cheese, quilts, and reading

As you read in my last post, I wasn't feeling very well in the first part of the week. The second part of the week, my cold got better, but then I ate some cheese, and I've been feeling very sluggish because of it. This is what happens when I crave something that is "legal" on my diet, but still doesn't sit well with me. I take a few bites anyway - and then suffer.

For three days.

The question is: Will I ever learn?

The answer is: Probably not! :))

But in other (good!) news ... Next week is Thanksgiving, and not long after that, it'll be time to start getting things ready for Christmas! Ashlee and Daniel are coming and will be here three or four days. I'm so excited I might just wet my pants stay away from forbidden food that makes me feel awful.

We plan to go see the new Narnia movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader while they're here. Can you believe I've never read the Narnia series?

Biggest crime for a reader, I know. However - in celebration of the new movie coming out, I'm going to read as much of the series as possible. 

How 'bout you? Are you doing anything special to celebrate the Holiday Season? Leave a comment and tell us about it! Or - tell me what you're reading and whether you would recommend it. I'm always on the lookout for great books!

One more bit of good news before I go. I finally finished Jessie's Coca-Cola quilt!! This is the good part about being down with an illness. You tend to get a lot of hand sewing done. :)

I could have wrapped it up and given it to her for Christmas, but since it's been hanging on the stairwell for three years (cough, cough!), I didn't figure it would be much of a surprise.

Next post, I'll show you her reaction to (finally) getting the quilt.

 

P.S. I chose Coca-Cola because 1.) She likes Coke! And 2.) Her bedroom is decorated in Coca-Cola garb. Her bed cover is red, and her sheets are black. Her curtains are also black, so it goes well with what she's put together. Not sure how we coordinated so well ... I guess we're just awesome like that. 

*rolls eyes

home from vacation

We just returned from a last ditch attempt to have some fun before school starts. And guess what? It worked! :)

The number one reason we went? Family reunion. Family reunions are big news in my family, because ... well, because we all like to talk, and our family is huge. My grandmother was the oldest of nine children, and that makes for a lot of cousins, second cousins, aunts, uncles, and lots of people I've never seen before but am related to. Weird, I know.

In addition to the family reunion, we mainly just visited close family. I loved seeing my brothers and mom again. It's been about eight months since we were all able to sit down and have a real visit. A real visit, to me, consists of talking about serious issues, laughing, being goofy, and then taking a nap! I did all of the afore mentioned activities ... and I'm not sorry!

I have many really good pictures, but my computer screen is being funky with me, so I'll have to wait to post them for you. But you have my word that I will.

For now, my laundry is 90% done, I'm unpacked, my house is clean enough to be livable, and my groceries are bought, sorted, and put away. Now if I can just figure out how to get rid of the ants in my pants pantry, I'll be good! Lots of them ... baby ones, crawling around, mostly in my cracker boxes (of which I've thrown out or removed). I thought they were all gone once I did that, but every time I go back, there's more. I'm hoping someone out there sells ant traps!

Seriously ... is there such a thing?

Please say yes!

top summer faves

I'm in the slums today. I'm tired, and discouraged and I want to go back to bed. But when it's summer, I have a hard time staying there. It's warm out, even in the evenings. My schedule is less hectic. It's just a great time of year. So to cheer myself (and maybe you!) up today, I decided to create a list of things I appreciate about summer:

