For Today - November 28, 2010 - Sunday

Outside My Window. . . It is dark. I usually blog in the morning but I'm waiting to do a wee bit of Cyber Monday shopping. I would have thought it would be 11 PM Central time. . . . but I think I'm wrong.

Anyway - it's dark outside & it's been cold. It seems to me we have an entirely too long summer and way too short autumn. Sometimes it seems as if we go straight from summer to winter!

I Am Thinking. . . that it's been a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with lots of family here.

The little cabin did just fine with a total of 13 folks here. That's not as many as we've had in the past, but since this was our first year here, I guess that's a good thing.

Setting up the buffet in the Nature Room was a good idea. . . . I think it worked out just fine.

Setting up a card table in the dining room wasn't such a good idea. With wing-backed chairs it was too crowded . . . . . & the chairs sat way too low. Next year we'll have tray tables for in there & move the card table to the living room.

But all-in-all it worked out fine. . . . with a delicious dinner consisting of fried turkey (great job, Simon!), ham, mashed potatoes, homemade mac/cheese, dressing, broccoli/rice casserole, Maxine's homemade bread!, green bean casserole, cranberries and, are you ready for this? A steady supply of HIPPIE TEA! I don't know all what is in it, but it seems that Hibiscus flowers are a main ingredient. My son & several grandchildren really like it! And of course DESSERTS! Lots of yummy desserts. Friends joined us in the evening & brought lots of desserts, too. I think I've had enough sweets for quite a while!

I Am Grateful. . . that my daughter & daughter-in-law convinced our friends to leave their twin boys with us for the evening. I was taking my mom back home when our friends from west Africa stopped by. Unfortunately they had to leave before I got back, but like I said, were convinced to leave the boys at our house! Oh - they are so much fun, although they pretty much wore out the 8 adults who watched them! LOL

In The Kitchen . . . lots of turkey, broth & soup! Come over - I'll share some with you!

I Am Creating. . . .a December calendar..

I Am Going. . . to bed as soon as I make my online purchase. This is late for me!

I Am Reading . . . nada.

I Am Hoping . . . .my daughter & her beloved dog, Promise both start feeling better. Daughter is run down w/a cold & sore throat & Promise had surgery for a twisted stomach. She is 13 & the best of companions & came through the surgery just fine. . . . I'm hoping she makes a quick & complete recovery.

I Am Hearing . . . the EdenPURE humming. It's a wonderful little heater. . . .

Around The House . . .it's just me. Hubby goes to work tomorrow so he's already in bed. It's just me & the dog in the computer room.

But speaking of my dog - - - - he ate some of my son's dog's dog food...dog food that was spilled onto the pea gravel path. Apparently my dog does NOT chew his food as he hurled up almost 1/2 cup of gravel! HE's the one who should have a twisted stomach!

I Am Wearing. . . black velour pants & a red turtleneck.

I Am Thinking . . .that the 10 foot, 3 inch church pew is the very best curbside find I've ever made!

I went to pick up mama Thanksgiving morning & bring her to our house. As I drove through town I saw it sitting on the curb, next to a giant trash can & two bags of trash: an old, long church pew! A perfectly wonderful church pew! A real treasure of a church pew. A really, really long church pew!

As soon as I got home, hubby went back into town to see if it would fit in our van = nope, not a chance. And not in any of the other vehicles that were already here. I called my daughter, but they had already left their house and were NOT in the truck.

Well, there was no use crying over it & I quickly got side-tracked with all the last minute preparations.

Later in the evening when I came back from taking mama back home, my son-in-law was leaving to go back to his house to get the truck to bring me the pew! Isn't he just the best? I didn't have to ask him again to do it - - - apparently he remembered on his own! Once he arrived in town with the truck my hubby & grandson joined him to help load it up.

That pew already has some very good memories to it. . . . a fabulous *find*, my daughter's fabulous hubby going after it for me & my hubby & grandson going out in the bad weather to help load it up! What a treasure!

