Daybook~After the Little Vacation

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Outside My Window ...
it's a warm summer evening and children are running all around the yard.
 

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I am listening to...
children laughing and playing.
 
sandy face, salty curls
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To Live the Liturgy...
we began the week with our St. Anne's tea. Today was also the first day of Vacation Bible School which is all about the Mass. We'll be immersed in liturgy this week.
 

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To Fit and Happy...
I. must. start. walking. in. the. morning. Period.
  

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I am thankful for...
my friend who has generously loaned us her beach house for three days last week. We are so grateful to have had somewhere to go for a little getaway.
~

baby toes touch sand the first time
  ***
I am pondering this quote...
Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, and the other is gold.
My father sang this to me all the time when I was little and we moved every couple of years. My children haven't experienced transient friends too much in their lives. We're about to get hit bigtime with it this week.

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From the kitchen ...
I'm on a kick where everything I make has ribbons of fresh basil in it

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I am wearing ...
Capris, t-shirt, St. Anne medal, twisted-up hair, diamond stud earrings, lipgloss, bare feet.
Fort Stephen 

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I am creating ...
a present for my new godson. 
 
   ***
  On my iPod...
 The Good Stuff.
Mike saw Kenny Chesney in concert in Utah last week. He didn't even know one single song Kenny Chesney sings. He went for "work."
Is that even fair?
 
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Towards a real education ...
We've got some good things going for young ladies at Serendipity. I'll give this project a post of its own tomorrow, but let's just say we have some happy girls going into this year..
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I am thinking... 
how hard this summer has been so far. Bad news has crashed over us again and again like relentless waves. It was good to go to the seashore and let it roll out with the tide.
  Mary Beth stayed in for hours
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In the Garden...
Lots of basil.

 Around the House
I'm really re-thinking some rooms. I might give up my "school room" and make it a bedroom again. I'm waiting a few weeks until Mike has another day or two off and we can really think it all through.
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Sarah Anne this week...
At long last we have found something she will eat. Sarah Anne can both sign and swallow crackers. This is a big week for our little miracle. As I continue to celebrate the feast of St. Anne I am overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude to the grandmother of our Lord, who so graciously tended to my baby and me.

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I am reading  ...
about six books at once:-)

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I am hoping and praying ...
for my precious aunt who has been diagnosed with cancer. We are watching and waiting through the very trying time of testing and decisions.
 

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On Keeping Home ...
I thoroughly cleaned Patrick's room, top to bottom and inside out last week. It was a glorious feeling and now I am so on a roll...

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One of my favorite things ...
baby toes in the sand, the smell of salt in the air, little girl curls set with sea spray, boardwalk fries, boys building sand castles, fairy houses made of seashells
 
A bunny visited this fairy house shortly after we took this picture. Do you think he told the fairies about their new digs?

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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
My heart leaped a bit at this prompt. This is our very last Gracie week. I have known since the day she became a part of our lives that one day she would leave. I went into this with my eyes wide open and I knew this day would hurt. She's moving across the country and taking little pieces of our hearts with her. My children will struggle with this for some time, I'm afraid.
And
our friends behind us are moving the same day.
Some mourning and weeping in our little valley this week. 

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Picture thoughts 
 
    Beach Vacation

Be sure to visit Peggy for links to more daybooks.

Daybook--Short and Sweet

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Outside My Window ...
it's hot, hazy, and humid.
 

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I am listening to...
a wheezing baby sort of sleeping.
 
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To Live the Liturgy...
something with caramel? is that too much of a stretch?
 

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To Fit and Happy...
Mike's left leg has atrophied quite a bit since his back injury. So, now I have a renewed purpose in exercising: got to get out there and rehab him.
 

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I am thankful for...
good friends who tell me in sweet, Southern accents that they understand and knowing, deep down, that indeed they do.
  ***
I am pondering this quote...
Consider seriously how quickly people change, and how little trust is to be had in them; and hold fast to God, who does not change.-- St. Teresa of Avila

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From the kitchen ...
it's Caprese salad every day.

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I am wearing ...
a T-shirt and capris. Again.
 

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I am creating ...
lesson plans. 
 
