My prayer was, "Lord, Please give me joy in the mundane tasks--the toilet cleaning, the clothes folding." So, God answered in a wonderful way--by giving me a husband who does all the mowing, and enjoys order so he picks up bits of trash and paper and lint, and loads the dishwasher and makes coffee. God also has a sense of humor, and showed unto me that the dishwashing liquid named, "Joy" works just as well on spots on clothing, cleaning toilets, and mopping the floor. And it is cheaper than "Dawn". I suspect it is made by the same people. The bottles are shaped exactly the same.
I have a towel that I have accidentally turning into an astronomy picture of the universe. Thanks to a splash of bleach there, and a hole here and the wear and tear of living a long life as a fluffy, then rag, it reminds me of pictures of the universe on the website, "Astronomy Picture of the Day". Expanding gases via bleach.
This month, with our middle son at rotc camp, we are experiencing "empty nest" and the dishwasher reveals a house of lovers: two cups, two bowls, two spoons, two mugs, two plates.
Thank you, Lord, for joy and jobs, accidents in laundry, and a dishwasher load that makes me blush. Thank you for my lover. His curly chest and body hair reminds me of the curly strands that arch out from the surface of the sun. His curlies can be found like gems upon the sheets. They tickle my nose when I give him a raspberry. I don't know why they call it a raspberry because it sounds more like a trombone.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
My Day
Last Friday night, my husband, Bob, and I attended a family reunion where one of Bob's brothers was surprised with an early birthday party for his fiftieth. As Bob is one of eight siblings, who all made an effort to assemble for the surprise, plus their spouses, one or more children, cousins and their children, at one point I counted over twenty-five relatives. One of Bob's cousins asked me if I still worked or volunteered up at the school, but I said no. She asked if I still helped with that old lady across the street? No, she died years ago. With all my boys up and out, and one married, one in his own apartment, and our middle son away at ROTC camp for a month, maybe Bob's cousin was wondering what I do all day. This dear lady works outside her home, and other sisters-in-law run businesses out of their homes. Thankfully, Bob supports us. Our house is small, but small means easy to clean. And I do have the luxury of lots of free time. I thought it would be interesting to keep track of exactly what I do all day.
Midnight to 1am: emailed folks from my email address book that know our middle son, and are curious about how he is doing at ROTC camp in Washington state. James had called us a week ago and said he needed prayer. I got the impression he had one more try to pass the night land navigation course and since it did not get dark until 10pm, it was 3am before they got back to the barracks for a little sleep. I had emailed different ones that know James a week ago, so when we got a call from him Sunday night at 10:45pm our time, I thought I'd give an update that he did indeed pass the night navigation course on that third try with flying colors. And since James enjoyed the verses I mailed him, and he is finally receiving mail, I got another letter ready to mail.
1am to 6:15am slept with two bathroom breaks
6:15am made coffee for Bob, fixed his pb&j sandwich for lunch, folded clothes
6:45am kiss goodbye to Bob and walked him to the truck, folded more clothes, re-wrote the errands and want list
7am set more laundry going in the washer and dryer. Answered emails to niece in Indonesia, son in Dayton, and the neighborhood crimewatch group. ate breakfast, started on pile of vitamins.
8am Listening to WBAP started bread dough. Ground oats in coffee grinder.
One cup water with one tablespoon of yeast from the powdered yeast jar, two tablespoons of brown sugar stirred and set aside. One cup water and one cup dry powdered milk, six more tablespoons of brown sugar, one tablespoon sea salt, one half cup of olive oil, the cup of ground oats, white flour from the freezer, one fourth cup of molasses, in a big mixing bowl. Once the yeast mixture is foamy, add to the flour mixture and add more white flour until you can knead it. This will make four huge loaves. Today two of the loaves are plain, and one divided into rolls, and one loaf of cinnamon bread.
9:30am finished kneading. Mopped floor where I was messy with a dusting of flour.
9:45am bath time. Answered emails from bob at work, son in Dayton, listening to Mark Davis on WBAP, let the cat in and out four times, hung up a load of shirts from the dryer, set another load going. Put up the NASA tv website so I can catch the ISS coverage.
10:15am watching Clayton Anderson on the ISS coverage stow stuff while Mark Davis debates the evils of bottled water. I remember how my grandparents had a water softener and how they would bottle water in old milk jugs for making coffee.
