Simple Woman's Daybook

For January 21

Outside my window... it's deceptively sunny and I can hear birds singing and it really looks and sounds like spring. Luckily I know from going to the bus stop this morning that it is NOT spring so I will still wear my winter jacket and gloves when I go out this afternoon.

I am thinking... about all the Girl Scout cookies in my dining room and that I am NOT going to eat them. Not even the lemonades which are brutally delicious. Please buy them so I won't be tempted.

I am thankful ... for the outpouring of help to the people of Haiti. I've got two blogger friends who both adopted from Haiti and I've been supporting their charities long before the earthquake hit and I continue to do so. Haiti was the poorest country in this part of the world before the earthquake and, as I'm sure you all know, the devastation was beyond comprehension. Please don't forget the people of Haiti in your prayers and in your giving even after the story has fallen from the front pages. Here are two charities that are helping. The first is http://www.heartlineministries.org/ and that's the group I've been helping to support. I've also supported http://www.islandimpact.net/ which was founded by a friend of my sister Terry. Both are in need of your prayers.

From the kitchen... leftover spaghetti for lunch and some weight watchers brownies for a snack. The brownies are made from brownie mix and Fiber One cereal and are pretty tasty if you don't expect them to actually taste like a brownie!

I am wearing... green shirt with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania logo (did I mention we're selling girl scout cookies??) black leggings and brown socks that don't match the outfit, but are WARM!

I am creating... I just wrote a story about the country singer Trace Adkins (real name is Tracy) and am doing some web content writing in a few minutes. Earlier this month I completed our Year in Review photo book that I send to the girls' birthfamily. I keep a copy for us, too, as it really is a nice way to remember the year.

I am going ... to have coffee with my friend Amy in about an hour. YAY!!! I love my friend Amy and I love her house, too. She's got a huge wood stove that provides warmth that is only matched by her warm personality and THE BEST COFFEE I've ever had. I cherish these coffee dates with Amy (and there's usually a few other friends there, too) and only wish we had more time to spend together. I really hate it when work and child-rearing interferes with your social life, don't you???

I am reading... "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Just started it and it's already very good. I'm thinking of suggesting it for my book club's April selection. I also got a subscription to Weight Watchers magazine that I am really enjoying. For those of you who don't know, you can get very inexpensive subscriptions on ebay. I got three years of Weight Watchers for under $10.

I am hoping... that Hannah's benchmark testing goes well. She's doing really really well with her reading, but we're still (all) struggling with math. Which I think is overrated anyway. Let the calculators worry about the math, I say.

I am praying ... for the people of Haiti, of course. And for the friends in my own circle who are struggling with their personal demons. God is holding you all close, as am I.

I am hearing... Bruce Springsteen singing "The Rising" on my iTunes (set on the computer.) Love BRUUUUUUUCE.

Around the house... well I could lie and say things are just peachy but that would be, well, a LIE. I've got to get on a better cleaning routine. Before you all suggest the Fly Lady, I TRIED her, but began to refer to her as the Fly Nazi because of all those bossy emails. Oh, I did buy a rug for the living room, so if you visit be sure to take a look at it. I've still got to get a table for that room and then (I think, but maybe not) it will be done.

One of my favorite things... is going to church. I know. I'm surprised, too. But I really love the quiet, the contemplation, the feelings of nostalgia that I have from my youth at church with my family, and the fact that all four of us are there together. And no one is hitting anyone (usually.)

A few plans for the week ahead... Coffee with Amy, dance class, lots of work, lots of interviews, CCD, Brownies on Saturday (special meeting at my house), a cruise out to the Dunkin' Donuts on Sunday -- in other words, the usual!

A picture I am sharing ... the girls and I are working on their cooking skills. Here's a picture of them with eggs that they cracked and scrambled. (I'm still having blogger picture issues, but hopefully this will come out fine!)


You can see other daybooks at www.thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com