The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...
November 24, 2008

Outside my window...
Blue, sunny skies, a bare tree, mild temperatures

I am thinking...
about how much laundry there is to do today.

I am thankful for...
an early morning shared with Robert; a beautiful moon he showed me on his way out this morning - the sun was reflecting on the moon and it was so pretty. I wish I had grabbed the camera but it probably wouldn't have shown up well anyway.

From the learning room...
We'll have school today and tomorrow but we are working with a modified schedule. We'll work on science, Spanish, geography and literature. Those have taken a little longer than anticipated at times so we'll work on catching back up on those as needed.

From the kitchen...
I've been working on my holiday baking plans.
Menu for the week -
Monday - Chicken Tenderloins
you can find the recipe from Southern Plate here.
Tuesday - One-Pot Salsa Beef Skillet
Out of town the rest of the week : )

I am wearing...
the usual

I am creating...
lists, lists, and more lists. The holidays tend to do that to me. I have to tell a funny story on myself. I recently started keeping a spiral bound notebook - nothing fancy - just something from the school supply cabinet. It has my grocery list, errand list, Christmas shopping list, and it has a nice pocket page in front where I had some coupons, you get the idea. Well, after church yesterday, I knew I wouldn't have a car today so I decided to do my grocery shopping for Thanksgiving stuff. Last night, I went to pick up my notebook to check my lists and make some more. The notebook was nowhere to be found. I finally realized I must have left it in my shopping cart. I was a bit embarrassed to call and ask if it had been turned in - like I said, it was nothing fancy, BUT, it had all my lists in it!! I got up the nerve to call and ask if it had been turned in. Sure enough, it was at the service desk. I get ready to make a mad dash to pick it up and then I can't find my keys. Can you hear the laughter that was going on in my house!!!! I was an open target for lots of jokes. Now that I have my handy notebook back - all is well once again. Might need to make a list of places my keys might be ; )

I am going...
to observe Rachel's ballet class tonight. It's parent observation month at the studio so I have been observing a class a week. Tonight's the last one.

I am reading...
Shopping for Time...How To Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed by Carolyn Mahaney. This is our "Book Day" group selection for next month. I received the book last week and read it in a couple of days. I am going to read it again this week, highlighting some specifics. It's an easy, fun read but also very convicting to me right now. Definitely something I needed to read for this present time.

I am hoping...
Allan's meeting with an advisor today will produce a plan for his spring semester of college.

I am hearing...
Christmas music from Rachel's room. I know; it's not even Thanksgiving yet. I caved and let her turn it on while she finishes decorating her room.

Around the house...
lots of laundry today. Preparations for our trip to Louisiana. Rachel started decorating her room for Christmas last night. She's finishing some of it today - all but the tree. Normally, she wouldn't do it until after Thanksgiving, but when we return home from our trip, she won't have much free time because of Nutcracker rehearsals. This is her 7th year to be in The Nutcracker and I can't begin to tell you how many nutcrackers she has in her collection. She decorates her room with them and last year we finally bought her a tree for her bedroom because she has more Nutcracker/ballet ornaments than will fit on our family tree!!!!

One of my favorite things...
the reaction when I splurge on a "coffee shop" hot cocoa for us girls after a long day of ballet rehearsal followed by Christmas shopping. I am so glad my kids appreciate these "little" things!

A few plans for the rest of the week...
spending time with our families, giving thanks for the many blessings of the Lord in our lives.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...


Some of the collection of Nutcrackers














Thank you, Peggy, for hosting The Simple Woman's Daybook each week.

Giving Thanks

This post has been swimming in my head for more than a week. I wasn't sure whether to post or not, but as I think about the week ahead and all that I have to be thankful for, it seems an appropriate post. It's just one of those posts that is hard to write - it would be easier just to tell you, except that I would probably have a hard time getting it all out. And, now, I will have a written record of this to look back on.

Many of you know of my battle with breast cancer. Many of you who read my blog are family or friends who were there to pray for me and offer your words of encouragement along the way. You may be one who prayed, called, brought meals, invited Rachel for a sleepover at just the right time, sent a card, took me to a doctor's appointment, or if you happen to be my loving husband reading this - you took off work every Friday for 27 weeks to take me for my chemo treatment and sat with me for those long boring hours. I have said it before and I will say it again; there are no words to adequately express my deep gratitude to those who held me up through the greatest battle I have ever faced. As we approach Thanksgiving Day 2008, I am reminded of just how much I have to be thankful for, especially the fact that I am here, enjoying life, and all tests indicate that I am cancer free!! Two years ago, I was sick, bald, and definitely not enjoying life too much. What a difference!!

