showeredwithgrace

Your Personality is Very Rare (INFP)

Your personality type is dreamy, romantic, elegant, and expressive. Only about 5% of all people have your personality, including 6% of all women and 4% of all men You are Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

Now Nina has us sharing  a little bit more about ourselves ~ our desks!  Here is mine ~ not too big but portable which meets my needs perfectly ! 

"How does she remain paperless and bookless!" you exclaim to yourself.  Well I do have several bookcases where I keep my books (you'll see one behind my fabric cutting table in this picture) and I have a medium size trunk where I keep papers ~ however, since we just recently moved most of these are still in boxes.  I'm also working on establishing some sort of binder system for papers I feel the need to keep (ideas, blog inspirations, notes, etc.).   

I've been noticing that there has been an interesting sharing of nightstands around the blog circuit these last couple of weeks.  I have to confess that I gave up on nightstands long ago.  They just don't work for me ~ I found them frustrating, cluttered and inadequate ~ I had to move to bookcases.  I'll give you a peek at what I do keep beside by bed though ~

Your Inner European is Russian!

Mysterious and exotic. You've got a great balance of danger and allure.

Who's Your Inner European?

Kate at Homeschooling in the Garden State has tagged me for a new meme ~ Ten things I like about myself ~ Hhhmmm  .   .   .

1.  I like my name ~ Kira ~ I think it is pretty and unusual.

2.  I like that I enjoy the company of children ~ it brings a lot of joy to my life.

3.  I like that I still enjoy the company of my old friends ~ old friendships are so comfortable.

4.  I like that I'm a reader ~ it has enriched my life.

5.  I like that I'm a stepmom ~ I have two wonderful boys that I never could have had otherwise and whose presence in my life helped me through several miscarriages.

6.  I like that I was adopted internationally ~ it will help me relate to my daughter when she is older.

7.  I like that I'm not a picky eater ~ it opens a whole world of interesting culinary experiences.

8.  I like my short chubby toes ~ they're mine!

9.  I like that my skin doesn't burn easily ~ it helps in the scorching heat of the desert.

10.I like that irony tickles my funny bone ~ I get some great belly laughs out of this one!

TAG ~ you're it!    

Hat tip to Miriam for this bit of fun !   Now here's some fun for you.

Sometimes a person just asks to be insulted.

You Are a Green Crayon

Your world is colored in harmonious, peaceful, natural colors. While some may associate green with money, you are one of the least materialistic people around. Comfort is important to you. You like to feel as relaxed as possible - and you try to make others feel at ease. You're very happy with who you are, and it certainly shows! Your color wheel opposite is red. Every time you feel grounded, a red person does their best to shake you.

What Color Crayon Are You?

I must be surrounded by Reds.

Hat tip to Lettres de mon Moulin for this fun little quiz !

You Are a Chocolate Chip Cookie

Traditional and conservative, most people find you comforting. You're friendly and easy to get to know. This makes you very popular - without even trying!

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

Divina over at the bean sprout tagged me for this meme a short while back.  Sorry Divina for taking so long!!  Finally I was able to decide which kitchen gadget in my kitchen sends my heart a flutter.  Well actually I couldn't decide on just one ~ so here are the two gadgets that I wouldn't want to show up missing!

First my stoneware pie pan ~ for the perfectly golden brown pie crust!  For too many years I covered the edges of my crusts with foil so they wouldn't over cook and burn before the pie was done.  This is the best !!

Rose Red is quite taken with homemade strawberry-rhubarb pie!

And second our mini food processor ~ every morning Rose Red helps whip herself up a little natural plain yogurt and fresh fruit with a dash of honey in this great invention.  Yummy!

Kate at Homeschooling in the Garden State has tagged me for a meme ~ so let me think .  .  .  .

8 Things About Me:

1.  I was born in The Land of Morning Calm.

2.  I'm living in a small cramped two bedroom apartment while attempting to build a house in the wilds of the desert ~ and have been for two and a half years.

3.  I think Oregon is the most beautiful state and would like to live there someday.

4.  I went to college for eight years and never graduated ~ ok, I guess I'm not goal driven (I was just there for the journey and I happen to like academia).

5.  I like to sew but have limited time and mediocre ability.

6.  My friends from high school are still my friends ~ although I've met a few more along the way.

7.  I'm not a cradle Catholic but converted to Catholicism when I was a senior in high school ~ following my mother into the Church (I was raised as a Lutheran after first attending a Unitarian church for a short time).

8.  You can find me wilting in the heat of the Arizona desert where I've been hung to dry now for thirty seven years ~ praying for greener pastures. 

