Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, Monday, February 16, 2015

Outside my window...  sunshine!  Brightness!  Color!

Hearing...  a very, very quiet house.  It's Presidents' Day today, no school for any of us.  The boys went for a bike ride earlier (kind of muddy, but good for them) and Gunnar and I went for our longer walk.  And you know what we saw?

Pondering...  I'm getting RSVPs for my parents' 50th party - so glad people are excited about celebrating with us :D  My mom kind of didn't want a party, but I think marriages that flourish for 50 years, ought to be celebrated publicly.  If your parents (or friends or relatives) have long-thriving marriages, THANK THEM.

Praying...  for our friends in missions in Myanmar and in the Solomon Islands and elsewhere.  Isn't the internet amazing?  I can remember when I was a kid (you know, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) and you had to wait weeks or months to hear from missionaries.

Thankful...  for technology (like email and Tate's CIs and low-tech crock-pots), that work seems to keep trickling in for Kerry (more please, Lord!), and for the brightness of today.

Wearing...  jeans, long-sleeve black t-shirt, black cardigan... so exciting.

Creating...  I've used the day off to get ahead with preparing for my Sunday school class.  I may have mentioned the age spread in my little class (3 to 8).  The curriculum I have is fine for the 6-8 year olds, but I have several kids who aren't readers yet so I'm always adapting the activities.  Or finding new ones.

Going...  to rehearsal tonight.  I'm not as excited about this season, but I'm trying to go with a good attitude :D

Looking forward to...  well, hoping for a tax refund!

In the kitchen...  made a huge batch (6-quart crock-pot) of stroganoff yesterday - part beef and part venison.  Used the second roast from Tate's deer, and oh that meat was beautiful (hardly a speck of fat on it) and oh-so-tasty.  Enough for leftovers tonight - hurray!

In the learning rooms...  just wrapping up a wonderful four-day weekend.  LOVE IT.  Gunnar currently has three experiments going that we are monitoring.  He'll be studying the human body for the rest of the year in science.  He's been doing a two-year overview of world history while Tate is doing a one-year overview, and I think they're just about coinciding right now.  That's a good thing, but I get a bit scrambled sometimes about who is doing what!  Tate is such a diligent worker.  He's already finished one of his subjects for the year, and all of the extra reading I assigned him to go along with Biology.  Gunnar rarely wants to work ahead, but he stays on top of things... even when he's not particularly enjoying them... like reading Great Expectations.  In his opinion, it would make a great story in about a quarter of the pages.  I hear ya.

Around the house...  more open spaces and surfaces - aahhhhh :D  And primroses, because they're the hope of spring to come.

And speaking of spring... the ducks were going NUTS as we passed the pond on our walk this morning.  Males, chasing each other around.  Yep.  It's spring.

The Mother Load...  got our tax stuff together over the weekend, which is a huge load off my back.  I'm prepping our work list for spring break, though it's still over a month away.  In the mean time...

* run errands but don't spend any more money than necessary (hmmm...)
* mop upstairs floors (they usually just get dust-mopped, but it's time)
* inventory the cupboards and make a plan - so much food!
* if we're going to garden, there's prep to do
* send package to friends in Myanmar (requires a trip to the actual post office - ugh)
* make a Goodwill run (I don't think I could pull off another 40 bags this year, so it might as well go now)
* find the right spot to hang the tree quilt
* and more, more, more.  Sigh.

A favorite quote for today... 

People may not always live what they profess,

but they will always live what they believe.

 - Neil T. Anderson

One of my favorite things...  Kerry and Gunnar found me some Lindor milk chocolate and sea salt truffles for Valentine's Day... thanks!

A Bible verse...  

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

A few plans for the rest of the week...  Gunnar's violin lesson was cancelled tomorrow, and the boy he babysits is out of town, so it's a more normal day (get more done!).  I have some writing I want to do before it's due.  Tate will have his piano lesson.  And it looks like the weekend is OPEN.  :D

A peek into my day...  I'm lichen it.  (*Groan*)