The Simple Woman’s Daybook ~ January 30, 2012

Here is my Daybook entry for today ~

Outside my window. . .the kids were just filling up water balloons and chasing each other around the yard. Nice temperatures forecast for the entire week!
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I am thinking. . .that a 48 hour day would better fit my to-do list!
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I am thankful for. . .my home and it’s coziness.
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In the kitchen. . .a roast is in the crockpot for dinner tonight, along with rice and a salad ~ maybe brownies for dessert.
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I am wearing. . .pink t-shirt and jeans.
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I am creating. . .still working on the January mini-quilt when I have the time and energy.
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I am going. . .to take the girls to see “The Beauty and the Beast” at the theater this week, followed by a visit to Bath and Body Works.
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I am wondering. . .where the lids to my containers disappear to – I can never seem to find the right lid when I need it.
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I am reading. . .“Little Farm by the Sea” (Kay Chorao) with David and “Very Last First Time” (Jan Andrews and Ian Wallace) with Anna and Michael.
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I am hoping. . .I can get this finished and posted today!
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I am looking forward to. . .my movie night tonight after the kids are tucked in bed.
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I am learning. . .how to use the new tv in the living room – remember when it was as simple as turning on the power and turning a dial? Now it takes a degree in electronics!!
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Around the house. . .laundry and dishes being cleared, still those Christmas boxes waiting to go up in the attic (due to a missing lid!), kids back inside and now sitting around in 3D glasses watching “I Love Lucy” re-run.
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A favorite quote for today. . .“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.” ~ 1 Peter 2:24
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One of my favorite things. . .“I Love Lucy” re-runs.
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A few plans for the rest of the week. . .ballet, ice skating, movies, schooling, sewing, cleaning and spending time outdoors in the 70 degree weather!
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A peek into my day. . .see my picture below . . .
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This is how my bed looks pretty much every day after we’re done with school!

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Thanks to Peggy at The Simple Woman’s Daybook for this wonderful meme. Visit Peggy to find the January list of participants in The Simple Woman’s Daybook.

Have a lovely evening!

Blessings,
Nancy

Rainy Weather

It started raining here yesterday afternoon, and the temperatures started to drop. Around dinnertime, following a close-by lightning stike, the power went out. I had just put the finishing touches on the taco dinner we were having, thankfully, so we did get to eat dinner. Out came the candles and flashlights. Anna was teary – she gets nervous when the power goes out, but we assured her that it would be back on soon. Jeff, Laura, and Tommy left to go to a minor league hockey game that they had tickets to, and the rest of us settled in to a cozy, but dark evening at home. I was supposed to take them all to Michael’s basketball practice, but I decided against it, due to the storm going on outside.

We lit up the living room with candles, and brought out a couple of games. First we played Disney Apples to Apples – one of our favorites, followed by about an hour’s worth of Nintendo Monopoly ~

We got tired of having to squint to read the Monopoly board, so we called that quits. 9pm, the time the power company had estimated that they would have the power back on by, came and went, but no power. We got in pajamas and read some stories, then got out blankets and tucked in on the couches. David had just fallen asleep when the rest of the family arrived home. They had seen the power company out close to our home working, so that raised our hopes a bit. Inside I think we were all wondering if this would end up being another 3 day outage like we had last year!

One by one, everyone dropped off to sleep nestled in comforters and blankets all around the living room. I dozed awhile myself, and then got up to go lie down in my bed. About 1 am, just as I was about to fall asleep again, the lights came on. Hurray! I got up, checked on the meat in the freezer, turned out the bright lights that had just come on, turned on the nightlights, and went back to bed, thankful that we would now have heat and that the next day would be back to normal.

This morning I awoke to thunder and heavy rains outside. My first thoughts were of Jack, out in his doghouse in his pen. I wondered how wet it was out there, and when I went out on the porch to check, I saw this ~

The pond was about as full as I’ve ever seen it, and I was afraid that it would soon spill over, right down into Jack’s pen at the foot of the pond hill. I woke up Laura to go and get him, which she did. He is now resting, warmly and comfortably in his crate in the house.

