A cook in the house, a well-mixed sock drawer, DVD's

1. My youngest made supper for me both yesterday and today because I've been sick.
   
   
2. I took some socks today to Belmont to demonstrate the beauty of a well-mixed sock drawer.
   
   
3. I found some DVD's that I had been missing when I cleaned out my backpack today.
   

Wordless Wednesday #42

Sick Leave

Apologies to everyone who reads the blog, but I just couldn't make it to the computer. First it was a party, and then I was really sick. When it's hard to function enough to keep everyone here alive, it's difficult to find the time for blogging.

But even though I haven't been able to blog, there are still plenty of things that make me smile. My biggest accomplishment was hosting a very successful birthday party for my oldest, and completely unpacking all the boxes in the dining room. I also have pictures of the living room with the curtains that I found earlier. Hooray!

The fireplace in the dining room:

Instead of big dish boxes on the hearth and in the alcove, it's mostly clear except for my youngest's school books, and the palm (which I'm going to re-pot this weekend because I finally found a pot I like.)

Now I can actually get to my china cabinet, instead of it being surrounded by dish boxes:


One of the big dish boxes had nothing inside except the contents of the china cabinet, which in our case, isn't china, but dolls and other mementos from our travels.



I also found a plant hanger in another box, so I hung up one of my smaller plants.


And now, instead of a stack of boxes in the corner, it's clear between the dining room and the front door.


The "new" curtains in the living room, though I guess it's too dark to really see them:


Again, apologies to everyone who reads the blog. I'll try to stay on schedule again now.

ttfn

Wordless Wednesday #41

More space in the living room, big bowl of M&M's, progress in French

1. A clean living room (now that we've finally put away the Christmas tree and various other decorations and wrapping tools)
   
   
2. A big bowl of M&M's for today's lesson on probability
   
   
3. Getting everything correct the first time through my French lesson today.
   

Computer programs, A Series of Unfortunate Events, warm pink scarf

1. Working on a cool computer program with my oldest daughter, one of her school projects for Algebra II
   
   
2. Watching a favorite movie with my youngest daughter (who has a crush on Liam Aiken in A Series of Unfortunate Events)after she finished school for the day
   
   
3. Finishing a knitting/crochet project, a pink scarf that's a gift for a friend, with my middlest daughter
   

Calmness, good football, warm bed

1. Seeing how calm the back seat girls were as my oldest drove home from church today
   
   
2. Watching some good football games on TV (even if I was routing for Green Bay)
   
   
3. A nice warm bed on a cold night
   

Christmas money, client money, fewer worries

1. We used our Christmas money to buy a new DVD player. We're very excited.
   
   
2. I used my newest money from my business to buy a portable hard drive so I can back up my files.
   
   
3. With my husband's new job and my work going well, it's nice not to have to worry about money quite so much.
   

Computer account that works, clients, warmth

1. My computer account at work was fixed.
   
   
2. I finished my work for a new client.
   
   
3. The house is staying warm in spite of the very cold temperatures outside. My husband fixed the vent in my office, and now it's even better than before of getting heat up from the basement. Hooray for heat!
   

Playing tennis very slowly, a black HO, mac and cheese

1. In my French lessons today in the car, the woman says, in French, "You drive very fast, but you walk very slowly. Would you like to play tennis with me?" It was one of the strangest French conversations yet.
   
   
2. I saw a black Toyota Echo today, and someone had removed the "EC" from the back, so it said that it was a Toyota Ho.
   
   
3. My youngest and middlest cooked supper again tonight since I was working all day.
   

Wordless Wednesday #40

Gasoline discounts, clear blue skies, festive kitchen lights

1. Finding both my Kroger cards so I could get both my discounts today when I bought gasoline for the car.
   
   
2. A nice day for driving into Nashville.
   
   
3. The light over the sink in the kitchen flashes on and off. Coming home this evening, I could see the kitchen window and the light from road, and it reminded me of Christmas lights. Very festive!
   

Learner's permit, algebra, Will Turner

1. My oldest daughter passed her written test and now has a learner's permit. She drove for a little bit on the road today instead of only driving on the driveway.
   
   
2. My youngest daughter started her first-year algebra today, half a year ahead of schedule, and a year and a half ahead of most advanced math students.
   
   
3. The rest of us are enjoying listening to my middlest daughter play her new Pirates of the Caribbean computer game. Though usually madly in love with Orlando Bloom and his character, Will Turner, when she's playing the game she is often heard saying things like, "Will! You are so slow! You are so retarded!" The rest of us are enjoying listening to her frustration with Will.
   

