Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, Monday, October 22, 2012.

Outside my window...   still dark this morning, but I can tell you that as of Saturday we have snow on the hills (far above us).

I am hearing...   lately I've been hearing a lot of RAIN.  For the first few years we were married, that caused me no end of anxiety, but now that we don't have to worry about the roof?  I love falling asleep to the sound of rain, knowing that I am warm, safe, sheltered inside.  But this morning... I hear the furnace running!  With the night-time temps down in the 30's we'll be getting our first frost any time now.  *Oops!  Now that it's light enough to see... we did get our first frost.*  (I knew you were all just waiting, on pins and needles, for that vital information.  *eyes roll*)

I am thinking...  we made it through our busy week, though I declared Sunday afternoon a "sanity break" - no company, just us having a quiet day at home.  Besides all our fun activities, we got a bit of winterizing done... got the BBQ stored, got the screen door off, and all the window screens down and washed and into the garage before the rain hit on Saturday.  I appreciate the screens when we want the windows open, but I just love getting them off and looking out through clear, unobstructed glass.

I am praying...  safety for Wyatt riding his bike to and from school this morning, return to health for so many friends, and for the boys to be kind to each other... to be considerate.

I am thankful...  for a full freezer and cupboards :D

I am wearing... oh boy!  Gray jeans, white tee, navy pullover sweater, and gray wool socks... wheeee!

I am creating...  oooo, a bit of tidiness in the office, but i still have a ways to go...

I am going...  to re-pot my geraniums and try to keep them going until spring... maybe?

I am reading...  just finished Women Helping Women but want to skim through again and pull out some good nuggets. Ooo, like this one, in relation to counseling people biblically about their sin (rather than seeing them as a "poor wounded victim"), from A.W.Tozer,
... suppose a man escapes from prison.  Certainly he will have grief.  He is going to be in pain after bumping logs and stones and fences as he crawls and hides away in the dark.  He is going to be hungry and cold and weary.  His beard will grow long and he will be tired and cramped and cold - all of these will happen, but they are incidental to the fact that he is a fugitive from justice and a rebel against the law."
I'm sure you can make the connection.

I am looking forward to...  having my office clean and tidy.  (Did I miss a step there?  Oh, yah, the part where I clean it.  Well, it's always nice to have goals, isn't it?)

In the kitchen...  making "leftover casserole" for lunch.  The boys actually love it, but I think it needs a better name, yah?  Dinner, the Sequel doesn't quite cut it.  Suggestions?

In the learning rooms...  I made myself a chart.  Every week we finish I color in a space, so I can see - in bright Crayola colors - how far we've come and how far we have to go in the school year.  Right now, we are 7/36 of the way through.  Last week we were 1/6, which is actually less, but somehow sounds like more.  As though we've gotten somewhere we can understand.  And yes, I am a dork.

Around the house...  why, for the love of Mike, is it so hard for people to put books away?  Why?

The Mother Load...  last week was just too darn tiring.  I felt like going to bed every single night by about 6pm, and the last time I felt like that I was pregnant - which I can assure you I am not.  *Sigh*  But this week is going to be better.  Because I say so.  And because the calendar is a little less crammed full.  Still, I have a couple of small sewing projects I want to do for me, and then I want to clean it all up  for awhile.

Noticing that...  when the boys are properly motivated they can work like a force of nature.  Hallelujah and Amen.

Something fun to share...  or crazy, take your pick.  When we were driving to Kerry's cousin's house for Octoberfest feasting on Saturday, the temperature dropped ten degrees in a matter of minutes and we had some very chunky rain hitting the windshield.  I'm not calling it snow, but it was... chunky.

A favorite quote for today...  already shared one :D

One of my favorite things...  ORDER!  And the wonderful smell my candles are giving the house :D

A few plans for the rest of the week...  Messiah practice, a doctor appointment (me), Civil Air Patrol, youth group (aka None the Wiser), and a game night at church on Saturday.  That sounds like plenty ;D

A peek into my world...

And this little bonus from my brother...

Why, yes, I think she's getting enough to eat ;D