book love

last night was our book club. it is the most anticipated night of the month for me.

*great books




* fabulous friends





* yummy treats





i love all the women in our book club. each one brings a special attribute to our discussions. it never fails that i learn something every time. i am thankful to have their examples, their sweet spirits, and most of all their friendship.

what's next?

"Do one thing every day that scares you." - Eleanor Roosevelt

i read that quote this morning and felt the sting of reality and possibly a bit of guilt. that is who i want to be. to some extent that is who i am. i have been working with a friend who is launching a new business. it has been exciting and fun...i am even going to be the first employee. however, that is her dream. what about mine?? i have a dream....to be a librarian. what is standing in my way you ask? FEAR. fear of going back to school. the voice in my head says it is too late for me, that i am far too behind. the math, oh the math! how will i ever get through it? how silly. anticipation is always my downfall. it is time for me to put on my big girl pants as my grandmother geraldine would say. as a treasured friend of mine reminded me, it takes work to grasp the prize. i think i am ready to find out what's next for me.

simple woman's daybook

outside my window:: hummingbirds and rain

i am thinking:: that i need to step up my exercise...a lot!

i am thankful for:: good friends, sweet boys, and quiet mornings

we are learning:: the letter Hh, algebra (I&II), and how to turn the other cheek

from the kitchen:: homemade pizzas

i am wearing:: tee & jeans

i am creating:: more space for food storage & napkins for Sawyer's lunchkit

i am going:: hopefully nowhere

i am reading:: Anna Karenina

i am praying:: for my cousin and his parents while he slowly dies in the ICU, for my children, and for strength and energy

i am hearing:: hammering....sawyer is creating

around the house:: too much to do but it will get done

some of my favorite things:: Robert Plant/Allison Kraus cd, hanging out with my boys and their friends, lunch dates, and FHE

a few plans for the rest of the week:: to stay home as much as possible

here is the picture thought i am sharing:: i think i need to move to Vermont!

oh i so need these lovelies

i am dreaming day & night of this necklace.

Lisa Leonard is most awesome.

it is a gotta have.

*

i have been on the hunt for a classic tote.

my current one looks like it was used as a mailbag

for the pony express...it is so very ragged.

finally i found my bag! courtesy of J.Jill.

*

oh how i loved Jackie O!

aren't these perfect?

*

now if i can convince kevin that these are definitely needs

and not wants!

Simple Woman's Day Book

outside my window:: a crisp blue backdrop for a bright shining sun

i am thinking:: of living in the now for a future full of promise

i am thankful for:: my sweet family

we are learning:: to write (letters for a small guy & thoughts, narratives for the rest of us), the letter Gg, how to cook, our Savior's love & how to live by that example, and about George Washington

from the kitchen:: Roast Chicken, roasted vegetables, cucumber salad, a fresh baked loaf of bread

i am wearing:: knit top & skirt

i am creating:: revamping a shower curtain, a shirt, and a book of my thoughts

i am going:: to lunch with one of favorite gals!!, on nature walks with my small fry, and the Art Museum

i am reading:: The Great Gatsby and The Price We Paid

i am praying:: for serenity

i am hearing:: quiet and solitude

around the house:: pastels & sketchbooks, bucket of dye, a notebook that is calling my name, and dust bunnies

some of my favorite things:: my new flip flops (mother wouldn't believe that i am in love with turquoise shoes!), The Lovely List.com, AmbrosiaGirl.com, Tiffany Blue walls

a few plans for the rest of the week:: lunch with Janet, early morning seminary, picnic with Sawyer, Breast Cancer meeting, and making myself a better me

here is the picture thought i am sharing:: more than 25 years ago, i got on a plane with my family and our sweet Owen Vaughn headed to the St. George temple. We were sealed as a family for time and all eternity. A piece of heaven here with us on earth.

hopes, dreams, prayers......

As each day begins....

i hope that it is going to be a good day

i dream of blue skies, cool breezes, and a neat & cozy home

i pray to be on time and calm while getting there.

As the day progresses....

i hope that this country will heal itself

i dream of a time when we can love each other as our Savior does

i pray for my heart to be full, my compassion to be great and to be an example for my husband and children, and that my life becomes an encouragement to others.

Small or large, what is your hope, dream, or prayer today?

alone

As I sat alone in church two Sundays ago (Kevin was on nights & the boys were sick), I thought how incredibly alone I felt. There were all these people I have known since I was nine years old, yet I had the terrible ache of a stranger. During the next week I found myself thinking a great deal about that experience and how that must be an everyday life for so many. What agony that must be. I think of my mother and how she must have felt coming home to an empty house night after night. She had no one to sit with Sundays. The terrible existence she must have had and others like her. Do we ignore those poor lonely souls? Not on purpose, but do we nevertheless?

Molly at A Foothill Home Companion also had this in her thoughts this week. I agree with her and hope others do as well. We should take the time to talk to our fellow man. It may be the only conversation they get that day.

Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40. That is my earnest goal. I am going to start by simply saying "Hello...How are you?"

simple women's daybook

outside my window:: the chickens are scratching

i am thinking:: of the boys at school and how much i miss them

i am thankful for:: afterschool snacks and the conversation that accompanies them

we are learning:: the letter o, how to cook, George Washington, and about the Holy Ghost

from the kitchen:: chicken paillard, spinach salad, glazed carrots

i am wearing:: black tee & yoga pants

i am creating:: recreating a shower curtain, and some

i am going:: to early morning seminary, schools, and to my favorite reading spot

i am reading:: Recovering Charles, The Price We Paid

i am praying:: for patience and soft spokeness, to be more frugal

i am hearing:: the swish of the washing machine

around the house:: homework, beetles in jars, and floors to be mopped

some of my favorite things:: homemade pizzas, walks before the sun rises, quiet conversations under covers

a few plans for the rest of the week:: early morning seminary, golf with my guy, solitude

here is the picture thought i am sharing:: the first day of Kindergarten

10 right now

::quiet time to reflect as i walk in the darkness each morning

::conversations with Sawyer as we wait for his brothers @ early morning seminary

::Julie & Julia.....the best movie i have seen in a great while

::my dear mother's pearls and the memory of my father taking me to the Metro in Jackson, Mississippi to help him choose a strand for her Christmas gift

::laughing out loud at/with Kevin

::homemade pizzas

::my hens aka the chooks

::REM

::the ritual of making school/work lunches......there is something soul satisfying about sending your guys off into this cruel world with a little bit of home with them

::reading Hemmingway

10 things that make me smile. What are yours?