Late Friday afternoon

I dunno.  Just like the photo background of the ladder.  Feeling slightly summertime-ish, and that makes me think of projects around the house, which in turn makes me happy.  Will probably change it in a day or so, but today it's fun.  (love changing stuff!)

So thankful deep in my heart that Gary got approval on a build job in the shop today.  You can probably hear me sigh way over where you are, can't you?  Work has been SO slow for so long, but is picking ever so slightly.  It takes so little to keep us afloat, and when work comes in, we're able to manage on less than you'd imagine.  God remains faithful even as we learn everyday to keep our faces tucked up against His.  Easy to get too busy and distracted, but you can't let your guard down EVER.

Still thinking about one of my brothers-in-law who anticipates the world ending tomorrow.  He weighs heavily on our hearts as well.  Not a pleasant situation.  Finding it a bit unbelievable that oldest daughter has a pen-pal whose family is buying into the story as well.  We'll see who's sitting up straight come Sunday, won't we?  It's easy to get anxious when you read about this stuff.  Very strange.

And speaking of strange...watched part of that show about extreme couponing the other night and my mouth was hanging open at the amount of food/products these women accumulate.  My goodness.  While I felt slight twinges of envy, I was mostly horrified.  Besides, who has the time?  Seems these women (some of them) spend almost 40 hours/week in hunting through, printing out and clipping coupons.  The way I figure it, something is suffering with this obsessive behavior.  It'd have to be, don't you think?  While I realize they have the best interests of their families in mind, seems a support group would be needed.

Now time to tidy up the joint.  A restful weekend would be nice, and with work in, my spirits can unwind a bit.  Take care.

Mid-week and trying for calm, cool and collected

Book reading now a bit overly apocalyptic (though very entertaining), so need to do boring housewifely sorts of things---like turn off brain and putter.  Seems to be happening more and more often---my need to turn off the world and relax.  So easy for me to go into overdrive, being over-busy and doing too much. 

Will go to the grocery store later on, maybe think about making a cake (always a good idea), and with my mom doing her own grocery shopping today for the first time since January, a bit of pressure is off.  We talked on the phone this morning (it was her idea to go by herself), and I could tell she sounded a bit antsy about it.  But still, she's got to do things, and I told her to holler if she gets stuck.  We're nearby, so that's no big deal.

So, off to do what I do (whatever that is), and attempt to have a spring in my step at the same time.  Don't want to read the news, of catastrophes or anything that pulls me out of my comfort zone.  Sometimes we need to be an ostrich, don't you think?

Oh, and about that swarm of bees we had outside the window yesterday---they decided to cozy up inside our fan sprinkler, on the ground by the outside faucet.  Hmmm.  Not ideal, but I'm not a bee, so really can't comment.  Interesting, but a bit odd.

Enjoy your day. :)

(photo from unknown source)

Blah, blah, blah

Two highlights to my day....my very dearest friend, Tina, surprised me and has sent me a Robert Benson book, which makes me feel very special, so I have that to look forward to.  AND, we have a swarm of honey bees in a bush outside the kitchen windows. Oldest daughter caught a video of it on her camera so Gary can see it when he gets home.  So cool.

Besides that, not much going on.  I'm very weary of homeschooling at this juncture and will be dee-lighted when this month is over.  I'm just plain tired, you know?  Just plain tired.

I want to garden in the front yard, but our neighbors are continually sitting out on their porch----and there are so many of them (now I sound mean), and see everything that goes on over here.  I just want to putter alone, without an audience.  It's just idle watching on their part I know, but still...sort of irritating.  Don't mean to sound un-neighborly, but it's just the way I feel.  Yeah, we get along, but with life being crowded inside our house, it gets old that it's crowded outside as well.  So shoot me.

Still enjoying the cool weather.  It's almost too chilly to have many windows up.  How's that for weather in the South?  So sweet.

Need to get motivated to do something.  But probably not.  Anything would probably be a good idea.  Going to bed earlier would be even brighter.  But guess I can't claim to be the smartest kid on the block, now, can I? :)

Anyway, one more thing, for some visual fun for any Susan Branch fans, go to her YouTube page here.  Such prettiness.  Enjoy!

Just pokin' along here

Drinking a Zero, thinking sad thoughts about those two bags of lentils that'll be tonight's dinner (which hardly anyone here salivates over), and idly lusting after a new book that came in the mail this morning to review.  I have some housewifely things to do this afternoon before I can actually get into the book, and it's all I can do to resist the urge to read.  For anyone who's asking the title, it's called 'The Seraph Seal' and is by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner.  Amazon has a few pages you can browse, and it's well worth it.  I'm thinking it's going to be a winner already.

