Emily M. DeArdo's Blog, page 27

New Take Up & Read Study: Essential Holiness

Do you need a reset?

(Honestly, who doesn’t need a reset this year….)

Fall always make me think of new beginnings—new school year, new things starting, more so even than January. Fall is really a “new” year feeling for me!

If you feel that way too, then can I suggest Essential Holiness?

As you may know, I’m an editor/writer/researcher for https://www.takeupandread.org a Catholic women’s devotional group. We put out beautiful scripture study journals multiple times through the year, and this is our newest one! This focuses on what is really essential, both in the physical and spiritual life: prayer, good food, relationships…all sorts of things.

Take a peek inside with me….

Lectio pages to write out notes, thoughts, whatever you feel about the day’s Scripture passages!

Beautiful art that you can color!

Saintly wisdom!

Thought provoking essays!

I absolutely adore Essential Holiness and I hope you do too!

So pick up a copy and join us in this lovely study that can give us some fresh starts and peace!

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Clinic: "Rock solid"

That’s what the transplant pulmonologist said to me—things are “rock solid”.

So that’s always good to hear! I met a new doctor today who had a great sense of humor and is on top of things, so that makes me happy about being at OSU right now. I had, of course, Dr. K, who is my “main” doctor, but it was nice to know another doctor and to like him. I also met another transplant coordinator who I also liked! So this is good.

(And I got my flu shot. Get yours, please and thank you!)

So the day is different now than how clinic used to be. At The Old Resort, it was all in one building, so that was nice in that once you were in, you were in. And the parking was in a garage, so you never walked outside.

Now I start my day at one place, an outpatient center, where I get blood, x-rays, and PFTs done. It’s two buildings connected by a covered walkway, so you walk outside and the parking is outside (but it’s free, so….). Once all that’s done, I go to the main hospital for clinic. There, parking is in an excellent garage, but you have to pay (you get “validated” parking, but I think it’s only good for like two hours. BOO HISS. After that you have to pay.).

Anyway, today I met the new nurses who will be accessing my port—both of them are very nice. But in that building, it’s 98% cancer patients (and post-transplant folk like me who have port draws.) The “tower”, as it’s called, is 11 floors, and it has oncology doctors, clinics, infusion for chemo, etc., etc.

So I was surrounded by cancer patients, and one, in particular, looked so cold and sad that I just wanted to hug her, wrap her in cashmere and bubble wrap, tuck her into bed, and feed her about 50 Frosties. It’s 70 here right now, and it was about 55 this morning, but she looked absolutely frigid. So, please pray for her and all the other cancer patients?

After that I went to visit the radiology folk and then the PFT lab, where I had Ashley, the same tech I had last time, and ho is really nice. So that’s all in and out.

But anyway, yeah, “rock solid.” The doctor today said his job is “not to break me” since I’m so far out. And that works for me—I like a doctor who takes that sort of approach!

So that’s the clinic wrap. Next appointment in three months!

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Seven Quick Takes--The eye is healed up!

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Hi everyone! We’re back!

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So I saw my eye doctor yesterday and my corneal abrasion has healed, yayyyyy! I can wear contacts again! Double yay! He wants me to use eye drops for the next week which is fine, just to add some extra lubrication to my eye, no big deal. I’m very glad that it has healed up because I need my eyes to function! (As in, more than the average bear, because of the ears not working, ha!)

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If you need a cuteness pick-me-up, presenting….Adso! (AKA, the Outlander cat)

And if you need more cute, here’s Patty:

On her baptism say. She looks…..unsure. :) My godson, however, was baptized while he was having a bottle! :)

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Business: There’s a patreon. Check it out! Trying to build another income stream and I am so grateful for all my readers and patrons! Once you’re a writer that doesn’t mean you’re rolling in dough. I get my royalty checks once a year (September and March), and I do have to pay taxes (25%!!!!) on my royalties. So. More income streams are good! Thanks for considering.

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Pro tip: Don’t try to knit anything when you don’t normally wear glasses and you’re suddenly wearing them all the time. I’ll be so glad to get back to my knitting ASAP!

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The gallbladder is healing very well, my surgeon is quite pleased. :) I see my transplant clinic folk onMonday so let’s hope all is well there….I will update you when I get back.

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One of my favorite Marian devotions is the Seven Sorrows Chaplet. Have you heard of it? Read about it and pray it, especially since September is devoted to Our Lady of Sorrows!

If you would like a seven sorrows chaplet, this is where I got mine (she’s a local lady who does beautiful work!)

We're BACK!

Sam guards the books

Hi everyone! I’m back! :)

So the surgery went well. I had my follow-up yesterday with my surgeon and he’s happy. Apparently my gallbladder was very inflamed and angry, so I am glad it is gone! And I’m also betting that the prednisone I take sort of took the edge off the pain of an angry, inflamed gallbladder, so thank you, prednisone! :)

The plan was to stay one night at my parents and then come home, but then, in the middle of the night on Thursday, I managed to scratch my cornea.

While I was sleeping.

