The Simple Woman's Daybook -- June 28, 2011

FOR TODAY
Outside my window. . . it is cloudy and very wet. We had heavy thunderstorms roll through in the wee hours of the morning. It looks as if the storms are over and the clouds will dissipate as the day progresses. 

I am thinking. . . that every family is different, but sometimes it would be nice to have an instruction manual! 

I am thankful. . . for the ability to read. I know it seems odd perhaps, but I find such pleasure and absorb so much knowledge from reading. My life would not be complete with books, magazines, blogs and such!

From the learning rooms. . . ds is reading Lord of the Flies. Golding is much more descriptive than I remembered, and some of the dialog is dated with British colloquialisms. But we are forging a head.

In the kitchen. . . lots of summer fruits and veggies! Tonight grilled chicken sausage, succotash, and tomato, cucumber and basil salad. I'll be baking banana bread later today as well since I have some over ripe bananas.

I am wearing. . . my lavender yoga pants and a painted floral and bird t-shirt from Old Navy along with my Yellow Box flip flops.


I am creating. . . a new pink and brown skinny scarf. I'm not sure what the plan for it is, but I felt compelled to do more crocheting and wanted to start something new and lightweight.

I am going. . . to do some yoga; laundry; work on my quilt; pay bills; and try to make two phone calls I've been putting off!

I am wondering. . . how, as a mother, I can be so certain about some things, and entirely clueless about others!

I am reading. . . not much! Still working on The Life of Pi and Remote Control. I just haven't had much quiet time to relax and read.

I am hoping. . . for the general mood to improve around the house. One person in a bad mood can really cloud the atmosphere!

I am looking forward to. . . the holiday weekend coming up. We have no specific plans, but dh has Monday off work so it's a long weekend : )

I am hearing. . . nothing -- and it lovely! We are having a no TV week, so currently the house is quiet except for doggie paws and the occasional comment from dd.

Around the house. . . I am feeling the need to rearrange! It makes everything seem so much fresher and REAL cleaning takes place when you move furniture! LOL!

I am pondering. . . my role as a mother as my children reach adulthood. One child is 21 and the other will be 18 soon. Things are different, but at times very much the same.

One of my favorite things. . . is my dog Yaya. She is cuddle baby! Not really a lap dog, she prefers to be right next to me when I sit on the couch -- so close that she is almost UNDER me. Such a sweetie!

A few plans for the rest of the week: dinner guests on Wednesday and Thursday; another trip to the pool on Friday if the weather permits. Suddenly it will July! How did that happen!?!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing. . .

My sweet baby Yaya! We adopted her in 2008.

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Saturday Poetry -- The Lanyard

The other day I was ricocheting slowly
off the blue walls of this room,
moving as if underwater from typewriter to piano,
from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor,
when I found myself in the L section of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.

No cookie nibbled by a French novelist
could send one into the past more suddenly—
a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp
by a deep Adirondack lake
learning how to braid long thin plastic strips
into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.

I had never seen anyone use a lanyard
or wear one, if that’s what you did with them,
but that did not keep me from crossing
strand over strand again and again
until I had made a boxy
red and white lanyard for my mother.

She gave me life and milk from her breasts,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sick room,
lifted spoons of medicine to my lips,
laid cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light

and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.
Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a counselor.

Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,
and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.
And here, I wish to say to her now,
is a smaller gift—not the worn truth

that you can never repay your mother,
but the rueful admission that when she took
the two-tone lanyard from my hand,
I was as sure as a boy could be
that this useless, worthless thing I wove
out of boredom would be enough to make us even.

--Billy Collins     

Thankful Thursday -- June 23, 2011

No one is as capable of gratitude

as one who has emerged

from the kingdom of night.

-- Elie Wiesel

:: for surviving a difficult day

:: for a loving husband

:: for working through tough memories of hard times

:: for being kinder to myself

:: for allowing myself to enjoy cooking and not worry about cleaning

for more "Thankful Thursday" post visit Grace Alone

Wordless Wednesday 6/22/11

alpaca from our visit to Eastland Alpacas


for more photos visit Wordless Wednesday

The Simple Woman's Daybook -- June 21, 2011

FOR TODAY

Outside my window . . .it is a mix of sun and clouds. Ds has been working on my front flower bed for me. I am not a gardener, but I want lovely flower beds!

I am thinking . . .that I'm not getting much time for myself this summer. My kids are 21 and nearly 18, but this summer they are around a lot! It is a mixed blessing. 

I am thankful for . . .rest. I have not been sleeping well lately, so last night I bit the bullet and took something to help me sleep. Slept better, but now I'm groggy.

From the learning rooms . . .ds finished his first book for the summer; his first essay for the summer; and is starting Lord of the Flies this morning.

From the kitchen . . .lots of vegetables, pasta and rice of late. Tomorrow we're having company: grilled pork tenderloin, strawberry spinach salad, rice jardin, and Lime Fluff Pie for dessert. 

I am wearing . . . cotton pj pants and a blue tank top.

