Wisdom's Folly

Back in style!

2011-11-19T21:00:00.000-05:00

So I just enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane and reading snippets of my life from several years ago. It is amazing how much has changed in that "short" time- I am married to a wonderful man, have an equally wonderful daughter, with another baby on the way. Our home goes from clean and organized to a messy jumble in 3.5 seconds, and that's without any pets.

I've decided to restart this blog for purely selfish reasons... a wonderful person from the facebook mom group I am part of introduced me to pinterest.com, and currently it is my only hobbie. I have a couple recipe and craft things that I would like to share on there, but, since pinterest is about "pinning" links of things that "interest" you... I've got to have somewhere to start (I thought about sneaking on my husbands more active blog and posting those things there, but he might delete them for being to "girly")!

Coming soon- Snowmen fingerprint Christmas Cards, Hanging ribbons to display/hold hair accessories, and maybe some pictures of my decorating style. On frustrating days I might add in parenting tips... as reminders to myself for next year when I have two!

2009-09-09T13:23:00.000-04:00

I really should just delete this blog....

But, if there is anyone that craves words of wisdom from me, I recommend going to Matthew (my husband)'s blog on Wednesdays. I'm supposed to post on there for him.

Adios

~Katie

I'm posting just to say..

2008-04-02T16:28:00.003-04:00

That I'm still alive, even though the only people who would even bother to read this blog already know that I am, in fact, alive and well.. and A LOT easier to reach on facebook :-)

~Katie

For old time's sake:

Word of the Day
anathema (uh-NATH-uh-muh)
1. A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, and accompanied by excommunication. Hence: Denunciation of anything as accursed.
2. Any person or thing that is intensely disliked

Underground

2007-10-06T23:41:00.000-04:00

12 Hours after the madness officially started today, Underground is over. My feet are killing me, and my head is pounding, but it was worth it! For our first time actually running everything ourselves, it went well. We had roughly 91 kids in attendance.
This and the 30 Hour Famine are too large events our youth group hosts. I’ve learned that the bigger the potential an event has for reaching kids for Christ, the more things go wrong in the last few moments before (and after) it all starts.
Between rain, then muggy hot weather, volunteers canceling- due to emergencies or just forgetfulness—an influx of more teens than we expected to show, lost groups once we were supposed to start and otherwise just general confusion, it was potentially scary.
But with a lot of prayer and hard work, everything worked out. No one was injured (despite half and hour of teens being in the road instead of the field they were supposed to be!) or lost. All in all, a good night.
(That's as good as this thought is going to get, because its time for me to recharge.. more to do tomorrow!)

2007-10-04T20:31:00.000-04:00

I'm playing around with posting pictures on here, so here's one of me and the devil kitty, Lucy. Since no one took me up on my generous offer, I'm still stuck with her.

I hardly ever post anything on here, because by the time I'm home and cruising around on my computer, there's nothing left on my mind. Plus, I'm not willing to leak out any more brain cells than necessary. But, I am glad I posted because I have a good word of the day to share!

~Katie

Word of The Day
Mendacious (men-DAY-shuhs)
Given to deception or falsehood.

Free gift!

2007-09-10T16:03:00.001-04:00

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I have just the thing for you!

3 lbs of friendly, loveable, cuddly kitten.

Answers to the name of Lucy.

Is already fixed, has shots, and is litter trained.

Will pay for shipping if you live out of Western New York

Hurry! Quantity is limited to one!

2007-09-10T15:31:00.000-04:00

I'm suddenly feeling the urge to post on my blog (an urge instigated by several well-placed elbow jabs, but an urge nonetheless).

I should start by saying I don't know what to think about the whole "calligraphy enthusiast with a slight overbite and hair the color of strained peaches" thing. I mean, it's not like all I do is write calligraphy, and the dentist promises me the braces will work. As to the strained peaches- do you have any idea how much talent it takes to mix that particular color?

Seriously though, Albuquerque was the first Weird Al song I ever heard (a long, long, time ago) and is probably my favorite, so I thought it was pretty funny. Until the teens read Matthew's blog and wanted to keep bringing it up at Impact (our church's youth group)... then it wasn't as humorous. But then I saw several adults frowning and giving Matthew strange looks for saying that about me, and it got pretty funny again! Don't worry, Matthew... I didn't clarify where it was from. I might have dredged up a few fake tears for effect, though.

