Simple Woman’s Daybook for August 24, 2008

Don’t forget to stop by Peggy’s for all the links entered in this week’s Simple Woman’s Daybook.

For Today....cleaned up the basement....what an improvement!

Outside my Window… the sun finally comes out.....only to set again in a matter of minutes :)

I am thinking…..I'm way late on this one

I am thankful for…a good week.

From the kitchen…more pickles. Tried making chicken pot pie (never have in my life!), didn't turn out so well. Peach pie was a total flop. Maybe I should have stayed out of the kitchen this week :) Tim/Noah made the pickles again.

I am creating…..the creative juices are flowing again and I am itching to finish up my sewing room in the basement.....now that I can walk in it! Found some fabric I think will be interesting to make pillows with for the family room. The littles and I created salt dough letters today so we could make all the family member's names and we baked them. The were a funky color of blue and I was well pleased :)

I am going…..to Metro tomorrow with Neana and great ( gulp!) nephew London and Gwen. Miles Christi picnic Sunday, perhaps a jaunt up to Pt Huron on Monday. Already been-- IKEA with my mom, Naomi and Ella, and about 16 trillion other mediocre errands this week ( not sure why so many this week :)

I am wearing .....grey shorts, red striped t-shirt, green ball cap with red lettering, black slides.

well, I was working in grunge today, whadd-ya expect? ;)

I am reading....Aristocrats.....and about 15,000 other books I found at the library ( I actually went by myself, hence....the boon!) but Aristocrats peaks my interest the most.

I am hoping…the classes Noah and Naomi will start next Tuesday will be good for them both on a number of levels. :)

I am hearing...."Bug's Life" George smacking his lips.

Around the house…organized toys ( I think we have too many).....organizing dining room since everyone is so fond of doing school work there ( despite having desks in their rooms)....I'm fairly pleased that the house is in some sort of order, probably wouldn't impress most, but for us, it's good.

One of my favorite things…Erma's custard hot fudge Sundae and IKEA!!!!!!!!!!

A few plans for the rest of the week…well, since the week is almost over, maybe a few plans for the rest of the weekend. I'd like to sew. I'd like to make chicken marsala tomorrow for dinner....I'd like to get some extra reading in.......I'd like to get some ironing done and watch my netflix "Lorna Doone", I'd like the boys to get their room clean.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you… Manny-well and the mosquito

More Sunday fun.......

Nifty costumes....


Proper ladies


beautiful colors and handiwork


this was a popular attraction for the menfolk..


for this reason..... hmpfh.........

drool.........







if only mom was more forebearing about weapons like this around the house ( yeah right! ;)



Voyageur encampment at Metro ( Voyageur's were French fur traders that once lived/passed through/traded in our area....

From barnyard to backyard.......

Mother Mary looks on....


The sod arrives....


laying it out, look at those guns! ;0 )



Noah working hard

Everyone is enjoying the new green stuff......


but the burning question is.......

will it last the summer? ;)

Imogene's...........errrrrrrr........Jed and Manny's antlers :)

If only the other kids thought of it this way........

Manny "Mom, can we play schoolwork??"

Truer words.............

were never spoken :)

It is not uncommon for a mother, particularly, to feel overwhelmed by the complexity of her parental assignment. For each child she raises, she is the primary protector of his health, education, intellect, personality, character, and emotional stability. She must serve as physician, nurse, psychologist, teacher, minister, cook, and policeman. Since she is with the children longer each day than her husband, she is the chief disciplinarian and main giver of security and love. She will not know whether or not she is handling these matters properly until it is too late to change her methodology. Furthermore, Mom’s responsibilities extend far beyond her children. She must also meet her obligations to her husband, her church, her relatives, her friends, and in some cases, her employer.

~Dr. James Dobson

I guess that is one of the blessings of have a large "age-range" of kids....

not so good for the older ones, but always time to get a new game plan for the younger. Watch out dearies! ;)

Full of quotes this week........

"Life, then, is but the machinery by which character is formed. But in judging of a man's character we judge it as a whole, with all its paradoxes and contradictions.

One virtue does not make a good man or one vice an entirely bad man. The best men often have great faults, and the worst have their virtues. Sometimes we are surprised to find what good deeds a bad man will do, although we know that somehow they do not change his character.

Indeed, there are not a few good men who have graver faults than other men whom we know to be bad. And there are men whom we justly judged to be bad who have never, taking deed for deed, done a thing in itself so bad as have been done by a man who is justly judged to be good.

When we say, therefore, that the end of life is the formation of character and character is such a complex thing, how shall we judge it?

