Monday Musings--29 August 2011

Good morning!  Right now...it is a bit after 6 a.m., and it is just getting light out, the sun not yet having broken above the horizon.  In a few minutes it will do so, spilling golden morning light and long shadows across the landscape.  The house is quite.  Una is working on her story in the office, listening to some soft music.

This weekend...was both busy and relaxing.  Anticipating the cool weather predicted for Sunday, and since we all made it to confession last Sunday (we try to go every other week), we decided to see if we could get things done in time to go grocery shopping and make it to the vigil Mass in Gallatin.  So Saturday was kind of crazy.  Two loads of laundry to hang out, showers for every one (a bath for Gemma) haircuts for the two littlest boys--no time for the older ones, and man, did I ever botch Dominic!  I need to re-cut his hair or break down and spend the ten bucks to have a barber do some damage-control!  I was rushing and he was wriggling and the result is humiliating.  I am glad he is too young to be vain...

Anyway, we did manage to get out, take the ice chest and go for groceries.  Then we went to Mass and heard a very good homily.  Afterward, we broke down and went to Taco Bell, as we realized we were all ravenous and it would take time to put away groceries when we got home, thus delaying dinner.  It was a good choice--the kids love to eat out, and for the most part, I love taking up two tables and showing off my family.  And I really like not having to clean up after dinner...

So for the second time recently, we have been home on a Sunday.  It is like a Saturday, but much better, since we cannot do any real work.  And so I got a lot of knitting and reading done.  Last night Una pulled out her new French book to peruse, and so began a series of very short comic skits in which she and Sebastian mangled the French language and had me in tears with laughter.  My little ones make me giggle constantly, but the older kids know how to reduce me to a helpless state of amusement!

Some plans for this week:  Hm...I guess it is about time to jot out some sort of plan for school and menus and chores, seeing as we are supposed to start school next week!  I am happy to start school (well, sort of...), but planning it is hard work, and I hate putting time into things that don't work out, and in my experience, my school plans fall apart every year around Advent.  I may have to just count on unschooling for 6 weeks or so around the holidays...

What else?  I have to clean up the mess in the bindery and start clearing outgrown and worn-out clothes from the drawers and closets in preparation for the Great Changing of the Wardrobe at the end of next month.  I like it only slightly more than  cleaning my wall oven and a bit less than scrubbing my shower stall.

I have to bake a coffee-hazelnut cheesecake for my mom's birthday on Saturday.  I am fiddling with another cheesecake recipe to customize it, so I hope it comes out and I don't make a mess of it.

If I find some time for myself, I would like to...work on Una's sweater and find a very simple peasant dress pattern with long sleeves to sew up for Gemma.  I also want to make a list of things that I can make for the kids for Christmas or for the Etsy shop.

Some prayer intentions for the week:  for my mother, whose birthday is on Saturday, and for my Mother-in-Law, whose birthday is today!  Also for Adrian and Dominic's cough to go no further...I don't sleep well with a house full of coughing kids.  For work for Bret to continue to come in. For the ticks in the front yard to DIE! DIE! DIE!!!  Um, sorry, I sort of lost myself there...I just can't keep my kids prisoners indoors, and the stuff we have been spreading in the yard to kill ticks is not working...

I am grateful for...the fact that Adrian and Dominic didn't cough through the night last night, that none of our many tick bite have shown the "target rash" of Lyme Disease, that we are not experiencing the oppressive heat of a few weeks ago.  I am grateful that the Mennonites have pretty much agreed to take on the framing of the new Patch O' Dirt Farm in October.  This will be an enormous help, and Bret can work with them.

Something that makes me smile:  A gift of soft, squishy, berry-colored yarn from my blog-friend Ginny, who was trying to mail this to me when the recent earthquake hit.