Winter Days – Daybook

For today, January 13, 2009

Outside My Window… Bleak. The Blue jays are fighting over the peanuts in the feeder and just a minute ago we saw the Chickadee hopping into the feeder. I love watching the delightful Chickadee…from inside the windows for this week. The high on Thursday is going to be 22 degrees. I don’t even want to tell you what the low will be.

I am thankful for… Ordinary Time. I need it. The house is tidied, lessons are back in a groove, and we’re rolling along now.

From the kitchen… I’m making the yummiest White Bean and Chicken Soup! It couldn’t be easier and it’s the yummiest comfort food when the week promises to be cold and desolate. Taking a page out of my Granny’s book, I’ll start it right after lunch in my Dutch Oven, let it simmer all afternoon and fill the house with a comforting aroma, and then make some cheese toast and smoothies to have with it tonight! Dinner’s at 6! Can’t wait to see all of you!

I am wearing… A red floral skirt with a white t-shirt and a red sweater. My hair is long enough now to pull back in a ponytail with a large barrette. I’m not sure if I’ll continue growing my hair or cut it again…but I do like the ponytail option. 🙂

I am creating… A new desk space. I’m hoping to find some time to put some thought into what I want to keep on my desk. I got a NEW DESK for Christmas from my thoughtful in-laws! It is lovely, and truthfully, it is exactly what I would have chosen. 🙂 So, I returned Sweet Pea’s desk to her room, and I am enjoying the vast, new spaces on my desk…I have piled something on every horizontal surface! 🙂 What a delight it is to be able to spread out my books and plans and work!

I am reading… Well, right now, I’m reading Jacinta, the Flower of Fatima by Fr. Medeiros with Sweet Pea. She has chosen Jacinta as her Confirmation name.

I am hoping… the pipes don’t freeze on Thursday!

I am hearing… Doodlebug singing, Sweet Pea and Peanut are upstairs chatting together, and Sparkly is quiet and reading, and my washer in perpetual “ON” mode. I love the gentle hum of the day.

Looking to the rhythm of the liturgical year… Well, it has slowed extraordinarily for us, and I’m grateful for the down time. However, we are enjoying a wonderful gift my mom gave to us – Saints, A Year in Faith and Art. Each morning after devotional time, we read the day’s saint and study the art depiction of that saint. The art is beautiful! This morning we enjoyed supposing why Saint Hilary of Poitiers was depicted in his formal Bishop attire with his big barefoot sticking out from under his robes. 🙂

Around the house… I’m just enjoying all the work we accomplished over Advent and the Christmas break restoring order and re-organizing some spaces. It is a relief, though I’m still searching for ways to set out some things in the learning room…out of reach of the Doodlebug and within reach of the biggers. sigh. I need to set out baskets and I have no place to put them all. I feel like I’m walking around juggling baskets of books.

I will claim a moment for myself… I did that last week! 🙂 My mom spent part of a week with us and it was so nice! We celebrated Sweet Pea’s 12th birthday, and Mom babysat so Rob and I could go out to eat together for our 16th anniversary! We ate at our favorite German cafe’ – Cafe’ Berlin. It was delicious. Though it was an early night (I needed to be home to nurse the Doodlebug before bedtime), Rob and I were just so grateful for the night out!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I just want to enjoy some quiet days with the kids. I’m hoping we can work on our “Moses and God’s Chosen People” clothespin dolls for our Covenant Theology for Kids series. I’m finishing up some books I’m reading, too. I really just want to work on refocusing us on some great habits that I have lapsed in being consistent in applying while continuing to work prayerfully on becoming a more gentle wife and mother.