Outside my window…Dark and 30 degrees (what?!!) When will spring finally be here to stay?

I am thinking…about Una's appointment today. 5 days of steroids have not alleviated the cough, and in fact she had a number of unpleasant side affects to deal with as well. All healing lies in God's hands...

I am thankful for…my mother offering to drive us to Una's appointment today. Bret had a heck of a time trying to entertain 4 boys in a waiting room for over an hour last week!

From the kitchen...Muffin Monday, and it will be blueberry, served up with yogurt on the side. I have to make butter, too.

I am creating…the Pink Sweater. I'm ready to seam it (I hate seaming!) and add the collar and pocket-tops.

I am reading…I have been so remiss in my reading since beginning the sweater. I feel like I'll never be done with the books I've been reading.

I am hoping…that there will be an end to Una's cough. She is now complaining about pains in her head and chest and feels rotten most of the time. A mother's martyrdom is through her children, isn't it?

I am hearing…a little wind outside and nothing more.

A few plans for the rest of the week…I'm not sure if I will be going to the homeschool conference on Friday. That will depend on Una and whether or not my friend Cindy will be able to make it. We always enjoy this as our little "girlfriend" weekend every year, but this year Lent has presented us with penances and mortifications we haven't had to deal with in the past.

The children are...Still asleep. Alleluia.

A picture thought: Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman for more Daybook entries. Have a great Monday, everyone...

Sunday Silence--The beginning of Passiontide

My Girls--Four and Two Legged Varieties

We had some nice weather Tuesday, but it has been raining since Wednesday and is expected to continue thus through Sunday. Good for the pasture, good for the trees and flowers...not so good for a Mama with four energetic boys.

Small Successes--Friday edition

I haven't had much time to post this week; Una spent Monday having coughing fits and I finally got her in to see an asthma/allergy specialist. They have to do testing next Monday, but the short-term diagnosis is that the cough is an allergy-related asthma. She is on a 6 day course of medicine to get the inflammation under control before they test to see what is causing it.

The other thing is that my one really awful pregnancy symptom--varicose veins in the left leg from knee-to-buttock--is really acting up right now. Compression hose is just more of a pain, so I use it if I go out, but avoid it around the house. This always gets better after birth, but it is hitting me earlier and earlier with each pregnancy as I get older.

Without further ado, here are my small--and I mean small--successes for the week:

1) I made butter, yogurt and zucchini bread, plus zucchini patties with the leftover grated zucchini. The cow is back up to a couple of gallons a day with the spring grass coming in.

2) I have the back, one side of the front and about a third of the of the other side of the front of a pink baby sweater completed.

3) I'm about halfway through with both a curriculum shopping list for the upcoming Homeschool Conference and a menu plan for the next two weeks.

I'm trying hard not to feel rotten about the myriad tasks I've not done: not finished the kitchen cleaning, not started the Great Clothing Exchange of spring clothes for winter stuff still in the drawers, not started any seeds for the garden, not done a great job with school this week, although we kept up with the core stuff...Oh, well...

Click on the header image and share your successes for the week.

The Feast of the Annunciation

Thank you, most Blessed Mother, for your "Fiat" which brought about the means to my salvation. May I, too, never say "no" to even the least of God's requests.

Outside my window…52 degrees and dark at 5:25. No birds singing yet, but I can hear Nuala's cowbell when I open the window.

I am thinking…about a number of things! My mind is quite a jumble. Una seems to have symptoms of asthma, but a doctor said, no, he thinks it's allergies. Allergy meds don't do a thing, so I need a second opinion. I'm thinking about the pretty, baby-girl hand-me-downs from my friend Cindy and how much fun Una will have looking at them. I'm thinking of some of the lovely women this blog has put me in touch with, and how much I appreciate that living in such a rural area and having so little contact with other Catholic homeschooling mothers.

I am thankful for…a little more baby-movement this morning! She was so still yesterday that I called the midwife. She told me to eat and then lie down on my left side. I did feel some movement after that, but not enough to make me feel at ease.

From the kitchen...Muffin Monday, and it will be Banana muffins this morning (I think I'll have Una bake them today). Plans for dinner are a pork stir-fry. I also have to make butter and yogurt today.

I am creating…a pink baby sweater with yarn from Elizabeth. I meant it to be newborn size and used smaller needles, but it looks like it will be 3 to 6 months after all!

I am reading…In the morning after prayer I just began reading Keep It Simple: The Busy Catholic's Guide to Growing Closer to God. It's rather depressing in a humbling way. I see how much I put before God during my day, how very little I give to Him. Lent, however, is of course the best time for a little humility. Because I have put aside bedtime reading in favor of knitting, I still have not finished Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Heart & Hands.

I am hoping…to finally finish the kitchen this week! I don't know about the pantry, as the curriculum list for the conference and a huge pile of math papers to correct will have to take precedence.

I am hearing…Nothing! thank goodness. Dominic shuffled out here at 5:00 and I was fortunate enough to shuffle him back to bed. I would not be happy with him awake right now!

