A Simple Woman's Daybook-June 9

~ Do stop by Peggy's for all the links entered in this week's Simple Woman's Daybook ~

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Outside My Window ... a heavy fog is lifting and revealing the promise of another very hot day.

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I am thinking ...that a year of happy dance memories, the precious gift of good friendships for my girls, and the look on Katie's face as she curtsied before the crowd make the endless driving, the outrageous expense, and the exasperating-everything-else all worth it .

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I am thankful for ... a much quieter week after the extreme stress and busy-ness of last week. I am thankful for some unplanned days ahead during which I will rest and restore order to my household. I'm also very thankful that Christine was able to solve my Internet Explorer problems. You might have to clear your web history, but this blog 's totally visible in IE now.  

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From the kitchen ... I can't bring myself to go down there just yet this morning. Nor can I think about food for the day.

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I am wearing ... khaki capris with fun floral embroidery and one of Mike's short sleeved white shirts. I never did get to go maternity shopping last week.

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I am creating ...a nature journal and a Catholic Mosaic notebook with Gracie this summer. This might be the last summer she's with us and I want to re-read all the Catholic Mosaic books with her before we send her off.

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I am going ...to begin to institute the summer routine today: gardening in the very early morning, some studies after breakfast, lunch, quiet time and then the pool.

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I am reading ... Splendor in the Ordinary: Your Home as a Holy Place by Thomas Howard. I'm trying to become inspired and energized to get back to intentional, diligent homemaking in order to maximize my efforts in the second trimester. I dearly want to bring this baby home to a holy place.

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I am hoping ...to get my laundry caught up and return to the peace of laundry well-done .

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I am hearing ... the slosh and swish of the washing machine.

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Around the house ... we are going to focus on routines and habits.

One of my favorite things ...working with Marisa and Colleen on Serendipity. We're cranking through the Alphabet Path rather quickly right now. Our motivation? We've promised each other that we can plan next year just as soon as we finish. Nothing like three planning geeks and creative synergy!

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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:I am looking forward to Friday and Saturday this week. The IHM conference is a stone's throw from my house. The speakers list is very impressive and this year's vendors truly promise me one-stop shopping. I doubt I'll spend all that much time there, though. I prefer to buy the talks on audio and listen when I'm home and can be active cleaning or something. My ultimate retreat before the school year starts is to have Mike take the kids for the day while I putter in the house and listen to conferences on MP3. But I'm looking forward to meeting several friends for lunch (and maybe dinner too)  and a little carefully planned shopping. I'm most looking forward to spending a big chunk of time with some of my very favorite little boys while their mama goes to the conference.

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Here is a picture thought I am sharing ...

Flowers for the ballerinas

A Simple Woman's Daybook-Week of June 1

~ Do stop by Peggy's for all the links entered in this week's Simple Woman's Daybook ~

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Outside My Window ... there are sweet little tomato plants enjoying their very first morning near the goldfinch feeder.

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I am thinking ... about how in the world I'm going to manage the incredibly busy week ahead.

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I am thankful for ... my friend Leah, who came to visit on Saturday morning right after she left the strawberry fields. She brought a basketful of the most amazing strawberries and stayed to help me make jam.

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From the kitchen ... Reading one of the meditations in The Mom Walk has given me a hankering for apple-pecan pancakes. So I think it's an experiment for breakfast this morning. I'll play with an oat pancake recipe I have. We'll have grilled herb chicken for dinner, with lemon asparagus and mashed potatoes.

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I am wearing ... a khaki skirt and denim shirt, bare feet and a ponytail.

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I am creating ...  a spreadsheet of activities and obligations for the week. We have a flurry of rehearsals before the dance recitals this weekend, the final week of the NCSL soccer season, a midwife appointment, a haircut appointment, a gala at church, and my husband tells me that the Knights of Columbus are shooting a television commercial in my house. That would be the house that looks like I've done nothing but hang out on the couch for twelve weeks. A spreadsheet will at least give me the illusion of control for about five minutes.

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I am going ... to have to break down and buy some new maternity clothes this week. Nothing to wear to the aforementioned gala.

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I am reading ... all the great posts in our first installment of the CM books study. And I'm so inspired and encouraged by these dear moms.

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I am hoping ... I feel exceptionally well this week. Seriously. I need a miracle. Prayers are very appreciated.

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I am hearing ... chirping birds and Karoline's gentle breathing as she hangs on to the last remnants of a good night's sleep.

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Around the house ... we are going to do some bigtime  major cleaning and shining!

One of my favorite things ... a weekend like the last one. Everyone one won his game and no one got hurt. The weather was perfect and we even got to enjoy a dinner at a friend's house. Remember Paddy's teammate whose father is a chef? Who knew that a backyard cookout could be such a 5 star meal? Amazing.

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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: In addition to the things I've mentioned, we're going to do a little unit on China with Gracie, whose mommy is in China this week. And we're going to do three Green Hour challenges because we haven yet done last week's pansies (drawing and pressing) and we are going to do this week's sunflowers (ours are already nice-sized sprouts).

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Here is a picture thought I am sharing ...
 
Mama's summer quiet time reading, from the good folks at Whole Heart Ministries.

A Simple Woman's Daybook--Week of May 25

~ Peggy is out of town this week, so there is no Mr. Linky for entries. But I think this habit is lovely way to begin the week and figured I'd go ahead and write anyway.

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Outside My Window ... the sun is rising and the birds are chirping

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I am thinking ... about our first installment of the summer book study, which I will hopefully post this week.

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I am thankful for ... my friend Jen, who showed up last week, when I could barely hold my head up, dropped off coffeecake and left with five loads of laundry, which she returned clean, folded, and ready to put away.

