Simple Woman's Daybook

For today...
Wednesday, September 28, 2010.

Outside my window...
The sun must be up...but is is very gray. We should get much needed rain, but they said that yesterday too. I am ready for a break in the humidity, but so very thankful for the rain.

I am thinking...
cooler nights filled with outside fires, pots of soup and hot chocolate can't get here soon enough. About finishing my 100 photos project. I am on number 12, so this will require some focus.

I am thankful for...
Dave Ramsey and his insightful financial teaching.

From the kitchen...
homemade granola we are out of cereal. I buy cereal only on sale and when it's gone, it's gone. We try to have family supper on Wednesday because we are all home.

From the learning room...
things are going really well. We have definitely found our rhythm and everyone is making good progress.

I am wearing...
walking clothes.

I am creating...
a baby gift of knitted bib, knitted had and cute little onesie. It is finished to the point of blocking, wrapping and packing. I am ready to cast on my caplet for what I hope is the very last time.

I am going...
to go correct math as soon as this post is finished.

I am reading...
One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury, but I just don't have the time to read, to myself that is.

I am praying for...
so many people right now. A sweet family facing life threatening illness, marital problems in another family, life altering medical adjustments for an elder, healing in my own family, friends and family saying good bye to a women who died suddenly at only 39, and a dad to young children diagnosed with bone cancer that made it only 8 more days, just to name a few. So many people around us are hurting that my heart feels heavy and over burdened.

I am pondering these words...
(in light of all the pain those around me are facing)
"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

I am hoping...
to find some incredible deal on a flight to NYC.

I am hearing...
the pitter-patter of feet above my head. The alarm clock has been ringing far too long.

Around the house...
it is obvious we are a self employed homeschool family. I am tickled pink to have my closet light back. Not only do I have it back, it is no longer flouresent, which means my clothes appear the color they actually are. Thank you Mr. D.C for fixing that for me.

One of my favorite things...
hearing "These are a few of my Favorite Things", on the piano by my favorite twelve year old.

A few plans for the rest of the week: 4-H meeting, missed knitting, large project completed for our business, road trip for Friday night football game, some creative time.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... walking in the rain ~ dedication!

Thank you Peggy for the Simple Woman's Daybook {follow links to read more}.

a little participation

Jerralea tagged me to answer the following questions. I am supposed to answer these questions and then ask my own eight "new" questions and tag eight new people. I am really bad at this game. I have always been bad at the real tag too, never liked it. Ten days have passed (now you know why I was/am bad...I'm slow) and I am just now getting to the questions and I know there are no new questions coming and no tags. Thank you Jerralea for asking me to play along. Here are the answers to your thoughtful questions and I am sorry for not being a team player.

1. What was the first meal you ever prepared?

The first meal, I remember preparing, the month we were married, was a roast in the crock pot. The crock pot was a wedding gift. I was gone for the day to register for school an hour from home. I called home from a pay phone (remember those?), to ask my husband how it was coming along. He informed me when he returned from work it was still pink. What? This was after a day of tears trying to register in a new school, as a senior, having to retake the ACT because they would not take an SAT score, you get the picture. Long story short, we did not eat the roast, exchanged the crock pot and just for the record my husband does not eat roast. Maybe this was the best thing that could have happened. I would have been crushed that he did not like my supper.

2. What is your favorite worship song?

(easy peasy) In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

3. If you could do any occupation, what would it be?

I would like to be an independent contractor for government agencies as a Sign Language interpreter. I think it would be so rewarding to help people that can not communicate due to deafness. I would be able to work when I felt like it and I would think this would be a decent paying job, but honestly I have not researched that far.

4. What is your favorite flower? I don't really have a favorite. But I did grow these from seed.

5. Would you rather wear one pair of shoes all the time and switch purses, or only carry one purse and have different pairs of shoes?

I don't like to change purses and I don't have a lot of shoes. I would choose "one purse and different shoes" though.

6. Name one fashion fad you hope never comes back.

Bell bottoms...but they will.

7. Would you rather handwrite in cursive or print?

I would rather print for neatness, but write in cursive for speed. (I am not doing very well at answering these questions as Jerralea asked them.)

8. Would you rather see a bestselling movie, or read the book?
Read the book hands down! The book is ALWAYS better.

She is twelve...

