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.

100 Posts

One Hundred Posts, my friends! That's the vantage point from which I type to you right now. Almost a year ago, I created this blog as a way process life through the eyes of infertility. A lot has happened across these 100 posts. I couldn't even have begun to imagine where I'd be sitting, what life would look like, and how I'd be spending my time 100 posts ago. It's no exaggeration that the act of blogging itself has changed the course of my life. So as a tribute to all of the unexpected things that life has brought my way since I began sharing the journey out loud, I present something unexpected to you: pasta for Pentecost.

It seems rather fitting to throw a curve ball at my audience on a day that Christians celebrate the birth of the Church. It's a renewal of sorts, and we can all use a renewal now and again, can't we? When I last wrote to you all, it was to share a series of posts to highlight the struggles of Infertility Awareness Week. Y'all, I can hardly believe that was a couple weeks ago! And I've been hardly online since then. As you can imagine, it took a lot of work to compile that series and I needed a break from the keys. With that said, thank you to everyone who received the words I shared so kindly. And double thanks to everyone who took the time to share, pin, and comment on the series. It made a big difference to a lot of people... and I have the inbox messages to prove it! 

I'm happy to report that my time away from the keys has been mostly positive, though I was sick for several weeks with some kind of local plague. Spring is in full force, gardens are growing, and my kitchen is pumping out lots of yummy dishes these days. Being a freelancer for work now makes for a pretty meager budget all around, but most certainly in the food department. The past few weeks, I've been preparing everything from a CSA box. If you're not familiar with CSA's - look them up and get involved in one. You won't regret it!

That got me thinking about the little segment I have been sharing on 7QT posts over the past several months (you can search for the "WIWE" tag or read each post here, here, here, here, here, and here). Maybe this is something that other infertility bloggers might be interested in?

Here's my proposition to you, interwebs: If you are infertile and managing a special diet (...so basically that means I'm talking to everyone who is infertile and eats!), then why don't you join me in linking up when you post a recipe on your blog? I have created a new tab at the top of the page called Sa Chistin (Irish for "In the kitchen"), so that's where all of the my recipes will permanently live. Go ahead and send me a link to your awesome and delicious recipes as well. I'll post it here on the blog and link back to you and we'll create a library of awesome foods for infertiles right here. If you link back to me on your blog recipes, I'll be featuring them here and on Pinterest as well. Feel free to steal the link-up photo below!)  And enjoy all the yummy food while you're at it!

Guidelines for posts: Anti-inflammatory diet recipes, Paleo recipes, Paleo AIP recipes, GAPS recipes, Functional Medicine Diet recipes, and any other kind of clean eating you can think of - including desserts, appetizers, snacks, entrees, beverages, breads, etc. I generally stay away from gluten, dairy, nuts, and unfermented soy. Nightshade family foods are eaten sparingly here; so are eggs. So that's a clue on what you'll be seeing me post here! That said, I know my diet isn't nearly as restrictive as some others are... so be creative. Post! Share! And let's see What Infertile Women Eat.......... starting now! :) 

Let's talk about one of my favorite food groups: things that involve cilantro and lime! Have you ever found a food combination that is just a win in every single recipe? That's how I feel about cilantro and lime. And avocado, if I'm being honest. In fact, you can easily add avocado to this dish. Don't listen to me for too long though - I'm going to tell you to add avocado to everything  if you stick around long enough to let me try! :) I did add avocado and some pulled pork to this dish today and it was delicious. Chicken would probably work well in this too, as would shrimp. That said, I know a lot of people on special diets (read: all of us, right?!) that have certain meats they have to avoid... so I left this recipe vegetarian and the rest of the creativity is up to you and your fridge!

I know that some people do this whole recipe thing for a living - but as you all know.... I'm not one of them. And I'm never going to be. I can barely stand the look of the same bowl posted on this page 5 times and I'm only on the first recipe post.... so bear with me and my lack of love for the cliche way that we're all called to do this lusty recipe thing online. I tried. Next time, expect one picture - or just words and me telling you it was delicious. Or maybe I'll take a picture of an empty bowl where the delicious food used to be. That sounds like a better advertisement anyway! :P This blog is normally dedicated to my cranky uterus, my curmudgeonly ovaries, and all the crazy things I've been up to over the past few years in trying to heal my gut and improve my health and make babies. Or not make babies, as the case may be. Maybe I should have started with brownies?

When I set out to put together a recipe the other day, I had no intention of taking pictures of my food and blogging about it. It's not second nature to me to do that yet. Perhaps that will change. I actually hope it doesn't! I just wanted something delicious to eat. And I've got progesterone to take over here, so I don't have all day to spend in the kitchen. And ladies, that ALWAYS wins in the list of stuff to do, amirite?!