I am creating . . .my quilt. I gave up quickly on lap quilting! I do not have the patience for that. So I am going to quilt it on my sewing machine just doing basic straight stitching around each of the pieces in the layout.  

I am going . . .to play with my bff, LBB today! I haven't seen her since the kids got out of school. We NEED a day together!  

I am reading . . . still working on Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Also reading I, Coriander by Sally Gardner. It is a young adult novel that has been very intriguing. 

I am hoping . . .to get some fun activities in today.  

I am hearing . . .ds reading Lord of the Flies, and the dogs barking for breakfast. 

Around the house . . .the same as always. The old saying about housework never being done is SOOOO true. 

One of my favorite things . . .is good books to read. Sometimes I think if only I could stay awake, I would read 24/7. 

A few plans for the rest of the week . . .fun time with LBB, dinner with friends tomorrow night, checking out a new volunteer opportunity, and as always, reading, swimming and sunning.

Here's a picture for thought I'm sharing . . .

 Ds feeding the alpacas at Eastland Alpacas in Mount Joy, PA.

Hosted by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Feel Good Friday -- June 17, 2011

Saturday -- Swimming at the outdoor pool at our local YMCA followed by a trip to Costco with my son and his best friend. Lots of sampling, fruit buying, meat buying, and talking.

Sunday --  Steel cut oatmeal for breakfast; a good worship service;chicken spinach red pepper sausages for lunch; grocery shopping with dear daughter; and a swim with dear husband and dear daughter.

Monday -- More swimming and breakfast for dinner!

Tuesday -- a walk with the doggies in cooler weather; tea with the door opened; helping dd clean her room; funny quote that dd found:

You never know what you have

-- until you clean your room!

Wednesday -- (well maybe we'll just leave Wednesday out of this post!)

Thursday -- Brunch with the Precepts ladies; Target; the bank; the library; another swim!

Baking cookies; dd's prayer group; good conversation with dh.

Put it all together and what do you get?

Feel Good Friday, of course!

Catch up with more "Feel Good Friday" at lia sophia tomgirl

Thankful Thursday -- June 16, 2011

Seems like quite a while since I've participated in "Thankful Thursday". The start of summer always seems as if it should a time of relaxation, but it's not. There's the end of school year rush; looking for summer jobs; vacation planning (and this year leaving as we took an early vacation). Lots to do!

The other thing that always seems to catch me off guard is the reminder of past abuse. Most of my abuse took place in the summer. The last physical attack was a rape that happened on June 10, 1983. Look at that date -- that's a long time ago! I don't consciously mark the anniversary, but my body seems to remember that long ago attack.

So for the past couple of weeks I've been struggling with depression and anxiety. The struggle leads to feelings of inadequacy; recurring thoughts that I lack worth and value; the vision of myself as a failure; and the constant reminder that I am not handling any of this with the proper Christian attitude.

The reality is none of it is my fault! God knows that I am not trying to dwell, linger, not let it go; and I don't really have any way of knowing what others think about me nor does it matter.

So for today I am thankful for new realizations; new ways of being honest with myself and others; a good therapist; a loving and supportive husband; friends who rally round; and good books that remind I am not alone. 

I hope your Thursday is full of gratitude.

Blessings!

For more "Thankful Thursday" post visit Grace Alone

FOR TODAY

Outside my window . . . it is glorious! Seventy degrees and sunny with light ENE winds. The door is opened so I can feel the breeze and hear the birds : )

I am thinking . . . about learning how to use my time in a way that I enjoy. I am so caught up in making sure everyone else is happy and content that I forget to check on me! I'm trying to do better.

I am thankful for . . . the outdoor pool at the YMCA. I love going and getting my exercise in and then lounging at the pool, reading and relaxing in the sun.

From the learning rooms . . . a quiet, relaxed schedule. Some reading and working on definitions for the upcoming AP classes: Intro to College Psych and Human Geography.

From the kitchen . . . lots of fish! We've had tilapia, salmon, trout, and shrimp in the last week or so. 

I am wearing . . . cotton pj pants and a blue tank top.

I am creating . . . Nothing much at all. I was working on that shawl for a friend's mother and I've run out of yarn and CAN'T find more! Oh no!

I am going . . . to work on the house some more and try to figure out how to do lap quilting. Any suggestions? 

I am reading . . . still working on Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I started reading The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. It's better than I expected.

I am hoping . . . to figure out how to get my boys to put away their toys! 

I am hearing . . . birdies chirping and intermittent chatting by dd as she gets ready for her day. Ds is quiet because he's reading this morning.

Around the house . . . we are suffering from chaos! Everyone seems to be in the middle of projects and things so no housework is getting done. The downside of summer. 

One of my favorite things . . . good food! I love it when I'm really in the mood to plan and prepare great meals.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . swimming, sunning, and reading. Figuring out that lap quilting. Any help out there?

Here's a picture for thought I'm sharing . . .

We're all so fond of dh's fashion style!

Hosted by The Simple Woman's Daybook