Simple Woman's Daybook...

You can see more Daybooks at Peggy's site.

FOR TODAY...
~November 17~
Outside my window... it is already warm. There is a strong smell of ashes and soot. The OC fires are not that far away.
I am thinking... about the funeral that I am preparing to go to today. My heart hurts and I am feeling anxious.
I am thankful for... my little Taryn that woke up and right away saw me and offered to make me a cup of coffee.
From the learning rooms...the girls will be taking a break today because they are going to spend the day with their grandparents.
From the kitchen... it will stay clean for now - we will be away most of the day and evening.
I am wearing... my tan and orange floral p.j.'s. No socks or slippers - it is hot this morning already!
I am creating... a scrapbook for someone's Quincenera and for a couple that recently got married.
I am going... to a funeral today for my dear friend Sally.
I am hoping... that I can be a help to the family today.
I am hearing...the sound of my children starting to stir for the day.
Around the house...things still need to be picked up. We had a party here Saturday evening and still have not had time to get things back in order
One of my favorite things...the new Caramel Apple creamer I bought for my coffee...Desi says it would taste great in hot chocolate for you non-coffee drinkers. =]
A few plans for the rest of the week: Dinner tonight with some friends, Open House at the girls school tomorrow, progressive dinner with the youth group on Friday and church yard sale on Saturday.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

To my dismay, this is about as much as the leaves have changed around here.

Today, I am thankful for...

...our bountiful blessings. We have so much. We are truly blessed.
With thanksgiving around the corner, some people may want to start or share this tradition or way of remembering how truly blessed we are.
At each table setting, place 5 kernels of corn. Then share this story with your guests once they are seated at the table.

On November 11, 1620, the Mayflower dropped anchor in a natural harbor on the inside of the northern tip of Cape Cod. There it stayed. The location was not the Pilgrims’ first choice; they had planned to settle near the mouth of the Hudson.
The area where the ship made landfall had belonged to the Patuxets, a fierce tribe that took intense delight in murdering anyone who would dare invade their territory. A sickness, however, had wiped them out, leaving their land free for the taking. (Other Indians, fearing “bad spirits,” would have no part of it.) The Pilgrims didn’t even have to clear fields for planting. They were alread there for them.
The nearest neighbors were the Wampanoags, a civilized tribe ruled by Massasoit. The chief and his people accepted the Pilgrims and helped them. Squanto, a lone survivor of the Patuxets, made his home with this new inhabitants and taught them how to survive in this new and challenging land.
Although the bounty of the summer of 1621 brought a time of heartfelt gratitude (the first Thanskgiving), the Pilgrims’ obligation to repay the backers who had financed their voyage left them dangerously close to starvation. Food stores had all but disappeared.
At one point, a daily ration of food for a Pilgrim was 5 kernels of corn. With a simple faith that God would sustain them, no matter what, they pulled through. History records that not a single one of them died from starvation that winter. Not a one.
The harvest of 1623 brought a surplus of corn, so much that the Pilgrims were able to help out the Indians for a change. So joyous were they that they celebrated a second Day of Thanksgiving and again invited Massasoit to be their guest.
He came, bringing with him his wife, several other chiefs and 120 braves. All sat down to a feast of 12 venison, 6 goats, 50 hogs and pigs, numerous turkeys, vegtables, grapes, nuts, plums, puddings and pies. But, lest anyone forget, all were given their first course on an empty plate.
They were each given 5 kernels of corn.

I am thankful that I have so much. I pray that I will always desire to help others the way we have been helped.

Today, I am thankful for...

The Walkers...Naomi, Junko, and Raena

My dear friend Michelle

Super-Awesome friend Desiree

Crazy friends Cindy, Danielle and Michelle

...friends. Old and new. Near and far. It's late and I will come back to this, but I did not want to miss my daily post. I will add to this tomorrow, but for now - know that I am thankful for YOU!

So...I am adding to this post. I was able to spend some time with some friends this Saturday that I had not seen in about 2 years. It was a time of healing and happiness.

