In Memory

In honor of the wonderful friend I lost:

We had this lovely rock engraved to mark the place of her burial. 

It was an inexpensive way to make a memorial to the pet we all loved.

Well, love...

I know, Tiny Love.  Me, too.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY:  August 17, 2010


Outside my window...birds are singing.  My windows are open, and I can smell a hint of fall on the breeze. 

I am thinking...about how strange it will be to wake up in my own home again.

I am thankful for...the hardest two years of my life...2009 and 2010.  God has taught me some difficult and amazing lessons that will remind me to be more like Jesus.  It wasn't fun, but praise God for it.

From the learning rooms...I am excited to begin school in earnest the first week in September.  We are going to be starting American history!

From the kitchen...tonight there will be steaks on the grill for the "menfolk."  The Husband and Brother will not have to ask THE question:  "Is there meat in this?"

I am wearing...the usual. 

I am creating...a home.  I went to my house yesterday, and while I cleaned my bathroom I prayed that God would keep me this grateful for a home to clean.  I just have an overwhelming sense of joy when I walk into my house, though just months ago I could not go there for the sadness that filled my heart.

I am going...to miss Brother.

I am reading...the Bible.  And other, less important things.

I am hoping...that the next two months pass quickly for Mom and Dad (and Brother), so that we can all be together again.  And I hope that Brother doesn't burn the house down.

I am hearing...silence.  I am NOT hearing the school bus driving by, though today is the first day of school in our area.  That sound is another thing I miss about living in my house.  I miss the little, insignificant predictabilities of town life.

Around the house...boxes.  Laundry.  Broken air conditioning.  No Kitty Friend :(

One of my favorite things...coffee!  It has fueled my early mornings, soothed my soul, and been enjoyed around the table with family and friends.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Packing, cleaning, visiting with a dear friend that I haven't seen all summer, praying, and getting up crazy early to workout with DVDs filled with perky instructors with strange colloquialisms ("Burn butter?"  Seriously?  So, what do vegans burn?)

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...Brother, who I see every morning doing exactly this at the kitchen table.  How I will miss your profound thoughts, overuse of condiments, and propensity to calling me a homosexual.  I hope you will come to town and have coffee with me. 

For more Simple Women, visit here.

Goodbye, My Friend.

Today, I said goodbye to my Kitty Friend.  We have been friends for almost thirteen years.  Kitty snuggled me through:

~ Many sleepless nights, when I was eighteen, newly married, and my husband was working midnights.  I had never even slept in my own room as a child, so I was scared and lonely.  She was a great comfort to me.

~ A near-collapse of that same new marriage.

We moved out together. 

Then we moved back in together.

~ Several years of repairing said marriage.

~ The birth of our children, and my subsequent depression after the first one. 

What a wonderful treasure was her company through my many tears.

~ Moving, several times.

~ Many cold winter evenings in front of the fireplace, her favorite spot.

~ Through the last two years, when nothing felt familiar, she was. 

Thank you, my Friend, for all the memories, cuddles, and the puddles. 

I have loved you so.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY:  August 10, 2010


Outside my window...there is sun, heat, and condensation on the windows.  It is going to be hot today!

I am thinking...about my Kitty Friend, who is having surgery today. 

I am thankful for...wonderful friends and family, who love me enough to care about my cat. 

From the learning rooms...Curlyjo learned Roman Numerals in one lesson.  I was so impressed.   Tiny Love has discovered that adding can be fun, so she wants to do an addition worksheet at odd times...like bedtime.
From the kitchen...I am making Garden Minestrone today, because soup is good food, even when it is over a hundred degrees outside.

I am wearing...my glasses.  It promises to be an emotional day, and crying dries out my contacts.  It is good to plan ahead. 

I am creating...a beautiful apron.  I began this sewing project three years ago, and I have decided to finish what I started.

I am going...to the vet to visit my Friend, to have coffee with a friend, and to Walgreens to get free stuff with coupons.

I am reading...too many books at the same time.  I am also reading 1 Samuel for my Bible study.

I am hoping...for good news for Brother about his job situation.  I am also hoping that my sisters, brother-in-law, and niece are doing well in El Salvador, digging a well and telling others about Jesus.

I am hearing...quiet.  Outside it is quiet.  Inside me, I wish there was more quiet.

Around the house...I am about to see more boxes.  I will begin packing this week, as the big move back to our own house is coming soon.