Is there any such standard by which all can be judged? There surely is. For the moral result that the multitude of influences and forces that act upon any human life produces can be seen in their effect upon the action of the will in one special direction. Does the will strive after what the man believes to be right, or does it deliberately and consciously choose what he believes to be wrong? The answer that his life gives to these questions will enable us to form a very good estimate of his character.

Basil W. Maturin
Christian Self Mastery
Catholic Priest who was drowned when a German U-boat sank the Lusitania in 1915.

My friend and yours.......

Act of Confidence in God
Saint Claude de la Colombière

My God, I’m so persuaded that You watch over all who hope in You and nothing can be lacking to those who await from You all things, that I have determined to live from now on without any concern, lTo Jesus My Friend
By Blessed Claude de la Colombiere, S.J.

JESUS! You are my true Friend, my only Friend. You take a part in all my misfortunes; You take them on Yourself; You know how to change them into blessings; You listen to me with the greatest kindness when I relate my troubles to You, and You have always balm to pour on my wounds.

I find You at all times; I find You everywhere, You never go away: if I have to change my dwelling, I find You there wherever I go. You are never weary of listening to me, You are never tired of doing me good. I am certain of being beloved by You, if I love You; my goods are nothing to You, and by bestowing Yours on me, You never grow poor; however miserable I may be, no one nobler or cleverer or even holier can come between You and me, and deprive me of Your friendship; and death, which tears us away from all other friends, will unite me forever to You. All the humiliations attached to old age, or to the loss of honor, will never detach You from me; on the contrary, I shall never enjoy You more fully, and You will never be closer to me than when everything seems to conspire against me to overwhelm me and to cast me down. You bear with all my faults with extreme patience, and even my want of fidelity and my ingratitude do not wound You to such a degree as to make You unwilling to receive me when I return to You. O Jesus, grant that I may die praising You, that I may die loving You, that I may die for the love of you. Amen.

Prayer of Confidence

My God, I firmly believe that Thou watchest over all those who hope in Thee, and that we can never want for anything when we rely upon Thee in all things; therefore I am resolved to live in the future with no anxieties, and to cast all my cares upon Thee . . . Let others seek their happiness in their wealth or their talents; let them trust in the purity of their life, the severity of their mortifications, the number of their good works, the fervor of their prayers: "For Thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope."

As for me, Lord, in my very confidence lies all my hope. Such confidence can never be in vain. "No one has ever hoped in Thee and has been confounded." Therefore I am assured of my eternal happiness, because I firmly hope for it, and all my hope is in Thee. "In Thee, O Lord, I have hoped; let me never be confounded." I know, alas! I know all too well that I am frail and changeable; I know the power of temptation against the strongest virtue. I have seen stars fall from heaven and pillars of the firmament totter; but these things do not alarm me as long as I hope in Thee. I am sheltered from all misfortune, and I am sure that my hope will endure, for I rely upon Thee to sustain my unfailing hope.

Finally, I know that I can never hope too much in Thee, and that I will never receive less than I have hoped for from Thee. Therefore, I hope that Thou wilt sustain me against my evil inclinations; that Thou wilt protect me against the most furious assaults and cause my weakness to triumph over my most powerful enemies. I hope that Thou wilt love me forever, and that I will love Thee also, unceasingly. And to carry my hope all at once as far as it can go, I hope for Thee Thyself from Thee, O my Creator, for time and for all eternity.

Saint Claude de La Colombière
Sermon 68

A lesson from Homer

When Odysseus came to the conclusion (belatedly enough) that it was time for
him to leave Circe's island and go home, an interesting conversation took
place between the hero and the goddess. (It is in the tenth book of the
Odyssey if anyone would want to look it up) He was right, of course, in
deciding to go for he had already stopped on too long- having fathered a
child by his hostess, and there had been that business about the pigs-- but
the complications which he had now to face were formidable. What he chiefly
disliked was Circes's insistence that he take in Hades on the way. He
invented difficulties. Standing before Circe he was not so much the brave
sailor as the sniveling ex-lover exaggerating the drawbacks of the voyage;
he had no pilot, he did not know the way, it was the wrong season for
sailing, barnacles had collected on the craft. This is where Circe shows
her wisdom. "Odysseus of many stratagems, son of Laertes, progeny of Zeus"
she said to him, prefacing her remarks with flattery, "trouble not thyself,
but be of good heart: hoist thy sail, weigh anchor, and trust the gods." In
other words he was to let the divinely ordered seas and the winds take him
where he had to go. The gods were not asleep. What he, Odysseus, had to do
at this stage was to sit down and not argue or get excited. The island
interlude had served its purpose and lasted long enough: it must not be
dragged on for there were other adventures to face. Preparations made,
plans must not be altered for fear of the future or dread of parting. Above
all, the gods must not be told their business. Let Odysseus, in effect, be
sensible and take the strong, straight course.....and not be silly any more.


