This Christmas I became a Crazy Cat Lady....

So this Christmas, I went overnight from having one cat to three...
I'm getting a sample of being a crazy cat lady and it stinks! (haha, pun!)
We're watching someone's cat who's out of town for the Holidays and on that same day Jacob brought home a feral kitten.
So we've have to tame the wild beast, coax the guest cat, and placate the resident cat, all while trying to keep the dog from antagonizing and/or death.

It's been an eventful, stressful, and hilarious time. Let me share some points with you:

The Litter Box for Multiple Cats

Since Shadow (the resident cat - RC)'s box is covered, we decided to use another box for the kitten. Luckily we had an amazon shipping box on hand. Unluckily, Jacob didn't turn the flaps out all the way....

The kitten has not developed the fine art of covering her deposits. Marie (the guest cat - GC) has taken to entering her litterbox afterwards and covering it for her. Apparently, she thinks that's too disgusting to bear. I concur.

Kitten has taken to Shadow (RC)'s box. I guess we spent $5 on a new litter box for nothing....

Featuring Kitten as an Ornament

Playing with Multiple Cats

It's really hard to tell if cats are swatting at each other with mirth or malice....

The kitten apparently has a death-wish as she insists on charging the larger cats who obviously hate that.

Marie (GC) has taken to sneaking up on kitten and swatting at her while she is grooming herself. As she is a kitten and has not mastered this new skill, it results in her overbalancing, doing a couple of somersaults, all the while flailing her claws wildly in hopes of retribution. It has yet to be successful.

Shadow (RC) really enjoys stalking the kitten. When he pounces, he tries to fall just short enough that the kitten is able to jump 6 inches in the air in fright.

Kitten has taken to sprinting across the room and leap frogging off of Shadow's (RC) head. He loves it...

When playing with the laser pointer, everyone wants to play but no one wants to get close to the others. Asher (the dog) is least discriminating. We like to get him a little too close to Marie (GC). She knows how to fend for herself. And Asher looks so offended after she swipes at him.

My in-laws sent a very large Christmas present to my house which I'm not to open until they arrive. Marie (GC) and kitten have been using it to play with. Kitten hides and peeks around one corner, while Marie sneaks around the other and thwacks her on the rear. Kitten jumps sky high and Marie licks herself in delight.

Feeding Multiple Cats

Asher (dog), per usual, likes to eat cat food. With just one cat, we kept it to a place where Shadow (RC) can get to but Asher can't. The kitten, however, cannot access the shelf. Hopefully, dog problems will not be forthcoming.

Marie (GC) hates the system. Instead of eating her food that her mistress loving brought for her, she prefers to eat Shadows (RC)'s food. And instead of jumping to the second shelf and eating there, she prefers to reach up and nudge the food bowl until it spills on the floor. She then eats a couple bites and walks away. I guess I'll clean up that mess....

Menial Work is My Spiritual Gift

Like most people, I have a couple spiritual gifts, but I really think that one of them is doing menial work. I really love it! Once, while serving at Verve in Las Vegas, I stood over a copier for three hours. Data entry? I'm your girl! You want me to type, in a language I don't know, an entire book of the Bible? I am on it!
(I mean, I love thought provoking, problem solving work as well! But I really really love some menial work!)
As an added bonus, doing menial work often means I get to free up people to do work that only they can do! And I really love serving people in that regard!

What I am working on right now!

I have been given the pleasure of working on the Catholic Lectionary! 

Papua New Guinea has a strong Catholic presence. With both that and our desire people using the Word of God in their heart languages in mind, we have the idea to make a shell book of the Catholic Lectionary. A shell book is a book who's formatting is done in such a way that you can easily replace the "meat" of the book with any language and not have to worry about the formatting or structure because that "shell" is already there!

