Back-to-Blogging Daybook

Looking out my window... I see the fresh snow that fell overnight. 

This winter has been so incredibly lame in the precipitation department 

that I am inordinately thrilled by this blanket of whiteness 

and the quiet that seems to accompany a heavy snowfall.

I am thinking... about my oldest daughter.
She left for Haiti yesterday and will be incommunicado until Saturday.
It is her first time serving on a mission trip, her first time in another country without me.
I am so excited for her. But, the mom in the me, can't help but worry a bit.
Keep her in your prayers?

I am thankful... for quiet Sunday afternoons together.
My dear husband is sitting next to me on the couch reading a novel.
The Musician is one chair over, agonizing over the lyrics for a song he's writing.
The Artist and The Bookworm are crafting at the dining room table behind me.

from a similar Sunday a few weeks ago

One of my favorite things... is my bird feeder.
When we moved to this house two years ago, I lost my ability to watch the birds
from my windows because the yard where the feeder was is below the deck.
Just before Christmas this year, my husband surprised me 
with a new deck-mounter feeder!
I have since enjoyed daily visits from the house finches and chickadees.
And this past week, I had my first cardinal visitor!
(Those who know me understand my obsession with cardinals 
and will know the significance of this visitor.)

The Musician, keeping his mother happy (barefooted and all!), by making sure the feeder is full!

I am creating... updates to this blog.

(It's been a LONG time.)

I just finished reading... The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander.

(If you're looking for a new spiritual work, I highly recommend it.)

I am hoping for... the predicted new snow accumulation of five more inches tomorrow
(and that the hubby's work calls a snow day BEFORE he ventures out)!

I am learning... to enjoy every single moment with these two!
Senior year is bittersweet. (More on this later ...!)

In my kitchen... The Musician has given up on his song lyrics
and is hand-washing the remaining brunch dishes. (Lucky me!)

In our homeschool... everyone is busy.
(This category really needs a whole post of its own! But here are some highlights....)
The Bookworm is reading The Hobbit and devouring her biology lessons.
The Musician has added piano and voice lessons to his spring semester schedule.
The Seniors are finishing their study of the U.S. Constitution.

Post Script
My obsession with cardinals has something to do with this wonderful lady.

(Check out her sweatshirt!)
(Also, check out the mug in the picture above.)

Shared Quote

In the degree of the truth of our conception of Him, our minds grow broader, deeper, and warmer; our hearts grow wiser and kinder; our humour deeper and more tender; we become more aware of the wonder of life; our senses become more sensitive; our sympathies stronger; our capacity for giving and for receiving greater; our minds are more radiant with a burning light, and the light is the light of Christ. Caryll Houselander, The Reed of God

A Moment from My Week: Friday Night with My Hubby

(I can't bear to get rid of a perfectly fine tree! Or the coziness of the lights!)

Closing Notes
The Artist started a blog of her own! Check it out.

And for other January daybooks ... go here.

The While We Were Away Daybook

Outside my [car] windows... there was a lot to look at from Bismarck to the Twin Cities to Milwaukee and back again, but my favorite view was of Lake Michigan from Alterra at the Lake, my favorite coffee shop, where I sat knitting while my DH read the paper last Friday afternoon after he had successfully defended his dissertation! Thus, life after graduate school began. How sweet it is!

I listened to... the relative quiet of the kids in the car -- they are actually very good car travelers, probably because we've been dragging them hither and yon since day one of their lives. We also entertained ourselves listening to some fun Italian artists recommended by Father B.


I am thinking... I can't believe we are really done with this. The journey started in the fall of 2004 when we moved to Milwaukee for the beginning of doctoral studies. The dissertation writing began in 2007. We moved back to Saint Paul in 2008 for a two-year stint in the Catholic Studies department at the University of Saint Thomas, our alma mater, before heading to Bismarck last July to start a similar program here. All that's left is the actual graduation ceremony on May 22.

I am thankful for... my DH's dissertation director and committee members.

Sr. Susan Wood, SCL, Ph.D.

