Monday to-do list

I woke up early to start working and made a long to-do list, including things to order for the household, cards I want to send people, and several business phone calls I need to make.

But our morning routine leaves me feeling like I have been through the wringer. 

So, I went to the 40-acre (basically tree-less) park and sat and read on my Kindle for 30 minutes after school drop-off.

Then I re-wrote my to-do list:

• batteries in old phones
• batteries in two hand-held games (Catchphrase & Boggle)
• load & unload the dishwasher
• return Aldi bags to the trunk
• empty the stuff in the van
• do two loads of laundry.

Those things were do-able.  And that's all I did. I ate leftovers for lunch and then took a nap. 

We may have sandwiches for supper. 

I am overwhelmed with sadness for western North Carolina & East Tennessee. I am in turmoil over things I am discovering about our local schools.  And, as parents, we are always being detectives about our own children's hearts and how best to shepherd them. It's exhausting! 

Someone told me last week, "You need respite!"  

Until then, I will meditate on these verses.

The Lord's unfailing love and mercy still continue,

Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.

The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope.

(Lamentations 3.22-24, GNB)

Week in photos

It's been a week! (And it's not over...)

Yesterday morning I had time between school drop-off and my appointment at the Honda dealership to redeem some points for free food ... a VENTI hot tea and a sausage breakfast bowl.  Yum!

It's fall!  The combines, tractors pulling grain wagons, semis, and elevators (not to mention the farm wives taking field meals) are in full swing (except for this farm wife - Ahem!). 

This photo is from when BK was itty-bitty and loved going for combine rides every day possible.  I took it while parked on the side of the road waiting for him. I love the synchronization of harvest!

I took the photo below six years ago last week, in Jim's mother's final days.  I had driven out to a field to give Jim an update, and took lots of photos of this particular field, with these words swirling through my mind, particularly "Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me"

Abide with me, fast falls the eventide
The darkness deepens Lord, with me abide
When other helpers fail and comforts flee
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away
Change and decay in all around I see
O Thou who changest not, abide with me

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness
Where is death's sting?
Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee
In life, in death, o Lord, abide with me
Abide with me, abide with me

Harvest season reminds us how much change there is in our world and in the seasons, but our God "changest not" and abides with us in each change we experience.  What a promise! What a comfort!

I love the architecture on this beautiful campus where we spend an hour a week for an appointment.  A former orphanage which is on the National Registry of Historic Sites, it's a delightful and peaceful place, that has been converted into lovely office spaces.

  

Multiple days this week I have accidentally skipped lunch and then had this delicious afternoon snack!

I can count on one hand the number of times I browse in a store each year, but yesterday was one. I did not find the helpful item I was looking for, but my eyes were drawn to this mug.  My life is a big hot mess right now, with not only my health, but the emotional needs of children settling in to a very different school year, harvest (& all that entails), aging parents (& all that entails), and trying to keep on top of the appointments, communication, and action steps associated with everything in this list (and more that we don't publicize on the internet). 

But then I turned a corner and saw this! :) Yes!  That is the path out, and in fact what I am commanded to do.  Thankful for the indwelling Spirit to help me do this, which is not natural.

This is the place where BK spends 1.5 hours two to three nights each week.  We pray regularly for this pool to last through February, when swim season ends.  (It's more than 50 years old. They no longer make replacement parts.  And, thanks to a referendum that passed last year, it's slated for replacement in the spring.)  We thank God for the coaches (most are parents). We thank God for such a wholesome way to get out energy! And we thank God it's only 10 minutes from our house!!

What are you thanking God for today?

Teacher Institute

Growing up, in a different time & place, we called it "Teacher Workday." At any rate, our district had one on Monday.  

I planned a fun afternoon at a pumpkin patch with friends. But then the forecast showed lots of rain on Monday, so we went on Saturday.  Our friends were attending a local conference, so I ended up taking their two older children along with our two, instead of having an outing of two moms with their respective children.  It worked out, and all had a great time! 