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From the kitchen ... the warm cinnamon smell of homemade granola baking before sunrise

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I am wearing ... a t-shirt and a warm pink bathrobe.

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I am creating ... a baby. I know I've used that one before, but it's pretty all-consuming right now!

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I am going ... to get outside for a walk every day this week, no matter how badly I think I feel.

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I am reading ... Miss Rumphius, Dancers in the Garden, and Sunflower Sal. Oh, and for me: Another go with A Blessing of Toads

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I am hoping ... to feel well enough to be able to return to my happy little working routine soon. I miss being able to clean and shine and make home feel like a haven.

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I am hearing ... some very cheerful birds having breakfast at the newly-filled feeders. Karoline will be so pleased to see them this morning!

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Around the house ... We are going to feed the furniture with a good old-fashioned beeswax rubbing. Katie loves this job and I admit to looking forward to working beside her.

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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: We didn't plant tomatoes last week after all. Leah came out and we went to the wonderful herb farm nearby. But he didn't yet have his tomatoes out because it's been so cold. So, the new plan is for Leah to come on Saturday and we'll plant then. She's stopping to pick strawberries before she comes, so after our tomato planting, we're going to make jam. I'm good at making grand plans these days and not so good at having the "oomph" to actually do them, so this is all rather dicey. But I'm going to gear the whole week towards being able to do this on Saturday.Michael has promised to help me ready the vegetable beds and I bought some big pots for tomatoes, too. I noticed that the pansies are starting to look peaked, so we'll draw them this week and then press them in anticipation of making lovely hanging cards. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of making the Green Hour Challenge part of our weekly routine.I also noticed that several of my perennials didn't get the memo that they are supposed to come back in the spring, so after we pull the pansies, I think I'll need to redesign the front bed. Stay tuned for those decisions.

Here's a picture thought I'm sharing:

Yes, you can expect more rose pictures all summer long. My roses are amazingly abundant and I think we'll have flowers aplenty from now until very early December. This cheery duo keeps me company at the computer. Isn't St. Therese darling?

A Simple Woman's Daybook-Week of May 18th

~ Do stop by Peggy's for all the links entered in this week's Simple Woman's Daybook ~

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Outside My Window ... the peonies are blooming! (Hmmm...and the garden needs weeding. Rain makes all things grow, doesn't it?)

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I am thinking ... about revising my garden plans for the summer. I had grand plans but I can see that simpler will be what actually happens.

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I am thankful for ... an honest, diligent washing machine repairman who comes to visit every six months or so. He always tells me I have the machine with the best service record. I just use it more than the average bear.

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From the kitchen ... Patrick will cook something new tonight with a pork roast. This seems kind of autumn-like, but we have all the ingredients on hand (we'll substitute craisins for the sauce and add more liquid). It's rather cool and breezy today, anyway. Regardless of the season, I'm not inclined to eat any of the old standbys.

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I am wearing ... a flannel nightgown.

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I am creating ... a "reader" for myself for the summer, downloading and printing like crazy from Simply Charlotte Mason. It's so nice sometimes to sit down with an old friend and remember why you loved her so much in the first place. Charlotte seems even wiser to me now than she did eleven years ago when first we were introduced.

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I am going ... absolutely no where today. Much too much to do here.

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I am reading ... A Civilization of Love (still--I got sidetracked with the CM stuff)

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I am hoping ... to be self-disciplined enough to help my children learn some new habits this summer.

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I am hearing ... Nothing at all. I love the silence of the early morning.

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Around the house ... I am opening windows to greet the sun!

One of my favorite things ... Watching Karoline delight in calling "Yellow!" to the goldfinches at the kitchen feeder.

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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I'm still hoping to plant tomatoes. Peppers probably aren't going to happen this year. I'd like to meet my friend Leah this week at a wonderful herb farm nearby. I do so want to plant and grow this summer! The weekend will hold a tournament at my favorite venue. We get to take the ferry across the Potomac to get there and it should be absolutely glorious at that hour of the morning;-)!

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Here is a picture thought I am sharing ...

The fruit of Christian's labors.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

~ Do stop by Peggy's for all the links entered in this week's Simple Woman's Daybook ~
and see my May 19th daybook here.

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Outside My Window ... I watch with joyful anticipation as the peonies are just about to bloom

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I am thinking ... about all the work that is going undone lately while I nurture this tiny baby within

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I am thankful for ... every single wave of nausea. They remind me I'm still pregnant.

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From the kitchen ... there are brownies baking at 7 AM, the fulfillment of a promise made to Nicky yesterday.

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I am wearing ... one of Mike's old rugby shirts and flannel pants.

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I am creating ... a baby. My ticker tells me that today I'm working especially on bones.

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I am going ... to go back to sleep just as soon as someone over thirteen is awake and able to take over.

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I am reading ... A Civilization of Love.

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I am hoping ... to put the garden books and the bird books into baskets today (and they'll be on the sidebars, too) and then to head outside to weed the garden (nice and soft after all that rain) and fill the feeders.

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I am hearing ... Nicholas singing to Karoline. Karoline "singing" back.

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Around the house ... sigh...I will try to get back on track with all those well-laid plans.

One of my favorite things ... very large stoneware mugs--the prettier, the better.

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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I'm hopeful for a visit from a bloggy buddy as her family returns home after visiting Williamsburg; I'm hoping to get to Bull Run to see how high the creek has risen; I'm hoping to plant tomatoes and peppers; my mother is coming to town.

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Here is a picture thought I am sharing ...

 

HT: Dawn, who makes life simply beautiful everyday.