FOR TODAY…  November 17th

Outside my window… sunny, late fall morning.  Patches of snow clinging to the prairie grass.

I am thinking… the more things stay the same the more they change. Which I realize is sorta turning the adage on its ear. Not sure how else you describe the place we are in where we are still here with these things and yet so many changes are in the works. 

I am thankful for… forgiveness from a dear friend. Whole Food Be Well remedy which really does work. 

I am wearing…  brown, boot cut Calvin Klein jean kinda pants (and I only name that brand since they were about $3 on consignment) made of the same stretch/poly/something fabric as my aunt's Lee Rider pants from the 70s.  Very kind to a middle aged figure without looking too geriatric.  I refuse to be swayed by my daughters' puzzled facial expressions when they get too close to them….  Oh and of course a paisley rayon peasant top, which must be getting to be a signature item since one of the girls was sorting out things in the Goodwill cart and said "oh and this is yours…" I asked her how she knew that and she said that it just looked like me. Can you have too many of these?  Comfy. Pretty. 

I am hearing… wooden trains moving across the train table.  

I am reading… Making Children's Clothes.  I can't say enough so far. It's a keeper. It is like a big collection of the best tutorials found in the online craft world but drawn up into patterns already.  It is easy to imagine making most of them. 

On the flip side, after waiting months for Handmade Home to reach me through the bookmobile there was a big let down. Amanda Soule exudes peace and beauty.  That said, I can't picture myself making even one of these projects. Her pieces somehow jive in her funky farmhouse. They are somehow less magical to me outside that context. Just can't visualize them in a suburban new construction for instance. 

Might just be me. Might be visual overstimulation when there are lots of bodies in the house.  Pattern and texture are fun and necessary in an empty room. In a room with 10-12 bodies shabby chic can quickly turn just plain old shabby. Somehow am more drawn to Sally Shim's handmades. 

From the learning rooms… Brendan has begun kindergarten.  This year that looks like this:

Math- Saxon, not because it is necessarily the 'best' but because I inherited the lower grades manuals this year (which sorta makes it 'best') and any big girl can pick it up and read the script during her little kid time.

Reading/Phonics – 100 Easy Lessons, a standby.  We make the letters suggested by the lessons first on large sheets of unlined paper, Waldorf style.  Later we use Handwriting Without Tears, Letters and Numbers.  Sometime during the day he listens to us read library books.

Faith – currently reading through the Catholic Treasure Box set. He loves them. 

This is all that is 'planned' daily and the whole thing takes less than 40 minutes.  Not to say there isn't impromptu Play Do modeling and dirt digging and dog chasing and food making or whatnot. This is all that is 'planned out' however.  

I am creating…. space, time, and what may be a whole new future. 

Pondering these words.. Jen sent a quote from Oswald Chambers which mirrors many from our Catholic saints:

 "Are we partakers of Christ's sufferings? Are we prepared for God to stamp our personal ambitions right out? Are we prepared for God to destroy by transfiguration our individual determinations? It will not mean that we know exactly why God is taking us that way, that would make us spiritual prigs. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through; we go through it more or less misunderstandingly; then we come to a luminous place, and say – ' Oh! why, God has girded me, though I did not know it!"

Rebecca and I talked about the same – are we prepared for God to stamp out our agendas? Stamp. Them. Right. Out.   Do we instead define ourselves by our roles?  I am a homeschooler.  I am a farmer.  I am a (fill in the blank) Is this how we discern whether we are in God's will?  Because we are doing our 'thing'?  Do we know this 'thing' is what God wants from us this year? This moment? Are we willing to drop our beloved titles and take on whole new selves if He calls us to do that? Or are we certain that what we know best really is BEST? 

These are important questions because it seems the longer life goes on the more we see God asking us to do just that. Comfort Zone where are you?? ; D  

From the kitchen…  Had to laugh the other day when Kieran walked in on me taking roasted chicken from the oven.  "Oh!  Is it 'chicken night' Mom???"  After receiving an affirmative answer he skipped from the room to spread the good news.  This is so simple its embarrassing. We take the giant bag of chicken quarters (which run about 60cents/lb) and smother them in Braggs Aminos sauce, garlic powder and paprika, then roast til it falls off the bone. I would say 'marinate' them but let's be real, I rarely think that far ahead and almost never have time for multistep food prep. Regardless, everyone loves it. You must try Bragg's over soy sauce. 

In other food news – Uncle Bill and Aunt Sherry forwarded us the famous Wisconsin potluck recipe hit – Snickers Salad. The word salad is used loosely here. For years I have heard of this delicacy. Finally some of us – at least those who can consume corn syrup – tried it last month while there. It is basically equal numbers of diced apples and diced snicker bars tossed together with ample amounts of Kool Whip.  Rave reviews by little Fry's fwiw.  

