daybook 4/21/2014

 

For today…  Monday, April 21, 2014

Outside my window... This morning was cloudy with a little rain; now it is mostly sunny and windy.

A few hours ago I took these photos of the columbine, forsythia, lilac, and the Cattleman’s garden.

  

  

{I think the flash was on – thus the more than natural lighting}

 

Hearing... the wind rattling the stove vent.

Pondering...  how lazy I am …especially on Mondays

Praying... for Denise (chemo & radiation today); for Sarah (new unwelcome symptom of something not right); Jill’s Uncle Tom (brain surgery this morning); Tim’s niece Kim; my folks as they travel this week; our college kiddos pressing on to the end of the semester – and making plans for their summer; the Lockwood family. 

Thankful... for a new calf born this morning/last night; for a size 18 navy suit jacket for the Cattleman at the consignment shop in town – that’s been there plenty long enough to buy for 75% off.

Creating... a messy desk apparently.  And quite successfully.

Going... to research Tim’s ideas for a family vacation, one of these days.

Reading... too many different books perhaps?  Finished with James this morning.  Recently began Just Friends by Cary Schmidt and Idols of the Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick (amongst the distractions of library fiction).  Finished Guerber’s Story of the 13 Colonies last week, but need to be consistent with Carson’s Basic History of the US (history read-aloud) – and probably should choose another fun history read-aloud to finish our year. 

Looking forward to... a place for every thing, and every thing in its place.   hahahahahahaha… I think the joke is on me!

In the kitchen... I think we will have the leftover gyros tonight instead of potato/ham casserole.  I did admit to being lazy, remember.

In the learning rooms... the Popper is caught up again with everything except spelling.  woot woot!  She has finished with the science book and moved on to health with Mr. Howe.  They all should finish their Bible class this week, which will have the Cattleman completely finished with his 8th grade school year.  (Time for him to take the test for his driver’s permit!)  The Cowgirl has only geometry to finish after Bible, since she finished with English last week. 

Around the house...  lots of seedlings started for the garden.

The Mother Load...  exciting stuff like dusting, mopping, laundry, and ironing; bank statements to reconcile still; continue the process of cleaning and reorganizing the basement book shelves (and other junk), before we begin again to clean up the dust we’ve stirred up as we go…; clean the other two ceiling fans so that I will allow my family to turn them on!

Noticing that... we also really need to clean the windows!

Something fun to share... I found a shutterfly FREE photo book coupon in my Kohls charge statement.  Oh dear!  Maybe I can enlist the Cowgirl to work on one for her younger brother??

Here’s something you can use!  Free shipping at Tropical Traditions – and a good price on palm shortening!  Read more at Laura’s here.

A favorite quote for today...

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 ~ from yesterday’s cantata

One of my favorite things...  forsythia

A few plans for the rest of the week... the usual piano lessons/shopping day; if it rains Tim might take us to a small drama production of Ben Hur; the teens have a service project on Saturday.

A peek into my world... a week ago.

Last Saturday (the 12th), the weather was a summery 85F… In the evening we had some serious thunderstorms including hail… almost the size of ping pong balls! {second photo to show size of paring knife in pic with the melted hailstone}  It was incredibly loud when the hail hit the roof!

 

Sunday it rained all day… On Monday morning, it looked like this outside:

  

Don’t like the weather?  Stick around.  It will change.

~.~.~.~.~

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

where the blame game replaces daybook

 

I honestly intended to write up a daybook this week, but a few things got in the way…

Monday morning I think I was finishing a library book {a brainless vacation-type of thing}.  My bad.

Monday afternoon, the Cowgirl suggested we use book tape to mark our history reading books, so that they would be easier to find and re-shelve.  Sure, great idea.  But then she went and found the rolls of book tape and thought we should do it now.  Oh?  I told Tim later that she is a slave driver!  We worked until 10pm Monday night to get through 1865 in our chronologically ordered history guides.  After three days on this project, here’s what the shelves look like in the basement {working on top of the table still devoted to/covered with  their inductive Bible study}

  

Our ‘history’ books somehow expanded from 3+ shelf units to fill all five of the first picture.  Full.  We moved the science books {and higher level literature books} out to this ‘new to us’ shelf shown below.  And pulled duplicate books {piled on/under chair} to box up for someone’s future library, if the Lord tarries long enough for the kids to establish their own homes someday.  And we pulled all of the general juvenile fiction off of the BIG double-sided library shelf, dusting and reorganizing {hmmm, I think we ignored the encyclopedias on the bottom shelf there}…

     

Below you can see the backside of the double shelf… It was fully loaded before we found room on the other side for several books.  Still need to determine what will live on the ‘new’ shelf and what will live on this old one.  {science and how-to books and magazines, ‘higher’ literature classics, dictionaries, music, theology and devotional books…}  Still much dust to battle.  Aaa-chooo!

So much fun.  Why are you laughing?

So that was the Cowgirl’s bad:  This is taking a lot longer than I thought it would.  Yep.  Especially since we are dealing with all of the books, not just the history shelves. {sigh}  I do love books.  And even libraries of books.

Then there’s my friend Conny.  Who is blogging A-Z this month.  So I have choose to wrack my tired brain for witty alliterating comments to reward each of her posts.