What this means is that I get to take a scanned copy of Lectionaries C and A (I already completed B, next year's Lectionary over the summer) and insert computer formatting codes. I remove Scripture passages and replace them with commands dictating which passages to insert. I give every title, subtitle, and sub-subtitle it's own code so that there will be consistency in formatting across the book. And I spell check as the text recognition software is far from perfect. 

Looking back this sounds like more than a menial task, but really after you've memorized the right codes (\ms, \mr, \s1, \s2...) it's clicking and typing all the way down. 

I'm super excited that working to get the Word of God in people's heart language doesn't always have to be something I can help with until I get to the field, but there are opportunities, like this one, to work to that end right here and now! 

I'm super excited that I can give other translators opportunity to do things that only they can, while I do this work on their behalf. 

I'm super excited to have a menial task, because I really really love them!

5 Tips for Studying for Comps

So it's that time... Time to start studying for comps. Hopefully you saw this coming and used the tips I gave in 4 Tips on How to Pass Comprehensive Exams. If you didn't, don't panic. I didn't do most of them myself, but I still passed! Those tips were given in the hindsight that's 20/20. 

But now it's time to pull out the coffee and the course notes and the flashcards that you may or may not have been working diligently on this whole time. 

The question is like an elephant in the room.

Now what?

5 Tips for Studying for Comps

1. Write things down. When you're having an emotional breakdown because Comps is in 8 weeks, and you know nothing and while 8 weeks sounds like a long time it's NOT! It's like SAND IN AN HOURGLASS!!! (does this ring of personal testimony? Sorry...) When you get stressed, you can look back on the things you wrote down and be happy at the empirical evidence that you do know things! Additionally, notes are way easier to review than reading through the class materials or textbook again. So take notes to study later. 
2. Try to condense things each time you write them. You may need to start off with an extensive explanation of what "evidentials" are. But after you're familiar with that, all you need to review is Aikhenvald 2004 - evidentials. It's way faster to read through that the original notes and when you consider how much you have, being able to zip through it quickly will be nice. 
3. Start with the scholars. For comprehensive exams at the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics, we had to cite scholars, which meant that we had to memorize A LOT of scholars. We found it was easier to learn the subject in terms of the scholars than it was to get a general idea of the principles and then try to stick scholars in that. So rather than reading through the course notes and working out sense, reference, connotation, denotation, and then trying to learn scholars, we would learn Frege, Mills, and Russell  and in doing so learn the above with a frame work to put it in. 
4. Get your acronyms. Acronyms are especially good for lists. I used them for my scholars. Rather than pulling out my hair trying to remember who talked about perlocutionary force, I had an acronym for each subject. I memorized years by vague patterns and the order of the scholars. And then I put a key word with each of them. I didn't do that until after tip 2 and 3 above. It was good for studying but then when I just knew my brain would shut down at a critical moment during comps, the list was rote. 
5. Talk to your professors on their time. This may be a bit shady, but I believe the responsibility is on their shoulders. Let's say you go to talk to your professor on their time when they have stuff to do and start asking about if-then statements and their subtleties... Worst case scenario, your prof will give you valuable information on the topic that edifies your understand. Best case scenario, they tell you it's not worth being concerned with. Which can be translated to mean: that's not what the comps question is, please don't waste my time. 

After you're done with comps, if you heeded the advice above, you might find yourself with quite a pile of papers you would rather never see again. This is a great time to get together with your comps study group and burn them all in a commemorative bonfire of the occasion! 

You're welcome!

Good luck!

4 Tips on How to Pass Comprehensive Exams

Comprehensive Exams are terrifying. Your entire educational career's value is being determined by your ability to answer a few random questions.
But you can pass! You can do it! And I'm going to tell you how.

The Key is Think about comps REALLY EARLY. Congratulations on your acceptance to grad school. What's the comps situation? Most of the tips for success are all to do with early action!