What I really want to share with you is how thankful I am for friends who follow the leading of the Lord to pray when he burdens their hearts and also how God works to meet our needs when we aren't even aware. A few weeks ago, after my quarterly checkup with my oncologist, I was scheduled for a bone scan to check out some back pain I had been having. I shared that information with my family and a couple of close friends and asked them to pray. If you have ever had cancer, you know that waiting for tests can cause great anxiety. I was doing pretty well keeping the anxiety level low while trying to also prepare myself for what might be. I just kept praying for the Lord to give me peace about it. The Thursday I was scheduled for my scan, Allan and I had to share a ride to town so I dropped him at the college and ran by the FBC Library to check out some school materials and a book to read during my wait time. It never even entered my mind that morning that it was the day for our Book Day group to meet at FBC (I had previously planned to not participate in that particular book day because of other commitments). I wasn't terribly surprised when I ran into one of the ladies who leads the group, but then the light bulb came on and I remembered it was book day. We said hello and chatted for a moment. I opened up and mentioned to her that I was going for a scan shortly and she told me the ladies in our group would pray. I left thinking about how glad I was to have seen her and to know they would be praying for me because my nerves were shot already and it was only 8:30 a.m. They would be meeting and praying soon. I headed for my 9:30 appointment at the hospital and I was finished with my scan by 12:30, then met a friend for lunch. The next morning, a neighbor, who I don't see much any more, other than in passing, called. She's a nurse and she helped me give myself the first shot I had to take daily during chemo ; ) We chatted for a few minutes and then she asked, "so, how are you doing"? I'm sure there was a pause on my end of the phone. I was thinking, "okay, I haven't seen her in a while, and she's calling me to see how I am doing. Is this just a coincidence or do I tell her I had a scan the day before or do I just skip that and say I'm fine?" Long story short - I told her what was going on. She told me she'd really had me on her heart lately and now she knew why. I hung up the phone and really began to think about how God was taking care of me. I finally got the call the following Monday with the scan results. I had been dreading the call, not just because of the obvious, but because, to be honest, my doctor's nurse is just not very personable. She's usually pretty short and curt. Well, it ended up that one of my favorite chemo nurses called with the results and she actually read the report to me with emphasis on the "no evidence of disease" and was just as happy as I was on the phone with her!! Then, the story goes even a step further. Rachel was talking to one of her remix leaders last week and she asked Rachel how I was doing and told Rach she'd been praying for me lately. She had no idea that anything had been going on.

Isn't God good?? Sometimes, this journey begins to overwhelm me with the realization that it doesn't really ever end and I get so discouraged. Then God reminds me through instances such as these that all I really have to do is to trust him because my life is truly in HIS hands. I believe God orchestrated every step of this to remind me just how much He cares for me and every detail of my life. How could I ever even doubt it for a moment? I want God to get the glory in this and that is my purpose in sharing with you.

I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!

"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." Romans 1:21

Chicken Tortilla Soup

My friend LeAnn shared this recipe with me a couple of months ago and I have been wanting to try it ever since. I finally got the chance to try it today. I fixed it for lunch and Rachel and I both loved this. It's very easy too, especially if you have cooked chicken in your freezer : )

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 tbs. olive oil
2 medium - large onions, cut into medium dice
4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 quart chicken broth
1 16-oz. package frozen corn
2 4-oz. cans chopped green chilies
2 15.5-oz. cans black beans (drained)
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Tortilla Chips, to serve
Shredded cheddar cheese, to serve (optional)

Heat oil in large soup kettle over medium-high heat. Add onions; saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic cloves, chili powder, and oregano; saute 1 minute longer. Add tomatoes, broth, corn, chilies, beans, and chicken. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, to blend flavors, about 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro; let stand a couple of minutes. Serve warm with tortilla chips, and top with cheese if desired. (After cooling, soup can be refrigerated for 3 days.)

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...
November 17, 2008

Outside my window...
It's been a beautiful fall day - lots of sun, cool temperatures, still some pretty leaves on the trees; As I type my daybook, I can see Allan working on his project outside - his 1979 convertible Super Beetle.

I am thinking...
about how close Allan is getting to finishing his car! He worked on it all weekend with diligence even in the very cold wind on Saturday. He ran into a couple of problems, just things he couldn't figure out, but today, with a fresh look, he found the solutions - such a smart guy!!

I am thankful for...
friends who prayed at the Lord's prompting, even though they didn't know the circumstances or that there was actually even a need. I am also thankful that they shared this with me because it shows me just how much the Lord takes care of me.

