Five Fall Favorites

I'm back and it's still Fall. I've got a little better attitude today after reading a friend's successive "thankful for..." blog posts. I'm not quite that ambitious (to record it daily) but here are a few of my favorite things to be thankful for today...

1. My office

It is an enclosed porch off the back of our house which is surrounded by windows. Yes, that means it's usually cold/hot depending on the season but it also means something not all that common in this big old house - LIGHT! Lots of beautiful Fall sunlight. Like now when it makes the perfect leaf-dancing shadows on the blinds. Amazing.

2. Five Star Christmas Trees

I love all of Christmas but, most of all, I love the look and smell and overall being of a Christmas tree in my living room. Last year I ordered from Five Star and it was AWESOME. It got here the first week of December and was still beautiful at the end of the Christmas season (I mean Epiphany, BTW, not December 25th). If it's just as fresh this year, I think I'll make an argument to leave it up until February 2nd ;0)

Give them a try. www.fivestarchristmastrees.com If you order before the end of the day and use EARLYBIRD2013 you can save a bundle!

3. Redemptive Suffering

I mentioned my foot as a "fail" in the last post. I have been coming to see it in a more positive light these days. Since it's pretty certain to not be fixed for quite a while and since it still hurts quite a bit I've been trying to be more conscious of offering my suffering as a chance to lift up others and draw myself more deeply into the mystery of the Passion.

This is a good article on Blessed John Paul II and suffering. We were just watching the "kid" version of his biography on EWTN. It always strikes me that a man with so much trauma in his life, from the very beginning, could be so joyful. What a wonderful example for us!

4. Singing in a foreign language

I have no idea. It just seems more angelic to me somehow.

Maybe it's just the high little voices.

5. Travel.

God willing this time next week we will be here...

on our way to here...

I don't even know which/how many I'm taking. I'm just soooo happy to be getting a change of pace. After having the ability to pick up and go whenever and wherever for so many years, I'm looking forward to seeing some old familiar sights and people. I am the truck-drivin-man's-sis after all ;0)

We are blessed. Enjoy your weekend!



Tammies!

 

About a month ago, #1 and #2 children joined the Jr. Tamburitzans of the South Hills. It's been interesting watching them blossom into performers (ok, watching #2...#1 already had the cello thing going). Tonight was their first performance at the East European Festival at the University of Pittsburgh. Considering it's only been a few weeks, they did great. Give that little boy a stick and he's all over it ;0)

 

Our little Eastern European kids ;0)

Middle and far right (I like the hats!)

Swing your sister

It is a great group of kids.

 

Stick man!

 

I love my life...

I realize that some of the posts here have been kind of sad/deep lately so, here's my attempt at cheery ;0)

Seriously, though, I am thankful almost every minute of every day and I tell God that as I'm running from one thing to another. Since you can't hear me talking to God (I'm really quiet), here are a few things...just so you know I'm still my chipper old self.

1. I love that my kids sing. OK, there are times (at the dinner table!) that I would rather not hear a rousing edition of "Table of Plenty" (however appropriate) but it's so nice to hear them sing through their day. Since we lost Kids Place Live a few months ago, it's mainly hymns and VBS songs. Which is my personal preference.

I wish I had an audio file for this. Right now #3 is singing a VBS song as loudly as possible and the other ones are joining in on occasion. I think we're going to do an entire month's lessons in song. Perhaps that will help with memory!

2. Our summer trip. We were so blessed to make it to Slovakia and back! The churches and the family experiences were amazing. Now, having reflected on those things, we are starting to remember (and unearth) some of the funny/interesting things from our trip:

They sell Coke with your name (or Slovak equivalent) and "Duff" beer (for all you Simpson's fans)

This is their local cola...it has extra bylinkova...which, I know now, translates to "Herb"...don't know about you but I'm not sure herbs really belong in cola.

 

The Smurfs are BIG in Slovakia. And now you know that "Smurfette" is called "Smolinka" in Slovak!

 

3. Little people friends. It's great to have friends that are my friends but when their little people get along with my little people. Well, that's just about as good as it gets :0)

4. My nerdy husband. I say that with the utmost love and respect! He listened in science and math and now, when the time comes to talk about deca-whoozit or tetra-whatever, he's the guy I call.



5. Fall. Not for the weather, I'm kind of a Summer girl. It depresses me that in a few months I will need to deal with five sets of snowsuits dripping (only that part - I love being out in the snow, if not the cold!). What I love about Fall is the increased need for the Crock Pot (aka, busy mom's favorite dinner-maker). I made a huge pot of beef and butternut squash stew the other day and froze most of it for a chilly evening to come. Yum.

 

6. Running and Rhapsody. Yes, I started again. I have actually run this much  in September

 



If you can't read it, it's just shy of 23 miles this month (be kind you runner types...it's good for me)!!! I am kind of shocked myself. Mainly it's a reason to separate myself from the little ones for a few hours a week (although G man does come along on occasion) and listen to my AWESOME playlist of 80's tunes, courtesy of Rhapsody. Seriously? I love this app. So many songs I haven't thought about for years. Elton John's "Island Girl", XTC's "Dear God", Paul Simon's "The Obvious Child". Whew...I have hours of songs to listen to. I think this will go on for at least another month ;0)

And, no, I'm not losing weight because...

7. My beautiful neighbor. The woman who lives down the street has nine grown children. NINE! I think she feels a kinship to me (even though I'm a slacker baby-wise) because many times a month immediately after a new baby but even now, at random times (like today, bless her) she drops by a dinner casserole, cookies and BREAD. Lovely Italian soft, yummy bread. So, yeah, I guess I need to run.

Thanks for listening. I AM BLESSED!