The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Breezy and cool temperatures today. A lovely day to transplant some of those plants that are still in their pots due to the outrageously humid days we had last week.

A simple pleasure:

A few days to be selfish with my days before the Summer A Semester begins.

I am thankful:

For that first cup of coffee in the morning.

From the kitchen:

Made some delicious BBQ Green Beans for a family get together on Mother’s Day. Thanks Vicci T.!!!!

From the learning rooms:

Miss Sam continues to make progress through all her subjects. We are so blessed to have the opportunity for her to attend Florida Virtual School. It allows her a lot of freedom to spend time with family during the week.

I am still reading:

Smash Cut by Sandra Brown. Now her books ALWAYS catch my attention. This one is no exception. It’s good. Looking forward to reading it tonight as I snuggle into a bed that has freshly laundered linens on it. Luxury!!!

On My Mind:

Implementing my swimming schedule and co-ordinating it with my summer teaching schedule.

Creative Projects:

• Click here.
• See photos below.

Hearth and Home:

The most recent house cleaning led to three carloads of stuff to the thrift stores.

Next on the list…..Miss Sam’s room. Get your gas masks ready!!!!

I laugh:

Remembering the special needs dog in the movie The Back-up Plan tripping over the pile of magazines in the living room. Really cute “feel good” movie. However, the dog was the star in my opinion!!

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

Thanks to today’s reading in My Utmost for His Highest (May 10th reading) in having me re-visit this wonderful scripture as I head into Summer A Semester.

Some picture thoughts  I am sharing:

Before:

There are approximately 6 boxes like this. However, I am working diligently to sorting and filing them with this wonderful photo storage system:

After:

I bought these boxes at Office Max but you can look at them more closely here. Each small container holds up to 100 photos.

Okay, time to get busy scanning all those photos!!!!!

Now that I have scanned every document in our family history that I have in my possession ~ I have now begun the project of scanning all the photos that have been scattered in too many boxes to count. Once all that is accomplished it will be a matter of putting together all of the puzzle pieces into an interesting and readable format. Not gonna happen this week.

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Overcast ~ Hot ~ Humid. Cleared out the laundry room of all the hoodie hooks and put the hoodies in storage for next year….because you know it won’t get cold again until around January. We hope.

A simple pleasure:

Staying home while it pours down rain all day.

I am thankful:

For macaroni. Sam is having mac and cheese for dinner tonight and I am making plain old macaroni salad. Mr. John????? He just grabbed a frozen pizza out of the fridge.

From the kitchen:

See above.

From the learning rooms:

Finally managed to get some of those aggravating labs started (the yeast is still growing) and one finished (seems I don’t know how to wash my hands properly). Left is the math one…yeehaw.

Miss Sam will be interviewing her grandfather tomorrow for her World History assignment. This blends well with our genealogy project.

I  finished reading:

I haven’t. I checked out about 20 books from the library but could only work my way to Chapter Two or Three before getting bored with about five of them.

I am currently reading:

Smash Cut by Sandra Brown. Now her books ALWAYS catch my attention. This one is no exception. It’s good. Looking forward to reading it tonight as I snuggle into a bed that has freshly laundered linens on it. Luxury!!!

On My Mind:

Working on that minimalist lifestyle. So how long has this work been going on????? Those that have been with me for the four years I have been blogging know that it’s been about…..oh yea…four years.

Almost there. Second car load will be heading out on Friday.

Creative Projects:

• Too hot to work outside anymore. Working on plans for the fall gardens.
• Really getting revved up with the genealogy. Have all documents sorted and filed. Have all the available photos sorted and ready to scan and print. Just waiting for Hobby Lobby to have their 40% coupon…hopefully next week. I was going to scrap with the 12 x 12 book but decided on the smaller 8 x 12 because it will be easier to scan the book and send to all the siblings.
• Chess. That’s creative isn’t it???? I have never played so Miss Sam is slammin’ me. But I am going to keep plugging along.

Hearth and Home:

Spent much of the day putting the final touches on the minimalist look. Even the refrigerator got a “makeover” (see below).

I laugh:

Because Miss Sam doesn’t know that I am reading The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Chess. Shhh. Don’t tell.

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

As Spring Semester comes to a close and new opportunities within the college are opening up for me (developing and teaching Abnormal Psychology Spring 2011) and becoming involved in a new adjunct project spearheaded by the college president….I know that it is no coincidence that I read this particular reading this morning:

Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 1 Chronicles 21:1

David’s census brought disaster because, unlike the census taken in the book of Numbers that God had ordered, this census was taken so David could take pride in the strength of his army. In determining his military strength, he was beginning to trust more in military power than in God.

There is a fine line between feeling confident because you rely on God’s power and becoming proud because you have been used by God for great purposes.

Life Application Bible

Some picture thoughts  I am sharing:

Before:

After:

My macaroni salad is chilled. Time to see who has to leave American Idol tonight. I just hope it isn’t Lee.

Before you click off to leave a comment (hint – hint) I hope that you take a moment to read two posts that my IRL friend Linda has recently written. Both of these posts have really resonated with me. I plan on addressing both topics once I have some time to “chew” on them. Please go by and read the following posts:

What You Will Get

Suffering

Don’t forget to say hello!!!

Went to the wildlife park yesterday. Beautiful weather combined with a beautiful photographer resulted in some very, very, very, beautiful shots…and not just because I’m her mom.

This is an amazing photo of how still the waters were yesterday and also how the pollen has just settled and made the surface very eerily reflective.

