daybook 4

The Simple Woman's Daybook will be posted each Tuesday ~ here.

FOR TODAY  March 8, 2010

*~*~*~*~*  earlier this morning  *~*~*~*~*

Outside my window...

Inside some windows there is moisture; Outside it is still foggy and cloudy.  The ground is still mostly white with new patches of bare ~ starting to look a bit sloppy in the pasture ~ Tim will move the cattle soon enough.  Smokey the cat is begging at the patio door for attention and cat food ~ she has the unacceptable habit of disdaining table scraps ~ what's with that?

I am thinking...

that our Spring Break will not be as productive as I would like.  :-(  This is probably not a new thought.

I am thankful for... 

a hot shower this morning; my headache has subsided again so far.

I am praying for...

Kate Stoll & her family ~ yesterday's update was discouraging: she cannot move her legs; Jenn C., another adult daughter of friends, Jenn is also a wife & mom ~ she has Wegener's that has recently progressed to a lung ~ she is in the hospital now; Sarah & Jim who are finding God faithful through the grief of an ongoing miscarriage ~ they are speaking at a missions conference this week.

I am hearing...

cars drive by on the highway; Computer Geek has his laptop in the living room today; some youngers are quietly reading; sickies are still sleeping; the stovetop is clicking as water heats for oatmeal.

From the learning rooms...

It is our official SPRING BREAK!  :-)

Miss Artist and Miss Music Box still have some subjects to finish up ~ as well as piano to practice diligently in preparation for Talents for Christ.

From the kitchen...

Menu plan this week...
Monday - cheeseburger soup;
Tuesday - chicken salad in pitas;
Wednesday - spaghetti;
Thursday - beef fajitas with Sunday's LO roast;
Friday - pizza
Tuesday I will need to bake bread again ~ we ran out last week!
I need to find energy to make smoothies this week ~ I suppose I could even start some kefir?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

intermission to attend to real life

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I am going...

to deliver Meals-on-wheels with my reasonably healthy kids this week Monday-Friday.  We (the Computer Geek, the Popper & I) made the rounds successfully today to deliver lunch to ten people in their homes.

I am reading...

2 Chronicles ~ "O our God, wilt thou not judge them?  for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

...Thus said the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.  2 Chronicles 20:12, 15

I was thinking especially of the Stolls while reading these verses.  They do not know what to do, but their eyes are on God, trusting Him to direct their steps...

I am hoping...

that I am finally really getting over this virus ~ and hoping we don't give it to anyone else, especially as we deliver meals this week.

Around the house...

I'm sure there is laundry waiting.  Most of the kids are nearby reading.  The CG is watching his new dvd from Answers in Genesis that he picked up at the Creation Museum.  I should spend some time with taxes, decluttering, and of course supper prep.

One of my favorite things...
♥ hugs from the Popper ♥

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Getting better!  I still have several items cut out to sew.  Mystery baby due this week ~ is she a girl?  or is he a boy?  I need a Plan B blanket if he's a boy.  We rescheduled with Jill for this week ~ hopefully we are all well enough to accomplish that meeting.

Here is a picture for thought I am sharing... 

See why I called the Cattleman an OX when the Popper was born?  :-)  We will celebrate their birthdays the end of this month.

Again, here's the link to the simple woman's daybook.

{sorry if the formatting is wacky today ~ some days are like that, and I've sat here too long!}

little by little, inch by inch

Saturday's photo shoot...

 

Chipping away at ice...

  

..and drying the sill in prep for a real WINDOW!  :-)

  

Not your typical construction crew

  

But able enough to help their dad.

  

  

Hold it!

  

Level twice, nail once?

  

Adding caulk.

  

And nails.

  

It works!

  

Only one window left on this wall, and it's reserved as the basement drywall entrance.

  

Some sort of important underlayment has been added to this endwall so far.

(Still looking for a good book of construction lingo...)

  

But not this one.