What happens when you forget to prepare half of the meal for a birthday party? Sound scary? Instead of eating lunch, you eat supper. This happened yesterday, FOR REAL. We had family in for lunch to celebrate Hannah's twelfth birthday. On the menu was homemade burritos and I was way behind in my preparations.

Instead of getting everything done on Saturday I chose to take the girls to the beach to play with a new friend that was in town and we stayed for a very late supper.

We called home to check on all the men, who had been gone for the day, and asked them to go finish the grocery shopping for lunch on Sunday. We rolled in late, tired, relaxed and glad we had made time to visit with friends.

It was too late to bake the cake so I would have to get up early before church to get that done. Cake finished, I made grits to have with breakfast, they are her favorite. Didn't have time to start the burritos, they will have to wait until after service.

Once back home, I cut up all the toppings, mixed the dough and plugged in the tortilla press. Ran to my room for something and had a eureka moment...We are missing all of the hot "stuff" that goes in the burrito. No meat, no refried beans and worst of all the meat's still frozen.

How does this happen? In a state of panic, I stand at the microwave willing it to work faster. These are the things that make me crazy, why does my brain not work like it used too? In the light of eternity it really does not matter. My family will have a good laugh and memories are made. And above all else, I am still grateful because He is God and I am not.

An on going list of one thousand gifts...
#31 the defrost setting on my microwave

#32 movies like this

#33 a Savior that paid my debt

#34 a freshly washed dog

photo by one of the children

#35 a mopped kitchen floor

#36 a Sunday nap (no,I did not have one yesterday)

#37 children choosing to have a good attitude when things don't go their way

#38 cousins choosing to homeschool

#39 understanding family

#40 Hannah's new bike

Lisa Leonard New Necklace Giveaway

Really liking this today! And she is giving a couple away.

Multitude Monday

An ongoing list of one thousand gifts...

#16 a day of rest

#17 ice cold air conditioning

#18 a country lane to walk for exercise

#18 a daughter who turns twelve this week

#19 the right to vote

#20 goat noises

#21 good memories

#22 kitties that wait at the back door

#23 flowers in bloom

#24 a clean car

#25 to know that Fall is coming

#26 too much work

#27 my dryer on a rainy day

#28 finding money

#29 a friend dropping by

#30 teachable moments

Thank you Ann, for hosting this very profitable list that is a constant reminder of just how blessed we truly are.

Simple Woman's Daybook

For today... Saturday, September 4, 2010

Outside my window... it is sticky hot, sunny and boys are doing yard work...at the neighbors.

I am thinking... I would like to have a garage sale some time this Fall.

I am thankful for... the wee farm I live on.

From the learning rooms... back to school, speech, football, orchestra and business.

I am wearing...a nightgown at 11:30 on a Saturday morning...there are no children home.

I am creating...a caplet. It is finished and about half the size it should be. I will be casting it on larger needles tonight at knitting...and this was an EASY project. I am not sure I will ever knit anything very well. UPDATE...finished AGAIN on larger needles and way too big. I will cast on again and adjust the pattern. At knitting this week (8/17) the consensus was that when I used size 7 it was too little, size 11 and it was too big so size 9 and it will be just right. NO UPDATE TO REPORT.

I am going... to work on my menu planning and cooking ahead planning. This is soooo helpful with full schedules.

I am reading... a Karen Kingsbury novel, finished Oceans Apart and starting A Time to Embrace. I have done a lot of reading over the Summer and hope to keep it up into Fall.

I am praying for... a sweet family that wishes they could transition to homeschool and strength for a family ministering to a sick parent.

Pondering these words~ I'm sorry, but I just can't do that. Why is it I have such a hard time using these words and others have no trouble at all (even when they should NOT use them).
I am STILL hoping... to have breakfast and beach time with a friend soon. (I think I'll leave this here until we make this work.) UPDATE: running out of time, trying to figure our how to make this work. It is still plenty warm enough to go to the beach.

I am hearing...complete silence. Dad is still sleeping and all children are gone. This is a rare occasion at our house.

Around the house... garage sale pondering and purging.

One of my favorite things... an unexpected opportunity coming along when I thought there was no way possible. These are especially nice when I did nothing and yet they happened.

A few plans for the rest of the week: a couple of projects for Dad, helping children to do what they need to, preparing meals, morning walks...that seems like a pretty full life.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... Under Friday night lights...it must be Fall. coming soon (OK, later than I hoped)

Thank you Peggy for the Simple Woman's Daybook {follow links to read more}.