But Monday ... we had no plans.  Not good. ;) 

I started a massive decluttering project before the children woke up.  Also not good perhaps. ;) 

LM unloaded the dishwasher & BK & I loaded it. I swept the kitchen. LM & I mopped it.  And BK vacuumed the living room.  It's a start. :) 

I did a few projects... 

I set up the new phone system I purchased from Amazon (our home phone had D.I.E.D. and according to the manufacturer, the batteries are no longer available for purchase).  And then I realized that it has no answering machine.  Ugghh. Google showed me that I can indeed purchase batteries for the old (20 year old) one. We'll see if new batteries are indeed the solution.

I emailed the audiologist & sent photos.  And then I followed her instructions and played audiologist, changing out a receiver on a hearing aid.  There's a first time for everything! :)  It saved us a 70 mile trip there & back for a hearing aid repair (assuming they would have had an opening). 

And on Tuesday morning I made Pillsbury canned cinnamon rolls and two children had no trouble waking up to that, so we were thankfully on time for school after a long weekend. :) 

And after they were at school, I moved s-l-o-w-l-y, crossing things off my list, my list that included things like "brush my teeth" and "wash my hair" and also some medical calls, Moms in Prayer announcements, and some lengthy e-mail replies, before I went back to bed! :) 

Sunday afternoon visit

We sat in a circle in a small alcove off of the airy dining room. Three nursing home residents in wheelchairs.  One resident's wife (in a wheelchair she always borrows at the front desk because it's a long way down the hall), one resident's brother (also in a borrowed-from-the-front-desk wheelchair) and his wife, one resident's husband (with a handmade cane we all admired), one resident's daughter visiting from three hours away, and our family of four.

Our lives and extended families are all intertwined in various ways. 

The three residents have known each other for more decades than I have been alive and "just so happened" to be assigned to the same table in the dining room, so they spend three meals a day eating with others they know well.  

I don't know how long we were there, and the conversation was nothing earth-shattering, but it was good to sit, to visit, and to be together. 

Three of those in our circle are widowed, and as I thought later of the seven elderly people in our circle (& the three spouses who are already in heaven), I realized they represent a total of 8-900 years (give or take) of walking with the Lord.  

Wow! Just wow!  What an example! What a legacy! What an inspiration!

Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
    his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
    as the spring rains that water the earth.

Friday Morning Outing

It's been a rough week.  Yesterday I wanted to run away.  Instead I slept for 1.5 hours and then speed-tidied the house, until all the surfaces in the downstairs were clean.  Then I dropped off a load of donations (which I had been adding to in the back of the van over several weeks) at the thrift store and went out to lunch by myself (Mexican) before making a very quick trip into Aldi and barely making it back in time for car line. Eek!

Today, my Friday morning was unexpectedly open.  I knew my perspective would be helped by getting out of Dodge, even if it were only 6 miles away. 

It just so happened to be townwide garage sales at a nearby town.  So I went garage-saling! And then I visited my in-laws, picked up lunch at the bank (Customer Appreciation Day) and delivered lunch to Jim in the field, and then went back and picked up lunch for his brother & SIL & their hired man. 

Before I went garage-saling, Jim asked me what I was looking for.  :) I was looking for whatever I found that would be helpful for our family.  I think the Lord provided some items that we will enjoy using.  {Read on to see what they are.}

I am the only one in our family who eats jam, and I am very much looking forward to concord grape jelly and rhubarb jam. Yum!! I hope the concord grape jelly tastes like my grandmother's!

Lots of fidgets, a scavenger hunt, and a book we enjoyed listening to on one of our trips.

Roller blades for LM.  BK already has a pair from the consignment store. (I left the unicycle at the garage sale. Ha!)

One can never have too many duffel bags. :) And I like this print. I have a Kindle cover in it (from the thrift store).

