what a week can do

In our yard there is a little drainage ditch from the field to a culvert (under the road) to the hill down to the river (follow that?)  Anyway, here's the culvert end of the ditch last Saturday (March 6).

 

And again yesterday (Sun, March 14) ~ note the SUNshine :-)  We didn't see much of that all week.

And here's the field a week ago. 

And again yesterday.

Tim added the stove pipe and got it going this weekend  :-)  The basement is much drier and warmer now (in-floor heat).  yAy! 

Here are the boys who stayed home to play basketball yesterday.

 

And my pansies which have been covered with snow since early December.  We're curious to see if they'll continue to grow this year ~ amazing.

daybook 5

 

FOR TODAY 

March 15, 2010

Outside my window...

it's foggy again, but there is very little snow left, just the huge snowbanks still in meltdown  :-)

I am thinking...

that Daylight Savings Time is not necessary.

I am thankful for...

 the freedom to let my little ones sleep until their inner clock is ready to wake.  (the Popper is almost 8 years old, but she'll always be my Little One, won't she?)

I am praying for...

Kate S., Jenn C., Sarah & Jim, Betty J., and our missionary friends in precarious situations (and thankful for God's provision for them!)

From the learning rooms...

we need to finish our reading on World War 2, and should come up with some sort of timeline for this major series of events... Our history notebooks are pathetically almost non-existent this year  :-(  The Cattleman so far is enjoying his change to schooling with A Beka DVDs, and the Popper has requested the same for her birthday present.  Yes, my kids are weird, and I love them!

From the kitchen...

Monday ~ chicken enchiladas

Tuesday ~ BBQ beef (on buns?)

Wednesday ~ taco soup

Thursday ~ egg rolls

Friday ~ homemade pizza

I am going...

to a necessary eye exam for our oldest daughter on Wednesday (and possibly transport the paper route boy, and hopefully to church); to take the TFC girls to piano on Friday (while I buy groceries)  {after last week's daily outings, I'm hoping to stay home mostly, so I'm saying No to other good things}
Sorry, that blurb is almost ugly with all the parentheses, etc.  :o

I am reading...

Carson on WW2 today; finished Ezra this morning (side note: EZRA James was born early Saturday morning, so I stitched up a Plan B-for-boy blanket yesterday, but forgot to take a photo to post here)

I am hoping...

that Tim is not coming down with my virus; that we will have a new water softener today

I am hearing...

some of the kids were reading Mother Goose rhymes aloud earlier; the washer has buzzed; now most of the kids are ready at the table for breakfast

Around the house...

the laundry room will be busy today; we will continue the battle with clutter

One of my favorite things...

birthing babies at home ♥  Welcome, Ezra James!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

The Cowgirl though the Cattleman was her very own special baby since the older children spent his birthday at Grandma's house ~ March 27, 2000.

Read more daybooks at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

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?!