Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, Monday, January 4, 2016

Outside my window...  it snowed!  But just a little.  We were hoping for a winter wonderland, but what we got is really just a dusting.  In the spirit of hoping for more-where-that-came-from, I'm including some pics from a couple years ago.

Hearing...  Gunnar practicing his violin, currently playing (a simplified version of) Vivaldi's Winter.  

Very appropriate!

Pondering...  our dishwasher hasn't worked for years, but I can live without that.  Now, however, the oven is taking a mysteriously looooooong time to get up to temp, and I can't do without that!  And Kerry's 4Runner needs a new clutch.  Really?  All at once?

Praying...  for all of us to adjust smoothly back to our school routine.  Wyatt's going to have a full-load again this quarter (15 credits), after having only ten last quarter.  Tate continues to diligently plug along.  Gunnar had a little trouble this morning.  I don't think any of the work is too difficult, but he does have to make himself DO IT.  Hard to know if he just needs more self-discipline or if maybe there's some ADD going on???  Arrrrgh.

Thankful...  as much as I'd love a big dump of snow, I was kind of thankful we didn't get much as I'd volunteered to bring my sweet neighbor home from the hospital today.  She has family members (grand-kids) who were perfectly willing to do it, but they have cars that are low to the ground and that seemed like it might be difficult after hip surgery, while the seats in the van are kind of "butt-height".  The van, however, does NOT go out in the snow, so I was relieved the roads were basically clear.

Wearing...  blue jeans, white t-shirt, lime green sweater, warm socks.  Sooooo fancy.

Creating...  ummmm, can't post pics just yet as the quilt will be given at a shower later this month.  Soon :D  (Hint - the pattern is sometimes called Floating Star or Slanted Star.)

Going...  to carry dinner over to my neighbor, as soon as the bread finishes baking!


Looking forward to...  I don't know!  Today was pretty good :D

In the kitchen...  I got up early and got both crock pots going, full to the brim with stew...
caribou stew!
No kidding.  I went to the grocery store to get stew meat and a few other things, and forgot the meat! Fortunately, I had one last hunk of caribou I'd been 'hoarding' and decided to use it up.
Thank you, Grandpa Grasshopper!

I felt so industrious this morning.  Set my alarm for 6:20, though I usually wake up by 6.  But the phone rang at 5:40AM.  Thank you, local school district, for that automated call, making sure I knew that the trifling amount of snow wafting around had not caused school to be cancelled.  And then - bonus round! - we got a second (identical) phone call about fifteen minutes later.  Why???

But back to the feeling industrious part...
I cut the meat, peeled and chopped the veggies, mixed the broth, and got my crock-pots busy simmering, and then Gunnar and I headed out for our walk.
Normally we go up through the woods, but today I wanted to see with my own eyes that the steep hill I would need to go down and back up to bring Chickie home was okay.

Because it can be a bit intimidating.


Sunny day (steeper than it looks)...

Icy day... (not today).

It was fine :D


In the learning rooms... back to feeling industrious...
Gunnar and I got all our "together work" done before it was time for me to go get Chickie,
leaving him home to work independently.
That's a bit of a challenge the first day back after a long break, but he eventually got it done.


Around the house... happy sigh!  I'm loving the peaceful, serene feel of winter - inside and out.
I love change - love decorating for fall, with that cozy, homey feel.
And then the exuberance of colors and lights and smells and sounds of Christmas.
But then... winter.
It may be cold and dark outside, but so sparkly and twinkly and snug inside.


The Mother Load... ack!  I got not one thing done from my list today!
Well, except cooking, and schooling, and helping my neighbor.
So that's that, and tomorrow is a new day.

Noticing that... it won't be long before the snow drops are poking their heads up,
and that's always a cheery sight.


Something fun to share...  the thought of tapioca pudding just grosses me out.
As does bubble tea.
I can't imagine enjoying drinking a liquid with something that looks like fish eggs floating in it.

 Blech.

But guess what's in my stew?
Tapioca.


A favorite quote for today...

God has promised to supply our needs.
What we don't have now, we don't need now.
Elisabeth Elliot


One of my favorite things...  the smell of bread baking.


A Bible verse...

... I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether welled or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13

And, NO, I'm not there yet.  Working on it.


A few plans for the rest of the week...
just getting back in the groove!
Hoping to spend time with a friend on Sunday.


A peek into my world...
well, my world a couple years ago.
Hoping for snow!
I love the way the dogwood branches look a bit like an upturned hand, holding the snow loosely.