I greet a pile of books in the girls bedroom. They love to read before bedtime and as soon as they wake up too apparently lol ;0)
After a nice easy and popular in this house, breakfast of natural yogurt with honey and chopped bannana, with cold milk on the side, the tow middle girls go upstairs with Emmy to make beds and get teeth brushed while I do the washing up and have a coffee with Tani.

So here is a typical Satuarday in our home (warts 'n' all!) lol ;0)

Brace Yourselves...

ABUNDANCE in TEASPOONS

It all started with teaspoons!

This morning I realised that finally we had a drawer full of them.

Tani had gone to the shop after work to pick some up as somehow we had run out ( do teaspoons go to the same black hole that matching socks and hair ties do ?) and we had resorted to using the children's plastic play spoons (blush)

When I saw the drawer full of new shiny spoons it just felt so abundant! Positively opulent!

I started writing my gratitude journal a while back now, inspired by Ann over at Holy Experience 's Gratitude Community.

In the beginning when I actually sat down to put all I felt grateful for on to paper it started with the big things. Food, Shelter, Clean Water, Health, A Happy Family.

I'm more than aware that there are too many people who survive without many of these things, some with just a little. I am grateful that I have these basic provisions right now.

As time has gone on however I have found that my list has increased, I can hardly stop thinking of things to write down. And it's not just the big things that I am inspired to praise God in thanksgiving for.

The smallest details of life have imprinted themselves, come out into relief, been brought into focus.

The way light shines on a child's face, sparkles on the dewy grass.

The glorious mess of an unmade bed after an afternoon nap.

Freckles that have risen like bubbles to the surface of my four year olds face this Summer.

The smell of tomatoes ripening in the garden.

The wonder Tilly has at every little insect and bug she finds.

The way peanut imitates every little thing Tilly does.

Soft socks,

And yes.... teaspoons!

Gratitude is an amazing thing. by changing our perspective we also change our vision, we change what we see and how we see it. Radically it may lead to a change in what we experience and how we experience it...

"She had chosen a journey towards God's destination. To his invitation, "Come," she had stepped out along the way, and already the sights and sounds were smelling, tasting, feeling new, even those which would once have seemed mundane and commonplace."

"On the Way to Bethlehem" Hilary McDowell.

A Memory a Moment

God gave us memories that we might have roses in December. ~J.M. Barrie, Courage, 1922

Some little things that blossom all year round...

*Smiles…. lot’s of them, :-D

*Cuddles, (((((())))))

*Kind and gently spoken words,

*Eye contact ,

*Stories, books, songs,

*Dancing,

*Finger painting

*Sharing laughter

* Soothing tears

* Sharing a story

* Making popcorn and watching the sunset.

*Lighting a candle and saying a prayer,

*Making up a song from scratch.

* Building a board game

*Exploring, walking, searching for treasure, having adventures!

*In-between moments for all to pause…. (and listen)

Memories are made of nothing but one little brushstroke at a time, put together to make a picture.


A kind word, gentleness and a smile all help to build the fabric of child's world. Each interaction paints a colour on a piece of white canvas.


More than all the toys in the world or anything that can be bought, kindness, gentleness and a simple smile or touch are what make memories beautiful.

Memory is a child walking along a seashore. You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things. ~Pierce Harris, Atlanta Journal

Some places I like to visit

Here are a couple of blogs I've come across lately that I really love...

Eyes of Wonder

Eyes of Wonder is such a special place in the blogosphere. If you haven't already heard of Eyes of Wonder, please pay Jewels and her beautiful family a visit sometime.
You will be inspired by their gentle, simple, grace filled way of life. Eye's of Wonder has just returned to Blogland after a year break, so there's lot's to catch up on :0)

http://prairieprologue.blogspot.com/

A new discovery. A lovely thoughtfully written, inspiring, blog. Please take a look!

http://livinglearningandlovingsimply.blogspot.com/

A beautiful, bright, upliftling blog from a Mom of four.


~Enjoy~

Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...

Outside my Window... The street is empty. In the distance, past the rooftops of neighbouring houses, I see the trees upon the hill rustling beneath a granite coloured sky. Autumn is on it's way I think :0)

I am thinking... When the baby falls asleep for her nap i'll go downstairs and make dinner and read with the girls.

I am thankful for... How blessed I am too feel God working in and through my life. Having healthy, happy girls. Fullfillment. Finding Joy in simple things. And a gift of hope in life that I know will stay with me no matter what.

From the kitchen... Penne with fresh tomatoe and basil sauce for dinner.

