Daybook: Monday, March 23, 2015

Outside my window...

Not outside my window, but at my desk, beautiful sunflowers that my beautiful daughter the Grand Duchess brought me before she left to go back to grad school.  *sigh*  I will never get used to saying good-bye to her.  

I am thankful... For the start of a New Year!  This is my blog on that on The Lady of the House.  

I am wearing... Same ole, same ole.  

I am creating... Last week, I set a goal of completing 1 mitered square per day.  I think I did two, which I am still happy about.  Remember, I had to make 80.  I'm probably at about 50 now.  

I am going... To do very little shopping today.  I have started 2 weeks of cutting out complex carbs from my diet, as per South Beach Diet, Phase 1.  A few years ago, I did South Beach and lost 20 pounds.  I kept those off for 3 years.  I am now heavier than I have ever been, including during pregnancy.  A few months ago, I got the idea that the time between the biblical New Year's Day and Passover (14 days) would be an ideal time to cut out carbs.  That way, when I reintroduce carbs into my diet, it will be started at Passover and continuing through the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  

I am reading... I have picked back up and read 36% of Elizabeth George's A Woman's Call to Prayer.  I had to turn in Stephen L. Carter's The Emperor of Ocean Park, but I really liked it so I will get it again.  I re-checked out Laila Lalami's The Moor's Account and have read 20% of it so far.  
  
I am listening to.... I started this, but as of this post, have not finished it.  Arthur Bailey takes SO LONG to get started on the topic he's going to be speaking on.  LOL

One of my favorite things...  The family time Friend Hubby and I enjoy with our kids.  We both acknowledge that our family unit is more joyful than either we grew up in.  I am also thankful for the relationships my children have with one another.  The Grand Duchess made a royal appearance to help encourage her brother through his black belt test.  Princess Butterfly was willing to stay behind to help with the Shabbat broadcast.  The fact that all 3 are black belts is a bond they share.  

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Cleaning!  I plan to rise early this week and get my transcription jobs knocked out so I can spend the rest of the time cleaning.  I am also going to take inventory of my freezer so I can start meal planning to clear some of that out.        

From the learning rooms... Sort of a mini-spring break this week.  The co-ops were not in session, but we still got a little bit done.  We have read 35% of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and have discussed how literature from other countries does not follow the familiar plot line that American literature does.  (We also decided that that could explain British television as well.  LOL) 

Junior:  Quite a week of accomplishment for Boy Wonder!  He has been promoted to 1st Lt in Civil Air Patrol, and he tested for his 3rd degree black belt in TKD.  These are things that I felt had gotten stalled for a couple of years, but I am happy he is picking up momentum.  All this is fodder for college application season in a few short months!  

Freshman:  Got some extra science done this past week.  I plan on cracking down on oversleeping this coming week.  No more wasted days!       

Pondering these words... Two things spoke out to me this Shabbat.  

First:  Leviticus 26:9-12 - "‘And I shall turn to you and make you bear fruit, and shall increase you, and shall establish My covenant with you.  ‘And you shall eat the old supply, and clear out the old because of the new.  ‘And I shall set My Dwelling Place in your midst, and My being shall not reject you.  ‘And I shall walk in your midst, and shall be your Elohim, and you shall be My people."   It was an encouragement to me to use up what I have that its old, throw stuff out, and trust my Father for what He is going to fill us up with in the next season to lay up before winter.   

Second:  Leviticus 26:2-5 - "‘Guard My Sabbaths and reverence My set-apart place. I am יהוה.  ‘If you walk in My laws and guard My commands, and shall do them, then I shall give you rain in its season, and the land shall yield its crops, and the trees of the field yield their fruit.  ‘And your threshing shall last till the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last till the time of sowing. And you shall eat your bread until you have enough, and shall dwell in your land safely."  I felt as if Abba were saying to me through this verse to stop looking for a harvest in a place that is past its season.  If it is time for the grape harvest and I am still looking for wheat and getting angry because it is no longer yielding, I will miss the grape harvest!  Sister Do Bee pointed out from Psalm 1:3, "For he shall be as a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That yields its fruit in its season, And whose leaf does not wither, And whatever he does prospers."  I need to focus on the harvest that is right in front of me and stop wishing for what is already past.  

From the kitchen...  I made Kale and White Bean Stew for Shabbat.  It is a great low carb meal.  I substituted a can of tomatoes with jalapenos for one can of diced tomatoes and I used Mesquite skinless beef smoked sausage.  I actually made enough to double the recipe, but when it was time to do it, I was too tired.  So, now I have enough for another low carb meal.  

   

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