The Simple Woman's Daybook 10/27/08

FOR TODAY, October 27...

Outside My Window... it is COLD today, with the wind chill, it's only 37 degrees! Brr....but I love it! The sky is blue, there are no clouds anywhere, and the colors just seem to be more brilliant today!

I am thinking... that we will not miss days like these after Pete retires from the Army. He got home this morning at 7:30a.m. after a 24-hour staff duty shift, and he has another one on Wednesday. He's asleep now, and the rest of the day will be a bit "off" as a result. We did this for a full year at Fort Stewart, and it was NOT pleasant. As Pete says, he's getting too old for staying up all night. Hard to believe we used to stay up till the wee hours of the morning playing canasta and the guys would still be bright-eyed for the 6:00 formation. Were we crazy, or what?

I am thankful for... sleep! Dare I say it? Shelby slept EIGHT hours straight last night, from 10pm till 6am, and I went to bed just after she did...which means I'm WELL rested today! Woah...I don't remember the last time I could say that!

From the kitchen... I'm going to try my hand at eggplant parmigana tonight. We saw Bobby Flay's eggplant parmigana "throwdown" last week and all of us (yes, even me...and I think eggplant is icky!) have been craving it ever since! Hey, I made spaghetti squash for the first time a few weeks ago and we all (even me....and I think squash is icky too!) loved it, so who knows? Maybe I've finally gotten over my picky-eater phase? I think I'll make some chicken parmigana with it...just in case!

I am wearing... pajamas. Lazy, maybe, but I've not been back upstairs to change clothes since Pete came home. I don't want to wake him up. I guess since my pajamas consist of a tee shirt and knit pants, I'm good?

I am creating... more Christmas presents. Don't make me say what, tho....I don't want to give anything away.

I am reading... Leading Ladies, a study (by I don't remember who off the top of my head...it's upstairs on my nightstand) of feminine "leadership" in the church. Not what you think, and it's very challenging.

I am hoping... that I can remember to get the rest of my pictures printed out this week. I can't finish my scrap projects without them, and I keep forgetting!

I am hearing... silence. In this house, that's deafening! Maybe I need to run the dishwasher?

Around the house... I've got the cold-weather clothing for the girls out of boxes, sorted, and put away, now I just need to tackle the playroom. That room seems to get out of control quicker than any other in the house, but that's okay, nobody "lives" there except toys! At least we've got a room dedicated to playthings, because it sure keeps the rest of the house neater.

One of my favorite things... warm sheets in a cool bedroom. Weird, maybe, but I've got to have a 'cold' room so I can snuggle up in the covers. This time of year is perfect for that!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I gave in. I couldn't justify my apprehension anymore to why Halloween gives me the heebie-jeebies when my girls just aren't afraid of the spookiness anymore, so we allowed them to choose appropriate (read: non-scary) costumes and they're going trick-or-treating this Friday. I have a request from one of the soldiers Jon brought over with him last Friday night for some roasted pumpkin seeds (poor kid is REALLY homesick), so I imagine we're going to be gutting one or two (or all five) of the pumpkins we brought home from Tate Farms last week. Hmm...what else? Oh--Pete gets his yearly clothing allowance this paycheck, which always comes right before Christmas, thankfully. I don't think we've ever used it for what it's supposed to be for, because we've always replaced his uniforms when he needed them, not just once a year. I think Pete and I are going to take a 'date night' this weekend and do the bulk of our Christmas shopping (thank you Wal-Mart for being open 24 hours!) and maybe go see Fireproof. I don't remember the last time we went out to a movie together. Ooh, and Applebees is having a 2 for $20 deal, that would be a nice touch!

Here is picture thought I am sharing... well, two, actually. The first was taken in Oberammergau, Germany this March. It was the first flower I had the privilege of seeing through all the yucky winter weather and snow. It was just beautiful, and I thought that it's bowed head looked to be praying. The second is what may just be the last 'flower' we see this year. Well, in our yard, anyway! These two little celosia plants poked their heads through the landscape rocks a few weeks ago, completely surprising us with their bright red plumage, and they both have continued to flourish, even in the dipping temperatures and harsh wind and rain. Two different seasons, two different countries, two different plants, but one message--God's creation displays His faithfulness to renew life even through the harshest, darkest, coldest days.

A big thanks to Peggy for hosting The Simple Woman's Daybook.