Cottage Blessings

Dateline, Sunday morning

Mom is in the shower.  She is also behind on the laundry.

Unknown child knocking on the door: "Mom, I don't [unintelligible garble]!"

Mom: "Honey, speak a bit louder, I can't hear you!"

Child: "I don't [unintelligible garble]!"

Mom: "I still can't hear you!  Open the door a crack!"

Child: "Mom, I don't have anything suitable to wear to Mass!"

Mom:  "Oh, honey, there are plenty of dresses in your closet to wear to Mass."

Child: "But, Mom, [unintelligible]."

Mom: "No buts, honey, put on your Land's End polka dot dress . . . or the white one."

Child: "But!"

Mom: "I said, no buts, go get one of those dresses on right now."

Child: "But, Mom!  It's Neil!"

Sunday dinner menu

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Corn Casserole

Mild Guacamole (mashed avocados with lime and a dash of sea salt)

Oven toasted French bread

 

Homeschool Nesting

It is August 6th, the beginning of my annual "homeschool nesting" season.  Now most mothers start this process in June or earlier, but, for me, it usually hits me about a week into August that the summer will not last forever, and I need to start decluttering, beautifying, planning, and dreaming about the year to come.

One of my resolutions for this year is to be home more.  I am going to reduce our outside commitments as much as possible and enjoy the greatest gift of homeschooling--TIME.  Time to think and dream and learn and love and be together.

I hate to see the summer end, but there is something to be said for turning leaves and turning pages, morning walks and evening fires . . . glorious, golden days together that will never come again.

Thank you, dear Lord, for another year of homeschooling.  What a gift.

[Someone, please, remind me to go back and reread this post in February!]

[Today's small step in the right direction:  Signing up for courses in Honors Chemistry and Human Biology at Homeschool Connections.]

It's time to admit I have a problem

So I was watching 1940's Pride and Prejudice, starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier.  I had gotten to the following scene, woefully untrue to the book, yet perhaps my favorite part of the whole movie.  Watch it if you have five minutes to be entertained.  (Actress Edna May Oliver is a comic genius, and Greer Garson is no slouch herself):

 

As I was chuckling over this, I could hear a text coming in on my phone.  It was a link to a video from my fifteen year old daughter:

 

She has me pegged.