Dr. Robert Masson, Ph.D. and his wife

I am also so grateful... for all the people who have believed in my husband and supported us during this time -- with prayers, with a helping hand, financially. We couldn't have done it without you! We are so blessed.

I am hoping and praying... for our dear friend, Daniel. We were able to see him on our way through the Twin Cities and visit with him about his recent scary diagnosis. More on this later, but if you can spare a prayer in the meantime, I would be grateful.

From the kitchen... after a week of mostly eating out, we are happy to be eating home-cooked meals again. But while we were gone, I really enjoyed my tenderloin and crab cakes at Swig and two Buca celebrations -- one in Milwaukee to celebrate with some of my DH's committee members and our friends, and one in the Twin Cities on the way home to celebrate my sister's 30th birthday. In Milwaukee, I finally got to sit at the Pope's table!

(see Benedict in the background?)

From the schoolroom... Needless to say, we took most of last week off. In fact, the girls were scheduled to take a Latin exam Wednesday morning, but we decided at the last minute to leave early, so they even got out of that!

I created... another dishcloth -- car trips are great for knitting!

I read... nothing while we were away. Though I had several things in my bag, it was nice to just sit and knit or do nothing but visit (twelve hours in the car with just my DH!).

Noticing that... we are not spending nearly as much money at Starbuck's as we have been the last three years or so when my husband needed a place other than home or work to write.

Around the house... it was very quiet because we weren't home! We stayed at my in-laws last Wednesday night. They graciously watched the kids while DH and I continued on to Milwaukee. Thursday we stayed at a bed and breakfast we had stayed at once before when we lived in Milwaukee. Friday we stayed with our dearest Milwaukee friends (and stayed up way too late!). And Saturday we returned to our in-laws to spend some time with them and pick up the kids before heading back to Bismarck. Thank you all for your generous hospitality!


One of my favorite things... spending time with dear, dear friends.


Pondering these words... It is finished. (And asking: Now what?)

A few plans for the rest of the week: Continue adjusting to our new life. And plan for Holy Week.

Some picture-thoughts I am sharing: grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins at Buca.



For more daybooks, visit here.

A March Daybook

Outside my windows... are signs of spring -- warm sun, melting snow, puddles, geese flying north, deer nibbling at the trees, children's laughter, longer days -- intermingled with more (and more) winter -- cold temps, howling wind, blowing snow, sleds back out. I can handle it though, because spring is here, whether Mother Nature likes it or not, and the sun will shine again, and it will look like spring soon enough!

(This was how every window in my house looked last Tuesday ... couldn't see out!)

(I had to open the door to take a picture of what it looked like outside!)

I am listening to... my son becoming more and more proficient on the guitar. He's finally playing a song he REALLY likes. (Thanks, Jamie, for the inspiration!)

I am thinking... mostly about trying to find a home. And trying not to stress about it.

I am thankful for... so many things. Today ...

237. morning prayer time on the couch next to my husband
238. talking to my dad on the phone
239. laundry mostly caught up
240. many nights of eight hours of sleep
241. slowly letting go of my addiction to clock-watching
242. soft baby cheeks
243. a hot pink bracelet that say LOVE given to me by Miss Sunshine
244. how this bracelet is a reminder to me of how much God loves me
245. my wedding band that reads SEMPER AMICI

I am hoping and praying... that a dear, dear friend realizes soon that life does not suck.

From the kitchen... homemade chicken vegetable soup -- thought I better use up the broth in the freezer before spring gets here and all we want to do is grill!

From the schoolroom... the kids did their first exhibition tonight, just for Daddy and Mommy, similar to the one Laura participated in in Little Town on the Prairie. The girls recited paragraphs about each of the first sixteen presidents, plus a poem, all from memory. The Boy recited two poems. I was so proud of them. Next time, we'll have a real audience!

I am creating... dishcloths. One of these days I'll get around to learning something else, but for now it's nice to knit without having to think.