The rain stopped around lunchtime, and the pond hasn’t overflowed yet, but we are supposed to get more rain later today, so we’ll see what happens. It will be Omelets for dinner tonight, certain to be another cozy night indoors – I think I’ll keep the candles handy, just in case.

Hope you’re staying warm and dry!

Blessings,
Nancy

The Simple Woman’s Daybook ~ January 23, 2012

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for us as we have endured the loss of our dog Cookie! We are missing her, but are glad that her troubles are over now. A new week is starting and that means a new edition of the Simple Woman’s Daybook and so, here is my Daybook entry for today ~

Outside my window. . .the sun is shining, there are two little grave stones under the big tree in the front yard for Missy and Cookie, lawn chairs blown over by the windy day we had yesterday, birds pecking around on the ground under the feeders for the last of the seeds.
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I am thinking. . .about school lessons and plans for the week.
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I am thankful for. . .Crockpots – it’s a wonderful feeling to know that dinner is already cooking and dinner prep will be quick tonight.
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In the kitchen. . .Smothered Chicken is cooking in my crockpot for dinner, to be accompanied by a green salad and chocolate chip cookie bars for dessert.
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I am wearing. . .a yellow t-shirt and blue jeans.
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I am creating. . .a new mini quilt for January out of lovely blue fabrics, crystal jewels, and fabric paint.
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I am going. . .to have to address the huge mess in the little kids’ room this week! Ugh!
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I am wondering. . .how I can get those littles to keep their room clean – an age old dilemma.
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I am reading. . .Philippians in my Bible.
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I am hoping. . .to take the kids to the nature museum this week if weather and life permits.
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I am looking forward to. . .sewing time!
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I am learning. . .that too much stuff is more trouble than it’s worth.
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Around the house. . .a few straggling Christmas boxes to go up in the attic, Tommy’s keyboard on the dining room table, children starting their schoolwork.
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A favorite quote for today. . .“A happy life is made of little things.” – Carol Holmes
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One of my favorite things. . .berry wreaths – I have them all over the house.
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A few plans for the rest of the week. . .normal week – schooling, cleaning, mothering, and driving to our various activities.
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A peek into my day. . .getting the kids started on their schoolwork and then into the kitchen. I’ll need to run to the grocery store later today and hope to spend some time outdoors if possible – it’s another mild and pleasant day today weatherwise!
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The January header page in my new Gooseberry Patch 2012 desk calendar ~ lovely!

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Thanks to Peggy at The Simple Woman’s Daybook for this wonderful meme. Visit Peggy to find the January list of participants in The Simple Woman’s Daybook.

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings,
Nancy

A Day of Contradiction

I am sitting outside on my porch this afternoon. It is a beautiful, springlike day with the temperature in the 70′s. The birds are singing, the sky is blue and the windows are open in the house, taking in this wonderful fresh air. Part of me is rejoicing in this day and enjoying this rare departure from winter.

Here is where the contradiction comes in. My heart is heavy. We are taking Cookie to the vet in a little while for the last time. We thought she was going to make it – that she was on the road to recovery and would go back to her old cheerful, perky self. But she isn’t. She has gone completely blind in recent days, and is not functioning at all. Her diabetes has run her body down to the point of multiple complications. We have had to make a very hard decision once again, and had to tell the children once again that we are losing a pet.

There will be tears, but I know that it is for the best and that the sun will shine again in our hearts soon – just like it is shining in the sky above me.

If you have a moment, would you please pray for us tonight?

