Simple Woman's Daybook

For June 1, 2011

Outside my window... For most of the day it was in the mid-90s and humid, but now it's clouding up and I'm seeing the underside of the leaves -- a sure sign that a storm is coming. The breeze even smells like a cold front coming through.

I am thinking... how happy I am that school is almost over. I have been loving my "free" time with Hannah and Lizzie in the summer. I don't really mind getting up early for school, it's the 1-hour daily yell fest (get dressed, brush your teeth, what do you want for breakfast, what do you want for lunch, you can't wear that to school, no, I have to brush your hair, no I don't know where your shoes are) that I will not miss over the summer.

I am thankful ... for a husband who took good care of the family while I was sick this past weekend.

From the kitchen... Summer dinner!! I made a chicken salad and a three-bean (actually two-bean, corn and olives!) salad.

I am wearing... white shirt, grey pants.

I am creating... the girls' story for their teachers. It's been a lot harder this year because I've had to be so creative in so many different ways that my brain cells are fried. It's called The Very Bored Princesses and the Ghost in the Girls bathroom, so at least I know what it's about!

I am going ... to the last service unit meeting of the Girl Scout year. I've already got 15 of my 18 girls re-registered for next year AND I'm already looking forward to the fun we'll have. I think we'll try overnight camping in the spring.

I am reading... "The One That I Want" by a writing colleague of mine, Allison Winn Scotch. So far I love it, but I've enjoyed all her books. I've downloaded several classics (Jane Eyre, Northanger Abbey) to read over the summer, too. They were free.

I am hoping... that the work I'm doing to lose weight continues to work. I'm not talking numbers yet, but suffice it to say something is working. YAY!!!

I am hearing... SpongeBob SquarePants (big sigh) I'm not a fan of the sponge, but my daughters like him.

Around the house... messy, cluttered and messy. I had hoped to clean this weekend, but got sick instead.

One of my favorite things... this website. These are women in my Twins Club, and every Monday that have links to the free stuff for my Kindle. Other days they will have freebies and coupons, etc. I visit them every day AND like them on facebook.

A few plans for the week ahead... Well there's the SU meeting tonight, dance tomorrow, 2nd grade picnic on Friday (I'm making cupcakes, bringing plates and helping the set up the lunch), then the Blues Barbecue and the girls Dance Demo this weekend. That sounds about right for the end of the school year!

Pictures I am sharing... A few days after my mom passed away I had a dream/vision (I was meditating, although I may have fallen asleep as I was on the couch at the time and that's mostly what I do on the couch!) in which she came to me and told me that when I needed her she'd send me a swallowtail butterfly with blue on it. As I am not a lepidopterist, I even had to look that particular species up. I looked for those darn butterflies for several days thinking eventually that it was all just a dream, with no meaning.

So, flash forward to the day before my children made their First Holy Communion. I was feeling quite sad and fragile, as this was the first major "thing" where she wouldn't physically be there. I decided that a rest on the hammock would be a great way to get out of cleaning my house my funk but that meant I had to physically get the hammock out of the garage, drag out the frame, etc. Hannah and Lizzie decided to help, which made it that much harder easier. So as I'm unrolling the hammock I notice that a butterfly -- a swallowtail butterfly -- had somehow gotten into the garage and gotten tangled in the hammock. We let it loose and the butterfly followed us as we walked over to the hammock stand in the backyard and put it all together. It crawled up and down our arms, onto our shoulders and would start to fly away, but then come right back. It even posed for a bunch of photos. And if you look really closely, you can see that it's got blue on its wings. After the butterfly's visit, the weekend got a whole lot better. :) And it's nice to know that Mom still keeps her promises.