Argent has tagged me for a 'Three Book Meme' so I'm pulling myself out of the quest for a good classic 'Three Little Pigs' storybook (thank you mom for finally finding one!) and moving my thoughts in the direction of adult summer reading choices !  While I'm not sure everyone would enjoy these ~ I have greatly enjoyed them and highly recommend them as great summer reads.

Three non-fiction books everyone should read:

The Divine Pity   by Gerald Vann, OP ~ (I used to carry this book around with me everywhere just to revisit passages and dwell on them whenever I found a spare moment !)

Orthodoxy   by GK Chesterton ~ (Classic, I have always enjoyed the way he writes.)

The Sabbath   by Abraham Joshua Heschel ~ (Worth a read)

Three books of fiction everyone should read:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis ~ ("I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now... Come further up, come further in!" ~ Jewel the Unicorn
The Last Battle

Late Have I Loved Thee   by Ethel Mannin ~ (a hauntingly lovely book ~ In fact I just  ordered another copy off the web, for a summer read, as my other is packed away)

Frederica   by Georgette Heyer ~ (because she makes me laugh)

Three authors everyone should read:

Carlo Carretto ~ (love him)

C.S. Lewis ~ (a favorite as a child and an adult)

Caryll Houselander ~ (her writing reads like poetry ~ beautiful and poignant ~ 'The Reed of God' and 'Wood of the Cradle, Wood of the Cross' are two of my favorites)

Three books no one should read:

The Feminine Mystique   by Betty Friedan

The Bell Jar   by Sylvia Plath

The Origin of Species   by Charles Darwin

Now I'd like to tag Nina, Helen, Divina, Dawn , Regina, Kate & Elena 

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better? What City Do You Belong In?

I ran across this over at Sweetness and Light .   According to my husband it sounds just like me!

You scored as Captain Wentworth. Your husband is Captain Wentworth of Persuasion, who some believe to be the most romantic of Austen's heroes. He is entertaining, yet he will always come to your aid before you even need to ask. Prone to jealousy, you can be certain he will protect you. The two of you have an active, endearing relationship that stands the test of time. Captain Wentworth 80% Edmund Bertram 70% Col. Brandon 65% Darcy 50% Edward Ferrars 45% Knightley 45% Tilney 40% Who is Your Jane Austen Boyfriend/Husband? created with QuizFarm.com Hat tip to Dawn for this fun quiz!

Have you discovered this lovely magazine yet?  It is a new find for me  ~  La Vie Claire ~ The Art of Living a Creative Life  (home, garden, food, art, inspiration)  It's absolutely gorgeous!

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I
think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

1. What time did you get up this morning?  Rose Red usually crys out when the sun gets up ~ and crawls into bed with us.  So I wake up when the sun comes up but get to snuggle in bed for about an hour with my husband and our baby girl before I have to actually get up ~ and this morning (nice surprise) our fifteen year old boy came to snuggle too.

2. Diamonds or pearls? I have to admit ~ as much as I like a simple, understated elegance ~ I can't resist the flash and sparkle of a diamond.

3. What was the last film you saw at the theater?  Hhmm ~ that one by Mel Gibson ~ Apocalypsa?

4. What is your favorite TV show?  I enjoy the food network ~ my particular favorite is Anthony Boudain Uncensored.  Also I like that DIY scrapbooking show ~ but don't watch it very often.

5. What did you have for breakfast? Egg and cheese sandwich ~ unusual as I usually don't eat breakfast.

6. What is your middle name?  My middle name was my korean first name before I was adopted and a cross to bear my whole life ~ Chun, is my middle name ~ and I really never liked it much.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?  Mmmm ~ I like many exotic foods as well as simple foods ~ but I most often crave Thai ~ and we have great Thai food where we live.

8. What foods do you dislike?  Mushy wet cereals.

9. What are your favorite chips?   Salt and Black Pepper Potato Chips ~ love them!

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment?  'Nuturing Rain' ~ Rose Red has been listening to it while nursing lately.

11. What kind of car do you drive?  I've been driving a white Jeep Wrangler ~ my toy ~ but now we are searching for a vehicle better suited to transporting a small child again.