From the learning room...
good plans for a productive week

From the kitchen...
Monday - homemade chicken and dumplings
Tuesday - Beef Stew (with extras for the freezer)
Wednesday - baked flounder
Thursday - Red Beans and Rice
Friday - Grilled hamburgers or meatloaf - depends on the weather ; )
Saturday - Chicken Tenderloins (another recipe from Southern Plate)

I am wearing...
My favorite jeans, burgandy shirt, and Clarks

I am creating...
plans for Christmas shopping; Christmas card list

I am going...
to Sam's for the ballet studio and to my cancer support group

I am reading...
No Holly, No Ivy by Wanda Luttrell (read over the weekend)
I received my next "Book Day" book, Shopping for Time, How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed by Carolyn Mahaney, in the mail today and read the introduction. I can't wait to get home tonight and have a little time to read more.

I am hoping...
to get some Christmas shopping done later this week

I am hearing...
music from Rachel's room as she gets dressed for ballet

Around the house...
got lots of laundry done today!! Trying to keep the clutter under control after working hard on it Friday. Thinking about how to decorate for Christmas this year - where oh, where is the tree going this year?

One of my favorite things...
making holiday plans that include a trip to visit family!!

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Just a few errands to run while I am in town taking Rachel to ballet; books are due at the public library and the FBC library; It's a pretty quiet week at our house.

He is a picture thought I am sharing...

This brilliant orange tree was outside the conference center at Lindsey's Resort last weekend.

Thanks to Peggy for hosting The Simple Woman's Daybook

Mom's RENEW

Last night was our home school support group Mom's RENEW. Kelli showed us how to get really creative with our holiday food plans! I had seen pictures of some things Kelli had done in the past but she outdid herself last night. I am hoping to try a couple of the ideas with Rachel through the holidays. This might make for some fun home economics lessons! Here are some pictures of what Kelli presented (and these are only the things I took pictures of - there was more).


Turkey Shaped Cheese Ball

Veggie Pizza Wreath


dipped fruit to form a wreath


Turkey Bread Bowl for Dip


Indian Corn Cookies


Cornucopia Veggie Tray


Pilgrim Hats


Veggie Tree


Ham and Cheese Stuffed Tree

These were all so pretty and tasted great. Most of them don't seem that difficult but we'll see how it goes when we try them at home. I'd like to try the turkey cheese ball, cornucopia veggie tray, and veggie pizza wreath. Rachel wants to make the Pilgrim Hats and I am sure she will want to make more things when she sees the hand out Kelli shared with us. LOTS of cute ideas. Visit Kelli's blog here to see more pictures. Thanks Kelli for your inspiration!!

Fly Fishing and Fellowship

I had the opportunity this past weekend to attend a Casting for Recovery "reunion" retreat. All of the women who have participated in the five retreats held in Arkansas were invited. There were about 40 women who attended this past weekend. We met at Lindsey's Resort in Heber Springs, AR for a weekend of fellowship and fishing. We were blessed with gorgeous fall weekend weather - cool, lots of sun, low water, and the peak weekend of leaves changing colors. I was a participant in the June 2008 retreat which you can read more about here. I shared a ride to that retreat with Charlene, from Fayetteville. We shared a ride once again and enjoyed the drive - catching up on what's happened in our lives since June. We were some of the first to arrive at the resort (or as some of us determined - it was more of a man's fish camp than what we termed a "resort"!) and were delighted to find that we had the only cabin (we shared the cabin with Judy and Ruth - two ladies from our June retreat) that was on the river!! We got unpacked as others began arriving and there were lots of hugs and laughter as we reunited with those we had met at our June retreat and met new friends who had attended retreats in earlier years. We walked around the resort a bit then we all met in the conference center for dinner. After dinner and dessert we visited for a long while, made plans for Saturday and then headed back to our cabins. Saturday morning dawned sunny and cold as we made our way back to the conference center for breakfast. After breakfast we split up into groups - those who were fishing and those who were shopping or sight-seeing in the area. Of course, I chose to fish - especially since I have an awesome CFR fly rod that has been begging to be used since June!! I fished with Denise (who is an instructor/former guide , so she was helping us instead of actually fishing) Tasha, Diane and Sister Carol at Cow Shoals. Diane was the only one to catch anything but we all had a great morning on the river. The group met at a riverside lodge, The Driftwood Lodge, for a catered lunch, served riverside. The proprietor, Sherry, and her daughter served an excellent lunch with wonderful hospitality! After lunch, I fished near the dam with Denise and Tasha - again, I didn't catch any but neither did a lot of the people we saw fishing so I didn't feel too bad about it. Denise fished this time and she did catch one brown. I just enjoyed the serenity of where I was for the day! After we decided we were cold enough and not catching any fish, we headed back to the resort to rest a bit before dinner. We met in the conference center for dinner, dessert, and lots of visiting. We finally headed back to our cabin about 9:30 but the four of us sharing the cabin continued to visit until the wee hours of the morning. Sunday morning ended with breakfast and plans for future reunions, a cookbook to raise funds for future reunions, and a website to help us keep in touch with one another. We shared lots of hugs and "till we meet again's" before we headed for home.

