Five

 

1. Making this for dinner tonight...

And the thought of how good it's going to be is distracting me from other thoughts of other things I should be doing...

Blackened Salmon and Avocado Mango Salsa Tacos

2. I love how...

Our children, though they are scattered all over the world, make it a priority for all the cousins --- our grandchildren --- to know each other, even though some of them don't get to see one another very often. They send pictures of the children on our family app -- and all the Mommas and Dads share them with their own children -- and talk about them often, so that there will be a connection amongst them. One proof of how well this is working is how Dominic and Monica's two-year-old, Margaret, has named all these dollies (from Mommom's toybox). Here she is, naming them all off for me, in order, L-R: Daria, Ella, Claudia, Sophie, Evie, Lilly. ❤

3.  If I were going to open my own store... 

Should I ever have that kind of capital and confidence in the economy...  It would be a children's new and used clothing, toys, and bookstore. I would call it "Kinder."  Get the play on words? Wouldn't that be too much fun?

Because...

4. A Day in the Life

 So, we've got into a bit of a routine here at the old Iowa homestead, where Dan disappears into the office near our bedroom at the crack of dawn (or thereabouts) to begin his remote workday. (The best thing to come out of these crazy times is Dan getting to work from home!) I sleep in a little bit most days (still working on the Lyme's rest cure), stumbling out of bed around 8 or 8:30. By then I usually hear Dominic and Monica and the girls moving around in their upstairs apartment while I say morning prayers, make my bed and get dressed. Dan has already made himself a pot of coffee by the time I emerge from the bedroom -- but Dan and I see coffee differently; I'm an espresso kinda gal and he likes his, as he calls it: smooth (i.e., weak and watered down with creamer). To each his own, though. I'm good with it! I now have the option of kissing Dan good morning (and  "see ya later") and heading over to the RV kitchen and my mocha pot for my own coffee. 

Not every morning, but many mornings, I'll make scrambled eggs and Dan will join me at the RV at about 9 or 9:30 for a late breakfast. By then, Dominic and Monica have come downstairs for their breakfast at the Big House (Margaret's nickname for it). Then around 10 or 10:30 Margaret comes over for a visit. I drink my coffee, she sips her "tea" (a bit of warm water and a few drops of honey in a sippy cup) and plays with the dolls or the magic pen coloring book and chatters and chatters -- and I understand about half of it, but smile and nod at all of it. 😉

Monica and Margaret planting carrots and tomatoes.

 Around 11 or 11:30, Monica or Dominic (since Dominic hasn't started his day job yet) comes to retrieve Margaret -- and they generally work on the gardens together -- then lunch and naps. I spend the afternoons working on various projects, including the literature study guides I'm working on for Sr. Antonia, among other literary endeavors. Dan and I have a midafternoon "Nuncheon" -- usually over at the RV, and then a very small dinner (usually salad or crudités or something like that) around 6 or 7. Unless it's a weekend night -- and we have something special planned. Like tonight. We'll probably share the salmon with Dominic and Monica and dine alfresco on one of the patios. With wine and good conversation as we watch the sun set over the hills. (Bliss.)

We all enjoy the beauty of the change of the seasons, the time together, the easy structure of our days, the common denominator and security of sharing the most important things: our family and our Faith  -- and you know? The rest of the world can go where it wants in a handbasket: we don't have to let it bring us down. We do discuss current events -- but only when pertinent and not ad nauseum. Most of our conversations revolve around the gardens, the children, the goings on in our parish, and what we're going to do when Gabe and William are home for the summer -- or who all will be here for graduations -- or how much we're looking forward to our Religious children's home time in June -- and when's the next volleyball party...? Living in the world, not being of it. It's the only way to go. Praying that, regardless of how the world goes, we can maintain the ability to think and live positively and well, appreciating the simple things -- accepting the changes and difficulties as challenges to overcome for the good of our souls. The same as it's always been. It's all good.

5. Also this: 

I've been playing with the craft of needle felting -- without really studying it especially hard or actually watching all the how-to videos I've saved on Pinterest --  so you can probably guess how well I'm doing. (grimace) The spritely, highly detailed needle-felted forest gnomes that I fell in love with online, the amazing needle-felted landscapes, the bunnies and foxes I've been admiring ever since I first ran across them on my Pinterest feed...? Well, my first attempt looks nothing like them. At all.  But I had fun snuggling in on the RV couch last week over a couple rainy days, trying to figure out how to construct a needle-felt butterfly for my mother for Mother's Day -- without bleeding to death. Because needle-felting is a "poky" thing. So here's my butterfly. It may look pretty amateur and a little hokey, but there's lots of love and a little of my DNA in this Mother's Day gift. Not Pinterest worthy. Only a mother could love it. Thank goodness!

The almost-finished front side.

The very first steps. And there's that
poky felting  needle... 

The almost-finished message side -- with magnets.

I love ya, Mom!