  

And since I'm craving a bit more color for this post, this is from the geranium plant that has spent it's second winter in our sunroom successfully.  :-)

  

Happy Sunday!

random, useless information about me

• High heels or boots? Neither--unless they are snow or mud boots.  I wear my Dansko's about seven days/week.
• What time did you get up this morning? ~6:15 ~ before the sun! but only because I went to bed at 8:30pm.
• Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds, but only because it is part of my wedding ring and band. In my old life I wore earrings and sometimes pearls.  Then I had babies.  Since the youngest is almost 8yo, I guess you'd say I'm in a rut ~ and my pierced ears mostly have grown shut.
• What was the last film you saw at the cinemas? ummmmmm?
• What is your favorite TV show? I don't watch anything on a regular basis, but Masterpiece Theater Classics and cooking/travel/how-to shows come to mind.  Except when I have water and butter already boiling on the stove.  ;-)
• What do you usually have for breakfast? fried eggs with cheese, or an omelet -- and toast
• What is your middle name? Beth, unlike my mom and sister who are --Ruth.
• What food do you dislike? seafood, and the healthy brown-sort of beans
• What is your favorite CD at the moment? I'll go with the Handel violin sonatas I have on my wish list at Amazon... and I am supposed to order as a gift from my kiddos.
• What characteristic do you despise? not taking responsibility for one's actions(that's too good to change, Jodi)
• Favorite clothing? denim in the form of skirts and tops
• If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation where would you go? Israel, England or Australia??  Not something I think about very often.  We'd all really LIKE to go to the US east coast on a 6-month+ historical tour.  I'd also like to go with my DH and DD to the Czech Republic this fall...
• Are you an organized person?  sometimes?
• Where would you like to retire to? my own bed.  OH, you mean like when I'm 65?  Our youngest will then be ~28yo, so if we are still on this earth I'll be in fulltime grandma mode I hope.  In between I'd spend time in my gorgeous-to-be kitchen or at my sewing machine or watching the cattle with my DH... and then it's heaven for me.
• What was your most recent memorable birthday?  Last month's was pretty memorable with a multitude of phone calls and FB wall posts.  Halfway to 90.  Thanks, Marianne!
• What are you going to do when you finish this? Somebody better finish stirring up the pancakes for supper ~ that would probably be me.
• Furthest place you are sending this? Bolivia?
• Person you expect to send it back first? Conny?
• When is your birthday?  February, that's why all my b-day cards are purple  =)
• Are you a morning person or a night person? Procrastination, an unending list, and love of quiet would make me a night person.  My thyroid would disagree.
• What is your favorite color? Right now I'm in a knee-jerk response to winter ~ therefore, anything but white ~ green with plenty of pinks, reds, purples, blues, even orange?  Pick up the nearest garden catalog or JoAnn's ad.  Show me color, and I'm happy  =)  But BLUE is who I am 365/24/7.
• Do you own any animals? No dogs... yet.  One mouser.  Numerous bovines, some of whom are carrying little bovines  :-)  Exciting!
• Any new and exciting news you'd like to share: Most of the roof might be shingled by now.  =)  Windows are much more fun than plastic or OSB  ;-)
• What did you want to be when you were little? a veterinarian (oh, you have to doctor them?), an elementary teacher (hmm, maybe I'll look forward to my own children instead), so ended up with a business mgmt major.  Whatever.
• What is your favorite flower? Maybe I could name one I don't like?  Right now, I wish I had hyacinths and tulips in my house.  Or some forsythia.  Who doesn't love roses?  and stargazer lilies and gerbera daisies and ...
• What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? Moving Day.  For now, it's only on God's calendar.
• What was the last thing you ate? hmm, cookie dough.  Bad me.
• Do you wish upon stars? No, but I love to look at them.  I consider Orion a personal friend  ;-)
• If you were a crayon, what color would you be?cerulean blue
• How is the weather right now? Almost sunset, so I expect it is cooling off to below 30 ~ oh, but the bank says it's still 31.  Low of 15 tonight.  Highs in the upper 30s tomorrow  =)  No mention of rain... yet.
• Last person you spoke to on the phone? my good friend Jill, who is likely coming down with the same virus my DD and I have (and her DD and DH)
• Favorite soft drink? a little ginger ale with cranberry raspberry juice, or similar punch with real raspberries floating in it.  Or, something healthier from our VitaMix.
• Favorite restaurant? Hickory Park, or O'Malley's (Mexican) before they were flooded out of business.
• Hair color? brown with plenty of natural red highlights (It's BROWN, she says with a stomp of her 7yo foot)
• What was your favorite toy as a child? hmmm, that was soooo long ago.  I did love hanging out with my sister's my dog Aaron in junior high- high school.  He was a collie/lab mix but colored more like a German shepherd.  My mom said the knob on his skull was a sign of his intelligence and amiableness.  He was a good dog.  (Thanks for bringing him home, Marcia!)
• Summer or winter? How about spring or fall?   Fall. I live in Iowa, so I love having all four seasons.  Winter has currently outdone itself beyond our expectations...
• Chocolate or vanilla? usually chocolate, unless the vanilla ice cream is laced with some delicious chocolate...  Founder's Favorite at Cold Stone anyone?
• Coffee or tea?  I drink peppermint tea, but I love to smell fresh coffee beans.
• Favorite food of all time? Has to be Americanized Mexican ~ give me homemade salsa, cheese, sour cream, guacamole with chips or any sort of meat (well, not sort-of meat, I prefer real meat, thank you.)
• Do you want your friends to leave a comment? Sure.  Is there a reason I shouldn't?
• When was the last time you cried? Plenty of weeps going on with real life struggles for so many friends.  I suppose I cried while reading Reaping the Whirlwind too, but that's not the same.
• What is under your bed? Do you really want to know?  flannel Bible figures (huge box), sink fixtures for my future master bath (the tub fixtures were installed last week), a new computer printer for when the current one quits (it came with the new desktop... two years ago?), books!  (Greek year 1, Unwrapping the Pharaohs, extra copies of faves for gifts), and more.  'Nuf?
• What did you do last night? stayed home from church with my sick DD and went to bed early ...after posting new pictures of house progress.
• What are you afraid of? Tim coming home before I get started in the kitchen on supper!
• Salty or sweet?  Chips and salsa sound good right now.  Did you know that it's supper time?
• Best quality you have? I love to throw a party for people I love  =)
• How many years at your current job? Married 11-27-92.  Retired from teaching other people's children in May 1993.  First labor in childbirth September 1993.
• Favorite day of the week? Friday nights when Tim has time to relax with us. 
• Positive or negative? I like positive people.. because opposites attract, ya know.  Working on it!  God is good all the time, He is able, and He knows what is best for me.  Why should I be discouraged?
• How many people will you send this to?  Send??
• Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? Is that a rhetorical question? 
• Just one more bullet to say Hurray for the capable Miss Music Box and the Popper who are in the kitchen working on our supper.  Guess I can go lay lie down... [had to come back and edit that to to appease my grammar conscience - ha]

