Simple Woman's Day Book

FOR TODAY:  January 30, 2012

Outside my window....  sunny, pretty. very chilly. I wish I had a better picturesque view outside the window in front of my computer.

I am thinking....  what to accomplish this week - I have a lot of things I need to do and a lot I want to do. Would like to do some of both.

I am thankful....  for good friends

In the kitchen....  a quiche tonight along with biscuits

I am wearing.... blue pants and black and white print top. I'm a little chilly so probably will put a sweater on in a moment or two.

I am creating.... still working on the quilt wall hanging. I didn't do much with it last week.

I am going.... various errands this week. - to the bank, the grocery store and pick up my organic produce order.

I am wondering.... how to rearrange my computer/quilt room so that the computer is not at a sunny window.

I am reading.... my Bible

I am hoping.... to be able to make a decision about the timing of my move in the next month or two

I am looking forward to.... seeing my Tennessee family again

Around the house.... Mom is in the kitchen. Mandy is barking at the garbage truck - the usual Monday morning stuff

I am pondering.... what the Lord has in store for me in the future.

One of my favorite things.... a day out with a friend. Thanks Marge for a great time on Saturday!

A few plans for the rest of the week:  errands, quilting, working on the church books and a Bible study I'm working on.

A peek into my day….

Another one of my DIL Stephanie's photos. She is taking a course on portraits this semester at college and her favorite subject is her husband, my son Mike. And I do have to admit he's pretty cute!


If you enjoy this - you might want to begin  your own Simple Woman's Day Book. Thanks, Peggy for hosting this!

It's spring!

Well, not really.

However - I just received a gorgeous graphics collection from my friend Deb at Pollyanna Graphics and I just had to show them off. So, that meant a whole re-vamp of my blog which incidentally I love to do. It may be snowing in parts of the country but here it's already spring.

Actually, our weather here in Florida has been just that. We had about a week or two of really cold weather and then we're back to the high 70's. I understand that it's like that in a lot of the country. Oklahoma where my daughter and family live has been spring-like. And my DIL Stephanie in Tennessee is longing to see snow instead of the warm temps they have right now.  Also, parts of the country have been experiencing tornado weather as well - very, very unusual for this time of year.  Very odd.

It was Christmas all over again yesterday morning when I called my bank and discovered my very first social security check had been deposited. I can now officially call myself retired, I guess. Anyway - it was very warmly welcomed and I immediately threw on my clothes and drove to the grocery store.

I'm looking forward to having lunch with Marge, my webbie friend at a Disney resort restaurant on Saturday. We get together when we can and usually meet at Disney because it is one of our favorite places and it seems to be a good half-way point between us. I always love getting together with Marge. Her sweet personality is infectious and I always feel the better from having been with her.  I also need a day out in the worst way!

Mandy went for her long-overdue grooming today. She looks every bit the lady now but has been sleeping a good part of the afternoon. I guess getting primped and so forth just wears her out. She always comes home with her grooming ribbon on her collar because she doesn't tolerate anything on the top of her head. I remember buying some pink clip-on ribbons while I was waiting for her to be old enough to come home with me. I couldn't wait for her hair to grow long enough so that I could put them on.  But Mandy says - "no dice, Mom."  Oh well.

Hope everyone is having a great day. We are almost out of January and into February. The time sure flies! Take care.

Simple Woman's Day Book

If you would like to participate in The Simple Woman's Day Book, just click on the link. Thanks, Peggy for hosting this!

FOR TODAY : January 23, 2012



Outside my window.... foggy and wet - not raining, just mist in the air. It is supposed to be warm today. It's not quite light as I write this (an early morning start).

I am thankful.... that Wednesday is the day I receive my first Social Security check. The check book is pretty empty and the grocery list is long.

In the kitchen.... Steel cut oats for breakfast in awhile. - my favorite breakfast at home. Tonight - not sure but probably fish and potatoes with a veg

I am wearing.... grey sweat pants and grey t-shirt with flip flops. Haven't dressed for the day yet.

I am creating.... still working on my quilt wall hanging.

I am going.... to the bank, the grocery store, to Mandy's groomers Wed and Thurs and lunch with a friend on Saturday

I am reading.... my Bible, Face To Face Appearances with Jesus

I am hoping.... that I can come to a final decision about a move to Tennessee soon.

I am looking forward to.... being financially solvent again and lunch with Marge on Saturday.

I am learning.... still patience.