1. I've already said it, but warm weather has to be on the top of my list. I love the beauty of snow, but the cold temperatures nearly do me in. Sitting in the warm sunshine with a good book is surely something I will do in Heaven. A lot! I call it therapeutic thawing.
2. Baseball! No summer is complete until you've watched as many baseball games as you can cram in. These include Rockies games and Andrew's games. I'm a bit partial to Andrew's, because I get a front row seat, and I'm the pitcher's mom. I sometimes pretend that we're at a Rockies game, and Andrew is the next Ubaldo Jimenez, pitching a no hitter. But don't tell anyone. I'd be embarassed if people knew that.
3. Trips to the library. I'm taking one this afternoon, to find books for Andrew and I to read together for our summer reading program. Not that it's really a program, but the point is to keep reading, learning, and exploring. The fun part is that we won't have a fixed, rigid schedule like we do during the school year. Have I mentioned I loathe restraint of any kind?
4. With Peter away to boot camp, I am priveleged to to be spending a lot of time with Jessie. So far, we're watching favorite shows together, doing a little shopping, and projects like dressing her up and letting me practice my photography. She's a good sport, and thankfully, a photogenic good sport. And she keeps me company at Andrew's game, while Shaun mainly stays with Andrew to coach.
5. Road trips! So far, we've gone to Colorado Springs/Woodland Park for a baseball tournament. I'm hoping to make it over to the western slope also, to see my family and hometown.
6. Flowers, and all things living. Nothing better than looking out the window and seeing green life, birds soaring, and colorful flowers blowing in the breeze.
7. Time to regroup. This mainly has to do with homeschool, and reflecting on what worked and what didn't work, and figuring out how to best deal with those challenges. It also tends to be a time to rethink other aspects and goals. Normally, this is what New Years is all about. But for me, it happens in the summer.

I know I have more, but that library trip is calling my name, and I can't think of anything else at the moment. Instead, how about you tell me about your summers, and what it is that you enjoy most? I'd love to hear what you enjoy doing with your family, your spare time, and your .... spare money!!!

How Sweet The Sound

I realized this morning that I never did share this video with you!

It's just a little something that meant a lot to me on my trip to Georgia a month or so ago. We were walking along the River Walk in Savannah, and I was kind of stressed because we were in a hurry. I had limited time to see everything, and to purchase gifts for loved ones. And I had just spent the day site seeing by the seat of my pants - if you know what I mean.  Then out of the blue, I heard this angelic voice singing Amazing Grace. And it struck me as from God because it refocused my attention on the things that truly matter. It also made me very thankful that even with all the rotten politics going on in our country right now, a humble servant can still stand on the street and proclaim the grace of God.

For everyone to hear.

Maybe I'm being over dramatic about this. But out here in the west, you don't hear people singing on the streets, let alone multiple stanzas of it.

Just. Doesn't. Happen.

And if it did, I'm sure the song choice would not be anything that glorified God. I realize I was right smack in the center of the Bible Belt, and perhaps that's why it seemed normal to everyone around me. But it was truly a blessing to me in my moment of stress and weariness.

And isn't that just like God? To help us in our time of need?

Of course, time did not move along any quicker simply because of the resounding Amazing Grace. My external storm raged on. But my internal storm was calmed.

The quality of the video isn't superb (I was a little shy about walking up and sticking my camera in his face). Nevertheless, I hope the words will help calm whatever storm is raging within you today. May God bless you with His amazing grace!

~Brenda

Sneak Peek!

Here's a few pics from my trip to Georgia. I'm just going to give you a little teaser, until I get home (tomorrow!!). Wouldn't want to give all my news away in one post ya' know. ;)

I'll give ya' a hundred bucks if you can tell me where I've been. ;)

And yes, I had my fingers crossed when I said that.

See ya' soon!!!

~Brenda

Bon Voyage!!

Hello my Lovely Lurkers!!

Just wanted to say a farewell, as I am leaving the state for a week. Oh don't worry. Lady Laptop and I will still be joined at the hip. I'll be posting pics and all sorts of things this week, so all y'all stay tuned.

Meanwhile, head on over to this blog if you want to read a poem that I wrote. I didn't win the sought after prize of yet another book, but I did get an honorable mention for my short little witty thing I called a poem. ;)

Wish me luck, my friends. I've not been on an airplane since early 2,000. Celiac disease, gastroparesis, and 911 might make this a pretty interesting trip! ;)

Mo' later!

~Brenda