12. Favorite sandwich?  A rueben ~ love the cornbeef and sauerkraut ~ and dill pickles!

13. What are characteristics you can't stand?  unkindness and self~centeredness.

14. What are your favorite clothes?  silk and cashmere.

15. If you could go anywhere on vacation where would you go?  I'd like to go to England and explore ~ and Ireland.

16. One random fact about myself:  I'm phobic about committing myself to anything ~ even an evening out with friends.

17. Where would you want to retire?  the pacific northwest

18. Favorite time of day?  sunrise and twilight

19. Where were you born? Korea

20. What is your favorite sport to watch? figure skating or dance

21. Coke or Pepsi? If it's not a Wild Cherry Pepsi than it is Coke.

22. Beavers or ducks?  Beavers

23. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night Owl

24. Pedicure or manicure? I wait so long between that anytime I indulge I always get both.

25. What did you want to be when you were little? When I was a much younger I wanted to be a writer/poet and when I was older I wanted to be a flight attendant ~ and I always wanted to be a mother.

26. What is your best childhood memory?  Long lazy summer days doing nothing but reading book after book.

27. Ever been to Africa? Nope

28. Ever been toilet papering? Just once ~ we toilet papered my girlfriend's boyfriends house ~ can't remember why ?

29. Been in a car accident? Several

30. Favorite day of the week? A rainy day

31. Favorite restaurant? Don't have one.

32. Favorite flower? Anemone

33. Favorite ice-cream? Pralines and Cream

34. Favorite fast food restaurant? Pei Wei

35. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Zero

36. From whom did you get your last e-mail? My mother

37. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?  I learned this lesson quickly and don't use credit cards ~ but one of my favorite clothing stores is J.Jill.

38. Last person you went to dinner with? My husband and my baby girl on Valentine's day ~ an awesome new Japanese Restaurant.

39. What are you listening to right now?  The rain.

40. What is your favorite color?  I like all blues but periwinkle is my favorite shade. 

41. How many tattoos do you have? Zero

42. How many people are you sending this to? To anyone who is reading this.

43. What time did you finish this blog entry? 9:30pm

44. Favorite magazine: I never read a magazine cover to cover unless it's a Gourmet or Bon Apetit!

45. Coffee or tea? Depends on what time of day it is ~ coffee lately in the morning and green tea during the day and at night.

46. Do you tan easily or burn easily?  I tan very easily and can get quite dark ~ I usually avoid any type of sunbathing though ~ I find it too hot and very dull business.

47. Do you color your hair? Not currently, but I have had it highlighted before ~ I found six grey hairs in my head when I was in Kazakhstan this winter adopting my baby girl however, so I'll most likely be coloring my hair regularly very soon!

48. What was the first car you ever purchased without the help of your parents?  I'm not sure ~ but I'm sure I totaled it out ~ I did a lot of that when I was in my twenties (totaled out my car in traffic accidents) 

49. What is your most dreaded household chore? Hands down ~ it's LAUNDRY  !!

I am a Daisy What Flower Are You?

A little fun I picked up from Dawn's blog!

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

I stumbled across this new meme at Dawn's blog and jumped in on the fun!

Coffee, tea or other beverage?  Lately it's been hot green tea with two sugar cubes ~ I've been addicted since we returned from Kazakhstan  they drink tons of it over there!

Are you a morning bird or a night owl? Night owl who wishes it would be magically transformed into a morning bird

Do you have a favorite verse of Scripture?   "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.  What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;  the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:1-9

What is your favorite book of the Bible?  John 1

Which do you prefer, pen or pencil? pencil ~ sharp!

Laptop or desktop? laptop!

When you write do you print or use cursive?  depends on my mood

Do you plan your menus or do you just wing it?  I plan in a vague way and then wing it

Favorite color?  periwinkle

Favorite form of exercise?  snow skiing

How do you wear your hair most days? embarrassingly unkept  and long and straight

Which do you prefer, baking or cooking? both!

In the house are you barefoot, in slippers or in shoes?  always barefoot

Do you wash dishes by hand or have a dishwasher?  dishwasher

Do you have pets? one dog named Shadow (half lab/half queensland heeler)

What do you eat for breakfast?  Green Tea

Tell me one thing you love about your state.  Our sunsets are awesomely beautiful everyday.

What is your favorite magazine? Gourmet

Now if you haven't done this one all ready and you've dropped by ~ Tag ! you're it.

It was fun seeing the corners of Nina's home ~ so I posted my own!

Over at Lapaz Farm Homeschool a new meme has begun.  I would have to agree with Superboy at Lapaz Farm and say that the 'Miracle at Cana' is my very favorite miracle!   This is not only because it is the first ~ but because it is also the final miracle.

  "On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;  Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples.  When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, 'O woman, what have you to do with me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."  Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.  Jesus said to them, 'Fill the jars with water.'  And they filled them up to the brim.  He said to them, 'Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.' So they took it.  When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it had came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew),  the steward of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."  John 2; 1-11

Don't you love how it all takes place on the third day?!  And how the stone jars were there for the purification rite!  And how it is the best wine at the last?!