See these are the things that really separate the infertile gals from the rest of God's creatures. I feel like we all have this DEFCON 3 list... where in our otherwise seemingly normal lives, when we can even remotely sense ovulation approaching... we start looking for the other officer in our marriage who has a key to avert crisis and we start negotiations and we discuss weighing the pros and cons of deploying evasive maneuvers, and we administer ALL THE MEDS. Where am I supposed to fit repetitive, over-exposed recipe photography into that equation??

Being infertile is fun, c'est la vie. So let's cook, shall we? This will keep your mind off your ovulation defect for at least 20 minutes. And even if it doesn't, this is still going to taste delicious. Even if you zone out while drafting together your adoption go.fund.me strategy in your head while boiling the noodles! It's as flexible as it is forgiving, and it welcomes all those tiny leftover veggies that you have hanging out on the counter, in the fridge, or just starting to grow in the garden... 

This can be a side dish or the main course. The ingredients lend themselves to an Asian-inspired flavor profile, producing a rice noodle dish that can be served hot or chilled. Perfect for a potluck, backyard BBQ, or picnic. It's also gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and nightshade-free! And if you avoid part of the garnish, it can be nut-free as well. If you need to avoid rice, you could go with another kind of noodle here (maybe bean noodles?) and I think that would also work. It's a pretty customizable dish, if-I-do-say-so-myself. Now, onto the fooodddssss...

Cilantro Lime Rice Noodle Salad

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Prep Time: 10 minutes       Cook Time: 10 minutes      Portions: Serves 4          
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Ingredients

6 oz thin rice noodles

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink sea salt

1/8 teaspoon course ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 carrot, peel entire carrot and dice peels into thin strips

1/4 head of cabbage, finely shredded

3 scallions, chopped finely

1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade

1 and 1/2 limes, juiced

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons fermented soy sauce

For Garnish 

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, diced

1/8 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts (optional)

2 radishes, finely sliced (optional)

2 chives, finely diced (optional)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)

Cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package. You don't want al dente noodles here, so make sure they are fully cooked. Once the rice noodles are fully cooked and drained, place them in a large mixing bowl. (If you will be serving this dish chilled, feel free to rinse the noodles under cold water while you are draining them to cool them off immediately.) 

All other ingredients (except the garnish) go into the mixing bowl with the noodles. As with all recipes, I recommend you add ingredients to your own taste and take my proportions as a suggestion only. Rice noodle salads are easily customizable to whatever vegetables you have in garden and/or the fridge, so add/omit whatever you'd like!

When you are ready to serve the dish, add the garnish on top for presentation. Mix everything in before plating up individual portions.... and voila!

You can definitely make this dish ahead (just leave the garnish off until serving) if you are going to serve this chilled. A night in the fridge is ok for rice noodles, but no more than that or they tend to go mushy on you. I made this the night before I served it and it was phenomenal. The noodles still had plenty of bite and texture to them. The veggies still had the crunch I wanted from them. And the flavors had melded really well too... I could easily have seen this as a backyard BBQ side dish.

The creaminess of the avocado and fattiness of the pork I added worked well with the sharp sweet-n-sour flavor of the noodles, but I have to be honest that I ate the rest of the dish without anything added but a fork! This dish had everything I wanted: crunchy, squishy, fragrant, chewy, tart, sweet, citrus-y, creamy, and great mouth feel to it. Not much more you can wax on philosophically about a rice noodle dish though. This ain't the home to food pron. And I seriously posted more photos of this dish than is even reasonable. But this is what they tell me you are supposed to do when you blog about a recipe... so feast your eyes out on the same bowl 853 times and pin this until your heart is singing with glee.

Go take your progesterone and eat your salad. And when you come back, tell me what you're eating. I'll have run out of this by then and I'll be hungry. Because I'm post peak y'all.... you know what that means for hunger, don't you?? hahaha. Thanks for reading along with this hundredth post. If you're new here, I hope you'll stick around despite my terribly cliche and mainstream food post. If you're not new here... and you tolerate all my random meanderings, drawings, and now recipes... tell me how this turned out for you. I'd love to hear your feedback! I bid you adieu, until 101....

Here's a downloadable recipe card, in case you wanted to print this out. Hover over the top right corner and click on the right button to "pop out". From there, you can download, print, or save it. Grey scale shamrock at no extra charge... 