And I have no nails. I’m a chronic nail biter. So how I managed to gouge my eye is….a mystery of life!

So the next day I woke up and had lots of pain in my left eye. Which meant we went to the local ER! And lo and behold, I had a corneal abrasion! Not fun!

So I had Cipro eye drops for a week. (I’ve had Cipro orally, but never this way, so, new frontiers in medicine….) That ended last Friday. My eye is much better but I still have to wear my glasses and no makeup until I see the eye doctor this Thursday (as in, in two days).

WHEW.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that things went well surgically and that I’m recovering nicely. The last two episodes of the Living Memento Mori book club will be next Tuesday and the following Tuesday (September 22 and September 29) at 3:00 PM EST on my Facebook page.

And in the last piece of news, I wrote a quick piece on Flannery O’Connor and put it up on my Patreon page. If you want to read it, join Orchard House Studios! Monthly memberships start at one dollar! There’s a bunch of other patron-only content up to!

And I’m featured on the new Spoken Women Site!

So, I’m back, and so is football—Steelers won and Pitt won, so I’m happy to have both teams at 1-0 after week one!

How are you doing?

Yarn Along #101: The Cardigan Is Ready to Seam!

In #emilyknitsacardigan news, the carding is READY TO SEAM! Right now it’s just a stack of pieces, so no picture, because….stack of pieces. :) But! This is very very exciting. very very nerve-racking. I’m holding off on seaming until after gallbladder surgery because it will require attention!

In other WIPs…..Patty’s baby blanket keeps growing!

I’m more than halfway done, so yay! I still haven’t decided if I’ll block it. Hmmmm. Do you block blankets? (I mean you personally.) Ravelry notes here.

And I’ve started a lace project!

This is from Modern Daily Knitting’s “Open” edition. I’ve never done lace before, but this project is just my favorite, although I can’t do too many rows at once because I have to concentrate on the pattern! But I’m getting it down so hopefully I can move a little faster! It’s called the rib lace scarf, and the Ravelry notes are here.

I adore the yarn! It’s from Lichen and Lace and it’s called pressed flowers. How can you not love yarn called pressed flowers?!

As for reading….I’m having surgery tomorrow so there will probably be much reading and less knitting over the next week!

As you can see the book pile is….massive.

Because, surgery. I’m going to have a lot of free time on my hands so I can read!

(There are actually even more books than this. Scary but true)

And I’m re-reading Mansfield Park as part of the great Jane Re-Read. I love Mansfield Park. This might be the book I take with me tomorrow because I probably don’t want to have to concentrate on anything new.

Movie Review: Fatima

I wrote a review of the new Fatima movie for the local Catholic paper! Yay!

Here’s the beginning:

There are almost as many film versions of the story of Our Lady of Fatima as there were appearances by the Virgin. With so many versions, do we need another account of the apparitions of Mary that occurred more than 100 years ago? Yes, because this version brings the story of the three visionaries and their world to realistic life. 
 
Other tellings of the story have focused on the three seers – 10-year-old Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Francisco, 9, and Jacinta Marto, 7 – and what they beheld in a two-dimensional way. The current film gives depth and realism to the apparitions with its vivid storytelling….

Read the rest at the Columbus Catholic Times!

25% OFF LIVING MEMENTO MORI (and free shipping!)

Just wanted to let you know that the book is on sale at Ave Maria Press!

They just launched a new website so if you use the code NEWSITE, you get 25% off AND free shipping! :)

So go shop! This would be a good time to get copies to give out as early Lent gifts—aka, Christmas presents! :

Seven Quick Takes--COVID test, Patreon, and more!

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On the blog this week:

Meal trains rollin’ (Or: why don’t more churches do this?)

My Patreon is live!

Quick note abut the Patreon post—it explains why I have on and what the money will be used for. I’m also doing a Patreon OPEN HOUSE through Monday (8/31), which means that you can see a preview of the content I’ll be sharing with patrons before you sign up.

If you are a member at the Meg ($10) or Jo ($20) level, you also get your name on the patron page here on the site!

OK that’s it. This has been a commercial advertisement. :)

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So I’m having gallbladder removal surgery on Thursday (9/3), and so before that, I have to have a COVID test! What joy what rapture! Given that my nasal passages are often assaulted with long objects (ENT, thanks!), this shouldn’t be too bad. The hardest part will be checking in because you have to call, but they also have a parking lot where you can just park and they’ll come out to you. So that will be on Monday.

After the test I am not allowed to leave my house or see anyone, which sort of makes things interesting…can I get my mail? I mean is that an issue? WHO KNOWS????

Also there probably won’t be a 7QT next week because, surgery. :) But I’ll post on SM to let everyone know I’m alive. :)

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In the time I’ll have to be in my house, though, I can probably make great strides on Patty’s baby blanket!

Here’s Miss Patty….she will be baptized on September 6!

LOOK at that gorgeous hair!!!

And here’s her blanket:

So you can see the whole color scheme now, and I really like it, so yay! I was sort of worried about the mauve and pink next to each other but it has all worked out and I really love these colors. I hope Miss Patty does too!

