Thursday 13: Daybook musings...

or today...

Outside my window... it is raining. That's a big shock! (Sorry for the sarcasm. I'm bitter about the rain, can you tell?)

I am thinking... that at least I'll work on some office clean up and such, with this weather. I am also thinking, longer-term, of getting some of my more write-y friends to do guests posts on my blog... those who don't already blog, maybe even a couple that do. What think you? I kinda like it... not to get me off the hook, of course, but to get a bit of diversity and maybe have everyone write on a particular topic or something fun like that.

I am thankful... for so many things, but mostly today I'm thankful for time. Time to grow. Time to heal. Time to accomplish things. Just time to breathe. I really really feel for those who feel like time has run out, or time is short, or that they are pushed for time. That sucks.

From the kitchen... I have been making a lot of soup, lately, still... I keep meaning to post the recipe... maybe I will later today. It's a cabbagey kind of vegetable soup, with a little heat, so I've named it Mexican Cabbage Soup in my mind. I should probably look up and see if there is already such a thing...

I am wearing... khakis and a little sweater that my mom gave me over the weekend. She actually gave me FOUR little sweaters. All the same cut, just different colors... tan, white, brown and raspberry. I am wearing the raspberry one today. I know, that's stepping out, for me. Lately it's felt pretty black and tan.

I am creating... a little receipt keeper for my purse, to help me track little miscellaneous spending... yeah, I know, I could just buy one of those little file folder things at WalMart or something, but this will definitely be cuter! And I'll have one fewer receipt to file away!

I am going... to Scarborough Fair. See, now, I'm not, but that's the first thing I think of. Every. Time. I see that phrase... I need to take it seriously, don't I? OK, so the real answer is I'm hoping we go to Joseph this weekend. (That will depend on weather...) And next week I am supposed to meet up with a couple of girlfriends from high school for lunch in TriCities... one of them I haven't seen in probably 20 years. 20. That's a bit staggering to consider.

I am reading... just finished Blue Like Jazz with Seth last night. That took us awhile, eh? It rambled a bit sometimes, but he ended on a lovely note that was exactly what we both needed to hear: God wants to know you and is already taking care of you, and falling in love with Him will be the most significant thing that will happen in your life. I have a bunch of samples of "next books" in my Kindle app, so I will explore some of those today and see where we land next. I am just about done listening to that darn Oprah biography on my iPod, but I don't want to squander the juicy gossip on something non-yardwork related, so I'm waiting for more pleasant weather to finish it off while I weed. Weeding and Oprah gossip, yeah, that's about right. (Don't you like how I can go from God's love to scandalous Oprah conjecture in the same paragraph? I know, it's a gift.)

I am hoping... for pleasant weather this weekend. I would really really like it to be sunny and nice. Hope schmope. We'll see what we get. (How very Eeyore of me...)

I am hearing... rain on my window. I just remarked to husband this morning that I've never lived in a house that had rain on the windows so much, at least to my memory. Makes me glad, every time it rains, that I haven't washed the windows recently! It's from the rather shallow overhang, according to him, and I am sure that's part of it... I also think the angle that the rain seems to come at, out here in the "country," (sideways from the wind at times!) has something to do with it. All that is to say, I'm a very reluctant window washer, to be sure. I let nature do her thing!

Around the house... I'm working on my lists... I did do one of those "I'm not going to walk by that thing one more time without fixing it" items already this morning, so I'm feeling rather pleased with myself. Yes, little Miss Smug. I'm pretty sure that's it for the day, but you've gotta start small, right?!

One of my favorite things... is cheese. (That one's for you, Kim.) My sister-in-law pointed out to me this weekend that it's a rare Friday Night Grateful Moment that doesn't include cheese. And the problem with that is...? I had the best asparagus and tomato and blue cheese salad (with pinenuts) last night. So yummy. And it was definitely the blue cheese that put it into a whole 'nother category, salad-wise.

A few plans for the rest of the week... this week feels short, for sure. What with arriving back from our long weekend on Tuesday night... so Friday will come oh-to-quickly, and yet, right on time. As for plans, I'm afraid mine are awfully weather-related right now. If it's nice, I want to be out in the yard doing my thang. If it's not, I will do other, more inside, things. I pinned a bunch of fun crafty-sewing projects on Pinterest last weekend, and I think I promised to make Kim and I each at least a dozen skirts for summer, so someone had better get crackin'.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... from my mom's blog, And the Livin' is Easy. Last weekend I gave her the applique pillow I made in that class in March--a late late Mother's Day gift... I think it looks like it belongs at her house, don't you think?

To play along with The Simple Woman's Daybook, go here.

To see other Thursday 13 participants, go here.

What do you have going on the rest of the week? Ready for the weekend already? Tell me!

And have a great Thursday.