out of the miry clay

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

daybook 9/14/2011

FOR TODAY

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Outside my window...

mostly cloudy with the sun trying to shine ~ We had a very brief rain shower this morning, just enough to wake me up and remind me the bicycles were outside.

I am thinking…

I must do something with the flowers on the front porch before it FREEZES tonight! We’ve had a couple 90F highs this week, but today’s low is forecast to be 30F. You’d call that a change in the weather.

I am thankful to God …

for swagbucks ~ I took $30 off yesterday’s Amazon order. And I still have several more gift cards to use another day. : )

for His work of grace and mercy in my life ~ “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

I am praying for...

… a friend of Conny’s ~ Lilah is a newborn baby with spina bifida ~ Last report she is doing well : )

… Hiromi in Japan (near the Fukushima nuclear plant)

… Ethan and his twin sister. See Sara’s blog. Such a sweet testimony of God’s goodness, and such a need for His provision of health. Recently huge blessings of answers to prayer! The bone marrow transplant has been put off because he doesn’t need it now!

... the Rettigs & the church in Prague ~ another Bible Night this Sunday, September 18 in Vlassim! And looking at a new location for their Prague church to meet.

… the sale of my mother-in-law’s home

… Cinnamon ~ her Army hubby is HOME from Afghanistan, her Marine son is IN Afghanistan!

… Amy W., a young wife/mom with cancer

… Sarita & Jeff need visas for their return to Israel

… the A Family, on furlough from their field of ministry

… Lea’s dad ~ in the midst of a serious health crisis

… for direction for our church, for our family

… Laura

… and especially marriages ~ meant to last a lifetime

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
John 15:7

From the learning rooms...

I need to sit down and work with the Popper, especially in this book:

Miss Music Box (Kate) finished her paper for English ~ just British Literature to finish now. : ) She plans to join the Cowgirl for Spanish 2 lessons while she’s home this year. They finished Spanish 1 last week with flying colors. Miss Artist also finished her paper and grammar and has moved on to the New Year! : ) She’s a happy camper to be caught up again -- and allowed some email/internet privileges. She would rather study herbs instead of grammar. The Computer Geek has chosen to study Greek this year, and Miss A will join him (as soon as our Amazon order comes).

From the kitchen...

Well, this post should give you an idea what’s been going on in our kitchen.

We enjoyed leftover chimichangas last night. Tonight’s plan includes spaghetti. I bought turkey tenderloins on sale yesterday ~ they need marinade before they hit the grill later this week.

I should be baking bread this morning (which would mean hot, fresh bread for lunch!) But running the grain mill right now would make it a challenge to hear Mrs. McLamb as she teaches Spanish 2 via DVD on the TV.

And there is still a pile of apples from my visit to the Berry Patch last week. I picked some from the wrong tree (a bit green), so they need to get sliced or chopped for future baking.

Last week’s omelet prepared and enjoyed by the Popper…

I am creating...

not much this week. Should be dealing with all the garden produce such as the wheelbarrow of potatoes. Need to look up Laura’s method for making hash browns. Aha! Here it is : )

I am going...

to not sit at the computer all day today. Really. {I don’t usually, it just often feels like it at the end of the day.}

to do laundry, bake bread, chop apples, pitch the rotten tomatoes, sort the potatoes, and not eat any more cake.

I am {supposed to be} reading...

for a summer Sunday school class ~ Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss ~ Yeah, it’s past time to be done with this one! ;-)

Sooooo I should make a commitment to take this with me tomorrow to read while Kate has her violin lesson, right?

I am hoping...

the combine and the new grain system will both be up and running next week when they intend to begin the harvest.

I am hearing...

espanol

Around the house...

unfinished landscaping projects

One of my favorite things...

birthday parties with our goofy kids :D

Pondering these words...

