In the gray and gloom of yesterday, I was very glad I had taken the time to snap these few shots of the gorgeous blue sky we’d had the day before.

When I emerged from Bible study on Monday, the patch of sky over the church was that rare bluest-blue—so bright it fairly glows, so rich it’s nearly purple, so deep it looks fake.  I could have stood there staring at it for the rest of the day, just basking in the majesty of such a glorious sight on such a warm and breezy fall day.

But alas, my little ones were waiting for me to get them into the mini-van and bear them home for lunch.

I wished I had my camera along, but I figured I could take a few pics when I got home.  Sorry to say, the sky here at Echowood was not the same color.  Still amazing, yes, but not the same.  Nevertheless, these photos did turn out rather well, if I do say so myself.

This morning, as I took Urban out to the bus stop, it was sprinkling.  I wonder if it will really rain today.  I wish it would—we need it.  But on the other hand, we are supposed to do a playdate at the park after school, and if it rains, that’s not going to happen.  Ah well.

I hope you all have a great day.  I’m off to make smoothies and coffee!

Hello Friends! Is it just me, or did last week seem really long?  Anyway, it’s Monday once more, and time for The Simple Woman’s Daybook, hosted by Peggy.  Seems like this is the mainstay of my blogging these days…..oh well!

Outside My Window…Pitch black, hopefully cool!  The back porch garden is in severe need of watering—that’s right outside my window, though I can’t see it right now.  I just know things are dry because I’ve been keeping an eye out over the past few days.  Most of the plants out there are finished, but the cucumbers have miraculously grown back and are flowering, and I do have some impatiens that are still hanging in there.  Only about five cherry tomatoes left on the vine, though.

I am thinking…About my conversion to Catholicism.  I’ve been blogging for nearly a year, and in all this time I’ve yet to share the story of how I became a Catholic.  This month marks the first anniversary of my Confirmation, so I think now is the time.  However, writing such a thing is much harder than it sounds!

I am thankful for…My beautiful family.  What a blessing from God!

From the kitchen…These tasty cookies (made at my 4-year-old’s insistence).  Butterscotch coffee—put a couple of tablespoons of butterscotch chips in the bottom of your coffee cup; pour hot coffee on top and stir vigorously (but carefully!) until chips are melted; add maybe 2-3 tablespoons of half-and-half or milk and a teaspoon of sugar; stir some more; top with whipped cream or Cool-Whip—really, really delicious!  Supper plans for the week include taco salad, ham and potato soup with homemade rolls, and hot reuben dip (yes, I’ll post the recipe later in the week!).

I am wearing…Black jeans, an orange-red T-shirt, black socks.  I washed my hair last night and it still isn’t dry, so I haven’t fixed it yet (that’s going to be a fun mess to untangle).

I am creating…A grocery shopping list.  Thrillsville.

I am going…To my apologetics class—today our newest priest is coming to talk about the gift of priestly celibacy; that should be interesting.  I’m also going to buy groceries today or tomorrow—depends on whether or not I can stomach the idea of pancakes for supper tonight; if not, I’ve got to get myself to the store!

I am reading…The newest issue of Family Circle magazine; The book of Acts in the Bible; September by Rosamunde Pilcher (I love her writing, but her really long books seem to take me quite a while to get through); and Kimberly Hahn’s Life-Giving Love, which does a beautiful job of explaining why contraception and abortion are so wrong, in light of natural law, and especially in light of Christ’s total gift of self-sacrifice for us on the cross.  I had started reading this book some time ago but set it aside for a while—the chapter about pregnancy as a way of laying down our lives for our children was a bit intense; I needed some distance from that before I could continue—but this time, I was able to pick up the book and start again from the beginning, getting through that chapter much more easily.  Highly recommended reading!

I am hoping…My little ones sleep long enough for me to finish this up and get it posted before they’re up and wanting breakfast and attention.

I am hearing…Nothing but the air conditioner running.  Lovely peace and quiet!

Around the house…I’ve got a few dishes to wash; and the boys have some toys, books, and clothes to pick up.  I’ve got a gorgeous new autumn wreath hanging above my fireplace mantle—just got it yesterday.  Now all I need are some pumpkin and apple cider scented candles to make it really feel like autumn in my home.

