Simple Woman's Day Journal

January 25
Simple Woman's Day Book
From blogspot.com


The Simple Woman's Daybook~January 25th Edition


Outside my window...a very wet day

I am thinking...the lie down I just had is doing me a lot of good

I am thankful for... my comforts

I am wearing... a brown 3/4 length sleeve top and blue denim jeans

I am remembering...my grade school years

I am going... to have my hair done tomorrow and play with my great niece and nephew

I am currently reading... back issues of my one magazine subscription

I am hoping... to see resolution to Isabella's school situation

On my mind... how to get some things off my mind

Noticing that...Bells answered my question about what she did in school today

Pondering these words..."whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."

From the kitchen... a cold stove that needs my imagination and heating up

Around the house... attention is needed

One of my favorite things~ seeing progress in Isabella


Hoping you all have a wonderful week, g

One Big Family

Isabella didn't want to go to school this morning. This is not a common occurrence so I played it down by not mentioning it for a while.

When it was time to get dressed, she fought me a bit as she loves her bathrobe and doesn't want to take it off. Slippers are big in her world, too. Once it was time to go, all was well with the world...

...until it was time to go into the classroom. Blessedly, the pre-school autism class has its own outside entrance. Bells stood there not going to go win. Her teacher said, "Don't you want to see your friend, L?" In she went!

Next, M didn't want to go in. "Don't you want to play with the train, M?" asked one of the wonderful aides. "Train!" he repeated as he ran into the classroom with a big smile on his face.

M's dad and I smiled broadly at how his son and my granddaughter responded so well. His son had barely any speech before he started school and Isabella had little discernible speech. We rejoice together in the progress of our beloved "special" ones.

The more I read the comments of parents and loved ones of people with autism the greater a bond I feel with them. No one else understands our hopes and fears; our heartbreak and joys; our feelings of failure and of triumph. It is a kinship.

I do believe that very few of us would refuse a cure for autism. Some might but I know I would jump at it if it wasn't dangerous to my Isabella. Would I love her more? How could I. Would I love her less? I don't believe that could ever happen.

I still laugh nearly every day I am with Bells. We are blessed that she is not inside of herself all of the time but able to take part in every day tasks such as "helping" me in the kitchen and picking up after herself.

What would my life be like without her? I don't ever want to find out. Thank you God for my little Boo.

Thankful Thursday

January 07
Thankful Thursday

In following dear Meg's example, here are things I am thankful for:

a roof over my head

clothing on my back

food in my belly

health in my family

progress in Isabella's cognition

cars running well

chocolate being healthy

parents being alive and well

God in me

Can you add to this?

Just Don't Know

Just don't know what to make of what has been going on around here. Wisdom and discernment are needed and I am waiting upon the Lord to guide me.

As I am sure I have mentioned in the past, being a parent lasts a lifetime. Doesn't matter what your child's age is you still are happy when they are happy and sad when they are sad.

I've been blessed to quite often be able to learn from other people's mistakes. Don't get me wrong; I have made some of the stupidest mistakes in the past. What I am saying is that, had people not kept their counsel before I jumped in I might not have taken the plunges that brought me such pain. Telling me afterwards did no good.

Now I find myself weighing my words with my children; especially my daughter. I do speak up but it falls on deaf ears - or so I think. So much unnecessary pain. It hurts me.

Having a grandchild changes how you act toward your grown child, too. Her welfare needs to come first and, if I don't think it is, I want to jump right in. Tact is much more difficult.

Ugh. I am so happy I have prayer to help me through. I don't think I'd be alive without my faith. I'm not all that strong without God's hand holding me up.

Have you ever felt like giving up and running away? Oh, yes. I am blessed that I have a couple of places to go overnight if I feel I am going to burst.

If you have a child or children and you knew then what you know now would you have still had them? I love my children so much. That being said, there is only one way to get grandchildren...

Do you realize that those "perfect" families you see all around you aren't? Perfect, that is. Took me a while but yes, I realize it. I have found that, after getting to know them, I am happy to come home to what I live with.

Are you sick of holiday sweets yet? Just when I think I am I get a yen...

In saying the new year, are you saying "twenty-ten" or 'two thousand ten?" I want to say the latter but am afraid of being lazy and saying the former. I have a keen sense of being appropriate. heavy sigh

Be well, gail

Miracles and Such

There are skeptics among us but I believe in miracles.

This afternoon I sent out a prayer request to heal my migraine and it is gone. I put my hands on my niece's swollen, nine months pregnant baby belly and felt my new great nephew moving within her. At one of my Tuesday night meetings (group of women from my church), a members hands got hot and she touched several of us and we were all healed by the next day of what was ailing us (I was healed within an hour or so).

The greatest miracle of all that I have experienced was that God took a piece of Himself, came to earth and became human so that I might never be able to say, "Lord, you just don't understand." Not only that, He became sin whilst on the cross so that we could have a relationship with God and spend eternity with Him.

