An Indoor Day

(free image, borrowed)

If you look closely at the picture you'll see the cat's disgruntled reflection in the glass. I wish I had captured my cat like this . . .she seems to think that the rain is my fault. A little drizzle doesn't bother her, but today is a full out rain kind of day, and she went from door to door asking to be let out, and looking at me when the heavy rain happened to be outside every single door . . . as if I had turned on a mega sprinkler outside every exit.

Finally, she decided to go out on our back deck and dig her claws into the doghouse a few times to ease the tension.

The rain is actually beautiful, especially when it clings to the railing in heavy drops along the edge of the deck.

My students at our homeschool co-op were awesome.
Their attitudes were perfect, my creative writers club/class wowed me again,
my writers' workshop adventure class enjoyed writing a skit together,
and my C.S. Lewis class wrote "we love you Mrs. Martinson" on the board before I came in . . .
and I loved reading their character diaries for the characters in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, one of my favorite books.

But I feeling like letting out a sigh, and cuddling up in a large pile of my grandma's old handmade quilts (nearly in tatters now), and having a huge cup of tea and calling it a day.

Why do I feel like Puddlegum instead of Reepicheep today? I'm not sure. At least I'm not having a Eustace kind of day, although my cat clearly is.

Ever have a day like that? The kind of day where the world is pretty wonderful, but instead of embracing it you feel like wrapping yourself up in a blanket with a mug of something hot and a good book?

I need to take my girls to ballet, but I am tempted to just curl up and read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader again.

365 Days of Blessings, Day 288

Giving Thanks and Praise for:

1. Limericks.

2. Writing limericks with my writing class.

3. Writing about spy gadgets with my writing class.

4. Pictures and ideas for spy gadgets.

5. Characters who fumble with spy gadgets.

6. My Shakespeare class resonated with Hamlet and Horatio so well they thought it was "creepy" to see them played as 30-something characters.

7. Kenneth Branaugh as Hamlet.

8. Turkey veggie soup with quinoa.

9. Catching up with my blog reading while sick.

10. My hubby has gotten well, just in time to take care of the rest of us.

Scripture Blessings:
"So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." Acts 6:7

365 Days of Blessings, Days 182 and 183

So, yesterday I had a really blessed morning, and early afternoon, and then the sore throat kicked in. I tried to ignore it. Today I feel like my head is in a vise, and I have knives in my throat. So, I should just wait another day to count blessings and give thanks, right?
Wrong. I think I need to give thanks today.
So here goes:

1. Kids practicing for the Christmas program, re-telling the Nativity story with songs and fun.

2. A great worship service.

3. Lighting the first advent candle, and starting to prepare for Christ's birthday.

4. Seeing a feisty little girl get baptized yesterday . . . her eyes when she got wet, and then the wide reaching hands when she saw the baptismal candle. She just glowed, and it was sweet.

5. I am able to count, even with a head ache - I had to throw that one in here because I almost labeled this as number six. Whew.

6. Singing joyful praises to God.

7. Hearing a great sermon, packed with a wake up call for the season of advent, the beginning of a new church year. Wake up, Happy New Year! (It's a Lutheran church thing)

8. Hearing the choir, combined with the bell choir, a trumpet player, and a pianist. Wow.

9. Looking forward to celebrating next Sunday with the Kraft family, a missionary family that focuses their work in Bolivia, and includes the whole family from age 7ish and up.

10. My youngest daughter made three angel crafts in the last 24 hours. She is ready for the Christmas tree to be up, so she can hang her new ornaments.

11. My husband brought home a wreath.

12. My classes at the homeschool co-op are wonderful.

13. My mom is a huge help when I'm sick.

14. My youngest daughter watched a movie with me today - a kind of "get well" tradition involving humor, and laughter. Over the Hedge was our pick today.

15. We saw Tangled yesterday and really enjoyed the antics of the chameleon and the puppy-like horse.

16. Tea in large amounts.

17. Soft couches with big pillows.

18. A second Turkey, bought on sale, and roasted today, will feed my family for a week, and I won't have to cook for a little bit. Besides, roasting is easy. I just had to get up every half hour and baste. Not so hard with a kitchen timer, and thankfully my family doesn't do stuffing, so that takes out the work part of turkeys.

19. The bicycle made it into the van for tap company. The new tap trio routine for my girls and a friend of theirs includes a bicycle, three jumpropes and three energetic girls in tap shoes.

20. My husband took the girls to dance class, bicycle included.

21. The Lord gives me shelter, so I can rest.

Scripture Blessings:"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

365 Days of Blessings - Day 65(LATE)

365 Days of Blessings, Day 65(Late)
Somehow in the midst of life, I've become a day late on my posts, but I'll try to change that today. I have been counting my blessings as I go, but not getting them typed up. So here they are for yesterday. Feel free to share yours with me too.

1. The Lord provides.

2. The return of a routine walk after a two week break.

3. The sound of ripples on the shore.

4. The stillness of the sound covered in fog.

5. The flight of a gull just inches above the water.

6. The lapping of the water only broken by the single harsh cry of a gull.

7. School supply shopping. We homeschool, but we still enjoy this part of the school rush. New binders, and colored pencils, notebooks for writing in . . . mmm.

8. Getting a few silly "prizes" for my writing class that I'll be teaching this fall at the homeschool cooperative.

9. My daughter's first lyrical dance class, taken during the summer session.

10. Positive teaching.

Shared Blessings: Well, I haven't had a great deal of response on this one, and forgot to ask anyone, so I'll share something one of my nieces wrote on her facbook page: Coming home to a beautiful sunset.

Website for the day: Compassion International

Scripture for the Day: "So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.'" Genesis 22:14