I spent time with a friend and we talked about death and life and she spoiled my babies and made me laugh. Thank you, Desiree!

I got news that someone far away, that I've never met, generously gifted something to me...I am awed and humbled. Thank you, Lee!

On Wednesday I was filled with confused feelings, sadness, happiness, conviction and YOU felt it. Thank you, Miriam!

Today, I spent the day at church and was with some of my best friends in this world. We sang, laughed, taught, cried and prayed together. Thank you, Lorany!

We have a new family at our church and I really enjoyed getting to know them a bit more today.

Tomorrow, I will be going to the funeral service of a dear friend of mine. I did not get a chance to say bye to you, Sally. I will miss you and your beautiful spirit.

Friends are definitely a gift. I have learned so much about friendship with each year of life. I know that I can love someone and care about them and it not be returned. I know that I will be real and I may not always be understood. I know that I can put down my guard and trust. I know that sometimes, taking the chance of maybe being rejected means that you also just might be accepted. ...and that is good.

Today, I am thankful for...

...the drop in the price of gas. It was not too long ago that I was afraid that the gas was going to cost $5 a gallon. Today, I got it for under $3. I know that we are still higher than many areas, but this is good for now. I need this break!

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Please feel free to leave me a comment and leave your name so I know you stopped by!
2. When I buy a new book I can't help sniffing it occasionally.
3. My favorite thing to cook is chicken taquitos.
4. Hugs and kisses from my children and my husband is something I can't get enough of.
5. That's the thing I love most about family.
6. Young girls and women that use foul language out loud and in public always makes me think to myself, what the heck?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking Taryn to cheer practice and getting ready for her party, tomorrow my plans include cooking a ton of taquitos and celebrating Taryn's 9th birthday and Sunday, I want to spend time with my family in the house of the Lord, have a great lunch together and take a Sunday nap (those are always so nice)!

Look what I got....

this sizzlin' hot award has been graciously given to me by Lea over at Shabby Olde Potting Shed

What a very special honor, right? I think I found Lea's blog at CWO website, but I can't remember now. All I know is if I want to be inspired or encouraged - this is where I can go. Thanks, Lea. I'd like to pass this on, so I will be pondering on it today! =] Today, I am thankful for my blog. I am thankful that I have a place to put my feelings into words, to share pictures with friends and family and to have a place where I can sit and just get to know you better as I read your blogs. It's like we are having a chat over coffee. =]

November 12 on 12

I was really looking forward to this months 12 on 12. I made sure my girls reminded me, I thought about what pictures I might like to take...but there was one thing I did not think about. My batteries. Ugh! I just charged them. Did I already take that many pictures? Oh, well. Luckily I was still able to get enough pictures to have a selection of some sort to choose from.

Okay. Dropped the girls off for school and headed out to see the newly renovated Michael's. Desi said it was really nice and I had to see for myself. She was right. I got a very nice arrangement for 80% off!

I decided to drive thru downtown Riverside on the way home. They are starting their decorating for the Mission Inn's famous Festival of Lights.

This was on one of the walls. I've never noticed these faces before. Kinda startled me!

There are lots of historic buildings downtown like this old church.

Had to send some stuff to South Carolina!

Naomi picked out some Dora the Explorer stickers in the $1 section at Michael's. She wanted to "scrapbook" with me. So, I made a little album out of construction paper for her.

Marco taking a break right after work with his "Big Guy". Will be getting ready to leave soon and go to his other job - church.

Practice does not make perfect, in my opinion, practice makes permanent. So, here's Taryn - getting ready for Open House next week.

Hannah decides to play a bit for us as well.

The arrangement I picked up at Michael's. Our church needed a little something "fallish" for the front.

Here is my best friend doing the job he loves most. Ministering to the people at our church.

I was catching up on some blog reading and this was the word capture that I had to type in to leave a comment on someone's blog. I thought it was pretty fitting. =D

Not so great pictures today. Like I said, I planned on it and then I just wasn't really with it today like I wanted to be. Oh, well - there's always next month, right?