How about one more pretty bowl picture for the road, in case you were upset that I didn't show pictures of every utensil in the kitchen touching the ingredients? ;) I suppose if I had really done this correctly though, I'd have made the noodles overflow the bowl in some artistic Rorschach pattern... 

Seven Quick Takes (#9)

Lots and lots and lots going on this week. Welcome to my 9th edition of 7QT, and it's going to be pretty NFP heavy y'all. Time has ben flying over here this month. They weren't kidding when they said March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, were they?? Are we in lamb territory yet? :)
                                          

FCP Training - As you may have noticed from the counter on the right hand side of this blog, it's time for my actual FCP training. EP1 is about 1,000 miles away from where I sit as of this moment...so a roadtripping I shall go. We started this venture on Fat Tuesday and we can't believe how fast you (and God) have answered our big YES to this calling. It truly, truly would not be happening without all of you! The excitement for what's ahead (learning new stuff, geeking out on something I already really dig, and all of the unfortunate amazing car dancing in my near future is pretty palpable here. That excitement is only grounded by the gravity of the work and studying that is ahead of me. And *gulp*, just to make it all-the-more intimidating, I've just learned in the past 24 hours that the training is 100% filled with doctors.... except.... you know... ME. Nothing to see here. Just a small little freak out about how crazy that detail is. As I said before, I will never, ever forget how this career began.

What Infertile Women Eat - This was a week where I went with this logic: Can't have gluten, dairy, nuts, nightshades, or refined sugar? Eat more bacon. Big, thick, natural slices of bacon. Oink. That's not the important part of this WIWE update though. There is such an exciting food detail ahead of me, I don't know *what* to do to properly express my excitement about it. It takes a LOT to evoke excitement on the category of food anymore. So y'all funded my tuition in record time and then people started asking to cover travel expenses...then food. The Lord kept bringing you to my doorstep to help, we kept saying yes, and then it got delicious. A generous couple has donated an entire week's worth of Paleo AIP meals to me for this training. They bought it from a service called Paleo to Go. It's basically a gourmet chef who cooks exactly for your food needs, then the food is delivered to you. I'm SO excited about it because traveling involves an inevitable amount of itchiness, allergic reactions, gastro issues, etc. that come up because off-limits stuff gets hidden in your food no matter what you do. I've been on trips before where I basically had to survive on lettuce for a week. It's not fun. But not this time! This trip will be as simple as opening a custom packed box later today and putting all the wholesome safe meals into the fridge. Y'all spoiled me!

Prayer Request - Please pray for my long road trip to be safe, for my training to be fruitful, and for all of the doctors at this educational program to bring pro-life NFP in the form of C.reighton back to their hometowns.

A year of "parenthood" - It has taken a while to share news of my miscarriages openly, but I took the plunge publicly on my facebook page on our 1st child's 1st birthday. An outpouring of love from everyone ensued and my heart felt a little less heavy. It was all anxiety and tears before the post and none after it, so I know the Holy Spirit was close by.
"Today would have been the 1st birthday of our 1st child, Ruadhán Pádraig. As you all celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick this year, know that we are mourning the loss of a child who is not with us. There is no birthday cake and no balloons. There is no party or giggling baby. What I have learned from my first year of "parenthood" is that this child was not *just* a miscarriage as so many have told me. His death cannot be explained away as some trite explanation of God's "plan". And this sadness and emptiness that we feel is not something you "get over with time". There is a Ruadhán-sized hole that is cauterized right into the flesh of my heart. I am the only place he ever called home before he went home to be with Christ, so I am forever changed by the short time I was granted to be his Earthly mother. Our hearts and our minds connect with our children the moment we know they are there, no matter how tiny. Perhaps the words of Laura Bush say it all better than I can manage on a day like today: "The English language lacks the words to mourn an absence. For the loss of a parent, grandparent, spouse, child or friend, we have all manner of words and phrases, some helpful some not. Still we are conditioned to say something, even if it is only “I’m sorry for your loss.” But for an absence, for someone who was never there at all, we are wordless to capture that particular emptiness. For those who deeply want children and are denied them, those missing babies hover like silent ephemeral shadows over their lives. Who can describe the feel of a tiny hand that is never held?"







The power of prayer - At the risk of sounding like a broken record on the topic of prayers, I wanted to remind everyone to take a moment and think of someone you can pray for in your life. Sometimes, the prayers we offer, organize, and deliver can have a powerful impact on the people around us. I've done three spiritual bouquets since I initially published this card. And over 100 people have downloaded it to make their own bouquet. Do you have a Lenten prayer buddy? Is a family member sick? Is someone you know falling on hard times? Is there a reason to offer prayers of thanksgiving for something amazing in your life? All of those things are a great reason to put your prayers together in support of someone else in a tangible way. HERE is what it is like for someone to open up a spiritual bouquet. It makes a difference.