-Katie

Word of the day
quixotic
impulsive or unpredictable

Diary of Dead Cars

2007-02-28T16:22:00.000-05:00

I got my car/truck/SUV (whatever you want to call a Jeep Liberty; everyone seems to have a different opinion of its classification) back today, finally. Really, I shouldn't have been surprised that it took them 3 days to complete a 20 minute replacement procedure, given my track record.

There's just something about me and vehicles. My first car, a Buick Skylark, died maybe two weeks after I got it. It was on its last legs with a severe problem before its ownership was transfered to me, but I think having the head gasket blow on my way to Lockport facilitated a life time of bad luck.

My next car, a 1992 Geo Prizm, an ugly little rust bucket I had to downshift to get up hills, was great up until the day someone smashed it to pieces while I was going through an intersection. It looked like a sardine can someone stepped on after they pulled it out of the ditch.

My next car, a 1995 Chevy Cavalier, had several annoying tendancies, which started with the oil light NEVER coming on, loosing all the oil and siezing up the engine, and ended with the habit of stalling out- and not starting back up- at intersections. After a particularly harrowing experience, I refused to drive it. Not long after they finally figured out there was a faulty tork convertor, but the damage was done (to my psyche, anyway).

After that I tried a 1999 Dodge Stratus. That baby did great for awhile, but then apparently the hit it took in parking lot fender bender (when someone pulled out and T-boned my door) knocked out any sense it might have had. My patience ended when the heater wouldn't work and although they replaced things and couldnt find a crack in the head, I was advised to move on before the engine blew up.

Now I have a 2003 Jeep Liberty with the extended warranty (though I was already planning on getting it, my mechanic stressed in a pained voice it might be wise of me to invest in one). No real problems, except for the day after I got it, some important bolt connecting the brakes and the tires loosened. Apparently my vehicle was the last one a recently fired mechanic had worked on. Currently the windshield spray wouldn't work... I cracked the pump so the fluid would drain out onto the ground, caused by one of my unintentional off-road endevors (really, what's the point of four-wheel drive if you're not going to try and use it?)

No big deal, they ordered the part and would fix it one afternoon. Which stretched to two afternoons when they ordered the wrong part, which stretched to three when the part still didn't come in.. which stretched almost to four, but amazingly they got the part and fixed me up.

Now I'm back on the road, as dangerous as ever.

~Katie

Word of the day:
Surreptitious
Obtained or done by stealth; secret or unauthorized

.

2007-02-25T16:16:00.000-05:00

This post is entirely to save face, since I noticed Matthew put the link to it from his blog (Thanks a lot!!!)

Yes, the famine went great. **does a little happy dance** We also had two teens decide to start a personal relationship with Christ and a handful that wanted to rededicate their lives to God. And, the best part of all- for me anyways- I got to hear my little-big brother (He's 16, but at 6'4" way taller than me) give his testimony for the first time.

Just wanted to clarify that while I haven't posted in a few weeks (around 20 weeks still qualifies as a few, right?) I am still very much alive. There just hasn't been very much... okay, any... free time for posting on here.

Although, March is kind of like my New Year's (since the 30 Hour Famine is over with), so maybe I'll try and put "faithfully posting on my blog" near the top of my to-do list.

(Well, at least it's a nice thought!)

~Katie

In keeping with tradition:

Word of the Day
enjoin
To direct or impose with authority; to order
to prohibit, to forbid

Good News/ Bad news

2006-10-15T15:33:00.000-04:00

Great news: My cousin is getting married

Good news: I'm going to be a bridesmaid

Bad news: I have to wear a dress

Worse news: The dress is pink

Okay news: I have until July 14 to resign myself to the fact that I have to wear a pink dress

The varying stages of loserdom

2006-10-14T11:13:00.000-04:00

What, exactly, makes a person a "loser?"

Not in terms of losing contests such as sporting events, though it not being my strong suit, that would also be the case, but more of social outcast- a misfit, if you will.

