There is something your must always remember...

"You are braver than you believe, 

stronger than you seem, 

and smarter than you think."

~ Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

older...

GO


If I am older, which I am, then why am I not better?

Why do I still struggle with the same lack of discipline and immaturity?
Will I ever feel like a responsible grown-up?
I have two adult children; I am a mother-in-law.  I may be a grandmother in the next couple of years.
I still can't don't keep my house clean.  I still don't eat right.  I still waste too much time, and avoid the things I don't want to do, and say and do thoughtless things. ~sigh~

Am I wiser?
Yes.  I recognize my failings more quickly now, and I don't make as many excuses as I used to, and I recover faster from them, and, I hope, I trust in Him more.

Maybe I'll get there...in another 48 years...

STOP

I am honoured

You know you are too busy when you are too busy to share an award!

The amazingly kind and wonderfully talented Adrienne gifted me with this on Tuesday.

Adrienne's blog is My Memory Art, where she combines photographs and digital scrapbook pages with heartfelt writing.  She has been such an encourager to me!  I am glad to have her as a blog friend and honoured that she has found my little blog worthy of sharing. {blush}

The Liebster (German for friend or love) Blog award is meant to bring more attention to blogs with fewer than 200 followers.

I am not sure if all of these have fewer than 200 followers, but here are the five bloggers that I would like to pass this award on to:

1. Mrs. Fordyce at digestives with tea and you with me 
2. Carolyn at Just Another Ragamuffin  
3. Cindy at Ordo Amoris 
4. Sue at Our Little Corner 
5. Melody at Proverbs 22:6: A verse to live by  

new...

GO:

Sunday night my husband gave me a new (to me) NOOK.

Last Thursday my friend had a new baby girl.

In 10 days we will begin a new year of History Quest.

Why is new so exciting?  It seems I am always starting a-new; mostly because I so rarely finish from the last fresh start.  God's mercies are new every morning.  In fact, His mercies are new every moment.  His loving kindness is always fresh; it never gets old or mundane, and I am so very grateful.

STOP.

7 quick takes

~1~

I am really glad I didn't try to do NaBloPoMo during August!  The last two weeks have been so busy; I worked twice as many hours as I normally do, and we had 7 out-of-town-guests here last weekend to celebrate two birthdays.  I spent every evening last week taking the younger 2 to and from VBS at a friend's church and every morning this week on the road taking my son to work at a LEGO camp 15 miles away.  I am a homebody, for goodness' sake!  My house is a wreck, and I am behind on the bills; but, today is the beginning of the first of two four-day-weekends!

~2~

I did have a lovely time last Saturday taking my oldest daughter to brunch for her 21st birthday.  We had creme brulee French toast and champagne pionsettias ~champagne and cranberry juice~ yum!  I told her that we should go to a wine-tasting together now that she is 21.  I have wanted to do that for a long time, but it is not my husband's kind of thing.

~3~

Our air conditioner was fixed the day after it broke, and it only cost $158; praise the Lord!

~4~

We finished Carry On, Mr. Bowditch yesterday, and we all give it an enthusiastic thumbs up.  I am going to let my 11yo son and 9yo daughter each choose a book for our next read alouds.

~5~

I am trying to work up a sort of master-menu plan to use over the next three months or so.  If I actually finish it, I will post it here.

~6~

I bought another miniature rose yesterday, because the grocery store has them on sale for $1.99.  I am quite enjoying my little windowsill garden; it makes the relentless sun worthwhile.

~7~

I am trying to decide if I want to get a smartphone.  {sigh}  Decision-making and I do not have a healthy relationship.

wishful wednesday

I saw this over at My Memory Art today.  What fun!

I have three wishes on this Wednesday:

1. Our a.c. conked out last night; today's predicted high is 107!  I am wishing (praying, actually) that is is a quick & cheap repair and that we can stay relatively cool until then.
2. My beautiful firstborn will be 21 on Saturday, and I am wishing for her to have a wonderful birthday and a year filled with blessings.
3. It is my nephew's birthday today, and their family is coming into town this weekend to celebrate with us.  I am wishing for safe travels for them and a good time for all of us.

You can visit the home of Wishful Wednesday and play along here:

curriculum for autumn 2011

I found out about this at Laura O's blog, Day by Day in Our World.

My three oldest daughters (21, 19 and married, 17) have all graduated!
I have four children that I am still homeschooling.

We are a part of a one-day-a-week homeschool extension program called History Quest.  This year we will all be studying American history 1840 - present day (including geography & economics), technology & robotics for science, and cultural arts (literature, drama, art, music) related to the time period.  The older three will be using Institute for Excellence in Writing material through this program as well.

We do Morning Time together the other four mornings a week, covering scripture memory, catechism, poetry, English grammar through diagramming, First Form Latin & Lingua Angelica, and anything else that strikes my fancy.

I read aloud during lunch, and they each read for at least an hour every afternoon.

Nature study, physical fitness & health, home economics, arts participation, etc. are done in an unschooly-real-life way.

Here is a list of what they are using individually:
F.L.~15yo daughter~senior:

• Henle Latin on her own + First Form with the rest of us
• Finishing Jacobs' Algebra, then on to Geometry
• Material Logic from Memoria Press
• The Roots of American Order by Russell Kirk

J.B.~13yo son~freshman:

• Saxon Algebra 1
• Italic Handwriting & copywork
• Traditional Logic from Memoria Press

L.H.~11yo son~jr. high:

• Finishing Saxon 6/5, then on to 7/6
• Italic Handwriting & copywork
• W.I.S.E. Guide for Spelling by Wanda Sanseri
• Collier's Junior Classics

V.N.~9yo daughter~upper elementary:

• Saxon 5/4
• Italic Handwriting & copywork
• W.I.S.E. Guide for Spelling by Wanda Sanseri
• Rod & Staff Bible Nurture Reader
• Christian Liberty Press Nature Reader
• Collier's Junior Classics

I think that about covers it.