I Am Wondering . . . if my daughter is getting a good night's sleep & if my coupon code will work 13 minutes from now!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Finding great stuff on the side of the road!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . It's November 28 & I heard "Frosty the Snowman" twice while at lunch today. I do not particularly care for that song. I especially don't care for it when it's still November.

About Today's Photo. . .My husband & one of the twins. Aren't they both adorable?

179/365 ~ The Two of Them, originally uploaded by Vera*Smith.

For Today - November 24, 2010 - Wednesday

Outside My Window. . . It is cool & breezy & the leaves of autumn are falling & swirling & piling up on the ground.  It s perfect.

I Am Thinking. . . I have never been this content in any home, at least not the day before Thanksgiving.  You see, the other house had flowers.  Lots of flowers.  Oh how I have mourned not having any perennials or roses at this house.  Something was blooming almost year round.  But usually nothing on Thanksgiving Day.  Why?  Because we most often had a frost w/in the Thanksgiving week & the beautiful gardens turned to mush.  They usually looked just horrible. 

But that's not a problem here because there are very blessed few flowers!  Just a scraggly lantana & ruellia.  I'm not certain if the azaleas & hydrangeas we planted survived the summer.  They sure don't look like they have!  NOTE TO SELF: Never do any landscaping until you've been in a place for at least one year!

The point being is that there is no fear of the flowers being ruined at Thanksgiving.

There is something better at this house than autumn flowers.  Oh yes - I've bought some mums & pansies - but the real stars of the show are the trees!  Sweet gums, winged oak,  sassafras & I don't know all what else!

I may miss the flowers again next summer . . . . but not at all this autumn.  The trees are enough.  They are more than enough.  They are beautiful.

I Am Grateful. . . that I took the time to go on a short walk this morning.  I had my clippers with me just in case the Yaupon Holly was still holding on to its bright red berries as I wanted to bring some more into the house to use in a table arrangement along w/some branches of colorful leaves.

As I said earlier the air was crisp & cool & breezy.  The side road next to our house is covered w/colorful leaves.  Covered!  Instead of a wintry day blanket of snow it's a blanket of leaves!  An old red pickup truck came by, kicking up the leaves behind it just like you see in a car commercial!

I was so enjoying the falling leaves & the breeze & the birds singing when  spied the holly & yes!, the red berries are still covering it!  I impulsively threw my arms out into the air & spun around!  Yes!  Like a child I spun around w/glee! 

And then it hit me . . . I haven't felt that sort of freedom since I was a little girl.  I ran to the holly w/my arms outstretched like a kid pretending to be an airplane!  Like seeing an old friend!

And I was overwhelmed with such contentment.  And joy.

Now don't get me wrong. . . . I am most often very contented: sleeping on my husband's chest; spending time w/my children & grandchildren; having God reveal something to me through His word.  Contentment is a regular part of my life.  But there are lots of ways to experience contentment.

At the old house I experienced it outdoors with my flowers & today I experienced it outdoors w/the trees & berries & leaves!  And the birds chirping!  It was like Disney movie, except so much better!  It was real!

Ah - I've been glowing ever since!  It's a very nice day.

From The Kitchen . . . pumpkin seeds roasting; & all the ingredients to make pecan tarts & broccoli/rice casserole.  Oh!  And 4 loaves of Maxine's fabulous sourdough bread!

I Am Creating. . . .an abundant life.  An abundant life filled with love.

I Am Going. . . . .to get off the computer & more progress on my to-do list.

I Am Reading . . . my to-do list! ;)

I Am Hoping . . . . to hold on to this sublime feeling.

I Am Hearing . . . the wind through the trees.  A car passing by.  And those acorns hitting the roof!

Around The House . . .Busy-ness.  The busy-ness of getting ready for a holiday.  Since Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday I don't mind it at all!

I Am Wearing. . . Capris, lightweight denim shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking . . .if I make it through my list I must go out & take picture this evening.  Before I know it all the leaves will be off the trees!

