A Simple Womans' Daybook, April 25, 2011

So, For Today...

Monday, April 25, 2011

Outside my window...it is 9:30 and I am starting on my second daybook of the day. I just had completed it for this week and hit publish and somehow all was lost. Argh! Oh well, here we go again. My beloved Mac is giving me some troubles. Say, it isn't so. So, outside my window, it is a little cloudy but the sun is peeking out and it promises to be a good day and and even nicer week with temps in the 70's.

I am thankful for...a Father in Heaven that knows us and loves us and answers our prayers for each other and ourselves. His merciful and loving and generous nature can fill us all with light and truth. I love that. I am grateful for His supernal gift to us all commemorated this past week. It is something we celebrate daily but it is nice to see the world stop spinning long enough to remember His Son, Our Savior too.

I am praying for...our son Chris, he is in Peru and arrived very ill. Not sure what is going on but he has a respiratory issue complicated with some side effects from some immunizations for his trip next month to Africa. He may also be suffering from altitude sickness. Anyway he has received a priesthood blessing and a late night visit from a doctor last night who is a stake president down there. Missy reports he was given some meds and he is feeling a little better today but could sure use some prayers if you are willing. There is nothing worse than being sick and far away from home. He is down there with another professor and 18 students working on some projects to help the people in third world countries have a better life.

From the learning room..by small and simple things are great things brought to pass. It is rarely one big push or effort but many tiny ones.

I am reading...well, truth be told I have not had the luxury of doing much reading lately. But I am still working on A Promise at Sorbibor. In a word...EXCELLENT! A memoir of an 85 year-old survivor of Sorbibor, one of the secret death camps in Poland during WWII. There is so much to be learned from people who have overcome the unimaginable and learned to love and forgive in spite of it.

From the kitchen...dinner out tonight and left-overs from Easter and soup in the freezer makes for the best kind of week in the kitchen for me.

I am hearing...Al Green, How Can You Mend A Broken Heart.

Today if I could change one thing...lots of things and ironically, nothing really. As crazy as the world is it is all part of God's Master Plan. God knows how it is all to go. We just have to remember that only good things come from God and He gives us the strength we need to deal with the bad things that largely come from man's bad decisions and greed and selfishness.

I am quoting...a marriage quote I have known for a long time and think is good. "I love you more than me and us more than you." To me this speaks of adoring your spouse while at the same time realizing that what is best for all, especially the family is better than what is individually desired. It speaks of unconditional love and unselfishness.

I am thinking about...e-cigarettes. I must live in a cave I never heard of them until this morning. Seriously? E-cigarettes? I think we have no idea where this world is heading in the electronic department. If you are in the dark about this Google it and sit back and ponder. Weird on top of weird.

I am wearing...Black jammies.

I am going...to get the remainder of the dishes and silverware put away from yesterday's dinner right when I finish this.... again.

I am missing...my energy that has been missing for quite sometime. But the coughing is subsiding finally and sleep is resuming normalcy. So the energy should be coming back soon. One of my joyous pleasures...thinking about those who have gone before us at Easter time. I think about how the reunion will be with so many loved ones and good friends when the time comes. I was thinking about my grandmother and my mom as I washed the dishes last night while Jim took Zona home. It was fun to imagine Gramma's loving hands doing the same then and then my mom's and now mine. It is unthinkable that these precious relationships would end at the grave. I am grateful for eternal life and families.

Pet Peeves...the price of gas always come to mind on this one anymore. I am particularly peeved by the enormous profits being turned by the big old companies at such a time. Who do they think they are fooling anyway?

One of my favorite things...memories of important people from the past. It is amazing how much people do influence others. So many lovely people that touch our lives all the time and shape and mold us into who we are. We are the sum total of our experiences and they are such a part of us.

An enjoyable movie I have watched lately...Lark Rise to Candleford why are you ending? Only one more disc and we will have to say good-bye. What shall I do without the wisdom of Dorcas Lane and the goings-on at the post office? Oh, I will miss you! I am barely over War and Remembrance and now you....

I am curious about..who will be our next president.

Around the house...so happy to have finished the guest room redesign in one week. Glad to have been able to give the old bed to someone who didn't have bed for their little girl. Sorry so many people we know were interested in having it too. I am sorry if one of them was you. We just didn't think before listing it on Craigslist. Sure won't do that again without checking with the ward first. So all you outta towners..come and visit. Room is reserved for Laura and Robert the end of June. Yay!

A few plans for the rest of the week...Dinner at Norma and Ryan's tonight, Weight Watcher Meeting tomorrow morning and then the family history library hours, Wednesday open, Thursday, Visiting Teaching, Friday meeting with my girlfriends, memorial service for a friend from the past that died. He wasn't old either...that is happening too often lately. Three friends died in April. ( Life is a gift comes to mind. Live well each day.) While I am at the memorial service Jim will be on Mt. D with the scouts. Friday night date. Saturday Mormon Helping Hands Community Service Project and a jewelry party with Lee at my hair dresser, Donna's house. And I am sure a lot of other stuff will sneak into the schedule. For one thing we will be doing some work for Jim's mom while she is sick. I think my energy is waning again already. LOL!

Here are some photos and some thoughts I am sharing with you.. from our Easter dinner and tablescape.

I started with this off white Damask tablecloth
with the lace overlay.

Then I got out my Grandmother's china.
I love the colors of this set for Easter.

I tried the antique photo effect and I like the warmth of it.

Laura gave us this cute bunny tray.
Perfect fun for Easter.

All ready for our guest.

This is Aunt Zona

Zona is Lowell's aunt and the great aunt of our granddaughters, Piper, Julia, Chloe and Hazie. Zona brought this cute lop-eared bunny for us to bring to Hazie. She always gives us stuff to take to the girls, she loves them all so much as her brother's grandbabies.

Zona is a lovely lady and is 86 years old. She has led a very interesting life and she is so sweet and eccentric and fun to be with. At her age she still paints lovely pictures, writes in her life story journal on the computer, every day and is very into current events and all kinds of things. She lives in a care center near us and by her daughter Ann. Ann was out of town so we had Zona join us for dinner. Jim's mom was supposed to come too but was sick.

So it was just Jim and Zona and me. We roasted a leg of lamb and some veggies and had green salad, fruit salad and rolls. Dessert strawberry short cake. We enjoyed having Zona with us and she enjoyed a home cooked meal. We hope you all had a great day too.

The blog with the most fun Easter post this week... is actually something I shared with my grandkids on the Gramma and You blog that I do for the kids. You can see it here, it was done by Susan and is referenced there on my blog. It is really darling, don't miss it.