Late September Daybook

Outside my window... The beginning of an oppressively hot, dry, blazing, scorcher of a day. The chickens out pecking around the yard, and there are some signs that two little boys may have been playing outside this morning with certain toys that look like miniature versions of their father's tools.

I am thinking... I woke up very early this morning and slightly over-prepared and over-worried about our meeting this morning with our charter school Education Specialist. She's always so nice and practical and never makes me feel overwhelmed.

I am thankful for... My dear dear husband and our wonderful friendship and cute kids.

I am wearing... Oh dear. I'm lookin' pretty cozy. In fact when the E.S. showed up, Hannah cupped her hand to her mouth, looked at me wide-eyed and said, "OH NO! Mom, you're not even dressed!" I tried to convince her that I was dressed, just in very casual, stay-at-home-mom attire, but I fear I just may look like I'm kind of sort of still in my jammies. I'd better try a little harder next time.

In the learning room... For Miss Hannah - Subtraction, Proper Nouns, Egyptians, Pollyanna, Poems by Robert Louis Stevensen. For James - ABCs.

I am remembering... A dear friend's dear old dogs that both have recently died. :( I'll always remember the Noble Sergei and Passionate Stumpel. And I remember those very same friends, and how cute their old house was, and the smell of her kitchen, and how the world is a better place with that lovely family in it, and hopefully when the time is right, they and their two boys will eventually have a new pup or two to shed their love on. But for now....HUGS.

I am going... to enjoy the air conditioner the next couple of days. And then this Friday we have a wedding to attend. I like going to weddings. :)

I am currently reading... Harry Potter. Still. I put it down for a while, but now I'm back and should finish in the next couple of days. We're also half-way through Pollyanna.

I am hoping... Every one stays healthy this coming Fall.

On my mind... Being debt-free. We're on the road and we're almost there. The van will hopefully get knocked out in the next few months while J works overtime. Such a change from the suffocation we were feeling living in our old little house with the huge payment.

Noticing that... Phillip's eczema has improved but I can't figure out why.

Pondering these words.... "Secularism is a religion because it has a faith, it has its own eschatology and it's own ethics. And it "works" and it "helps." Quite frankly, if "help" were the criterion, one would have to admit that life-centered secularism helps actually more than religion. To compete with it, religion has to represent itself as "adjustment to life," "counseling," "enrichment," it has to be publicized in subways and buses as a valuable addition to "your friendly bank" and all other "friendly dealers": try it, it helps! And the religious success of secularism is so great that it leads some Christian theologians to "give up" the very category of "transcendence," or in much simpler words, the very idea of "God." This is the price we must pay if we want to be "understood" and "accepted" by modern man, proclaim the Gnostics of the twentieth century.

"But it is here that we reach the heart of the matter. For Christianity help is not the criterion. Truth is the criterion."

- Alexander Schmemann in For the Life of the World

From the Kitchen... Yummy leftovers from my inlaws: BBQ Pork Ribs and a delicious, gourmet potato salad. They outdid themselves. I was full after the appetizers which were stuffed mushrooms (which J won't touch so I made sure I ate his too) prosciutto wrapped mozzarella, wafers with cream cheese, basil, and sun dried tomatoes, figs and goat cheese drizzled with honey, and cold pitcher of fruity sangria. So good!

Around the house... a tidy downstairs, a questionable upstairs (especially our bedroom - yikes!) and NO ANTS this morning. We've been greeted just about every morning for weeks now with ants entering from our slider door in the kitchen on their way to or fro some pathetic morsel forgotten on the floor, or inside the dishwasher, or in the sink, or on the stove. It's been terrible and we've tried everything but really toxic chemicals since we've got the kiddos, but Jason's barber had this chalk she swears up and down by and she gave us some. They will not cross the line, and if they do....They DIE! It says "low poisonous" whatever that means, so I'm generally keeping my littles away from it, but hot dog! I'm glad to be rid of those pests.

A few of my favorite things.... Napping baby Phillip. Cute cute cute.

This is him not napping, but still cute x 3. He's elated in this picture because of the juice he's holding.The iconography happening on our new church temple.

Not a great picture, but you get the idea...

A new hair cut. Refreshing.

Thanks H, for the photo.

(More) From my camera...



Now there is Phillip sleeping. And Mr. James being his usual self. :)

The Original Simple Woman is HERE.