One of my favorite things…Patches of sunlight on a carpeted floor.  I remember lying on them, like a cat, when I was a girl.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…Grocery shopping, washing the car (didn’t do it last week), helping Charlie with his “learning,” maybe having a playdate at the park.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…

Doesn’t this remind you of a broken windshield?  It’s actually a spider in the center of its web.  I discovered this the other day when I was meandering around our back yard.  The spider has a white back.  It was hard to get a good shot because of the direction she was facing—lots of glare from the sun.  Still, I thought it was neat.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Don’t you just love October?  Especially if you live in the American South, like I do, this is the time of year when the weather begins to cool.  One of the best things in the world is being able to sleep with the windows open, and this is the time, after a long, hot summer, that we can finally do it!  Bliss!

My boys were begging for popsicles this afternoon.  The playdate we had planned didn’t pan out, and they were bummed, so I figured the least I could do was indulge them this simple pleasure.

I figured I might as well grab my camera and capture some scenes from around the back yard.  It’s a mish-mash of this and that, but oh well!

The brothers with their cherry popsicles.

The compost pile (it's bigger than it looks!).

The long view. That green tent back there is HUGE - sleeps more than 6! We have a pretty big back yard.

The peppers on the back porch garden. (Observe the large assortment of acorns and dead leaves; this is fall in Northern Florida.)

Our first batch o' cucumbers got some kind of funky wilt and died. Then they grew back! I had a hard time getting a decent shot of them (the little vine tendrils are stuck to the screen door). I am SOOO hoping these fruit this time!

I think these are called beautyberries. You can spot them from really far away because they're so bright! You can't eat them, though.

The largest of our two banana trees. Unfortunately, it doesn't get hot enough, long enough, here for them to make fruit.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into my back yard on a gorgeous fall day.  Have an awesome October, everyone!

A friend asked for more pictures to help her “place” me in my world here at Echowood.  For you, dear heart, and for anyone else who cares—here is the view from my back porch every morning at sunrise. (I took these shots yesterday, shortly after 7:30 a.m.)

Why are these things always so much lovelier in real life than in pictures?  I don’t know, but I love how the light streams in the windows at the back of the house, just for those few minutes every day.  This is a pretty dim house, so those minutes are precious.  They make me feel, just for a while, as if I live in a regular house, and not in one that’s like a cave!

Just on a side note, the other morning at about this time (just past sunrise), the boys and I watched a group of about eight cardinals frolicking in our back yard.  At one point, they were all on our back porch.  It looked like they were having a party!  I wished I could have gotten a photo, but they were only there for a minute, and I didn’t have time to fetch my camera.

I’m telling you, even a sprinkle around here causes the trees to fall apart. So you can imagine what it’s like when we have real rain.

This past Monday (Labor Day), the whole family went out to clean up the mess of sticks, branches, and pine boughs thrown from the trees by the winds and rains of Tropical Storm Fay.

My guys, filling one of many carts full of sticks.

I lost track of how many wheelbarrows we filled, and much of the debris was too big for it and had to be hauled to the brush pile by hand.

But things are looking much better now. Ever and always, we need to rake. But at least our yard is free of the big stuff…..until the next time it rains, anyhow.

Was knock down this tree in our yard. More like, “pull it out by the roots,” actually. It knocked over the fence and fell straight across our neighbor’s swimming pool. Amazingly, it was just short enough that it didn’t hit their house—just sort of “brushed” it. (This tree is bigger than it looks, by the way—probably about 1-1/2 feet in diameter at the base of the trunk!)

Would you believe? Our insurance company says the clean-up is not our responsibility—we’re not liable for this mess. Why? Because the tree was not dead to begin with. We told the neighbor to check with his insurance, too. Likely, it won’t be worth getting insurance involved at all (you know they’d just cancel his policy the next day, right?). So we’ll probably split the cost of a tree service.

At least they don’t have to cut down the tree. Merely chop it up. And we’ll have plenty of wood for the fireplace this winter!

Here are some photos my husband took.

I still find it so incredible that the house was left unscathed!

