Monday journal

Outside my window...
Grey and warm...I think there are storms predicted for later with a warm front moving in.


I am thinking...
...about the week ahead. As we move into May, my focus will be shifting. I need to look at the books and see what the end of the year looks like; Faith's recital is soon...a first for us; the end of the year for Noah and final exams; Joshua just got hired at Best Buy and he will be going to orientation and training. As my children grow older, our family focus changes and I am not always so good at keeping up.

Also as we move into May, my blogging purpose will change. For the past two years I have posted every day in May for Mary, and I will try to do that again this year.


I am thankful for...
...a catching up weekend.

...cough medicine for little girls with colds (one little girl in particular with a cold)

...an seemingly endless supply of beads and wire and crucifixes for many rosaries


From the lesson plans...
...last week was not so good. Faith had two sick days so we didn't get very far in our studies. Hopefully this week will be more productive.


From the kitchen...
...I think cheesecake for breakfast. Yesterday I used my homemade cream cheese for a cheesecake. It was a little tangy (and the recipe omitted salting it) so it wasn't so good plain. It was wonderful in a cheesecake however, a New York style cheesecake -- I will share the recipe on my food blog. Stay tuned.

I have a lot of whey from that cream cheese, so I think we'll have Whey Pancakes and ham for dinner. My family loves breakfast for dinner.



I am wearing...
...khaki trousers, a long-sleeved aqua tee, my favorite Lands End grey sweater, black patent loafers, my chain. It seems like my Monday uniform.




I am creating...
...embroidered scapulars, a rosary for my husband's cousin at the request of his aunt -- a pretty one with turquoise beads and red jasper Paters, and an Our Lady of Guadalupe center. It's wire-wrapped though so I've been working on it for days and days.

I still have 12 seven lilac lyrical ballet costumes hanging from my drapery rod in the dining room. I am hand sewing trim and hopefully they will be gone by this week's lesson.


I am planning...
 ...to sew this week. I have two birthday gifts to sew, and two summer outfits for Faith. It's starting to feel like summer again.



I am reading listening to...
...I downloaded (or I think I did... it still says "downloading") Days of Grace to my iPhone. I just recently discovering the Ohio eBooks project and there are audiobooks to be listened to. Unfortunately they only let them go out one at a time (only one copy of each book at a time) so there's a wait for every book. It wasn't a book I went looking for, but it looked good when I got there.

I am also listening to Dawn O'Hara: The Girl Who Laughed from Librivox.



I am hoping...
...that my back feels better this week. I am only in slightly better shape than I was last week. I baked a lot this weekend, which didn't help matters.



I am hearing...
...the birds cheeping outside. A cardinal for sure, and a robin, and something more noisy farther away.



Around the house...
...mostly laundry today. Lots of laundry. Noah stockpiles in his room and dumps it all in the hamper at once. Urgh.

Dusting to do as well, and sweeping -- these oak seeds are being tracked from one end of the house to the other.



I am going...
...to the store to buy Joshua a pair of pants before 3 p.m. I ordered three pair from Kohls.com exactly eight days ago and they still have not arrived. Now I'll have to return one of them when it arrives. Ordering online didn't save me any time this time around. He needs pants for his new job and he has to have them today.



I am praying for...

...my children, and my husband.

...two soldiers just deployed, both to Afghanistan

...our priests and all religious

...all of the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week

...and for SFO mom's recovery


For the rest of the week...
...school and home...my vocation.


...lots of sewing

...more cheese -- the homemade mozzarella was wonderful, but I feel the need to try something new. Or maybe more cream cheese.

Picture for the day...


I'm sad to say our little O'Brien is gone from the nest. The very day after he hatched he disappeared. The nest is pretty well hidden so I don't think it was a predator. I fear mama cardinal...well, survival of the fittest and all that. Dolan is getting quite large, and I guess the other eggs are not going to hatch after all. His feathers are getting thicker, his eyes are open, and he makes quite a racket when we get close.