Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:6-7



Monday, January 14, 2013

Mid January Daybook






Outside my window... 

...cold and very grey. Yesterday we went to Mass with no coats (I typed that in December, too!). I was actually very hot in Mass, which is unusual -- it's usually rather cool in our church. Now today it's very cold out, the temperatures dropped over 30 degrees since yesterday afternoon. Indoors my toes and nose are cold. It is time to light the fire again, but right now we have no wood. Sad face. Our very friendly  neighbor has told us we can take from his huge stack of wood from trees he cut down last year, and I ordered the most darling little outfits for his twin girls to "pay" for the wood we take, but my husband has to move it over a fence each time we get some. 


 I am thinking... 

...that I have become the most boring blogger. Time to pack it in? I'm hanging on with the hope that I will be inspired some day soon to write very interesting posts. Until then, it's Daybooks and sewing posts. My apologies.


From the lesson plans...  

...today Noah has an appointment with an allergist right smack in the middle of the day. That requires driving to get him at school, to the appointment and to get him back -- about 2 to 3 hours in all. Not very productive, but I have to schedule with this doctor six months in advance and you can't choose your appointment times. I will have to get Faith's math ready to travel, as well as a couple other subjects. She is not very good at school on the run, though -- highly distractible girl that she is.

Speaking of distractible, I wonder how many other homeschooling mothers write out each math lesson from the Saxon book. We really like Saxon math -- it just works for my kids. But, Faith can not do the problems straight from the book. None of my kids could. It would take them three or four times longer to continually find their place, write the problem down on paper, do the problem and find their place again. I have to write her entire lesson down in a notebook in order for her to have a productive math lesson. I know families with many children could never manage this, so I wonder what others do. Is it just my extremely distractible kids?


From the kitchen..

...hot creamy brown rice cereal for breakfast, lunch on the run (homemade Lara bar for me), and shredded beef tacos for dinner. I went through the entire  Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook and planned out my week, freezing at least one meal for every meal I make. I spent a lot at the grocery this weekend, but I am hopeful I can stretch the food at least two weeks, with just a run back for milk and produce. Have you noticed the cost of groceries? Wow. With less paycheck (thank you, Mr-I-am-liking-you-less-every-day-President) and grocery costs going up, there are going to be some serious changes in our house. More on that later.


 I am wearing...

 ...khaki skirt, navy turtleneck, grey sweater, black patent loafers, and MM earrings (my chains are currently in need of repair, so I'm not wearing them).


I am creating...

...a rosary, scapulars, a preemie hat (my first knitting project in a long time) and a long, long list of sewing projects since two shipments of fabric arrived late last week.



 I am planning...

...sewing projects, cooking, baking, budgeting...trying to make a little of it fun (not the budgeting).



I am hoping... 

...that the orthopedist I have an appt with tomorrow can help me with my leg pain. I am so very tired of pain. I also hope to stop coughing soon. The cough syrup my doctor prescribed on Friday made me itch like a fiend, so I had to stop using it.



 Around the house...

 ...laundry and laundry. I cleaned over the weekend for guests (always a good motivator), so now it's just keeping up for another week.  The Christmas tree needs to come down this week, and my family, sadly, is never quite so anxious to help take it down as they are to put it up.


I am going...

...to the allergist's office, and I am anxious to see if Noah is still allergic to almonds. He had an accidental ingestion of candy that had almonds listed on in the ingredients and he did not react. Curious. We were told when he was two that he would not likely grow out of tree nut and peanut allergies, but I wonder did he grow out of them or were the allergy tests wrong?


 I am praying for...

...my children, and my husband


...my dear friend Gina. She finished her chemo and is planning to start back to teaching in a couple weeks. She then has to do daily radiation for, I think, six weeks. She still needs, and appreciates prayers.


...our priests and all religious


 ...all of the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week, and for a change of heart for their mothers.


...baby Simeon


...for baby Domini Pio


...for Kelly and Anna



Thought for the day...

St. John the Gardener, feast day January 14. 

A monastery garden was tended well to feed the community, not to make the grounds pretty. John saw to it that the refectory table was well supplied. But he also added a bit of beauty, growing flowers to enhance the chapel. God is surely pleased when we add a bit of beauty to the world—especially when we warm it with an act of forgiveness. For, as John insisted, forgiveness is the loveliest thing in God’s eyes.



9 comments:

  1. You are NOT boring!! I look forward to your posts! I am dying to know what you did for Sat's meal with the potential inlaws....

    (OK, I'm not really dying)

    Thank you so much for prayers for Simeon...we are praying his premaxilla goes down into place in his mouth so his next surgery will be a success. (the palate)
    (it has a long ways to go)

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  2. Oh, I guess it's too late---I would have kept Noah home all morning or not taken him back to school at the end.

    I need to do a lot of meal planning, too. Same reasons. Well, and making everything paleo, too.

    The Christmas undecorating is so un-fun! I do most of it alone because I want it all organized just-so, so that I can pull it all out methodically when Advent comes again. I just get my dh to help carry boxes and hand them to me so I can put them in the closet the right way. So, I was exhausted Saturday night!

    You're not boring. I think your blogging has suffered because you're suffering so much. I read your posts and I think about how much pain you're in all the time. You seem demoralized. I guess I should be adding you to my prayers! But don't stop blogging because we do love hearing from you!

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  3. My chains are in need of repair, too. Not sure what to do ... Should I take them into a jeweler? Or should I send them to you? Please advise!

    Love you, Barbara! Praying for you!

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  4. Nope...I have the most boring blog on the internet...please don't try to take away my trophy! ;) Yes, the paycheck went down and groceries seem to go up with each trip to the market! We now eat all the leftovers and lick the bowl clean. Or in the freezer they go for another day.

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  5. Barbara...please don't blame the President for smaller paychecks. Please blame the rigidly wrong thinkers in the Congress who always vote NO even when the President is completely right. I think he's the most patient man on the planet for not totally losing it every day! I would lose my cool, I know I would. The President needs our prayers and support...he certainly has mine.

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  6. My husband also noticed his paycheck his smaller. Thank you president for all that spending. STOP SPENDING..that is what needs to happen.

    Your bloggy is not boring at all. I am also wondering how the meal time with girlfriends parents. I am not to that point in my life and cannot imagine that ever happening. but babies do grow up.

    hope your leg pain gets better.

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  7. nope, not boring to me! I love to pop over here and read about your domestic doings; it's a very welcome break from the changing, and the feeding, and the crying, etc . . . :)

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  8. Barbara, I love your posts. I don't think they are boring. I love the honesty, with a cozy, home feeling. I've been under the weather, lots of things going on. I'm impressed you're blogging, as I don't have the mental capacity to put something together. Your blog like we're chatting over coffee and sharing your thoughts and concerns. Honest and sincere and real.

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I appreciate your comments -- sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself!