A Simple Woman's Daybook~May 11, 2011

So, For Today...Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Outside my window...it is the blue hour here at our house. I am fascinated by the blue hour and photography and how it all works. If it wasn't chilly out I'd go take some photos but maybe another day! It is supposed to get up to 68 degrees today and be a little cloudy. It is going to be a great day here, I hope it is for you too, wherever you are.

I am thankful for...an active mind but sometimes it really gets in the way of a decent night's sleep. It seem lately that so many thoughts of things we need to do just keep playing in my brain and getting me excited about improvements, planning for the future, enjoying the present, building God's kingdom through our small, personal contributions to it, etc, etc, etc. Jim and I have been awake for a few hours discussing our family reunion and stuff we want to do and share with our family...arrrrgh, so much to think about. Finally I got up and started in on my daybook.

I am praying for...inspiration, guidance and direction on how to get all these things accomplished. In addition, I have to get family papers and family history better organized. Even though I have it organized electronically every week we go and work for 8 hours at the Family History Center I come home with copious notes that need filing and transcription into my electronic file cabinet.

From the learning room..keeping on top of things requires a lot of discipline and desire. Maintenance and steady progression are a full time job. I wish I could find more balance in this and am searching for ways to just keep at all these things little by little, day in and day out. Do you have solutions for it in your life? If you do, please share.

I am reading...nothing for pleasure right now. I have been doing a great deal of researching and family history which is taking up my time and energy.

I am hearing...Pandora Radio, my jazz station with Miles Davis. I really am enjoying Pandora.

You can create your own stations based on your personal likes and dislikes. Just go to pandora dot com. They have 40 hours of free music per month and then you can upgrade to Pandora One if you like for $36.00 per year. I just did that as I found I was listening to it a lot and I wanted the better sound quality, no commercials and unlimited listening.

I am quoting..."When one has reached a certain age, one likes to sit back and let the world turn by itself, without trying to push it." Sean O'Casey. I like this quote, it reminds me of Jim. Always working so hard to push his world." I can never cease to marvel at his energy and determination. I wonder what would happen if he let it turn on it own?

From the Kitchen...I wish I could make a birthday cake for Spencer. He is 12 today. I'll do that post later. Our family goes for black out bingo as far as birthdays are concerned in May! We have six just in our immediate family and then the extended family pretty much takes care of the rest. Mini-Christmas!

Today if I could change one thing..the perils of this economy that are weighing heavily on all of us. We are trying to prepare ourselves better for the crunch but you can only do so much. Housing is supposed to lose another 8% this year alone. Not bottomed out yet, they say. The shoulda/coulda thoughts about all of this real estate stuff is frightening.

I am thinking about..important things we want to share with our family at the reunion in June, along with all the fun we want to be having.

I am wearing...jammies but need to get dressed. My visiting teachers are coming at 9:00 this morning. I do love Jen and Tracey. They are so sweet.

I am going...to hopefully sell our ceiling fan and light fixture on craigslist.com this week.

I am missing...knowledge and skills I need to be a better genealogist but I am learning new thing every week.

One of my joyous pleasures...seeing the kindness and generosity of so many good people. Knowing that most people are genuinely trying their best to be as good as they can be. Seeing that in the real people in our lives is good, when the media would want us to think otherwise and fill our hearts with worry continually.

Around the house...Jim has put in a new out building on the property for storage, it is really nice. I need to take some photos to share, he has installed our new chandelier, love it and we are getting our carpet cleaned in a few days...something always going on here. No rest for the weary.

Pet Peeves...noise pollution. I appreciate the fact that things are always being maintained in the neighborhood but the constant sounds of leaf blowers and chain saws is annoying. It is 6:35 am and someone is already at it.

One of my favorite things...make-up and hair products. I just looked in the mirror at a perfect stranger. Who is that woman in the looking glass early in the morning being au naturale? Pale as can be, with hair sticking up everywhere? Yikes, get her some make-up on...and quick do something with that hair!

An enjoyable movie I have watched lately...Message In a Bottle. Moldy oldie but worth revisiting.

I am curious about...how Chris will like Africa. He is leaving next week for some work over there. He survived and enjoyed his time in Peru. I am so grateful for these wonderful opportunities he has but more importantly that he is happy in his life's work. What a blessing. He is like his Dad...pushing forward with a happy face! I love that.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Manicure today and more blogging, organizing and list making, tomorrow maybe a day trip but probably working around the house instead :-(. WW meeting tomorrow, date night, preparing for a bunch of dinners coming up here in the next couple of weeks, four to be exact. Working on reunion things. Fortunately not too much on the calendar in the way of obligations this week but next week more than makes up for it, so getting a head start on that!

Here is a photo and some thoughts I am sharing with you..

Clipper Cove~Treasure Island

I am feeling really stressed with things I need to do right now so I like to visualize a peaceful place when I get like this, take some deep breaths and relax. It really does help so much. How do you deal with those times when you feel like you have that giant snowball coming down the hill toward you and you have to keep running or be squished?

The blog with the best remodel lately is found here.


Faye and I collaborated a little, but she mostly did all of the design herself with just some very minor input from me. She doesn't really need me just needs the affirmation about her choices. Check out the granite we found for her bin table on her blog post. Her bamboo floor is to die for also! I am glad I got to put in my two cents worth just because I adore spending whatever time I can with her. Don't you love friends like that, that are just a delight? Didn't she do a fabulous job?

She lives a block from us and has a setting similar to ours. Peaceful, spacious, pretty and she has a creek running right thorough her property. You may remember when we worked on her cottage house...see it here. It is just a stone's throw from her main house. Who wouldn't love to have one of these?