Category: monday

cooking · madelynne · monday

Miscellany Monday

Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment
Miscellany Monday @ lowercase letters
One.
So since I’m staying home, I’m trying to be more crafty. I have this misconception that SAHMs are all crafty and decorator-y (it’s a word) and cute.  Notice I said misconception. I am well aware that most of the time we have pop-tart on our shirts, messy hair, and are lucky if the kids matched this morning.  But a girl can dream.  So for my first project:
We made some morning routine placemats. The craft itself was easy, well as easy as contact paper can be.  The fighting of the sissies, not so much.  Turned out alright, though.  And they use them.  Every morning.  So now I need new Expo markers.  And I no longer have a classroom to steal from.
Two.
My girls like to dance.  On top of the coffee table.  While dressed like fairy princesses.  
Don’t tell their daddy.
Three.
Madelynne lost another tooth.  So she spent Saturday morning crying because the tooth fairy forgot to leave her money (don’t worry we soon discovered the TF left it by the tv. I mean, what was she thinking?) and sucking juice through the gaping hole in her mouth.  Awesome.
Four.
I’m on a mission to try new recipes.  Cook more from scratch because ultimately it is cheaper. Even with coupons.  BUT if you’re going to do that, it’s useful to follow the directions of ingredients one might not be familiar with.  Such as the difference between regular yeast and rapid rise.  Calzones turned out alright, though.  I’m still enjoying leftovers, myself.  And I did make that marinara from the tomatoes off the bush in my backyard.  Which made me happy.
Five.
Homework.  It’s begun. And it’s math. 
I feel your pain, baby.
Link up your own randomness over with Carissa at lowercase letters.
Happy Monday!
monday

Miscellany Monday

Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment
One.
One of those days.  Nothing accomplished.  Nothing going as planned.  Nothing else I can do.  But Belle’s feeling better.  She’s painting rainbows and hanging them all over our living room and we haven’t even given her the first dose of her antibiotic.  Apparently having Mommy home to herself is cure enough for strep throat.  
Two.
My kids are weird.  Amelia has this crazy rash that we thought was a reaction to her antibiotic but is in fact some sort of viral something…..like probably strep.  On top of her ear and sinus infection.  Did no one tell my kids that summer vacation started today?
Three.
I threw away the very first lessons plans I wrote today.  There was no reason to keep them.  They were boring, written for a class I no longer teach, and were aligned to QCC’s.  Does anyone even remember those now?
Four.
Joshua and Madelynne got me flowers today.  For no reason.  Now that’s a good Monday.
Five.
I think I might be addicted to the strawberry lemonade at McDonald’s.  This could be a problem.  First. $1.58 adds up quickly.  Second, I’m pretty sure they’re not sweetening that golden red deliciousness with no-calorie sweetener.
Six.  
I’m thinking of starting a new blog.  Just feels like it’s time for a change.  What do you think?  I’d still be writing about the same basic randomness….maybe.  I’d probably keep this one to be purely pictoral updates for those people in our life who don’t facebook.  
Seven.
Is it too late for me to plant a garden?  A small one?  Tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce?  I have no green thumb.  In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s a petrified brown, but so far we have managed to keep the Easter basket plants alive.  Think I can handle vegetables?
See?  There’s some daisies growing in that little yellow pot.
Join the miscellaneous at lowercaseletters.com
http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · monday · reflections

The Monday After

Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

What does the Monday after Easter look like?  The day after hours filled with study led by a radical?  The day after moments cherished and remembered and sanctified?  The day after I didn’t go to church because my baby was sick, but while at home felt God speaking to my heart through words that are more than letters and syllables and affixes of Latin and Greek.  Words that calm the soul and break the heart…….


“For in that day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.  But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people.  And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’  But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and….I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them day after day.”  Jeremiah 7:21-26

I don’t need to try harder.  God is trying more than enough. 

He commands me to obey and walk.  Persistently he reminds.

But so often I ignore and limp.  Everyday a trial for a weary soul that knows it should be rejoicing rather than restricting life to a grinding whine.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

It’s not my own doing.  It’s a gift. 

