Just Whatever

We brought the potted plants indoors this fall before they froze. I had started marigolds from seed and that tall one grew and grew all summer but never bloomed until it was inside! 

It was appalling how iced up and dirty the freezers were. We cleaned them out before we butchered the steer. How wonderful to once again have clean freezers, though they are half empty. 

We didn't have a fruitful year in the garden. Sometimes I think it would be nice to live in Lancaster, PA where the Amish raise food that one can buy for reasonable prices.

Christopher working to get the ice off the sides.

Christopher decided one day he wanted to refinish this little table. He promptly did just that.

 Reference the picture below for the former appearance.

On December 17 my sister, her daughters and I spent the afternoon at Mama's place, in honor of her birthday (the 18th). We had a tea party and played a game together. Poor photo, I know. I'm not a pro at sellfies.

The cute nephew who came along, sitting in a cute little rocking chair.

The same little party got together for my birthday on the 10th. We had a tea party and a sugar free, gluten free, yummy cake! Not something I get very often. And Verina gave me an Instant Pot! That is also not something I get very often. Ha ha. I'm having fun learning to use it.

Austin gave me this nice, big mug for my birthday. The I in HIS is an arrow pointing up, to indicate the mind of God. Okay, you want to know how old I am? 46. (I just used the calculator to make sure that's correct!)

Christopher carved a heart out of a cedar shake and put it in the fire. See how it glows in there?

A contradictory church sign we saw during one of our recent trips.

Please come.....worship with us

This is hard to see, but in the top photo the house windows glow with the sunrise. A few minutes later they're dark (bottom photo). 

Okay, that was a bunch of random stuff. None of it worthy of a post of it's own, so there! 😀

Today

Outside my window...
It's a fall day with brisk air, some clouds, some sunshine. The leaves of the maples are finally yellow.

I am thinking…
Thanksgiving week, when the family comes home, is on my mind. There's a lot to see after but my brain is having fun with that. It will be so nice to have a relaxing time together for once. No moving or cleaning. No wedding. 

I am thankful for…
So many things. A warm shelter for these cold days. A mug of coffee. Active, strong young men. A wagon load of sweet potatoes. 

From the learning rooms…
To get some writing in our days, I write a question in a composition book and the boys are supposed to answer it. (They each have their own book.) Then they ask me a question, I answer it and ask them another. It is fun.

From the kitchen…
Alfredo with pasta for supper. That will make my men happy.

I am wearing…
Nothing I wish to speak of. Everyday clothes. I follow advice I've heard different times lately. Dress to fit the occasion. If you're going to work, put clothes on that make you think so. "Dress to your shoes" so you are ready to do anything. Makes sense. And it does work.

I am creating…
Cleaner corners.

I am going…
Nowhere today. Maybe to the meat store tomorrow to get things to make Stephen's birthday supper.

I am reading…
The Gospel according to Luke
Love the Home you Have by Melissa Michaels

I am hoping…
...to get my house more clean and orderly before Thanksgiving. There will be three little girls here, including a baby. 

I am hearing…
The boys playing basketball and my nephew sighting in Grandpa's gun (the favorite gun of the whole family, including some of my sisters and excluding me).

It is very difficult to catch a good photo of moving boys

Around the house…
The library is mostly completed. I bought one more shelf for it bringing the total number of large shelves to six. There are four smaller shelves in the office plus one on top of Thomas' desk. 

Yesterday I bought a small shelf, from a neighbor I didn't know I had, who had posted it on Offer Up. This small one is for my office space which desperately needs organization. Thankfully some of my boys have more of an eye for order and design than I do and can help with such things.

One of my favorite things…
A happy person.

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Stephen's birthday party tomorrow evening. The oldest is twenty years old! 

The middle one is now sixteen and gets to go to a youth activity with the older two this Friday evening. That leaves us with the two youngest. Oh wow. Where have the years gone? 

I need to go shopping sometime. I keep putting that dreaded thing off.

Here is picture thought I am sharing….

This etching was done by one of our sons... for his friend. (He says it must be clear here that he himself does not like Chevy!)