Lenten Daybook

For today… March 7, 2009

Outside my window… Rob and the kids are filling the pond with water -topping it off, you might say. These warmish days have resulted in some evaporation and our birds are so accustomed now to having a sip of water from the pond! And, we are so excited that we have been able to witness an explosion of brand new baby praying mantis from their egg sac just this morning! This is a post all unto itself and I have some awesome pictures, but I can hear little Peanut screeching with delight as more and more emerge from this egg sac (oothecas). I can’t wait to post pictures of this!

I am thankful for… a great thrift store around the corner! This week I found some lovely and unique pieces of white pottery for my white collection. It’s so fun collecting smallish treasures a few at a time.

From the kitchen… sloppy joes tonight…homemade! These are a big hit! I think I’ll roast some red potatoes as well and saute some green beans in garlic and butter!

I am wearing… a denim skirt, cream t-shirt with a peachy floral shirt layered over it, and my little brown ballet skechers. Should be perfect for a day of housecleaning!

I am reading… I confess, I’m behind on my reading, but I’ve bumped my prayer routine to include more daily meditations and reading and I am really enjoying that! I further confess that right now, I am really enjoying all the spring catalogs…so at night, when I gather my reading basket, I’ve been grabbing and perusing King Arthur’s Flour, Springhill, and Lee Valley…and so many other beautiful gardening catalogs with spring pouring off every page…not very Lenten focused of me. Shame on me. Resolve to read something meatier this week.

I am hearing… Sparkly complain that he has not yet finished cleaning his room and that he would rather be out playing baseball. The rest of the house is pretty quiet…Doodlebug’s asleep for her morning nap, and everyone else is outside…which means I better finish this up and get to work myself!

Looking to the rhythm of the liturgical year… I’ve got some plans for St. Patrick’s Feast Day I want to post, and the Novena to St. Joseph starts next week on the 11th.

We had a slow start to our Lent thanks to a virus that camped out here for over a week, and I don’t feel like I’ve really started us in the right direction yet. We’ve made our individual sacrifices, but our efforts seem poor otherwise and there’s really no focus. Book baskets are out, but I know it will be up to me to set a gentle rhythm and I intend to gather up a few loose ends and set my plans in motion this weekend. These are things Rob and I already talked about, but I…ahem…have been doing a bit too much spring catalog gazing and not enough focus on the season. Focus, Jen. Focus.

In our learning spaces… well, a delightful spring focused nature table is set up, and Peanut’s kinder-themes are in place for the season. I rearranged the learning room a bit. I did! Should I take some pictures? Are you curious? I’m dying to show you. It wasn’t a major room overhaul, just a shifting of some furniture, really. But, it’s always refreshing to gather things up, rethink their placement, look at the way the spring sun comes in through the windows, and make a few changes. A tidied room makes us all feel cheery! 🙂

Around the house… Today is housecleaning day. I am somewhat caught up, but I have a few things to scratch off my Lenten cleaning list, like a thorough, top to bottom, inside and out, roll it away from the wall and scour it, refrigerator cleaning. The garage needs a good sweeping. I need to vacuum. And, I’m dying to get my plantation blinds down and out on the driveway for a good scrubbing and line dry. So dusty!!! Sounds ambitious and I’m not sure the sun will be cooperating with me today – it’s rather overcast now. My blind cleaning may have to wait a weekend or two.

I will claim a moment for myself… hmmm…just not sure. I think instead of claiming a moment for myself, I will simply give of myself as cheerfully as possible this week. There is still some catching up to do around here, and I sense that I need to be more present to my husband this week – he’s facing some outside pressures and I just want to make this home, his family, as much an oasis as I can right now. And, I love doing that anyway! 🙂

A few plans for the rest of the week… I really long to plan a date night for Rob and I this week. What shall we do…..hmmmmm? I have a Netflix movie in hand, but it’s not very date-ish. I might see what I can get from Netflix and plan a fun meal for him this week – an after the kids are in bed meal, something he really loves! He’s so busy right now…I will have to be creative! Sounds like just my kind of challenge! I’m hoping to get some Lenten cleaning and scrubbing done this week! Doodlebug has a well baby check on Monday, and after that there’s Mass and Sweet Pea’s confirmation prep class. I need to go to market sometime…maybe this afternoon…maybe Monday?? Not sure. I have to finish up my plans for next week and take a look at my menu…so I better be going!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…

That big smile is for you, U.C.! Missing you bunches!

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