Count It All Joy: Daybook Entry: Thoughts on an Icy Morning

Outside my window... It's an icy world!

We've had a mild winter. No snow to speak of and lots of warm days. When I woke this morning to an icy world, I was surprised and grateful that I didn't have to go out today. Well, other than the half a dozen trips with the dogs, but even they didn't want to hang around too long in this freezing rain.

I am wearing... khakis, blue button up shirt and purple sweater. And my SmartDog slippers. I love my slippers!

I am listening to...freezing rain and David Nevue on the piano.

I am thankful for... a warm, dry house, Echinacea (I'm eating it like candy, trying to keep this cold from getting worse ),

a daughter who gave loving service to me all week and I'm especially thankful that I made it through an incredibly busy
weekend...and it's over!

Around the house... Lots to be done around here. Gearing up for a big event last week meant the basics were barely covered.

Time to start cooking some better meals, clean off the dining room table (it's full of primary stuff), and my desk! (the piles just

keep growing taller and taller). I'm going to be cleaning the fruit out of the freezer and making jam in the next few days.

I am loving... my new bracelets from my valentine.

I'm not a fan of... cleaning up puppy messes. Please, oh please, let's get this "potty in the woods" thing down pat, FAST!

I am hoping.... for change. Positive change. More joy and happiness for people I love.

I am reading.... Freedom Shift by Oliver DeMille. I'm taking an online class on Current Events, Trends and the Cycles of

History. It's very fascinating and I'm way behind on the reading assignments, but that's what I love about online classes,

you can work at your own pace. This book is one I think I will want to reread. This author has some great ideas on how to

reclaim America's greatness. I'm reading Learning the Vocabulary of God by Frank Laubach whenever I have a few

moments to just pick up the book and read a section. It's written in journal style, in the year 1936, and chronicles his

journey in trying to give every minute of his year to God. Very inspiring! I'm reading Prayer by Richard Foster, along

with the Bloom book club on the InCourage website and am finding it enjoyable. It helps me to think about my own experiences

with prayer and how I would like to improve in that area. Katarina by Katharine Winter is sitting on the treadmill, half read.

I've got to get back on the treadmill... Seven Sacred Pauses by Macrina Wiederkehr has been my go to book for the past

three weeks. It's the most beautiful book I've read on the discipline of praying the hours. I love her thoughts on pausing through
out the day to live mindfully and ready to embrace the gifts of the moment. There is hardly a sentence in the book I haven't
underlined. Maybe more on this in another post.

I am creating... space for possibilities.

I am pondering... A couple of quotes from Saturday's training meeting. " Telling is not teaching and told is not taught."

" Don't be a mile wide and an inch deep teacher" ( or learner.) I'm guilty of this! Also this quote by Joseph Fielding McConkie,

"We read scriptures too fast."

I am learning... how very little I know. The Great Books Discussion group humbles me every single time.

From the kitchen... I've been making some sweet breads to celebrate the sweetness of the Sabbath. Although we haven't been

doing a very good job of waiting to eat them on the sabbath... Bake on Friday and hide away until Sunday is my plan, but this

only works if I'm the only one in the house when they're baking. Cranberry Orange Bread with Apricots has been the favorite

so far! Soups are a staple, we're having Beef and Barley tonight. I'm beginning to think about spring foods and checking on

my asparagus every so often, just to see if maybe it's getting ready to show it's head. It won't be long now!

Living my faith... it's Lenten season and this year I'm focusing on my prayer life and giving up complaining and criticism.

I'm failing miserably at the later. I find giving up chocolate to be much easier. You can go here to read my thoughts on keeping

Lent. It's also the season of ward and branch conferences and I've enjoyed traveling through out the stake to be with the primary

children and leaders. We're in the middle of spring leadership training and our first meeting last Saturday was a success, thanks

to wonderful counselors (and a daughter) who gave 100% to make the day great. We will travel to Cherokee in March to meet

with the leaders and teachers from the far western part of the state (and Georgia). So much work goes into these meetings, but

they are always worth it. Primary workers are the best!

I'm praying for... Carol and George and Chrissie. Peace and healing for all.

In the garden... I've cleaned out two raised beds in preparation for planting. I got the blackberries, blueberries, raspberries

and grapes pruned, along with most of the fruit trees. Still need to do some work here. It's time to spray with dormant oil

and fertilize the trees and berries. I really want to get another raised bed in place so I can plant strawberries this year. I

hope this happens.

Around the farm... I have two chickens. All the rest have gone to chicken heaven, with help from raccoons and other

predators. We caught the raccoon on several occasions, so we are certain of his guilt, but I think there was something

else feasting on my girls. This is the perils of having chickens and living in the woods, which is habitat to so many other

animals. I have come to expect to lose one every now and then. I will probably be getting some new hens this spring, to
replace those I've lost. The bees have all died. Sad, but true. For now, I'm over beekeeping. Maybe another time.