Simple Woman

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Outside my window…

photo by zenbikescience via the Northeast Ohio Flickr Group

I am thinking…
about the visit I had with my 93-year-old great aunt last week. She was telling me about my great-great grandmother, Mary Ann. It seems that Mary Ann delivered all of her own grandchildren and then when word got out, she started being the village midwife as well! In her spare time, she ran the hotel right by the railroad station! What a busy and accomplished woman!

I am thankful…
to still be able to hear some of my family history from my wonderful and wise Aunt Dot!

In the kitchen…
turkey pita pockets last night, and white chili for the feast day tomorrow, but I am at a loss for today. Last week I got thin-sliced steaks and grilled them up and the family loved it! Maybe I’ll do that!

I am wearing…
My black skort and a pink sleeveless knit shell top.

I am creating…
a check list for Gabe.  We decided to just go ahead and finish up high school via homeschooling and I am going to work out a list of all of his subjects with bite size chunks that he can do and finish off.  Hopefully he can be done by June

I am going…

walk every day when either Noah or Rosie is running with their cross country team

Get in a strength and cardio video at least three times. So far I am walking about three miles in an hour at least five days a week.  Haven’t had time to do any upper-body work though. 

Finish organizing the soccer league I inherited – which has been a major pain in the butt. Teams are picked, now it is time for a schedule. 

Start organizing the support group.

finish straightening up my office and start on the classroom!

I am wondering…
where the time flies!

I am reading…

Halfway through – very, very thought provoking and meaty book – and I had a major epiphany moment in the last week while reading it!

I am hoping…

• That I can be on good terms with all of my sons. We made strides in that direction this weekend.  I am learning more and more to swallow my pride and my anger and to just accept the things I cannot change. 
• That the young women my sons give their hearts to won’t break them. 
• that I have the strength to manage a homeschool group and a soccer league. 
• that all my children make good choices going forward.
• that the sale of the property I am selling from my father’s estate goes through.  The closing was pushed back – again – 17 more days to go. 
• that I can endure all of the things I am called to endure – through Christ who strengthens me. 

I am looking forward to…

• Noah running his first cross country meet.
• a special surprise family event this fall- something new for our family.
• the start of  a new school year. 
• The two big Marian feasts this month!! 

I am learning
manage having silver hair, especially in photographs.  This weekend I learned that wearing light colors emphasizes the silver instead of contrasting with the darker hair – which may be because I have a LOT more silver than I used to.  

So if I want to emphasize it – white is the way to go. Also my hair looks whiter in natural light and my right side is whiter than the left.  Just some little things for me to keep in mind. 

Around the house…
since the older boys forgot to have the garbage picked up, it was quite a task throwing stuff away this week.  Sometimes when our cans are full, Mr. Pete plays “garbage fairy” and delivers our trash bags into our neighbors’ half full cans after dark.  But now that they have been picked up I plan to do a major detrashing of the bedrooms this week!

I am pondering…
what it means to be assumed into heaven!  What was that experience like for Mary?

A favorite quote for today…

“Here let me tell you: it’s a big deal to have a baby. After you have a baby, you are left with a softly pooched out tummy and aching nether-regions, sore breasts and your entire heart now laying beside you making noises like a kitten. You are weepy and exhausted, gloriously alive and powerful. You are a life-giver and so now you want both a nap and a hearty roast beef dinner for your troubles. Your skin is criss-crossed with stretch marks because you don’t participate in co-creation with God without being marked by the experience. You became a mother and, no matter how many sit-ups you do, your body will bear the imprint of that truth for the rest of your life in some way.”

Sarah Bessey


A photo I am sharing…

Great- great grandma Mary Ann Leckrone and her husband Lemuel Leckrone

for long time readers- this would be my Aunt Opal’s grandmother.