January Daybook
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Outside My Window::
::It is bitter cold. The wind is blowing 30 miles an hour and the wind chill is 4 degrees F.
I am Listening to::
::Katie practicing the piano.
I am wearing ::
::Under Armor sweatpants and a Middle Tennessee sweatshirt. Do the cashmere socks redeem it all? Maybe?
I am Thankful For::
::a good night's sleep. Or two. Maybe even three. Makes a huge difference.
::the real grace of the sacraments.
I am Pondering:
::You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving.
I am Reading:
::Pioneer Woman's love story. It's riveting. Really. I read a couple of Pioneer Woman's posts a few years ago and never went back. It bugged me that she called her children "punk rugrats" and I figured we didn't have a whole lot in common. But I'm utterly charmed by High Heels to Tractor Wheels. Darling. And now I sort of see how "punk rugrats" fits her whole schtick. Sort of.
From the Kitchen::
::I watched Julie and Julia this week. The next morning, my friend Jan called me. Jan and I learned how to make some very good meals in an ancient electric kitchen in an apartment in Charlottesville, once upon a time. My Italian heritage met her Alabama roots and we emerged from that little kitchen with something that sounded like Carraba's, if nothing else:-). Anyway, she was in a kitchen mood and I was in a bloggy mood and we wondered aloud just what cookbook we would cook through if we were to undertake a similar mission. We agreed that Julia Child's masterpiece wouldn't work in our current state of life. Ina Garten? The Monastery Kitchen? Giada? Hmmm...what about The Pioneer Woman? Stay tuned. It's just an idea right now.
I am Thinking:
::that twenty years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. Somewhere in the middle of treatment, I swore I'd never complain about bad hair days or birthdays again. My birthday is next week and my hair is graying as if on cue. But I'm not complaining.
I am Creating::
::order.
Yes!
I'm creating lots and lots of empty spaces, at least temporarily, as I
prep to have hardwood floors installed throughout the house. It's like
moving--everything is being moved to the basement. Moving is very good
for thoroughly purging and cleaning. We were long overdue for that.
On my iPod::
::Oh. my. goodness! I am in iPod heaven. I have an iTouch. I have iBreviary (seriously changing my life already). I have Lose It (making no difference whatsoever, but hope springs eternal). I have iCal. I have the Weather Channel. I have ESPN scores. I have decided to leave comments open on this post should you have apps to recommend. And many thanks to Lissa for getting this ball rolling in our household.
Towards a Real Education::
::Ahh! Back to the books! Mike and I had a long heart-to-heart (or two or three) and tweaked the routines around here. I'm ready to get back to work.
::Well continue our geography studies, relying heavily upon Ann's volume exploring the Holy Land.
::Our writing workshop is shifting into high gear (just for the teens) and we're going full steam ahead with Shakespeare studies.
::It's M week on the Alphabet Path and we'll linger here a couple of weeks. There is richness in these plans that I don't want to rush. I've taken those four baskets from Advent and left them where they were on the window seat in the family room. Now, they are filled with Mother Goose, Robert McCloskey, St. Martin, Miracles and the Mass, and Manners and Mirette and Mailing May.
Towards Rhythm and Beauty:
::Let's talk beauty: Danielle was spot-on when she recommended Revlon Colorstay Lipcolor:. The color really does last forever.There's Colorstay concealer, too. Top notch.
I'm finding that our homemade healing salve is working much better than any nightcream I've ever tried. It was Mary Beth's idea.
I'm still a big fan of Aveda's cream blush. A bit pricey, but it's hard to find cream blush and powder makes me feel like I'm suffocating. And now, I'm in trouble. I went to link to it and discovered that it's no longer there!
Those are all the the tips I have today:-)
To Live the Liturgy:
::an early birthday present, the iPod Touch has brought iBreviary into my life for the new year. This has really helped me to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and bring the rhythm of prayer back into my life. It's only been a couple of weeks, but the difference is palpable.
I am Hoping and Praying:
:: for health and fitness, strength and grace to do His will.
In the Garden:
::there's a good deal of huffing and puffing, storming and blowing.
Around the House:
::The Christmas decorations are mostly boxed and put away, save for a couple of nativity sets high on the mantel. This is highly unusual for us. But the wood has been ordered and it's on its way. Won't be long now before major renovation begins..
On Keeping Home:
::Oh, I'm looking forward to cooking and cleaning in a just regular way this week.
One of My Favorite Things:
::Christmas Eve Tea by Stash. Too bad I discovered it January 2nd.
Sarah Annie this week:
::She's finally warming up to Michael a bit. He's been quite hurt at her standoffishness.
A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:
::ballet, soccer, and basketball resume. I did relish the break while it lasted.
::Michael is still home, so that's nice.
A Picture Thought I'm Sharing:
A very tired me, looking in absolute shock at a very clever husband who managed to pull off quite the astonishing and incredibly thoughtful surprise.
(It's a MacBook, Mom. Computer. Of my very own.Better than jewelry; trust me.)