   ***
  On my iPod...
  Brad Paisley's new album. I was amazed at how easy it is to download Amazon's MP3's
 
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Towards a real education ...
filling in those planners in a big way.
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I am thinking... 
someone in my house has had a fever every day since June 6. Even my pediatrician thought that an impressive statistic this morning.
 
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In the Garden...
the petunias are perking up. The tomatoes look terrible. Need to research early blight. The basil is finally looking like it knows what it's supposed to be doing.
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Sarah Anne this week...
She waved goodbye to Christian yesterday. He'd already left the room. But still.

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I am reading  ...
Morning by Morning, upon Kim's recommendation.

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I am hoping and praying ...
for peace of heart.
 

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On Keeping Home ...
the de-cluttering continues. Incessantly.

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One of my favorite things ...
when the entire family goes to Mass on a Sunday and we fill a whole pew perfectly.
 

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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
I've stopped making plans. 

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Picture thoughts 

     I was never promised a rose garden. This is a nice surprise.

Be sure to visit Peggy for links to more daybooks.

Lazy, Hazy Daybook

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Outside My Window ...
the sun is rising and there is the promise of an absolutely beautiful day. (It's early morning as I start this post but chances are good I won't finish until late tonight.)

 

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I am listening to...
quiet. If I strain a bit, I can hear the dryer tumbling the day's first load of clothes and the washer rinsing the next load, but mostly, all I hear is my fingers tap the keyboard.
 
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To Live the Liturgy...
We'll celebrate the feast of St. Benedict this week with a few readings of The Holy Twins. Karoline is a twin and we lost her twin in utero. We called him Benedict and celebrate him in July.
 

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To Fit and Happy...
Mary Beth and I begin a new exercise regime this week.
 

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I am thankful for...
my friend, Linda.

  ***
I am pondering this quote...
Wisdom enters through love, silence, and mortification. It is great wisdom to know how to be silent and to look at neither the remarks, nor the deeds, nor the lives of others.   --St John of the Cross, OCD

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From the kitchen ...
it's all about brunch for tomorrow: French toast casserole, stuffed eggs, big fruit salad, lemonade iced tea and great company.

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I am wearing ...
a T-shirt and summer skirt. I'm ALWAYS wearing a t-shirt and something. I've watched marathons of What Not to Wear and still, it's same old, same old. Need to work on this.
 

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I am creating ...
clear spaces. After talking at length with Abby Sasscer, I'm really seeking to have more white space in my home. 
 
   ***
  On my iPod...
  Brad Paisley's new album. I was amazed at how easy it is to download Amazon's MP3's

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Towards a real education ...
I'm hoping to finish the book lists this week for the coming year. I'm nearly there and I think one good push can get the job finished. We're going to begin our Africa studies this week.
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I am thinking... 
life is complicated.
 
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In the Garden...
the petunias are spindly, the daisies are dead, the basil is still yellowing, and I cannot keep grass from growing thickly in the vegetable garden. But the roses are blooming in abundance. All eight of the new bushes have buds or blooms. It's a St. Therese thing, I'm sure.
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Sarah Anne this week...
She speaks! She coos and gurgles and "talks" up a storm. Such happy, happy sweet sounds. I can hardly wait to hear what she has to say! And yesterday, I returned home from dropping the little boys off at the tennis court and she waved, "Hello!"
 

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I am reading  ...
Meg Meeker. When four people suggest the same books in the same week and one of them is a priest at spiritual direction, you binge read. Great books!
Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters

Boys Should Be Boys

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I am hoping and praying ...
for peace of heart.
 

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On Keeping Home ...
This week will be devoted to some serious hardwood floor education. It's time to make some decisions and get rid of this nasty carpet at last!

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One of my favorite things ...
big, strong, nearly grown boys who stop a moment as they leave to join their teammates for a road trip and turn around to give mom one more hug.

 

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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Monday, I will be Blessed Among Men. Mike and Paddy will be home and Suzanne and her crew are stopping by on their way south. We can barely contain our excitement!

Looks like blueberries will be ready and waiting for us Tuesday or Wednesday. Marisa did an early picking last week and said this week looks to be better.

