Simple Woman

Outside my window…

I am thinking…
about my father – which is odd because I don’t usually think about him much at all – not as much as my mom or my grandparents or uncle. But this law suit has forced me to look into the past and remember my visits with him.

The thing is, although I didn’t know my Dad as a father, (and in fact had been kinda brainwashed as a young child by my grandmother to hate and distrust him), what I did see of him I liked.  I could totally see why my mom fell for him – he had a simple country charm and inviting expression. He was gentle and easy going (too easy going as it turns out).

My oldest daughter Izzy, does this thing with her face that so reminds me of him.  She does this very, very quick little smile like he used to do.  That always puzzled me – does it mean I’m kind of happy? or I’m just messing with you?  I asked Izzy about it and she said it was just to let me know that she was OK.  I wonder what it meant when my father did it?  and isn’t it odd how mannerisms get passed down through generations?

I am thankful…
that we got to have the baby for the Fourth of July. Her parents were very generous with us.  She’s so beautiful.

In the kitchen…

I am wearing…
black pants, white knit shell top.

I am wondering…
about young women today.  All three of my older sons have offered rings (promise and engagement) rings to various girlfriends and have been turned down!!  Not that the ladies wanted to end the relationships, but they didn’t want to wear rings either.  I totally don’t get it.

When I was 17, Mr. Pete gave me a very sweet promise ring and I LOVED it.  Unfortunately, it fell of my finger one night when I was working the drive through at Mc Donald’s.  Someone got a very special happy meal that day!.  So, Mr. Pete replaced the ring, and one of the stones fell out!  I still have that setting, just minus a stone.

But when I got my engagement ring, I was thrilled to pieces and I was so proud of it.  Girls today just don’t seem that into it – at least the girls my sons have been in relationships with aren’t.  It’s strange to me.

I am going…

• to walk Monday – Thursday and try get some arm workouts in too.  
• Let Noah have some big driving time!
• Take Rosie and Noah to their cross country practices.
• Take Izzy to her new job with the city.
• Pray for my math tutor and his family who will welcome twins this fall.
• Really double down on my prayer time this summer – making morning prayer with divine office. com a habit!
• Make it to confession this week hopefully!

I have the app on my Kindle and my cell phone.
I am pondering…

I am thinking of making my prayer corner a place in my room – but I need to clean a space for it first!

I am reading…

Elizabeth Foss had been raving about this book on her Facebook Page, so I read a sample and then downloaded a copy to my Kindle

I can see why Elizabeth loves it so much. I had a really rough weekend with some of my older boys, again – stress over the way their lives are going and the way I had always hoped they would be – that kind of stuff. And I read this from the book:

I have a tendency to think  and teach like I have been charged with the task of successfully raising lifelong learners.  I judge my success or failure in my teaching either by the tools my child has in his academic toolbox at the end of a school year, or by whether she still enjoys school, pursues knowledge, and chooses to red stacks of high-quality books in her free time. 
What I forget is that whether or not she does any of these things is not an effective measuring stick for whether I’ve been doing my job.  God is not calling me to be successful.  he’s calling me to be faithful.  My part is to show up every day and to do the work He has called me to.  Whether or not things turn out in the end as I’m hoping they will (for my children to have a strong faith, a humble and compassionate heart, a love for learning, and an academic skill set that helps them seek out knowledge and Truth everyday and everywhere) is not actually within my span of control.  It’s not my assigned task.  He isn’t asking me to succeed.  He’s asking me to faithfully do the work. 

I really needed a book like this for this summer.

I’m also an affiliate- book link on the side.

 From the Learning Rooms…

The piano recital from June 1, 2014