A few plans for the rest of the week…I mentioned the curriculum list and kitchen. I also need to look for a few birthday gifts online for Una, catch up with the math papers and tackle some mending if I can. It is growing to frightening proportions.

The children are...Still asleep. Alleluia.

A picture thought: Will the real Capitaine Crochet please stand up? (Not my photo, BTW--I stumbled upon it on Google)!

Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman for more Daybook entries. And have a great week!

Sunday Silence: Laetare Sunday

Saturday Morning Scones

So good with sweet butter and an assortment of jams and preserves!

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp sugar
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup milk or cream
Sugar for sprinkling (coarse sugar is especially pretty)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. and grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. with a pastry blender, cut in the butter until course crumbs form.

Reserve two Tbsp. beaten egg. In a small bowl, mix the remaining egg with the milk or cream and blend well. Add to the butter/flour mix and stir with a fork until a soft dough forms.

On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 15"x 3" rectangle. Cut into five 3" squares, then cut each square diagonally into two triangles.

Place 1" apart on a greased baking sheet. Brush with reserved egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Lent is a time to focus our attention...

...on doing those things we ought to be doing year-round.

PRAY:

FAST:

GIVE ALMS:

1) I washed all my floors. You have no idea how badly they needed it unless you, too, stick to patches of blue kids' toothpaste whenever you go into the bathroom...

2) I have about a third of the kitchen cleaning done. On one side of the kitchen, all the cabinets have been cleaned out, vacuumed, wiped and emptied of things I don't use and pre-millenium food items...I figure another 5 days (working about 2 hours a day), to finish the kitchen, including cleaning the oven and cook top and emptying and cleaning the fridge and freezer. Then it's on to the pantry...

3) I've continued to put meals on the table and resort to cereal for breakfast only once or twice a week.

4) I invited my mother to dinner. I love having her over, but I dread asking her because I don't want to make her feel obligated to come. She's of a nervous disposition (much like her own mother and my sister), and I always fear that my gang is too much for her nerves. They all want her attention and can be quite overwhelming. Anyway, she gladly accepted, and I have promised the kids that good behavior will receive its just rewards, as will poor behavior...

Click on the header image above and share your own small successes for the week!

Feast of St. Joseph

I dare not hope...

...that winter has passed.

A Blogger's Examination of Conscience

Posted by Marianne, here. Blogging can become a source of grace to others, or a real spiritual detriment to ourselves. Here's a chance to see how you're doing.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Not a drop of Irish blood runs in our veins here at Patch O' Dirt, but I do love Ireland. At least I love the Ireland I remember from 1990. My mother and sister lived there for a year and I spent two months visiting (no kids back then, and Bret was doing a lot of home remodeling while I was away). We drove everywhere and saw dozens of castles and abbeys. I have a lot of photos and brochures saved, and many, many fond memories.

Thank you, Ruth!

Ruth's blog, Just Another day in Paradise, is a real Catholic-homeschooling Mommy-Blog, and is also a showcase for the beautiful rosaries she makes. I was fortunate enough to win this Lenten Rosary in one of her fairly frequent random drawings, and it arrived in the mail today. It is lovely! Do take a look at her Ave Maria Rosaries. They make beautiful gifts. And I'm all for cottage industry, especially where it helps support Catholic homeschooling mommies...

Outside my window…60 degrees and drizzling, still dark at 5:20, of course.

I am thinking…how poorly I have "done" Lent this year thus far. There are so many temporal concerns and duties right now, and I have been so ungenerous with God, Who has been so generous with me. I can't escape to a hermitage and make the world disappear until Easter, so I will try at least to direct my intentions toward God more frequently throughout the day.

I am thankful for…dear women like Elizabeth. She saw my blog entry moaning about wanting to knit for the new baby girl and not having yarn, and yesterday her mother brought me two skeins of silky, soft, PINK yarn in a gift bag after Mass. I was so touched!

From the kitchen...Muffin Monday, and it will be Pumpkin Muffins this morning. Plans for dinner are Chicken Enchiladas made with leftovers from Saturday's roast chicken (I roasted two, or there would have been no left-overs!

I am creating…a cotton dishcloth, which I began on the way to Mass in my desperate desire to knit something! I will likely put it aside so that I can begin a baby sweater this week.

I am reading…In the morning after prayer I just began reading Keep It Simple: The Busy Catholic's Guide to Growing Closer to God. Before bed I am still reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Heart & Hands.

I am hoping…to get something accomplished this week! It seems I am doing little more than just keeping up with meals, school and laundry, and there are dozens of other things that need to be done. My floors need washing, and I need to get a curriculum list together!

I am hearing…Nothing! Which is better than what I heard when I was praying in the livingroom this morning: a mouse scratching about in the wall not a foot away from me! Time to set more poison up in the attic, which is where they tend to live and breed...

A few plans for the rest of the week…I mentioned the curriculum list and floors. I also need to get some Easter shoes for Una, catch up with correcting a stack of math papers and begin the ordeal of cleaning my kitchen and pantry!

The children are...Still asleep. Before Daylight Savings Time, Gabriel was always up by this time (5:45 a.m.).