Around the house.... very quiet. Even Mandy, my dog is quiet.which means I probably need to check and see what she's up to.

I am pondering.... what God has in store for me this year. I want to feel settled in my mind about my move but I'm not yet.

A favorite quote for today…. "Eat food. Not too much" Mostly plants." - a quote from Michael Pollan, author of "Food Rules." 

One of my favorite things.... Lunch with a friend I don't see often enough. Looking forward to it, Marge!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Bank deposit. Grocery shopping!!  Taking Mandy to the groomers. Lunch with a friend. In between time, house cleaning and working on my quilt wall hanging.

A peek into my day…

This is a shot of my back yard when I lived in Tennessee in 2005. I was fascinated with the snow and how pretty it was. Back in Florida, it is only a distant memory but I may be back in it next winter!

Joy

I'm in the midst of an online Bible Study with an internet friendship group I belong to. The study talks about joy - what it is, how to get it and maintain it, why it is important. Coincidentally, our pastor spoke on joy last night at church. I wonder if God is trying to tell me something?


I've always equated joy as an emotion. Joy is being your children and grandchildren, whom you've not seen in awhile. Joy is an anticipated trip to Disney World. Joy is watching my dog, Mandy being her cutest. It seems that my joy comes from outside circumstances - things happening around me.

What I'm learning though is that joy is something deep down, a God-given gift. The Bible talks about our joy being full and how the joy of the Lord gives us strength. For some reason, this kind of joy is a concept I'm having a difficult time grasping.

Emotions can certainly get in the way of what's really going on. It colors our perception of what is real. If something upsets me, my emotions can really take off. Pretty soon, what was just a minor irritation can become a major event. I zero in on the problem and forget the solution. If it is a happy event, I walk around with a feeling of elation. The whole world is just wonderful and things couldn't be better.

Somewhere in the middle of all that is joy. It is that sense that God is involved in my life and has things under control. It is that peace and calm in the midst of the storm. His joy lets me smile at life during the times of elation as well as the times when things are not so good.

I remember the two weeks before my husband Alan died. In the midst of the intense grief and sadness, I felt a peace that could only come from God. I can't say that outwardly I felt joy but I did feel a sense of relief that his days of chronic illness were over for him. No more seizures or headaches or pain. He had achieved the ultimate healing and was with his Savior. As the days and weeks and months passed, memories of him that before brought intense grief were replaced with memories that made me smile; memories that brought joy to my heart.

I'm still learning that joy is. But I know who the Author and Source is.

You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore....Psalm 16:11

Simple Woman's Day Book

FOR TODAY - January 16, 2012



Outside my window....  sunny and pretty and beginning to warm up after a very cold night.

I am thinking....  what this week will bring.

I am thankful.... that we have a warming trend coming. It sure helps with the heating bills

In the kitchen.... just fixed some steel cut oats for breakfast. Still undecided about what to fix for dinner tonight.

I am wearing....  blue knit pants and white 3/4 length sleeved white top.

I am creating....  a 9 patch quilt. I am machine quilting the top at the moment. It will be a wall hanging for my bedroom when I'm done.

I am going....  to take Mom to the doctor on Wednesday and then an appointment with my pastor on Friday.

I am wondering....  how to stretch my dollars until the 25th when my first social security check hits the bank. I can't wait!

I am reading....  my Bible and A Kiss A Day - a devotional from the Song of Solomon

I am hoping....  to get my quilt finished this week.

I am looking forward to....  a day out with a friend in the future.

I am learning....  still learning patience and to hear God's still, small voice.

Around the house....  pretty quiet. I hear Mandy chasing the cat.

I am pondering....  the future and the state of the world right now. The Lord's return has to be very, very soon!

A favorite quote for today….  "Revival is when the church falls in love with Jesus all over again." (I can't remember the origin of the quote)

One of my favorite things....  snuggling up in bed at night with my Bible and a favorite book. And then drifting off to sleep

A few plans for the rest of the week: Mom's doctor appointment and appointment with my pastor. Our church is beginning mid-week services this Wednesday and I'm really looking forward to that.

A peek into my day…

A "not very good" photo of my quilt top. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the lighting right or get rid of the shadow.

The song in my heart

Coming along!

My quilt top:

I seem to have the hardest time getting good photos without a shadow! But here it is. I'm still up in the air about whether to hand quilt or machine quilt. The pink around the edge is the flannel I am going to use as a "batting". 

Powerful!!!

T

Progress!

