The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ 11.10.09

Haven't done one of these since September! As always, if you'd like to play along, credit goes to The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Outside my window...
box elder bugs. Three of them crawling across the glass at the moment. They have begun their annual invasion of our back patio--though there are much, much fewer of than last year, which makes me think my ruthless killing of the eggs in the spring was effective. Yesssss.

I am thinking...
about natural living, going green, simplifying, avoiding toxins, etc. Wondering where the balance is between being an informed, educated consumer and living in fear...wanting to make wise choices for my family without spending a disproportionate amount of time or mental energy researching and pursuing these things. Considering buying some Soap Nuts.

I am thankful for...
my best friend Julie and her husband, Mike, who made the long drive down here from Ohio to visit us over the weekend. I'm also thankful for Mike's servanthood in 1) helping Steve hang drywall upstairs, and 2) keeping all three boys (two were sleeping the whole time) so Julie and I could go for a long, stroller-free, uninterrupted-conversation walk yesterday morning before they left!

From the kitchen...
trying to resist eating too many pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I made them Sunday night, and they get tastier after a day or two.

I've also got an entire crockpot full of sweet potato casserole in the fridge that I have no idea what to do with. I made it last night for Steve to take to work today for a staff potluck...and it turned out he didn't go today (see below).

I am wearing...
a Bethany Bible College t-shirt I got when I traveled for IWU several summers ago and met up with BBC teams, with an old favorite pair of jeans that now have a giant hole in the knee :(

I am creating...
nothing, still! I have almost used up the giant stash of stamped cards I made last fall--so I need to get cracking on a new stash, especially if I am going to give variety packs away as Christmas gifts like I have in the past. I also need to work on a wedding gift for a girl at church who's getting married in a few weeks. No details, just in case she reads this blog :)

I am going...
to take a walk with Elijah in this GORGEOUS weather--I just can't get over how wonderful the temperature has been the last couple of weeks!--and to talk on the phone with my mentor, Diane, later this afternoon, yippee!

I am reading...
Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller; Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp; When Helping Hurts by Corbett & Fikkert. I'm hoping that Elijah's babysitter on Thursday will be bringing me a copy of Andrew Peterson's On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness to borrow. Oops, I guess that's the next question :)

I am hoping...
to find a productive, meaningful way to use all the time I have been carving out to work on my class. It's all over now, but since I know I can find several hours in the week to listen to lectures, read and work, I want to keep setting aside that time to accomplish other projects and not just absorb it into my week and waste it. I'm also hoping to take another class from CCEF eventually!

I am hearing...
absolutely nothing...for whatever reason I never think to turn music on while I'm at the computer.

Around the house...
my poor husband is upstairs sleeping. The only thing worse than working an odd shift is working first shift AND third shift in the same day! He got home from work around 4:30 yesterday...only to get a phone call at 9:30 last night and, after an hour of troubleshooting from home, end up going back in. He didn't get home until 7:45 this morning.

One of my favorite things...
reading Sandra Boynton's Snuggle Puppy with Elijah, who supplies the "Oooo"s and turns to give me a "Kiss!" at each prompt :)

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Tomorrow's playdate is going to be downtown, where we'll catch the Veteran's Day parade and hit up the Frist while it's free. I've never been there, so that should be interesting. Then on Thursday, I get to see one of my very dearest friends from college! Pamela is in the U.S. Army Field Band Soldiers' Chorus, and they are on tour in Nashville this week! So I'm planning to go to her concert on Thursday night and then bring her home with me to spend the night here. Can't wait to see her and catch up. And Friday, I'm going to a baby shower.

A picture thought I am sharing...

Elijah and his buddy Joel (Julie's older son--they were born two days apart) in the bathtub (click to see the expressions on their faces). One of the few times all weekend that they weren't fighting. We're hoping someday they will be great friends...but at this point they're both two-year-olds who don't particularly like to share :)