A Simple Woman's Daybook~February 16, 2010

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So, For Today...Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Outside my window...the sun is actually up and it's 7:25 AM. I see some birds in the trees and the sky is clear and we are seemingly one day closer to spring! There is no wind and it is going to be a perfect day in CA!

I am thinking...we had a very productive weekend which = a lot of work got done. Jim and Steve made tremendous headway on our bathroom remodel and it's actually almost finished. We are thrilled. This was the bathroom you gloss over in your enthusiasm for buying a house and think ...no problem we'll remodel it soon. 30 something years later it is almost done and it is beautiful! Woohoo! I cannot believe how much it adds to the house in every way. The best part is the view. We went from a gross, tiny, cell block window to three panoramic windows. I ♥ windows!

I am thankful for...the fact that after I just wrote the above about the windows, I started to think well, maybe it is the new claw foot bathtub that is my favorite thing, or is it the walk in shower with fabulous tile and trim that is big enough not to need a door? Or is it the Toto sink or toilet? The Restoration Hardware mirror and accessories? It might be the floor or the awesome paint. I know, it is the art work we brought back from Italy!! I love it all and I am so grateful that we did it and enjoyed my first shower in there this morning.

From the learning room..I am learning that it is good to follow through with your plans to improve your home for as long as you live in it, no matter how long it takes. Follow through on your dreams and plans is important. A house is never done but keeps evolving as you look to the future with hope and anticipation. Caring for what we have and being grateful to God for his continued blessings makes for a happy heart.

I am reading...Vienna Prelude...yep, still at it. I am getting in about one nano second per day before crashing into a deep sleep. It is not the book...it is exhaustion from the days.

From the kitchen...shopping today and making some soup for Jim. I am also cleaning my stove, the drip pans got messed up with a gooey spill over of oatmeal..lovely!

I am wondering...if the things I gave my brother, Steve, for the PowerPoint presentation at church will be good. He is a whiz at making them but he needs good stuff to work with and I am hoping he will be happy!

I am wearing...gray jeans, a dark blue, but not navy, long-sleeved tee, and my MaryJane black crocs. Comfy and not PJs for a big change!

I am hearing..Your Song...Elton John. Love it!

I am going...to say some special prayers of thanks today for the safely of our children in Italy. They took a car trip to Sicily over the weekend. The weather was bad and they slid into a guard rail and messed up one side of their new car~ but they are all fine. They had kind of a bummer trip as along with the accident everything they wanted to see was closed due to the unexpected snow. I think we are having some global freezing, not warming. The other day I read that 49 of our 50 states had reported snow. Who escaped? Hawaii, of course!

But our kids have picked themselves up and brushed themselves off and are home safe and sound. The boys had a ball~they were oblivious to the hassles and just loved all the snow! Wouldn't ya love to be a kid again just for a day or two?

If I could change one thing...it would be little kids and very old people would not suffer.

I am quoting..."Beauty inspires me to live beautifully and when the Master transforms a life into art with the brushstrokes of grace, I am willing to go find a frame. On my page framed with beauty bits, I write down the next thing on my to do list."

By Ann Voskamp in today's entry from incourage.me. Love that site and this writer. I will be adding her to my blog roll!! I am blown away by the exquisite writers in this world.

My spiritual thoughts include...the camaraderie that we have with our fellow Christian friends is such a blessing. Being of one mind is a wonderful thing. When Jim needed help to get our bathtub in through the window yesterday, there were nine guys here in a flash. They picked that 370 pound tub up and lifted it through the window in a moment~no problems. Thanks guys! 5 of them were from Doug and Maureen's family!!

Around the house...tools and piles of wood and boxes full of fixtures and accessories are disappearing. Yeehaw!

I am missing...all the stress of the past few months, big projects, trip, holidays...just kidding. I am enjoying seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I am looking forward to spending sometime outside in the yard, planting flowers in a few weeks. Chirping birds, fresh air, solitude...ahhh! Missing that for sure!

I am hoping...you are all having a fantastic day!

I have been procrastinating...making my annual doctor visit appointments, tax prep...ugh!

One of my guilty pleasures...Bath and Body Works aroma therapy hand soap..lovin' me the red current one and the ginger one. I am going to go buy some today! But for the bath and shower nothing but Itty Bitty Soap Company products...I LOVE them all!

One of my favorite things...James Taylor.

A few plans for the rest of the week...shopping today and cooking, relaxing a little if possible, finishing up the dusting and vacuuming, primping the bathroom (my favorite part!!), setting a date for lunch long past due with my sweet, Lee! Singing practice on Thursday night and date night..oh, how I do love those! Gotta find a good movie to watch and buy some popcorn! Church potluck dinner on Saturday...that's it so far but I am sure many other things will slip into the schedule day by day.

Here is a picture and thought I am sharing with you...

This is a picture from the mid-40s of Jim's parents,
Gloria and Fred.
Fred passed away in 1990.
They are now the great-grandparents
of 11 sweet kids
Time marches on but some things remain constant.

Love of family is one of them!