The Simple Woman's Daybook

Sorry this is up so late, wonderful readers. I've been really busy and not able to get on the internet. There is no Mommy Mondays post today, unfortunately. Hopefully, next week. But for now, join me as I let you in on my late Monday evening, in my Day Book. You can peek in on others at Peggy's place (http://www.thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/). Peggy created this precious meme. You can even do your own Day book. Join in.

For Today...September 29, 2008

Outside my Window...I'm at a friend's house doing my daybook, so I see a comfy swing on the porch calling my name (we don't have one at home). It's on a balcony, on a hill, and it looks so peaceful out, even though it's starting to get dark.

I am thinking...that I am glad to be here with my friend and her children. I'm at home when I'm here. We talk, eat, relax, and the reason I'm on the computer at her house is (and no, I'm not being rude and ignoring them while I do this) because mine is not working at home. Everybody here is watching TV right now, giving me time to work on this and other things I needed to do on my computer, but couldn't.

From the learning rooms...earlier today, our learning rooms were mobile, as we had things to do throughout the house today, so we kind of moved around. Thank God we're at home and can be mobile as needed.

I am thankful for...friends who have computers when mine isn't working (lol), Friends who love me enough to let me come to their house any time, Friends who are gracious, and loving, and kind.

From the kitchen...my friend made spaghetti and meatballs for her family and invited me to eat. If I hadn't been full from what I had already made and eaten from my kitchen (seasoned pinto beans in the crock pot spooned over a bed of rice with seasoned green beans on the side), I would have gladly joined them.

I am wearing...navy blue capris, white, leather tennis shoes, and a white t-shirt with my husband's name on it.

I am reading...the book of John and a study on the women in the Bible.

I am hoping...to get everything done on the computer tonight that I need to, not knowing when mine will be working again.

I am creating...crafts, notes, and other things to go with our study on Ancient Greece. We are loving this history lesson. We're even making clothes to model that the women wore back then.

I am hearing...the TV in the background. My friend's family members are watching shows together.

Around the house...things have a soft glow cast on them. My friend has a lovely, well-maintained home. Right now, she has lamps that are casting a soft glow on things here in the living room. It makes the room feel comfy.

One of my favorite things...is doing this daybook. I really enjoy slowing the pace of my life down and doing this every week. It helps me stop, look around, and appreciate things around me. It helps me to remain content. It helps me think of God, friends, nature, work to be done, my schedule, etc.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Help my 9 yr. old with projects, Wednesday morning classes, a few errands, and finally finishing laundry tomorrow. I'm also hoping to finish writing a "talk" I'm doing in Oct./Nov. and finish my Greek lessons.

I don't have a picture thought to share today, but I pray that each and every one of you has a very blessed and wonderful rest of the week.

THE SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK

For Today...September 22, 2008

Outside my Window...I'm a little saddened because things are starting to look like Fall, and while Fall colors are beautiful, I'm already missing the brightness, freshness, and green of Spring and Summer. I'm already missing the warm weather, as it is starting to get cooler, especially at night. I'm a warm and hot weather person.

I am thinking...I am thinking about all of the things God taught me this weekend. What a weekend we had here!! The Lord has taught us so many lessons and blessed us altogether this weekend. I'm thinking about the promises He makes to each of His children. He is so faithful!

From the learning rooms...the girls are working on various things. One is studying for a test and the other is working on one of her given subjects this morning. They like to be sprawled out on their beds with their books and folders open. This is their preferred room and studying position.

I am thankful for...the ability to pay our car note this month. We thought that it would be impossible with the financial hardships we've been having, but God, in His love, grace, and mercy, provided for us literally in the 11th hour (or is the saying "the 12th hour?).

From the kitchen...my water is boiling for my morning bowl of oatmeal. Yummy!

I am wearing...black sweat pants, a white t-shirt with black and red writing on it (it says "Behind this t-shirt is the best mom in the world"--my kids gave it to me a couple of years ago for Mother's Day), and those trusty white satin house slippers (what would I do without them?)

I am reading...not too many books on my "want to read list." I've been so busy with studies I'm doing, like The Study of the Women of the Bible, my Greek lessons, etc., that I can't get involved in any other book right now.