I've completed the 6 squares for my 9 patch wall hanging. I had a completed quilt top this afternoon but dismantled it. I had added white squares to break up the patterned ones. The white squares were as large as the 9 patch squares and I didn't like the effect. All I could see was white and the quilt somehow lost that pretty, "quilty" look. So I did some unpicking and am going to just join the 9 patch squares. It may look a bit busy but I love the way they came out. This is sort of a practice quilt anyway.

Here are the squares:

I'm not very good at getting photos of these, I'm afraid. They really look much prettier in person!

Tomorrow I plan to clip the rest of my threads and put on the backing as well as flannel in the center for my middle. I used flannel for my mother's doll's quilt and it worked well and I have a lot of it left. I'm not sure if I'm going to hand quilt or machine quilt. I understand that I need a walking foot for my machine to machine quilt although my present presser foot worked well with the rag quilt. I may try and see how I do.

As I was sewing today at my machine, my mind kept remembering my Aunt Laura, long since gone. She and Uncle Tom had a farm in upstate New York and I loved to go over there. She had a two story farmhouse with a big kitchen and a parlor with a piano in it. I loved to go in there and play that thing although it was grossly out of tune! They had an attic with all sorts of treasures and a big basement with a real, old fashioned ice box. I sure wish I had that today!

Aunt Laura was my 4-H leader and the one who taught me to sew. She also made my prom gown for my Senior prom. She was always onto me about not clipping my threads when I would sew and as I finished a square today and ironed it and then saw all the streaming thread tails, I smiled and realized - not much has changed.

I promise, Aunt Laura, to clip them before I'm done!

Feeling a bit old today.

It all started with making sure that all of my grandkids' birthdays were on my Yahoo calendar. I depend on that gadget even though I do have the names and dates printed up on a sheet of paper and stuck on my bulletin board. With 11 grandchildren, I need all the help I can get.

I decided to include on my birthday list my kid's and their spouses' birthdays as well as everyone's birth year; everyone's birth year except those of my daughter in laws and son in law, of course.  They've not volunteered and I haven't asked. I'm not that kind of mother in law.

Somehow, you just always think of your kids as young. Even when they are married, have kids of their own and are graying at the temples, they are still young. Imagine my surprise when I saw the cold, hard facts....

This year...
~my first born will be 43 years old.
~my middle child will be 40 years old.
~my "baby" will be 29 years old.
~my first grandchild will be 21 years old.

I was a bit stunned. When did this all happen? I even used my calculator and sure enough.....I'm getting old. 

But, I'm really not complaining. I have been blessed with three healthy children, all who love the Lord and are making life work in their own fashion.  I have 11 grandchildren ranging from 20 to 1 year of age. I have 2 lovely daughters in law and a fantastic son in law. I have a grand daughter in law. And I'm sure in the future there will be a great grand child to add to the mix.

Then I will REALLY feel old.

The Beginnings

Here it is....my quilt.

Okay - it's the beginning of my quilt.

Okay - it's actually a photo in a book of the beginning of my quilt.

I like the 9-patch pattern and I have lots of pre-cut squares to use so this sounds like an ideal project to begin with. I'm not sure just  how big the square will end up or how many I'll sew together. I would like to have a good-sized wall hanging so we'll see.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I'm starting.

Today.

The plan this week.

I haven't posted here in awhile. Christmas and New Year sure got in the way of my quilting plans. But, then they are a very nice diversion!

My plan had been to begin my Grandmothers Flower Garden hand piecing quilt. I keep shying away from that project though. I'm just not too sure how to go about it. I have a book in mind from Amazon that may help me.

I have her book about hand quilting and I really like her style and way of explaining things. But, I think the truth of the matter is that the GFG project intimidates the heck out of me!

I'm going to cut out and begin a 9 patch wall hanging for my bedroom instead as my project. I have lots of pinks and lavenders and yellows that I think would look so pretty on my wall.

Hopefully, I'll have a photo here sometime this week so you can see I really mean business!

Simple Woman's Day Book

FOR TODAY - January 9, 2012


Outside my window...
It's pretty and sunny with mild temps. From my window at the computer I can only see the side of my neighbor's house. Unfortunately, there is a lot of junk piled there so it's not very scenic. Reminds me of why I want to move.

I am thinking...
about the relationship with my mother who is living with me. She is becoming more forgetful and confused and rarely talks to me.

I am thankful...
for some warm temps after some very cold days and nights last week. Not all seasonable for Florida!

