The Simple Woman's Daybook

outside my window:: zinnias attracting butterflies, 2 last baby chicks chirping, 2 puppies chasing each other, clothes on the line, and lots of HOT

i am thinking:: of my great grandmother Nadine Fortenberry and how her days were simple in some ways and not in others.....i think her days might have been better

i am thankful for:: Kevin home from the hospital and recovering from surgery well & for a weekend spent with his grandmother as our guest

we are learning:: about pond habitats.....Cam & Saw have one in the kitchen

from the kitchen:: Kevin's handcut pork loin chops on the grill tonite, butterbeans, sweet potatoes, and cucumbers & tomatoes from the garden....what a blessing to have a husband from a butcher father!

i am wearing:: tee shirt, shorts, no shoes, no makeup!!

i am creating:: an array of books to bring to book club for ideas and a little something special for a boy who will be 16 on the 7th

i am going:: to the most anticipated event of each month Book Club

i am reading:: to Sawyer Stuart Little, I Capture the Castle, All Creatures Great and Small, and Nathalie Dupree's Southern Memories cookbook

i am praying:: for rain and for peace and stillness

i am hearing:: the swish of the washing machine and the chirps of my 2 baby chicks

around the house:: lots of muddy footprints, popsicle drips, sawdust from goings on in the garage, and a smile on my face because my boys created it all

some of my favorite things:: choosing 6 month book list at book club tonite, 6:30 am outside feeding all the animals in the quiet, telephone conversations with my dear friend Brenda, and nighttime conversations with my sweet husband in the dark and quiet of a house with sleeping children

a few plans for the rest of the week:: lots of reading, cooking, swimming, and tadpoles & minnows

here is the picture thought i am sharing::

thinking of "Fortenberry Lane" Sandhill, Mississippi

a good turn

Saturday afternoon we were in a rush to pick up feed for our chickens and then rush off to the swimming pool. On the way to the feed store, Kevin spotted a women standing beside the freeway looking at a blown out tire. He told Cameron we should stop and help her but we would not have time to swim if we did. He left it up mostly to him. My sweet boy of course chose to help. I am so very proud of Cameron and his compassion. Thinking of his fellow man comes naturally to him. He wanted to give a homeless man 20 of his 30 Christmas dollars two years ago. The example he shows is a lesson to us all.

bring on the butterflies

Kevin and I have been working on this flower bed to attract butterflies. My most favorite part of it is that most everything in the bed has been given to us. The zinnias and marigolds are from our neighbor Ms. Lou. She saved her seed heads from last year and gave us an abundance. The shrimp plant and day lillies are from Kevin sweet grandmother. We filled in with a hibiscus that Kevin started from another of ours and a few things we bought. The only thing left to add is the butterflies!!

(excuse these sad little pictures...they are from Kevin's cell phone)

tis the season

for::bare feet:watermelon:homemade popsicles:smell of bug spray:tents inside&out:bird watching:sunscreen:picnics:swim lessons:summer camp:fishing:zyrtec:raising tadpoles:homemade bubbles:flip flops:nature walks:clothes on the line:zoo visits:marshmallows on sticks:raising baby chicks:organic gardens:library trips:dinners outside:sidewalk chalk:geocaching:exploring:tired boys:tired moms

have a fun filled summer!

10 things right now

1. Planning a summer of unschooling.
2. Feeding the chickens and listening to their "conversations".
3. Reading Freckle Juice to Sawyer.
4. Taking photographs of my flowers, my chicks, and 3 boys.
5. The smell of fresh baked bread throughout our home.
6. Lemonade.
7. Homemade watermelon popsicles.
8. The smell of dirt on my hands after being in the garden.
9. Robert Frost.
10. Putting my feet up with 3 boys laughing and doing nothing!