MISTY'S MORNINGS

1.  I am turning 40 next week.  Whoa.  Just take a moment to let that sink in.  4-0 .  Not to be morbid but it does not escape my notice that I may be at the halfway point in my life ( pray God that is true! ).   Funny thing is, I feel excited about it.  Somehow 35 was more hair-raising for me than 40.  Might it be that I finally am settling into myself?  It may simply be that at 35 I was pregnant with my third child and felt like I was starting over at diapers.  Now that boy is 4 (and I am not pregnant) and I have more of an independent life again.  Selfish?  Maybe.  True?   Totally .  I loved those baby days but I am certainly enjoying the freedom that comes with aging.  (Tell that to me again when I have bouts of baby fever so fierce they make tears spring to my eyes.)   2.  I just realized that I am officially a Soccer Mom which means to me that I am at five separate soccer practi...

52 Photos Project

A few weeks ago my youngest son and I had a an unexpected conversation about growing old, death and Heaven.  It led me to recall a promise Jesus made and asked us to believe in.  Please read the story and the promise where I am sharing it at Catholic Mothers On-line today.

Have a wonderful, restorative weekend.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus 52 Photos :: Season's Beginning

It's been a while since I managed to participate in the Baking With Julia challenge.  In fact, I think I accidentally took the entire summer off. Oh well.  No need to dwell on what I missed when I was ready to jump back in with both feet with this recipe.   You see my boys eat a lot of whole wheat bread in this house.  They take turkey and cheese sandwiches to school everyday for l unch.  Such lack of variety would bore me to death but these easy boys are quite content with such daily familiarity. (Much to my groggy morning lunch making delight!) When I saw this recipe it looked pretty doable even for a novice bread baker like me.  It truly was.  I have an annoying habit of not reading all the fine print prior to mixing ingredients and  ~ no surprise ~ I realized immediately that I had added all the water to the yeast in the first step and later I added the salt too early and had to watch it dissolve into the liquid praying it ...

52 Photos  

  Stepping cautiously down cracked concrete steps dusted with cobwebs, mouse droppings and rich North Dakota soil, I was the first to enter the underground cellar at my father-in-law's abandoned  family farmstead.   Looking into the blackness of a place I had never been before was intimidating.   I am no  farm girl and had no idea what my fly into my face as I descended.  Once inside the room my eyes began to adjust to the dimness and I peered into the corners and around the rugged wooden door.   "It's safe," I called back up the stairs to my children who had wondered if there would be snakes, bats or worse, a ghost, hiding down there.   Despite the 90 degree heat aboveground, the interior of the cellar was cooler as if air-conditioned  by some unseen window unit.  The floor had warped over time and was uneven but to my surprise there was very little evidence of animal intrusion.  This fortified room would c...

Just a quick post to inspire some Fall decorating around your house.  I bought all these items at Target today and my home suddenly feels cozier and more seasonal.  The flower bouquet was the most expensive item at $19.99.  The felt leaf placemat, coasters and blessings sign were found in the dollar spot and cost $2.50 each.  For less than $30.00 you can ring in the new season without digging through boxes in the attic or basement.  They would also make cute gifts for teachers or friends.  I plan to get out the glitter glue and add a little pizazz to the Count Your Blessings sign. Are you getting into the Fall mood?  What do you do to add a little season to your home?