FOR TODAY - SATURDAY - JUNE 23 - 2012

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW. . .the sun is just now coming up and the birds are chirping. The cat is eating in peace because the puppy is in his crate snoring. 

I AM THINKING. . . about all the things I need to do before leaving town on Monday. Things I need to take care of for my 91 year old mother.  Laundry.  Packing.  Can I really get it all into a carry-on?  What about my essential oils?  My supplements? My books?  This might be a good time to seriously consider getting a kindle. . . . I always travel with books. 

I AM GRATEFUL. . . for continued rain.  No flooding; nothing nearly that drastic, but some nice afternoon thundershowers.  

IN THE KITCHEN . . . are lots of squash, zucchini, cantaloupes, watermelon, peppers, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, etc., etc., etc., the typical produce from a Texas summertime garden!

I AM GOING. . .to do laundry, pack, repack,tidy the house, make some salsa to use up some of that produce and to have here for hubby while I'm gone.

I AM READING . . .Bragg's book about apple cider vinegar.  Hubby and I took it in the 70s and I don't know why we stopped.  The stuff comes close to being miraculous!

I AM HOPING . . to stay calm while readying for my trip.

I AM HEARING . . . leftover raindrops falling from the trees onto the metal roof. And Atticus snoring.

AROUND THE HOUSE . . .are lots of pieces of Atticus' rope toys.  He shreds them and scatters them all around.

I AM WEARING . . . a blue nightshirt and white socks.  Yes - I'm stylin'!

I AM THINKING. . . that I'm like a little kid about traveling.  I get so excited that I can't sleep!


I AM WONDERING . . . if my hubby is going to try to take down that tall tree by himself.  He's 61 and still acts as if he's invincible.  There is a dead tree that has to be felled just right.  On one side is a fence.  On the other side is the electric line!  Trees on the other two sides.  It's gonna' be tricky, but I don't think that will keep by husband from trying!  :(


ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS. . . my home.  There is no place I'd rather be than at home.

SOMETHING YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME. . . even thought I get excited like a kids about taking a trip - I don't like traveling.  Home is where I prefer.  So no matter how exciting the trip may be; no matter how much I may like my traveling companion; no matter how much I want to go.  I prefer to be home.  

I really need to start working on that time/space continuum thing!  

ABOUT TODAY'S PHOTO. . . Atticus has been with us a little more than a month. Atticus, our dog with the eyebrows.  Our dog who eats watermelon, carrots, apples, zucchini, peppers, eggplant and pumpkin.  Oh - and cow poop!

And runs and fetches and plays keep-away as if his very life depends on it!

In one month he gained 8 pounds, now weighing 50#.  

How much bigger will he get?

1. 

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ 

For Today - Friday - June 15, 2012

Friday, June 15, 2012

Outside My Window. . .it is night and a thunderstorm just came through with some wind, thunder and what my grandpa called "wet rain" which is lightning accompanying the rain.  Lightening changes nitrogen in the air into a form plants can use, making a good, soaking rain all the better.

I Am Thinking. . .that I need to fix a cup of chamomile tea and go to bed soon.

I Am Grateful. . . that we've been blessed with 4 inches of rain this week.  Oh so different from this time last year when we were already in a drought.

In The Kitchen . . . are about 5 different types of squash; eggplants; green beans; peppers; onions; tomatoes; several different kinds of peppers; fresh corn; chard and freshly baked bread.  Some of the veggies are from the local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) but most of it came from a young friend who has been gardening with her grandpa.  And has a most generous heart!

I Am Going. . .to go to bed soon.  Last night I stayed up until after 3 a.m. and got up at 6 a.m.  I managed to have a productive day today, but dozed off at about 5:30 and "napped" until 8:30. . . this is not good!

I Am Reading . . .everything by Tara Dillard.  She is one of my favorite landscape designers and I have all her books and follow her blog, interacting with her and getting a great education in the process!

I Am Hoping . . to impart order and serenity into the Nature Room tomorrow.  We had electrical work done and it is in high-alert disarray in there!

I Am Hearing . . . the window A/C as it cools the house.

Around The House . . .is mainly orderliness and comfort...except for the Nature Room.

In the dining room is a huge dog crate with sleeping Atticus inside.  You can read about him here.  I really need to update information about him, but he is going to be one, super great dog!

I Am Wearing. . . white capri, turquoise 3/4 sleeve t-shirt & brown sandals.

I Am Thinking. . . that I really, really need to get up, put on the tea kettle, make my chamomile tea and go on to bed.

I Am Wondering . . . how I ended up with 544 followers on Pinterest!

One Of My Favorite Things. . . Simplicity.  And orderliness.  And calm, natural beauty.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I like starting things more than completing them

About Today's Photo. . . My husband taking a brief rest from laying a flagstone path.

TELL you what I like the best --

         'Long about knee-deep in June,

      'Bout the time strawberries melts

   On the vine, -- some afternoon

Like to jes' git out and rest,

       And not work at nothin' else!

