10 Things that happened this week

Totally random list here, I know. I'm in a random kind of mood.

1. My husband just returned from Mexico. He and our pastor ordained our missionary there. They were having a Bible school while he was there. He came back full of information and new insight into the work they are doing and how different it is for them.


This is an outdoor shower. Their only shower.


I'm so thankful for indoor showers, hot water, soap and clean towels. We really have so much more than we think we do. So what if I had to plunge the toilet the minute Clark left for the trip. At least I have a toilet.

We have been talking all morning about the trip. Later, I'm going to put together a slide show of his pictures for Sunday.

2. Yesterday, I returned from Mt. Ida where two of my college friends live.

While we were there cutie pie Tess got to sit up in a sink for her bath. She also kept her momma up all night by waking up every 2- 3 hours for a feeding. If it weren't for that sweet smile...


The kids did a lot of swimming. I did a lot of sitting on the porch and talking. And we walked to their creek one evening to skip rocks.

3. As a result of our trip, last night Tess went to sleep boot camp. When she woke up 2 hours after I had put her down, I let her cry. Then I comforted her but did not feed her. After about an hour of crying, she settled down, slept and didn't wake up until I got her up at 3 am to feed her. It's not like I can turn off the faucet now that she has it on a schedule. Then she slept again until 8:30 this morning!

A pretty good first day of boot camp. But I have dreams of her sleeping all night!

4. I dreamed about snakes last night. I have no idea why. I think it's the first time I've been asleep long enough to dream in 3 weeks.

5. We listened to The Sign of the Beaver on the way to Mt. Ida and on the way home. It was wonderful. Go get it and read it to your kids this summer.

6. Darcy is having a giveaway for Corel Painter Essentials. While you're there, read her 3 part posts on "Taking care of your photos". I would only add that you print out the best photos each month and put them in an album. This has been the most important thing I've done. My kids love to get out the albums and look at what we did last year or on vacation. It's important.

7. The Nester is doing a Price My Space party on Monday. It sounds like fun and I want to participate, but I'm not sure I remember how much my stuff cost. Do you?

8. I've spent a lot of time online today playing catch-up. While I was at my friend's house, she only had dial up. I used (and blogged) on dial up for many years. Now dial up is like that shower up there to me. Ancient. Difficult. Ridiculous. Sad.

9. I'm going to get 3 bags of corn this afternoon and the rest of the day I'll be shucking, cutting off and bagging corn for the winter. I feel like a squirrel.

10. My house is a disaster.

I just needed to get that off my chest.

I have a piano in my entry way

I wish I didn't have a piano in my entry way. I wish I didn't have a homeschool in my dining room. But these things are necessary to how we live our lives. There is no other square inch of space in my home where this piano will fit. We're having enough trouble fitting all the kids, much less a piano.

It was my grandmother's and now it's mine. My girls are learning to play from my mother. There are so many times I want to fuss about the practicing. I mean, it's right there! In my entry way! Which is right next to the living room and very close to the kitchen. Piano practicing is loud and sometimes annoying.

But I want them to learn. So, I have a piano in my entry way.

But come on in the side door instead. Most people do anyway.


The shelf is conveniently located so the kids can easily place their shoes out of the way when they come in. How often do you think that happens? Want to guess how many pairs of shoes are littering the floor right there at any given time? I picked up 2 pair before I took this picture.


When my grandparents were alive, we took a family picture in their living room every Christmas for 9 years. I brought my camera and tripod and set the timer. I have them all framed on this wall. All except one. I need to find that missing picture. Of course it would throw the whole arrangement off balance if I had 9 photos instead of 8.

Drop cloth drapes

I think my cousin Emily and I first heard about drop cloth drapes at The Lettered Cottage. I needed something to cover my French doors when the evening sun blares in during the summer months. I needed to do something cheap and easy and Emily reminded me of the drop cloths.




I got my rod, clip rings and two canvas panels ($9.99 each) from Lowe's. They are hemmed canvas painter's drop cloths with a linen-look. At first I didn't like them. I didn't take a before picture.

But Emily came over and ironed pleats in them for me and she and her husband rehung them higher and I think they look pretty good now. They certainly serve their purpose.

I'm sleepy

Like Kelly, I'm sleep-deprived. It's a bad time right now and something has got to change. But I'll think about that tomorrow.

Also, I'm away from home with my 4 kids visiting friends. Getting here was an ordeal.

I'll be home tomorrow and I plan to show you the drapes that Clark and I hung and I didn't originally like.

But, while you're here, these are a few of my favorite posts:

Finding lost dogs and sending memos: all in a days work.

Sewing a Memory

Here's what I did on New Year's Eve