Outside My Window…Tropical Storm Fay has left a complete mess in its wake. Our yard is a disaster—branches down, whole trees down (pictures to follow in a later post). Technically, it’s over. But it isn’t over. Even as I type this, the sky is dark. It’s thundering again—we already had one storm this a.m.—and I’m afraid the power might go out any second. (The electricity has gone out innumerable times, just for very short periods. But we lost power for about 13 hours, Saturday into Sunday.)

I am thinking…About a great many things, one of which is how terrible I feel for the family of the 47-year-old electric company worker who died trying to restore power to one of the nearby counties. Those people put their lives on the line, all so we can have our “modern conveniences” available again as quickly as possible.

I am thankful for…The safety of my family, first and foremost. Thankful my house is still intact. Thankful that I was able to attend Mass yesterday afternoon. (Ah—there comes the pouring rain.) This seems so minor right now, but I’m also thankful for a quick resolution to the “bus stop” problem. My son is now being picked up and dropped off where he should have been picked up and dropped off all last school year. All I can say is, it helps to talk to the principal when the department of transportation won’t care a fig for your child’s safety!

From the kitchen…Hot coffee and berry smoothies (two separate things!). (Is that weird?) Later, we’ll have penne alfredo and chocolate cake—today is little Levi’s 3rd birthday!

I am wearing…Blue t-shirt, navy blue shorts, navy blue slippers, earrings Brian and the boys got me for my birthday three years ago. My hair is in a ponytail.

I am creating…Must be nada. My brain has been too consumed with the weather to make anything. Though, I do plan to put sprinkles on the birthday cake—this in lieu of “real” decoration. We’ve discovered at our house that unless a cake is chocolate, with chocolate frosting, it won’t get eaten. Tonight’s cake will look cute; just not like your standard kids’ birthday cake.

I am going…To be spending A LOT of time cleaning up sticks and branches, once all this rain is finished.

I am reading…Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge (still). The book of Acts in the Bible. Wild at Heart by Patricia Gaffney. I finished the Georgette Heyer novel (Venetia) last week. I am sorry to report that it was, for me, a disappointment. It could have been so much better. Yet, for some Heyer readers, it is the favorite. Go figure. I liked Sylvester (or, The Wicked Uncle) and The Masqueraders both much better.

I am hoping…The stains come out of the laundry I’ve had soaking in the washer for the past five days. BIZ has worked miracles in the past!

I am hearing…Wonder Pets on TV; the little boys playing “Sorry!” at the dining room table.

Around the house…Things are looking pretty good. Most of the toys are put away. Dishes are done. Bathrooms are clean. I need to vacuum (again), and of course it’s time to wash clothes(also again). Tiny water ants keep sneaking in the kitchen window and getting in my sink and on the counter. We’ve killed several large roaches (“palmetto bugs” is the nice name). Everybuggy’s trying to get in out of the storm. [Just as I was typing this, the boys came and asked me to shuffle their cards. I stood up from my chair and got my foot caught in the cord to the keyboard. I tripped, and the whole keyboard tray and keyboard came tumbling down, and this post was filled with "+/-", over and over and over. Great. Did I mention that our van hasn't been starting like it should? That's a whole other story, but it's like Gilda Radner used to say: "It's always something!"]

One of my favorite things…Going out to eat with my family. Yesterday afternoon, we went to The Hobbit for a late lunch. It was nice just to sit and chat and enjoy our pops and cheeseburgers and see other people—we’d been trapped in the house for two full days!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…Well, it’s supposed to keep on raining, but when I get a chance, I’ll be doing yard clean-up. We’ll have to arrange for a tree service to come chop up one of the fallen trees—Brian’s chain saw is not big enough to handle the job. Tonight we’ll celebrate Levi’s birthday. I suppose most of the week will be spent doing chores and helping Urban with his homework, playing with the boys, fixing meals—the usual.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…

Can you guess what my 7-year-old wants for Christmas?

Be sure to visit Peggy to read more daybooks and/or get the guidelines so you can participate, too!

Outside my window…It’s gray and drizzly. Tropical Storm Fay “might could” (as they say in North Carolina) hit us later this week.

I am thinking…About giving up the Internet—shutting down this blog, closing my e-mail account. The web can be both a blessing and a curse. One makes friends and wastes time, receives support and receives criticism, all at once. Sometimes I long for the “olden” days of my own life, before I ever bothered with any of this. I miss the beauty of hand-written letters, the comfort of anonymity. Lately I feel I’m in hermit mode; I wish I was invisible. I know it will pass, and I will probably still be here, blogging away, a year from now. But this is what I am thinking today.