I am reading... The Spear: A Novel of the Crucifixion with the kids for Lent -- 39 chapters -- almost perfect for a chapter a day from Ash Wednesday to Easter. We are all loving it! I am also reading One Thousand Gifts. This feels like a life-changing Lent for me.

Noticing that ... what the eyes see is better than what the desires wander after. (Ecclesiastes 6:9)

Around the house... Daddy!

(The Boy got the Old Maid!)

One of my favorite things... spending one-on-one time with one of my kids. Last Wednesday, after The Boy and The Baby went to bed, Miss Rose made cookies with Daddy, and I spent the evening giving Miss Sunshine a manicure and pedicure, playing cards and eating pizza rolls. Priceless.

Pondering these words ...

Prayer without ceasing is only possible in a life of continual thanks.... The only way to be a woman of prayer is to be a woman of thanks.... Life change comes when we receive life with thanks and ask for nothing to change. (Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts)

A few plans for the rest of the week: The Boy will be celebrating his seventh birthday on Friday, and so ends the 2011 Birthday Season. (5 birthdays in 7 weeks at our house!)

For more daybooks, visit here. Happy Lent!

My Daybook - January 17, 2011

Outside my windows... snow. and cold. and wind. and below zero temperatures. and white. and gray. and I wish I could go to the beach.

(my fence is buried in snow drifts, for crying out loud!)

I am listening to... Barlow Girl -- Enough and Porcelain Heart and Thoughts of You and Never Alone and I Need You to Love Me -- and finding the lyrics resonating in my heart.

I am thinking... about how difficult it will be to relearn how to type using only one space in between each sentence, now that I know that's the way I'm supposed to be doing it thanks to a friend's FB post.

I am thankful for... a furnace that is working -- we had a little scare of cold over the weekend, but it was soon fixed. Thank you, furnace repair guy.

I am hoping and praying... that a dear priest friend of ours has a good retreat this week.

From the kitchen... one of our family dinner favorites -- I call it "chunky salad" because there's almost as much of everything else as there is lettuce!

From the schoolroom... we starting The Long Winter today. How appropriate.

I am creating... a scarf?

I am reading... Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance and Citadel of God: A Novel about Saint Benedict.

Noticing that... it is only supposed to get colder.

Remembering... two friends' birthdays (Wednesday and Friday), a brother-in-law's birthday (Thursday), a goddaughter's birthday (Friday), and a mother-in-law's birthday (Saturday). Happy birthday, Tom, Anne, Nick, Teresa, and Joanne!

Around the house... I miss the cozy warm glow of our Christmas tree and am feeling the need to put lights on something ... maybe the ficus?

One of my favorite things... Pepperidge Farm Pirouette cookies, especially the hazelnut and mint flavors.

Pondering these words... "Spirituality is what we do with our desires."

A few plans for the rest of the week: Stay warm (that means in the house).

A picture-thought I am sharing: It will warm up again. It will warm up. It will.


For more daybooks, visit here.

My Christmas Daybook

Outside my windows... the snow continues to pile up. The kids spent the last two days clearing off our (very large) deck in preparation for the "significant snowfall" expected starting tomorrow night and lasting through Saturday. It has been a great joy for the kids to have one of the best sledding hills in Bismarck in our backyard!

I am listening to... Christmas music. Unlike most of the rest of the world, who have been listening to Christmas music since the end of October, we just started listening to Christmas tunes last week and are very much enjoying the carols and bells.

I am thinking... about how much I've enjoyed reconnecting with people since finally succumbing to the pressure to join Facebook a few weeks ago.

I am thankful for... my children, and the opportunity they afford me to experience the wonders of Christmas through the eyes of a child (or four).

I am hoping and praying... that my DH has a productive work week next week in Milwaukee, and that the five of us here in Bismarck will survive without him.

From the kitchen... leftovers.

broccoli and cheese fritata and french toast bake from Christmas Eve brunch

our traditional fish chowder from Christmas Eve dinner
(Papa's secret recipe)

ham egg bake and a cherry cheese coffee cake from Christmas Day morning

tri-tip steak and garlic mashed potatoes,
green beans and pomegranate salad with honey vinaigrette
from Christmas Day dinner

and don't forget all the cookies!

