Simple Woman's Daybook

 

More Daybook entries at Peggy's

For Today...

Outside my window... It is very early morning. The sun rose red and flaming over the eastern horizon.  

I am thinking... about my grandmother, about dying, about living, about goodbyes, and about being brave when one does not feel the least bit that. My beloved Gram, a constant devoted support of mine all my life, entered hospice last week and was not expected to survive the week.  She has double pneumonia and is in heart failure and no more intervention is going to happen. So now we wait.  My heart leaps to my throat whenever the phone rings. It will not be long but hopefully long enough for my heart to make some sort of peace with it. 

I am hearing... laughing boys eating pancakes and Michael Prince of All the Angels.  I loved it when the choir sang it so I am printing and going over the midi files for us to work on during morning time this week. 

From the learning rooms... Steady onward. It is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks it seems. All these years I have never used a spelling program. I bought into the assertions that there was no merit to copy and drill work. Then I had a dyslexic child.  Guess what?  I have a dyslexic child learning to spell and spell well. How? Very simple drill and testing.  She now is remembering and using words like 'requisite'.  Thank you God. 

Some highlights:

Drawing IA - This is a Donna Young freebie, at once straightforward and yet challenging. Increases powers of observation and disciplines hand and eye. 

Aidan remembered Ed Emberly had a farm page which he thought would be perfect for his geography notebook entry on farmland regions. 

I am thankful for... adult children.  This month has given us a glimpse at our future with grown children and it has been blessing untold. Husband and son have been coordinating my trip and son assures over and over that he will take care of everything.  And thus far, he truly has. Thank you Zach.  I love you!

From the kitchen... elk.  We were gifted with a ton of elk from a guy Allen works with.  We had the first of it in spaghetti sauce last night. Alannah is hoping to master the Wilton rose before we celebrate St Therese this weekend. 

I am wearing... a long (knee length) black wrap sweater  and black tank top under. Right now black floral print pajama pants. Can't think what will follow. Something else probably should before I head to town eh? ; ) 

I am reading... The Little Flowers of St Francis - again.  I first read his famous Perfect Joy excerpt many years ago. Try as I may, I have struggled over the years to really fathom how one could find joy in having everything go against our wishes. Then life happened, and more and more of my wishes fell by the wayside.  And somehow, I am coming to see maybe maybe there may come a day when I can say,

"..if we endure all those insults and cruel rebuffs patiently, without being troubled and without complaining, and if we reflect humbly and charitably that that porter really knows us and that God makes him speak against us, oh, Brother Leo, write that perfect joy is there!"

So, yeah.  Not there yet though. Not right off the bat at least. Darn it.

Alannah began Stepping Heavenward.  Aidan is reading Flame in the Night. 

I am hoping... to be able to say goodbye with some measure of grace. 

I am creating... not much, tangibly, given the circumstances.  We have this coloring page for St Michael and will be making angel crafts this week if we are home. A Christmas Ideas magazine sits in the kitchen filling my head with visions of cobalt blue. Yes, blue! Go check the magazine stands. 

I am praying... for grace, for Gram's happy death, for safe travel. For a cousin of a friend, also in his last days. And since this morning, for Christopher Klicka - counsel for HSLDA.  Mr. Clicka who wrote about "the importance of dying to ourselves and being committed to the training of our children" is in critical condition himself now.  it's been a sad time.

Around the house... Spent Saturday morning sorting all the piles that had been growing in the kitchen. All my school things are in a cabinet now. Annual school paperwork is filed. The counter is clear of non-kitchen stuff. Ok, it is clear except for a smaaaall pile of books.  I can't seem to be too far from my books. 

One of my favorite things... a baby who found her "outside voice" and can "dance" by bouncing up and down 

A few plans for the rest of the week...  there are no firm plans as yet. If we hear from family we will travel back to WI for the funeral. 

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...  I am certain God is trying to tell me something since there were two of these this past week. The second was so magnificent Allen called me on the way to work and to say, "Go look out the back window!" 

He maketh the storm a calm.... Ps 107:29

Comments

[Donna Marie]

{{{Kim}}}
My heart is with you today and I will keep you in prayer! My own dear grandmothers are no longer with me, but! looking back, I can see the time of their passing as one that was filled with such grace!

With my father's mother, there was a rainbow, too! In between the 2 wakes (after waiting on line for the bathroom for ages) (grandma had 7dc so the house was FULL) I looked out the back window (that was the only downstairs room with a window facing the back) and there was a beautiful rainbow arching across the sky. I called the others to the window and it faded...when they left, it grew brighter. I am always in awe of God's artwork! Later we heard from the neighbor UP across the street (they lived in the hill section of Scranton Pa so I mean UP!) that said that the rainbow looked to them that it was directly over the house. We all just felt it was a hug from heaven!

What spelling program are you using? I am looking around for something for my one dd with processing problems. I have to re-invent the teaching wheel for this one too!

Take good care of you, and take time out to smell the roses and enjoy the rainbows!

[Sara Kay]

I'll be praying for you and your family this week, Kim!

[cindy dodd]

What beautiful photographs!
May God bless you during this time and keep you in His arms. He will give you His strength. Remember Mary knows too how hard it is to have someone she loves die. It is hard to loose a grandmother, I miss mine so much even after 19 years. Sorry I rambled.
Cindy

[kalona]

Dear One, don't forget to say the Divine Mercy chaplet for your grandmother. I'll pray for her, and for you and your family.

Jesus said later to Sister Faustina:

"Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. Anyone who
says it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death. Priests
will recommend it to sinners as the last hope. Even the most
hardened sinner, if he recites this Chaplet even once, will
receive grace from My Infinite Mercy. I want the whole world to
know My Infinite Mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to
those who trust in My Mercy...."

"....When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I
will stand between My Father and the dying person not as the just
judge but as the Merciful Savior".

[KC]

Praying for you all, Kim.

Those rainbows are amazing.

[Shelly]

Wow. that last one, WoW! God has a msg, huh?
{thx for the donnayoung link - love her - never saw these before though. just got done printing some out :)}
i'll be keeping you in my prayers - and for your gram's precious soul.

Blessings,
Shelly

[Thia]

Hugs to you and your family. My His comforting arms surround you all.