A super adorable set of queen flannel sheets (Cuddl Dud) ...

a Christmas tree storage bag, 

and 5 tops or sweaters for myself (Laura Ashley, Dress Barn, etc.).

I'd say it was a pretty good morning of garage saling ... and a free lunch to boot! :) 

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #23

221.  sunshine streaming in the kitchen

222.  hearing other moms pray for my children at Moms in Prayer

223.  bone density within normal range & with no significant loss in the past two years, despite daily prednisone!

224.  the high school pool (more than 50 years old & slated to be replaced in the spring of 2025) is still operational!! 

225.  a more streamlined season of swim team

226.  how fulfilled & tired BK is 2-3 evenings each week after swimming 2000 yards or so

227.  LM playing word games (forming 3, 4, or 5-letter words out of a deck of alphabet cards)

228.  LM pretending to be a speech therapist and helping all her imaginary students with their various sounds <3

229.  more and more empty fields on the roads I travel

230.  finding some new booklists :) (https://livingbrighthomeschool.com/pages/book-lists-by-category)

Liturgy for Monday morning

Dear Lord, 

It’s the start of a busy week. Actually it’s the start of a busy work week. 

As I write it’s Monday morning. Yesterday morning was the start of the week, and I thank you that we could be in Your house with your people. I am such an amnesiac, and from reading your Word, I think that’s the condition of all humans. So I’m glad You set our rhythm to have weekly covenant renewal in Your house, to have our souls stirred to worship You as we hear the preaching of Your Word, to remember our sins of the past week, to recommit ourselves to live for You (and by Your Spirit’s power) in the coming week, and to start our week rejoicing in the eternal gospel truths. (Yesterday we sang "Glory to His Name!") 

But now it’s Monday morning, and my to do list overflows the page, crowds my mind, and will take more than six days to accomplish. 

And there’s a lot of life to be lived this week, a lot of logistics, a lot of things to remember (will I remember to boil eggs today, so that Jim has breakfast tomorrow morning when I’m hooked up to my IV in the family room?). 

And even if I organize my tasks and set reminders on my phone and post lists in the kitchen, will I love well? 

There are four souls living in our home. Your Word tells us that you are gentle.  May I be gentle, too.  

There are four souls living in our home.  As a friend told me this summer, "Any time there is more than one person involved there will be miscommunication." May we assume the best and be quick to forgive. 

There are four souls living in our home. Each of us is in a different place in our growth and development.  May we give grace to each other, knowing that You are not finished writing our stories.  

May I walk into this week with my eyes on You, with my heart filled with gratitude for Your grace to me, with my hands held open for what You bring, and with the commitment to walk in the Spirit.  

Help the four of us to know You more at the end of this week than we do at the beginning. 

Help the four of us to love You more at the end of this week than we do at the beginning.  

Thank you that You want this even more than we do. 

In the Name of Jesus our Lord & Savior, 

Amen

Week in my life

Sunday was a long day - church picnic and outdoor events until after 4 PM.  Forty minute drive home. And then Jim had to go 30 minutes the opposite direction to pick up the Gideons tent from a town festival.  

Monday I had a foot doctor appointment followed by a trip to Sam's, so the school day was shot.  BK went to his first Trail Life troop meeting of the year. LM & I had an hour+ to wait, but 30 minutes was spent waiting on the secretary to help me look at uniform shirt sizes. Late night. 

Tuesday I sat at my desk the dining room table, paying bills & making phone calls and playing detective with paperwork.  After school, we packed our supper, headed to town to redeem two 30-minute passes at the trampoline park before an appointment, and then ate supper in the van while driving BK to swim practice. (Jim picked him up after LM's bedtime.)

