FOR TODAY... November 23, 2009 10:46 p.m.

Outside my window... it is night now, so I can't see, but it was mostly cloudy with a high in the upper 70s today.

I am thinking and praying... now about four people I know who have cancer. All of them were diagnosed within the past month.

I am thankful for... the good health that I and my precious family enjoy, so that we can think about the fun things in life and not just about going to the doctor.

I am wearing... my warm weather pajamas, since the house is rather warm and muggy this evening. We have managed to avoid using either the a/c or the heat for the past month, and I am grateful for the money saved.

I am remembering... Thanksgivings of the past, when I lived in New Jersey in my parents' home, and we had family come visit us. It seems so long ago and unreal now. It was another life.

I am going... to catch up on my reading tomorrow, hopefully. I will bring the children to their P.E. class at a county park, and will have the luxury of spending three hours doing whatever I want. I think tomorrow I will stay at the park and fitness walk, and then read the novel I have home from my library (see next entry).

I am reading... Things Left Unspoken, by Eva Marie Everson.

I am hoping... that our violin teacher continues to feel better each time we see her, that she can find some peace of mind and replace her anxieties with tranquility.

On my mind... the fact that we are concerned that there may be a leak in our roof. Baby Girl noticed a spot on our ceiling today. Replacing this roof would be an enormous expense to us.

From the learning rooms... Little Son is in the home stretch of Fourth Grade. Baby Girl is enjoying the bright new reading anthologies of Second Grade. They are both happy kids and that fills my heart with songs.

Noticing that... Self-Reliant Man is thinking about fixing a few things around here. First on the list is our garage door opener. He is confident that he can fix that. He is also building a bed for Baby Girl to sleep on when we van camp in the future. He is happier when he has a project to work on, you know?

Pondering these words... words of thanks to me for words that I had provided a week or so ago. I received a thank you note today from a friend who was thanking me for ... nothing, really, .... except that I had crafted some words of encouragement and practical advice for her at a time when she would be needing them. I can now see that my words have blessed her. Maybe my spiritual gift is that of encouragement.

From the kitchen... Chili and corn bread.

Around the house... I have been taking advantage of the cooler temperatures to attack some overgrown weeds around our house and yard. This is a task that I simply cannot attempt in the heat and humidity of summer, even in the morning hours. Baby Girl helps, and we do it a little bit at a time.

One of my favorite things... how my family looks right after they all get a haircut. So sharp and handsome and/or cute.

From my picture journal...
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