A Good Day

It's been a good day today....a day filled with all the sounds of my family, and to me, that's a good day!

Here are some of the things that I've heard today:

The rush of the shower as children got clean.

The cooing of a content, joyful baby as she claps, dances, and plays the piano.

The impromptu, beautifully soft singing of girls at the table listening to Steven Curtis Chapman. Earnest voices raised in song is quite pleasing.

The fresh, sweet sounds of little women playing a very elaborate game of dolls.

The bright ring of the phone announcing that Daddy was calling.

The deep, smooth murmur of Russell's voice as he read to Sofia in the other room.

The low, dulcet tones of my Sofia as she leans into me, cozy and snuggled, and tells me she loves me.

The trilling of the oven timer telling me the apple pies are done.

What did you hear today?

This IS The Right Blog!

Hey, My blog changed her "clothes"!

I just got a wild hair and decided to see if I could do some cleaning up and switching around on here.....

And, on Melissa's blog, over at A Familiar Path, she talked about doing things that scared her, and doing one thing every day that scared you.

Trying new things scares me to death.

And I did it!!!

I figured it out all by myself...And that's big doin's for this fraidy-cat girl!

How do you like it?

My Sunday So Far

This was on Renata's blog, and since I think Renata is totally charming and really like her, I thought I would inject some charm into my blog by copying, really stealing, her recent post!

Outside my window........It's a bit chilly, misty, a touch of fog this morning.

I am thankful for......I have to pick just one thing?? Okay, what's been on my heart for the past couple of days is that I am incredibly thankful for the health of my children.

From the schoolroom......nothing today. It's Sunday, and my husband has declared Sundays to be a day of rest around here.

From the kitchen.....I've got loads of canning to do. Pickles and more salsa. I have apples to peel and can. I need to make bread. Husband says I'm not canning or making bread today. What to do??

I am wearing......My black cotton skirt, the shirt I slept in, and my purple hoodie. Hair's in a bun. I need a shower!

I am creating......Right now, I'm thinking about making up folding cards to start off a new scripture memory program. The folding card will sit in the middle of the dining room table with the scripture on it that we're learning. It's a great idea. Also, I really want to finish Russell's scrapbook. And I recently adapted a brownie recipe, really totally changed it, and my husband, who would rather have anything else than brownies, pronounced the brownies the best he's ever eaten. Now that's kudos!

I am going.......Nowhere today. But next month we have a highly anticipated day trip to Seattle planned, as well as a day trip to a waterfront town across the river with my folks. And I'm going to be my mom's guest at the wedding of a gal who works for her. It's supposed to be really fancy, what to wear???

I am reading.......A few different things right now, according to my mood. I'm reading These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon for about the 5th time. I hear the Lord when I read Jan Karon. I used to keep a notebook and pen next to me when I read her, because so many things she wrote would touch my heart, and even after reading each of her books about 5 times each, they still speak to me. I'm also reading Sally Clarkson's The Mission of Motherhood. I keep a highlighter nearby with this one. I read it when my kids were younger and I thought that I wanted to read it again to see if I gleaned anything different than the first go-round. I highly recommend Sally Clarkson. And, last but not least, I'm reading The Pearls of Lutra from the Redwall Series by Brian Jaques. He's a great writer too, more for fun, and since my son wanted to read the Redwall series, and I like to preview all of the stuff my kids read, I'm reading the series too, but I'm behind!

I am hoping.......To be moved out to my folks's property by the end of next month. I'm hoping to sell some things on eBay, if we can just get them listed. That way we'll have a bit of spending money for our day trips next month. I'm hoping that my husband doesn't implode, with all of the cares and concerns on his shoulders right now. I pray daily that God would give him very broad and strong shoulders to handle it all.

I am hearing.......The tick of the clock above the fireplace. Hannah clearing her throat in her bed. Licorice (the black lab) barking out back. The fans whirring in the rooms. My refrigerator and the sounds it makes. Lucie just got up, and I'm hearing her yawn and her tiny squeals.

