I had seen a few people doing this around the net, but didn’t really think about doing it myself until I read Anna’s the other day.  It’s a great tool, both for reflection and for encouraging regular blogging, so I’m going to give it a try.    Click on “The Simple Woman’s Daybook” button if you’d like to read other daybook entries or do one yourself!

·  FOR TODAY February 6, 2010…

·  Outside My Window… the sun is shining and I’m grateful to see it after so much rain.

·  I am thinking… I need to get back to cleaning house.

·  I am thankful for… good friends who tell me what I need to hear, even when I’d rather they didn’t.

·  From the kitchen… I need to thaw a couple of chicken breasts to make some soup this evening.

·  I am wearing… a grey sweatshirt, blue yoga pants, and flip-flops.

·  I am creating… my very first Daybook entry!

·  I am going… to run to the bank and the grocery store in a bit.

·  I am reading… “A Bride in the Bargain” by Deeanne Gist.

·  I am hoping… to become a more faithful blogger and to use writing as a tool for both personal growth and enjoyment.

·  I am hearing… the sound of the capiz shell mobile in my daughter’s bedroom as the ceiling fan gently causes it to flutter in the breeze.

·  Around the house… the dogs are sleeping on the kitchen floor, the dryer is tumbling, the washer is humming, and all is peaceful.

·  One of my favorite things… to scrapbook my memories.  I have not scrapbooked in a long time, and this needs to change and to change soon.

·  A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  Celebrate my daughter’s 14th birthday by having one of her best friends over to spend the night, get my hair cut and colored, go to the eye doctor, install some blinds for a client, and grade papers for homeschool.

·  A photo of me, without glasses!

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Just stopping by to post a little “hi-ya!” …. things are getting better in the yearbook class I teach.  Still not great and I won’t be teaching it again, but they are better. 

My guy and baby girl are at our church workday right now.  Our church meets in one of those strip shopping centers.  We recently got additional space in the center, and so work needs to be done to make the space usable for our purposes.  Some walls in the old space are being torn down to make the sanctuary larger, and some walls will need to be built in the new space to accommodate classrooms.  Our pastor has asked my guy if he would be interested in teaching some classes when the space is finished and classes begin.  He said he would pray about it — I think Pastor is wanting him to specifically work with teens.  If God gives him the go-ahead, I think this would be great, as he is REALLY good with teens.  But he won’t do it unless he really feels God giving him the a-okay.

In other news, my “baby” girl will be fourteen years old on Monday.  I am really struggling with this!  Turning 46 a couple of weeks ago was a bit bumpy (I never think in terms of how old I am right this minute, but how far away other ages are …. only six years ago I turned 40 … that time has flown … in in six years I’ll be 52 … and the time will fly … it’s just going too fast).  Same with my girl.  It just seems months since she was small enough for me to pick up and now we look each other in the eye (although I do still have about an inch on her height-wise).  She is really turning into a beautiful young woman, but I want her to still be my girl.  LOL  She has always called me “Mommy” and suddenly she is calling me “Mom” … I made a deal with her.  She can call me “Mom” out in public, but at home I would still like her to call me by my REAL name.  Ha!  It’s all about compromise, eh?

Well, I’d better get on with the day – much to do around here and the time just seems to be flying faster and faster …

Have a good one.

teaching another homeschool co-op class, would you send me the internet equivalent of a big whack upside the head?

I’ve grown to dread this class and as we go into the spring semester, it’s all I can do to make myself prepare for and go teach the class.  I’m working on stuff right now, and it’s 2:20 a.m. ……… and it’s my fault.  I kept putting it off because I despise it so.  Sadly, as much as I’d like to brag on homeschoolers right now, the crew that signed up for my class are some of the most unimaginative, uninspired, unmotivated high school students I think I’ve ever seen.  There are three kids in there that are AWESOME, but the other five … sweet as they are, they do not belong in this class.

dropped off the application yesterday.  When I went up to the cashier to ask where I should deliver the application, she said, “Oh, I can take that” … so I handed it to her and said, “thank you.”   She opened the drawer on her register and put my application in it.  I assume that when they close out the bins each evening, the “big cheese” will find my app and determine what to do with it.  I hope.

Most of you know that I’ve owned my own business for the last 10 years … or rather that it’s owned me.  Talk about having a tiger by the tail!  I’ve never felt that I was really in charge, but more like the business was happening “to” me rather than “through” me.  Because I’m not the world’s greatest accountant and over the years I’ve made quite a mess of the books, no matter what accounting system I’ve tried, I’ve got a good bit of debt and a lot of resentment towards this animal that was supposed to “let me be my own boss.”  Ha!

I’m filling out an application for Hobby Lobby – they are hiring, and it looks like a good job opportunity.  Full time employees can make about $10 an hour, have benefits, etc.  Since turning over the joint checkbook to my husband, he’s done wonderful things with our debt, getting things paid on time and getting things paid down, if not completely paid off just yet.  My proposal to him earlier today was that I try to secure a job with Hobby Lobby (or some similar business, although Hobby Lobby is quite enticing since they are closed on Sundays) …. I would then give him my HL paychecks and he would use them to pay off my business debt.  I know that sounds a little medieval with me handing over the checks – but the fact is, since handing the home finances over to him, I’ve not had to do without anything that I really needed or wanted.  He is a very gracious and generous “accountant” and so I don’t fear that he would handle this arrangement poorly.  It would be quite the relief to me to have a steady paycheck to chisel away at the debt, rather than continuing to grow the Montana-sized ulcer I have worrying about where the next blind job is coming from in order to make my minimum monthly payments.

While I have no illusions that this would be an “easy” job (what retail job is?), I think it would be fun from the standpoint that I love creative endeavors and I enjoy dealing with the public.  A few years ago I worked Christmas help at the local Hallmark shop and I really enjoyed it.  It was frantic and crazy, but a lot of fun to help people find the perfect gift, to wish them a good day, etc.  I’m hoping to (a) get the job, (b) get evening shifts, so (c) Jami and I can do lessons during the day and then I’ll go to work when her daddy gets home.  I don’t mind working until close, so hopefully that will go in my favor?  We’ll see!

I’ll keep you posted.

I do so enjoy Charles Krauthammer’s writing … here’s his column on the occasion of 25 years in the business.  I think you may enjoy it.

Just yesterday we invited some family friends to our New Year’s Eve get-together.  They said that they would love to do that, as long as their other two grown kids weren’t expecting them to do something.  I’d been planning to get an informal invite pulled together for the rest of our friends who celebrated with us last year.  Imagine my surprise when one of the other families that came to our house (and stayed until 3:00 a.m.!) sent out an invite today for their own New Year’s Party … and invited most of the people who were at ours last year.  I’m certain that it was NOT intentional, but it’s just frustrating and awkward.  We’d still like to do our small, intimate celebration where we play board games, eat lots of yummy snack foods, and possibly shoot off a few fireworks — weather permitting.  Their party is being thrown by three families (themselves, their parents, and their siblings) at a civic center gymnasium … loud, noisy, basketball games, lots of running and screaming in a location that echoes like crazy.  As I said, I’m sure that they didn’t plan it to “steal” away our fun, but I can’t help but be disappointed.

Thanks for letting me vent.  😦