Can it get any better than that?

I no longer try to picture what heaven is like. There is no way my limited mind could ever do it justice. I tell my children what my mother told me: when you get there, whatever makes you happiest is what heaven will be like. As a child, I used to imagine unlimited boxes of Whitman samplers (chocolates). Himself hopes for reenactments of the miracles in the Bible like the parting of the Red Sea. Now, I am waiting in anticipation for when I join my Lord and savior. I know with everything in me that no joy on earth can compare.

In a few days, we will be celebrating the birth of that bit of God sent to earth. Technically speaking, shepherds don't watch over flocks in December so the actual date is up in the air. Does it really matter when Jesus Christ was born? I don't think so. All that matters was that He WAS born and why. Born to die that I may live.

My greatest desire is that all I know would come to know Jesus for their own. Sometimes I ache with this desire.

May the honoring of God by remembering Who He gave us be of the utmost importance in your life this week and always.

blessing, joy and peace, g

TV Tales and Such

I watch too much television. I use the tv as a babysitter for Bells too much of the time. Mom used to call it the "idiot box" and I believe a majority of the households in America use it as their main form of entertainment.

Pass through any neighborhood at night and, if a window isn't covered, you might see flashing forms from whatever is being watched. As I type this, CSI is playing from the dvr. Himself still likes it but I am kind of bored by it and grossed out by how graphic, gory and filled with gratuitous sex it is.

HOWEVER, it does serve a good purpose, too. I have learned quite a bit of decent knowledge from some of my shows. For instance, if someone is dying slowly and no one can figure it out, test for heavy metal poisoning. Arsenic will be detected that way but the test is rarely given making it the choice of unhappy spouses who want out. Himself thinks I am so smart when I can figure that kind of thing out. hmmm...

Like the internet, it is great and horrible.

Enough of that. Less than two weeks before Christmas. I have never done Santa with my kids but The Girl is doing it with Isabella who still doesn't get it. I asked The Boy if it ever bothered him that I didn't do Santa and he said no. The Girl, however, had her father telling her Santa was real and she tried to make me believe in him.

In the spirit of decoration, I have polished my nails a deep green. Sally's Beauty Supply sells their own brand of nail polish in small bottles for .99! I love that! You don't have to commit to a color you paid $8 for.

Have I mentioned that my children are making me crazy? I have to remember that we have raised them and they are adults. They are now responsible for themselves and no longer require our parenting. We have to sit back and pray whilst they make their mistakes and have their victories. It is so hard. If they would only listen we could keep them from hurting so badly. ugh Letting God be God is hard but they belong to Him, not us.

Are you ready for Christmas? Depends on what you mean by ready. We buy very few gifts and I haven't baked much for years. The tree is trimmed and a few decorations are up.

Have a favorite Christmas cookie? Hard to choose. I like my coconut macaroons drizzled with chocolate and oatmeal lace cookies sandwiched with chocolate. Gingerbread cookies with chocolate on them. Am I seeing a pattern here?

Where will you be on Christmas eve and or day? Christmas eve, my sister's house with my side of the family. Christmas day, the in-laws'.

Egg nog? A little bit. I like it but it is sooo fattening.

What are you watching on tv these days? I'm enjoying the Home & Garden channel a lot especially the Canadian shows like Income Property and The Unsellables. Also, Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel.

Here's hoping that your "days are merry and bright and that all your Christmases are white" (at least in your dreams!).

blessings, g

Blogging

Looking back over the last few years I see that blogging has enmeshed itself in the very fiber of my life. Although I have not spent much time here of late, the effects are in my life every day.

It seems that it would be unrealistic to call someone a "friend" if you have not really met. However, I have met a few of you in person and it has solidified our relationships. A few others I have spoken with by phone and other forms of communication and we have stood by one another through good times and rough times.

When I post new pictures of Isabella, I get the same reactions here that I get from my friends and family I "see" in person. Every time we conquer a battle for Bells' education or when she makes progress, I have a virtual cheering section.

If I am sick or sad, I get encouragement and prayers. When you are sick or need encouragement, I deem it an honor to be able to pray for you and send you a bit of "g" wisom and cheer!

What I am saying is I appreciate you and count you a blessing in my life! Thank you for being here.

Let's do a falderal on Thursday to change things up:

How long have you been blogging: About three and a half years now.

Why did you start? I'm not really sure. I enjoyed reading other people's blogs and I enjoy writing so it seemed natural to start.

Have you met anyone from blogland in person? Yes. I have met Lols and Texas Mammie and they are as wonderful in person as they are here!

What has slowed you down in blogworld, if, indeed, you have slowed down? If you haven't slowed down, what has kept you going? I must confess that facebook is one culprit but mostly it is the changes spaces has made. We now have to work harder to see what is going on with our friends.

How in the world are you? I am pretty well, thank you very much. We are experiencing weird weather and it is making a mess of our sinuses but our health is pretty good.

God bless all of you, g