Donalacasa's Daybook: Monday, October 16, 2017

Outside my window...
Today, I threw the upstairs windows open when I left for school. At 9:30 in the evening, it is
in the low 60s. I do believe autumn has finally arrived. I am thinking...
I told my spies/children that I would get back to writing a Daybook after the Fall Feast season.
I told Friend Hubby that they use my Daybook to gauge my emotions when they can't see my
face. I have to tell you, emotionally, this Feast season was rough. I've had to swallow tears,
stand up for myself, accept unanswered prayers, and try to minister wherever I can. It has
been about 6 weeks since I put out a Daybook, but it has been a long and eventful 6 weeks to
say the least. I am thankful...
For the Feast season. Every year it gets better and better. I honestly feel that I am in a better
place spiritually than I have been during any of the past. Yom Teruah was wonderful, Yom
Kippur was very introspective, and Sukkot was awesome. It is growing. We had more people
than ever before (without combining with another fellowship). The worship, the baptism, the
fellowship, AND THE CAMPFIRE! I have been trying to have a good campfire for about 5
years and this year I finally had a great one. I bought vegan marshmallows at Trader Joe's
and we filled ourselves up with s'mores.

I am also thankful for our women's meeting during Sukkot. We discussed ways to bring joy into the Feast days and Sabbaths through planning ahead. Even though we go to a military installation for Sukkot and are not really able to build a sukkah there, we decided this year to bring items with us to make our temporary homes festive. Ladies brought wall hangings for both inside and outside. Sister Elegant made a centerpiece of the 4 species. I bought a new tablecloth and chargers. It wasn't a competition and I plan to add to mine year by year. As a matter-of-fact, I would like to come up with five tablescapes throughout the year for the time we spend reading through the Torah, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

I am wearing...
I get out of school late on Mondays and Wednesdays so I am still wearing my jeans and a knit top. I had to break out my denim jacket today. It was FREEZING in our government classroom today (70 degrees). I am going...
To take Princess Butterfly to a grief support meeting. At certain times in life grief is stronger than at others. I am thankful we have such a great place in our city to help us over those humps. We haven't been in years, since our neighbor died. She will be able to articulate her grief for Dancing Angel in a way she was not able to when she was little. I am reading...
I hadn't been reading anything before bed for a while, but because I really need to CLEP the English classes that didn't transfer, I have started reading Norton's Anthology of American Literature before bed again. It actually helps me sleep, not because it's boring, but I don't find myself mindlessly scrolling through Facebook that way. I am loving the poems of Anne Bradstreet, her love of her husband, her grief over lost children, grandchildren, and her family home by fire. I can relate to people who go through trials and still come out on the other side standing in faith.

I am listening to....
As I am falling asleep, I am listening to 1940s radio programs. I have to be careful, because I almost woke my husband up with my laughing while listening to Abbot and Costello the other day. I am looking forward to...
A weekend with nothing to do. I have been going nonstop for weeks. We friends come to visit us from the Czech Republic. We helped The Grand Duchess move into her apartment just minutes away. My sister-in-law popped in for a surprise visit. My in-laws came for Sukkot, along with several friends from out of town. Our niece brought her fiance over for us to meet. We went out of town to both check on a friend who has been widowed for just a year and another friend who had fallen at the end of Sukkot, broke a bone, and now has to have surgery. Even when our friends from the Czech Republic were here, I had a cold with no time to rest. I am tired.
From the learning rooms...
It seems that Sukkot comes right during midterms so it was a little stressful trying to pull it all off, but I didn't do too poorly. I am still waiting to get one grade back, but so far I haven't scored below a 75. I know over the next few weeks, I can get caught up where I am behind and finish the semester strong. I am going to start going back to Phi Theta Kappa meetings soon.

Crown Prince Sanban was in the same situation. He left Sukkot and had an extremely busy week with very little sleep, but he got through it.

I am so proud of Princess Butterfly. She is killing her Mandarin class. She is doing well in economics and loves constitutional law. Algebra is a struggle, but I am trying to keep her encouraged. I just want her to be able to take her standardized tests with confidence. Pondering these words...
Another Anne Bradstreet poem excerpt:

From the kitchen...
While attempting to make our Sabbath meals more creative, our weeknight meals are in a rut. I need some help with 30-minute meals or crock-pot meals that my husband will actually eat. Around the house...
My appliances decided to act up last month. We are using The Grand Duchess's tiny microwave that she had in her last apartment, and the same day the vacuum cleaner decided to give out. Friend Hubby can't live without vacuuming so a new microwave will have to wait.

We also got a new sliding glass door last month with the blinds inside it. I love it and it looks so nice against the chocolate brown wall that Crown Prince Sanban painted this past summer. We are waiting to get the screen door attachment so we can let the fall air in. Of course our chicken-hearted dog was scared to death of it initially.