 

In other news:  Did you know it is almost Easter/ Resurrection Sunday?!  I just have to keep reminding myself.  Seriously?!  We don’t have any plans with extended family, let alone our own little immediate family is missing our college kiddos.  I am planning to serve gyros for our holiday feast.  The choir’s cantata will be Sunday morning.  It will be a time to remember and celebrate Christ’s sacrifice for us, whether I feel like it’s Eastertime or not.

Related to that, I recently found that a favorite {but somewhat forgotten} author has a blog, and a new church home out East {he was in California last I knew}.  Anyhooo, here’s a link for his latest post which relates to Easter –> to be read asap, before Sunday!

This isn’t supposed to be about the jelly beans, right?  But I sent some to my college kids anyway.

 

So that’s all for now.  Off to piano lessons we go!

when you do stuff…

 

          …stuff gets done.

{a profound statement from the famous Julie G  :D }

 

Even little stuff is fun to check off of a To Do List, ya know?  And these I dare say are much cuter than reconciled bank statements, yes?

TaaDaaaa!

Blankets are done for little Leo – who was born on last Friday, and Miss D & Miss F – who are due this month also.

They are complete with ribbons and love notes.  One we will deliver to a little boy nearby.  One needs prep for mailing to Kansas.  And the third will hopefully travel to Germany with some happy grandparents soon.

Jodi’s bog revival {and give-away}

 

Go visit my we’ve-met-in-real-life blogger friend Jodi, enjoy wandering through her blog {or two}, and be sure to sign up for her current give-away of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer!

a dose of wisdom

 

 

Arguing with incompetence is a waste of time—especially confident incompetence. 

Humility + instruction = competence. (Prov. 9:9)  

~ Cary Schmidt {as seen on his amazon.com author page}

And what does God say in Proverbs 9:9?

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

 

Mr. Schmidt’s comment reminded me of this quote:

Never argue with stupid people,

They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

~Mark Twain

laundry advice {and more} from Kim

 

Kim Brenneman is back at blogging it appears :-) 

 

Sharing since I enjoyed the graphic’s {Kim’s} real-life humor.

Click here to visit her blog!

{She is the author of this book…}

daybook 4/7/2014

 

{sunrise on Jekyll Island, March 2012}

 

For today… Monday, April 7, 2014

Outside my window... Liberty was trying to convince Luci to come and play.   Weather looks more like spring with a chance of showers

Hearing... the Popper was giggling earlier, probably at Mr. Howe, a favorite teacher {via a beka dvd}

Pondering... how to be an encouragement to those in the midst of heart-breaking trials

Praying...

Denise – another round of nasty chemo treatments today; mix of good and bad news from last week’s scans/tests –> original site of cancer shows signs of reducing, but new site of cancer is confirmed as stage 3.

Jill – recovering from successful gall bladder surgery

Kim – week 20 since her accident

Neighbor Mrs. S – we just learned she is in a care center with dementia issues

the Rettigs – missionaries to Prague, currently traveling in the US; recent update included photos of several church members and visitors at the church in Prague.  I almost requested a passport appointment while I was in the post office last week {Praha is on my mind!}

Kate, Abby & Daniel – 2 weeks left in the girls’ 9-week block.  Lots of BIG assignments to finish I’m sure {10-min persuasive speech for one}.  Daniel’s campus suffered a brief plague of the flu last week, but he seems to have escaped without falling prey.  He was able to lead the dorm devos Saturday night and the song service last night at his church.

Thankful...

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

~Annie Johnson Flint

Creating... baby blankets.  Must. Sew. Baby. Blankets!

Going... out the door with meals on wheels today.  Soon.  {and home again.  I like the new routes they have designed that we can be done and home again ~noon}

Reading... Psalms with the kiddos at breakfast, and Carson’s Basic History as we are studying the early years of the War for American Independence

Looking forward to... delivering meals on wheels to Mrs. Loots on Friday {she is a sweet, joyful lady, and thus became our great fave last year when we met her}

In the kitchen... tonight – leftover grilled turkey tenderloins.  I have a cabbage intended for cole slaw.  The Cowgirls made ‘perfect brownies’ so if all else fails we still have dessert!

In the learning rooms... the Popper is concluding her unit on geometry – next up Algebra {my fave!}  the Cowgirl is reading {and writing on} Julius Caesar.  The Cattleman has been working in next year’s Greek, listening to Rushdoony, and reading from his stack of new books {happy birthday!}

Around the house... Inspired by Julie G’s spring cleaning blitz {and motivated by Tim showing me how to remove the glass shades}… I quite thoroughly cleaned this light fixture.  The rest of the dust in the house remains fairly undisturbed.  So far.  I’ll be back! {I heard my young girls plotting a cleaning fest of our own – Now ain’t-a-that good news?!}

The Mother Load... Ironing {CHECK} Tax returns ready to mail {CHECK} Menu {CHECK} Schoolwork checked {CHECK}  …which mostly leaves the overdue dusting, mopping, and sewing.  Hmmmm, overdue?  That would be the inter-library loan books.

Noticing that... the Popper continues her ‘growth spurt’ of eating with a consistent, big appetite!

A favorite quote for today...

I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.  Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. 

Psalm 116:1-2

One of my favorite things... pictures like this one

A few plans for the rest of the week... see Mother Load List.  And celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary with church friends.

A peek into my world...

~.~.~.~.~

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