosed and I definitely don't have an IP, so I suppose this is an off-label usage for me. But with my inflammation issues and history of endo... I figured it couldn't hurt to try it. UHmazing results. 

6. The Twin Hearts Novena was prayed by 15 people this year (who shared with me). I have no idea who else might have been lurking... so I can only go off of those who commented on the novena post or who sent me a private message. Thank you to everyone who joined me in prayer! And thank you for letting me pray for you and your intentions. And THANK YOU for praying for mine. I hope everyone had a wonderful Feast of the Sacred Heart, as well as a blessed Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Lord, hear our prayers. Mother Mary, pray for us in our need.

7. Don't forget to give the 7QT host some love.