What am I cooking?

Applesauce and cinnamon.  It’s cooking right now and filling my kitchen with the most amazing smell.  And now I wish the humid air would go far away from here.  I’m ready for some crisp fall weather.

What am I reading?

The Silver Linings Playbook, by Matthew Quick.  I eat local food so I figured I’d give this locally written book a try.

And the internet, including, ESPN, Crashburn Alley (a Phillies blog and hey, they did just clinch another playoff birth!), this blog by children’s author Max Elliot Anderson, and Ross Douthat.

What are my weekend plans?

A visit sans kiddos to DC.  I’ll be seeing two of my college roomies, one blogs here.

What are my prayer intentions for the day?

For Nathaniel, the four year old son of our friends, he is suffering from brain cancer.   And for a fellow homeschooling mother and friend on strict bedrest with her 5th pregnancy.  Life is very hard for her right now, and she really needs a lot of prayers.

What can my children do instead of watching TV?

Make a village or city with every toy in our playroom.  It seems to keep them busy for hours, but unfortunately requires some serious cleaning assistance from mom!

What is one product that is making my life a little easier?

My washing machine.  Seriously.  I dread doing laundry, but how much worse would it be if I didn’t have a washing machine.  It is amazing that after only 1 hour a huge load of clothes is completely clean.  Now I just wish they would invent a washer/dryer all in one.  How amazing would it be to just set a wash and dry cycle and have clean and dry laundry waiting for me.  Am I the only one who runs a cycle and forgets to transfer to the dryer?

What am I grateful for?

My children.  I have been thinking a lot lately about all the people I know with very sick kids.  I’m hugging my little ones just a little bit harder and longer today, thanking God for his many blessings.

What have I done for my marriage this week?

Prayer.  I have been setting time aside each day to pray for my relationship with Mr. Red.  The small time it takes to pray for our marriage is bearing fruit.  God’s grace is a big part of every relationship.  It’s a pity I don’t remember to ask for it more often.

What’s challenging me lately?

Unreliable child-care.  I’ve been burned two times in the past week.  Scrambling for help at the last minute is not my thing, it leaves me drained and angry.

Something that made me think?

A conversation I overheard while running at the beach.  I overheard two older women discussing the death of their friend.  They talked in great detail about her last days and hours.  From the small bit I overheard, these two ladies were in regular phone communication throughout their friend’s last night.  They couldn’t sleep, so they prayed and chatted.

I then thought of all the wonderful builders, and our late night phone conversations when someone is in labor.  When a dear friend is laboring, I can’t sleep well, so I pray and chat with my friends, waiting for the baby’s arrival and an end to my friend’s suffering.  And I wonder, in 50 years, will I be praying and talking about death in this way?  I saw us in these two older ladies, pretty intense, huh?