I am hoping...that God provides me with a way to make extra money while staying home. I thought I had a job prospect at the end of last week that sounded really good, but after my husband and I prayed and talked about it this weekend, we realized it wasn't the job for me.

I am creating...or trying to continue to create a more loving and orderly home for my family. I'm trying to teach this to my children so that they can prioritize this when they get families.

I am hearing...my daughter flip pages in her McGuffey's Eclectic Third Reader. I love these books. I want to eventually have all of them. I have 3 so far.

Around the house...I'm looking at my clean walls and baseboards and appreciating very much our efforts this weekend, to get them clean. The kids and I washed all of the walls and trim in the house (they had gotten really dirty and dusty) and windows, and my husband cleaned the upstairs bathroom and got all of the cobwebs out of the corners of every room in the house. I really appreciate everyone's efforts.

One of my favorite things...is listening to my girls read with lots of clarity and expression. I also like reading back to them this way.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...running errands for the family, picking my son up from Raiders practice every day, going to the library, doing a TV spot on a local TV station concerning domestic violence--educating the community and offering advocacy and support, going to classes at church on Wednesday, babysitting, going on a date with my husband, and hopefully resting at some point.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

I will need a few cups of this beautiful drink of nature by the end of my busy week. My relaxing cup of aesthetically beautiful and palate pleasing green tea--helping me to slow down and enjoy the small, precious moments in life. Talk about simple pleasures!!

THE SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK 9-15-08

Won't you join us today, leaving a glimpse into your Monday by posting in your Simple Woman's Daybook? If you've seen this before, then you know what to do, but if you haven't, welcome to my entry of The Simple Woman's Daybook, a neat little idea by Peggy at http://www.thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/, that allows you to slow down, look around you, and share a few little simple things about how your day is going and what your plans are. It's not just fun, but it's a way of getting back to "doing LIFE together." The internet is a fabulous tool for such a thing since our world now is so fast paced, we don't get to know our neighbors anymore, and we don't follow the principle of sharing one another's burdens as much as we used to.






Outside my Window...it looks like it wants to be sunny so bad, but the clouds keep bullying. How will it turn out in the end? Only God knows. I pray for sunshine. I feel more chipper then.






I am thinking...my tooth is not hurting anymore!! (I was up all last night, taking Ibuprofen, praying, thinking about not having the money to see a dental specialist...AGAIN, not wanting another root canal and other dental work) I prayed for a miracle with the "teeth trouble" I'm having. I hope to be in God's will with that.






From the learning rooms...the girls are working in separate rooms because I have one who is easily distracted and tends to distract the other one. They work better separated until there is a subject that they can work on together.






I am thankful for...being able to stay home with my children and be here for my husband when he gets home from work. We don't have a lot of money for extras and sometimes the entirety of all of the bills (sometimes, we may have to make payments) because I don't work, but we have decided that the financial sacrifice and smart, tight budgeting has been more than well worth it.






From the kitchen...dishes left over from breakfast, a few things on the table, and the counters need to be wiped down.






I am wearing...khaki capris, a white t-shirt (that has purple writing on it), and those ever-faithful, white, satin house slippers.






I am reading...too many books at once--some verses in Exodus for a study, The Rising by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, and Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke.






I am hoping...to keep the faith in the prayers I've prayed to the Lord and that I don't have to go to the dentist or endodontist, that I can make it through today and subsequent days without suffering with dental problems and pain. God is faithful though. I know that for sure!






I am creating...or helping my daughter put the finishing touches and a roof on her beaver dam we've been working on in science. She's so proud of it!






I am hearing...just the faint hum of the fan in my computer tower, one of my daughter's hands slide across her paper as she writes, and the clicking of the buttons on the computer keyboard. I also hear an occasional truck or car pass by outside.






Around the house...it's pretty neat and tidy. I've set some new rules or shall we say "helpers" in place so that our house stays neater longer. Lately, I'm having to remind everyone of the reasons we pitch in and help each other take care of what God has blessed us with.






One of my favorite things...is seeing the expression of or "the lightbulb suddenly shine" in someone's head of something they just couldn't grasp, or something brand new and delightful, or something they've been wrestling with and the answer just came. I love to see prayers answered for people, God's way. I love to see people who have just learned something new about Christ and their life is forever changed!