Wednesday morning Moms in Prayer met at our home.  Then while I was watching Bible study, the phone started ringing, and I spent the rest of the school day working on phone calls & finances. LM had tutoring 4-5 PM, and we all left around 6 for Awana or prayer meeting.  Jim & I stole 10 minutes together after prayer meeting to sit in the back row of the sanctuary and talk for the first time in a few days. :) 

Thursday I headed straight to town after dropping off the children and had my bone density scan, ran errands, and picked up groceries.  I arrived home to a box on the porch, so not only did I need to put the groceries away, but I needed to unbox my infusion drug and put it in a safe place. I had some fruit + yogurt for lunch. By then it was almost time to pick up the children. 

And then ... then I did the dishwasher and all the hand-washing of dishes, pushed several loads of laundry through, and put away the dry goods from my grocery trip.  BK had swim practice after supper (6-7.30). 

Friday I aimed to rest and told myself that the paperwork & phone calls could wait until next week. I went back to bed, and slowly got up around 10.30, sorted laundry, tidied the house, etc.  After school, the children and I visited the grandparents before a zoom appointment at 4. 

Saturday BK rode on the Trail Life float in a local parade. We picked up pork chop sandwiches for lunch. LM had tutoring, and then we vegged and watched Findig Dory.  

Lots of driving, lots of gas tank fill-ups (!), lots of extra-curriculars, lots of groceries, multiple medical visits, and lots of bookwork.  (And lots of hard things we don't share online.)  And lots of long days for Jim, as he gears up for harvest.  I imagine next week will look quite similar. 

I’m looking for the harvest fairy who shows up at 6 pm every day and gives me the evening off. In the meantime, I'll pray:

Lord, multiply my sleep, and give us strength, and help us so that whatever we do, in word or deed, we will do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #22

211.  bags to donate to the thrift store

212.  friends (IRL & podcasters) to encourage me to keep on doing so!

213.  progress in going through boxes of paperwork & mementos

214.  visual aids helping our morning go better!

215.  the hive mind of asking questions on FB 

216.  fewer tears in the morning when doing LM's hair (see #215) :)

217.  fields of corn now empty after harvest

218.  the horizon opening up

219.  the treat of getting a hot tea & a gluten-free scone

220.  bright sunshiny fall Saturday

Dinner

I love a company dinner! My childhood was full of them.  Always on Sunday, and often at least once during the week. Tablecloth, china, Grandma & Great-grandma's silver, fragile goblets, leisurely conversation, satisfying food, etc. (And lots of dishwashing by hand & drying afterwards.)

Twice in the past month we have had a company meal around our kitchen table. (The dining table is covered in paperwork...)

Yes, I have pulled out a tablecloth, albeit gingham, not the lace of my childhood.

We have used the "fancy glasses," mostly because that's the only kind I have that can match for 5 people. :) 

And with the second guest we used the "dining room flatware," because our regular flatware was all in the dishwasher. :) 

For the first meal, we used our Christmas dishes (still in circulation in our kitchen cupboards), but for August 27th I pulled out the off-white stoneware.

I enjoy putting a menu together. And my family enjoyed having dessert.  None of us can remember the last time we had dessert at home.

I know none of those things are crucial, and it's the fellowship that's important. But I believe Edith Schaeffer would argue that those things all play a part in creating beauty and a home and a backdrop for the fellowship.

And, so that I can remember, our menus were:

Menu 1: Li'l cheddar mini-meatloaves, oven-roasted small potatoes (quick & easy), tossed salad, and fruit salad. Iced tea or water.

Menu 2: Pork chops, oven-roasted potato wedges (time consuming both to prep & to cook), oven-roasted vegetables (asparagus, mushrooms, red, orange, & yellow peppers, and red onions), fruit salad (blueberries, canteloupe, green grapes), and flourless chocolate cake with real whipped cream & strawberries. Water.

What is your favorite part of having people over for a meal?

Thrift store day

BK was invited to a birthday party in the city, so LM & I had two hours to explore.  She wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese. I said it cost too much money, so we went to Target for one item I needed (which morphed into several that I "needed") and to the kids' consignment store, and spent more money than the cost of two hours at Chuck E. Cheese. :) 

But the benefits will last longer, right? :) 

Yes, those are 8 Usborne books.  And I have heard such great things about Sleeping Queens.

One of our FAVORITE stories on Your Story Hour!

Who doesn't love Richard Scarry?! 

I have looked at this game several times, but was waiting for a better price! Hooray! 

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #21

201.  black-eyed Susans (I think) along the roadway

202.  the glorious turning of the corn and bean fields from green to brown

203.  Hearty Crockpot Cowboy Soup (a friend posted the recipe, and I can't find a link to the exact one. Mine was one pound ground turkey browned with onions & garlic, a can of pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, corn, two cans of diced tomatoes, 4 cups beef broth, taco seasoning and ranch seasoning. Voila!)

204.  simple meals of hearty soup, salad, and fruit

205.  technology - I love being able to send photos to my mom's wi-fi photo frame from 600 miles away

206.  the Friday journal in 5th grade (Each Friday in their Friday composition book, they write a letter to someone in their family, and the family member writes a reply on that same page. We boys moms are all loving it!)

207.  "And on that day

When my strength is failing
The end draws near
And my time has come
Still my soul will
Sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years
And then forevermore
Forevermore"

208.  two years since my dad entered glory ... and he's just beginning to praise the Lord!

209.  church picnic Sunday - one congregation under the big tent, testimonies, baptisms, lunch, inflatables, boating, concert, & face painting!

210.  the Gospel changes lives!

Our week

We spent Labor Day weekend in Wisconsin with family, including church, fishing/swimming, ice cream, a motel, the motel pool, and the county fair!  Whew!

We made it to two tutoring sessions ... not happily, but LM worked hard when there!

LM got glasses ... and she is so very adorable!! :)

BK had a morning appointment that included his favorite (Chicken Minis) before returning to school. :) 

BK's Awana group had a hot dog roast & outdoor games ... and a friend transported him, because going early interfered with tutoring. 

Swim team started!!! Yay!! 

I have an envelope containing $58 ... from our three jars of change. (I thought there would be $20.) Plus the children got delicious popcorn from the bank.  It pays to visit it on Friday. :) 

After years of being empty, the two wall sconces in our bathroom have floral arrangements (thanks to some time I had in town between an appointment and my Walmart pickup, so I perused Hobby Lobby).  

And the teachers have chocolate ... and a reminder that moms are praying for them! 

And our Moms in Prayer group which was two of us for three years, and three of us last year, multiplied this year. So far, there are a total of 7 moms praying for our grade school, middle & high schools, and local Christian school!  

I realized I have a password & login for my mom's online health portal, even though I hadn't checked it in two years, so that is helpful!

I'm enjoying the early fall temps while sitting on our front porch. :) 

Awana special needs stickers are the best!! (They contain shortened versions of each verse and are placed over each verse in the book.)

Last night I stayed up late finishing a book which one of my cousins wrote about her dad's 90 years (including 50 years of camp ministry) and all that God has done.  She estimates he had the privilege of sharing the gospel message with more than 150,000 people over the years, including the camp ministry, planetarium, science lessons, science museum, gospel train, and hospital chaplaincy!  What a gifted man!  What a life committed to Christ!  What an inspiration!

Products I'm loving

I used to purchase Neutrogena makeup remover wipes, until I learned that the Aldi version (for a much lower price) works just as well for me. :)

$1.39

Do you like mixing meatloaf with your hands? I don't. 

Meatloaf ready to be mixed

Enter the original Danish dough whisk, happily found at a garage sale. My hands do still get dirty because I form them into patties to cook more quickly, but the mixing part is easier.  Have you tried a dough whisk?

Any new products you have found and love?

 

Our summer of swimming

Today is the first day of practice for BK's fall/winter swim team.  And it's fitting to look back on our summer of swim! :) 

Having two swimmers is a definite game-changer.  (That came at the cost of Saturday mornings from January through May spent at a swim school 30 minutes away, and involved a lot of sticker reward charts & dollar store prizes.)