Someone famous has said that a post is always better with a picture.  Don't you agree?

Tim took me out for my birthday/Valentine's, so the kids enjoyed free run of the kitchen.  These are their everything-they-could-think-of sundaes.  While Tim & I enjoyed some hot Vesuvius Pizza and cold ice cream at Cold Stone (and grocery shopping in between - yay!)

doors, windows, shingles, oh my!

It is spring here!  Over 30 F and sunny is very pleasant... and just look at what the guys are doing with this gorgeous weather! 

 

The shingles were delivered this morning... After lunch Dan, Jason, Marty & Tim made good use of the Lull again.  It was ~ 3:30 when I visited with my camera.  Do you see windows?!  It was so pleasantly bright inside the house...  Look what I see out the window ~

  

Jacob the plumber has been busy too ~ yAy! for a master bath  :-)

  

Here's the view out our northerly window.

  

In the very cold basement, the girls' bath is also looking good ~ pocket doors and a 2-room bath ~ sound good enough for four girls to share in their  two-bedroom suite? 

  

Dan & Jason built the second set of stairs last week ~ these go to a garage entry from the utility room, which will be complete with a choretime shower and laundry tub sink for Tim and his helpers.   It will also serve as the mud room for barn boots and coats.  Organization will be key to making this room work for all these duties.

  

Above that garage stairway will be a small coat closet with a sloped floor ~ I'm so glad Dan & Jason know what they're doing ~ I just know I want as much closet as they can give me  ;-)  (Not to worry ~ inside the garage door to the kitchen is a large walk-in closet for most of our coats, etc., etc., etc. - opposite the laundry room.  Would you rather see a floor plan?)

  

Another pocket door! for the laundry room, which is between kitchen and entry from garage.  That's a construction-time door ~ very nice to have something temporary that can afford a few dings while they work.

  

This house's front door is pretty close to what we chose for our house...

 

And, not to leave out the ladies... here's a quick view of the heifers (and Daisy's calf Rusty). 

Hmm, I was supposed to set my timer...  yowsa!   G'night my friends!

from the artiste

 

The card that Miss Artist was creating earlier this week ~ Cute, eh?!

daybook 3

The Simple Woman's Daybook will be posted each Tuesday ~ here.

 

FOR TODAY ~ March 1, 2010

Outside my window...

it is still sunny and bright with white snow.  The cattle have found their way to the south end of the pasture ~ Do you suppose it's warmer there?