Around the house.......Most everyone's still abed, except Sofia, Sara, and Lucie. There's straight, gleaming lines of innumerable empty canning jars on my dining room table, along with leaves we collected yesterday at a really great park next to my mom's espresso stand up north. There's a brand new, not even opened yet, box of Crayolas on the chalkboard rack. The violin is sitting on the coffee table in the living room. Sofia's bundled up in her Ducky Blankie on the couch. Sara's holding Lucie for me while I finish this post......Yes, it does look like I neglect my baby in favor of posting!

One of my favorite things......Mornings like this. The fog is increasing and I'm bundled up in a blankie too!

A few plans for the rest of the day........None. I'm a bit panicked about this! What will I do?? We'll see....

A picture of one of these thoughts.......Sorry. I know ya'll think posts are so boring without photos. So do I. But I just spent forever going through the pictures on this laptop and I couldn't find one to enhance this post. Plus, I can't figure out how to stagger my pictures throughout my posts. They always end up at the top of my posts. I can't seem to get them anywhere else. So there isn't a photo for one of my thoughts.

Friday Fricasee....

Woah.

That's a gross and unusual title for this post!

Sorry for the radio silence lately. Our laptop is NOT doing well and my Husband spent like two days on the phone with Apple people to try and fix it. It's not totally fixed yet.....bear with me!

Today I thought I'd be random and just post whatever is on my mind. It's like me! I'm random like that.

I'm wearing my first Maxi dress. Zoiks! It's a long one and it has straps and a plunging neckline, but I'm wearing a nursing tank with it. It zips up the side and is shirred in the back. Very comfie, for a 92 degree day! It's orange, blue and white. Why yes, I do look like an oversized art deco painting! Thank you for noticing!

Lucie is 7 months old now. She is waking up between like 2:30 and 3:30 AM these days. I am still convinced that God is still God at that hour. Even after less than 4 hours of sleep. I think she's cutting more teeth. That's what happens when you even LOOK like you're bragging to anyone who will listen that your baby sleeps through the night! Note to self: Don't brag!!

Everyone here is really growing up and looking way older than the last time I looked at them. Especially Samantha. She'll be 11 in three months and she looks way older. I can see shades of the woman that each of my girls will become. Yes, I do need a Kleenex. Or a whole box. Thank you.

Russell is trying diligently to get off the paint that is on my scraper that I use in my kitchen for everything, but that he used to scrape the paint off of our kitchen cupboards after paint remover was applied to them. It isn't looking like the paint is going to come off. And the cupboards? Still off. Still sitting out in the garage. Yep.

Potluck at a local park this weekend with lots of people we haven't seen in years. We went to church with lots of these people years ago, and we thought it would be a good idea to get together. It should be lots of fun. Me and Russell are going out to sit at the site of said potluck from 8:30 am to 11 am, to ensure no marauders steal the spot! Should be fun.

I think we're going to go to Seattle for a day with the whole family to celebrate our 16th anniversary, which is coming up soon! I'm so. So. SOOOOO excited! I have a desire to go to Pike Place Market and just spend the time with my family!

My heart aches for my Janie today. Yes. Even after 5 years. And no, I guess one doesn't just "get over it" after a while. It's like having a quilt that is in disrepair and you go to the fabric store and get new fabric. Then you tear out that block that is ruined and sew the new fabric in. The fabric you chose is beautiful but you always remember what that other fabric looked like. You never forget that other fabric, but the new fabric in your quilt becomes soft and familiar after many washings. Janie is woven carefully into the fabric of my life. I will never forget.

I'm waiting for my lunch to get done. I can't wait! It's cod in a foil packet (en papillote) cooked in the oven. I hope it's good, cause I'm absolutely starving! Drinking a Big Train, in the meantime.

My dear MIL's sister asked me if I had seen the movie "Julie and Julia" yet, owing to my love of cooking, and I haven't. I rarely see movies because I just don't think there are any out there that are worth the money. I've never gone to a movie by myself. I'm thinking of going to this movie. Has anyone out there seen it, and do you recommend it??

Okay, is that enough for you? I could go on......I hope everyone has a great weekend!