Unadorned Pleasures in Life

After reading ladaisi's blog post about her "optimistic" list, I decided to write my own.  It inspired me to go and read the original post at the Optimal Optimist blog also.  And in no particular order, here is my list:

1. The smell of sheets after they have dried on the line outside.
2. Hearing the rain fall.
3. Listening to my rooster crow in the morning.
4. The smell of coffee brewing.
5. Listening to a marching band.
6. The feel of cold sheets and pillows.
7. Sitting in my rocker on the front porch.
8. Cooking a meal over a campfire, including making coffee.
9. Sipping hot cranberry punch on a cold day.
10. The feel of sunshine on my skin
11. Writing with a new pen.
12. The smell of fallen dry leaves.
13. Looking at my flowers outside.
14. The taste of the omelets that my husband makes for me.
15. The smell of an evergreen sprig.

Thanks to both of your blogs, you have inspired me and have encouraged my kids to do the same! 

Writer's Survival Kit ~ Kid Made

My 8 year-old daughter made this survival kit for me at my desk.  It's a piece of paper, with 2 pockets glued to the front, filled with wintergreen lifesaver candy and tootsie roll pops!  It's attached inside my roll top desk with poster putty.  The arrival of November 1st is closer than I want it to be.  I am actually starting to doubt myself and I should not be.  NaNoWriMo month - hear I come!

Confessions from a Journal Junkie

In the process of cleaning up the bedroom, I decided to clean out my nightstand.  My night stand has a drawer and a cupboard underneath.  I have not yet tackled the drawer on account of what I found in the bottom half.  I have to confess - I'm a journal junkie!

In my nightstand I found:

~ 25 unused journals of various styles

~ 1 completed journal

~ 2 unused prayer journals (I have a 3rd in my desk I am using)

and I also found:

~ 3 World War II, autographed, books with real stories, not read yet

~ 1 paperback Christmas book by Catherine Palmer

Oh, and that's not all the journals I have.  On top of the night stand I have a basket with 2 notebooks for note taking, and one journal.  I also have a travel journal, camping journal, gardening journal, journals to write about each child and who will receive those journals when they graduate, a homemade gift journal, a journal to record books I have read, a journal to write everything I borrow from the library (they do not keep track anymore at the library), a journal I wrote when my mother was in and out of the hospital, and many more.  Yep.  I'm a journal junkie. 

The funny thing is that my current every day journal is a plain spiral notebook, and the ones in my nightstand are hardcovers or moleskin covers.  I'm beginning to wonder if I feel they are too nice to write in.  I guess I better not ask for journals this Christmas. 

I have also encouraged the kids to write in journals.  One daughter journals about her volunteer jobs and horse riding, and another journals about her dog.  I also encouraged my 13 year-old daughter to write during her jaw surgery recovery, when she could only eat liquids.

Although I have taken my journaling to high level, I don't regret keeping them. 

Sun Chips ~ They bagged the bag~ More trash in our landfill now

Can you believe that the compostable bags Sun Chips was recently sold in, is no longer made?  People complained too much to the company because the bag was too noisy!  Don't people know how to use a bowl?  Good grief!  Frito-Lay should not have stopped making the biodegradable bag.  It was not a good choice on their part, in keeping our Earth clean. 

Watch The Colbert Report to see the news:
October 6, 2010 Colbert Report

Camping Recipes for Breakfast

The cool nights here are perfect for a few more fall camping trips.  I found this Web site

Red ribbon week for the kids

Today is "interesting hat day" to celebrate a week long red ribbon week at my kids school.  In a last minute search, I remembered a hat I sewed for another daughter several years ago.  The school system they were in at the time required them to create a Renaissance costume, and wear it to school.  I had sewed a hat for my daughter's Swordsman, and yes there were woman who did that back in the day.  Anyway, the hat was tucked into the dress-up/costume boxes over the years and today was getting good use of it.  I have to say that I can't believe I sewed that hat.  I'll try to get a picture of it when my 8 year-old brings it home today.

The hat looked similar to this hat

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Tips for Donating Food to Charity


Unique Ways to Send a Thank You