A gift I can choose each day to open and receive.  And then share with others.

A dear friend who is mentoring me through the end of my career and the beginning of a new journey shared this experience with me. 

Because to read this and ponder and wonder and delight in the words is to surrender myself to something I have perhaps never truly experienced.

The unyielding, unchanging, unfathomable grace and goodness of God.

My list began today….

1.  fresh bathmats that tickle my feet
2.  laundry warm from the dryer
3.  Easter bunny cookie my mama made
4.  vacuums that get hard boiled egg out of carpet
5.  hugging Madelynne her head beneath my chin
6.  silliness of six years old
7.  saying “it’s a blessing” and meaning it…thank you new bank for taking away that choice…
we truly are grateful

so many Thursdays I have linked up with Julia and struggled to find something to be thankful for, so today I made myself look around and see the goodness in the everyday. 

Please, God, let me unwrap tomorrow and treasure the gift.

For it is by faith….grace….hope….names I chose because I believe.

Names I must choose to live by.

monday

Making Wishes and Being Glad

Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

I wish Annabelle wasn’t so stubborn.

But I’m glad to think that maybe that means she’ll be her own person and not a copy of someone else.

I wish my feet didn’t hurt after teaching all day.

But I’m glad I have feet to hurt and a job to do.

I wish Calley’s birthday cake was more aesthetically pleasing.

But I’m glad it tasted like chocolate fudge anyway.  and maybe I’ll post a picture later.

I wish I appreciated things more.

But I’m glad I recognize that I should. 

I wish Amelia would stay a little baby.

But I’m glad she’s healthy and happy.

I wish I could understand God more.

But I’m glad to know He’s there.

I wish I exercised more.

But I’m glad I have the opportunities I do.

I wish I had bought milk today.

But I’m glad the daycare center will give it to Amelia all day anyway.

I wish I could see the future.

But I’m glad I don’t know what’s coming.

For some more miscellany this Monday link up at lowercase letters or read about finding joy here.

Manic Monday · monday

(Manic) Miscellany Monday

Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

Ran into a co-worker of Joshua’s/friend from church/wife of a colleague of mine at the Rite Aid tonight.  (Small town, so folks wear a lot of hats.)  She asked how I was and when I said I was tired, she told me I shouldn’t be since it’s my spring break.

I enlightened her that I had worked harder today than I work at school and told her to go home and tell her husband he should be working hard too since it’s Spring Break.

Spring Break just means it’s a chance to catch my breath before the big sprint to the finish.

So, as usual I’m trying to do too many things on too short amount of time.  Today I’ve been to CVS, Rite Aid, and Ingles.  I’m down to $12 in grocery money from now until the 15th and I’ve got a plethera of infant medications on my table for Joshua to put in a gift basket for another co-worker who’s expecting twins.  Better her than me.

So here’s some random thoughts from this manic Monday:

Apparently Motrin and Tylenol have stopped making infant products.  This is disheartening to a person such as myself who has unexpired coupons of high value.

I heart CVS.  They are so nice and easy to deal with and let me buy regular Pampers since they were out of Cruisers and still use my manufacturer and store coupons.  Yay, diapers.  I won’t be sad when I don’t have to work those deals anymore, though.  Okay, maybe I will, but only because that will mean my baby is getting so big I can’t stand it.

Joshua and his dad replaced our crappy, shabby, broken aluminum piece of —–ahem, got on a roll, there.  We got a new storm door.  Can you tell I have no feelings of regret for the old one?  I can’t believe the difference it made to the house.  Tomorrow I’ll post a pic so you can get the full effect.  We should have done this last year when the house was first listed.  It really is all about curb appeal.

I also finally framed some pictures.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll hang them on the wall, but let’s not get too crazy here.  You folks know how I feel about finishing projects.

I’m off to bed now so I can escape into my historical (smut Joshua says) novel about star-crossed lovers who can time travel.  Nothing like escapism.

Happy Monday!