So, of late, I've been trying to fine tune my understanding of voluntary simplicity and frugality. Here's what I've decided: These are different...very different. The former is the art of living beneath your means and the other makes a game of it. I love getting a good deal but what I really want is to want less. Being frugal is wise, no doubt ( Read more... )

At least once every night, Della wakes upset and when I go to comfort her, she tells me she wants Daddy, not me. She usually says so before or after I discover Bill has woken and left the toilet lid up (which NEVER happens any other time). For some reason these 2 things happening daily are starting to take their toll. I wonder what my partner and ( Read more... )

Elise receives a personal invitation to join us next Wednesday, if she doesn’t choose to put in an appearance sooner that is. My mother arrives today. And October seems to have arrived gently here in the valley. Aside from nausea that comes in sudden waves, all is well and we are ready ( Read more... )

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Ah yes, Tuesday was indeed a much better day than Monday. The day started with hearing Elise’s heartbeat and having the doc report that all is well. Blood pressure is a phenomenal 124/78 and weight gain is surprisingly slow (despite feeling like a whale) - 18 pounds as of this 26th week ( Read more... )

Trip East, ii: Pennsylvania ( Read more... )

It’s true I’m a bit weaker when it comes to sentimentalities. Due to all this pregnancy business, I find myself not only accessing thoughts and emotions I generally suppress but actually accessing the inclination to share them. I’ve done my fair share of sharing of late but there’s one person who deserves it perhaps more than any other ( Read more... )

On a whole, the trip east was eventful and as always, educational. Everywhere we went it wasn’t simply hot but humid. I regret not making clearer plans for our time as I’d hoped to make a few more excursions while home. At any rate, we were pleased with the things we did manage to fit in ( Read more... )

I’ve been up since 2 this morning. It's a gray day now and I feel it should be. Between the raging visions of zombies attacking me on the road and Adele’s strange sudden screams, I’m not alert enough to be starting this day. I don’t know what’s up with the girl. She seems to be having nightmares…she screams and yells no. As for the zombies… ( Read more... )

I've had a lot on my mind of late. I haven't been sleeping and I've had a lot of anguish over some things. My father will be a part of a team that ministers to new people on a retreat called Walk to Emmaus. He sent me some information he's reading that he thought might be of value. I appreciated reading these bits and while I don't do these ( Read more... )