10:30am finish choking down vitamins. Burped bowl of bread dough. Making bread is a six hour commitment. Assembling, kneading, cleaning up, punching down the dough, burping the lid, buttering loaf pans--glass are my favorites. Weighing, measuring into one pound loaves.
What haven't I done today? Still have not made the bed. Front yard needs weeding, but mosquitoes are my excuse. I want to write a note to Pastor Mark because their CO2 alarm saved their lives.
10:42am marveling at the mowed backyard. Bob did a great job with his new mower which I suggested he assemble in the living room and he said I'd remember it wrong.
10:44am Wondered why Bob did not marry better if his wife nags him about assembling a new mower from a clean box in the air conditioned comfort of our living room. Bob gets drenched in sweat when he mows. Wish we could afford a yardman.
11am Mary K. called. We got caught up on our weekends. She lets her husband assemble stuff inside where it is cooler, too.
11:25am Son from Dayton called on his lunch hour to answer my questions about his brother at ROTC camp, and tell me about how cute our grandbaby is. She is not wild about green beans. She shudders when fed a spoonful. Her Daddy used to do that as a baby, too. My nephews would eat string beans from a can as toddlers, but babyfood greenbeans---yuck. I folded more clothes and unloaded the dishwasher.
11:45am Lunch with Mary K. We also shopped at Petsmart and Greens. Can't wait to tell Bob about her grandson's body art with a permanent marker.
2:45pm Shaped bread dough into loaves and put in the pans and set in the oven to rise again. Four loaves rising and sweat dripping off my nose. again. Listening to Dr. Laura.
3:15pm answered emails, wrote thank you emails, cleaned email box, filed some and forwarded some to show to Bob to his home email.
4pm Dr. Laura is over, so I pick up the mail. Letter from niece in Indonesia and a picture of her husband and the kids. Her kids enjoy my letters. I will put writing letters on my to do list for tomorrow. Folded clothes, put away clothes, hung up another load.
4:14pm off to Kroger to hunt for apples for Bob's lunches. Found instead some steaks for supper, strawberries, and his gluc-condrotin. I should have picked up the better tasting apples (pink ladies) at Greens today.
4:50pm Home just in time to hear the phone ring---its Bob calling to say he is headed to the train. I promise fresh, hot bread when he gets home at 6:10pm. I set timer for 30 minutes to let the bread rise just a little more. Then bake, and fix Bob's supper. Searched for the video of the toddler who used permanent marker on baby brother, as I had told Mary about it.
5:12pm Found the pictures on the website after googling, and sent to Mary K.
5:20pm Quickverse searched "life of God" but it is only found in Ephesians 4:18
Listed the contrasts from the section Pastor Mark preached yesterday from verses 17-24. Quickverse searched "likeness of God"
5:36pm oven started, saw that Bob had emailed a bid home for me to see
5:50pm email to folks we saw at the party Friday night. Checked on bread baking, set table, unloaded dishwasher.
6:10pm Bob came home and munched on the strawberries while I cooked the steaks. I think he liked the homemade bread.
7pm Cleaned the kitchen
7:22pm done. dishwasher humming. three loaves of bread put in baggies.
8:05pm Wrote out verses I had quickverse searched for James. The word "bless" occurs 533 times in 473 verses. Started typing up My Day from notes I jotted down throughout the day. and now its 9:13pm. Time for bed.
Midnight to 1am: emailed folks from my email address book that know our middle son, and are curious about how he is doing at ROTC camp in Washington state. James had called us a week ago and said he needed prayer. I got the impression he had one more try to pass the night land navigation course and since it did not get dark until 10pm, it was 3am before they got back to the barracks for a little sleep. I had emailed different ones that know James a week ago, so when we got a call from him Sunday night at 10:45pm our time, I thought I'd give an update that he did indeed pass the night navigation course on that third try with flying colors. And since James enjoyed the verses I mailed him, and he is finally receiving mail, I got another letter ready to mail.
1am to 6:15am slept with two bathroom breaks
6:15am made coffee for Bob, fixed his pb&j sandwich for lunch, folded clothes
6:45am kiss goodbye to Bob and walked him to the truck, folded more clothes, re-wrote the errands and want list
7am set more laundry going in the washer and dryer. Answered emails to niece in Indonesia, son in Dayton, and the neighborhood crimewatch group. ate breakfast, started on pile of vitamins.
8am Listening to WBAP started bread dough. Ground oats in coffee grinder.
