{eight}{two}{two thousand ten}

daybook

{eight}{two}{two thousand ten}

i am thankful... that a mother cardinal brought her offspring to our feeder today. And that the squirrles hadn't taken all the food yet.

i am thinking... that it's nice my children can express their opinions in a respectful way. We've always tried to teach them that they can disagree with us, but they must be respectful in doing so. I don't think I was always agreeable when I disagreed with my parents.

i am reading... nothing 'cause I'm waiting for my Kindle to come in. I've been eyeing them for months and finally saved the funds to buy one. I'm not much of a techno geek (I have a regular cell phone that pretty much just allows me to talk; there is no latest version of anything in my house; and I still own a record player). But when I was cleaning out some things I realized how many books I have stuck all over the place. I've shared them with everyone and now I have no place to store them. So, I thought I'd just get an electronic reader and see how it works for me. It's a big step, I tell you, it is. I still love the ink on my fingers from a printed copy of the newspaper and I really love when the postman brings my magazines. We'll see how it is.

in the kitchen... kosher salt. Yes, salt. Phooey on those who would limit my intake. Even my he who shakes the salt from fast food fries husband has come to appreciate what salt brings to the table (hahahaha...I crack myself up). He even eats peppers and onions on fajitas and philly cheesteaks 'cause the kosher salt fairy makes 'em taste just right.

around the house... the tile is off the master bathroom walls. Ask me in a few weeks about the progress. If I'm lucky I won't say to you -- the tile is off the master bathroom walls.

outside my window... new adirondack chairs -- in aurora red -- on the back porch. I've waited years -- yes, years -- to find just the right chairs for a small corner of the back porch. Best thing is that they were on sale for half off at World Market.

worth sharing...

{seven}{twelve}{two thousand ten}

daybook {seven}{twelve}{two thousand ten}


i am thankful... for a grandmother who I may not have always agreed with but who I always loved. We buried her a few years ago this week and I miss her sometimes.


i am thinking... time is gone before we know it. It's not really worth being caught up in the small things that won't matter, but it is worth paying attention to small details that make a difference.


i am hoping... that I won't shed too many tears as we come into the senior year our little buddy (who isn't so little any more, but will always be my buddy).


i am reading... Brad Thor's newest novel, Foreign Influence. My little buddy got me hooked on his books -- political and military thrillers. The plots are so current you expect to turn on the evening news and see it acted out on the screen.


in the kitchen... Pappardelle's Spring Medley Trio pasta that someone brought me from Windmill Market. To. Die. For.


outside my window... two thriving clump river birch trees we planted in the spring. I copied my neighbors up the street. They're flattered, I'm sure.


worth sharing...

(sometimes, small things have a big impact)

{six}{seven}{two thousand ten}

daybook {six}{seven}{two thousand ten}

i am thankful... to be married to the most loyal, thoughtful, kind and gentle man in the world. I love you, sweetie!


i am thinking... late thirties isn't as old as it used to seem to me.


i am hoping... to hear something soon from Layla over at The Lettered Cottage. My sister played in the high school marching band with her brother-in-law, and I worked with her mother-in-law. Her husband is in the band Puddle of Mud and her father-in-law used to be the political cartoonist for the local paper. She is an interior designer -- one who hopefully will be taking my living room on as a project. I think she's gotten to be quite popular lately and I must wait my turn on her list. No, she won't be parading around my domicile -- her concept is an internet based approach that is very reasonably priced, I think. She will design your room, send you the details, and then you re-do the room at your own pace and based on funds available. Pretty neat, huh?


i am creating... lists, lists and more lists. I am a list maker, yes it is so. I love to cross things off as I complete them. Lists this week include what to pack for Disney, what to make sure gets done before we leave, and what fun things to do with the kids for the rest of the summer. We love the road trip list!


in the kitchen... margarita ice cream. OH. MY. STARS! If the nice lady who gave it to me will share the recipe, I'll share it with you. OH. MY. STARS! But I said thay already, right? It is delish!


outside my window... the pink dianthus are blooming and very fragrant; the calla lilies continue to flower; and the caladiums are three times as dense as when I planted them earlier this year. They keep growin' and growin'.


worth sharing...



(A calla lily bloom from my yard. Color your day bright!)

{five}{twenty-four}{two thousand ten}

daybook {five}{twenty-four}{two thousand ten}

i am thankful... for a summer that brings vacations, cookouts, and the end of the carpool line for three months.

i am thinking... how soon the carpool line will be in full swing again.

i am reading... magazines. Do they really count? I will be reading South of Broad by Pat Conroy later this week.

i am hoping... folks aren't scared off from visiting the Gulf Coast this summer because of the oil spill. There are many unaffected areas with businesses who would welcome visitors.

in the kitchen... parmesan crisps and sharp cheddar crisps. Divine.

around the house... espresso or toffee crunch for the wall color?

outside my window... very healthy caladiums and lilies. If I could just get my gardenias to bloom.

worth sharing...

{five}{seventeen}{two thousand ten}

daybook {five}{seventeen}{two thousand ten}

i am thankful for... two really different children. Both bring different things to the family.

i am thinking... about all the field trips my daughter has been on this year. For the record, she has two more this week. Exactly when do they study?

i am going... to the last elementary school play of our parenting days. My, oh my, how time flies.

i am creating... digital photo albums. You cannot even begin to imagine how many pictures I have taken over the last 17 years. Really, you can't even. Really, I can't even.

one of my favorite things... big, fluffy bath towels.

around the house...it is okay to go through all the artwork your children have ever done in school and get rid of some of it? I'm just wondering...

in the kitchen... another CrockPot meal. I got a new cookbook for Mother's Day -- the gal cooked in her slow cooker every day for a year. I am not that ambitious, but our family thought it would be neat to do it for a week. So far, we've had a nice potato soup and some cheesy, bacony chicken. Both were hits. Tonight it's parmesan tilapia. Mmmmm!

outside my window... pesky squirrels stealing all the birdseed in my feeders.

worth sharing...

(Chase a few butterflies today. We found this one in Key West a few years ago.)

Daybook

I have become acquainted with this thing called The Simple Woman's Daybook -- a diary of sorts that encourages you to slow down, enjoy the moment and record your thoughts. The lady that started it all used to do it as a sidebar on her blog, and then moved it to a regular Monday post, giving readers a glimpse into what other women were doing/facing/enjoying. (We women enjoy knowing that there are others out there in the same boat, huh?)

So, because it will make me slow down and 'smell the roses', I will participate and let you look inside my diary on Mondays. The only thing is that I won't be linking my blog posts to the 'master' page on her site (who else outside my circle cares what I'm reading right now -- really?). Maybe later.

Shout out to me about your day, too. Let's enjoy life together.

daybook {five}{ten}{two thousand ten}
i am thankful for... the cup of coffee my youngest brought me this morning -- bedside service at its best!

i am thinking... about how soon my firstborn will begin a new chapter in his life.

i am creating... a Christmas stocking for my daughter.

i am going... to a school banquet tonight.

i am reading... Redefining the Strong Willed Woman by Cynthia Tobias.

i am hoping... there is enough chocolate syrup left in the bottle for a sundae.

around the house... why is it so hard to commit to a shade of brown paint?

from the kitchen... the cupboards are bare -- the kids protesteth much.

outside my window... a deep hole in my pot of rosemary -- the neighbor's cat thought it to be catnip.

worth sharing...