7 Quick Takes — The No Baby News Edition

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— 1 —

I was hoping to introduce you to the newest member of Das Schmidt Haus today. That’s not going to happen as Babe is still resting comfortably in my womb. I have another ultrasound today given doctor is monitoring baby’s weight (all indicators point toward B-I-G). We appreciate all the ongoing prayers for a safe delivery and healthy baby. In the meantime, a friend recently sent me these prayers for women approaching labor, and they have brought me peace and comfort.  

** Ultrasound update: 5,100 grams. That’s 11.5 pounds. Oy vey! **

— 2 —

Speaking of said babe, I’m looking for baby memory book ideas. I would like to find something to complete digitally over time without spending a lot of money, and I would eventually like to transfer Lucy’s half-completed book to this format as well. Would love to hear ideas of products or services that have worked well for you.

— 3 —

Steven Greydanus, the National Catholic Register’s film critic who also writes reviews at Decent Films Guide recently ranked his top films of 2011. Over time we’ve watched many of the films Steven recommends, so we have a pretty good sense of his taste. He’s tough and doesn’t throw around 5-star recommendations like candy at a parade. If he recommends something, it’s typically worth watching and there’s a good chance we will like it. If you aren’t familiar with his reviews, do check them out.

— 4 —

The fine folks at our former parish, Saint Cecilia Catholic Church in Ames, Iowa, are hosting a concert with well-known singer-songwriter and worship leader Matt Maher on Wednesday, February 15 at the Ames Middle School Auditorium. Bonus: Audrey Assad will open for Matt. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. — all ages & denominations are welcome. I am told that tickets are selling fast so buy online now.

— 5 —

I came across a neat idea during National Vocations Awareness Week called “Adopt-a-Seminarian” to pray for and support a man discerning the priesthood. The process from initial discernment to receiving the Sacrament of Holy Orders can take 6 to 9 years. Joel and I have been married for 7, and I think about all the wonderful people who have prayed for us and our marriage over that time. I can certainly pay it forward and support a seminarian who is journeying toward becoming a spiritual leader in our Church. 

 

When “adopting,” you pledge to pray for the seminarian daily, send letters or emails often, dedicate Mass for him once a month, send care packages from time to time, invite him to dinner over breaks, etc. Some vocation offices have formal “Adopt-a-Seminarian” programs within their dioceses. If not, you can simply call the office and tell them you are interested in doing so, and they will most likely get you connected.  

— 6 —

This one is a question specifically to fellow bloggers who use the WordPress platform to build their blog. We are in need of a popular post widget that counts both page views and number of comments received per post. Our site has never been one to receive a ton of comments, but we do experience good traffic flow and would like to highlight posts that are most read. If you have recommendations, please share. 

While I was researching the above, I came across the plug-in called Supreme Google Webfonts and installed it. Now I have access to nearly 300 fonts when creating posts and pages, and I can annoy readers by using this font. Better yet, this font. 

Just kidding. I promise to be a good font citizen here. The folks who “know fonts” tell me to stick with Helvetica, Frutiger, Arial, and Garamond for print; Verdana and Georgia for web. So that’s what I’ll do. 

— 7 —

Finally, I had the pleasure of chatting with Pat Gohn earlier in the week for an upcoming Among Women podcast. In my former work with city management, whenever the TV folks came knocking for an interview, my goal was to say as little as possible and keep things short and sweet to avoid my words being edited into crazy soundbites. Thankfully my conversation with Pat was nothing like that — just two women openly and freely chatting about our faith journeys. Pat is full of pearls of wisdom and she brought so much joy into my life that day. It was a blessing to be “among her” and I look forward to sharing the podcast in the coming weeks.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!