A Glimpse At My Life

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...  Well it says the high yesterday was 88 degrees.  I believe it.  I opened a few windows and a few doors to the outside temperatures.  It got up to 79 degrees in my house.  a nice change from the chilly days we've had mixed in with the sunshine.  It is expected to be a bit cooler today, maybe around 77 degrees.  There are a few dark clouds in the sky, but threat of rain until Thursday.

I am thinking...  I am relieved to have a major portion of December over.  I can make check marks on my to -do list on items that have completed.  I have a few more things to do and to prepare for.  After Sunday I am taking a week-long stay-cation in my home :-)

I am thankful...  I am always thankful for the provision of the Lord.  I am thankful he allows me to be a blessing to others with my time, talent and treasure.  I am thankful for my home, my family and my friends.

In the kitchen...  I've set out butter, eggs and cream cheese. I want to make some cookies today to pass out to two of my Landlords.  One is a chiropractor, I figure his patients will enjoy the cookies.  

I need to go grocery shopping for meats.  I may make pork chops with wild rice and broccoli tonight.  I've got some amazing Cauliflower growing in the garden and want to make a Cheesey Cauliflower Soup this week.

 

One the menu for Christmas Day...Homemade cinnamon rolls, Steak and Lobster tails with butter, green salad, baked potatoes, cherry cheesecake.  Sounds yummy.  What are you having?

I am wearing...  It's early yet, I'm still in my pajamas.  I MAY get dressed today.

I am creating...  Well that big list I said I had? It is mainly complete.  I keep thinking of things I want to do though. Here is what has been completed since I spoke to you last~

Costumes for play-Done

Donkey for play-Done

8 neighborhood treat package made, assembled and delivered-Done

Invitations made and passed out for Christmas Cookie Exchange Party-Done

2 batches of jam-Done

House clean-Done

Floors shined-Done

House rearranged-Done

Laundry-Done

Things assembled for a Cookie Exchange Party-Done

Christmas Gifts wrapped-Done

200+ Christmas letters and cards with pictures-Done

Flash drives made with pictures for the Grandma's-Done

I still have a few things to do:

1)Make/Assemble games for cookie party

2)find gumdrops to make doorprize for cookie party

3)set tables for cookie party

4)make food for cookie party

5)make cheesecake for church Christmas party

6)bathe dog and his bedding before cookie party

7)Go Christmas shopping for Sully

8)Go meat shopping

9)make cookies and pass out for Landlords (give them Cauliflower?)

10)Make swag and wall hanging for a gift

11)get church Christmas cards signed and ready to pass out

I am going...  I need to make a run to the post office and find a craft store that sells artificial flowers.  Very diapointed in the selection at WalMart and Jo-Ann fabric.  Sometimes I wish for a nice Hobby Lobby.  Christmas shopping. Etc...

I am praying...  I am praying for the desires of my heart.  Praying for far away family.  For health.  For wisdom.

I am reading/watching... I can't remember what book I am reading.  It's a good book.  About a brother and sister who run a boarding house and are solving a mystery.

 

I've been watching Cannon and enjoying it very much.  The boys have been watching Transformers Prime.

I am looking forward to...  Having some more family time.  Those days seem to be few and far between.  My husband is a workaholic.  He told me the other day we couldn't take a family day because there was "intel" that a drug boat 'might' be coming in.  Hello!  Excuse me!  Now I have to plan family time around suspected drug activity?  He isn't even on duty.  Let the duty agents handle it please... okay rant over...for now.

From the learning room...  We are on week 14 in home school.  Right on schedule.  I think we are going to take next week off.  We took last week off as well.

Around the house...  Ahhh...the house looks nice after being neglected for several weeks.  The floors are all shiny, things are dusted.  I've got a potpourri pot simmering with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

I am pondering... family time, camping, yard work, garden work, stuff.

A favorite quote for today...  

“Christmas doesn't come from a store, 

maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more....”   

 Dr. Seuss

 

“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern,

 is very simple: loving others.

 Come to think of it, 

why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?”

Bob Hope

 

 One of my favorite things...  The smell of Christmas.  Can't you smell it in the air?  the crispness, the sweetness, the tree?

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Completing my lists :-)

A peek into my day...  Posting some photo's of the last few weeks.

Eating breakfast in front of his newly decorated tree.  can you believe this is our Wal Mart bargain artificial tree?  $20.00!

 The family is packed up and ready to go camping over Thanksgiving break.

 Sunset from the campground.

 Our little camp.

 Our church choir caroling at the mall.

 Kammie and Sully posing for a Christmas picture for my Christmas letter.

 ready to practice

 Church Christmas play.  Can you see be behind the BIG, Huge, GIANT music folder?  I had to hold it that high because of the little girl in front of me. :-)

 the keepers of our Christmas family photo's

 the shepherds

 Mayr and Joseph (Sully)

That's all for now folks.  Enjoy your week.

 

Thanks You Simple Woman's Daybook for helping to inspire this post.

Hello blog friends...  my days have been full since returning from Alaska and camping at the end of October. 

(my granddaughter Cathryn, 8 weeks)

Outside my window...  The weather is very weird this week.  We had two days with temperatures over 90 degrees.  Yesterday it was 64 degrees cloudy and windy.  It rained a bit last night.  Today it's cool again about 66 degrees.