A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...my list is almost identical to Peggy's. I just (while I'm working on this daybook) had a phone call from my dentist's office to confirm an appointment I had forgotten about, to get our regular screenings and cleanings done tomorrow. How ironic, considering what I'm currently going through. We also have library books to return by Thursday, and after everything else we have to do for the rest of the week, I'd like to just settle in afterwards and enjoy home too.






Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Looking forward to tea today, if my stomach will cooperate, whether it's iced matcha like the picture above suggests or hot chai,...I'm looking forward to a "tea moment."

I don't take many personal pictures, so I won't have many to share of my own. This picture is courtesy of Mr. Atsui (hope I'm spelling his name right) from Hibiki-An, the name of the company (family farm) in Japan that I have the privilege about once a year of purchasing my green tea from.

The Simple Woman's Daybook for Sept. 8, 2008

For today...



Outside my Window...it appears that Fall is already here. Now, I'm sure all are happy about that, but not me. Why? The impending winter months. I like only the colors of Fall and maybe the first few weeks when it is still warm enough for my cold-natured tendencies to be able to tolerate it. Fall also means less light. I thrive and function better with more light in my life. Add warmth to that, and I'm a happy camper.




I am thinking...that I wish I could have seen my little baby nephew while I was in Memphis this past week. He waited until I came back home to be born, in fact the very hour that I arrived back in my city.




From the learning rooms...one of my girls is doing an entry to my (using Peggy's idea, but changing it a little) version of TSWD. We call it The Simple Young Woman's Daybook. The other daughter is reading an entry from her McGuffey Reader and struggling with some of the archaic but beautiful words the author of her story uses. I love the McGuffey Readers!




I am thankful for...the healthy and quick delivery of my newborn nephew (I wonder if my whole daybook entry will be about this child. You can see how happy I am about his birth). He weighted 8 pounds and 9 ounces.




From the kitchen...the water is boiling for the preparation of my daily dose of oatmeal. I love oatmeal, and I have a bowl of it or cream of wheat every morning. I put butter, cinnamon, and sugar in my oatmeal. I put butter and sugar in my cream of wheat, but sometimes, I will add a sprinkling of cocoa powder to it and make chocolate-flavored cream of wheat. It is delicious!




I am wearing...red pajama shorts with white stripes and a grey, ribbed, short gown with my white satin house slippers. Yeah, real cute huh?!! I can say that I'm quite comfortable though:)




I am reading...the books from a Janette Oke series. There are 8 of them, I think.




I am hoping...to get to see my new little nephew before he gets too big and cries when introduced to me because he doesn't know me, to have a good homeschooling week, that God answers prayers of provisions we need, that my oldest son progressively gets better in his decision-making now that he's 18, and that my youngest son makes wise, Godly choices while in public school.




I am creating...a beaver dam with my youngest daughter for science. This is going to be interesting!




I am hearing...my daughter talk to me about the "photo thought" she chose for her daybook. She chose a picture of a baby with lots of curly hair and as fat as can be (I think she's thinking of the same thing that I am, our new little addition to the family...okay MY NEPHEW who was born yesterday!!!! I'm so excited!)




Around the house...as usual, laundry needs to be done, especially since I'm just back from my Memphis trip. It looks like the guys didn't wash while I was away. That's okay though. I like doing my own laundry, and they like it when I have the lanundry all clean and ready for them to put away.




One of my favorite things...is to cuddle up and give lots of attention to my husband and kids after being away from them any length of time. I was in Memphis a whole week (I did take the girls with me), and I really missed my husband and my boys. I called them often, but of course, that was not the same. God really allows me to appreciate them more after I've been away from them. They are precious to me. I am thankful for the gifts that they are to me.




A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Get things back together in the house, with the kids, and in my mind after being away a week, pick up where we left off in Memphis homeschooling the girls, get some homeschool plans together for next week, and get back to my doing more reading of the Word (didn't get to do much for "soul nourishment" while in Memphis--just for a study I was working on).




Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
(photo from the Anne Geddes collection at www.andrea-schroeder.com)

Babies and flowers--two of my favorite things!!

