Are We There Yet?: Simple (Or Is It?)

Once upon a time, back in the halcyon days of the internet, when blogging was more a thing, a lot of of us Catholic blogging Moms shared one another's links on hostess blogs with fun weekly themes... Remember those days, imaginary Blogging Public? There was a haiku day when we all shared links; there was clearinghouse day for household tricks and tips; there were homeschool link days; and there was Simple Woman Monday that gave us blogger Moms a little podium to share our random Life Experiences of the Moment. Just the simple little things. Which, as it turns out, are they most important things. We didn't know it then, but these Simple Woman posts were like little bookmarks, marking seasons of our lives. When I have occasion to use the search engine on this old blog to find a photo or a recipe (which happens more often than I would ever have imagined!), I invariably turn up old Simple Woman posts -- because pretty much everything could and did come up on these weekly logs. And I read and remember what life felt like two, five, ten years ago... Who I was, who we were, what we were doing, who my friends were, what they were doing... How we were building our homes, nurturing our families hearts and souls and bodies -- and therefore constructing solid building blocks in the foundation of society. No less. It was good to document it, it was that important.

I'm pretty sure the original hostess of these posts has moved on, though I haven't actually looked. The special little community I loved, where women from all over the world connected over the coffee table of faith and family, no longer exists as I knew it -- and my own focus has shifted from child-raising, anyway, now that I'm in my late fifties (how weird is that?!) and have 15 (No Kidding: FIFTEEN!) granchildren, so I would no longer fit into that old world of bloggers, anyway, at this stage of my life. I'm grateful for all those years, though. This internet log served as a diary during some of the busiest and most important times of my life. It's a treasury of reminiscences now. And recipes.

How crazy is it that now that I am retired from that most important and most busy time of my life and actually have the time to write -- I find I don't have much to write about. At least, nothing that is as important as what I used to write about. I devote my days now to other things and other media. But I think I will try to periodically add to the Daybooks, even if do nothing else on here.

Anyway, to that end. Here's the Simple Woman Daybook for Monday, October 24th, the Feast of St. Raphael.

Outside my window... It's a gray drizzly day. Not all, but most of the leaves that so recently dressed the big cottonwood tree outside my window, now lay around its feet thanks to the big wind that blew in the chilly wet weather we are enjoying today. There's almost no color out there any more, green or otherwise. It was not a vibrant autumn this year -- I'm guessing because the weather conditions just didn't cooperate; we went -- in one weekend basically -- from summer straight into the depths of autumn, with 20 degree overnight temps. The leaves still hanging onto the trees for dear life are a limp beige color and the ground is covered with the less tenacious leaf bretheren -- also limp and beige. Funny thing, though, is that the raspberry and blackberry bushes are still a deep green. Wonder why that is?

What I'm wearing... a black-back ground A-line skirt with pink and blue flowers scattered all over it; blue socks; blue sweater, pink polo shirt, and blue reading glasses on top of my head. Even if I don't see a soul all day, it just pleases me to color coordinate.

What I'm doing... I've been working on entering recipes for the Davis Family Cookbook I'm trying to get together for Christmas presents for everyone this year. (This is a full-cooperation endeavor; the kids are adding, too!) Also working on a podcast on Saints Simon and Jude for Friday and a podcast on the history of Processions in the Church. Also, just starting preliminary work on a study guide for the book If All the Swords in England, by Barbara Willard. And have been babysitting for various grandchildren at very times for various reasons, usually about once a week. Which is the greatest pleasure. This morning, when I got to watch Clara and Margaret, we talked a lot about ducks (because today was a good day for ducks!), made sculptures out of pipe cleaners, read books together, drew, played with stickers, and -- because it was a day for ducks, we watched some Donald and Daisy Duck cartoons. (Life is hard, huh?)

What's up in the kitchen... A sausage stir fry for dinner. I've got a bunch of eggs set aside from the henhouse to make some mayonnaise. Hopefully tomorrow!