4 Tips on How to Pass Comps

1. Take all of the subjects for comps the semester of comps or the semester before comps. For comprehensive exams at the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics, I had 3 questions on three different subjects: Semantics and Pragmatics, Discourse Analysis, and Translation. I took them in the order listed, one years before, one a semester before, and one the semester of. My scores reflected their proximity to test day. By waiting to take the classes, the course material is fresh in your mind. 
2. When in class, take notes like you're studying for comps. I did flashcards. When in translation, I took notes like it mattered. One important part of comps is citing scholars, so that was my constant question: "Who said that? What year?" Doing so, you can make sure you cover everything in manageable doses and make sure you understand what you're writing. 
3. Get the course notes before class. If you can teach yourself, going through the notes before the class starts and making flashcards will do bundles to help you. When it's being discussed in class, you'll be working to fill holes in your understanding rather than building from scratch. Additionally, your professor will be there to answer any questions you may have. (i.e. "What does that mean?" "Who said that? What year?"
4. Get a study group. Maybe you can't study in a group. But the accountability of meeting every week and having to be prepared for that will make sure you study on your own time. Furthermore, there may be members of your group who grasp concepts that you can't and can word them in a way you can grasp. Your study group can also be great for your emotional health!

**Bonus** Stock up on coffee. 

So grab your academic adviser and ask:

What is the form and content of comps?

and

What is the grading rubric?

And apply the above information.
When you have all that sorted, check the next step: 5 Tips on Studying for Comps

You can do it!!

My Miscarriage

First off, I'm fine. I really am. And I'm going to tell you why. And then I'll tell you what happened but I'll section it off so if you don't want to know you don't have to read it. If you want to leave a comment, that's cool. But don't try to correct me. If you feel like anything that I've said here is wrong, go home pleased that you know better than me, but the information that I've put here makes me feel better. If I'm wrong about anything, ignorance is bliss...

Why are you airing this out on the internet?

1. I told people I was pregnant on the internet. So I'm telling people I'm not anymore. It's easier to air it on the internet than it is to tell people on a case by case basis, again and again, "actually, I had a miscarriage".
2. I'm a missionary and my personal life is pretty much my public life. Not many people send out a monthly newsletter. This kind of goes in hand with that. 
3. I think (and have had others confirm) that I have a healthy perspective on what's happened. Maybe others can benefit from my account. Who knows!

How are you feeling?

It's funny. I got this question a lot when I was at the hospital. And there.... I wasn't really doing all that hot. I mean I guess they were there to know if I was cold or if my pain levels had spiked any (although, when it did, no morphine was forthcoming....). But now it's over. Now it's final. And I'm ok. For three major reasons. 

1. I decided, the moment I found out I was pregnant, that I had a firstborn child, and this may or may not be that child. And it's not. I didn't lose my child. I lost getting to meet my child in June. It feels a lot better to know that God knows who my first child is. And in His timing He will give her to me. 
2. The doctor said that this miscarriage was decided at conception. That something was wrong with the baby. I know there are people who have had children with additional challenges and they've rocked being parents to them. But I don't know that I could. I'm afraid that such a circumstance would prohibit us from going to the field. I'm afraid I would resent the child for that. And I don't want to be that parent. I realize this isn't the prettiest side of me, but maybe God knew all that was true. And protected that poor child from me. 
3. It's easier to grieve over plans than it is memories. Normally when people die, you think about all those wonderful times you've had with them and now won't get to have again. That's hard to let go. I have to let go of plans, of expectations that may not have ever been met anyway. I have to let go of the super close friendship I was going to have with a girl two weeks more pregnant than I was. Let go of the prenatal yoga classes we were going to take together. Let go of the hospital tours. Let go of the Baylor Birthing Center. Let go of the idea that my first time admitted into a hospital would be to deliver my full term healthy child. Let go of seeing my kid in June. But that's easier to let go of than having the child and losing them soon after. 