James Whitcomb Riley

Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today - Wednesday - November 2, 2011

Outside My Window. . .it is dark; there are freshly planted white pansies; a baby calf is bawling, desperately missing his mama.

I Am Thinking. . .that I need to get up and start making pear sauce. I'll use the method found here.

I Am Grateful. . . that I've run into my daughter twice in two days - all very serendipitous. She always brightens my day.

In The Kitchen . . . is a 5 gallon bucket of pears given to us. . . that's why I need to get busy making pear sauce and maybe a pear pie.

I Am Going. . .to upset the cat when I move her from my denim jacket, which is on the bed. She looks so cute and picturesque. If it were daylight in here, I'd be taking pix of her. . . all so cozy and snug on the denim jacket w/black collar. In spite of that she must move or I'll be wearing that jacket all covered w/fur!

I Am Reading . . .everything by Dr. Caroline Leaf about how the brain works and affects (effects?) our health. Fascinating stuff.

I Am Hoping . . .that my youngest son has a successful move. He and his wife are moving into a ginormous house in Norway. Moving is such a chore and they both have serious health issues.

I Am Hearing . . .the bawling calf. He is really missing his mama!

Around The House . . .of course those pears I've mentioned several times.

40 paperwhite bulbs, waiting for me to plant them.

A $1 bamboo steamer I bought at Goodwill

and gobs of other stuff.

I Am Wearing. . . an oversized man's blue shirt. Blue flannel pajama bottoms and bare feet. It's suppose to get chilly tonight and I want to go barefooted one more time before socks/shoes are necessary!

I Am Thinking. . . that I wish I'd been blogging more. I've been very negligent indeed.

I Am Wondering . . . if my van will need any serious repairs. The "check engine" light keeps coming on so we're taking it to our favorite mechanic in the morning.

One Of My Favorite Things. . . the sound of silence! Not all the time, of course; there is a time for everything. But sometimes at the end of the day it is nice to enjoy the quietness.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I wear jeggings! Yep - in my 60s and wearing jeggings!

About Today's Photo. . . it speaks for itself!

For Today - Wednesday - August 24, 2011

Outside My Window. . .it is 79 degrees with straight-line winds, rain and cloud to ground lightning.

I Am Thinking. . .I'll shouldn't have swept, vacuumed and mopped the floors today! I didn't get to finish vacuuming though; the belt broke and I don't have another one and WalMart doesn't have any either :(

I Am Grateful . . .that several years ago we bought a generator so we have electricity to operate some of the more necessary things!

And oh so grateful that the birth certificate finally arrived to my son in Norway.

In The Kitchen . . . are lots of lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Yep - I'm doing the Master Cleanse. I'm on day 3 of the 10 day cleanse/fast. So far I've felt great!

I Am Going. . .to take a shower. Hubby rigged up an utility light in the bathroom!

I Am Reading . . .everything I can get my hands on by Bob Burg.

I Am Hoping . . .that the electricity soon comes back on. There are thousands, in 9 counties in east TX, without electricity.

I Am Hearing . . .the generator roaring! It is a lovely sound. For real - I'm not being sarcastic.

And thunder.

Around The House . . .are lots and lots of electrical cords! And flashlights and lanterns!

I Am Wearing. . . white shorts and blue chambray shirt.

I Am Thinking. . . I need to get into the tub while there is still some warm water!

I Am Wondering . . . what the impact of Hurricane Irene will be. The east coast doesn't normally have to deal with hurricanes.

One Of My Favorite Things. . . having air conditioning.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I mop floors barefoot; never wearing shoes. How else can I tell if they're really clean? Bare feet don't lie!

About Today's Photo. . .I think there is no explanation necessary!

For Today - Monday - August 22, 2011

Outside My Window. . . It is 79 degrees and sunny. Today's forecast is the same as its been for over 50 days: Over 100 degrees and no rain. Texas is in the worst heatwave and drought in over 100 years.

I Am Thinking. . .that most people are hypocritical and judgmental. Sorry - that's just how it appears to me right now.

I Am Grateful. . . that Tim, of Tim and Christiy fame, helped my hubby get the HUGE branch off the roof. We had a freak little storm come through Friday with lots of wind and very little rain. For a while the strong winds came from one side of the house and then they came from the other side. Looking at the damage and stuff that got blown around in the area we're thinking it was a little twister, though thankfully not a full-blown tornado.

We have a metal roof and when that branch came down it made quite a lot of noise! The dog and cat got very nervous and I went outside to make sure it hadn't come down on a power line. It has been so very dry and I wanted to make sure there were no sparks. And blessedly nothing like that happened, although we were without electricity for about 3 hours.

I guess that's another thing I'm grateful for: the generator and hubby who hooked up so we could have cool air!!!!!

In The Kitchen . . . is a refrigerator full of produce and here I am - deciding to go on a fast. I hope hubby will eat a lot of it!