I Am Wondering . . . about nothing.  Not really.  All of life is wonder-ful.  So either I'm wondering about nothing.  Or else about everything!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Sublime contentment!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . My given middle name is Mae.

About Today's Photo. . .Isn't this a crazy way to make a to-do list?  Does yours look so "mappy"? 

I am happy to say that a great many of the jobs have been checked off the list!

For Today - November 17, 2010 - Wednesday

Please pray for the family of of Michael Loua.   A former student at Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, TX and dedicated missionary, Michael chose the service of his Lord over the things of this world. Sunday, November 14, he paid the ultimate price for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Pray that God will raise up others to take his place.

He leaves behind a wife, 8 months pregnant, & 3 children.  Please pray for them & all involved.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM7CslYfNGk

For Today - November 16, 2010 - Tuesday

Outside My Window. . . Cool!  Sunny!  Crisp leaves!  Lots of little acorns!

I Am Thinking. . . .I know how to make inexpensive meals.  For instance, when I bake potatoes, I bake extra & store in the refrigerator (not in the foil, though.  My friend told me not to).  Then when I need a quick meal I dice them, toss into iron skillet with a bit of heated olive oil or butter, add some minced onion & there you have it: homemade hash-browns!  Poach a couple of eggs & there you have it: an easy, peasy breakfast or as it will be tonight: breakfast for dinner!

I Am Grateful. . . that yesterday was a very lazy day for me.  The last several weeks have been go, go, go & it was nice to have a lazy day.

From The Kitchen . . . A teapot on the stove.  I love my  hot tea! 

I Am Creating. . . .a neat house . . . didn't do it yesterday.

I Am Going. . . . .to get mama & then we'll both get our hair cut.  I'm in the process of growing it out. . . . I can't stand it on my neck in the summer & keep it short. . . . in the winter I can't stand cold air on my neck & need it longer.  So. . . . it's at that awkward stage.

I Am Reading . . .Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple: God's Love Manifest in Molecules by Dr. David Stewart.

I Am Hoping . . . . to speed through the household chores.

I Am Hearing . . . clocks ticking & the Eden Pure humming, the washing machine spinning & acorns & branches falling on the metal roof.  I don't worry about it, though.  The metal is tough & the walls are even tougher.  I think I've mentioned that the walls appear to be petrified.  For real.  Isn't that something?

Around The House . . .A bed to make, dishes to put away & dog hair to eliminate!

I Am Wearing. . . Oh.  You don't want to know.  Really.  You don't.

I Am Thinking . . .today might be a good day to take pix of the beautiful foliage.

I Am Wondering . . . if I should take pix or clean house!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Cool, crisp, sunny days.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I used to love lots of color.  The other house had red walls, gold walls & gray walls.  This house has more neutral walls.  And I've removed most of the colored dishes from the open upper kitchen cabinets & replaced them with white ironstone.  There is still plenty of color - - - don't get me wrong!  Not at all minimalist or completely neutral.  I's just now I'd rather see the light & its effect on neutral surfaces.  Light & shadows are taking a more important role than color. 

About Today's Photo. . .There's nothing like the fragrance of fresh towels. . . . . Here - take a deep breath!

For Today - November 15, 2010 - Monday

Outside My Window. . . Cool, damp & cloudy. The lighting has been horrible for the last 3 days, with the sun peeking out very infrequently. Even though the autumn foliage is the best it has been in years. . . . I haven't taken any shots yet. I'm waiting for the sun & camera to have to have a convergence! :)

I Am Thinking. . . .My mama is happiest going to the doctor every 2 or 3 months. . . apparently just to have him tell her she's doing fine. She's 89 & gets around on her own, so I guess it's a plan that works for her!

I Am Grateful. . . for a very blessed Sunday. Yesterday was son-in-law's birthday. My daughter made his favorite, White Chili & a scrumptious cake! Friends were there to celebrate & we ate, David opened presents, we halfheartedly watched football & played a rousing game of Uno!