I am thankful for…People who aren’t afraid to pick up the phone and call someone who’s been on their mind. Carrie, a very sweet and lovely woman from church, called me last night. She’d seen me at Mass on Saturday evening, looking harried, and wanted to make sure I was all right. We talked for quite a while, and I felt so refreshed when I hung up. I’m a phone-phobic, and I’m sure I’ve missed many opportunities to be a bright blessing to others as a result.

From the kitchen…Tonight we’re having taco salad. I’ve got some lettuce in the fridge to use up, and it will be a nice way to enjoy some of the last cherry tomatoes from the porch garden.

I am wearing…A watermelon-pink T-shirt, black shorts, tennies.

I am creating…A school day routine for myself and my kids. Today is my oldest son’s first day of 2nd grade, and I am homeschooling my 4-year-old for preschool this year. Between lessons, homework, and chores, I think we’ll be best off having a fairly stable routine in place.

I am going…To call my parents this morning and see whether or not they’re thinking of coming up to our place in the event that this tropical storm becomes a hurricane.

I am reading…Venetia by Georgette Heyer (still) and Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. Captivating was one of the resources used by the teacher of the very first Bible study/apologetics class I attended at my parish. It’s a wonderful book; so many of the things in it resonate with me: “Yes! That’s exactly how it is!”

I am hoping…The bus stop problem gets resolved soon. The guy who drives my son’s school bus is not the nicest person. He refuses to stop at our cul-de-sac, even though it is not out of his way at all, and even though it is the safest course of action. Last year’s efforts to fix this through the department of transportation failed miserably—our case got shuffled to someplace outside our own city, and we received a form letter which indicated that no one had even READ our request or looked at an existing bus schedule. Long story. Very irritating. But now we’re not alone; the lady across the way has a kid in kindergarten. She and I are DETERMINED to get this situation straightened out, for the safety of all our boys.

I am hearing…”Go, Diego, Go!” on TV, and Charlie and Levi playing with their toy food and dishes.

Around the house…All the laundry is done—folded and put away. What a feat! Brian has work today—getting ready for the fall semester. I really need to vacuum (didn’t I say that last week?).

One of my favorite things…Scented candles. I have this one that claims to be gardenia scented, but really it smells more like Jessica McClintock perfume. I catch a whiff of it every time I go near my dresser. Bliss!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Clean bathrooms. Vacuum. Put tabs on file folders in the (now organized) filing cabinet. Finish reading Venetia. Try not to stay up too late watching Olympics. Start homeschool lessons with Charlie. Catch up on correspondence.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…

These pretty little flowers grow on vines all over the place at Echowood. They seem to like to stay close to the house—mostly I’ve seen them on the hibiscus (as shown here) and on the ferns that grow near the porch in the backyard.

Be sure to visit Peggy to read more daybooks and/or to get the guidelines so you can do your own.

The hibiscus are in bloom!

There are so many different varieties of this flowering plant. In Texas, we had a couple near our living room window. They would die every fall and grow back up from the ground every summer, producing enormous red-orange blooms. Here at Echowood, we have four “trees” of hibiscus growing beside our garage. They continue growing off the old wood, rather than having to start from scratch each year. Three of them have pink flowers, one has white.

(Please pardon the trash cans in the background! The only open blooms were too high for me to get with just point and click. I had to grab a branch and pull it down to eye level, and the only one I could reach even for that was facing the wrong direction!)

Here is one that was open yesterday afternoon, but now is closed up. You can see the tightly closed buds of flowers that have yet to display their beauty.

Just so you know to what lengths I will go in order to share these photos with you: I was positively attacked by mosquitoes as I stood taking these shots. I felt like I was back in northern Minnesota! (And now I shall spend the rest of my joyful Sunday—itching!)

Outside My Window…The sun is rising on another blue-sky day (and I imagine it will be a hot one!). The squirrels, cardinals, and bluejays that normally frequent our yard aren’t around yet—perhaps they’re making the rounds and are still over at the neighbors’! I see I have a bunch of cherry tomatoes to pick and a red pepper that is almost ripe. The marigolds are looking leggy and bored; I will dead-head them later, but they may simply be done for the summer.