More details on the blanket in next week’s Yarn Along. :)

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I had an endo telehealth appointment this week yesterday. It was…OK. A big note has been placed in my chart telling people not to call me anymore, so that’s helpful, I hope people FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. :)

I got a lot of my questions answered. Things like, how close is too close together for insulin doses, do we want to change the evening long-acting insulin dose, and other things like that. Also, I now know—or have a better idea—of what constitutes a “bad thing” in diabetes world. With CF and transplant, I know. With diabetes, I had no idea. But now I have an idea of what to watch out for so that’s good.

There are still some questions that will get addressed when I have my education class(es—I think it’s two?) next month.

And since I’m Super Special, there were even questions that made the nurse go, “Hmm, I have to think about that.” So yes. I am so weird.

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Also the cardigan keeps chugging on, in knitting world. I’m really close to finishing the second sleeve and then I get to put all the pieces together! Squee!!!!

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Reading. Whooo boy do I have a lot of books right now. Some of them are for post-surgery recovery reading, because we know how that goes—this is a laparoscopic surgery, so it shouldn’t be that bad in terms of recovery, but with my body, who knows, so I’m prepared to take at least a week “off” and just laze around reading. I have The Good Earth, The Confession Club, Writers and Lovers, and The Story of Arthur Truluv. I’ve also got a bunch of Renee Fleming CDs to listen to.

What are you reading right now?

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And finally, speaking of books, Living Memento Mori has 30 Amazon reviews now! Yay! Those help so much in getting word out about a book, so thank you! Please keep reading and reviewing! (And also, do so on Goodreads!)

Like what you read here? Want to support my writing? Come check out my patreon!

Meal Trains Rollin' (or: why don't more churches do this?)

“The Basket of Apples”, Cezanne

So a friend of mine, who is going through a lot right now, told me that people from her church had recently dropped off some meals for them.

She was really glad that they did this.

And this got me thinking. Why don’t we do this more often? Why are meal trains a thing that churches don’t do?

(At least, no parish I’ve ever belonged to has ‘done’ this, except for things like funeral luncheons.)

So I asked people on Twitter.

Most people would be interested in doing this—but their parish doesn’t currently do it.

Some reasons why?

LEGAL issues, amazingly. I hadn’t even thought of that. The idea that the parish had to have a clean kitchen that was up to code and all sorts of stuff.

And then this led me into another tangent: Why do we think it has to be “parish approved”?

I think one of the problems we run into these days is that everything has to be done by committee. We have to have plans and expenditures and charts and resolutions and PLANS.

Now I like a good plan. But for me, this seems like one of the simplest things ever.

1) Get a group of people together (via email/Facebook/whatever) that wants to serve the people in the community by providing meals. It can be for new parents, sick people in the family, deaths, whatever.

2) Publicize the idea. Put it in the bulletin or tell people that it exists. If your parish is anything like the ones I’ve belonged to, the parish information chain is a magical thing and people will just know who needs what—but get a contact email out there for people who are new!

3) People request meals, noting any allergies, of course.

4) People provide meals.

5) Repeat

Why does this have to be hard?

The parish doesn’t need to be involved at all—the people would make the meals in their own homes. It’s not under parish auspices. It’s just something that the people of the parish decide to do. There’s no money from the parish. Etc.

This seems like an easy way to “feed the hungry” in a way that I think gets missed. A lot of times people don ‘t need a food pantry. They need help, but it’s things like a few meals. Or maybe gift cards to groceries stories. They aren’t in the position to need long term help, but right now, they could use some help filling in the cracks.

I know in this time of COVID the idea of dropping off food and such can be….fraught.

But let’s make this happen. Let’s get together and provide this service to people who need it. If you think this is a good idea and you have the time, set it up in your parish.

Let’s be those hands and feet of Christ!

Interested in supporting my writing? Come be a patron on patreon!

Won't You Be My Patron?--My patreon is live!

So, after a lot of thinking, I’ve decided to launch a Patreon account.

What’s that?

Patreon is basically a modern-day version of the patronage artists, writers, and other creative folk used to get from the high-powered and wealthy members of society. Mozart had patrons. Michelangelo had patrons. The idea is that to create, you need income—and income isn’t always steady for creators! Especially since you have to buy things, or spend money, to make the art!

Essentially, my patreon will keep things going here. You do have to pay to have a website like mine—it’s not free. Then there’s all the hard and software needed to write, to get the word out, to create, in general. And then I have some medical expenses. The patreon money won’t mostly be used for that, I don’t think, because my insurance is reasonable (most of the time), but sometimes, not so much.

Of course if you are a blog subscriber, you will still get all the goodies you always get: my newsletter, discounts, fun things. Patreon members will get more, but different—it’ll mostly be focused on my creative side—the actual writing, behind the scenes sort of stuff.

I’m calling it Orchard House Studios, after the house in Little Women, and all the tiers are Little Women themed. :) Right now, they range from $3-$20 a month.

If you have any questions, drop them in the comments!