I am wearing... A brown smock top and a long denim skirt.

I am reading... "Who told you that you were naked?" by Br. John Jacob Raub.

I am hoping... That a friend of mine that has been having some struggles will soon find peace.

I am creating... Memories, a journal for my girls, Homemade Christmas gifts.

I am hearing... My little 16 month old babbling instead of snoring like she should be. Maybe she's growing out of naptime ;0)

Around the house... Laundry as usual...

One of my favorite things... How about 4! Listening to my girls play outside making up imaginary stories. A nap in the afternoon after a busy morning, with the little ones snuggled up beside me.

Lighting candles in the evening and saying prayers and reading stories with the girls cuddled up in a quilt on the sofa. A good cup of tea.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Getting my four year old ready to start school (sob;0(

Making the most of the last three days of the holidays. Finishing off some craft projects for Christmas presents. Posting an aid box to Zimbabwe.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

A little doll I knitted for the girls for Christmas "Daisy May"

fOR MORE DAYBOOKS VISIT The Simple Woman

Thankful for...

I am thankful for... A surprise bloon of yellow petals as Summer gently fades into Autumn. Our sunflowers have finally decided to wake up from their gangly green stems and put the sun into the rainy days of late August here in the middle of england.
Little girls on an adventure. In the depths of Sherwood forest, Robin hood is hiding somewhere and they are determined to find him.
What's that noise? I'm sure he's just around the corner Boo!

A little girl who is growing out of babyhood way to fast! Full of sweet smiles, wet kisses and sparkling eyes for everyone she meets.

Sisters who are best friends. Who read stories to eachother, make mischief with each other, cuddle up in bed for naps together, and can never bear to see the other hurt.

Baby curls...

And wondering whatever do angels think about on their days off :0)...

Check out the GRATITUDE community @ Holy Experience

The Sacred Everyday

THE TWO LADIES

The great St. Antony, the abbot who had spent long years in the desert, passing whole nights in prayer and performing severe penances, aware of how important the virtue of humility is in the spiritual life, asked God to make him profoundly humble. In answer to his prayer, the Almighty directed him to visit two ladies in the neighboring city, who though simple and unpretentious in their manner of life, were, so God told Antony, holier than he who had spent long years in the practice of rigorous penance and unceasing prayer.

On entering their home, the Saint sought to discover the secret of such remarkable holiness; he asked them many questions as to the fasts they made, the length of their prayers, their austerities and the like, so that he might imitate them. He was not a little surprised to learn that they did nothing exceptional.

They observed the fasts of the Church; they said their prayers devoutly; they gave what little alms they could afford; they frequented the Sacraments, heard daily Mass and practiced the ordinary Christian virtues. What impressed the Saint most was that they loved God very simply but very sincerely.

God was the great reality in their lives. They did all their actions for love of Him. They performed their daily duties, seeing God in all they did.

They accepted what happened to them, joys as well as sorrows, as coming directly from His hand. That was all, but it sufficed to explain to the Saint the secret of their wonderful sanctity, viz., they performed their duties well and they loved God.

There are thousands of such hidden, ordinary Saints in the Church now, as there have been at all times.

Naked ?

" If it is true to say that we are our true self (our Christ centered self) it is equally correct to say that we have a false self.

Our false self is our desire (concupiscence) to be "like the gods," that is like, we "should be."

Merton describes this false self as " the exterior" "I" which has a compulsive need to measure up to greatness and infallibility. This "I" seeks recognition, applause, wants accomplishments, and successes. "It is the self which wants to exsist outside of the reach of God's will and God's love, or outside of reality and outside of life. Such a self cannot help but be an illusion."

Our false self is an illusion, but we really have the illusion. It isn't, but this "isn't" is!

"Our false self dosen't exsist, it isn't there," "It's alienated from our true self and therefore God." "It is the "I" I want to exsist outside of reality, therefore not known by God.

For us to be reconciled we must be willing to identify with this lost, then found, soul. Ultimatly, our reconcilliation comes about by the free grace of God through Jesus Christ.

At some time in our life, each of us has to say: "I am the prodigal son."

An excerpt from "Who told you that you were naked?" by Br. John Jacob Raub.

SUMMER FUN

Here are some pictures of when we went rasperry picking the other day.
Of course the little ones ended up with red smudged faces lol!
Here is Tilly with her white chocolate hedgehog.
She wanted to keep him "as a pet" apparently. And would only eat him once he had melted somewhat and no longer really resembled a hedgehog any more :0)

And here is the product of all our hard work at the fruit farm!