Your messages to us - This week, since I'll be on the road, I'd like to pray rosaries for my readers' intentions. If you have any intentions that you'd like me to pray for you...just throw them down in the comments of this thread or send me a message on our contact form! I'm very happy to do it. Remember that no intention is trivial - send them all my way! <3

This Ain't the Lyceum - Don't forget to visit the host of 7QT!

P.S. You get an additional one this week with the Irish Feasting and all. Go make yourself some of these. Tá tú fáilte roimh! :)

Seven Quick Takes (#8)

Another giant week...I can hardly believe time is flying through this Lenten season as fast as it is. Here were some noteable updates from our week. I know, I know. We've been posting all week...and there's still more to share!!

                                          

FCP Training - UPDATED: We have exactly 2 weeks until I start my training. And guys? GUYS!! We'll be going into this fully funded!!!!!!!!! We're grateful for all the help...and by grateful, we mean that our jaws are on the floor and our hearts have swelled with the outpouring of love you've shown us. We started this venture on Fat Tuesday and we can't believe how fast you (and God) have answered our big YES to this new adventure. Each day that passes fills me with more excitement. That excitement is only grounded by the gravity of the work and studying that is ahead of me. This didn't happen without your generous support and your giant hearts. I'll be taking your intentions with me to EP1, which is very fittingly being held in a church called the Prince of Peace. Each night, I will offer up my training for all of the selfless people who have made this opportunity possible. Your silent witness and support of me, my DH, and this blog have filled me with faith, hope, and love. I will never, ever forget how this career began.

What Infertile Women Eat - I'm so infertile, I broke a crockpot this week. Y'all, that takes some skill. My bone broth days are on hold for a while because of this. Sigh. That's ok, I'll live. But only because the crockpot didn't kill me or burn the house down! I'll never forget the sound it made when it exploded. In fact, if I might whine for a second here about something more important on the food front: why are these Paleo AIP reintroductions so flipping hard?? Nightshades are 100% out right now. Like, no two ways about it. That makes me so cranky. Potatoes. Tomatoes. Peppers. Eggplants. Cashews. The inhumanity of it....is truly cruel. Alright, alright, enough with the melodrama. Back to how hardcore I am for breaking my crockpot by cooking too much! Most of what I ate this week was super boring and involved chicken and rice. In soup form. In non-soup form. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Prayer Request Update - My father-in-law was released from the hospital today and allowed to go back home. Thank you to everyone for the outpouring of love and prayers you sent his way. They've made for wonderful conversations between us about the saints and shrines around the world. I should also mention that my father-in-law isn't necessarily better, but the public health hospital says it's time for his GP to manage things on an out-patient basis. Today was a rough day for DH. He literally spent the entire day being yelled at by a cranky father on food strike who was trying to convince him to do things that specifically go against his doctors' orders. We know that behavior changes are part of major illnesses. DH needed a lot of love and support tonight and he could use your prayers too. 75 year-olds don't like to be told what to do (and I don't blame them). This adjustment and role reversal are going to take time to figure out. And if today was any indication, it's going to be as graceful as a bull in a china shop. 

Blog Dedication - We'll be posting more about this soon, but we wanted you to know that we are dedicating this blog to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

We ask that this website may make a humble contribution to all who read it with glory given only to God (and none for ourselves). We seek this in what we write, draw, ask, discuss, and reflect here... including the humor that we poke at our own difficulties. May the Two Hearts lift our hearts and those of our readers in every way as they peruse the words we place here.

O, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, You to Whom we owe everything, please bless all that we share here and guide us in our faith to grow closer to You.

If you would like to pray a novena to the Two Hearts, you can read more about that here. We pray for twins all the time and the Two Hearts Novena is a special way that we pray about our own hopes for parenthood, whatever form that might take in God's Plan. If you have prayed the novena, we'd love to hear about your experience.










Twitter - We are up and chirping as of this week. Feel free to follow us there if you'd like!

Bloglovin' - We know some of our readers like to follow us there too, so feel free to add us to your reading list there as well. We claimed our blog there this week.

   

Your messages to us - We heard from a lot of you sharing your prayer intentions with us this week. We've kept you all in prayer. If you asked us to pray for you, we're saying an Our Father and a Hail Mary for you nightly in Irish. Keep using our contact form and asking! We love hearing from our readers and we are very happy to pray for you and your intentions! <3

This Ain't the Lyceum - Don't forget to visit the host of 7QT!