Certainly, some form of anti-socialness is preferred, though not required. Some have this tendency through no desire of their own, but the simple fact that they are to shy to be comfortable around others. Some have transformed this tendency into an abrasive attitude, making others belive they choose their anit-socialness, when in actuality it has been forced upon them. Others still use an abrasive attitude to prevent people from even wanting to get close to them. The reasons why are complicated and they probably don't even make sense to the person doing it, but nevertheless, it's fact.

(Don't you love it when someone tries to make their nonessential ramblings sound important??)

Thanks to the lovely weather we had this past weekend, my roommate and I found ourselves home at the same time- no small feat, I assure you.

Due to my previous comments about how my life "sucks," we've adopted the practice of commenting on my lack of social life- or the apparent uninterest in one, since I can barely wrap my head around the commitments that I have between work and school right now.

We've decided that my tendencies to listen to swing and jazz music, accompanied by my love of 80's television shows, puts me in direct running of being considered a loser.

This morning I jumped to the front of the line when I revealed my participation in Dictionary.com's word of the day email chain.

I'm sure as the days pass, now that we are looking for them, more of my preferences will be brought under the microscope and examined.

~Katie

Word of the Day: Insurrection
An act or instance of rebellion, rising against civil authority or an established government.

Online Checkers

2006-10-06T21:25:00.000-04:00

How many of you have clicked on that handy little icon under your Microsoft Games menu, and played online checkers.. against, not the ever-intelligent computer, but an acual person? Every now and then I do.
I wonder about the people I'm playing against. Usually, when I play I'm way to bored to even care if I win or not. I just take some kind of weird pleasure in watching the pieces move across the board. That, and wondering if perhaps my opponent takes the game seriously and I'm annoying them with the ease of which I can be beaten. That makes me smile, but then I realize that my opponent probably thinks Im an idiot and the smile goes away.
Then I wonder, what if I was playing against a kid? Maybe I was just beat by a 7 year-old comptuer addict who promised themselves they were going to keep playing online checkers until someone beat them. Sadly, I've just contributed to their illness (I think).

It annoys me that you can't say anything you want to these people; no, it has to go through a pre-approved selection of responses. "Nice move" and the other obvious. They don't have any options for "I'm so bored out of my mind I don't care if you beat me or not" or "Ha-ha loser you've just been trounced by a kid whose still to young to ride a rollercoaster!" or "I have to go, but it's not because your beating me its because I just remembered I have to change the laundry." You know, things that might still leave you with a little respect.

Maybe I'll just go back to playing against the computer.

~Katie

Strange Coincidences

2006-09-24T22:37:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to point out an oddity.. My word of the day for September 1st was acquiesce, just because I felt like it... upon further investigation I have discovered that on September 1st, acquiesce was the word of the day for dictionary.com.

That's a little ironical, even for me.

~Katie

-Insert your own title here-

2006-09-24T22:21:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so no Sketchbook entrys yet. I did a second one, but I'm not posting it on here. So sorry.

My big "apostrophe" (yes, I know its actually epiphany.. it's a movie quote- deal with it) Is that making plans is totally and utterly pointless. As soon as you do, that's when things start to get crazy. It's easier to just go with the flow. Roll with the punches.

However, why is it when people know that they think that you don't care or aren't planning for the future?

"So, where are you going to be in two years?"

"Umm... where I am now?"

"You don't know what you want to be when you grow up?"

Who says I have to grow up? (No, I don't really say that, but believe me, that is the least of my rude, sarcastic responses) "I have some ideas."

My philosophy? It's kind of like the whole make a wish upon a star thing. If you tell someone, your dreams won't come true. It works the same way. You tell people something you're thinking about doing, and they just go nuts. They plan out how you're new career will help them (has happened to me THREE times), or how they can help you get that new career (has also happened to me). Or they think you're nuts and start telling you everything that's wrong with it (I think this is a pet peeve of mine).

My new "plan" (though we really aren't calling it that, since I'm through with planning) is to just one day announce what I'm doing after its too late for everyone to try and have an input. Like, my bags are packed and I already have the job. I wonder how that will go over.

But then again, since I'm not planning, who knows? I might do a complete 180 and be living in a tiki hut with 2.5 kids. Go me.

Word of the day: Verisimilitude
The appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true

I think I've bitten off more than I can chew.