Blessings,
Nancy

Dusting Off My Quilts

It has been way too long since I’ve had time to spend working on my quilts – probably since some time before Thanksgiving. My sewing desk has looked pretty much like the above picture since then – except for when I had some Christmas overflow piled on top of it. The quilt laying across my machine is my Farm Fresh quilt. It is one of my absolute favorites – mostly applique, and full of flowers, pumpkins, and country containers. I have had these pieces for the next block all ready to go all this time, just taunting me on the shelf! -

Another quilt that I have been wanting to get back to is my Tree of Life quilt. Sarah and I took part in a half-square triangle swap at the quilt shop, and came home with hundreds of little squares in many different combinations of fabrics. I am using mine to make this lovely quilt -

I have all of the tree tops finished, and am ready to work on the trunks. This quilt is sitting on another shelf in my bedroom, quietly calling to me -

I recently bought this lovely jelly roll in beautiful blues and browns that is begging to be worked with -

After Christmas I used an Ebay gift certificate that I received as a gift and bought a quilt kit to make this wonderful wavey American flag wall hanging -

It will be a new challenge as it involves curved piecing, but it uses these pretty patriotic fabrics, so I can’t wait to start it -

I haven’t ordered it yet, but eventually I want to get the kit for this lovely blue and white quilt from the Connecting Threads catalog -

And then there’s my basket of Block of the Month packets that are patiently waiting for me -

I really don’t mind having lots of quilts going at once – it allows me to be able to work on whatever I feel like at the moment. I think, maybe I would like to schedule a quilting weekend soon, and spend lots of time reaquainting myself with my old friends.

Blessings,
Nancy

The Simple Woman’s Daybook ~ January 16, 2012

Good Morning! Peggy has changed up some of the categories in the Daybook, so I updated mine starting with this edition ~ nice to have a bit of a change. Here is my Daybook entry for today ~

Outside my window. . .mild temperatures, but cloudy skies. A flock of robins and cedar waxwings are feasting on berries on the Photinia bushes by the driveway.
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I am thinking. . .about my “to do” list this week.
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I am thankful for. . .the beautiful weather we have been having lately – more like March than January!
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In the kitchen. . .Bean and Bacon soup with cornbread for dinner tonight.
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I am wearing. . .pink shirt and jeans.
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I am creating. . .nothing at the moment – can’t seem to find the time.
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I am going. . .to have to fill the bird feeders again – the birds have already emptied them out!
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I am wondering. . .if Cookie has gone completely blind now – she is running into things and can’t find her way back when she goes outside. Not sure what will happen next with her.
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I am reading. . .a couple of new quilt magazines I picked up at the grocery store.
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I am hoping. . .to get some quilting started up again this week.
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I am looking forward to. . .getting some quilting started up again this week!
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I am learning. . .that perfection is not a part of this world, but will be a blessed reality in heaven.
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Around the house. . .freshly cleaned carpets, laundry and dishes waiting for me, blankets and toys laying around, just a few more Christmas decorations to take down in the kitchen today.
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A favorite quote for today. . .“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” – 1 Corinthians 13:12
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One of my favorite things. . .hearing my kids playing, using their imaginations.
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A few plans for the rest of the week. . .cleaning, schooling, quilting, ballet, skating, basketball, and library trip.
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A peek into my day. . .today is the usual cleaning up from the weekend – took the day off of school to ease the schedule a bit. I will be running the laundry while I work on the kitchen – washing dishes and taking down the kitchen Christmas tree.
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Neat chalkboard basket I got on Ebay with some Christmas money from my #1 son!
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Thanks to Peggy at The Simple Woman’s Daybook for this wonderful meme. Visit Peggy to find the January list of participants in The Simple Woman’s Daybook.

I hope you have a wonderful day today!

Blessings,
Nancy

Update on Cookie

As you can see, Cookie, our 11 year old Shih Tzu, is doing much better now. She was diagnosed last week with diabetes and was suffering from multiple other problems, most likely as a result of her body being so sick with the diabetes. After spending two nights at the doggy hospital, we brought her home and she has been making a steady recovery ever since. We are giving her insulin shots twice a day – Laura is the main one who does this, as Jeff and I both stuck ourselves the first time we tried! Cookie does great with this, and doesn’t seem to feel any discomfort. She is also getting an antibiotic once a day, and drops in her eyes three times a day to cure an ulcer that developed in her right eye. Her eye is not healing as fast as the vet would like, so we are still a little concerned about that. She wouldn’t eat the first two days we were home, and we had to give her a high-calorie supplement three times a day. We were so happy when she was finally feeling well enough to have an appetite and started eating on her own again! She is still not completely back to normal strength, but compared to how sick she was a week ago, she’s doing great. I’m so glad we decided to treat her and am thankful that she has responded so well and is on her way to good health again.

Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll be back with you next week!

Blessings,
Nancy

Missy

We’re a bit sad around here right now. We lost our kitty Missy yesterday, and are still adjusting to her absence, missing seeing her in her favorite spots, and remembering her. We got Missy when she was a tiny kitten. My brother’s neighbor had found two little kittens, too young to be without a mother, but no mother was anywhere around. This sweet lady took the kittens in and bottle fed them until they were old enough to eat food. We took the little black one home to be our pet. That was 16 years ago.

After she grew out of the kitten phase of her life, Missy settled down to a normal adult kitty life – sleeping, eating, sleeping, playing, sleeping – you know how it goes. She wasn’t always a very friendly cat, but she loved our kids when they were around the age of pre-teen/teen, and would spend her time in their room, and always greeted them when they came home from somewhere.

In the last year or so, Missy started to really show her age – she started to slow down and got really thin and feeble. She wouldn’t climb into the litter box anymore, and so Jeff started laying newspapers outside the box for her. He got the job of cleaning up after her daily for the last year, which he did even though he is really not much of a cat person.

The last couple of months, her health really declined, until we finally knew that it was time to let her go. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, driving her to the vet. That was yesterday. There have been tears all around the house, and questions from the younger children as they deal with the loss of their pet. Today we buried Missy under a tree in the front yard and said a few words. Anna added berries and flowers ~

We will miss her.

Blessings,
Nancy

Happy Birthday Matthew!

Happy 21st Birthday to my sweet Mattie! You are a wonderful young man and I am so proud of you. You are a blessing in my life and I thank God for His special gift of you to me twenty-one years ago today!

Happy Happy Birthday!!

Love,
Mom

The Simple Woman’s Daybook ~ January 9, 2012

Good Evening! Here is my Daybook entry for today ~

Outside my window. . .nighttime, cold and wet. It has been raining most of the day, although it is not raining right now.
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I am thinking. . .that I need to do my grocery shopping over the weekend from now on – it’s too hard to try to fit it in on Mondays.
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From the learning room. . .started back our lessons today. David and I enjoyed reading “The Snowy Day” and Michael and Anna and I read “Katy’s Big Snow” for our Five in a Row studies. Laura is beginning a book on the Civil War, and Tommy and Sarah read about the Zhou Dynasty. All of this along with our regular reading, writing, spelling, math, Bible, and grammar lessons.
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I am thankful for. . .Cookie starting to perk up again, and seeming to be on the mend. I will update you all on her in a few days.
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From the kitchen. . .dinner tonight was Pigs in a Blanket and chips.
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I am wearing. . .navy t-shirt, sweats, and sweater – oh, and my comfy red plaid quilt that I am tucked into on the couch – my nightly winter companion.
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I am creating. . .not much right now, although I keep looking longingly at my sewing desk, and wishing for time to get back to my quilts.
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I am going. . .to need to take the rest of the Christmas decorations down soon!
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I am reading. . .Philippians and school books.
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I am hoping. . .the rain won’t last too long and we’ll get the sunshine back.
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I am hearing. . .Anna talking, me telling Anna to go to sleep (again), the heater running, a dog barking outdoors.
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Around the house. . .books, toys, shoes, Christmas storage boxes, laundry, dishes, children going to bed – ah, the beauty of ordinary days.
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One of my favorite things. . .my son Matthew, who is turning 21 years old tomorrow! So proud of him and thankful for him.
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A few plans for the rest of the week. . .library, vet, ice skating, basketball, watching old slides from my childhood with my family, and celebrating Mattie’s birthday.
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Here is a picture thought I am sharing. . .

Look at that beautiful blue and white fabric on the cover of Connecting Threads’ newest catalog!

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Thanks to Peggy at The Simple Woman’s Daybook for this wonderful meme. Visit Peggy to find the January list of participants in The Simple Woman’s Daybook.

Have a good night!

Blessings,
Nancy