Late July Afternoon - Daybook Revisted

Outside my window ::

Summer is in full swing, although we've been blessed with somewhat of a reprieve from the above 90 degree temperatures of last week. It's a soothing 63 degrees right now - a little overcast, but the sky is clearing and the cicadas are in top form. I love summer.

I am wearing ::

Denim capris and a t-shirt from Sunset Beach, NC. 

I'm listening to and watching ::

Coverage of the 28th World Youth Day with Pope Francis on EWTN. At the moment, our Holy Father is walking through the slums of Rio de Janeiro. I watched him hug a boy of about 10 years of age. The boy was in tears - overcome with the emotion of embracing Papa Francisco! I am in tears, too!

Around the house ::

 I've been busy rearranging rooms and figuring out where best to store 'things' and where to hang pictures. The living room has been repainted and is the new home to my white, slip-covered Ikea sofa and loveseat. I found a cute, little slipper chair on Target's website for a great clearance price and a new navy blue slipcover for my ratty, old green velvet wing chair. A couple of fun new pillows and cute lamps from Home Goods have also brightened up the room. I'm still thinking about curtains. I ordered drapes from World Market, but decided they are better suited for another room. After everything is put together, I'll post some photos. So stay tuned!

Since I decided to move the white couches to the living room, I needed to find new furniture for the family room. Jim and I shopped at a local furniture store over Memorial Day weekend and were very pleased to find a comfy, rather smart looking sofa and loveseat ensemble in a dark, espresso leather. They are so easy to take care of and very kid friendly! The Ikea slip-covered chair continues to hold its original spot in the family room, but I purchased a new cover for it and the footstool from Knesting.com. It is a beautiful taupe and pairs quite well with the new couches. A new area rug - on sale from Kohl's {I hardly ever - almost never - buy anything full price} finishes off the room nicely.

In the garden ::

The vegetable garden is exploding with tomatoes, but everything else seems to have petered out. For some reason - too much water we think - the cucumbers are dying off and the yellow squash stopped producing. Farmer Jim planted a new cucumber plant yesterday afternoon - so we'll see. He makes the most wonderful, delicious pickles every summer, so we're maintaining hope! The lettuce was plentiful and yummy and we were able to harvest a small batch of green beans. We have a monster pumpkin growing and a couple of smaller ones. Isaac is excited about that! Grandpa Jim (the farmer) refers to the big one as Isaac's pumpkin. We also have two pumpkin vines growing in the front flower bed. So we'll see what we end up with by Halloween. 

From the kitchen ::

Earlier in the year, Jim and I decided we needed to lose a few pounds. We had started eating a much healthier diet, cutting out virtually any processed foods and eating mostly whole foods, but needed to do something more. Basically, we eat very few sweets - hardly any at all really - and I eat bread very rarely {Jim still makes sandwiches for lunch} and no white potatoes or pasta unless we're guests at someone's house for dinner. I lost over 10 pounds and feel great. We frequent a nearby farmer's market and try to buy/eat local, organic, grass fed, cage-free, non-GMO and so on (you get the picture). Perhaps one of the drawbacks is that I've become somewhat of a food snob as a result, but I really do try not to 'judge' others especially when we've been invited to their home for a meal. It's decidely more important to find joy in friendship and "breaking bread" together and to always be grateful for those gifts.

 I am reading ::

Just finished The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to Everyday Living by Fr. Timothy M. Gallagher. Challenging, yet helpful in discerning the various spiritual movements we experience toward consolation and desolation.

I am hoping and praying ::

That two friends who have been unemployed are able to find suitable jobs very, very SOON! It's been a difficult cross to bear for them and their families.

I am pondering ::

There are some who will argue that the Church has no business imposing her beliefs on others, but I argue that those folks misunderstand the Church's mission! There is only one Truth - not many truths. And that TRUTH benefits all of society whether you are Catholic or not or whether or not you're a believer.

"The Church must be taken into the streets!" - Pope Francis, World Youth Day address at Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Rio de Janeiro, 7/25/13

I am grateful ::

For my kids, my husband, my grandchildren. Especially my Erin who is preparing to move to NC this weekend to attend medical school at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine [CUSOM]. Jim will follow her down I-95 with our van and a rented trailer full of her belongings. I am super excited for her! But my mother's heart aches at the separation. I will miss her so, so much.

A few plans ::

My dear mother is riding back with me for a two week visit after I fetch Megan from Belmont Abbey College at the completion of her summer job working in the diocese of Charlotte. I am looking forward to having Mom (and Megan) here with us for a few weeks! It's been too long since she's been here.

A picture thought ::

Erin and me at a recent concert