The power of His transformation.  We too His 'children of light' are transformed through this 'power'.  At mass Father drops a small amount of water (us ~ his baptized children) into the chalice of wine (Christ ~ who sheds his blood giving his life for us) and prays:

"By the Mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the Divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity"

Powerful words.  Again, water, wine and transformation.

What if all were to share in this the Divinity of Christ?

.  .  .  when Christ again transforms all the Water into the "Good Wine" .  .  .  .   ~ into Himself?

"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them .  .  .  .  They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea .  .  ."   Isaiah 11:6-9

Wouldn't you like to be there?

That's why this is my favorite Miracle!

There is a mini-carnival at Starry Sky Ranch challenging us to find a dozen things in our home that reflect our favorite color.  Immediately I knew my favorite color is blue ~  hmm, so why don't I have any blue in my home ?  It is mostly bronze and cream, deep reds, and rich browns.  Then I began to stumble across it .  .  .

My favorite blue hand crafted plate that my husband and I collected on a romantic rendevous to Orcas Island.  .  .

The crucifix with blue in it in my bedroom that I found in Rome when my husband and I went on our trip to Rome, Assisi and Medjugore.

The blue batter bowl I received as a wedding gift eleven years ago.

The image at our prayer space of the Good Shepherd clothed in blue which was a gift from my mother.

One of my favorite pictures which I hung in my new baby's nursery.

The decoupaged vase with blue ribbons and blue tissues that our oldest boy made me when he was in preschool (he is now 17).

The egg carton tulips painted blue our youngest boy made me when he was in preschool (he's now 15)

The image of 'Our Lady' I put in our new baby's nursery.

My daily calendar.

This lovely blue Kazakh tea set I purchased on our trip to Kazakhstan when adopting our baby girl.

My new baby girl's big blue eyes.

.  .  .  and her new blue jammies!

So there!  I might not have decorated my home in blue ~ but as you can see ~ it has appeared anyway in the central places of my home from the central places in my heart!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Her Excellency Kira the Harmonious of Chignall Smeally
 Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title   ">My Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Andie's blog is so entertaining!  I followed her example and picked up an Aristocratic Title for myself.

Do I have a New Year's Resolution .  .  .  .  ?  I haven't made any in years ~ but I think this year I'll try again.  It is not only a brand new year for us here it is also a brand new season in our lives with a new little one at home.  This brings us to an entirely new focus and direction for each and every day.  We are going to have to make some big changes!!  There is something to being a parent when you are in your forties (I recently celebrated my 41st birthday).  My dh and I find that it is a different experience entirely from when we were in our twenties and thirties.  We have more realistic expectations,  more patience and less distractions.  We feel less driven to do it "right"  and more confidence to do it "well".   We still have our ideals but they are now touched with slightly more wisdom.  Our faith is stronger and we have an easier time trusting in His plan for the lives of those we love.  All of these have plenty of room for improvement (of course) and I'm sure they will be challenged again and again, but we're better about them than we once were. It's with hearts filled with joy that we begin this endeavor of parenting a small one again.

My Resolutions for 2007

1. Savor the nuturing moments
2. Respect my family members enough and trust in His grace enough to allow each to choose their own path
3. Remember my morning, noon and evening prayers
4. Pray a rosary for peace everyday
5. Participate in at least one outdoor activity each day
6. Read from a good book everyday
7. Create a God-centered, family-centered Sunday (ie: rest from the ways of the world, feeding our spirits with spiritual reading, religious education, charity work,  family Sunday dinners, enjoying the 'Gifts'  He has already given to us)
8. Educate myself from many wonderful blogsites on Montessori, Charlotte Mason, Real Learning , and other wonderful ideas and educational thoughts
9. Prepare and organize our homeschool for Rose Red
10. Keep my manicures and pedicures up to date
11. Grow a wee garden  for 'Our Lady' with Rose Red
12. Immerse Rose Red and myself in the 'practical life' of the household (ie: laundry, etc.)
13. Create a housekeeping notebook like I stumbled across on Dawn's blog
14. Start a Nature Journal of my own so I can train myself to be as in tune to God's beautiful creation as Dawn whose beautiful nature posts also always draw my attention
15. Familiarize ourselves with the music of three composers
16. Familiarize ourselves with the paintings of six artists
17. Keep a record of all the books we read aloud with Rose Red as Nina does at 'Library Thing'