Back to Reality: My Monday Daybook

Outside my Window...It's a chilly October day. Windy and gray with a tornado of yellows and oranges as the leaves swirl off the trees in my front yard.  I love those trees....but not raking....

I am Thinking...  Man, I so don't want to clean my house this morning.  After spending 5 days living out of a camper in the middle of God's beautiful creation with good friends, it pains me to come back to the hustle and bustle of real life.

Our home for a week. Nothin to worry about except cooking simple meals and occasionally sweeping the camper floor....but only when I really feel like it!

I am Thankful for... My wonderful husband who diligently goes to work each day to "win the bread" and for the security in his job (for now).

From the Kitchen... Nothing yet, but there will be a big pot of Mennonite Borscht bubbling on my stove today or tomorrow! I have a cabbage that needs to be used and what better than a warm, hearty soup. I re-found the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog and spent some time pouring over the recipes that my Grandma makes.  Since we won't be spending Christmas with the extended family this year I think I'm going to have to try some myself!  I will post the recipe for my Mom's borscht tomorrow...I can't find her recipe and the ones on the MGCC blog don't have the spices that gives my Mom's the flavor I love!

I am Wearing... Jeans, a warm, nubby sweater and my slippers.  I have to change into dressier clothes for my piano lessons this afternoon but I'd rather be comfy while I'm doing my housecleaning!

I am Creating... a quilt! Ok, I haven't actually started yet...oops...but it's my October project for the 12 New Things adventure I've embarked on with Sarah Mae over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee.  I might not get it finished in time but I have really good intentions on starting.  Projects like that require one to actually be at home for more than a handful of days out of the month!  Has anyone else quilted before? I could use some helpful hints!

I am Going... to the Mayan Riviera (Mexico) in less than two weeks with my hubby and our really good friends! Somehow I still don't feel old enough to be going on major trips like this without my parents...is that strange?! :)  We travelled a lot as a family...usually by car and tenting along the way and I have such great memories from it.  I just hope that we can give our children the same experiences.

I am Reading... Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago.  It has taken me almost a month...which is ridiculous because I usually read books in a week or less.  I found a list of 1001 Books to Read Before You Die and I figured I should try some of the classics.  It's definitely not my usual style but I'm slowly getting drawn into the story line and the drama.

I am Hearing... the dishwasher in the kitchen and the fire crackling in the fireplace - the latter is by far one of my favorite sounds of all time.

Around the House... shows signs of the tornado that was me as I prepared and packed for our hunting trip last Wednesday.  My dearest was at work so I had to do everything myself amongst everything else in my schedule....it's a disaster.  I am using one of FlyLady's key skills - I set my timer for 15 minutes to clean, and then I come back and work on this post for 15 minutes.  It keeps me from getting overwhelmed!

One of my Favorite Things... curling up on the couch by the fire with a hot cup of coffee and a good book. 

A Few Plans for the Week... this is actually the first week in October that we will be home for the entire week. Yes, it has been a crazy month.  I have piano lessons to teach today, tomorrow and Wednesday, worship team practice on Thursday evening (I play keyboard at church two Sunday's of the month), we help out with our church youth group Friday nights..ummm what else.  Tonight is Date Night with our Young Married's bible study.  We do a potluck dinner and just hang out and enjoy each other's company.  Oh! And Wednesday night we kick off our Coffee Cart ministry with the Youth group! We've been donated all the coffee we need from Van Houtte and a big gazebo from Canadian Tire...so cool! We're setting up right here on the North Shore in Kamloops - we want to reach the people right here in our area...here's praying for some good witnessing opportunities!

Some Pictures I'm Sharing...

The best way to relax - sitting around the campfire with a good book, a warm cup of coffee and my leopard print slippers!

One of the many waterfalls in Wells Gray National Park - if you've never been to beautiful British Columbia you're missing out!

I know it's a bad picture but this is one of our youth getting baptized in the freezing cold river! Woooooo! These are the moments that make hanging out with 30 screaming teenagers every Friday night bearable.



The Simple Woman's Daybook is a journal outline for women to take a moment out of our busy day to focus on the simple, beautiful things we're blessed with in everyday living.