daybook 3/31/2014

 

 

For today

Monday, March 31, 2014

Outside my window... sunshine {after rain this morning}, the faintest hint of green out in the pasture, robins and other birds looking for something in the yard

 

Hearing... the dryer rumbling

 

Pondering... a nap {ha ha}

 

Praying...

Denise – struggling with each round of chemo treatments

Jill – gall bladder surgery tomorrow

Kim – overall she is doing wonderfully, and we still celebrate the miracle that she’s alive! --  but  it’s still a long, long road to recover much of her former life or determine her ‘new normal.’

the Rettigs – missionaries to Prague, currently traveling in the US

Kate, Abby & Daniel – nearing  the home stretch of spring semester {Daniel is done in less than  five weeks!}

 

Thankful... for a good spring break with Kate & Abby at home; for my dad who made the drive to Wisc to bring them home; and for Tim who made the drive to take them back again.

 

Creating... {sharing} a glimpse of Abby’s project for a couple of her college friends:

  

You’ll never guess their nicknames – indicated by the letters used. 

Wanna guess anyway?  or play hangman?  Wheel of Fortune bonus-round style?  what is that – two vowels and three consonants?

G _ _ _ _ _                 S _ _ _ _ _ _

 

Going... nowhere, very slowly, thank you very much. 

Last week/month was a bit non-stop…  Really.  March Madness?  Much. 

• Tax returns {one piece of chocolate remains}
• funeral at church {I baked rolls for the meal}
• the Cattleman & the Cowgirl participated in the Youth Service
• attended a wedding at church – sent the bride & groom off with sparklers!
• sewed a baby blanket… and ironed flannel for several more
• hosted YAC supper {pancakes, egg casserole, apple sauce, etc…}
• planned/dreamed of an outbuilding {protected Morton salesman from Luci}
• bought and sold items via facebook swap pages {mostly fun, but consuming}
• PURGED the To Go Piles at last!
• delivered Meals on Wheels two days last week
• created a queenly crown with the Popper
• stayed up way too late almost every night of ‘spring break’ :o  {I’m too old for this!}
• nagged encouraged K&A to finish their speech assignments!
• allowed/helped the Cowgirl to make/order a few FREE Shutterfly projects {including Volume One of her own ‘baby’ book – yay!}
• tried to follow our beloved Cyclones and Badgers through basketball tournaments {watched part of one recent game- Kentucky v Louisville – heated competition!}  –> Badgers have advanced to the Final Four!  woot woot
• de-activated my face book account last night!!!!  Yes!

 

{{Thinking I am pretty close to the 40 bag goal, Julie G!}}

 

Reading... I did finish the Amy Carmichael biography, but I missed the group discussion. 

Here’s a tidbit from chapter 21:

Good and acceptable and perfect.

Those three words hallow pain.  They take from it all bitterness, all that stings and rankles; they leave it, still pain indeed, but somehow sweetened, chastened.

 

Looking forward to... green landscapes

 

In the kitchen... leftover calzones tonight

     

Last week’s menu:  grilled burgers/hot dogs; pizza; egg rolls; taco salad; turkey packets; Hickory Park Restaurant Mongolian Buffet; calzones, spinach/artichoke dip.

   

  

Saturday morning we had a Big Breakfast before the girls went back to school. :-)

 

In the learning rooms... Oh yes, that.  Spring break is officially over, right…

 

Around the house...  I vacuumed most of the upstairs this morning.  Before/after photos would be quite humiliating.  I spent more than an hour – that should tell you (me) something.  It surely is time for some routine cleaning – on a more regular basis.  Ahem.

 

The Mother Load... Tax returns are done – still need to print most of them and prepare for mailing.  School work to check.  Dusting!  Mop floors.  Clean ceiling fans now that we are inclined to turn them on when the temps are warmer outside and inside.  Finish sewing baby blankets needed soon(!)  Yes, Conny, there is an ironing pile too…

 

Noticing that... our kids sure have fun together! 

 

Something fun to share... {last Wednesday night at K4T}

     

      

 

A favorite quote for today...  Psalm 127:1-2 {Pastor’s sermon text}

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

 

One of my favorite things... sleep.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week... bedtime any time before 10pm  :-)

A peek into my world...

Thursday & Friday we celebrated birthdays with the Cattleman & the Popper.

