The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ December 28, 2009

FOR TODAY... Monday, December 28, 2009

Outside my window... Snow has been drifting from the clouds all morning –so pretty!

I am thinking... I’d like to go see “Up In The Air” today

I am thankful for... Having a very sweet and relaxing Christmas this year

From the learning rooms... School’s are in the middle of two week vacations, I hope the kids are having a blast!

I am wearing... Jeans, beige shirt, white socks, no shoes. I never wear my shoes in the house!

I am remembering... how much the beginning of a new year excites me!

I am hearing... A plane flying over the house, and hoping they are safe! A plane flew into our DTW last week with a bomb, and there was another bomb scare since then!

I am going... to take next Sunday off! So I’ll have two days off, work Saturday, then have two more days off –Cool!

I am creating... a desire to learn how to crochet like my mom use to, but I know me too well –once I start something I hardly ever finish

I am currently reading... More poetry than I have in the past couple years, and putting many favorites in my “Beautiful Phrase” blog

I am hoping... 2010 will be prosperous, happy, and full of amazing adventures!

On my mind... My “101 Things In 1,001 Days” list –I hope it’s manageable!

Noticing that... Although I did not put up a Christmas tree and lights, the cards I received in the mail were perfect decorations by themselves

Pondering these words... “Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot, and old lang syne?”

From the kitchen... I have two cookie batches I want to make! I was so tired Christmas Eve I decided to fall asleep instead of bake them!

Around the house... I have much I plan to clean out next year

A few plans for the rest of the week…. Work, shovel, celebrate the new year

One of my favorite things… A brand new year! Have a happy one!

From my picture journal...

A Christmas Self-Portrait With my Dad

12-23-09 Haiku

After Santa leaves

Daddies rush to set up toys 

Before children wake

12-16-09 Haiku

Just one more quick hit

And my nap is extended

For the sixteenth time

10 Great Things About the Holidays

1. Getting together with friends and family

2. Christmas cards in the mail, they’re like jewels amongst the regular old stuff

3. Christmas baking, a chocolate chip cookie baked at Christmas time is just sort of different than a chocolate cookie baked in other months

4. Christmas movies come on. I like the old Christmas Carol movies the best, the ones with Alastair Sims, Reginald Owens, and Albert Finney.

5 The cheery. warmhearted spirit aloft in the air

6. Christmas decorations, beautiful lights glitter homes and the owners creativity beckons for a look

7. Nostalgia, forever kept in holiday music boxes, bulbs, and baubles

8. Christmas music, this year I’m really enjoying Andrea Bocelli’s My Christmas

9. Christmas TV programs, I’ve been watching the same shows for over 35 years and I still enjoy them as if watching for the first time

10. So many wonderful scents and smells in the air –the scents of evergreen wreathes, freshly-baked gingerbread, cinnamon sticks

12-9-09 Haiku

In his tiny hand

He carried “hope she likes these”

Nine dandelions

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ December 7, 2009

FOR TODAY... Monday, December 07, 2009

Outside my window... I see more and more Christmas lights placed upon houses for the holidays. I also saw snow drops for the first time this season today.

I am thinking... It will probably be another four months before I can comfortably drive my car with the top down again.

I am thankful for... Dad’s health seems to be improving, and may be out of the hospital within the next few days.

From the learning rooms... I’m going to learn Square Dancing –classes start after the first of the year!

I am wearing... Jeans, heavy red shirt to keep me warm, bare feet because I like them that way

I am remembering... Two years today I went to the hospital clinic for what I thought would be a three-hour outpatient surgery, and ended up in the hospital for a week

I am hearing... “Put one foot in front of the other” while watching Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

I am going... grocery shopping tomorrow morning, hot chocolate is definitely on my list (AND mini marshmallows!)

I am creating... optimism in my heart for a wonderful 2010!

I am reading... So many cool blogs!

I am hoping... that we all have a very Merry Christmas and holiday season

On my mind... I’m so happy I’ll receive a $110 bonus in my check, I can keep the heat on more!

Noticing that... I’ve been watching the same Christmas shows for over 35 years, and I still love them as if watching them for the first time

Pondering these words... “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus.” ~ Francis Pharcellus

From the kitchen... I’d like to find a couple really good recipes to make some scrumptious Christmas cookies

Around the house... I want to put some Christmas decorations up, but since I need to keep my electric bill low I stick to Christmas music boxes, figurines, pillows, etc.

A few plans for the rest of the week… Work, housecleaning, laundry, etc.

One of my favorite things… Christmas season, it’s delightfully beautiful

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

My Favorite Feline

12-2-09 Haiku

as i try to write
my cat lays on my notebook
smokie wins again

11-25-09 Haiku Wednesday: Parent(s/ing)

wrinkled old woman
sets roses at her dad's grave
still his little girl

11-18-09 Haiku

walking home from church
we fall and make snow angels
the spirit moved us

November 14, 2009 - Six Word Saturday

Must do's -raking, laundry, grocery shopping

Friday Fill-Ins #150

1. The last band I saw live was Little Texas, way back in 1994.

2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is having a really good dinner at my sister’s house, and having a couple days (yay!) off work.