Seven Quick Takes (#7)

With a full week of Lent under us this year, there are no signs of things slowing down over here!! Here's our 7th edition of 7QT and it's action packed! Thank you to everyone for praying and supporting us through this giant past week. We felt your love and support the entire way.

                                          

FCP Training - We have been nothing short of drop-jaw-amazed at the generosity of our friends, and their friends, and even complete strangers this week. At every turn of this journey to discern becoming an FCP, the path has been cleared. This week was no different. With only 20 calendar days until this training session begins, I'm happy to announce that I just learned that I've been ACCEPTED into the program and I've been granted a $1,000 grant from OSV for this training. Thank you to everyone for encouraging me to apply. I know we have a lot of work ahead (and a ton of studying!!), but this path is already enormously blessed and my faith has been doubled and redoubled in God's plan for us this year. Since we originally posted the "donate" button --> on our page on Fat Tuesday, you all have donated $274.93 out of the $4,000 remaining funds needed. If we have been the focus of your almsgiving this Lent, know that you have our humble thanks and our constant prayers. We still have quite a bit of fundraising to do before I travel all those miles to training. I hope you will prayerfully consider helping me get there. More details/updates in the weeks to come!

What Infertile Women Eat - This week involved a wonderful treat that I shared with friends. Korean food was on the menu this time and our Wednesday dinner was a special treat because of it. Skirt steak from my local butcher (pastured and grassfed!) that we marinated all day, chopped across the grain, and turned into Korean bulgogi. And that's not all! We actually served it as lettuce wraps, so we made a food assembly line on the kitchen island and we lined up all the options. Romaine lettuce leaves, jasmine steamed rice, bulgogi meat, mushrooms and scallions and carrots sauteed in sesame oil, (homemade) mak kimchi cooked down with some veggies and oil, crumbled nori (seaweed), sesame seeds, and a delicious ssamjang to top it all off (and of course raw mak kimchi as banchan!). We enjoyed it with a lovely chilled Virginia Viognier and it was a fantastic pairing.

Prayer Request Update - So many people from around the US and the world have been praying for my dear father-in-law. As many of you know, the Irish are not known for their over-the-top expressions of emotion. But this week involved a lot of really scary moments...so emotions were in full force. Lots of expressions of love going all the way around. Our only good news so far came today that swelling and lung fluid are slowly retreating. He hasn't been able to even talk the past few days because he's been struggling for air that much. Thank you to all the people keeping my beloved family in prayer. I'm deeply indebted to you for the thoughtfulness and for each of you raising up your suffering for him to our Lord. And we've shared each prayer offering with him...and he continues to be amazed at all the people praying to St. Anthony (his favorite intercessor) with him.

Printable Spiritual Prayer Bouquet - Speaking of prayers!! This got published under-the-radar because I needed it to be at the time (remember when I mentioned it here?). I organized my first spiritual bouquet this past month. The project began on January 20th and it ended on February 20th. I will be posting some pictures of what my prayer bouquet looked like once it was complete, what it entailed, how I approached it. It was an entire month dedicated to rosaries, novenas, mass offerings, adoration hours, fasting, and acts of charity. The completed prayer bouquet is en route to the recipient via snail mail and I want her to be the first to see the completed project before I share anything here. This bouquet was compiled for a very specific tribute and I hope it expresses all the love that was put into it. So for now, I'm sharing the link to the FREE printable cards (with instructions!) I created that you can download here to make your own spiritual bouquet. Share. Pray. Repeat.

St. Monica, My 2015 Patron Saint - She continues to kick some tail, this awesome saint. When I originally pulled this saint for my patron, I was a bit confused at how she could be my intercessor. And then a friend confided in me about abuse in her marriage. Then another friend confided in me about her marriage falling apart from difficulties. Then another friend confided in me about infidelity in her marriage. Then another friend confided in me about mental illness breaking up a marriage. Over a period of three weeks, I've learned some dark, dark things going on in marriages all around me (in some pretty devout Catholic couples!). My husband and I are taking this "spiritual attack" very seriously and we are praying vigilantly for ourselves and all marriages - that God would offer protection to all those who shared this sacred bond. St. Monica, pray for us! She has done an AWESOME job supporting these prayers so far...so please consider her as your own intercessor if you know someone struggling! 