I'm hoping for a pool dinner date with my friend Megan.

Maybe, just maybe, it will be a slow, happy summer week here at last.

***

Picture thoughts 

 
   

When all the sweet cherries are split and rotting, you learn how beautiful the sour cherries are and you learn, too, that they can be sweetened to bring their own blessings.

Be sure to visit Peggy for links to more daybooks.

A Daybook to Begin the Week

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Outside My Window ...
it's very bright and very hot.
 

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I am listening to...
Ann's blog. I frequently begin my day by meditating on the things she suggests and then I just leave a window open there and enjoy the piano.

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To Live the Liturgy...
We're looking forward to delving into the craft co-op box:-)
 

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To Fit and Happy...
I am creating meals that focus on fruits and veggies with small amounts of meat and little saturated fat. I'm not counting carbs, but I don't eat wheat and I'm avoiding sugar, so this experiment is low carb. It's not low fat, though, because I'm still a big believer in the necessity for healthy fats, especially for nursing moms and growing brains.
 

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I am thankful for...
quiet
  ***
I am pondering this quote...
A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter:
he that has found one has found a treasure.
There is nothing so precious as a faithful friend,
and no scales can measure his excellence.
A faithful friend is an elixir of life;
and those who fear the Lord will find him.
Whoever fears the Lord directs his friendship aright,
for as he is, so is his neighobr also.
Sirach 6:14-17

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From the kitchen ...
successes from last week include Summertime Risotto, Asparagus in Warm Pecan Vinaigrette, and Lentil Curry and lots and lots of strawberry variations:-)

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I am wearing ...
pearl earrings, a pony tail, new lipgloss, a white linen shirt, pink and white capris, bare feet and toes that probably should get some sort of pedicure this week .

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I am creating ...
a new medal necklace since my scapular medal has worn through the wire. Again. I need to figure out a better way to wear that medal with a miraculous medal. For now, though, Sarah Anne's favorite medal is the St. Anne one  anyway.
 
   ***
  On my iPod...
A lot of Brad Paisley.
***
Towards a real education ...
I admit I'm waffling on my resolve to keep up the regular pace during the summer. There's so much happening out there in that world! And Patrick won another tournament this weekend so that means he has more travel and training on his schedule (and ours), which leaves his weeks at home very scattershot.I need to sit and think through how to plan the next year for him.
***
I am thinking... 
about a summer rhythm .

 
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In the Garden...
I can 't figure out why my wave petunias look like the tide has gone out. I saw some in my neighbor's yard while walking home from the fair yesterday and they were full and lush and well, wavy. Mine are spindly. Can't be the weather since we live under the same clouds. Any petunia experts out there?
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Sarah Anne this week...
Sweet darling girl, she spends hours at a time in the frontpack and I spend hours at a time soaking up her very being. It ocurred to me this morning that I really am her whole world right now and I resolved to make that world the very best it can be.

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I am reading  ...
nothing. Well, I'm trying to read but Sarah has now decided she doesn't want me to read while nursing and that's put a bit of a crimp in my reading style.
 

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I am hoping and praying ...
for Katherine and that pink blessing. Soon, my friend--very, very soon.

***
 

On Keeping Home ...
Sarah has never been too keen on the co-sleeper, so I took it down and put up a bedrail. Then, I reclaimed my nightstand for its original purpose, repurposed a piano bench to hold a basket of towels in the bathroom, and just plain followed my inner muse as I spruced up my bedroom. Admittedly, it was a little emotional. I've got to think my bedroom might never have that newborn look again. I'm choosing to focus on my new, uncluttered cheerful nest. Mostly.
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A few of my favorite things ...

Friday Farmer's Market in McLean

Clemyjontri Park

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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
It's ballet week. Lots of rehearsals and then two performances this weekends .

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Picture thoughts

   

Be sure to visit Peggy for links to more daybooks.

Catch My Breath Daybook

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Outside My Window ...
summer has arrived. It's hot and humid. Yuck.
 