And that, friends, is why you don't look to me for culinary inspiration LOL! 

Around the house… going to attempt to wade through 20 years of educational materials.  I have said it before and will say it again.  Less is more.  Now that I own or have owned enough stuff to run a small store I can say with confidence and a bit of regret – I didn't need it. 

A few plans for the week….  Someone will also likely have to run back to town before cake class. Realizing we forgot several things while shopping.  Abbie can maneuver out of any cart or stroller known to man. After half an hr of toting her, while she sings and gleefully waves her arms at our fellow shoppers throwing all her 20lbs into it, my mind gets fuzzy. 

Colin heading home in time for piano recital. 

One of my favorite things.  Potty chairs that sit on the floor and don't move.  Way better than the rings for the big potty which threaten to shift and terrify tiny people. Not sure why I shared that. 

From my picture journal…

How can a year have gone by like that?  And yet it has, as evidenced by the little lady who is suddenly taking tipsy steps across the room.  Just like that.  The pleasure has been all ours and we wouldn't have missed a minute of it. 

With her Daddy who was reluctant to have to fly away from her this day. 

Steady she goes….. or not <g>   She is lurching from one set of arms to another all day, and there is no shortage of waiting arms around here. 

Full of first birthday carrot cake,  made by a loving sister.  It doesn't get much better than this. 

God bless you and keep you, baby girl. 

FOR TODAY…   November 8th (evening)

Outside my window… Dark, expecting rain.  It's actually Sunday evening and I am here uploading a senior photo shoot.  I know that getting on the computer first thing in the morning will derail the day. Motto – start the day before the children, with bible not keyboard.

I am thinking… that many things which just overwhelmed me while trying to learn in my twenties and early thirties seem within my reach now.  This is amazing to me because I don't always feel that I am capable of particularly lucid thought these days. ; o  But I guess a perk of age and exposure is that as fewer things are new and foreign you are able to process new things more easily.  

I am thankful for… celebrating ten years with the young man at the post's end.  Isn't he handsome?  Go ahead and tell him how mature he looks. ; D  

I am wearing… a brown velour tired skirt, paisley rust and brown peasant top, brown boots.  I managed to leave the house without earrings today. (Reference that lucid thought comment above.) 

I am hearing…  family noises – Allen and the kids are right next to me in the family room watching Amazing Race with the globe in hand searching for Dubai. 

I am remembering… our early married days in a very far away place. 

I am working on this habit….  inside voices.  

I am reading…   Everyone's Guide to Homeopathy, which has been sitting on my shelves for years and years and suddenly not making me fuzzy headed trying to figure out.  Also wanting to read more of The Art of the Incredibles.  Did you ever look closely at the set?  Did you realize it  meticulously reproduces a mid-century neighborhood? Fascinating.  

I am enjoying these sites…

Parenting Passageway  Her post about discovering new things about oneself and merging new interests with old strikes a chord right now

Waldorf Baby  this is a subpage of Donna Simmons' Christopherus site.  Especially agree with her thoughts about little baby limbs.  I am not an athroposophist but do feel very much as Donna does about these things and readily admit to cringing over barefooted babies in cool weather. This may be a generational 'thing' since I come from a time and place where babies were never thought to be warm enough <g>  Seriously though, I recall Dr Raymond Moore in Home Made Health saying similar things about keeping the extremities the same temp as the trunk of the body.  I am not a Dr. and I don't play one on the internet.  Just sayin'.  

From the learning rooms…  digging up early reading instruction materials for Tess and Brendan, both showing some interest.  Christmas music practice beginning. 

A few plans for the week…  The father/son group is meeting here to make a 'poor box' for Advent, St Martin's Bonfire at The Dog and Duck, and Allen is off for Veteran's Day : )  

From the kitchen… boy scout popcorn, turkey soup in the works from Sunday dinner

Around the house… serious purging and discernment.  Just because we have room, should we fill it all up?  Would Kindle readers be better than storing paperback of classics which look ragged after one read?  Are these antiques, lovely as they are, worth the maintenance and care they require? Feeling a little smothered by things that are breakable and full of nooks and crannies that catch dust. 

Abbie this week… Standing from a sitting position with no help at all! 

One of my favorite things… Macintosh apples.  Oh my.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to find these anymore??? Why?? 

Pondering these words… 

"Thou Who of old didst love they hand to lay

on the dull, vacant eyes that craved for light,

Behold I come to thee and crying pray:

"A faith scarce clouded by the mists of earth,

a faith that pierceth heaven I ask of Thee,

Faith to prize all things by their lasting worth,

Thou canst, Thous wilt – Oh Lord that I  may see."

–Before the Most Holy , Mother Mary Loyola

From my picture journal…