Sunday, November 02, 2014

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ 11.2.14

So it's Day 2 of NaBloPoMo, and I open my computer with twenty minutes until bedtime, having no idea what I'm going to write about. Off to a solid start.

I haven't done The Simple Woman's Daybook in over a year and a half, so I think we'll start the week with a little throwback... 


Outside my window...
darkness--but this morning was much more interesting. It wasn't even windy, but for some reason all the leaves on a huge tree outside our back door decided to let go all at once in a flurry of yellow, carpeting our patio and driveway. Strange and beautiful.

I am thinking... 
that I would rather be relaxing and reading right now, like my husband is next to me, than writing this post...but also that I'm super thankful to have a laptop now so I can be curled up in the big chair-and-a-half with him while I type.

I am thankful for... 
the above :) plus a hike with my guys this afternoon and sweet fellowship with friends over dinner both last night and tonight.

From the kitchen...
Steve made pumpkin pancakes for breakfast this morning, which sounded amazing but totally wasn't--we need a better recipe. The cinnamon cream syrup (a Pancake Pantry knockoff) was delicious. Tomorrow I need to cook a pork loin that's been in the freezer for almost a year, but I have no idea what to do with it. I also need to bake something for MOPS--probably something pumpkin-y, but I haven't decided. Scones? Bread? Muffins? Cookies?

I am wearing...
an old pair of jeans and a royal blue fleece sweatshirt with a white tank top underneath.

I am creating... 
a gallery wall for my dining room, after thinking/talking about it for five or six years.

I am going... 
to be getting two significant things in the mail soon: a final letter from the Compassion child I've sponsored for 14 years, and a packet of information about the new child we started sponsoring in her place. Love being a part of the ministry of Compassion International and excited to build a relationship with an older girl who's been waiting almost a year for a sponsor.

I am reading... 
Coming of Age in Mississippi, an autobiography about a woman involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960s; Jesus on Every Page; Extravagant Grace; North! Or Be Eaten (to the boys after school); The Boxcar Children (to Jude during lunch while Elijah's at school); Bittersweet. That's the short list of what I've had going recently. Bible-wise, I'm studying 1 John using Jen Wilkin's curriculum.

I am hoping... 
to start a Simeon Trust online course soon, after hearing a rave recommendation from a friend last night.

I am hearing... 
the exhaust fan in the bathroom and the white noise machine upstairs. We are big fans of white noise around here. Also, random bits of Taylor Swift songs running through my head after passing her on the trail at Warner Park this afternoon (for real!).

Around the house... 
y'all. I am afraid to say it out loud...but I have a solid prospect of AFTER photos this month!! My husband has been working hard. He measured and cut the rest of the oak treads for the stairs yesterday (half of them are already finished and installed). A little staining and varnishing, plus some nail-hole-filling and painting of the risers on my part, and we will be officially finished with the stairs, upstairs hallway and downstairs hallway!

One of my favorite things... 
the fact that my boys have terrible taste in candy, meaning they are content to enjoy Tootsie Rolls and Dum-Dums and Laffy Taffy while I eat all their chocolate. How anyone would choose a roll of Smarties over a Snickers is utterly beyond me.

A few plans for the rest of the week... 
my Monday starts with spending the morning at a friend's house, chatting and studying Genesis. Tuesday is our monthly MOPS meeting, with a friend and her girls coming over for lunch afterward. Wednesday night we host dinner (a weekly thing) with our small group. Thursday morning I volunteer at Elijah's school. And on Friday a couple of friends are coming over to finish watching the videos from The Gospel Coalition Women's Conference--we watched together live back in June, but didn't get to see any of the Sunday sessions. Lots of great stuff going on!

A picture thought I am sharing... 
my favorite superheroes: Spidey (Cowboy Edition) and Super E.

3 comments:

Danielle said...

Do you like The Boxcar Children? I never read them. Also, do you think the Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather books would be a good choice for my kids? You read them to your boys, yes? I was trying to think of a series we don't own to buy for a Christmas gift . . .

I hope you didn't make the pork loin yet because you've got to try my mom's recipe, sooo good!

Marinate meat in:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Rub into skin rosemary, thyme, garlic, red onion.
Roast meat at 325 degrees until thermometer says cooked.

Simple but delish!

Amy said...

The Wingfeather Saga for Christmas, YES! Definitely! Elijah didn't get into the audio versions when we tried to listen in the car, but he's enjoying it now that I'm reading to him in smaller chunks. And this is my third time through #2 and I'm enjoying it just as much.

Boxcar Children are OK. It's been a while since I read the first one, but I remember it being sweet. I can't think which other ones I've read (decades ago) besides Caboose Mystery, which I just read to Jude a month or so ago. He really enjoyed it; I thought it was slightly cheesy, pretty predictable, nothing special. A sweet little story; kept him interested and didn't bore me. But we've read better.

Briana Almengor said...

Totally jealous about the Simeon Trust Course. I really hope you get to take it. If so, let me know what you think.
Can't wait to see some "After" pics. I need some inspiration to keep going with house projects and just simple decorating we have to do around our place.