If you want to share in someone else's day or share in the idea of this daybook, go to http://www.thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/. You'll be glad you did. That's Peggy's place and the daybook entries are her idea. And it sure is a good one, I'll say!! Have a wonderful day today.

My Daybook entry--August 25, 2008

My daybook entry is below. Please join Peggy, the creator of The Simple Woman's Daybook, and others at her website, www.thesimplewoman.blogspot.com. This is a meme that happens at her site every Monday. Be sure to tune in or start your own entry of TSWD. I was so excited about it, I thought I'd use Peggy's ideas to create something similar (not online, but at home in journals) for my pre-teen and teenage girls.

For today August 25, 2008

Outside my window I see pouring rain. We've had rain for two days now, but we need it. It looks dreary, so the only thing that makes me happy when I look out is knowing we need the rain and that God sends it.

I am thinking of completing a workable homeschool schedule for the girls. We've been doing some trial and error schedules until we see what fits all of us, and I think we've found something that might work.

I am thankful that I'm finally over (or mostly) that nasty virus that I picked up and suffered through all of last week. Thank you Jesus!

From the kitchen, I see that everyone is finished with breakfast. One of my girls had simple cereal and milk, the other had rice and ketchup (I know, it's gross to me too, but she and my boys love this combination), and I had my usual bowl of oatmeal. I love oatmeal!

I am wearing jogging pants (gray w/white stripes down the side), a white t-shirt, my white satin slippers, and a white cotton scarf on my head. I feel comfortable.

I am creating a science curriculum for my girls, for this year. I found lots of resources that I like, so instead of buying a ready-made science curriculum, I'm creating one.

I am going nowhere today, but I have errands all the rest of this week. I'd better get my rest today huh?

I am reading no book outside of the Bible right now, although I've got plenty of books I'd like to finish or start on. I've been enjoying going to sleep some nights, praying and reading the Psalms.

I am hoping that the groups that I will start teaching at church and the group I have outside of church goes well, that people grow in the Lord, and that God is pleased. I pray that I'm in His will to be doing these things right now. I am also hoping and praying, if God will it so and provides, to go on another mission's trip in mid to late November.

I am hearing the complaints and pleadings of my daughter who has forgotten one of her spelling words and is taking a spelling/vocabulary test, and is afraid that she is going to fail it because, this week, she only had 7 words and she knows that the fewer words you have, the more points will be taken off. She wants me to let her think, and think, and think...and we've wasted too much time already. Her test can't go on all day. She doesn't like bad grades. Praise God for that, but...

Around the house, the floor needs to be vacuumed in the living room and hallway, but otherwise, it's good. It just looks dreary inside because of the dreariness outside and not much light pouring in. We'll have to make ourselves merry today:)

One of my favorite things is to know that we've gotten all that we possibly can, accomplished in the home and homeschool that day, that we haven't wasted time and have had good discipline, but without feeling overbearing and over-regimented.

A few plans for the rest of the week: looking over lessons for a church class I'll help teach, looking over more Ancient Greek history for the girls' History class, making sure I've got all of the books off the shelf that need to go back to the library, making plans to study the Word in-depth this week and not just surface level, and looking over my own private Greek language lessons.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

These are my sisters. I introduced myself in a picture last week, and this week, I'm introducing my sisters, who were the maid and matron of honor in my wedding. Don't they look BEAUTIFUL?!! I miss them. That's another reason that they are my picture thought for today. The one on the right is having a baby any day now (this picture is 2 years and 3 months old), boy #3, and the other is working and raising a family. She (on the left) and her husband have 3 children. She got saved earlier this year and she is diligently seeking after the Lord and trying to raise her children in the admonition of Christ. For a while, my sisters and I had the same amount of children, the same genders. Then when I got married 2 years ago, I added a girl to my brood and obviously, my number count changed. I was the oddball after all that time of being the same. Now that my youngest sister is having another, she will join me, a woman of 4! I will no longer be the oddball. But does that mean that there is a baby in my oldest sister's future now? Ha!! She would say an emphatic NO!! She'll let the youngest and I have that all by ourselves. No competition there!!

Have a blessed Monday and thanks for joining me.

