November 29

Outside my window...

It is a beautiful, sunny day. Yesterday it was so cold and windy but now today the weather has moderated and we are not so intimidated about stepping outside the door.

I am thinking…

...about how to get shelter for the chickens. All good homesteaders say to get your infrastructure in place before you get your creatures. Wise advice!

I am thankful for…

...a warm house. When I hear the wind blowing strong and cold I think about the people who have cold houses or no houses. And I feel guilty in my nice warm dwelling with plenty of clothing and covers. 

From the learning rooms…

We are still studying Paul's letters to Timothy. We're instructed to be soldiers for the Lord, not side-tracked or weighted down by the affairs of this life.

...chosen him

We just finished These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder as our daily read-aloud. We are considering reading the Little Britches series after this.

Otherwise, the boys are challenged to have their own reading goals in the Bible and otherwise. Melvin is reading Sherlock Holmes stories. 

Christopher read a few "new" books I pulled off the shelf for him. He's also wanting to read Josephus for the reward I offered him but he thinks the reward should be higher. He read a bit from the beginning of the book.

From the kitchen…

Here's the menu plan I set out this week but I haven't held to it entirely. 

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Egg sandwiches Yogurt	Leftovers	Deep dish Taco squares Green beans Lettuce salad
Spinach quiche Yogurt Granola	Goulash	Rice with Alfredo Spinach salad Apple crisp
Muffins Yogurt	Leftovers	Taco soup Cornbread Lettuce salad
Potato quiche Yogurt	Leftovers	Potato bar Peas & carrots Chinese cabbage salad
Baked oatmeal Yogurt	Penn Valley	Penn Valley
Penn Valley	Penn Valley	Mifflinburg
Scrambled eggs & sausage Yogurt	Leftovers	Veggie roast with sausage Lettuce salad

I am wearing…

...a head covering, an old lavender dress, ankle socks. I shed my purple sweatshirt after a morning workout.

I am creating…

Nada. Nix. Zed. Zero. 

I am going…

...to Pennsylvania to be with Stephen Saturday and Sunday.

I am reading…

...the Mitford series by Jan Karon.

I am hoping… 

...that life will get more reasonably busy for my dear husband.

I am hearing…

...wood chunks falling into the garden cart as Melvin and Christopher fill it and haul loads up the hill to stack on the pile.

Around the house…

The house kitchen (we have two kitchens) has gotten a coat of paint on two sides. The new color begs the cabinets to be white. 

The windows were washed on the outside of the house and I'm now working my way, little by little, around the inside. 

And, little by little, I'm taking care of stacks of things around my desk. I'm determined to declutter (auto correct thinks this isn't a word) and organize this house to the nth degree.

One of my favorite things…

A meal around the table with the family. 

A few plans for the rest of the week…

Continue life as usual. Cook, clean, do laundry, pack lunches, go shopping, and whatever else needs to be done. I need to figure out how and when to get the steer to the butcher.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing….

Do you ever feel awed by patterns in nature?
Even the swirl in the cooking pan? I do!