I am thinking...

my brain is muddled with school, health insurance, and house decision-making.  I should be switching laundry again; I should have worked on taxes today instead of blogging.  :-(   Hmmm, do you think I'm possibly in a late afternoon slump?

I am thankful for...

last night's fellowship at church where I actually sat down and had a good conversation with a new friend  :-)

There are no blizzards in the forecast!  My teens all had good trips last week and came safely back home to us.

I am praying for...

so many families and their seemingly overwhelming struggles; health for Kate S. and strength for her family; Pastor H & Pastor B, who are both ministering away from home ~ and their families.

From the learning rooms...

it is another lighter week as we are in end-of-quarter and spring break mode.  I want to THINK about Spring!  I ordered something new today for the Cattleman... hopefully it will all be here for him to enjoy in two weeks.  And no, it wasn't his wishlist of seeds or fruit trees ~ that is something else I must make time for soon...

From the kitchen...

Mon ~ I have had veggie-beef-barley soup in the crockpot all day

Tues ~ meatloaf and mashed potatoes (post-orthodontist appt menu - should be thawing the burger)

Wed ~ oh-so-good-chicken from AllRecipes dot com with all the reviewer extras - yum - probably with turkey, since it's cooked already

Thurs ~ pancakes & dumplings, sausages, homemade applesauce, cottage cheese (maybe?? subject to whim and availability of additional cooks)

Fri ~ pizza

Sat ~ I think the forecast is for rain (!), but we are all hungry for a homegrown ribeye off the grill

I will have to check the bread supply in the freezer to determine when I need to bake again.

I am wearing...

the usual denim skirt with a warm sweater over a TEE SHIRT instead of a turtleneck!  Yay!  Must be spring  :-)

I am creating...

a stiff neck?  hmmm, I should look at last week's entry ~ might be the same?  gonna have to tame the computering addict...  Miss Artist, on the other hand, has made a really cute card ~ I will try to add a photo yet.

I am going...

tomorrow to the orthodontist with Miss Music Box and the Cowgirl; will also have him peek at the Popper's mouth and give his approval to extractions that are obviously needed  :-(  Then five of us have chiropractor appointments ~ this time I will ice my neck before leaving his office.  Miss Artist fell on the ice last week and hit her head, so she will likely have a major adjustment coming as well.  (If we leave early enough, we might stop at the shoe store first for some overdue replacements.)

I am reading...

yesterday I read some of the latest issue of No Greater Joy while driving to church.  Otherwise list remains same here too.  Various blogs ~ new ones, what fun! 

I am hoping...

to empty another dirty basket when I visit the laundry room.  (...soon, ahem.)

I am hearing...

Miss Music Box practicing piano, Miss Artist working with card-making, and barely and occasionally the others in the basement playing, computer keys clicking ~ mostly just the piano!  :-)

Around the house...

I think you've already got that pictured ~ I suppose I could mention the p.i.l.e.s. on the floor of paperwork necessary for tax prep ~ naaaah.

One of my favorite things...

Perfect Brownies ~ with chocolate buttercream frosting and loaded with both walnuts and pecans ~ mmm- mmmm

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Aforementioned 'goings' plus church on Wed eve, groceries sometime, and friend Jill is scheduled for a visit on Friday.   :-)

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... 

Lots of family fun yesterday with my cousin's old snowmobile  :-)  More pictures posted here.

You can read more daybooks here.

sunny Sunday in the snow

My cousin Nick loaned Tim the use of his old snowmobile yesterday afternoon.  Thanks, Nick!

We told the Popper she HAD to go on the snowmobile...

Think she liked it?
Keep your eyes open for this blue hat in the following photos  ;-)

 

We did a lot of hanging out while everyone got their ride(s)

  

My turn!

  

Howdy  :-)

  

This is FUN, Mom!

  

Ready, set, ...

  

...whoooooops...

  

The Computer Geek has a new item on his wishlist  ;-)

   

Then we tied on a sled ~ Look, Mom, no hands!

  

Ahh, but better is a saucer sled!  Hang on!

  

Along came Nick & Katie with the real thing...

  

Whew!  50+mph on this was so fun!

  

 The Cowgirl and the Cattleman

  

They bounced their dad a bit, but the drift underneath was too high still... ouch.

  

Pretty oak tree with a blue, blue sky

  

And GRASS!!!   Woohoo for spring!