Hosted by Peggy @ The Simple Woman

Outside My Window….I see a backyard that is going to become Miss Sam’s Physical Education curriculum and Earth Science curriculum this week. I think we will start with ‘poop patrol’ and then tackle all the oranges that the hard freeze sent crashing down to the ground. Followed by:

• raking leaves
• bagging leaves
• filling in the enormous holes that ‘Mutt and Jeff’ delight in digging
• creating a brick border in the front of the screened in porch
• adding mulch and creating a ‘butterfly’ garden

I am thankful….for cyber friends like Island Rider. I was blessed to receive this beautiful glass pendant made especially by her for Christmas:

I was unable to get the lighting just right so that it would accent the amazing darker irridescent color on the top. However, as beautiful as her gift is it did not compare to the note that Island Rider sent with her magnificent pendant:

Dear Danielle,

I just wanted to send you something homemade because your art is so beautiful and helps remind me of God’s creation. I hope that my art will do the same.

This piece of glass reminds me of 1 Corinthians 13:12:

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV)

because it is both cloudy and reflective. We cannot see clearly through it to the color beneath, just like sometimes we cannot understand why things happen the way they do or why God works as He does.

But it also reflects the light just as we see God at work in different, though sometimes quiet ways.

Your art is a great reminder of Our Creator. Isn’t it amazing that the same One who holds the stars holds us as well?

Amen! Thank You seems too little for such a big gift.

From the kitchen…aw gee….not much going on there. I really want to try this recipe this week even though the colder weather has FINALLY left us.

I am creating…nothing at the moment. I am itching to place an order for more cards to work on increasing ‘product inventory’ but I have yet to work with what I received from the last order.

From the learning rooms…we have FINALLY gotten our homeschool groove!!! It has taken almost exactly a year but we got it going on now. Even though the revised curriculum has resulted in  A LOT more work for Miss Sam, she loves it.

I am going…to ponder these words that I read yesterday in ‘Simple Abundance’:

Life never calms down long enough for us to wait until tomorrow to start living the lives we deserve. Life is always movement, always change, always unforeseen circumstances. There will always be something trying to grab your attention.

Stop waiting for life to become perfect and start working with what we’ve got….We can accept, bless, give thanks, and get going….call forth the riches from our everyday life…scatter joy.

I really enjoy this book and reading it every day after I read my scripture for the day. One thing I do with this book however, is rather than buy into the ‘new age’ aspect of it, I fill the pages with scripture that support exactly what is being written.

The following is an excerpt from today’s writing:

Give yourself the gift of one hour a day to journey within. You need enough breathing space to allow your heart to ponder what is precious.

Earlier last year I began a morning ritual that blesses me daily. I am an early riser, whether I have things on my appointment book or not. So between 5:00 and 7:00 you can find me sitting on the couch reading through and studying life application possibilities in the New Testament (I am in Hebrews). Once I spend time saying hello to my God, I like to pick up Simple Abundance.

These are the minutes that are just for me and Sarah Ban Breathnach is correct:

If you go deep enough, often enough, something good is bound to come back to you.

 I am reading…Blood Memory by Greg Iles. I really enjoy his books. So far I have read two other books by Greg: True Evil (which was unbelievable – a real page turner) and  The Quiet Game which was also a real page turner. I’ll be ready to read a good classic once I finish Blood Memory – I’ll need to relax!

I am hoping…to work on some photo cards – so I can place an order next week without feeling guilty about not completing the ones I already have on hand (grin).

Around the house…I’m feeling pretty good about the condition of our home this morning. I got some things on the longstanding ‘to do’ list done this past week – some painting on the front hall ‘pony’ wall where about six months ago I tore down the banister poles….painting the baseboards in the front hall….etc….etc….

One of My Favorite Things…is listening to the Bob and Sheri radio show while working on my blog posts.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

• working on re-creating a sense of order in our backyard
• counseling and teaching
• watching Miss Sam get her braces off!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…

Today’s ‘Around the Square‘: is Sandra from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. I love her creativity and her recipes! I also love hearing how a ‘present day’ military wife copes with the challenges of being married to a man who is committed to serving our country. She has recently re-decorated her blog (I told you she is amazingly talented) so why don’t you click on over and check her out!! Also be sure to take a look at her amazing recipes!!!

Today I am grateful for: having a flexible schedule. I had to reschedule my Thursday clients to Monday and Tuesday because of Miss Sam getting her braces off on Thursday (did I mention that awesome event????). However, I came down with the sniffles and a sore throat yesterday – which has me switching today’s clients to tomorrow. Hopefully just hanging out in my photo studio (aka office) will allow me to rest up. That and drinking a gallon of orange juice and gargling every hour with salt water will hopefully get me on the road to recovery by tomorrow.

Today I am going to simplify my life: I think I filled today’s quota on that yesterday with cleaning out the linen closet and the cabinets in the laundry room.