Daybook ~ Easter evening

Outside my window... the sun has set and the birds are growing quieter…But it was a gorgeous Easter Sunday here and it was filled with sunshine and laughter.

I am thinking...how lucky I am to have the circle of family and friends that I do, and that I simply adore them. Today was filled with both, and it makes my heart full when I think of them.

I am thankful for...my Risen Lord and his incredible sacrifice… (and I am thankful for the triumphantly joyful return of the Alleluia! Oh how I had missed its presence.)

From the learning rooms… Joe is learning about different types of birds and their habitats. He will start piano lessons soon. We are also reviewing for the SOL tests that are coming up.

From the kitchen...we enjoyed a wonderful Easter dinner. Starting at 11 p.m. last night, we smoked a 14 lb brisket and served it with roasted asparagus, homemade bread, German potato salad, tossed salad, Sangria, and spiral ham. (Dessert, by the way, was ice cream pies…) A little nontraditional, but extremely delicious.

Brisket ready to be cooked!

Sangria, eggs, and strawberries

I am wearing...a Spring skirt and black top. I am also wearing pearls that my dear husband gave to me.

I am (embarrassed to admit that I am just now) creating...a scrapbook for Joe. He’s 9. Yes. I am a bad mommy. I have the pictures, I just… well….. it’s the same thing with this blog. I want it to be perfect. So I have avoided doing it. (And even though I am not pleased with how the blog looks at the moment, I have at least STARTED it. So there is no excuse for not getting those pictures in order. )

I am going...to remind myself to slow down, breathe, and just enjoy. What a tough thing this has been for me to do. I don’t want to miss a minute of this life, and sometimes I fill every waking moment with… something… when really, I need to just… BE. I am sure that I drive some of my friends and family crazy. SIGH.

I am (still) reading... The Faith Club for my book club at church. I am also reading The Known World by Edward P. Jones It is historical fiction about slavery in Virginia, and is complex, heartbreaking, and I like what Newsday said about it: “…it will subdue your preconceptions, enrich your perceptions, and trouble your sleep.” Indeed.

I am hoping...that the praying mantis babies that hatched will eat the bad bugs that sometimes plague my garden. (Joe and I have had the egg case for over 2 months, and they hatched last night around midnight. On Holy Saturday. While I was watching The Ten Commandments. Amazing. Because they will eat each other, however, I woke Joe up and showed him all of the babies. Then I went out to the garden and released all but about 4 of them.)



Can you see the babies?



 I am listening to...Celtic Woman…Songs from the Heart. Haunting. Beautiful.

In the Garden…I am at war with the voles and various other pests. I noticed that half of my basil was gone. Well, it wasn’t gone, really, just that it had been pulled almost completely underground…. (Come on Sasha, dear kitty, get that vole!)Tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, squash, cucumbers are in the ground! Spinach is being harvested and re-planted. Pumpkin seeds are starting to come up.

Around the house...I am loving the way that my front room (the library) looks. We got a new piano and rearranged the furniture. (It feels like a new room when you can move things around!)

One of my favorite things...is listening to my mom play the piano. I have missed hearing it, so I was glad when she sat down and played some today. I cannot wait to hear her and Joe play a duet.




Joe and Nana playing the piano



A few plans for the rest of the week:  take my sweet cousin Kellie to the airport, Dr.’s visit to check blood levels, hopefully visit with my cousin Jason and Aunt Joany, possible date night with my honey, homework with Joe, park with Max.



Beautiful eggs



Eggs dyed with red cabbage juice...such a beautiful blue



Sweet baby Max