Monday Morning Almanac

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

The little girls planted pansies last week. I hardly supervised. I really hope that too many tulip bulbs weren't destroyed in the process.

::listening to 

silence. It was a very busy, very full weekend. The silence is lovely.

::clothing myself in 

PJs, a bathrobe, and socks at the moment. I suppose I will get dressed eventually. It wouldn't be a good idea to go to the dance school later today dressed this way.. 

::talking with my children about these books

Lots of Thanksgiving books happening this week!

 

::thinking and thinking

about cancer. I don't like to think about cancer and I admit my coping strategy as a survivor has long been to push it out of my mind. But a dear friend (who had Hodgkin's disease just before I did and was always one to shine hope and inspiration) has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. The news has rocked me to the core. Hodgkins survivors who have the treatment we did are at significant risk for breast cancer. Please keep her in your prayers. 

::pondering prayerfully

“What good is confiding one’s pains, miseries and regrets to those to whom one cannot say at the end, “pray for me”? ~Elisabeth Leseur

::carefully cultivating rhythm

I need to get these children up earlier. But I so love the quiet...

::creating by hand

Ack, knitting! Sarah managed to pull on my California shawl and get me to a place where I can't even figure out how to unknit it. Edith is going to take a crack at it. And Ginny was here with her crew last night--an unexpected happy occasion. She was able to set my Sunday Sweater back on the right course.  I admit to being a rather discouraged knitter at the moment. How is it I can't seem to knit without friends to untangle my knots?

Sewing! This is going to be a drapery factory for the next couple of weeks. I've begun to create drapes for pretty much every window in the house. Of course, I can't do that alone, either. My friend Cari is spending afternoons crawling on the floor with me amidst yards and yards of fabric. I just do whatever she tells me.

::learning lessons in

cancer, fear, and priorities. All lessons I thought I'd learned. I think these are ongoing lifetime lessons. 

::encouraging learning 

math, math, and more math. The longer I homeschool, the more I am convinced that math education just doesn't happen. It requires purposeful insistence on practice every single day.

::begging prayers

for my friend Lynn and for someone else very close to me who is living through the agony of diagnostic medical testing.

::keeping house

 We had a bridal shower here yesterday, so the house is company clean, more or less. At least on the top two floors. Ginny was here after the shower with her crew. (They had baseball nearby). Now, Jonny has seen my basement. I think he was impressed with the scope and scale of the mess.

::crafting in the kitchen 

Christian has been cooking dinner a few nights a week lately. He staunchly refuses to consider paleo, but he does rock some very good creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. 

::loving the moments

when little girls wrap their whole selves around me in their sleep. She fell asleep whimpering, "I just want you forever."  I want to be here for her forever.

::giving thanks 

for precious things pondered in my heart. 

living the liturgy

There are 47 days until The Wedding. That means there are 43 days until Christmas and 20 days until the First Sunday of Advent. Time to make some detailed lists. Today. 

::picture thoughts 

from yesterday's bridal shower. Photo credits go to Mary Beth, Nicholas, and my niece, Erin, all of whom took my camera in hand. Thanks, y'all!

::planning for the week ahead

It looks to be a pretty calm week. I think perhaps, I should take advantage of tthe relative calm to plan the next few weeks ahead. Oh, and sewing. I've promised to have the windows covered by Thanksgiving. Well, at least I'll try.