  

  

  

  

     

 

 

~.~.~.~.~

Giving credit where credit is due:

While I am not linking up with anyone, you could read more weekly news posts at other blogs by following any of these links:

• Peggy at the Simple Woman’s Daybook

• Julie for adapting this daybook version as her own ‘Grasshopper Days’ ~ Perhaps I could call it the GHV Daybook. :)

• You can also find a similar weekly meme in Happy Homemaker Monday at Sandra’s

~.~.~.~.~

Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord,

that thou fulfil it. Colossians 4:17

daybook 3/3/2014

 

{the reality of what it looks like here this morning}

For today, Monday, March 3, 2014

Outside my window... White Snow Bright Snow

Hearing... the washing machine

Pondering... something that I need to let go :-\ 

Praying... for Denise in her ‘recovery’ week; Linda has another trip Thursday for her cancer treatment in Illinois; another friend had some tests last week that have the doctors concerned so I am researching with her for healthier alternatives to the usual prescriptions; and Jill is still trying to get in with her doctor to talk about what might be ailing her instead of her gall bladder.  Yikes.  Makes me want to continue my abstinence of ‘routine’ medical exams.  :o

Update:  Denise must have had scans today that didn’t reveal good results.  :-( 

for Kim, Tim’s niece.

for our missionary friends on unnamed foreign fields.

for a missionary family brought home from the field due to health problems.

for the Romeike family… Today, the United States Supreme Court declined to review Uwe and Hannelore Romeike’s asylum case.

for Daniel, who has his last mid-term exam today – with spring break just around the corner! {which he will spend primarily on the shut-down campus}  He also will lead the dorm devos this Wednesday night, then lead the congregational singing at his church next Sunday evening.

for Abby & Kate, who are back in classes this week after last week’s preaching conference.  Three more weeks and they will be home for spring break!  I suppose I should be a good wife and volunteer to go get them by myself – ack.  I guess that requires prayer for myself!

for the Cattleman, who is part of the youth preaching team for next Sunday night.

for daily wisdom, grace and mercy on the home front.

Thankful... for my good husband, who is also one of the best fathers I know!  Here they are for yesterday’s Sunday school hour while we were snowed in at home – beginning an inductive study of 1 Timothy. {see Precept Ministries}

Creating... {last week} a binder full of Christmas cards/letters/photos – three years worth!  It was past time for that life-changing project.

Going...NOWHERE today, thank you very much.  Although I did go outside of our warm house this morning to take pics of the snowy landscape.

Reading...  Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur by Frank Houghton, for a ‘book club’ meeting on March 17.  I’m in chapter 26, but I didn’t make much progress yesterday as I also began recopying my notes into a nice journal I was recently gifted – and I took a much-needed nap!

Looking forward to... seedtime, AKA spring.  Aren’t we all?!

Although some may mock us…

In the kitchen...  On the menu: beef stew, cheddar-baked chicken, turkey taquitos, farmhouse BBQ biscuits, spaghetti, and of course PIZZA.  {The leftover taco soup will warm up for lunch today}  Somehow the cinna-mini cinnamon rolls have all disappeared!  Have I shown you those yet??  I made a couple batches on Friday for Saturday’s bridal shower –

{photo credit and recipe at Barbara Bakes}

I snuck in a bit of fresh whole wheat flour of course ;-)

In the learning rooms...  I read to them about the “Enlightenment” this morning… Voltaire, deism, Rousseau…

“…when seeing the corruptions of the church,, one could either push deeper into God’s Word (Reformation) and reject the humanistic elements the church had embraced over time, or one could throw it all away and simply pursue secular humanism (Renaissance).  Voltaire chose the latter.”

“Whether you’re looking at Voltaire’s reason or Rousseau’s romanticism, their common influence was an elevation of human power, and humanism took a giant leap under their influence!  People could pick their flavor, but humanism was being sold.”

~ Michelle Miller, TruthQuest History: Age of Revolution Volume I, p. 198-199

Around the house... I conquered some of the piles last week, but every room needs de-cluttering and cleaning still.  Always.

The Mother Load... Laundry is under control – even the ironing pile!  But the floors and the dusty furniture and the dirty toilet(s)?  Not so much.

Much more fun: 

• preparing for this month’s birthdays and ‘spring break’
• hosting the college students with our Sunday school class {feeding them supper after Sunday eve service}

Noticing that... They say that time is money, but generally giving the first is a greater gift than the latter – or at least a good way to multiply it.  Know what I mean?  Would you agree?

A favorite quote for today...

“The nearer the soldier is to the Captain the more he will be attacked by the enemy.” ~ Amy Carmichael

One of my favorite things... How often can I list chocolate here? 8-)

A few plans for the rest of the week... It is time.  {Cue the ominous music} 

Tax Returns! 

{This week – I must make a start.  If and when I receive the paperwork I’m awaiting.  I have three weeks to get them all done before the girls are home to sign theirs.}

A peek into my world...

Tim & crew closed in the cattle trailer before he hauled several calves to market last week.

  

{weird coloring due to late evening lighting & photographing through the window glass}

 

And more pics from this morning…  It’s a bit of an S-curve to get in the driveway and into the garage with the big snowdrift to dodge.  And plenty of deep snow to trudge through to tend the cattle.

  

  

~.~.~.~.~

Giving credit where credit is due:

While I am not linking up with anyone, you could read more weekly news posts at other blogs by following any of these links:

• Peggy at the Simple Woman’s Daybook

• Julie for adapting this daybook version as her own ‘Grasshopper Days’ ~ Perhaps I could call it the GHV Daybook. :)

• You can also find a similar weekly meme in Happy Homemaker Monday at Sandra’s

~.~.~.~.~

Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord,

that thou fulfil it. Colossians 4:17