Friday, November 28, 2008

THE SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK

The Simple Woman's Daybook



FOR TODAY (November 28, 2008)

Outside my window...are stars shining brightly and the quiet of the eve.

I am thinking...how wonderful to have this quiet time...how marvelous to not have to go to work tomorrow.

I am thankful for...The lovely quilt laying over my lap that was made by my grandmother.

I am wearing…a long pink summer nightgown and a thick white winter robe. My winter gowns are hanging to dry.

I am creating…my life. With recent changes, I will be re-adjusting.

I am going…to be striving for a positive attitude toward the changes in my life.

I am reading…my scriptures and a Little House book in the Caroline series.

I am hoping…to persevere.

I am hearing…the blessed silence.

Around the house…it is a bit of a trying day; nonetheless, blessings abound.

One of my favorite things…Free time to use in creative ways.

A few plans for the rest of the week:Work; attempt to use my home time wisely in cleaning and beautifying.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



**If you would like to participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook...go here: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com

LITTLE HOUSE

When I yearn for a simpler life, I turn once again to the Little House Books. Laura Ingalls, Ma, Pa and the rest of the family offer to me a breath of fresh air. I can read also the several generations before Laura, her ancestors, and the lives they lead. How wonderful is the gift of pen!



THE NESTING INSTINCT

What a beautiful entry placed by Peggy Hostetler on The Simple Woman, November 13, 2008. She writes in part, “I believe it is a gift from God we receive when we praise him for the nest we have, not only the nest itself, but for the nesting spirit.” http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/

How I yearn to exercise this very nesting spirit which is in me! I have had it since I was but a small girl. It is so very hard having to work outside of the home and to worry about the bills that never end and the schedule that it entails. Due to my absence, my poor humble abode suffers for lack of love and care. How I yearn to stay at home full time and care for and clean and cook and perform the other domesticities of which I am so fond. But, alas, I must make the best of the circumstances in which I abide. I have many blessings and must use my time more efficiently to better satisfy this homemaker’s spirit.

THANKSGIVING

Here's hoping that all had a joyous and blessed Thanksgiving. I am so thankful that we have this day to celebrate; to be with family; to give thanks to our Heavenly Father for all that he has bestowed upon us.



We went, for our 7th Thanksgiving, to my favorite get-a-way. It is a little mountain lodge that my Grampa brought us to 35 years ago this year! Wow-I can hardly believe that that many years have passed! Am I truly this old? Well, alas, we used to bring up the camp trailer and camp out in the parking lot and then go swimming in the hot springs. Or, we would rent a room or two in the old inn. The rooms were small but cozy. I hope to post some pictures soon, although I didn’t get many good ones, and they were on my daughter’s camera, which she has at her house. As mentioned in another post, though they have added extensively to the resort, I still prefer to stay in the old rooms of the main lodge. They are plain; they are simple. We had one this year with a double bed and a sink. The bath was a shared one down the hall. There are no frills, no TVs, and no phones! I get enough technology noise in my everyday life, and these non-amenities are what make this place so special.

This year, all three of my children were able to attend, along with my son-in-law and three grandchildren, my sister and family, my mom and dad, and my only remaining gramma. It is because of her and Grampa (who has passed) that this hideaway is so special. In all, we had five generations in attendance. My grandbabies many mammas! They had Mommy, Gramma, Great Gramma, and Great Great Gramma. :) Though our littlest, Christian, was quite fussy most of the time, we passed him around between the women to keep him comforted as best we could. The older boys had fun playing in the warm-water pool.

Thanksgiving dinner is put on each year by the five-star chef of the inn and is a feast indeed! A buffet of assorted meats, home-grown vegetables, and succulent desserts were available. There were 17 of us all told.

I got to wear my new modest swimming suit for the first time! It felt rather strange getting looks, as I did, but the looks were coming because it was different rather than because I was showing off my body. I felt quite comfortable around family also—a real plus after cringing each year—the one time I don clothing that covers very little (though my old suit WAS a one-piece). For anyone interested in modest swim wear, I found a wonderful site at http://www.modestswimwearsolutions.com

A FEW THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR…

• My Heavenly Father
• The Gospel
• The atonement
• Prayer
• Family
• Food
• A bed to sleep in and food to eat
• An honest son
• The Scriptures
• Goodly parents
• Online friends
• Forgiveness
• Animals
• Children

Blessings to all :)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

VINTAGE CLOTHES

We have a really neat second-hand store in town that sells day-to-day as well as vintage clothing. DH and I went there looking for an overcoat for Elliott. It’s such a fun shop to poke around in! I asked the owner if I could take some pictures, and she was happy to oblige.









DEER

She did it! This is my girl who wouldn’t step foot in the room where I dissected my science-project rat but helped butcher chickens and now, on her own, went out and skinned the deer today! She did a good job of it, and they plan on tanning the hide.



Saturday, November 22, 2008

AND STILL MORE FAMILY!

Mommy finishing up the dishes—Aren’t moms great! : )



Our soon-to-be missionary son with an elder that he's helping out this week--Josh, our son-in-law is on the left



Julian, Elder Humphreys, Elliott, and our daughter’s boyfriend, Nate
We invited them for dinner tonight...



...and babysat for oldest daughter and son-in-law so that they could have a night out...Juian, Adrien, and Mommy Chanielle, our oldest, in the background



As I was cooking, Baby was crying quite a bit, so Grampa ended up with him the whole meal :) Keira, our second daughter wiping up Adrien, and Julian being, well, Julian






What a beautiful night we had