A New Beginning Almanac

Outside my window...the sun is refusing to come out.  The maple tree on my neighbor's yard is beginning to turn colors.  Autumn is in the air.

I am thinking...about how much I miss my mom.  It's her birthday today and I can't stop crying. 
I am thankful for...each day, grace-filled in the midst of life's chaotic pace.  Faith-filled women in my life.  I am very privileged to have these influences, models of wisdom and virtue to draw strength from.  

I am excited about...going back to school!  We thrive on routine over here and with four children to be schooled it will be a fun  (ahem, crazy!) year.
I am wearing...a black skirt and my papist shirt.  It has the Vatican crest with the four marks (one, holy, catholic, apostolic) written on the bottom. 

I am creating...well, I am almost finished creating lesson plans. My Fall to-do list is also finished and in fact some of it has check marks beside it already.  Yippee!!!

I am going...to hopefully spend some fun time with hubby and kids this afternoon when they get back from helping our church festival's tear-down.

I am reading... just finished O Pioneers by Willa Cather.  I have yet to recover from that book.  I loved it but it's very emotionally draining.  Cookbooks might be the antidote to that draining feeling hahaha
 On my mind... a fear of getting old.  Don't laugh!  As someone who brags about not fearing old age, I actually woke up yesterday dreading it.  Thank you Willa Cather! I need to stop reading these pioneer-era books.  I dread getting old alone and lonely in a withering body. Yes, this feeling will probably go away in a couple of days.

From the learning rooms...after days of laboring on lesson plans, let's not talk about learning until next week.
From the kitchen...tidy, which means nothing's been cooked and nothing's been planned. Hey, it's the holiday weekend, I am entitled to give my kitchen a holiday!

Around the house...the usual (dis) order.  We've pretty much mastered our routine of messing up and picking up so it no longer drives me insane. I'm no longer a slave to the chores, my children are!

One of my favorite things...prayer, especially form-prayer (Lectio Divina or the Office). The absence of ego in form-prayer is freeing. 

A few plans for the rest of the week... a 5th birthday tomorrow as we go back to school, a playdate at the end of the week and then a visit from niece who is flying in from Texas.

Ready for my close-up....too lazy to look for my cellphone with tons of pictures in it.  Maybe next week.

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