Hanging Around the House

 Can you see the butterfly resting on a zinnia?  Marilyn from Mountain Top Spice made garden flags so I did, too!  I had recently looked through my fabric stash and found quite a few cute scraps.  It was a fun morning project and I'm very cheered when I look out at the back garden.

Jane Austen happenings are quietly occurring around here.  I am also reading two good books (Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening AND Emotionally Healthy Spirituality). Both of these heavy duty books are mind-consuming.  Bill will be home tomorrow, so my long stretches of complete quiet will come to an end.  I've really been enjoying A Jane Austen Education (thank you Blackberry Rambles for suggesting it).  It is a well thought out tribute to the genius of Jane.  
The knitting project began but then I ripped it out because I had made three errors I couldn't live with.  I knit sort of tight and even, so I think I need to use bigger needles when I make things with fingering weight yarn. 

 My snuggle bug misses Bill.  He's missing out on half of the spoiling he's grown accustomed to.

 I may try one more time with the JA knitting because I think Hetty's Sunday cuffs are cute. 

 I drink more tea when I am home for long stretches.  I have taken a vacation from dinner.  I haven't been cooking like I do when Bill is home.  I like to cook, but I really don't like eating a big dinner anymore.  Are you as hungry for dinner as you used to be when you were younger?

Maybe you'd like some of James' green play clay.  

 PLEASE come over and take some of the squash away.  PLEASE. 

No, this isn't YOUR cookie cutter, but I bet you have one just like it! 

 We made peas in memory of my dad who liked to eat them.  Do you like peas?

James did a little digging in the back garden.  He planted a few pansies. 

 A bat got herself caught in Jenny's trampoline net.  ARGH!  We were all creeped out for a while.  Sam was jumping on the tramp and saw it.  Shivers. 

 I made applesauce cupcakes for Kelli's family. They had a wonderful time at Mt. Hermon family camp in California. 

While I was at their house the other day, the dogs killed a rat (more shivers) and then as I was driving out the driveway I saw the neighbor's mini-horse Snickers.  She gets out somehow and grazes along Kelli's road. 

 Here's a close up of the garden flags.

  . . . and I came upon some online yarn sales.  FUN!

My all time favorite Jane Austen film is the Colin Firth "Pride and Prejudice".  I love the music and the scenery (and the casting).  I watched a documentary, too.  I'm going to keep going and dabble in the books and keep reading the devotional every day or two.  I told my book club and my family (and all of you) about my Jane Austen festival.  What a big mouth.  You are kind to show interest. 

School started here on Monday and Samantha is enjoying her new school. It's a little overwhelming because it's a new school (remember, they moved).  I was reading some of my old journals and I re-realized that teaching school wasn't really my bag.  God blessed me, making it possible for me to be a good employee and a kind teacher, but it was hard on my happy-go-lucky nature.  There were sobering aspects of teaching (sad kids, grumbly teachers, worry and fear on the part of administrators that tended to affect teachers).  I did feel for kids when I watched them come out of the woodwork in our neighborhood, as the first day of school drew near.  They have a hard road because they HAVE to go to school and it IS good for all of us to step outside of our comfort zone, but sometimes the whole school gig is less ponies and cotton candy and more grit and bumps.  Say a prayer or a million for any child you know who goes to public school every day.  The world has always been hard, but I fear it's growing meaner.

Jenny called and wanted to know if I would be interested in meeting for lunch today.  I had just eaten a late breakfast (tuna fish sandwich) and I wasn't really ready for lunch but I rarely say no to an opportunity to be around my precious peeps (unless I'm already in my jammies, Christie 😃).  Anyway, I ate a burrito and now I am stuffed to the brim, so maybe no dinner at all tonight (I've been eating grocery store chicken, smoked fish, popcorn, toast).  So you see?  Things are quiet. Bill will soon be back to ramble around our house with me.  Yay!

Thank you for popping in.  I hope your August is remaining peaceful and cheerful.