The hardest part has really been telling people. Especially saying it. Seeing or hearing their responses. The outpouring of love has really been touching and that's, that's when the tears really start flowing. I've found it's been way easier to tell people via text and let them respond there and talk with them later. When their main objective is to keep my company and not to unwittingly make me cry. When the shock and the grief, and oftentimes the memories, aren't actively playing on their faces. It's easier then. 

What happened?

It was probably the week (9 weeks pregnant) before comps, I didn't feel pregnant anymore. I was searching for miscarriage symptoms and that was one. But everyone wrote me off. They told me you start to feel better and I guessed I was. It's probably better I didn't know then. I don't think I would have cared to take comps anymore. It's probably best I didn't know right after comps or my Thanksgiving break would have been ruined. Instead I had one beautiful day. 80 degree weather with a cool breeze, I had passed comps, I had just found out that the medical bills were miscommunicated by a decimal point in my favor. It was a good day. That night Jacob was at work and a friend called me that he needed a friend so I said we could go to a local coffee shop to talk. He was in the parking lot waiting for me to come out when I noticed I was bleeding. (11 weeks, 5 days) And instantly I was hysterical. I called the doctors and it was my doctor on call. He told me there was nothing I could do. Either the baby was fine or the baby wasn't fine but nothing I could do would make any difference. I had to wait until 9am. My best friend came over and sat on the couch with me until Jacob came home. 

The next morning, we had the ultrasound and there was no heartbeat. I wasn't fine at this point. There was much in the way of screaming and wailing at this point. We were eventually sent home only for me not to eat or drink until the D and C which would happen at three. We had to be there at 1:30. It was 9:30. 

It was at home we decided that we could sit around and be sad or we could sit around and be happy instead. So we made plans to order in Chinese and watch How I Met Your Mother in front of a roaring fire and enjoy a dessert course of Hot Peppermint Cocoa. But that would be after the appointment. Until then we watched the Nanny. 

When it was finally time to go, apparently it's procedure for you to tell them yourself why you're there. I didn't know the term for the procedure (D and C). So I just broke down crying instead. That happened a lot while we were there. 

My pulse was so high they felt the need to bring my husband back sooner than expected. Before they put the IV in, which they said they'd use localized anesthesia for. If they did, I'd hate to know what it would be like without the anesthesia! And then I was cold. 

The anesthesiologist came in. He was my favorite. He never once asked me how I was doing. He asked me if there was anything he could do for me. He asked if I would do him a favor in signing the forms. He actually made me think of Cinna from the Hunger Games. 

Finally they led me to the scariest room I think I've ever seen with my own eyes. There was a bed with places for them to restrain me. And while I had been so emotionally exhausted a moment before, I'm sure my pulse went right back up. I started crying again. The doctor said he was going to give me some medicine. But then my chest caught, my legs started tingling and so did my hands. "I don't like this! I do not like this!" And then I woke up in another room. Apparently it was over. The plans for the evening went into effect and it was good. 

So that's what happened. 

What can you do?

We get this question a bit too... And you're never really ready for this question. When I hear it, I'm all "'What can you do?' What do I do?!" But outside of the situation:

• You can pray. Pray that we have peace. Pray that I stop seeing that ultrasound when I close my eyes. Pray that we lean heavily on the Lord and that we stay close to each other. Pray that this feeling I have of acceptance and peace lasts. And pray that I can be happy enough to still be friends with my pregnant friend I mentioned because I really love her and I don't want to resent her happiness. 
• We also have some medical bills thanks to the hospital, OB, and anesthesiologist. If you'd like to help with those, gifts can be sent to:
  712 Pritchett Rd
  Lula, GA 30554.
  Checks made out to Pioneer Bible Translators are tax-deductible. Checks made out to us are not.   

Planning on Commenting?

Remember, if you disagree with me... I don't really care. I don't want to hear about it. Comments may consist of: encouragement, sympathies, and/or personal accounts. Thank you for your thoughtfulness during this time.