Well the left overs anyway lol ;0)

A Story I wanted to share

I'm one day late with this post I know but I wanted to share a story and I wanted somebody's permission before I shared it:0)

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My Dad is 75 years old. He and my Mum married late and thought after losing their first child they would never have any more. Then I came along! So there's a few years between us.

The feast of the assumption has always been very important to my father.

When he was a young man there was such a thing as National Service in England. My Dad had been a pupil at a Benedictine school called Downside in Somerset.

As with a number of his peers of the same age it was assumed that he would go onto university instead of enlisting for the three years of national service which was mandatory for all those not attending higher education.

My Dad has always loved Horticulture, plants and the outdoors, he could never have worked in an office. He was planning to take a degree in Botany and horticulture, but only after he had served his three years.

He didn't want to distinguish himself from those who maybe wouldn't have had the chance of going to University as an alternative. In those days very few working class people had the opportunity to receive a higher education.

Besides he had a spirit of adventure! He was sent to Egypt at first which to this day he has good memories (and stories) of.

During manoeuvres on Salisbury Plain under the heat Mid Summer something went wrong. A tank accidentally rolled over one of my fathers friends.

Suffering from severe heat stroke he fired his weapon into the sky and was forced to the ground.

He fell unconscious and was in a coma for 6 weeks! In those days they used ECT as therapy. Still nothing worked. It was assumed that he would either be severely damaged or would die. My devout catholic Grandparents were devastated, he was their only son.

Then suddenly, without warning on the morning of August the fifteenth 1956 my Dad woke up speaking with them almost as if nothing had happened.

Even the doctors called it a miracle.

Last night I picked my Dad up all dressed up in his three piece suit Shillelaugh in hand ( His Mum was Irish) and took him to evening mass.

Above us in the sky was a small rainbow about the size of a large full moon. It wasn't arched it was round. The strange thing is that there had not been a drop of rain in the county that whole day. The sky was a pure silvery blue dotted with a few fluffy white clouds. It made me recall the rainbow after the Flood, how it symbolised hope. Which is exactly what the assumption of Our Lady symbolises.

The hope in the belief of Christan's that someday we will be with Our Lord body and soul, completely united and whole.

In this world it is easy to forget that the body is sacred, made in the image and likeness of God. We are all God's children.

On the way home from Mass a beautiful full golden moon slowly appeared through the sky.

Which made me think again of Our Lady and why the assumption is so special. She is the link between us and her son. She reflects the light of the sun like the moon. Even in the deepest darkness that light always shines for us.

Ready to gently awaken us and bring us through the night into a new day, full of hope.

Little Ways

Little drops of water, little grains of sand.

Make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land.

The "Little Ways" of St. Therese have always been something so inspirational for me.

What may appear, small, obscure, unseen, ordinary or unimportant by worldly standards, is in fact like the smallest stiches on a quilt. Though they may be only visable on the inside of the quilt, they are in fact what hold the fabric of the piece together.

St. Therese understood that what may appear to be of no value here on earth, may have great value in the Kingdom of God. Her wondeful quote "To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul" Is something I often find myself returning to.

A smile, a kind word, even the monotonous details of daily work are a prayer.

And for me the greastest prayer has been acceptance which seems, in a way such an ordinary thing, yet it has been something of an evolving process for me.

Acceptance of suffering at times. Yet acceptance also of the gracious gifts of others when my pride tried to resist. Acceptance of my limitations, My faults, stubborness, pride, disatisfaction, indignation, fear.

Acceptance of the limitations and faults of others. Truthfully. And the more I accept my own faults. The more I can love others despite theirs. How can I take offence? It's so much easier to accept that difficulties in a person's behaviour are usually the result of some kind of pain.

Just like my own are. And I hope they accept mine lol!

"Perhaps St. Therese of Liseux, patroness of all missions, was meant to live out a destiny in which her time was limited to the minimum, her actions were reduced to essentials, her heroism was indisernable to those who looked for it, and the scope of her mission covered a mere few square meters, in order to teach us that the effectivness of a mission is not always measurable by the hands of a clock, that actions are not always visible, that missions covering vast distances will be joined by missions that penetrate straight into the depth of the crowds of humanity. In that abyss, these missions will make contact with the human spirit that questions the world, and oscillates between the mystery of a God who wants it to be small and stripped bare, and the mystery of a world that wants it to be great and powerful."

Madeliene Delbrel "We, The Ordinary People of the Streets."

A note from someone special....

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We live in a unique world.

Make it a really great day.

Peace To All and May God Bless You.

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Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Leave the rest to God.