A picture thought: Una decided she really wanted to get her hair cut, too. She'd only had it trimmed twice since birth, so I was a little hesitant, but it looks great and she no longer has to de-tangle and braid it before bed. About 14 inches were donated to Locks of Love. Find more Simple Woman entries at Peggy's

Silent Sunday

The Gainfully Unemployed Husband Edition.

I am writing of Bret's successes this week because I have been lax in just about everything other than meal-planning and cooking. I have not gotten anywhere with my Lenten cleaning, I forgot to make Una a hair appointment, my mending is piling up and I still haven't found a knitting project I want to pick up (my yarn supply is so uninspiring and I can't really justify spending money on yarn right now). I also still haven't tackled my curriculum list for the coming year, but I will be purchasing most of my materials at a conference next month. So I thought that this week I would blow Bret's horn instead! This week he has:

1. just about completed papering, trimming and painting the hall in our house;

2. taken Naomi, the heifer, down to a neighbor's every day to clean out her infected wound and

3. helped me out by washing dishes after dinner just about every night this week.

All this on top of milking the cow, feeding all the animals and running various errands. I really love having him around. Some odd jobs have come his way, and we are hoping that it is enough to tide us over. Our expenses are not great and we can get by on relatively little, but we do need something! I think St. Joseph and St. Anthony have been doing a wonderful job of drumming up work. Thanks be to God!

Blow your own horn, or read what others have done by clicking on the header above.

Baby Number Six is...

A GIRL!!!


The technician spotted the gender in the first three minutes and asked if I would like to know. After she said, "Well, it looks like we've got a little girl here," my mind went blank and I don't think I saw anything on the ultrasound for the next five minutes. I finally regained my presence of mind and asked how everything else looked--just fine, she said.

I'll probably shriek in terror during diaper changes for the first couple of weeks until it sinks in that nothing is missing...

We are all very happy. I have my "book-ends"...

Is this someone's idea of a joke?

Hazardous Weather Outlook
Short Term Forecast
Winter Weather Advisory

Today: Rain, snow, and sleet before 1pm, then snow and sleet. High near 36. Northeast wind between 10 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tonight: Rain, snow, and sleet likely. Cloudy, with a low around 32. North northeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Two days ago we were barefoot in the creek. This stinks. My forsythia is in bloom, and so are the purple-leaf plums. I think I am going to cry...

Not only that, I have to go out in this mess for my ultrasound--no way I want to miss that!

After-school outing

When school was finished today, and Bret had finished his work wallpapering the hallway, we piled into the van for a little taste of spring...

Today: March 9th, 2009

Outside my window…45 degrees and still dark at 6:30, due to Daylight Savings Time. I am not a big fan of Daylight Savings Time. I like to relish the sunrise when everyone else is still in bed.

I am thinking…about plans for the day, cooking and schooling. I am also thinking of my friends who have both had babies in the last two weeks (both boys), and about my cleaning schedule. I am also thinking that I wish my thoughts were of a more elevated nature...

I am thankful for…the Blessed Mother's answer to a prayer. She is so good to me, even though I am such a wimp!

From the kitchen...Muffin Monday, and it will be Blueberry Muffins this morning. I wonder if we have enough milk for me to make yogurt today. I placed a Boston Butt in the slow cooker before bed last night which I'll divide for Pulled Pork sandwiches tonight and shredded pork with some Mexican seasonings to roll up in warmed tortillas on Thursday evening.

I am creating…Nothing! And it bugs me. I began a baby hat I fell in love with, but it is a bit more than knit-one-purl-one and I am a beginner. somewhere after 5 or 6 rows I lost track and had to pull everything off the needles to begin again. Wish I had some pretty yarn...

I am reading…In the morning after prayer I am meditating on the short selections from The Ways of God. Before bed I am still reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Heart & Hands.

I am hoping…for a good week, some income for Bret, and that all will look good on the ultrasound I am getting on Thursday.

I am hearing…Nothing! Maybe this Daylight Savings Time isn't all bad!

A few plans for the rest of the week…More Spring Cleaning! So far I've done bathrooms. I felt pretty good about that until I read Marilyn's post! The kitchen and pantry are so daunting I think I need to leave them for a no-school day. I need another two weeks' worth of menu planning, and I need to get a curriculum list together just in case I manage to get to the St. Louis Catholic Homeschool Association Conference this year. Anyone else out there planning to be there?

The children are...Still asleep. Or at least quiet enough to make me think they are.

A picture thought: the world's most charming toddler, in a very rare quiet moment... Find more Simple Woman entries at Peggy's.

Sunday Silence

Yes, son, it's baby hunting season...

Bret was cleaning the BB gun, which wasn't working due to the fact that Sebastian had dropped it and mud had jammed things up. Dominic, 2 1/2, was watching.

"Dat gun, Papa? Dat gun shoot bullets?"
"No, Dom, it's a BB gun; it shoots BBs."
Pause.
"Dat gun shoot me? I baby..."
Parents' subdued laughter.
"No, hon, it's a BB gun, not a baby gun.

Good Lord, I can't even imagine what passed through that dear little head in that moment...

Friday in Lent

Pray...

Fast...

Give alms...