Hubert Von Zeller in "Leave your life Alone"

Simple Woman’s Daybook for August 14, 2008

Don’t forget to stop by Peggy’s for all the links entered in this week’s Simple Woman’s Daybook.

For Today.....school and the like.

Outside my Window… looks like a the beginning of a nice day.

I am thinking…..not what I want, what is.

I am thankful for…really beautiful weather this week. A good start to our school year.

From the kitchen…nothing too exciting. Tried broccoli rice casserole ( used to make it all the time years ago) and it was pretty well received. ;)

I am creating…..hmmm, not much.

I am going…..you know, we have been able to be home a lot this week and it has been terrific!

I am wearing .....brown shorts, dark pink shirt, ball cap ( bad hair day) and brown tennis shoes.

I am reading…Buddhism for Mother's. Embracing Uncertainty, The Hapsburgs, Royal Survivor.

I am hoping…can't think of anything I am really hoping for. I guess I am hoping the sod laying is a success and I won't have to bathe the littles every hour on the hour from them playing back there in all the dust and/or mud depending upon the weather! ;)

I am hearing....the tv- what else? :(

Around the house…getting some sod for the backyard tomorrow. Should I or should I not tear up the kitchen floor without any clue ( or $$) as to what to do once it is torn up? :)

One of my favorite things…cool, summer evenings

A few plans for the rest of the week…dr appt, shopping.....already went to Sam's and spent 500$ Ugh! What a discouragement. I remember when we went shopping for Al's graduation party I spent 500 at Sam's and thought that was an astronomical amount, this was just for everyday stuff ( with a couple extras......but still) Grocery prices HAVE really gone up. grrrr

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…more pickle pics from our resident photographer....Naomi. Yes, we went through 2 gallon jars and 2- 2 quart jars of fresh pickles in a WEEK!

Things I don't ever seem to learn part 2.....or 102

The only time blogging works well for me is when I do it early in the morning before the crowds get up. After that, they need me to keep them focused or they disappear.

--I read this on the Large Family Logistics blog just now.
I think I could insert just about any task that requires complete concentration for *blogging* but that is not the point (that part of the lesson, I have learned). What struck me was the *they need me to keep them focused or they disappear" part. :) Even though I have been at this parenting gig for 21 1/2 years, I still live under the delusion that I can tell my kids to do something once or twice or make a snappy chart to instruct them on their tasks and then *I* can go into autopilot mode. ;)
It seems starting school this week has brought this whole issue bubbling to the surface. Not that is wasn't evident the rest of the summer, but we were in a bit more of "comme ci comme ça" mode. When things have to be done in a routine- like manner, that is when I see that I *must* be around and be engaged to keep everyone on the straight and narrow. Some are a bit more adept at sniffing out when mom is distracted and they can sneak off into one of the many nooks and crannies around here that will hide them from the rest of the world ( and the next item on their to-do list ;)

Sometimes I believe this is maybe a lesson I don't want to learn, thus my lack of progress on it. Running around the house making sure everyone is doing what they should isn't number one on my favorite child-related activities ( or number 2-3-4-5 ;) It ranks right up there with potty training which is pretty low on the list, actually. Yet, I have seen it is one of those areas that needs attention or things fall apart. You reap what you sow and all that. More importantly, gentle correction and attentiveness in these areas shows my little dears I care. I care about them following through, about them attending to their duties, about working with them to achieve goals. As much as they are sometimes irritated by my reminders and checkings-up-on, I am sure I see a little gleam in their eye and a tiny smile at the corner of their mouth. ;)
Even the youngest of children intuitively knows the good feelings that come from doing a job well done and the sense of accomplishment from sticking with a difficult or boring task. Slacking, while fun for the moment, doesn't bring lasting satisfaction :) They are glad to have my help in freeing them from bad habits! ;) ;) ;) ;)........
or at least they will be.
Someday.

Who-da thunk?

(29-35 points) You are Sponge Bob Square Pants:
You are the classic person that everyone loves. You are the best friend that anyone could ever have and never wants to lose. You never cause harm to anyone and they would never not understand your feelings. Life is a journey, it's funny and calm for the most part. Stay away from traitors and jealous people and you will be stress free.