In the kitchen...
shortly going to start some cabbage soup with left over veggies to add to it. Probably soup tonight with bread or biscuits

I am wearing...
tan pants and blue t-shirt. I'm in flip flops today 'cause the weather is so nice.

I am creating...
hopefully to begin a 9-patch quilt this week.

I am going...
not much on the schedule for this week. I have to pick up my organic produce order on Wednesday. Other than that - not sure.

I am wondering...
when and if I will be moving to Tennessee.

I am reading...my Bible, Christmas Treasures (for a book club I am in) and The Blessing of the Lord. I usually have at least 2 books going at once.

I am hoping...
to get started on my quilt this week. It probably will end up as a wall hanging but at least I want to get started.

I am looking forward to...
visiting with a friend at the end of the month.

I am hearing...Mandy occasionally barking at a noise outside. She is my pint sized watch dog.

Around the house...Things are pretty much in order but I need to dust and vacuum.

I am pondering...I have so much going on in my mind right now that it's difficult to sort it through.

One of my favorite things...
being together with my church family each week.

A few plans for the rest of the week:
piece my quilt hanging, a couple of errands.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

The rag quilt I made for my mother for Christmas. My first attempt and I'm fairly pleased with it.

Thank you, Peggy, for hosting this Simple Woman's Day Book.  I've had several very nice ladies visit me as a result and I've made new friends.

My three life verses for 2012

I've read many places of people having a life verse. I've never been able to pick just one because during different occasions and trials in my life, different verses come alive in my heart.

This year, however, there are three that keep coming up to me and so I'm claiming them as mine for this year.  I may even add more as the year goes on.

As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness...  Psalm 17:15

Bless the Lord, O my soul; And forget not all His benefits; Who forgives all your iniquities. Who heals all your diseases....Psalm 103:2-3

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope...Jeremiah 29:11

Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it: Because it will surely come. It will not tarry....Habakkuk 2:2-3

As I test the waters of 2012, I am reminded that God has a plan for me, that He plants a vision in my heart that will come to pass, that I am righteous in His sight, that my sins are forgiven and my body is healed.

Thank you, Lord.

 

It's been a thoughtful week.

One thing I have noticed since no longer working is that I have more time on my hands - and I don't always use it wisely. Too much time on my Face Book games and too much time to think.  Sometimes, it is good to have time to be able to reflect on what is going on and to add prayers to those thoughts especially when they become too overwhelming.  Sometimes, too much thinking can cause confusion. This week's thoughts have been both.

Since I emerged from the other side of Christmas, I've had much on my mind. Some of my other posts have noted my indifference to New Years Day, that it is the about the same as any other day to me. But this year, I've noticed a bit of a change of attitude shift.  I'm looking at this year as a pivotal change in my life, a year of new beginnings. Maybe it is the upcoming proposed move to Tennessee. I just feel that things changes are on the horizon and that it is all good.

It's a good feeling because I've lived for a few months under a ceiling of uncertainty. As relieved as I have been to be out of nursing and the stress of that occupation, I've had constant concerns about finances. Being home with Mom more and less with others, I find life a bit lonely as Mom doesn't seem interested in carrying many conversations.  In some ways, I feel less like a daughter and more like a nurse for her.

As I look around at the area where I have lived for a quarter of a century, I see so many memories. Memories of times past and loved ones gone.  As much as I cherish these memories, I feel at times they hold me captive. It is time to move on; time to let go of things that no longer are and begin to embrace a new challenge, a new life.

It's also time to find out exactly who Melanie is; what her passions and dreams are. I seem to have lost all that somewhere. I'm trying to find it again.

As I said, it's been a thoughtful week.

Joy

I am part of an internet group of special ladies that I have never personally met but feel like I've known forever. I am so thankful for the opportunity to meet these lovely friends.  Part of our sharing is to do a Bible study together. We just started one called Laugh More - Live Better.  Today's lesson was about joy.

We just celebrated a holiday where we sang Joy To The World. The Lord has come.  We celebrated the birth of a baby who was more than just a baby but God incarnate. God Himself - the One who created the universe came down and walked among His Creation.  His whole purpose was to eventually take on to Himself the sins of the world and become the punishment for each of us.  He suffered and died so that we might live with Him eternally.  It is a joyous thought!

God came to give us "joy unspeakable and full of glory". He has never meant for us to be glum and despondent.

