A Simple Woman's Daybook~July 25, 2013

Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember

the everyday moments and my thoughts about them.  

That is what this Daybook is all about.

Focusing on the little things that become my life.

One entry at a time.

Just for today~Thursday, July 25, 2013

 

Outside my window... The sun is bright already even though it is only 7:00 am.  It is shining through our trees right into my eyes so am having to lower the blind just a little.  At this moment it is gleaming through our American flag and it looks so pretty.  It is going to be warm today but nothing like the last daybook I wrote when it was insufferably hot for days and days.  These last few weeks have just been normal for July.  The beauty of our weather is that it cools off at night no matter how hot it gets during the day.  Not so in a lot of places so we are thankful.

I am thankful for....contentment.  I am thankful for not having that feeling of always wanting more.  I am talking primarily about the big things. (I still always want bracelets!)  I have everything I want and need and I know where that all comes from and I am thankful to God for it.  There is something about this age that is just so magical to me.  I am thankful for Jim, our family, our home, our health, our church and friends, our interests...just all of it.  I was reading a will from one of our ancestors a little while ago and he talked about bequeathing items the Lord had lent him.  Is that not the complete truth?  What we have is ours on loan from the God who gives us all.

From the learning room....that I am finally finding lots of things pertinent to our family history.  I am becoming a researcher after all.  The success I have had recently has been amazing. It takes perseverance and tenacity.   I am humbled by the Lord's help in guiding me along.

I am reading...Cooking by Michael Pollan, Plymouth Plantation, by William Bradford (still) and several other books on my Kindle and plenty on the genealogy blogs right now with all the changes going on. An e-book on Evernote.  I am preparing a class for September and have to get started.
  

From the kitchen...we are enjoying the tomato season which is in full bloom right now.  I should be a tomato for all of them I eat this time of year.  They are so delicious and fresh and we are enjoying the selection of other organic seasonal fruits and vegetables available now at the Farmer's Market.

Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...again I feel it is centered around contentment.  That there is enough and to spare.  That living simply is the most rewarding.  And about knowing that we strive to move forward but not at a pace that kills us more quickly than necessary.  That God loves us as is.  It it not a race to win His love though our scurrying, we already have it.  These things bring me peace and reassurances as we go day by day doing the best we can and knowing in His eyes it is sufficient.  Knowing that He makes up for what we lack, that He is in charge of our salvation, not us.

I am hearing...New York State of Mind~Billy Joel. I must admit he is one of my favorites from the old days.  I am sure our kids have childhood memories of his music in our home.  I just love music in our house.  When it is off there is just something missing from the environment.  For us it has never been a blaring TV but always some sacred, classical, seasonal or fun pop music to set the tone.  I cannot stand talk radio but Jim does like it sometimes.  Mostly he will listen in his car and spare me.  Thank heavens!  I don't find anything appealing about people jabbering and fighting about their opinions.  I do like some interviews on various podcasts that have an actual purpose.  But my first choice is always music or just silence.

One of my guilty pleasures...spending time one on one with my husband.  We don't have to be doing anything special but it does have to just be the two of us.  Having time alone and time together is something that reminds me a lot of our early years together.  It is something we didn't have a lot of in the last four decades and I have come to prize it very highly now that we do more often again.

Pet Peeves...when I make a wrong key stoke and accidentally erase an entire blog post and have to start over.  That happened to me this week on my Santa Cruz post I had to find all the photos again, edit them and begin at step one.  Argh!  Frustration!  But anything for the grand kids, right?

I am quoting...from Marie on Facebook~

If I could change one thing it would be...that Mitt Romney was our President!  And that Obama and the Congress would be having the same Obamacare as the rest of the country but they have exempted themselves from it.  Which by the way is unconstitutional.  Hmmm!   WHAT???
The Republic has a CONSTITUTION???   Who knew?

"Amendment 28

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States."

An enjoyable movie/ TV show we have watched lately...have been watching Call the Midwife with James.  I previewed it last week and loved it.  I knew he would too.  I was right!

I am curious about..why The Simple Woman's Daybook posts are so popular? I have more visitors on these than almost any others.  I have a theory that people just like to have a chat and they are kind of like chats albeit usually one-sided.  It is fun to just think of topics and what is on your mind at the moment.  A little slice of modern day life that will soon be history.  I love history, don't you?  Especially by everyday people that just walk through their lives one day at at time doing the best they can.  It is proof positive that people are interested in normal things, it doesn't have to be earth-shattering to write it.  I wish more people did this.  Writing lasts!

Plans for the rest of the week...mani/pedi today and then get ready for my trip to Utah.  Next week four days of classes.  I am so excited about the possibilities  of what I will be learning.  Hoping it is not too flaming hot there but not counting on it.  I wish Carol was going with me!  But I will love spending some time with the grandies again during the time I am out of class and of course the big kids too.  Jim is staying home to work on his shop!  We'll be going up together towards the end of August.

  

One of my favorite things...Naot Sandals.  So pretty and so comfy!


One thing that made me so happy this week...That our granddaughters, Piper and Julia, got to fly to Rhode Island to be with their cousins, Spencer and Ross and their Aunt Laura and Uncle Robert who are so good to them.  I know they have been having a ball. 

And that Jim took me on a wonderful Day Trip on Wednesday.  We went to Marin county and had a great time and the most wonderful, gourmet picnic that he made.  We just needed that little time together before I leave to Utah on Sunday for nine days.  Looking forward to the annual BYU  genealogy conference and seeing the family as well.

The most surprising thing this week...That the Royal baby was a boy! Wasn't there a lot of media hype about the baby being a girl that went on for a few months?  I am glad they have a healthy baby boy and the whole of Britain is all a twitter over it.  I have to admit I kind of love the fairytale quality of it all.  I like the pageantry of it all and the great examples that the Prince and Princess are to the people of Great Britain and the world.  They display near perfect decorum, grace, and fit the roles of royalty to a T.  The White House needs something akin to it to lift the spirits of this country.

A Photo I am sharing this week...a picture of four of the grandkids.  Having lunch in Hyannis Massachusetts. 

 Julia, Piper, Spencer and Ross

There is something so wonderful about knowing 

your kids and grandkids get along so well.

And of course it is touching to us that 
they are romping around

on the soil of their forefathers.

          Until we all return...happy day to you!

     ❤♡♥♡❤♡♥♡❤♡♥s, Bon