The addition: From the learning rooms, my girls are diligently working, even right now, on their version that I created for them of The Simple Woman's Daybook. They are quiet and contemplative. They love that I created something like this for them (not Peggy's work, but as mentioned above, something similar, for my girls' journaling time at home). It was with teen and pre-teen girls in mind, because that's what I have.

The Simple Woman's Daybook (#1 for me)

I'm so EXCITED to be joining this meme or circle!! I just love the whole concept. I won't go into detail here, because I want to get started with my daybook, and I want you to read mine and the others' that participated. You can go to http://www.thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/ and look for The Simple Woman's Daybook label or icon in the sidebar. Click on it, and it will give you all of the details. You will be so happy that you found this blog! This is Peggy's blog. She says she's simple, but her words, skills, and creativity, praise God, are profound! Go see for yourself. So now, on with my first daybook entry...

FOR TODAY (August 18, 2008)...

Outside My Window...is a dry, steeply slanted (upward), hill that only has sparsely populated grass patches here and there because of the tree canopy coverage. The tree brances are not allowing enough sunlight to filter through so that the grass can grow, but in its own way, this area is still beautiful. I have to walk up this hill to get to my mail box. I don't mind the exercise.

I am thinking...that I need to pray for my husband throughout the day today. He is concerned about our budget, but he knows that God will provide. I thank God for him.

I am thankful for...the provisions that God has already provided, the ones we have that are tangible, and the ones we can't see, but we trust in Him for.

From the kitchen...I can see where my son, whose turn it was to clean the kitchen last night, decided not to clean the counters and sweep the floor. I woke up to a not-so-tidy kitchen this morning. Wasn't thrilled, but he'll fix that problem after school.

I am wearing...black sweat pants and a white t-shirt with purple writing on it that says "Cut Out Domestic Violence." There is a picture of scissors on it and a family that the scissors are cutting through. I used to work at a Domestic Violence shelter. I'm also wearing my white, satin house slippers. So comfy, although they're so old.

I am creating...a daybook for my girls because I love this idea so much. We will call it The Simple Young Woman's Daybook and the starter statements (some of them) are a little different, plus I added 3 more, that were more relevant for teens and pre-teens or their "space" in the home. They're busy writing in their journals right now and finding picture thoughts to add. I think they're going to love this. Thanks for doing this Peggy!

I am going...to pay my son's cell phone bill today. Otherwise, I'm home with the girls (my two and the one I sometimes babysit) today. I love being home!

I am reading...excerpts from John Piper's Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and Women of the Bible (I can't find my book just now to tell you the author's name). I'm using these two, in conjunction with the Word, to get ready to speak on Being Satisfied in Your Season of Singleness, to a group of Christian singles in Memphis, at a women's conference in November.

I am hoping...that God opens doors and provides for us to go on more mission's trips that are planned for this year...only if He wants us to join these teams and go and minister to the particular places we've thought about going.

I am hearing...God speak to me softly and consistently saying, "I am bigger than your needs, bills, problems, etc. I am God. I will provide for those things that I have promised."

Around the house...I'm looking at straightening and laundry that needs to be done. I will soon have a load going while I round out our homeschool day. The straightening and tidying my girls and I will do together.

One of my favorite things...today is getting some of the exciting things I wanted to start with my girls done. I'm excited about the new ventures we've embarked upon in homeschool today. I'm excited about what's to come. Thank you Jesus for ideas and creativity.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Remember to pick my son up from after-school "Raiders" practice on time each day he has it (my girls are homeschooled, and my son attends the local public school), finish all of the laundry, pray about the classes I'll be teaching outside of home and/or co-facilitating, continue to pray for my husband in specific ways, and wait for an answer from the principal of my son's school about teaming with a group of moms to come up to the school and do a prayer walk, once a week, around the school.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Here is a picture of "Hat Day" when my children attended a local Christian school. The lady on the left was my daughter's K-1st grade teacher, well, and I guess that means that's me on the right of your screen. I left this picture with you today for just a little fun, to introduce myself, to tell you that while this picture was about 4 1/2 years ago, her teacher and I are still good friends and like to clown around, and I hope our school year is as fun as the day we were having pictured here. You all have a great day too!! This daybook project was so much fun!