Simple Woman Monday, November 17th

Run over to Peggy's to meet a world of kindred spirits at her Simple Woman Monday gathering!

Outside My Window ... the morning sun is casting the prettiest shadows on my patio through the filligree of our old cottonwood's newly bare branches.

I am hearing... Theresa (the only child up so far) turning the pages of her book. She's reading Little Women, and, just like I was as a girl reading it for the first time, she's wishing she could be there swishing skirts along side the March sisters.

I am reading... Still working on The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters. Funny reading about the hot desert when it's been so chilly here.

I am wearing... Long denim skirt and a long-sleeve light blue tee that has these words on it: American, roasted, coffee, chocolate, espresso servizio istantaneo, Pailhasson, and Lourdes. Isn't that perfect? I LOVE this top! When I found it at a thrift store a couple of weeks ago I felt as if I'd bagged an elephant. So to speak. (Bia, can you translate the Italian for me?)

I am hoping... to get my list finished and my grocery shopping done for Thanksgiving by the end of this week.

From the Learning Rooms... We are going to write things we are grateful for on these autumn leaves the girls made as part of our fall leaf project a couple of weeks ago and then attach the leaves to the branch in the vase in front of our statue of the Blessed Mother this week.

These are the books we're reading together: Lives of the Saints (using the Butler edition and One Hundred Saints, shown here) Three Young Pilgrims, The Apple and the Arrow, and we should be finishing up Voyage of the Dawn Treader this week.

From the kitchen ... Just got a big container of instant "Mystic Chai" (vanilla) at Sams the other day for a treat, and it's so good and so easy to make that I'm afraid I've spoiled all of us.

Been thinking about stuffed cabbage lately... May have to make some this week, but will probably cheat and make the casserole version.

I am creating... little snowman pins out of white buttons and baking mix gift jars for our parish St. Nicholas Day Festival.

One of my favorite things... Getting ahead on Christmas shopping... and wrapping! (See what I've got ready to go so far? I'm so proud of myself... &;o)

I am thankful for... My wonderful husband who brought me these roses for no particular reason, except for that he's just sweet.

Around the house... Got our insulated drapes hung and they do close off the outdoors and make our living room feel smaller, like I knew they would... but it does feel cozy in here, and they're doing the job of keeping it warmer.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... * Mentioned last week about going down into the "pirates' cave" for some organizing and cleaning ~ I was down there last night looking for something and have decided that it's mandatory. Gotta get to it ~ really ~ this week.

*Also Thanksgiving shopping, as I mentioned.

*And cleaning and preparing the upstairs bedrooms for all the boys to be home next week ~ with four guests. (I always worry about where I'm going to put everyone. But, when they all get here, the sleeping arrangements just seem to take care of themselves. Nobody seems to mind sleeping on couches or in sleeping bags, or even on top of air mattresses with pinhole leaks that deflate by morning... But, I'm still going to stress over it. It's a mom thing.)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing:

Theresa (10), first thing this morning. That next chapter comes before getting dressed, brushing hair, eating breakfast... even saying "Good morning"