Simple Woman's Daybook on 3/1/12

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...there's still snow covering the branches of some of the pine trees.

I am thinking...about my mom who is in the hospital after falling on Tuesday morning. Not sure what the next couple of months will look like as she recovers.

I am thankful...to have had time yesterday to build snowmen with my daughters.

In the kitchen...we're trying new recipes as part of homeschooling. Olivia will be making oat cookies as part of her Five in a Row curriculum, and Sophia will be making Vegie Bites that is in her Alpha-Bakery cookbook.

I am wearing...a sweatshirt, pajama pants, and warm socks. It's still early in the morning.

I am creating...a sampler for my embroidery journal using the couching stitch - a new stitch I am learning. Last week I learned how to do the chain stitch by creating two versions of the letter "A" (the initial of my first name).

I am going...to visit my mom today and see how she's doing, and stop by her home. I want to take some more things from my dad's offices to go through and determine if they need to be kept, donated, or shared in some way. Am learning a lot about the inspiring life he led and the impact he made on thousands of lives. He was so humble and never boasted about what he had accomplished. It is only after his death that I am learning even more about him and what made him truly a special person...and wonderful dad.

I am wondering...why I haven't heard owls this year. Last year in February and early March I heard quite a few owls at night. Miss their calls to one another.

I am reading..."Wesley the Owl." It's about a researcher who adopts a baby owl and care for it for over 19 years. It had nerve damage to one of its wings and would not be able to survive in the wild. I've learned a lot about owls in just the few chapters I've read so far. It's a very good book. Last month, I read "Homer's Odyssey" about a cat who was blind.

I am hoping...that the roads are safe to drive on today, and that there isn't ice on them.

I am looking forward to...going to the library today.

I am learning...about Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois right now as part of the girls' multi-disciplinary geography curriculum. It would be nice to be able to do a driving trip through these four states to see some of the things about which we've been learning. 

Around the house...I've been doing "Shaking Off the Bonds of Stuff" which is focused on getting rid of 40 bags of things in 40 days. As more items are being donated, more space is being freed. It's a great feeling.

I am pondering...why things seem to be so easy for some people while others have to struggle with just getting through the day...the week...or their life when there's challenge after challenge presented to them.

A favorite quote for today...is from Thomas Merton: “The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.”

One of my favorite things...open land. I like the natural beauty of land that isn't impacted by people.

A few plans for the rest of the week...homeschooling. Beyond that, I can only go day-by-day given the fact that I don't know what's going to happen with my mom.

A peek into my day...right now things are quiet with the girls still asleep in their bedrooms. Maggie and Meenie (two of the cats) are surprisingly sitting within two feel of one another. These two female cats are not friends by any stretch of the imagination. So it's nice to see them peacefully co-existing. Gretel  and Montague (the dogs) are oblivious to anything...they're both fast asleep.

A picture...of Montague sitting outside yesterday on Leap Day. He's taking a break after playing with Gretel in the snow.

(Linked with the Simple Woman's Daybook.)