What I'm reading... I recently started What's Wrong with the World, by GK Chesterton -- and it's too complicated to put it in a nutshell, but his diagnosis just what you would imagine he'd have figured out a century ago -- and is just as pertinent to our own time as you would think. I've also got The Diary of a Hunted Priest waiting in the queue! I want a couple uninterrupted days to just dive in to that one and enjoy it! If I get a jump on Saints Simon and Jude tomorrow, maybe I can devote Thursday and Friday afternoons to enjoying that one! (And then maybe line it up for a study guide if it lends itself to one!)

What I'm planning... coming up in the next month, we'll be helping my sister, Linda, move into what we hope is her "forever home," the nicest little house you can imagine in a much safer neighborhood than the one she's in now! Hopefully, we'll be able to help her fix up her old trailer for a good turnover profit, too! Other than that, more immediately, I'm hoping to go spend the afternoon with Cathy and her two littles, Chloe and Max, on Wednesday and incidentally, drop off my wedding ring to have a bent prong fixed before I lose my diamond! 😬). Also, there will be a baby shower for Dominic and Monica's newest little cherub, Killian Pius, over at Michelle's house on Saturday -- and we'll also say goodbye to two wonderful families, cousins of Monica's (Thomas and Ben), who are moving to Idaho shortly. We're going to miss them! (But know they're doing what's best for their families!)

Big Projects on the Hopeful List... Dan and Dominic started the frame for a small shed to park up against the back of the Rv (Otherwise known as "The Tiny House"), so that we can add a proper water softener to the plumbing -- also some electrical improvements and space for storage. We're still hoping to get a good shelter built to cover all. And the long term hope is to expand into a bigger tiny house at some point -- with more space for entertaining and work space for both me and Dan, but that's a prayerful one for the future... maybe there are more important things for us to concentrate upon. Deus Vult. We have nothing to complain about right where we are.

Incidentally... We've had the expected season-change influx of rodents in the tiny house -- and have discovered that our little dog, Dawsey, bless his little heart, is not just a beta dog -- he's more like a zeta dog. He's afraid of the mice. No kidding. Crazy dog. We need to bring one of the cats in. But Dawsey is afraid of them, too....

Picture thoughts for catching up...

The Most Recent Big Event

The Baptism of Killian Pius Davis

Birthday, October 10th

Dominic and Monica's first son, third child;

Our Fifteenth grandchild, fifth grandson;

William and Philomena, Godparents!

Killian shown here with Mom n Dad,
Fr. Carlos Borja, Clara, and Margaret

Philomena, Killian's aunt, Monica's sister
with Killian and Fr. Borja

And here's our handsome little man!
(BIG little man; 9lbs, 6oz at birth!)

And More Family, in No Particular Order

Fr. Philip and William, who sat with
us at the banquet during the Fatima
Conference we were finally able to
attend this year! (It was awesome!)

Gabriel is a postulant in the Minor Seminary
in Western Colorado this year! There he is,
third from the left.

The Sister Sisters, Sr. Antonia (L), and Sr. Evangeline (R)
with Margaret Mary during their visitation -- always too short!

This is a "Remember When" photo --
taken c. 2000 in Byers, CO, when Cathy was a baby.

Celebrating Dominic's birthday at the restaurant
attached to "Thunder Bowl" in Council Bluffs at
the end of September. All the Local Gang present and
accounted for: Shelly's family, Cathy's family, Dominic's
family, Dan and me. (Gabe and William already back
to school and seminary, as this was the end of September.)

Kevin with Sebasian (Basti) and Sophia -- still

in Germany -- but coming for a good visit in December!

Cathy with Louis, Chloe, and Max

Paul with Nicole, Lillian, Evelyn, and Gavin
on their summer vacation

Gabe had an epic summer, in that, he got his driver's license...

He graduated from high school...
(Wish they'd made some attempt to smile in this photo --
it's actually pretty funny how awful they all look! LOL!)

And, Gabe, together with his entire senior class from St. Joseph Minor Seminary -- as well as
William (who could have graduated and opted not to) and Fr. Philip were able to raise enough
funds to go to Germany for their senior class trip. (And, of course, stayed with Kevin in Bavaria!)