This one is nothing short of amazing. Several weeks ago we had spotted this nest and Miss Sam photographed the mama (a Comorant) sitting on her eggs. And voila….here is one of the eggs all hatched and hungry.

Peek-a-boo I see you.

A few months ago Miss Sam and I had spotted the Panther pacing back and forth in a part of his area that he never…ever…comes near (it is up close to the front). We got a little curious and noticed that a swan had made her nest right smack up to the fence line of the Panther!!!! It was so cool to see her nesting and sitting on her eggs but were concerned about the proximity to the Panther’s home. All is well….three little signets were hatched and this is one of them.

Miss Sam always states that the Spoonbill is one of her favorite birds. They are very difficult to photograph however because of the wired area that they keep them in. Miss Sam always manages to look past the obstacles and for her troubles gets a fantastic reward. The textures in the shot are exquisite.

The Osprey is by far Miss Sam’s favorite bird. I believe this one was posing for her on this particular day.

The enclosure for the Whooping Crane was expanded and now allows for Miss Sam to get up close and personal.

Camera??? What camera??? I no longer have one. Miss Sam has claimed mine as hers…and I must say she has a fabulous eye as it captures what she sees through the lens and makes magic happen.

Also, a big thank you to Miss Kristanne who turned this photo into a card and sent it to Miss Sam. What a thoughtful friend!!!! Hope to see you in June sometime.

I can no longer cope with the feelings of being inadequate..not to mention the anxiety… when it comes to my “To Be Read” pile of books…..so off they go to the local lending library….well at least 18 so far.

Which ones did I keep???

My classics of course (just knowing they are there waiting brings me a sense of comfort):

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Collected Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

War and Peace by Leo Tlstoy

The Odyssey by Homer

Dracula by Bram Stoker

My psychology books (saving for when I feel intellectual):

Female Serial Killers by Peter Vronsky

Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet

An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison

The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout

EMDR by Francine Shapiro

The Gaslight Effect by Robin Stern

My Lobotomy by Howard Dully

My books on writing (for when I need be inspired):

On Writing by Stephen King

Writing for  Your Life by Deena Metzger

My fiction/non-fiction books (for when the sun gets too hot to work outside anymore):

An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor

Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck

A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs (my favorite author of all time)

And so there you go.

By the way….for inquiring minds that just can’t help themselves…while going through my “keep” pile to make the above list I managed to let go of  six more books.

Now perhaps I can focus a bit more.

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Overcast. Had quite a dark and stormy night last night. Great for me, now I don’t have to water the garden and the rain barrel is getting full.

A simple pleasure:

Sleeping in. I love that Mr. J. lets the dogs out before he heads out to work in the morning. It gives me about one to two hours extra sleep. Considering I am up with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum at 3:00 am every morning…that extra hour or two really helps.

I am thankful:

That I am learning to mold and shape our lives in accordance to the philosophy that “less is more”….at least in my mind.

From the kitchen:

Are you serious????? For those that know me well….I have my spits and spurts with this kitchen thing. The past few weeks have definitely been spits…so not much going on there that can’t be spread with a knife onto bread or popped in the microwave.

From the learning rooms:

Miss Sam continues to excel with the Virtual School teaching platform. It’s Mom that holds her up with the lab portions of her curriculum. Not that into growing yeast or covering my hand with washable paint to see what is left behind after hand washing. See, I don’t get it either.

I  finished reading:

Can’t remember the last book I actually read all the way through. Been having a tough time staying focused committed to one book.

I am currently reading:

Clear and Convincing Proof by Kate Wilhelm. Really light reading but at least I can stay focused at least for a chapter.

On My Mind:

Raising a teenager. I did wonderful with the childhood years (thank you very much!) and much of what was accomplished during those years are enduring traits that I  love seeing bloom and flourish. HOWEVER…we are now talking about a TEENAGER….can I get an AMEN.

There are good days and bad days. Not so much with her. But with me. You really need to be motivated to parent a teenager and some days it’s easier to say “whatever”. BTW…..Miss Sam loves those days.

Creative Projects:

• Been working outside in the backyard more than anything else.
• In spare moments I am able to get the photo portfolio moving in the right direction.
• Looking forward to focusing more on the genealogy project this week.

Hearth and Home:

STILL…thinking about spring cleaning.

Thinking it would be nice if I could wriggle my nose and voila…..there it is…that ever elusive clean house!!!

I did manage to clean the master bath…that lasted all of one day.

I laugh:

At the movie Old Dogs. I swear…the results of the medicine mix-up had me laughing so hard I hurt. It was almost as funny as Drop Dead Fred.

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

A grateful heart speaks a language all its own, a rare blend of mercy and graciousness, forgiveness and gentleness. A grateful heart makes time to imagine life in someone else’s world because quite often it can recall how it felt to do without.

Because it remembers being in need, or that it easily could be there in the future, it extends its concern beyond its own troubles to others, looking for ways to ease burdens and soothe hurts. A heart of gratitude beats more powerfully for others, having been tenderized through its own difficulties.

…Whether we realize it or not, every time we deal with others we speak for or against our gratitude toward all God has done for us.

Translate that language of gratitude into caring for others, and watch yourself be surrounded in an environment of friends who speak as God does.

~Erin Keeley Marshall~

A picture thought  I am sharing:

Beginning to feel the urge for another photo field trip. There is something about being behind a camera lens that releases hidden parts of my soul.

This photo was taken by Miss Sam on a recent trip to the wildlife park with her Grandmother, Aunt, and Cousin. I do believe I am going to make a poster from this photo. What talent!!!