Simple Woman's Daybook

For October 17

Outside my window... it's raining. It rained yesterday and the day before that. I think it's going to rain tomorrow, too. What's that about October showers bringing Mayflowers? Ha Ha.

I am thinking... that I really enjoy the weekends since the girls have been going to school full time now. I try to make it real family time and make sure that we do at least one thing together. Of course that's USUALLY a drive in the car with Lizzie doesn't like (just ask her!) but it does give us some time to just focus on each other.

I am thankful ... for good friends who spoiled me on my birthday. Had coffee and tea with a bunch of them, lunch out with two of my sisters and birthday wishes from all over the United States.

From the kitchen... We're having friends over for dinner so there's a beef stew (with sweet potatoes and a dash of cinnamon) in the crockpot and I just make cookies and cornbread and will do the biscuits in a few minutes. Friends are bringing a salad. I als0 have an apple cake that I bought at the Moms Club bake sale yesterday to serve for dessert. AND I went down to the dairy and got some fresh heavy cream to whip up to go with it.

I am wearing... purple velvet shirt, brown leggings, black shoes. My hair is in a braid right now, but I'll probably take it down before dinner.

I am creating... many different things. The agent that I met with earlier this week wants to see the first couple of chapters and a synopsis of "Play Dead" (a book written for 9 to 12 year old girls) so I need to actually write the synopsis. I did, thankfully already write the book. I'm also working on certificates for the Brownie Investiture on Tuesday and I've got thank you notes to write, too.

I am going ... to watch a Gene Kelly film festival tonight. Most likely The Three Muskateers and Inherit the Wind. Tivo automatically recorded them (I have it set to catch anything with Gene Kelly in it) and I haven't seen either of those movies in a looooong time. My favorite though is probably Marjorie Morningstar, which hasn't been on television at least in the last nine months. :( Hopefully it will be soon. I haven't seen it in ages!

I am reading... "The Department of Lost and Found" by Allison Winn Scotch, who is a sort of friend of mine (we belong to a writer's group together) and she is now a best selling author with her second book, "Time of My Life" which is being made into a movie. Lost and Found is her first book and I'm really enjoying it. By the way, I decided that I did not really like Emily's Ghost ... not enough happened and (if you know the story of the Bronte sisters) it did not have a happy ending.

I am hoping... to resist the fresh whipped cream that I'll be putting on the apple cake. Maybe just one spoonful.....

I am praying ... for my friend Corey who has made the extremely difficult decision to disrupt the adoption of her son, whom she calls Angryboy on her blog. He was adopted with his two sisters from Haiti (and Corey has three other children, too) and has been diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder and Oppositional Defiance Disorder. He has been in a treatment facility for 10 months and, because he harmed two of the other children in the house, Corey and her husband have decided that they can no longer parent him. So they are working very very hard to find him the perfect parents so he can thrive. You can read the story here, http://watchingthewaters.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/family-needed/ I can't imagine the grief that she is feeling making this extremely difficult decision, so will you join me in prayer? Thanks!

I am hearing... Spongebob is vying for attention over the keyboard downstairs (Hannah is playing "Red River Valley" and she's pretty good!) The rain has stopped momentarily, but I can hear the drops come down from the trees when the wind shakes them. Oh my, now Hannah is singing with the keyboard ... SO SWEET!!!

Around the house... things are looking good. I am very blessed to have a husband who cleans bathrooms. Ours are now sparkling!

One of my favorite things... is facebook. If you join (and please join ... I held out for years, but it's fun to keep up with everyone!) give me a holler there, too.

A few plans for the week ahead... I'm learning how to make pie crusts on Monday. I love to bake and can usually perfect things on my own, but for some reason (probably that I don't really care for most pies) my pie crusts are TERRIBLE. So on Monday my friend Deb is going to show me and a few other women in our Moms Club how to make them. Then I've got the Brownie Investiture and meeting, a couple of work related things, dance (for H and L, not for me) and I've got to find time to write the synopsis so I can become a famed middle grade writer. And just so you know, there is virtually no money to be made writing middle grade books, so I'm continuing in my streak of only choosing professions in which I can maintain my poverty.

Here is picture thought I am sharing... missing summer sunshine.

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