From The Kitchen . . . A couple of leftover baked potatoes, a pan of cornbread, some chili brought home from my daughter's. Supper is going to be easy tonight!

I Am Creating. . . .a plan for this week that includes a trip to mama's doctor.

I Am Going. . . . .to hang shutters, sweep/vacuum & do a bit of laundry.

I Am Reading . . .Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple: God's Love Manifest in Molecules by Dr. David Stewart.

I Am Hoping . . . . To edit a few photos.

I Am Hearing . . . clocks ticking & the Eden Pure humming.

Around The House . . .A tiny bit of tidying up. . . . main culprit being dog hairs!

I Am Wearing. . . Oh. My. Now you must remember - one of my most favorite things is to be able to stay home & not get dressed, etc. So - at 10:38 I'm still in quite a get-up. Plaid flannel sleep pants, a black turtleneck, gray sweatshirt, hot pink leg warmers (but you can't see them unless I pull up the pant legs!) & big & thick house socks! I am a sight! But I'm toasty warm & oh-so-very-comfortable!

I Am Thinking . . . I really want a pistol. And Concealed Handgun classes.

I Am Wondering . . . why, even though mama's test came back negative for an UTI, her doctor wrote her a prescription for an antibiotic? This really frustrates & irritates me. Antibiotics are wonderful life saving drugs when not misused!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Apparently staying home & looking completely tacky!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I am a huge Big Bang Theory fan. Those boys make me laugh!

About Today's Photo. . . Amanda & A# with the delicious Heat Bar Cake! I've tried adding some more pix, but blogger will post them only on their side, even though I've saved them right-side-up. If anyone can tell me how to correct this, I'll post them.

2010 11 14 018, originally uploaded by Vera*Smith.

For Today - November 10, 2010 - Wednesday

Outside My Window. . . bright sunshine, & very moderate temps, with a predicted high of 75 degrees. And those acorns are still falling from the trees, onto the metal roof.

I Am Thinking. . . .I've done a lot of blogging these last two days!

I Am Grateful. . . for a very blessed evening last night. Daughter & hubby, & Christy & hubby, both who need to update their blogs, came over for a lasagna dinner, which was followed up with me giving the girls Raindrop massages.

From The Kitchen . . . Leftover lasagna, and lots of organic fruit & veggies.

I Am Creating. . . .my November & December schedule/calendar. It fills up so fast!

I Am Going. . . . .to wash massage linens and towels.

I Am Reading . . This will stay the same for quite a long while . . . Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple: God's Love Manifest in Molecules by Dr. David Stewart. And "Healing, God's Forgotten Gift" for tomorrow's Bible study

I Am Hoping . . . . Mama's doctor will just write her a script for antibiotics.

I Am Hearing . . . two clocks ticking. . .

Around The House . . .The aroma of last night's massages.

I Am Wearing. . . That poor, pitiful chenille robe. It really now qualifies as a rag!

I Am Thinking . . . I need to continue on w/the laundry.

I Am Wondering . . . when her doctor will call?

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Autumn. Especially when it feels like autumn. But 75 is definitely much better than 95 or 105 degrees!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . I have NO family photos in our bedroom except for hubby & me.

About Today's Photo. ..

I don't drink coffee. It's tea for me: Earl Grey, Lemon Ginger, Jasmine. . . . always tea. . . . haven't drank coffee for months & months.

For Today - November 9, 2010 - Monday

SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK

Outside My Window. . . bright sunshine, & very moderate temps.  

Acorns falling onto the tin roof.  Oh my!  What wonderful noise!

I Am Thinking. . . .I am glad I'm through with today's errands: dry cleaning dropped off; loaf of bread bought to make garlic bread tonight; my bank deposit; Good Sam's bank deposit; Good Sam board meeting; Post Office visit; & picked up pattern flier from Rachel on way home; stopped by by the CPA's office AND made several phone calls.