I am thinking...  I am thinking about being busy and with all the things we have to accomplish in the next four weeks, it's a long list. 

I am thankful...  I am always thankful for the provision God has given us, myself in particular.  He always meets my needs.  He has blessed with many things.  He continues to answer my prayers.

In the kitchen...  I made biscuits and gravy this morning for breakfast.  I was going to make a nice lunch today but got to cleaning house, washing the dog, washing the dogs bedding and cleaning the kitchen, I did not get anything put together for today.  So now, I am thinking about eating carne asada nachos. Yum.

I've put together a beef stew for tomorrow after church.  My stew has parsnips, onion and carrots form garden.  I used some smoked pork broth for the liquid in my stew.  It's going to taste so good.

I am wearing...  I've got capri pants and wild orange colored  blouse on today.  My hair is a bit wild as well.

I am creating...  I've got lots of things on the list to create.

a) Christmas flower arrangement for church

b) Christmas props for the church Christmas program

c) Practice Christmas music and pick a Christmas song to sing solo

d)  Sew a nice camouflage mattress cover for the camper bed

e)  Christmas presents

f)  Compose our Christmas letter
g)  Take our Christmas photos
 h)  Organize the church Thanksgiving dinner

i)  Smoke a turkey, Cook a turkey, cook a ham for church Thanksgiving dinner

j)  Plan a camping trip for the week of Thanksgiving

I am going...  Tomorrow is church day.  I've not really got any plans to go anywhere the next few days.

I am wondering...  I am wondering where to find enough time in the day to get things done.  I am wondering what to do for my granddaughter for Christmas.  I am wondering

I am reading/watching...  We just went to the library and brought home a stack of new books.  I did read Kinsey and Me by sue Grafton and enjoyed the compilation of short stories about Kinsey.  

I found a new detective that I LOVE a few weeks ago, Barnaby Jones.  We've started watching the series on Netflicks.

I am praying...  I am praying for far away family to be safe, happy and grow closer to the Lord.  Praying for the desires of my heart.  Praying for visitors at church.  Praying for health.  Praying for wisdom.

I am looking forward to...  We're planning  a camping trip Thanksgiving week instead doing a big dinner here at the house.  I'm looking forward to quiet and campfires.

From the learning rooms...My student kept up with his studies while we were in Alaska.  We're right on schedule.  Those first nine weeks are filled with so much review of what he learned last year with a few new concepts thrown in.  He was tasked with writing a report of either our family camping trip or his trip to Alaska.  He chose his trip to Alaska.  He's got a first draft done and is in the process of corrections and working on content and flow of his story.

Around the house...  We've been thinking about Christmas around here.  We've been thinking about a tree.  We're wondering whether to buy a real tree again this year or to get an artificial tree.  We had a live tree last year and it did not survive the transplanting process.  We are leaning toward artificial and if we get one soon we'll put up Christmas decorations too.

The house is fairly clean.  The carpets were vacuumed this morning.  When we returned from Alaska I moved the position of my bed back in front of the big window and I like it soo much better.

A favorite quote for today...  "Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, 

all you have is all you need."

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_home.html#pukY3w7lYGbbi6bZ.99

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_home.html#pukY3w7lYGbbi6bZ.99

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_home.html#pukY3w7lYGbbi6bZ.99

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_home.html#pukY3w7lYGbbi6bZ.99

Sarah Ban Breathnach

One of my favorite things...  I love this time of year.  The colors the smells.  The temperature.  It gives me a reason to purchase more of these. . .

A peek into my days...  These are a few pictures from the camping trip we went on immediately upon returning from Alaska.  We spent 6 days in the eastern Sierra Mountains near Mammoth Lakes listening to nature sounds, gold-panning, hiking and driving the TOY-ota.

 This is our camp set up

 that's me inspecting a hot spring.  It was too hot to even touch.

 Trying to get Banjo to pose.  We're inspecting a huge crater in a lava flow

 we found snow

 the mountains and beautiful fall scenery kept me drooling

 I love this area of California

Honestly... I will try to be better at updating my blog.  

Have a great week dear friends!

Thank you simple woman for inspiration for this post today.

Reporting In

 Not too much report.  I've been keeping busy with the Alaska family. 

Doing the hard duty of spoiling a certain baby before I have to return home.

We we're able to get out a bit on Sunday afternoon where I photographed an amazing sunset.

Now I am itching to get back out on a nice day and photograph some more.

 

It is spectacularly beautiful here.

 Romans 1:20   "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, 

being understood by the things that are made, 

even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

 Yes, clearly God knew what he was doing when he gave us such a beautiful creation!

 Psalms 107:31   "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"

 We're surely enjoying this little Miss.  She is an extremely good baby.  She's nursing well, sleeping well and doing all things baby that she should very well.

We feel the urge (about every other day ) to put one of her outfits on her and photograph her.

This last picture is dinner, Chicken Enchiladas!  I've been making extra of dinners this week to put in the freezer for Maggie for later.  I've got Apricot Chicken, Spaghetti Pie and Enchilada Casserole in the freezer so far.

Have great week dear friends!