Being on a team that practiced 4-5 mornings a week was great!  Buying a pool pass ($125 for the four of us; $115 if purchased before the early bird deadline -- reminder for next year) was a blessing!  There are bigger pools with slides, etc., but it takes 30 minutes to drive to them, and their admission (+ passes) is significantly higher.  

It might be easier to count the days of summer vacation that we did not swim! :)

17 trips to the local pool (as of 8/30)

motel pool (2)

swim party (1 for BK, 1 for LM, and 1 for both)

fun evening at a local pond/lake (1 for BK)

water park (1)

pool in Tennessee (1)

beach in Wisconsin (untold times)

LM w/ daycare - 2

BK at camp - 13 days at overnight camp, so I assume 9-11?

swim meets - only 3

swim practice - only 16 (the pool opening was delayed by weeks + I was gone one week)

how many pairs of goggles - unknown!! (But each child has to pay me back $10 when a pair of goggles is lost.)

All I know is that I have just lost the best motivator I had in my tool bag - "First clean up; then we can go to the pool." :) 

And, as BK so sweetly said, "Mom, you've spoiled us this summer." <3 

In my mind, it's not necessarily spoiling.

It's 

• exercise,
• time outdoors,
• learning skills (& in the case of swim team, listening to coaches),
• obeying lifeguards,
• social skills, and
• time away from screens.

Was it a summer of swim for you?

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #20

191. Labor Day long weekend

192. traditions, family, beach, church, county fair

193. strength (though barely) to walk around at the fair

194. a recovery day for me on Tuesday after our weekend trip

195. a taste of fall

196. enjoying fall while sitting on our porch, sipping tea, and being still

197. peace in the midst of struggles

198. people with whom it's safe to vent

199. finding a nice place for LM to play & for me to sit outside instead of in a stuffy waiting room

200. "better living through chemistry" - medication that helps!

Bible Study

Are you in a small group Bible study? Our couples' small group meets every other week during the school year. We love the people in our group, and we have very special times of prayer, but I miss a Bible study with homework.  

Over the last 14 years, I have attended a women's Bible study through our church, BSF, and an online Lifeway study.  My favorite was a word study in our former church.  I have a collection of studies that I want to do, including more Kathleen Nielson's Living Word studies, Desperate for Hope study which a friend recommended, and Nancy Guthrie's Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament studies.  

This fall my goal is to "attend" Paige Brown's Bible study through West End Community Church in Nashville. (Link here for emails.)

Info about this semester's study which begins September 4th:

We have a lot to cover in 8 weeks. The effectiveness of this study will depend upon your reading scheduled chapters in full before we look at them together, since we are only able to read select passages corporately. For the FIRST study, please read Joshua 1 and 3-5. I will announce the reading for the following week at the conclusion of each study.

The details:

• We’ll meet Wednesdays from 10 - 11:15 a.m. 

• This study runs from Sept 4 through Oct 30 (with a break on Oct 16)

• We meet in the Worship Center at West End Community Church, 235 White Bridge Pike, Nashville, TN 37209

• If you can’t join us in person, the livestream is available for one week through the church YouTube channel

Do you prefer a group study? Individual? or online? Any particular study to recommend? 

Praying for Children with Special Needs

While each child, parent, family, and situation is unique, I have found bits and pieces of all of these to be helpful.  Do you know of any other resources which would be helpful?

The Every Day Prayer for Special Needs Parents 

https://www.sensoryfriends.com/disability-blogs/the-every-day-prayer-for-special-needs-parents 

Back to School Prayer for Your Special Child and Family

https://walkrightin.org/2022/08/22/back-to-school-prayer-for-your-special-child-and-family/

Praying Scripturally for Children with Special Needs

https://momsinprayer.org/get-involved/join-a-group/special-needs-praying-moms/pray-scripturally-special-needs/

15 Scriptures to Pray for Your Child with Special Needs

https://embracing.life/article/prayers-i-pray-for-my-children