3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is small, but full of love.

4. Thoughts of having a warm holiday season fill my head.

5. I wish I could wear my pajamas to work.

6. Bagpipes sound beautiful when playing Amazing Grace.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to chilling out after work, tomorrow my plans include raking my lawn and Sunday, I want to get off work early –knock on wood!

11-11-09 Haiku

Lawn needs to be raked
Beautiful Autumn colors
To be bagged and tossed

November 2, 2009 - Power Of 5

5 Things I Am Grateful For...
1. Had an awesome time Halloween night at "A Victorian Haunting Experience", held at the McFadden Ross House in Dearborn! Met some great people, had my tea leaves read, won a $20 Lulu gift card AND scrumptious acai chocolate, heard some interesting Dearborn ghost stories ...a terrific night!

2. Turned 45 last week and had a great birthday dinner at Angelo's in Westland. Ate French Onion Soup (with extra cheese of course!), baked gnocchi, and some of the most incredible rolls my mouth ever tasted! Scrumptious! Chuck called on my birthday to wish me a happy one and I received a package from Texas, thank you Kristie!

3. I'm in the midst of a three-day week-end! We set the clocks back an hour yesterday which means I get an extra hour on my week-end off! That makes me feel even wiser for choosing Sunday as a vacation day!

4. It's a brand new month! Happy November! It's beautiful outside -crisp, clear and calm. Fallen leaves are blanketing the ground ready to be raked. Christmas songs will soon be playing on the radio.

5. I received a great work check last week after winning top bonus (an extra $175!) and having a wee bit of overtime!

October 31, 2009 - Six Word Saturday

Halloween! Off to "Victorian Haunting Experience"!

Apple Fritters with AJ, Magnified Maps, Ta Ta Tai Chi (for now)

Apple fritters! My aunt loves ‘em, I love ‘em, so I brought four of them with me to her house this afternoon when I gave her my birthday present –the 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven she wanted. We each ate one during my visit and we both had one to snack on later in the day. I drove to her place after dinner Saturday night for birthday cake. I had her coats that she left in our basement when she moved out last year. I gave Bob all her coats to bring in but I had to leave because of the painful stomach ache that was killing me. I laughed on the phone that night telling her that I did have her present with me, I wasn’t skipping out because I was empty-handed!

Google Maps is crazy wild cool. With enough maneuvering I can actually see the back of my car -in my backyard garage! I can see my neighbor walking in front of my house, and then see the back of him with a few other mouse moves! It's definitely... old, because it shows my dad's van -gone since August, 2008. But it also shows my front door was open too! There are cameras all over the damn place!

Continuing with Tai Chi classes costs just under $10 a week, so I’m letting that go until I feel freer with my funds. Tai Chi classes cost $39 for four Mondays, I attended the first two Mondays, didn’t attend last week, and today was our last night. I was going to skip tonight too because I won’t be going back and we’ve only learned a couple starting moves. There's so much to learn and it takes a long time to learn it! We started with nine people, tonight four out of that original nine attended, as did one person from the Saturday class. I really just attended tonight because of the money I paid for it, I was quite sloppy during class and didn't really care. To finish off my evening, I’m going to chill out watching Dancing With The Stars, and movies I have rented from the library –Milk, Revolutionary Road, 30 Days Of Night, The Day The Earth Stood Still...and eat an apple fritter.

Singing Man, Pretty Cupcakes, There Will Be Heat

60-something-year-old man, wearing an old plaid coat and riding an old green Schwinn bike, loudly sings “Make the world go away, Take it off of my shoulders” as he pedals past the house in the early afternoon.

Sherice walks from desk to desk offering chocolate cupcakes with colorful frosting. I hadn’t eaten breakfast so that was a wonderful thing!

I won 2nd place in collections last week! Yay! That will bring me an extra $110 in my check! Smokie and I can have heat at home!

Crazy Dreams, Birthday Dinner, Aaah Science

I could almost swear I heard ma’s voice last night. I was dreaming that I was sleeping on my sofa very late at night, as I was doing precisely at that moment. I realized it was a dream when I realized what she had said; she told our dog to “get off of that!” She passed away in 2005 and I haven’t had a dog for years. I mentioned this at dinner and Bob said that maybe it was real because they are in the same spot!

Had a delicious dinner of chili, onion peels, chicken wings, cheese quesadillas, and potato skins at Taylor Golf Club's Lake House Grill with Bob, Liz, and AJ, in honor of Aunt Jeannie’s 77th, eh, “29 once again!” birthday.

Watching scientists, and their “Oh My Gosh, Dig This!” expressions, explain theories on Science Channel’s “100 Greatest Discoveries”. The many branches of science leads me to a deeper faith in God than religion does.

Speaking of God, I had the unfortunate realization tonight that I never pray harder than when I am in physical pain. Tonight's intestinal pains proved that to me. After a two-hour attack, nestling in my favorite chair and cozying up with Smokie helped me feel much better.

October 10, 2009 - Six Word Saturday

Watching Science Channel, and constantly amazed