Christmas pretzels dipped in almond bark
and sugar cookie cut-outs

spritz and swedish balls

gingerbread men

From the schoolroom... absolute blissful nothingness.

I am creating... defender briefs. I am taking the opportunity while the kids are on break to catch up and work ahead. (Sigh.)

I am reading... The Christmas Tree.

Noticing that ... it was nice to stay at home and celebrate Christmas with my husband and children.

Around the house... some of our favorite Christmas gifts.

gift cards to the American Girl store

Nerf Dart Tag

new "pretties" for her hair and a new "baby"

my Kitchen Aid mixer

a new hat and crocs
(but you would have thought the Dart Tag was for him!)

One of my favorite things... our traditional waiting-to-see-what-Santa-brought photo.

Pondering these words ... of my favorite Christmas carol.

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O hear the angels' voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born;

O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,

Here come the wise men from Orient land.

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

A few plans for the rest of the week: continue to celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas. Our children receive a gift on each of the twelve days. So far this year they've received new jammies (which they always get to open and put on after Midnight Mass). On Sunday they opened tickets to The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which we went to see later that evening (I loved it, by the way). On Monday, they were having so much fun playing safari, it seemed the perfect time to have them open their play silks, for more imaginative fun. And today, whilst cleaning their room, they each received new sheets for their bed.

Some more picture-thoughts I am sharing: the-youngest-putting-the-star-on-the-tree tradition -- The Baby's first time.

For more daybooks, visit here,
and have a very Merry Christmas season!

My Advent Daybook

Outside my windows... Jack Frost visited again the last two nights and covered every branch and blade in white. Every time I walk by a window -- morning, noon, or evening -- I marvel at the beauty.

I am listening to... the kids playing outside in the snow. (Well, not really -- they're in bed ... but when I first started working on this post yesterday that's what I was listening to.)

I am thinking... about God's providence. I found out via Facebook this morning (yes, I finally succumbed to the pressure) that the friend I spoke about in this post, who was instrumental in my high school conversion, has found his way back to the Church! God is good. I am always amazed. And I am excited to reconnect with some old friends.

I am thankful for... foam beads to string and sort. (Though I am not as excited about picking them up when they manage to find a way into every room of the house.)

I am hoping and praying... for the Catholics Come Home campaign. There was a time when so many Catholics were so poorly catechized, and, fed nothing solid, many left the Church. Let's pray for our brothers and sisters to return to the faith of their baptism!

From the kitchen... candy cane coffee cake and St. Nicholas cocoa for breakfast yesterday, and St. Nicholas cupcakes for dessert.

From the schoolroom... We've got a list of things to finish before our winter break and (almost) everyone is working diligently to get done early -- The Boy needs a little more motivation. I went to the library this evening and got or requested all the books we need until after the holidays. We finished On the Banks of Plum Creek last week and are now starting By the Shores of Silver Lake.

I am creating... the last few ornaments for our Jesse tree. I started them probably three years ago (!) and am determined to finish them this year!

I am reading... Hannah Coulter (still), along with our school and Advent stuff. (By the way, Gramma, I think you'd really like this book -- ask my Dad to get it for you.)

Noticing that ... there are gray hairs where there shouldn't be (namely, on my head!). Shhh ... don't tell anyone.

Around the house... a few more wintery things are appearing each day. Yesterday, our plain Corelle was replaced by our pretty winter dishes. (Notice the mess on the tablecloth created while mixing St. Nicholas hot cocoa.)

One of my favorite things... how much The Baby adores her Daddy.

Pondering these words ... "I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least." (Servant of God, Dorothy Day)

A few plans for the rest of the week: Mass and celebration of Our Lady's Immaculate Conception tomorrow -- one day at a time!

Some picture-thoughts I am sharing: see above.

For more daybooks, visit here.