One of my favorite things...is the Bible, which gave me so much encouragement this morning.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  attempting to find time in my schedule to get to the gym.  The treadmill is my stress management apparatus, and we need some time together.  I will also be keeping my nephew, The Roo, for a couple of days this week.  I am very happy to get to see him!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...my Friend, when she was happy, healthy and taking a nap in her favorite position.  I hope she will be again soon.

Menu Plan Monday...and a Request

When I do a menu plan, I almost always end up improvising at some point in the week.  Things just never go quite as planned!  So, I have decided to tweak the way that I menu plan a little.  I made a list of five meals (leaving one night for leftovers and one for simple food), and I grocery shopped accordingly.  Now I have a list of meals that I can make with what I have on hand this week. 

Dinners:
1.  Hamburgers/veggie burgers on whole wheat buns, oven fries, zucchini
2.  Quiche, bread, and fruit
3.  Chicken wreath and salad
4.  Crock pot BBQ chicken, macaroni and cheese, frozen or fresh veggie
5.  Garden Minestrone and Whole Wheat Beer Bread

Other things to make this week (for breakfast/lunch/snacks):
1.  High Protein Whole Wheat Bread (also from the More with Less cookbook--it is amazing!)
2.  Granola Bars
3.  Tuna salad

If you don't have a copy of the More with Less cookbook, I highly recommend it and its philosophy on cooking and eating.

And now, on a more somber note, I have a request.  I don't know what the rules are about praying for pets, but if you could keep my Kitty Friend in your thoughts, I would appreciate it greatly. 

She is very ill, on IV fluids, waiting to gather enough strength for surgery.  They think she may have a tumor in her abdomen, and she has lost thirty percent of her body weight in just two weeks.  She is weak, and I am not sure she will do well in surgery, or that they will be able to do anything for her.  She has been my friend for thirteen years, and my heart is just breaking that it may be time to let her go.  Remember us today.  I am aware that she is an animal, not a person, but I think God cares about ALL of my tears, and there have been many today from my beloved Kitty Friend.  If nothing else, I pray He will comfort me...and her.

Stuff I Like

I love it when I get a photo that displays a myriad of things I love...and I love to use a sentence that enables me to say "myriad."  In this picture, I love:

1.  The Roo, my nephew
2.  The Kitty Friend
3.  Popcorn (in the red bowl)
4.  My ugly pink chair (it is just the right height for me)
5.  Fleece blankets
6.  Books...of course

"We Are Having Our Time..."

They have "their time" every day, just to catch up and reconnect after a long day at work.

He is single. 

Vacation Organization

Poetry, right?

I have been using an incredible guide for my vacation packing!  You MUST check out this site if you are:

1.  OCD (check).

2.  Terrified of forgetting something (check).

3.  Not sure what to take on vacation, because you have never been on one with kids (check).

4.  In charge of packing for everyone (check).

5.  Leaving a teenage boy at your house to take care of things for a week (check).

Go here:  http://www.flylady.net/

I have made list for everyone, including Brother.  His list includes items such as:

~ Miss sister terribly.

~ Flush the toilet.

~ Mow the grass sometime before it qualifies for the "Prairie Restoration" program.

~ Call your mother daily, hourly if necessary.

~ Unless it is for Tupperware, you can't have a party.

~ Do not neglect the care of the Kitty Friend's litter box, or fear retaliation in the form of urination.

Yes, I am thorough. 

Yes, he will be annoyed.

These are not new concepts.

Without a list of things to focus on, he might do this:

or this:

or this:

When he should be doing this:

All things aside, I am grateful that he will be here to keep up with things while we are gone.   I really do like him very much, even though he does things like this when I leave my camera out on my desk:

And really, he isn't too far off...I am incredibly:

1 a : happily excited : merry b : keenly alive and exuberant : having or inducing high spirits

2 a : bright, lively b : brilliant in color

(source)

So?  What is his point?

Soooooo Thirsty!

This hot weather seems to be getting to everyone.

Nothing a tall glass of cold water can't fix!

I set my water glass on the landing of the stairs, walked away to get a book for Tiny Love, and Kitty Friend decided to help herself. 

It was a tight fit, so she decided to try the "hand-to-mouth" method instead.

I guess it is kind of a clean/hydrate combo. 

Once we were all done admiring how cute (and kinda gross) this was, I led Kitty Friend to her water bowl, where I poured her the rest of the water. 

She turned up her nose and walked away.

She thinks she is people. 

I don't know where she gets this idea :)