Yes, I am doing silly *Which cartoon character are you?* tests. I am trying to enjoy my last few days of summer break.........;)

Simple Woman’s Daybook for August 10, 2008

Don’t forget to stop by Peggy’s for all the links entered in this week’s Simple Woman’s Daybook.

For Today..... cleaned out the garage, cleaned up the backyard, got caught up on laundry, did a bit of shopping.

Outside my Window… rainy this afternoon. Didn't expect it.

I am thinking…..about attachments.

I am thankful for…cooler temps in August. Who-hoo! Maybe we can make it through the month without a heat wave. ;)

From the kitchen…pickles, pickles and more pickles. Made by my dear husband! I got a box of pickling cukes for $2.00 at the fruit market and he was so excited to have some kosher-type dills, he did it himself. Oh yeah! Peach pie was made tonight (by me :).

I am creating…..a cleaner, more organized house this week.

I am going…..another graduation party......:) :) library tomorrow, Feast of the Assumption, Friday.

I am wearing .....brown pinstripe capri's. brown, red, beige, green floral top, brown flip flops

I am reading…Buddhism for Mother's. No, I am not giving up Catholicism and studying to be a Buddhist ;). I truly admire some of what they teach, specifically control of the thoughts and being detached from either the good OR the bad in life. Same stuff Jesus taught, but modern christians seem to ignore this kind of theology.

I am hoping…to get this house in tip top shape so we can start school next week. I think I've said this before, but I am REALLY trying to make an effort to clean and organize AND keep our schedule clear next week.

I am hearing..something sport-y on the tv. 3 of the big boys are camped out in front of it.

Around the house…cleaned up kitchen ( includes clean top of fridges!) clean garage, laundry done, backyard looking better. Still on the docket.....basement, family room ( grrrrr- the room that NEVER stays clean for more than a minute.

One of my favorite things…homemade pie

A few plans for the rest of the week…already stated. :)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…

Sunday drive

This has been the summer of Sunday drives. I am satisfied to see this becoming a bit of a monthly routine, and a good one. We've generally been going out somewhere in a more nature-ful :) spot and it is a welcome break from the suburbs and city.
This weeks stop........Kensington Metro Park for a Colonial encampment and a visit to the farm there, as well.

equanimity

"As mothers, we often find it hard to relax around our children, never knowing what the next moment will bring, a mess? a demand? a mood swing? danger? To be calmer we must learn to let go of some of our attachment to stability, control and order, and accept that our conditions constantly change. With equanimity we stop battling our way through life and begin to take it AS IT COMES, to roll with the punches.

But equanimity doesn't only apply to "bad" events. When an event occurs that we label as 'good' we sometimes develop feelings of attachment that can undermine our calm. If we allow ourselves to depend on these pleasant events for our happiness, then we are attached."

Sarah Napthali

Good stuff.

Simple Women's Daybook ( although I agree with another blogger's post on this, are we REALLY simple women? Nah!

Simple Woman’s Daybook for August 3, 2008

Don’t forget to stop by Peggy’s for all the links entered in this week’s Simple Woman’s Daybook.

For Today..... belated birthday lunch with mom. Oral surgeon appointment. Soccer meeting.

Outside my Window… Still dark, but much cooler and less humid than the tropical rainforest is was on Tuesday.

I am thinking…..about the reality of homeschooling everyone again. I'm glad to say I am more excited ( even if I am denying reality :) than scared or cranky about it! ;)

I am thankful for…clearance items at Kroger.

From the kitchen…nothing too exciting this week.

I am creating…..good summer memories with my kids ( hopefully! they are for me!)

I am going…..another graduation party on Saturday. :) Colonial encampment on Sunday.

I am wearing .....how about what I will be wearing since I am still in my pj's. Jean capri's, blue pattern t-shirt with white babydoll top over. Gray flip flops.

I am reading…started a new book on Cynthia Parker yesterday. Not sure about it.

I am hoping…to get all my curriculum ordered this week. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

I am hearing..Silence, mostly. Zak rummaging around in the kitchen getting his lunch ready for work.

Around the house…how to take care of the humidity problem in the basement. A new dresser for the family room thanks to Neana's sharp garbage picking eye! ;)

One of my favorite things…a big bear hug from Ella when she gets up in the morning.

A few plans for the rest of the week…it's payday this Friday........which means SHOPPING, shopping and more shopping.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…

So we're talking in sentences now, are we?

I guess it is normal to pull out all the stops to get what you want! :)

Gabriella: "I......want.........num a num!"
Pointing to Noah sitting at the computer she continues....."OFF!"