And the weather---my goodness---it's only 63 degrees now, which is actually cold for here at this time of year.  When the flooding was at its height, the temperatures were more around 90 or so.  Least it seemed so.

I was behind two men in line at the drugstore earlier today and one said he was tired of the cold weather.  What?  This is such a pleasant change from what we're used to, and the heat will be here soon enough.  Give it a month (or less) and we'll be looking backward longingly for these days.

Well, it's now after 4pm and I have nothing to show for myself.  Must do something worthy of my existence for today.  According to one of my brothers-in-law, I have just 5 days before the Lord's return, so must get busy (and yes, read sarcasm from me).

Take care.

Listening

Had a casual-while-I-was-cooking-dinner talk with fourth son tonight.  He's the serious writer and as a result is one who's got a slight tendency to melancholy at times, though thankfully very rarely.  He's more sanguine ordinarily, but has spells when he worries and thinks overmuch.  Well, he needed to talk about how he was worried about things that need such constant prayer.  He was frustrated and felt loaded with more than he was able to manage.  Thankfully, I think I was able to shift the pressure over to my shoulders (then flipped it over to the Lord) so that he'd feel some relief.  I mean, goodness, he's only 17 and shouldn't be weighted down with *real* life yet, I don't think.

We got to chat more this evening in the living room with the pugs while everyone was busy elsewhere.  He was lighthearted again, laughing and seeming at ease.  Then he left and fifth son came in (he's 15), and he just needed to share as well, though had no worries.  This son is the youngest of the boys and as a result is treated like the baby sometimes (well if you disregard the little girls).  He gets this sweet sound to his voice when he's the center of attention and reminds me of a little intellectual.  Truly, he's one of the brightest ones here and I sometimes get scared that I can't fill his mind like I want to.  Anyway, it was chat night here with me and the boys who are at home (the other 3 are at work tonight).  It's all good.

It was nice to talk to just them, and the girls cooperated with oldest daughter renting the Justin Bieber video on iTunes for the girls.  And as a tribute (or 'cause I'm such a suckah) am listening to Bieber with my player. He is pretty good. :)  But then again, I always have been boy crazy.

I can get so self-absorbed with my own frets that I forget that one of my first jobs here is to not just be present, but to actually trouble myself to listen.  We all need that, me included, but usually I'll get an audience somehow.  They're a bit more polite about it.  I mean, really.  There are 8 of them---so that shoving through the noise in order to get heard is sometimes nearly impossible.

A sweet day and one that leaves me feeling full.  Thinking more loose edges got tidied up than usual.

'Desert Gift' by Sally John

Sally John's newest book, 'Desert Gift', is such a treat.  I've enjoyed other books of hers (though I've not read them all yet), and I'll add this book to that pile of favorites.  In this one she has two specific main characters---one being a woman who has a very popular Christian talk show and who's just written a book to go along with her marriage counseling focus---and her husband has always supported her work, yet in the opening pages tells her out of the blue that he's had enough, and enough in a big, permanent-sounding way.  The book goes into great detail about how each of them handles this news (I was at first afraid she'd tell the story in just the wife's voice, but was pleased to see into his head as well), and even the husband is surprised at himself, finally speaking out about things that have bothered him for years, but that he's not voiced.

I found it interesting that many of the women in the book are extremely strong-minded and, to my thinking, very un-likable, but my goodness, very believable.  This includes the main character, Jill, and both her mother and mother-in-law.  All of them are over the top in manipulating the people they love.  And if you think about it, women do tend to control their families and even sometimes their close friends by their tendencies to push.   The men in the story are more appealing and maybe it's because they don't talk so much, and don't meddle.  The message is clear as you read it---the way the women have managed their husbands has had a direct result in how the husbands relate to their wives, yet some handle it more gracefully than others.  I'd think that this book could certainly be a wake-up call to wives who see themselves in these characters.  Not a pleasant reality at all, and I believe all wives have at one time or another attempted to mold our husbands into something they're not. 

Many thanks, Sally John, for another wonderful book.  I do appreciate it. :)

( this book was received free to review from tyndale publishers)

'Secrets of the Vine for Women' by Darlene Marie Wilkinson

'Secrets of the Vine for Women' by Darlene Marie Wilkinson is the female version of 'Secrets of the Vine' which came out about ten years ago, and was written by her husband, Bruce.  She draws on the experiences of women in particular to draw in the reader, and displays a gentleness in how she approaches her topics.  A detailed Study Guide is in the back of the book, going chapter by chapter over valid questions that the reader might ask.  It really is very suitable as a women's Bible study.

I just wish it wasn't such a mirror image of 'Secrets of the Vine' and had more of an original feel to it.  But still, for women who haven't read that one, they'll enjoy Mrs. Wilkinson's take on the same topic.

(this book was provided free for me to review from multnomah publishers)