But we are sometimes. I sometimes have a difficult time finding the joy in life.  I let the circumstances around me decide how I should feel. If I feel well, the bills are paid, a vacation is in the near future - then I feel joy.  But if I get a cold, and money is tight or a vacation is cancelled for some reason - I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. The joy is gone and I am desperately trying to do what I can to bring it back.

Lots of things in life can bring us joy. Sometimes it's as simple as a giggle from a grand baby. Or perhaps a beautiful sunset peeking out over the horizon as I leave the grocery store. It can be a joke that I hear or catching a glimpse of Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.  These splashes of joy are fun and they warm the heart.  But the joy that the Lord gives goes deeper. It is the kind that remains when you are in bed with a fever. Or when you have to postpone long awaited plans. It is there when someone cuts you off in traffic or when you have a flat tire on your way to work.

A life without joy is empty, lifeless and just plain boring. Without joy, a body becomes ill, a mind becomes sad and depressed, and a spirit forgets just Who is living inside.

This year I am praying that God will show me the joy in every circumstance. As I open my eyes to each new day, I'm asking God to point me to the joy He has for me today.

Psalm 30:5

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

This year I wish you joy - His joy.

Colder than it looks!

The sun is shining outside right now - it looks so warm and inviting. But once you step outside, you find out differently.  When I checked the temp this morning on my Yahoo weather gadget - it was 25 degrees. I understand that it dipped to 17 degrees during the night. A bit too cool for my taste! We have one more frigid night tonight and then it will warm up a bit.

During these times when the temps are below freezing for more than 3 hours, local growers become concerned. The citrus crops as well as strawberries are in danger. They have sprinklers out in the field that they use to ice the plants and I still think they use smudge pots during the night as well.  If anyone has read Cross Creek by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (who wrote The Yearling), she mentions one night when she and helpers were out all night trying to save their citrus crop. 

I always think of January as a slump month. It's cold, all festivities of the holidays are over and it feels like a let down. I've gone to Disney World in the past in January and I believe that is when they hold their Marathons. The Princess Half Marathon is at the end of January and the Tinker Bell Half Marathon is in February.  I remember the resort I stayed in had all sorts of pasta dishes offered as specials for the carbo loads. The day I left was the day of the marathon and the traffic congestion was challenging. I guess if I feel let down, I could run a marathon (or at least a few feet of it!)

Not much going on here right now. I'm waiting until the end of February or first of March to decided if I think I can move in April. If so, I'll begin packing in earnest. Until then, I'm not sure if I even want to begin packing even things I don't use. If I have to delay the move, I think staring at a bunch of boxes might be a bit frustrating.  Part of me wants to go tomorrow, and another part is dreading the upheaval and would just as soon stay put.  It is true as you age you are less and less adaptable to change.

Well, I've whined about the weather,about the after-holidays let down and whined about moving - so I guess I'll close this off for today and see what else I can whine about.  I've promised God and myself to look for the good and joy in things and I really am but sometimes a little muttering and murmuring comes out.

Tomorrow will be better.

Simple Woman's Day Book

FOR TODAY:  January 2, 2012


Outside my window.... sunny and very pretty but getting very chilly.

I am thinking.... the beginning of new year and what it will hold

I am thankful....that God is providing my needs and that my first Social Security check arrives this month.

From the learning rooms.... patience! That is an ongoing lesson.

In the kitchen....brown basmati rice and organic veggies for a stir fry. Steel cut oats for breakfast.

I am wearing....black knit pants and a blue and white striped top.

I am creating....nothing at the moment but hope to get started on my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt in the next couple of weeks.

I am going....grocery shopping today or tomorrow and the bank tomorrow. Otherwise staying in with this cold weather.

I am wondering....as I'm taking down Christmas decorations, just when I should begin packing for a move.

I am reading.... The Kind Life Diet by Alicia Silverstone

I am hoping.... to get bills paid tomorrow. No bank deposits today because of the holiday.

I am looking forward to.... eventually moving and getting settled. I hate being in limbo

I am hearing.... my mother's TV in the back ground..

Around the house.... the place is in an upheaval while I'm packing away Christmas decorations.

I am pondering.... all the changes happening in my life and how I am handling them.

One of my favorite things.... a pretty, clean home with things around me that have sweet memories.

A few plans for the rest of the week: mostly getting the house back to normal,

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

My son Mike. Photo was taken by his wife, Stephanie. She is a very gifted photographer.

If you'd like to join us all here, just click on here. Thank you, Peggy for hosting this!