   

Speaking of prayers again - you have been reaching out to us and asking us to pray for you. Keep using our contact form and asking! We love hearing from our readers and we are very happy to pray for you. We've been asked if you need to donate to our CrMS training fund in order for us to offer prayers for you and I just want to give a great big NO to that question. Our prayers are offered free of any obligation. We'll never offer to pray for you with conditions. That said, we know some of you are donating in memory of children. If you *have* asked us to pray for a special intention along with your contribution, know that we are keeping those intentions in nightly prayers as well. Accept all as Christ, right? <3

This Ain't the Lyceum - Don't forget to visit the host of 7QT! 

Seven Quick Takes (#6)

It has been *such* a busy week!! I hope you all are having a fruitful Lent so far. I know mine kicked off with quite the bang...and the rest (you know, all 72 hours of it...) has just been a matter of holding by the seat of my pants! Here goes:




Lent is upon us, truly. Right now I have an urgent prayer request of my readers: VERY URGENT need for prayers for my father-in-law. The next 48 hours are super important for him and we are praying for his liver and heart functioning to miraculously improve. Please, please pray with us.

FCP Training - an update on training and fundraising. So far, I have officially raised $145 towards the $5,000 needed for FCP training. I know that it's a lot to ask anyone for a donation, and I'm humbled to be in a position to *have to* here, but I wanted to offer a heartfelt thank you to all of those who have made a contribution. I'm moved by your kindness and generosity. Many of the donations have been very small...and it just about brings tears to my eyes when I see people helping us get over this hurdle $2 and $5 at a time with their hard-earned money. Please continue to keep our fundraising efforts in your prayers. If you would like us to pray for a special intention when you donate, just send us a message on the contact form...because we're praying for all our helpers! We're still waiting to hear back on the scholarship, so keep your fingers crossed we are approved for that! We definitely need that support to bridge the gap of our fundraising efforts here on the blog.





What Infertile Women Eat - For those on restricted diets (especially GF ones), Fat Tuesday goes a little differently. It's not the pancake-fest that it might be for the rest of the Catholic world on that day. So what's a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, nightshade-free girl to do on a day that calls for splurging?! Well, I'll tell you it wasn't a sacrifice, first of all. It definitely felt like a party too. The day started out with crepes I made using this ingenious Paleo naan recipe. I made them thinner than she does and I added honey and cinnamon to mine. Once they were fully cooked, I stuffed them with coconut cream and no-sugar-added blackberry preserves and drizzled them with melted ghee. Like I said, totally not a compromise! Dinner was a rare treat. The local sushi bar had a cheap "all you can eat sushi" night on Fat Tuesday. I'm not kidding!! It wasn't a buffet either, they made your meal to order. This was round one of the embarrassing volume of sushi eaten. Top left is yellowtail with scallions, top right is salmon avocado roll, and bottom is GF-panko-tempura sweet potato roll.




Weight Loss - Recently I realized that I have been keeping a giant accomplishment to myself and that it might help others to read about a victory happening over here as a result of NaPro treatment. I began taking LDN in May 2014. Everything leading up to that was kind of hit-and-miss in my treatment, excepting my surgical endometriosis excision. Once I was on LDN though, weight started to rapidly fall off. Half a stone (7 lbs) that first week. And on and on it went. It eventually slowed, but the loss has not yet stopped. The graph to the left represents 69 lbs lost since I began LDN. It's a huge deal. And I didn't talk about it. How Irish of me.... :P





The Tiny Catholic Bubble - This week I was in a unique situation to help a friend in need. It involved some research into a subject that should have been easy to find information about...and yet for days, I found myself calling and emailing and trying to find people or resources that might help. And you know who ended up being the most helpful, despite all the people, places, organizations, and hotlines I contacted? My tiny little Catholic bubble. That is, it was my priest friends, my Catholic volunteer friends, my missionary friends, those with least access to information and computers who made time to help. I was reminded in a big way this week just how important our small networks are when it comes to our shared faith in times of need. It was a heartwarming experience to have an opportunity to see that more clearly this week. At the same time, I'm starting to understand more and more as each day passes  why St. Monica is on my side this year!!

Comedy of Ashes - Sharing two hilarious takes on Ash Wednesday here. I know, I know...no one thinks "comedy" when they think Ash Wednesday, but trust me - these will make you smile! The first is a funny commentary from Daniel Bearman about how it's not a holy day of obligation, yet constantly high on attendance. The second is from my friend Bill Donaghy, who captured the essence of what we all think about Ash Wednesday... and for the record, load toner was what I was given this year. Bwahaha. Unto dust I shall return...