One cup water with one tablespoon of yeast from the powdered yeast jar, two tablespoons of brown sugar stirred and set aside. One cup water and one cup dry powdered milk, six more tablespoons of brown sugar, one tablespoon sea salt, one half cup of olive oil, the cup of ground oats, white flour from the freezer, one fourth cup of molasses, in a big mixing bowl. Once the yeast mixture is foamy, add to the flour mixture and add more white flour until you can knead it. This will make four huge loaves. Today two of the loaves are plain, and one divided into rolls, and one loaf of cinnamon bread.
9:30am finished kneading. Mopped floor where I was messy with a dusting of flour.
9:45am bath time. Answered emails from bob at work, son in Dayton, listening to Mark Davis on WBAP, let the cat in and out four times, hung up a load of shirts from the dryer, set another load going. Put up the NASA tv website so I can catch the ISS coverage.
10:15am watching Clayton Anderson on the ISS coverage stow stuff while Mark Davis debates the evils of bottled water. I remember how my grandparents had a water softener and how they would bottle water in old milk jugs for making coffee.
10:30am finish choking down vitamins. Burped bowl of bread dough. Making bread is a six hour commitment. Assembling, kneading, cleaning up, punching down the dough, burping the lid, buttering loaf pans--glass are my favorites. Weighing, measuring into one pound loaves.
What haven't I done today? Still have not made the bed. Front yard needs weeding, but mosquitoes are my excuse. I want to write a note to Pastor Mark because their CO2 alarm saved their lives.
10:42am marveling at the mowed backyard. Bob did a great job with his new mower which I suggested he assemble in the living room and he said I'd remember it wrong.
10:44am Wondered why Bob did not marry better if his wife nags him about assembling a new mower from a clean box in the air conditioned comfort of our living room. Bob gets drenched in sweat when he mows. Wish we could afford a yardman.
11am Mary K. called. We got caught up on our weekends. She lets her husband assemble stuff inside where it is cooler, too.
11:25am Son from Dayton called on his lunch hour to answer my questions about his brother at ROTC camp, and tell me about how cute our grandbaby is. She is not wild about green beans. She shudders when fed a spoonful. Her Daddy used to do that as a baby, too. My nephews would eat string beans from a can as toddlers, but babyfood greenbeans---yuck. I folded more clothes and unloaded the dishwasher.
11:45am Lunch with Mary K. We also shopped at Petsmart and Greens. Can't wait to tell Bob about her grandson's body art with a permanent marker.
2:45pm Shaped bread dough into loaves and put in the pans and set in the oven to rise again. Four loaves rising and sweat dripping off my nose. again. Listening to Dr. Laura.
3:15pm answered emails, wrote thank you emails, cleaned email box, filed some and forwarded some to show to Bob to his home email.
4pm Dr. Laura is over, so I pick up the mail. Letter from niece in Indonesia and a picture of her husband and the kids. Her kids enjoy my letters. I will put writing letters on my to do list for tomorrow. Folded clothes, put away clothes, hung up another load.
4:14pm off to Kroger to hunt for apples for Bob's lunches. Found instead some steaks for supper, strawberries, and his gluc-condrotin. I should have picked up the better tasting apples (pink ladies) at Greens today.
4:50pm Home just in time to hear the phone ring---its Bob calling to say he is headed to the train. I promise fresh, hot bread when he gets home at 6:10pm. I set timer for 30 minutes to let the bread rise just a little more. Then bake, and fix Bob's supper. Searched for the video of the toddler who used permanent marker on baby brother, as I had told Mary about it.
5:12pm Found the pictures on the website after googling, and sent to Mary K.
5:20pm Quickverse searched "life of God" but it is only found in Ephesians 4:18
Listed the contrasts from the section Pastor Mark preached yesterday from verses 17-24. Quickverse searched "likeness of God"
5:36pm oven started, saw that Bob had emailed a bid home for me to see
5:50pm email to folks we saw at the party Friday night. Checked on bread baking, set table, unloaded dishwasher.
6:10pm Bob came home and munched on the strawberries while I cooked the steaks. I think he liked the homemade bread.
7pm Cleaned the kitchen
7:22pm done. dishwasher humming. three loaves of bread put in baggies.
8:05pm Wrote out verses I had quickverse searched for James. The word "bless" occurs 533 times in 473 verses. Started typing up My Day from notes I jotted down throughout the day. and now its 9:13pm. Time for bed.
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