Linking up with
FOR TODAY
December 14, 2015
Outside My Window: It's a beautiful day in sunny - cloudy - Florida; almost 80 degrees with a slight breeze. But, it is a beautiful day, even if it doesn't "feel like Christmas"; it does feel like a December day in the Sunshine State.
Even Midnight enjoys the view outside!
Photo by BJ London
I am Thankful for: My beautiful daughters! My youngest treated her sister and I to an afternoon at the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, with dancers from her high school and the Symphony Chorus which she sang with before being a "mommy". Ended the evening with dinner at a local restaurant; then watched TV with hubby.
Our Selfie
Melissa, Cathy, Me
The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
with the
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Dancers
In My Kitchen: Dishwasher to clean out and re-load; pork chops thawing for dinner...and close to the kitchen, washer and dryer to unload and re-load!
I am Wearing: A pair of jeans (ready to change to shorts!), a light blue top with darker blue flowers; and...wait for it...my crocs!
I am Creating: Making Christmas cards; these will be used for my craft shows next year as they will not be done to send out this year! But, I have some already made that I will be working on getting out...soon!
Also made a two-page layout at our Elfster gift exchange and reveal on Saturday. They always give us the supplies to create a one-page layout (and usually a "sample" to go by); but I almost always make it a two-page...I want to share lots of photos of the fun we have together!
The One-Page Layout
and other Goodies
My Two-Page Layout
I am Thinking About: What I need to be doing: (1) addressing Christmas cards - the are not here; I left them at our crafting place to work on, and will probably do that on Wednesday! (2) checking the laundry; I think both washer and dryer have stopped! (3) unload the dishwasher and put the dirty dishes inside; (4) ??? Actually, feeling tired...or is it lazy?!
I am Praying for: My brother's wife and her family; she lost her father a couple of days ago.
I am Going: Christmas shopping this week to finish buying the gifts left on my list! As we always say, "It's going to be a small Christmas this year"; but once we all put gifts under the tree, it doesn't look so small!
But, it is in the gifting that we find true Christmas...
I am Wondering: What the new year will bring? It is in God's hands and I am trying to prepare myself to follow his guidance more in the new year.
I am Reading: After finishing "Fragile" by Lisa Unger, I read a little more in "Girl Meets Change" by Kristen Strong. It is really interesting but I want to really read it to learn how I can better deal with "transitions" or changes!
I am also reading "God's Guest List" by Debbie Macomber. She shares a variety of people that come into and out of our lives; some for a season; some for a reason; some that "got away" from us, or that we failed to connect with; some we have known forever; others we have yet to meet, or will never meet. Interesting reading; easy to sit and read a page or two, or a paragraph or two, then pick it up later.
Life does get rather busy during the holidays; so I haven't done much reading - which includes others' blog posts. In fact, I haven't done much writing either! But, I will pick it back up as soon as I can!
I am Excited for: My son and granddaughter to be here! I see my daughters and their families often because we live in the same town...that doesn't make it less exciting to get together with them. But, we don't see my son and granddaughter that often; it's quite a long drive from Louisiana. So thankful he was able to get time off from work to come see us.
I am Learning: What am I learning? Not sure at this time...but, I continue to learn something each day, or at least every week!
I am Hearing: The ceiling fan and the "hum" of the computer...other than that, silence!
A Fave Quote:
I am Pondering: God's Word in Ecclesiastes 3: "a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance..." These words specifically as I think about my sister-in-law and her family losing a loved one during this time of year. It's hard to lose a loved one no matter what time of year it may be; but when the holidays come, and we want to celebrate...it's hard!
My prayer is that all who are grieving during these days ahead may find His comforting arms and the strength He gives each of us.
A Scripture Thought: From the book of Luke, Chapter 1, beginning in verse 46 as read in The Message Bible:
"I'm bursting with God-news;
I'm dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me,
and look what happened -
I'm the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy,
set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him..."
One of My Fave Things (from the week): Walking into my younger daughter's house to babysit, my almost 18 month old granddaughter pointing to me and saying, "MeMaw"! That's special because for so long she was saying "A-Ma" for both me and her other grandma...and of course, the kisses I always get from all of them!
And so ends another Simple Woman's Daybook; only a couple more for 2015...then what? Well, I enjoy this prompted post each week; so I will see what Peggy comes up with...in the meantime, the next couple of weeks will be very busy finishing up shopping and preparations for the holidays!
May you all be "merry and bright" however you celebrate!
Lovely to see such a joyful photo of the three of you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alexa! Appreciate your reading and commenting...I've been very low profile lately; but still trying to keep up the writing...maybe after the first of the year, I'll get back to writing more often!!
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