Diocesan Love - One of the American diocese liked our Virtual Marriage Retreat so much that they republished our post on their diocesan blog Encourage and Teach! I can't hardly express how humbled and excited it made me that our little blog had something to offer their readers. It made my birthday really special to learn that news, as you can imagine, but it's even cooler seeing it posted now! Go take a look at their facebook post and the blog post. Hope you all will consider trying out the retreat.

This Ain't the Lyceum -  Don't forget to visit the host of 7QT!

Seven Quick Takes (#5)

Assault and arrest: So a few days ago, while at a dollar store for a some inexpensive Valentine's Day odds and ends I needed to assemble a care package, a man approached me. Mid-thirties black man (very disheveled, dressed all in black). He tells me I look friendly and he needs help. I was prepared to help right then. He pulls out a gloved hand rather abruptly, but it just has 2 quarters in it. I breathed a visible sigh of relief as he proceeded to ask me for cash NOW. I smiled at him and told him that while I was unemployed and had no "cash" I could spare at the moment, I would happily share my lunch with him. He makes a sudden move to knock into me and someone else comes into the aisle at the same time (so thankful!) and I yelled out to her "THERESE - what in the world are YOU doing here!" (like I knew her...). It was enough to distract him and I quickly hurried away. Then I apologize to the stranger at the end of the aisle and tried to explain myself. She interrupted me and goes on to tell me that he just cornered her and threatened her one aisle over. Eek. Then another woman walks up to both of us and says he did the same thing to her last Thursday, and yet another said he did it to her last Saturday. Then we hear another woman sounding like she was in distress an aisle over. So I discreetly make a bee line for the manager, she deals with it. I check out and leave. End of a not-so-eventful-story, right? So then I walk across the parking lot as I leave the store (in silence), the hair on the back of my neck suddenly feels electrically charged and stands up on end with goosebumps for NO reason. I get a sudden feeling of panic rush through me and I turn around, prepared to confront an attacker. It's the creepy guy from the store. Only he isn't coming for me. This time he has a couple (man and woman) up against their car and making threatening gestures at them. They are mid-assault and I know I can't physically overpower the guy and stop the assault. Somehow your brain just makes decisions in that fight-or-flight mode. I ran into the next retail store in front of me, get them to call a cop who is stationed at the shopping center (so glad I knew that detail about that shopping center!). By the time the cop arrived (literally 2 minutes), the guy had run off to the other long end of the shopping center parking lot, having gotten nothing from the couple. And the panicked couple is now huddled in their car in tears, while the attacker is now lifting handles on cars trying to get into them. So I literally walked up to the guy WITH THE COP as he's trying to break into cars and say "that's the guy" and then disappeared as he's being arrested (which I totally told the cop I was going to do beforehand...and he agreed that was fine). Bizarre experience, scared the daylights out of me. Thankful that the guy never saw my car, in case he frequents that shopping center (who knows!). I did go back and tell the managers of both stores that he was apprehended. Both were women who had to work late and close the store by themselves that night and I had remembered that detail. The look of relief on their faces... it was a gift. I'm praying for that man though (he told me his name was 'Marcus', though who knows if that's true!). So, prayers for Marcus, please. Whatever led him to those choices definitely needs some prayer added.




35th Birthday: Yesterday was my birthday and I was completely overwhelmed with love by SO many friends and family. From the massive pile of FB messages and PMs alone (over 100!!), it was just so heartwarming. I just wanted to take the time HERE to say that you all made my day. Last year on that same date, we "finished" miscarrying our daughter. It was a dark thing to happen on your birthday and I never thought I'd want to celebrate another one again. You all made it better by throwing so much love at me. I knew it came from women and men who have been through loss themselves, grieved the emptiness of their own wombs, and yearned for children. 35 is a dark birthday for any woman trying to conceive because you *know* your risks increase and that your fertility decreases (can it actually decrease from zilch?). So amazingly, y'all made it a special one in SPITE of that just by taking the time to send so much love my way. Many, many thanks for that gesture. It made a big difference in my world! And there was only one friend who texted me "Happy birthday, hope you can get pregnant and STAY that way!" Uhhhh...................thanks?




Snow: I was born in a blizzard. And for the past 35 years, it has always snowed a little (if not a LOT) on my birthday no matter where I have found myself on that day. Florida comes to the top of my head of odd places that it snowed while I visited on my February birthday! Anyhow, this year did not disappoint. I warned people to ignore the forecast for whatever it said and to expect snow of some kind (like I do every year - I'm like the Paul Revere of February 12th snow!). Yet with 50ish degree F (10 C) weather called for on the news and online and only the tiniest % of snow listed...I think they said 2% last I heard? (I don't even pay attention to weathermen on my birthday anymore) I knew there would at least be flakes, if not more. People refused to believe me. Mocked me, even! So you all can imagine my pure joy when all of my friends I have in my city began to post pictures of the snow and declare their shock, awe, and amazement. Snow is my birthday present from God. At least, it has been for 35 years. It wasn't enough to stick...but the beautiful little flakes still fell and everyone stopped for a moment to take it in with silent awe. It was a great gift.