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I am listening to...
Sportscenter
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To Live the Liturgy...
we had an opportunity to visit two parishes in neighboring dioceses these past two weekends. The first church was a small rural church where my family made up fully one third of the worshipers present despite the fact that a bishop presided. Since I don't really like to offer negative critiques, I shall remain silent on liturgy at that parish.

Last weekend, we celebrated Pentecost at St. Bede in Williamsburg. I can't do justice to how beautifully this parish lives liturgy. The building itself is architecturally perfect. If someone plopped you down there without telling you where you were, you would easily guess you were in a Catholic church a stone's throw from colonial Williamsburg. While the architecture was American Colonial, it was perfectly married to Reverent Catholic. Words fail me here.

The liturgy was a beautiful Novus Ordo Mass, proving that that is not a contradiction in terms. It was reverent and relevant and completely orthodox, despite the round church. Who knew?
I wish I lived in that parish. I can't wait to go back.

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To Fit and Happy...
I have carried a 17 pound baby in a front pack for hours and hours and hours in Jamestown (in 90 degree heat and total humidity), in Colonial Williamsburg for three hours one day and five hours the next, and up and back on the sidelines of a soccer field for two breathtaking games.

I'm sore and tired.
but happy:-)
 

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I am thankful for...
the opportunity to witness an indredibly poignant, tearjerking father-son moment last weekend. I can't tell the story without tearing up.
I'll save it for another time.
Maybe
   
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From the kitchen ...
at the suggestion of a couple of friends and a soccer-dad-oncologist, I'm reading this and this and this.
It's really time to admit that Sally Fallon is not the answer after over six years of buying into the theories.
Kind of goes back to that definition of insanity thing: if I keep doing the same thing and getting the same [negative] result, it's time to change what I'm doing.
 I'm re-vamping our eating and revisiting my vegetarian years, with modern twist of Omega-3s and small portions of healthy meat.

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I am wearing ...
a pink t-shirt, brown capris, and these shoes, which fit me perfectly in a child's size, thereby saving $15 over the adult cost of the same shoe. Go me.

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I am creating ...
momentos from the weekend.
Shhh, it's a secret

 
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  On my iPod...
All of these stories. We listened to them in the van on the way to Williamsburg. Thanks for the tip!
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Towards a real education ...
We'll spend the rest of the week leisurely creating Jamestown Settlement and Colonial Williamsburg narrations with illustrations.
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I am thinking... 
I'm going to miss Michael. He'll be gone 51 days. Not that I'm counting.
 
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Sarah Anne this week...
She's seven months old! Her dimples got quite a workout last weekend as she flashed that darling smile to everyone who glanced her way. As long as she's being held, she's a happy, happy sweet girl. Fortunately, I can't get enough of her. She's been carried all over Maryland and Virginia in the last two weeks, had several naps interrupted by cheering crowds, and got caught in some giant celebratory hugs.
And she's been a great sport about it.

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I am reading  ...
hmmm...there are 700+ unread posts on my Google Reader. I might have to delete without reading.
 

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I am hoping and praying ...
for Elizabeth deHority
and
Jessica Hulcy (new link to caring bridge)

***
 

On Keeping Home ...
Seconds after we arrived home last night, Patrick grabbed the last few rays of light to plant eight new rose bushes. I can hardly wait to see them bloom.
After spending several days in a hotel, I always have an overwhelming urge to purge and declutter. Isn't it nice to be unencumbered by our stuff? Vacations are so good for reminding us of that. So, there will be some decluttering while the hotel remains fresh in my mind.
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A few of my favorite things ...
The smell of wood smoke and "oldness" at Colonial Williamsburg. Reminds me of mornings on the Lawn at UVa.
Little girls in mob caps and bonnets
A little bigger boys who are not too big for tri-corner hats
Inhaling the history of that place
A Very Little Girl who insists that she is Felicity Merriman and holds everyone around her to playing their roles--for four days straight, much to the delight of everyone blessed to be with her

State Cup Championships

 

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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Clean out the van, catch up on laundry, go strawberry picking, hit that park I've been promising before school is out and it's too crowded with vacationing kids (the benefits of home education;-).

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Picture thoughts
   

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Be sure to visit Peggy for links to more daybooks.