I am thinking…I cannot BELIEVE that school is starting in one week. The bus schedule came out yesterday, and it looks to be as annoyingly inconvenient as last year’s. This summer has certainly flown by. In one way, I am glad for school starting; but in another, I’m miserable about it. Urban will be in 2nd grade. He keeps asking if we can homeschool. The answer is “no.” For now, at least. I just don’t think I could handle it, and I don’t think he would be any happier about that than about going to “real school.” I sympathize with all his reasons for disliking school: he is shy and has trouble just jumping in and playing with the other kids (like at recess). Both my husband and I were the same way. I’ve given him pep talks, and as I’ve done so, I’ve heard my own mother’s voice (and words!) coming out of my mouth. Why don’t we listen to our mothers? If we did, we’d be so much happier. (Oh how I hope Urban will take my wise advice! I don’t want him to be the awkward, unconfident kid that I was.) [My spell-check tells me "unconfident" is not a word---neither is "inconfident." Is there not a single word to describe one who is lacking in confidence?]

I am thankful for…A break in my husband’s schedule. He’s been teaching all summer and just gave the final exam on Friday. Now he has about two weeks off before he has to teach again. (“Off” doesn’t mean he won’t have to go to work at all; it just means he’ll have a much more flexible schedule.)

From the kitchen…Baklava. Urban requested pistachios at the store, so Brian (my husband) decided to use some of them to make this Greek dessert (it’s layers of nuts and honey in puff pastry). It’s not my favorite thing in the world, but it is pretty tasty.

I am wearing…Yellow pajamas, yellow bathrobe, and my (usual) navy blue slippers. I put blogging above getting dressed today—so there!

I am creating…Well, not exactly “creative,” but I’ve been putting photos into albums (finally!). It feels good to get this chore done. It’s not exactly user-friendly to try to look at photos that are still in their envelopes from being developed at the store!

I am going…To have a day all to myself tomorrow—hopefully! Brian said he’d take the boys out. I said that would be a nice birthday present, and he said, “But Tuesday’s not your birthday.” I said, “I KNOW, but I don’t want to be all alone on my BIRTHDAY!” So, provided something wacky doesn’t come up in his schedule, I should be having some really lovely time alone tomorrow.

I am reading…Venetia by Georgette Heyer. She was such a marvelous author! It is a lifetime goal of mine to read all of her novels. That won’t be easy—I think she wrote more than fifty!

I am hoping…(praying, more like)…For the grace to get up at 5 a.m. every morning once school starts. I really need to get back to exercising, but my husband’s fall schedule is not going to allow me to walk after I drop Urban off at the bus (like I did this past spring). Ideally, I will get up early and workout to videos, in my living room. But oh, I hate getting up when it’s still dark out!

I am hearing…Completely awful guitar playing. My kids talked me into unpacking my guitar. Brian tuned it for me, but that doesn’t help the fact that the boys don’t know how to play any chords!

Around the house…Last night’s dirty dishes are in the sink, waiting to be washed (Brian and I had nachos after the boys went to bed). I’ve got laundry to do, bathrooms to clean. As far as toys go, I have definitely noticed an improvement since we started our toy rotation system—the living room floor is way less cluttered. But I still need to vacuum.

One of my favorite things…Nancy Drew computer games, by Her Interactive. The boys and I have been playing “Danger by Design” (game #14). We’re sort of stuck, but I’m counting on Brian to help us out. Not only has he played it before, he’s a genius and always seems to know how to solve the toughest puzzles!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…Chores, blogging, maybe watch a favorite movie. My birthday is on Wednesday, so we’re thinking about doing something fun, like maybe going to Wakulla Springs or Florida Falls. I wish we could go to the beach, but all the beaches up here in our part of Florida have been declared off-limits because of bacteria in the water. Yuck. And bummer.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…

The other night, Brian went in to check on the boys before bed, and he came out laughing. Charlie and Urban were both up in the top bunk, fast asleep. Brian moved Charlie back to his own bed, but he couldn’t resist snapping a picture first!

Please be sure to visit Peggy’s blog to read other daybooks and/or get the guidelines so you can participate, too.