Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Outside my window...  the sky is full of dark, heavy, rain-filled clouds, and the rain is filling all the "cups" of my dogwood blossoms and turning them upside down.  Our beautiful spring weather is gone for awhile, but that's okay.  It's a perfect day to snuggle inside with my sick kiddo and sip hot tea and cocoa.

Hearing...  rain splattering on the windows and dripping onto the roof and driveway, and Gunnar coughing.  Guess which sound I like better.

Pondering...  my dogwood trees.  I absolutely love them this time of year.  Even the pink one.  And I'm not a pink girl AT ALL.  But (I tell myself) it's kind of a coral pink, which is better than pinky-pink.  And really?  What I always tell my boys, I now hear them saying back to me...  Tate told me he likes the pink tree, because, "Pink is pretty where God put it, in nature."  Yup.

So you're getting treated to several pics of my trees (taken on recent sunny days) because they're filling my view right now :D

Praying...  still praying for little Faye - down at Seattle Children's fighting E. Coli.  Yesterday was her birthday, and our pastor and his wife drove down to visit and encourage.

Also praying for my own family's health - it's the Coughing Chorus around here, but nothing as serious as our little friend.  We're also praying for another friend from church who recently had surgery related to cancer - praying for full recovery.  And for TWO sets of friends adjusting to being new parents!  (No, not the royals ;D)

Thankful...  for access to good medical care, that Kerry has work, for the explosion of life that is spring, and for our homey home to stay HOME in today.

Creating...  I have a small quilting project to work on for a friend - finishing a quilt her daughter started.  Good thing she's not in a hurry, what with the sickness in the house, but I haven't forgotten it, Rebecca!

Going...  to stay HOME today.  I may have mentioned that ;D  Which is kind of funny, because I stayed home yesterday, but Tuesday is usually a (good) hectic day with homeschooling, Gunnar's violin lesson, picking up pizza, Gunnar's babysitting job, and CAP, but we've cleared the deck today and canceled our activities.  Wyatt and Tate can go to CAP, but Gunnar is staying home.

Here's the deal - we think he has pertussis, aka Whooping Cough.  Which is so unfair, because he's vaccinated!  Well, no vaccine works 100%, and it IS actually helping him in that he could be much sicker than he is.  But still, he's sick.  The doctor gently explained that because we have so many anti-vaxxers around here, we're losing the "herd immunity".  Cases of whooping cough are increasing as more people refuse the vaccine, so Gunnar - who probably wouldn't have been exposed to it otherwise - is being sickened even though he is vaccinated.  Maddening.

Reading...  Kevin DeYoung's The Good News We Almost Forgot, an explanation (and a celebration) of the Heidelberg Catechism.  I did NOT grow up with a catechism - that was a "Catholic thing", right?  Not so fast.  Not equal to God's Word, but a helpful way of looking at it through questions and answers.

Looking forward to...  everyone in the house being healthy!

In the kitchen...  it feels like a soup day, but the boys are lobbying for pizza (cheap-cheap-cheap on Tuesday!), so maybe pizza for lunch and soup for dinner :D

In the learning rooms...  in spite of feeling crummy, Gunnar is persevering through his school work. ("Gee, honey, I know you feel rotten, but finishing your math won't make you feel any more rotten, so you might as well get it done."  "Okay, Mom."  "And I'll make you cocoa."  "Okay!")

Around the house...  tissues, books, more tissues, more books... you can tell what we've been doing ;D

The Mother Load... 
* pay bills
* clean our bathroom
* fold two loads of laundry
* tidy office (make room for project...)
* quilting project for my friend
* do something about the kitchen floor (needs to be stripped/waxed professionally - $$$)

* meet with Wyatt and advisor about his classes for next year
* remind Gunnar to practice his violin

Noticing that...  I'm making progress in reading through the books stacked in my windowsill - hurray!

Something to remember for later...  Gunnar, in spite of not feeling well himself, is very concerned with little Faye.  He's decided that as soon as Faye is home and well, we will be having the family over for a meal.  He's even already decided on a menu (as long as it includes home-made bread, and brownies with vanilla ice cream for dessert).  Sounds good to me :D

A favorite quote for today... 

  Very often (nearly always, I'm afraid) when I come to church

my feelings are uppermost in my mind.

This is natural.

We are human, we are "selves," and it takes no effort at all to feel.

But worship is not a feeling.

Worship is not an experience.

Worship is an act, and this takes discipline.

We are to worship "in spirit and in truth."

Never mind about the feelings.

We are to worship in spite of them.

Finding myself scattered in all directions and in need of corralling like so many skittish calves,

I kneel before the service begins and ask to be delivered

from a vague preoccupation with myself and my own concerns,

and to be turned, during this short hour, to God.

 Elisabeth Elliot

One of my favorite things...  the sun coming out in its brightness after a dark, cloudy morning.

A Bible verse...  Isaiah 58:11

The Lord will guide you always;

    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

    and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

    like a spring whose waters never fail.

A few plans for the rest of the week...  homeschool-homeschool-homeschool :D, CAP tonight for some of the boys, Tate's piano lesson Thursday, Tate is going on a field-trip to Seattle on Friday to explore careers related to boats, then BACK to Seattle Friday evening for a speaker/social event for Deaf/Hoh teens (whew!), and maybe a youth group activity on Saturday.

A peek into my world...  same tree in soft morning light, and then bright afternoon sunshine.