Simple Woman

Outside my window…

This is Kassi practicing her flow art at the church behind the house.  There is no snow at all and it’s actually more like early, early spring – cool and wet!

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I am thinking…
about Mother Angelica – who is continuing to have declining health. I read a short bio about her and found out that she started EWTN when she was 57 years old!!  I love reading stories about people who did great work after age 50!

I am thankful…
That my kids got to sing in Handel’s Messiah yesterday! 600 souls showed up to hear it.  Rosie was the youngest member of the choir at age 10. This is the type of experience that will stay with her for her entire life.

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At age 10 my mother was asked to play the piano for the choir at her little Church of the Brethren congregation, and even though she was just starting out, she played for the church in one capacity or the other, for her entire life.  I hope the same happens for my remaining three children (and perhaps in the future for the other three too!)

In the kitchen…
Ham sandwiches for the kids, and Mr. Pete is taking me out after our last Christmas Concert.

I am wearing…
a black dress for my concert this evening.

I am pondering...
what my daughter-in-law will be doing since my son has to work this holiday.  She told me that she could not find any place to volunteer over the holidays because they are FULL of volunteers.  Way to go North Carolina!!!  What an awesome problem to have.

I am going…

• to walk or work out every day with Pfilates.  Mr. Pete laid a new rubber flooring in our basement which looks wonderful! but it certainly makes it a necessity to pick up my feet when I’m working out!  I did one of the very old Jazzercise tapes that a friend gave me from 2001.  I forgot how awesome Judi Shepherd’s arms were and now, five hours after doing the workout, I’m starting to remember how great Jazzercise is for the arms!
• 
• to cut my carbs via the Wheat Belly Total Health: The Ultimate Grain-Free Health and Weight-Loss Life Plan  recommendations. 
• Diligently pray the Christmas Novena. 

From the Learning Rooms…

We are done for the year!  However Noah still has his AP world History tomorrow and wrote an essay that has to be turned in tonight.

We have also decided that Noah is going to complete Health over the Holidays and then I will just do it again with Izzy next year.  Remember, that to complete a high school text = 1 high school credit. In this case it will be only 1/2 a credit. And what better time to do that than over the holidays when there is no chemistry or other stuff to be responsible for!

The choir director gave this to the kids after last week’s rehearsal and they loved it!  Very original!

A quote to share…

I like this quote because it seems to capture the spirit of holiday eating!

Almanzo ate the sweet, mellow baked beans. He ate the bit of salt pork that melted like cream in his mouth. He ate mealy boiled potatoes, with brown ham-gravy. He ate the ham. He bit deep into velvety bread spread with sleek butter, and he ate the crisp golden crust. He demolished a tall heap of pale mashed turnips, and a hill of stewed yellow pumpkin. Then he sighed, and tucked his napkin deeper into the neckband of his red waist. And he ate plum preserves and strawberry jam, and grape jelly, and spiced watermelon-rind pickles. He felt very comfortable inside. Slowly he ate a large piece of pumpkin pie.

Farmer Boy

A picture  to share…

That moment when you look at a 3-generation picture and realize you’re the oldest generation!