As Charlene and I visited on our way home, we reflected on the weekend and on the June retreat. The June retreat was a very emotional weekend for me in many ways. It was a very good time for reflection on where I had been but also a time to begin looking forward and thinking about where to go from where I was at that point in time. I came home with some much needed new perspective on some areas of my life. It had been very "out of my box" to even apply to attend a retreat with people I didn't even know. It proved to be a great step forward for me. There still are no words to really say how that weekend affected me in so many areas of my life. I just know that I am thankful I had the opportunity to participate and to meet so many wonderful women who I wouldn't have otherwise had the opportunity to meet.

This retreat was somewhat different. It was a wonderful, laid back time of fellowship, friendship, encouragement, fly fishing, or shopping, just whatever you wanted it to be. This weekend, I felt as if I were among 40 of my best friends, laughing and playing, encouraging and being encouraged. No matter where we have been or where we are going, we are bonded by our experiences with breast cancer, experiences that no matter how they try, no one else can really understand. I am thankful for these women whom God has placed in my life. They are angels of encouragement and hope.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY...
November 10, 2008

Outside my window...
it's cloudy and just beginning to rain - a much needed rain. The temperatures today are forecast to be in the 50's. The maple outside my window has lost almost all of it's leaves. It's beginning to look a bit like winter.

I am thinking...
about the holidays. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas! We'll be traveling this Thanksgiving to share the holiday with our families!! I can't wait until we return home and pull out the boxes of Christmas decorations and go to the tree farm to choose and cut our tree.

I am thankful for...
my wonderful weekend away! Lots of fun with fellow breast cancer survivors - some I met at a retreat this summer, some new friends who attended earlier retreats; a full day of fly fishing on a gorgeous river with the leaves at peak color.

From the learning room...
back to regularly scheduled programming (after dad's vacation last week). Reading Jane Eyre with Rachel

From the kitchen...
I think we'll have crock pot chili today - it's excellent on a cold, rainy day! I had intended to make this Friday morning for my family to have Friday night while I was gone but I totally forgot about it in the excitement of getting ready to leave. I called home after lunch to admit I had forgotten and they laughed at me and told me it would be fine as long as I brought home some trout on Sunday - ha, ha!!

I am wearing...
I hate to admit it but I am still sitting here in my warm flannel pj's ; )

I am creating...
a Christmas shopping list

I am going...
very few places this week - yah!!

I am reading...
Jane Eyre with Rachel; hope to get my book day book in the mail this week!!

I am hoping...
to start getting some photos put into books this week. It's a project that's been looming since spring but I keep putting it off. It really shouldn't even take that long - just a matter of tackling it!

I am hearing...
the rain outside my window.

Around the house...
it's laundry day; unpacking that didn't get done last night.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
A fun Mom's RENEW on creative cooking ideas for the holidays; observation at a ballet class

One of my favorite things...
the peace that is found, standing in the middle of a cold stream, fly rod in hand, surrounded by beautiful trees, fishing for trout. God created such an awesome landscape for us to enjoy!!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

To read more Simple Woman's Daybook entries, visit Peggy here.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...
November 4, 2008
(I'm a day late this time)

Outside my window...
It's a beautiful, sunny, warm day. The maple tree outside my window is shwoing lots of color.

I am thinking...
about how nice it is that Robert is on vacation this week and how I am glad he is blessed with good weather to enjoy.

From the learning rooms...
The usual, but also some extra time with daddy this week since he is on vacation

I am thankful for...
the Worldview Weekend materials I found at the FBC Library last week. We missed the seminar recently and I am so thankful for this blessing from the library.

From the kitchen...
Beans and cornbread

I am wearing...
Jeans and a red top

I am reading...
some magazines; Jane Eyre with Rachel

I am hoping...
for a great weekend! Fly Fishing on the Little Red River on a beautiful fall weekend at Casting For Recovery "reunion retreat".

I am creating...
nothing at the moment ; )

I am hearing...
someone mowing their lawn - actually probably mowing their leaves!

Around the house...
Clearing off the bar; clean laundry

One of my favorite things...
walking through the fall leaves on a warm, sunny day

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Observing ballet class tonight; having a tooth filled tomorrow - yuck!!!; retreat this weekend

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...


To read more daybook entries, visit Peggy here.