Monday Musings--20 May 2013

Right now...it is after 8 p.m., and we are taking a break from watching Hogan's Heroes to get some ice cream.  It is getting dark out, and Una went to lock up the chickens.  It was a hot day--I had the thermostat for the A/C set at 80 degrees, and by 5 p.m. it finally kicked on.  I spent the day mainly between my workroom, and the kitchen, cleaning and making kombucha, water kefir and butter.

This weekend was...quite pleasant.  On Friday, since Bret wasn't working, we went to a library book sale.  We came away with a large box of books, and I could have taken twice as many had money been no factor.  Then we went to do our grocery shopping.  That pretty much took care of the day.

Yesterday was lovely...went to confession and enjoyed a lovely Mass, chatted a bit with friends afterward and then had a pleasant afternoon at home.

Some plans for this week:  I really can put off the Changing of the Wardrobe no longer.  I have to wash and put away the kids' winter clothes and make room for the shorts and T-shirts.  I am continuing with my rather late spring cleaning this week, too.  I need to make some herb-infused oils for a salve I want to make.

If I find some time for myself, I would like to...start another knitting project (I think I'm ready for something larger again), make a few things for the shop and sew up some more pajama bottoms for the kids.

I am grateful for...a wonderful priest in confession yesterday; a clean work room; the lovely interaction between my oldest child and my youngest; the calming effect of praying the rosary when I wake up at 3 a.m. and can't get back to sleep.

Some prayer intentions for this week: for my friend April and her family, as they drive to Chicago this week to take care of her father after surgery; for work for Bret; for greater trust in God's divine Providence.

Something that makes me smile:  Dominic in his new favorite hat, pushing Gemma in the hammock.

{this moment}: luna

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama.

Creative Friday

I'll be linking up with Natural Suburbia and Creative Friday today...I love hopping around to see what everyone has been making this week!

New in our Etsy shop this week, a "Hobbit" sword!

I also made a few more of these, which have been out of stock for a while now:

And I put this in the shop, too.  I made it a while ago, after seeing one like it on Taryn's blog a few months back.  Isn't it sweet?

And Sebastian hand-dipped his own birthday candles on Wednesday. 

Beautiful, busy days

I am posting this in Internet Explorer--for some reason, Google seems to have swallowed the button that allows me to choose photos from my computer.  I don't know if it will resolve itself or not, but at least I can catch up a bit.

The weather has been exceedingly pleasant since Sunday, and since Bret has been out of work this week, he has been using the time to catch up on things around here, things like fixing the pasture fence, at no small expenditure of money and labor; luckily we have some helping hands around here, even if some of them only pick flowers and play in the dirt.

Yesterday was Sebastian's 12th birthday and in spite of my having the worst allergy attack so far this year, I was apparently able to make it a good one.  Sebastian broke with tradition and decided to bake his own birthday cake, with a little assistance from me.  He made a chocolate cake with mocha buttercream frosting, did the decorating mostly on his own, and we even hand-dipped the beeswax candles for the cake (thank you, Ginny, for the idea!)  His requested breakfast was pancakes, and dinner was homemade pizza.  He's such a great kid...I love you, you wonderful boy!

Due to technical difficulties...

It has been a busy week, but I do have a post in mind; the trouble lies with Blogger right now--when I try to post a photo, it gives me an option to upload, but I can't get anything from my computer--there's no option for that anymore!  And I refuse to post without photos, so if you know how to settle this problem, let me know!  Otherwise, we'll see you when I finally figure it out!

Novena for Pentecost begins today!

You can find a very simple, lovely, traditional novena to the Holy Spirit here.

{this moment}: before breakfast

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama.

Yarn Along--little things

I'm back with Ginny's Yarn Along again!

As a consequence of not having any little babies in the family for whom I can knit quaint little sweaters and cunning little hats, I have to find other tiny, satisfying knits in order to get that near-instant gratification.  I'm still procrastinating on the commencement of my February Lady Sweater Attempt Number Two...just not up to something that requires my actually paying attention to what I'm knitting.

So--I just finished sewing the picot hems on the fingerless mitts above, and they are quite lovely, if you ignore  the fact that one is about 4 rows longer than the other [the result of not paying attention to what I'm knitting].  I immediately took up knitting one of Lori's Pockets for Africa.  I finished it before bedtime last night and gave it to Dominic.  Of course, I am now compelled to knit five more, as everyone wants one.  Una wants it a little bigger so as to fit her MP3 player in it.  The yarn is some that I dyed myself using Kool-Aid (the only legit purpose for that stuff!)

As for reading--it's oh-so-slow!  I fall asleep after a couple of pages, as I read in bed.  I'm still reading G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Knew Too Much, and am thoroughly enjoying it.  Una, in the meantime, has read three Michael O'Brien novels, an autobiography of Robert Clary and several freebies on my Kindle, not to mention various articles and blogs.  All this while keeping up with her school work and writing a novel herself.  Oh, would that I could speed-read!

I'm looking forward to seeing what you have on your needles and nightstands!

Monday Musings--6 May 2013

Right now...it is around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and most of the day's work is done.  I made up a batch of kombucha (I have 3 gallons going at once, so that we never run out), made our water kefir, did two loads of laundry, finished school with five kids, and made a dental appointment for myself.  Doesn't seem like much, does it?  But I'm worn out, for all that.  It is rather overcast, and the air is very still right now.  The neighbor's cows are lowing, and I hear crows cawing in the distance.

This weekend was...somewhat on the dull side but at my age, dull is good!  Saturday was spent shopping for groceries, and in the afternoon there were kids to bathe and dinner to make.  Sunday was nice enough--Mass, hanging out afterward with friends while Gabriel got his first training session as an altar server (he will serve for the first time next month), and once home, browsing about on Pinterest (which I've not done in a long time) and knitting.

Some plans for this week:  hoping to finish one knitting project and begin another; I need to sew up a pair of pajama bottoms for Sebastian's birthday; I have a couple of birthday cards to make; I've a little extra milk this week, so I'll either make yogurt or mozzarella and I have a few things to list in our Etsy shop.

If I find some time for myself, I would like to...knit, read, make some notes for a story idea I have and make up a few little things for the Etsy shop.

I am grateful for...the rain, as it will make for a good first cutting of hay, and that is me looking for the silver lining, as the rain is keeping the kids indoors and making it impossible for me to use my clothes line!

Some prayer intentions for this week:  I'll continue to keep Kevin Thomas in my prayers, most certainly.  I'm praying for my sister, whose health is much improved, but she is dealing with my nephew, who has Asperger's Syndrome and severe OCD--and I am praying, naturally, for my nephew, too.  I am keeping my "brother", Andy, in my prayers as well.  He's not really my brother, but I have adopted him through wishful thinking. And I'm praying for Ginny and her family, down with an intestinal bug of some sort.

Something that makes me smile: Una doing algebra in the morning with Gemma on her lap.

Novena for a young father of six with cancer--last day

On my sidebar is the novena prayer I have been asking people to pray.  If you missed my earlier post, you can find out more about Kevin Thomas, who has inoperable brain cancer, and Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Santiago, whose intercession we are asking for, here.  And by all means, if you are moved to do so, continue to pray for this man...not just for his healing, but for his emotional and spiritual strength, and for his family.

May God reward you!