I Am Grateful. . . for a very productive morning.

From The Kitchen . . . All the fixins' for a lasagna dinner tonight to celebrate Tim's birthday (since I wasn't here Friday when they all celebrated) & to celebrate his new position at one of the Baptist churches in our town.

I Am Creating. . . .order in my house.  I was out of town this past weekend, did lots of computer work yesterday, & want to catch up today.

I Am Going. . . . .finish laundry, tidy house, vacuum/sweep floors & make fabulous lasagna!

I Am Reading . . . Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple: God's Love Manifest in Molecules by Dr. David Stewart.  It is AMAZING! 

I Am Hoping . . . . to make quick progress w/the house!

I Am Hearing . . . acorns falling on the metal roof, a clock ticking & some type of heavy machinery.

Around The House . . .Lots of fresh produce.  Dog hair.  And an unmade bed.

I Am Wearing. . . Khaki cargo pants; turquoise 3/4 sleeve, V-neck t-shirt; brown suede-like jacket; wondrful scarf I bough ages ago from a thrift store: made in Italy...beautiful colors & soft as can be.

I Am Thinking . . I need to start browning veggies & ground beef for the lasagna sauce. 

I Am Wondering . . . if I have water.  Some of the noise I'm hearing is coming from across the street where there was a Water Dept truck.

One Of My Favorite Things. . .The house all opened up. . . . fresh air. . . . a breeze. . . . birds chirping. . . cattle mooing. . . . It's the best

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .I almost never set down my glasses where they can be stepped on or sat upon!  

About Today's Photo. . .An updated, albeit blurry, photo of me!

For Today - November 1, 2010 - Monday

SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK

Outside My Window. . .it is warm & muggy & foggy.

I Am Thinking. . . .I am the luckiest most blessed woman I know!

I Am Grateful. . . for a safe trip yesterday & the chance to visit w/both my hubby & sweetest of all daughters while on the road.

From The Kitchen . . . Cinnamon Toast. And dishes that need to be washed!

I Am Creating. . . . a life that I love, love, love!

I Am Going. . . . .to make a bank deposit, stop by Good Samaritan & take a check to John, to buy cases of oil to hand out to our clients.

I Am Reading . . . the bright pink booklet, explaining how to work the polls.

I Am Hoping . . . . to get the house into shape & start on my Project Display. I ended up not working on it at all this past weekend as hubby & I were asked to walk in a parade & toss poison candy to the children.

I Am Hearing . . . acorns falling on the metal roof & the washing machine spinning.

Around The House . . . Stuff. . . . just ordinary weekend stuff to be put away & tidy up. Nothing remarkably messy. . . .

I Am Wearing. . . Oh - you're not going to believe this! Turquoise 3/4 sleeved v-neck T, walking shoes AND red plaid flannel pajama pants! Yep - you heard right! I am SO stylin' this morning!

Hubby, daughter & I made a quick day-trip yesterday & I ended up spending the night @ DD's house. I didn't have pajamas w/me so I borrowed the plaid pajama pants. We had to hit the road very early this morning & I didn't feel like putting my khakis back on, so she drove me home in this outrageous combo!

I Am Thinking . . that the load of whites is probably ready to go into the dryer.

I Am Wondering . . . how productive today will be. I'm not a big fan of cloudy weather. Not when I need to get things done.

One Of My Favorite Things. . .A clean kitchen. And I was happy to bless my daughter & wash, dry & put away all her dishes & have her start her week w/a relatively clean kitchen.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .When it's hubby, daughter & myself traveling. . . . I let my daughter ride in the front with my husband. I use the excuse of her bad back. . . . but really it's because they don't get to spend as much time together as she & I do, & I know they especially enjoy the time together in the front!

About Today's Photo. . . Sweetest & youngest granddaughter in the prairie costume I made her. Isn't she adorable? This fantastic photo was taken by my son (on his cell phone, no less!) - edited by me.