2006-09-11T21:38:00.000-04:00

It's 9:30 Pm.
I got home from work about 5:30, had dinner at my mom's and went through all that fun stuff. I sat down to my computer a little before 6:30. I've been here ever since. Blah.

My Grief, loss and coping online class is A LOT more involved than I thought it was going to be. I was actually planning on that being my easy class this semester, especially since I'm not taking it because it's required, but because I wanted to...
I.actually.have.no.one.to.blame.for.this.stupid.class.but.myself.
Yuck.
My Required elective, Creative nonfiction writing, is interesting, but again, also more work than I thought it was going to be. Instead of just writing creative nonfiction, we are doing A LOT of read and anyalzing. This takes up a lot of the time I don't have. I guess I'm going to just have to micro manage my time for the next couple months. Full time school and work sucks.

Note to self: Writing on blog when you have several chapters to read, discussions to respond to and papers to write is NOT proper time-mangament. Cease and dissist.

Ai-yi captain.

~Katie

Word of the day: Pejorative
Tending to make or become worse. A belittling or disparaging word or expression.

Some state of exhaustion

2006-09-08T22:19:00.000-04:00

You should be proud of me for remembering to post my Sketchbook Writing on here... I came very close to forgetting, but if I had, I just would have blamed it on my level of tiredness.
Luckily, between the haze of work and studying, I remembered that I had an assignment due this evening, so after an hour nap with my face pressed in the spine of my textbook, I hopped on here and got to work.

The online class I'm taking is Creative Nonfiction. I think it's going to be interesting, since most people tend to think that would be an oxymoron. How can nonfiction be creative? Very easily, actually. All it really is is a fiction novel with truth. The key is to write it like a story... but it actually seems easier because you are drawing on memories and fact instead of making things up. I think that is also where the challenge lies. Sometimes it seems easier to embelish the truth to make ourselves more interesting, or less embarassing. It is so easy to get caught up in the entertaining, that you forget about the honesty part. So here's to hoping I can keep my honesty.

I guess since I'm doing that, *big sigh, consciences suck* I should probably tell you that in my childhood memories, I don't think I ever actually made it to the very top of the grape vines with my brothers, because I was too big of a chicken, and not all our fun included Gary and Chase, since they were, older (duh) and didn't always live with us (they are my half-brothers; different moms).
There, I have regained my honesty.

~Katie

Word of the day: Tenacity
The quality of being tenacious.
(Tenacious- characterized by keeping a firm hold, stubborn, persistant, holding together)

Vacations are over-rated

2006-09-03T17:41:00.000-04:00

This is day 3 of my first vacation this year. I have to say that I am ready to get back to my busy schedule. Why is that, I wonder?? Am I out of practice on the whole rest and relaxation thing?
Maybe I'll have to try and do this more often to see if I get used to the idea of taking breaks.
I'll let you know.

~Katie

Word of the day: Insouciant
Marked by lightheard unconcern or indifference, carefree

Starting Over

2006-09-01T20:25:00.000-04:00

September 1, 2006... apparently that is my new blog beginning.

I guess September (once I get home from PA, where I currently am) is my new start. I will be going back to school for my final (for now) semester, in addition to working at Newfane and Lockport hospital. I've also been working on getting myself healthier... since I've been having problems with some my medications I would really like to NOT have to take them anymore!

Also, I found out today that I will most likely be going to Hawaii in January... not exactly a normal occurence, right? It is a trip I won through Home and Garden Party (through A LOT of help by my friend Kathy)

All in all, things seem to be changing in my life, and I guess it means it's a good time for me to change along with them. There is also the small, undeniable fact that God has been getting "in my face" about a certain something, and I guess I'm finally ready to listen to him. I've been dragging my heels since January, and he has become more and more persistant as time goes on, until even a simple fiction novel I'm reading for fun has a double meaning. I guess that means it is time!!! Stubborness can only go so far.

For one of classes this semester, I also have to keep a sort of "writing" journal... I guess that is going to be my excuse and method for keeping this thing going this time.

Lets see how it works.

~Katie

Word of the day: Acquiesce

To accept or consent without objection
(Because I just watched the Pirates of the Caribbean and I love that line!)