What infertile women eat: Cupcakes! Fruit Tarts! Massive quantities of sashimi and avocados! Being on a restrictive diet usually means birthday celebrations that involve food aren't thought to be much fun. I didn't expect much in the way of a "treat" this year given that I'm just in the beginning stages of food reintroductions after a full month of Paleo AIP. And if you read last week, even that wasn't going so well! Despite all that, I wanted a yummy birthday treat. I found this Paleo-friendly french silk pie. The photos were amazing (red flag! Paleo dessert photos lie!!!). It was such an absolute disaster. And I say that as someone with a fair amount of culinary and pastry skill. Be warned. So needless to say, I quickly abandoned that idea and re-purposed the ingredients into two things I knew would work. One was a fruit tart (GF crust, coconut cream "custard" and some fruit compote for the creamy layer, and fresh berries on top with a honey gelatin glaze) and the other were some GF cupcakes (one of which I freely admit I ate for breakfast - long running birthday tradition!). The cupcakes turned out INSANELY good. Triple chocolate fudge, and coated with cocoa nibs. I was just floored at the yumminess. It wasn't good for "what it was"....it was just GOOD. Completely winged it though, because I was working with failed recipe leftovers from something else. Hoping I can recreate them now! Anyone else who is on an AI diet (or Paleo or Whole 30, etc. etc. etc.) will understand how rare these kinds of insanely delicious treats are. Since it was my birthday, dinner needed to be something special too. My favorite grocery store had sashimi grade Ahi on sale and when I told the clerk I was shopping for birthday dinner ideas, he marked it over 50% off the sale tag and said "enjoy and happy birthday!". Instructions followed, kind sir - it was definitely enjoyed! Ate like a queen today, very unexpectedly.... :)

Catholic praise: I posted a blog yesterday where I did a mash-up of online marriage retreats. Just something I thought of on the fly the day before. It took a while to put together because of so many links and media that needed to be embedded into the post. Anyhow, I didn't expect much. Not many people ever read my little blog. Just a handful of people, I think. To my giant surprise, a few different diocesan offices from around the US have contacted me and asked permission to republish that blog post on their websites as a resource for their parishioners! To say that I'm surprised (and delighted) is beyond an understatement. Honored? Humbled? Anyhow, not "bragging" so much as just sharing here, because these three retreats are what DH and I are going to be adding for Lent this year. Thought y'all might like the idea too and that's why I'm sharing it here, in case you missed it yesterday! :)




FCP Training: I received an email about a potential scholarship for EP1 of FCP training (that's 'education phase 1' for non C.reighton/NaP.ro people - it's 1 of 2 intensive Master's level classes required to become an FCP, both 'classes' are over a week long and completely immersive). The woman in charge of this particular educational program sent the message to me yesterday when she couldn't have known it was my birthday. She told me I was a perfect candidate for their program and hoped that I would apply. She went on to share the details, including all the necessary applications for the program and the scholarship (the program involves a year commitment, the scholarship might involve partial grant for tuition). Well......the deadline is February 16th...a mere 3 days from now. She said she was trusting that God will help move some mountains if it's supposed to happen right now for me.  This might be a good time to share a little personal tidbit about myself. Of all the jobs I've had in my entire life...most of them were offered to me on my birthday. Never planned, it's just always gone like that for some weird reason. My DH and I can't help but think we need to pay attention to this extra little detail of the "timing". What are your thoughts, internets? The tuition and fees themselves for the first phase are about $3,000. We don't have that kind of money to spare. That means we'd be entirely dependent on a partial scholarship (if we got it), and potentially having to crowd source the rest. That makes me really uncomfortable even thinking about this. And I don't even think I know enough people who have a clue what C.reighton is enough that they might consider donating to that cause. Sigh. So my hopefulness that this is something I should be moving in the direction towards wavers because of that one obstacle. But yet we don't have time for anything to waver! We have 3 days to process these thoughts/emotions and to apply for something that is going to involve a LOT of time, resources, frustrations (I'm sure!)... but I digress. Anyhow, would love your feedback, suggestions, thoughts, etc. about this one in the comments. It would help.

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Go visit our gracious Seven Quick Takes host for the link-up @ This Ain't the Lyceum!