Singing "Pieces" for a future wedding, pizza buffet with cinnamon rolls, my daughter's smiles

1. Hanging out with my middlest daughter and listening to the radio (loudly) as we drive.
   
   There are some songs where we've already worked out who is going to sing which part. One of our favorite songs to sing is "Leave the Pieces" by the Wreckers. When I was growing up, one of my favorite songs to sing with my dad was "Wild Montana Skies" by John Denver and Emmy Lou Harris. We would always tell my mom that we were going to sing that as a duet when I got married. Not that it's a bad song for a wedding, but it doesn't really have to do anything with weddings. (John Denver wrote it about his father.)
   
   As my daughter and I were singing "Leave the Pieces", I started thinking about singing that as a duet at her wedding. The thought made us both laugh because it's an even worse wedding song than "Wild Montana Skies."
   
   

   You're not sure that you love me,
   But you're not sure enough to let me go.
   Baby, it ain't fair, you know,
   To just keep me hangin' 'round.
   You say, you don't wanna hurt me,
   Don't wanna to see my tears.
   So why are you still standing here
   Just watching me drown?
   
   [Chorus]
   And it's alright, I'll be fine.
   Don't worry 'bout this heart of mine
   Just take your love and hit the road.
   There's nothing you can do or say
   You're gonna break my heart anyway
   So just leave the pieces when you go.
   
   Now you can drag out the heartache,
   Or, baby, you can make it quick.
   Really, get it over with
   And just let me move on.
   Don't concern yourself
   With this mess you've left for me.
   I can clean it up, you see,
   Just as long as you're gone.

   
   
   
2. Pizza at Cici's to celebrate my husband's new promotion, a new year at Belmont for me, and birthdays or half-birthdays for the girls
   
   
3. The smile on my oldest daughter's face after Sunday school and again after youth group
   

Firecrackers, chicken and cheese, chocolate marshmallow ice cream

1. Hearing "Firecracker" by Josh Turner on the radio in the car. Anything Josh Turner sings is good, but that song in particular always makes me smile.
   
   
2. Chicken Tetrazini with extra cheese
   
   
3. Chocolate marshmallow ice cream
   

Grading, birthdays, beautiful red hair

1. Getting tests graded for the girls
   
   
2. Getting cakes made and gifts wrapped for the weekend
   
   
3. Brushing and braiding my oldest girl's hair
   

New faces, statistics, help in the kitchen

1. A new semester at Belmont with lots of bright, smiling faces looking back at me
   
   
2. Working on a math page about statistics with my youngest
   
   
3. My youngest cooked supper for us since I was so tired after teaching all day. She's so sweet to her mom.
   

Wordless Wednesday #39

Grading, tuning, and eating

1. Tests that are graded
   
   
2. A guitar that is tuned
   
   
3. Free strawberry mini-bagels from the bread store
   

Piano practice, forms completed, Prince Caspian trailer

1. Hearing the girls practice the piano again after giving them a short break
   
   
2. Getting all the forms needed before my oldest takes her written test so that she can start learning to drive
   
   
3. Seeing a trailer for the newest Narnia movie. I remember seeing the trailer for the first movie when we were still in Luxembourg, and being so overcome with emotion when I first saw the kids, but mostly when I saw Aslan. This time, the emotions weren't quite so deep, but the Narnia books hold such a special place in my heart, and it's so much fun to see them on the big screen.
   

Singing alto, Epiphany, nice warm couch potato

1. I felt so loved today in choir. There were only three altos, and they really needed me.
   
   
2. Epiphany hymns
   
   
3. Curled up on the couch all afternoon watching movies with the family, and having nowhere I had to be this evening
   

Good food day

1. Chicken Mexicali
   
   
2. Banana bread
   
   
3. Magic marshmallow puffs
   

Clients, cinnamon cake, helpful government employees

1. New clients, and even some new clients who have already paid
   
   
2. Cinnamon cake that my middlest child baked for us today
   
   
3. Finding someone who would help me get the forms I needed from the county before my oldest can get her graduated drivers' license.
   

French toast, emergency help, just being together

1. French toast for lunch, made from free (from the bread store) Italian-style bread --- very continental.
   
   
2. Calling Kathy with a seasonal adjustment emergency. It's just nice to know that she's always there for me, no matter what my current emergency might be. (Do I tell you often enough how much I appreciate you?)
   
   
3. Hanging out with my oldest in town this evening.
   

New curtains, new windows, warm candles

1. New windows in the office on the south side so I can see out the window better than with the old windows
   
   
2. New purple curtains in my office to replace the ugly black blinds that came with the house
   
   
3. Warm candles on cold mornings
   

New Year football games

1. Tennessee won
   
   
2. Missouri won (and Arkansas lost)
   
   
3. Clemson lost