'Mommy, if I ever win an award for anything, I want it to be for having the biggest smile of any kid that ever had cancer!’ ~Mercede

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Wednesday eve ~ church

Thursday ~ violin lesson (an hour of quiet reading for me)

Friday ~ piano lessons (and even more groceries)

Constitution Day is September 17. They are having a celebration at Hillsdale College tomorrow (Thursday) that anyone can watch online. We also signed up Kate for this class ~ Intro to the Constitution. I think you can still sign up ~ It includes five weeks of online presentations.

Here ~~is a~~ are a few pictures for thought...

Luci Lou ~ Tim even bought her a bone when he was at Menards the other day ;-)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

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

that thou fulfil it.

Colossians 4:17

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~ Find more Daybooks at Peggy's ~

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

plethora of pictures

237 to be exact. Downloading from the card to my computer. Maybe I should have deleted a few first?

Oh dear, there are videos too. Yes, it’s “my” camera, but… [delete] [delete] Now there are only 116 in this collection of the Popper cooking an omelet, Luci, and the birthday festivities.

I’ll save the others for other posts… For now I’ll share more birthday pictures!

Life has been just a bit TOO crazy for me. New normal, but yikes. I’m just not organized enough to get it ALL done ALL the time. Sooooo, this historic 18th birthday of our firstborn rather snuck up on me.

I called a friend on Saturday to ask what to do to make it special?? {{!Help!}} I’d already done my shopping for the week… twice. And Tim and all the kids were along for Saturday’s chiropractor appointment. {no more shopping} But that was fun because we also met up with my parents at Dr. Haan’s and decided to go to lunch at Hickory Park, a wonderful and fun restaurant that is usually incredibly busy. But the Iowa-Iowa State football game was in process… in Ames. So we had no wait, and the waitresses kept us informed of the score. And we were gone before the game was over and the traffic turned crazy. {Triple overtime, by the way, with the ISU Cyclones victorious – Yes!!} ANyWay, back to the birthday theme: Hickory Park sings and gives free ice cream to the birthday person :D Happy Day!

Since my friend had given me the best doable idea, the Cowgirl and I set off for the local stores after we got home from Ames. That would be a small outlet mall {with a kitchen store!} and Dollar General. And the grocery store : ) We were in pursuit of eighteen gifts for our birthday girl! We knew she wanted a tart pan ~ Thankfully the kitchen store had a nice one in stock. Then it was off to DG for the cheap silly stuff ;-)

I had also asked Kate what she wanted to eat for her birthday dinner?? She wanted to make cheesecake. And chimichangas.

Monday morning she decided she couldn’t make cheesecake …because it should have been made on Sunday. Plan B: honey cake that she enjoyed last year in Prague. Hmmm, reading the recipe we learned that it was supposed to sit for six hours after icing it. (It was now early afternoon, and even the expected late supper would be pushing it.) Soooo, what do you want?? Something new and different? {yes} While she continued to work on her research paper for English, I searched allrecipes.com and found an interesting chocolate cake ~ “extreme chocolate cake.” (I knew she wanted something chocolate, and cream cheese added would be good. But those recipes all started with a boxed cake mix…) Then I remembered her favorite site called Smitten Kitchen. Aha. Then I saw “chocolate peanut butter cake” in the list. And I knew. If possible, this was what I must make for Kate.

Intense chocolate cake. Peanut butter frosting {with cream cheese in it!} and a chocolate peanut butter glaze.

I also decided to check allrecipes for a recipe for the chimichangas. I’ve been making them as taught by a friend for many, many years. But I was curious what someone else would describe as the ‘right way.’ : ) And I found a winner. Chicken Chimichangas with Sour Cream Sauce.

I’m sure you’re curious about the pile of eighteen gifts too, aren’t you??

Some of her favorite food-like products, gum, tic tacs, Reese’s peanut butter cups (in the jar), notepaper, pens, stapler, mirror, mug, clear band-aids, mug, candle, toothbrush, and -of course- the tart pan. :D