I Am Going. . . into town to check GS post office box for mail and make bank deposits. When I get home I'm going to tidy and clean house.

I Am Reading . . .The Master Cleanse by Tom Woloshyn

I Am Hoping . . . that my youngest son very soon receives the Birth Certificate I mailed him. He needs it very badly!

I Am Hearing . . .The water distiller and the A/C humming.

Around The House . . . is paperwork to file; and a tray full of red potatoes. Don't ask!

I Am Wearing. . .khaki shorts and a blue shirt and I'm wearing my walking shoes! It was only 79 degrees when I woke up so I was able to take a walk this morning.

I Am Thinking . . . that I get to spend most of the day at home.

I Am Wondering . . .that some people either think way too highly of themselves or else they don't think at all. Maybe at the same time?

One Of My Favorite Things. . .being listened to instead of being interrupted.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I have a hammer toe.

About Today's Photo. . . my hubby who never "needs" help. Don't ask if he needs help because the answer is always "no". Offer to help. Just pitch in and help. But never, ever ask if he needs help!

And a shot of the tree branch in the yard. . . I didn't take any of it while on the roof.

Tim and hubby making great progress in the heat of the day.

Hubby was done with the yard pickup by 11:30. . .

BUT never turns down an offer to help - even if in the heat of the day.

God bless them both!

Participating in The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today - Saturday - July 9, 2011

Outside My Window. . . The sun is going down and a squirrel is visiting the "water hole", a hollow in the tree that holds water.  Birds and squirrels have been visiting. . . . and God-made waterer/bird bath!

I Am Thinking. . . I need to charge my camera batter and tidy up dining room and bedroom

I Am Grateful. . . that my hubby got to visit his dearest of guy friends, Aqeel.  They don't get to visit with one another nearly often enough. . . 

In The Kitchen . . . there are LOTS of Zipper peas in the fridge.  Hubby picked a bushel full and BL shelled them for free!

I Am Creating. . . a real appetite for peas!  LOL

I Am Going. . . to tidy up and go to bed early.

I Am Reading . . . everything at Dr. McDougall's website.

I Am Hoping . . .  . to wake up early enough to paint my toenails before getting ready for church in the morning.

I Am Hearing . . .A fan humming; a clock ticking and a car driving by.

Around The House . . . is the aroma of Young Living Essential Oils. . . . especially oregano.  I gave my daughter a Raindrop, and oregano is the prevalent smell, undertones of peppermint and Wintergreen and seven other oils!

I Am Wearing. . .khaki shorts and a blue shirt.  

I Am Thinking . . . that hubby should be home before much longer.

I Am Wondering . . . what caused daughter's back to start acting up again?  :(

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Good health!  Mine, my husband's, my mom's, my children and my grandchildren!  

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .I don't have a dish washer.  We wash dishes by hand and it doesn't really bother me.  There's only the two of us and when we have company there is always someone who volunteers to help do dishes. . . . and once we're done - we're done!  

About Today's Photo... Dishes in the drainer!

Morning Dishes, originally uploaded by Vera*Smith.

For Today - Sunday - July 3, 2011

Outside My Window. . . It is hot and sunny. The new hydrangeas and double impatiens are doing well. They are in deep shade and are surviving the heat wave.

I Am Thinking. . .many folks don't understand the meaning of Independence Day. You can read the Declaration of Independence here http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html. . . . Powerful words. Even more powerful ideas!

I Am Grateful. . . that my 90 year old mama spent the night with us last night.

In The Kitchen . . . it's all neat and tidy after making a big breakfast this morning. Mom is used to big breakfasts. Hubby is not. He was glad she was here!

I Am Creating. . . nada. I'm not feeling creative at all. No current projects I'm working on.

I Am Going. . . to take a Sunday afternoon nap.

I Am Reading . . . everything at Dr. McDougall's website.

I Am Hoping . . . .to relax this afternoon.

I Am Hearing . . .A fan humming and the TV in the background.

Around The House . . . is a sense of orderliness. Yes, floors need mopping and furniture needs dusting. . . but all is n order.

I Am Wearing. . . white capri pants and a red v-neck tee shirt. And bare feet.

I Am Thinking . . . how much I enjoy serendipity. Hubby and I went to the movie yesterday. We hadn't been to a movie since Christmas Day. And we sat down right in front of old friends whom we later had dinner with! What joy!

I Am Wondering . . . what news youngest son will get when he goes for doctor follow-up this week.

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Quiet Sunday afternoons!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .Aw - I don't think there is anything!

About Today's Photo... My90 year old mother's residence lost electricity yesterday. After 6 hours without air conditioning, hubby brought her home to spend the night with us. She did well. . . . considering we called her about 10 PM! She was already asleep, but was VERY hot. This is a picture of her loving on youngest son's cat. They really enjoyed each other's company.

photo take w/ce

ll phone, w/out flash