The Simple Woman's Daybook: January 2018

I'm linking up to The Simple Woman's Daybook today. You can find the host site here as well as links to posts by other bloggers and the format and rules (just in case you'd like to join in). I like the homey feel of it and getting a peek into everyone's lives...there are some very creative ladies participating and some wonderful photographs.

For Today...

Looking out my window...It's 10 degrees, cloudy, and there's about 4 inches of snow on the ground. Pretty typical weather for southwestern PA in January.

I am thinking...That I really should get ready to go to my appointment at the doctor's office. Nothing is wrong, just a check up since I am taking the Adipex-P appetite control pill. I have to go monthly and pass with flying colors in order to get the next month's prescription.

I am thankful...for so many things right now. We have so far missed the flu and all other bugs and viruses floating around, we have been nice and warm during all this extremely cold weather, my husband is getting serious about losing weight and eating healthy (it makes it easier for me!), my new Living Well planner, lots of books waiting to be read, and my God who never tires of loving me or teaching me new things.

One of my favorite things...is the newly discovered luxury of ordering groceries online and then just having to pull up at the store and they are brought out and put in the car for me.

I am creating...goals for myself, for the day, for the week, for the month, for the year. All in that new planner. I want to get a handle on our finances this year. It's harder than you'd think.

I am wearing...the granny nightgown covered with cardinals that Mom gave me for Christmas, red plaid leggings, fuzzy socks, and warm winter slippers...an outfit I really need to change out of to go to that appointment. LOL

I am reading/watching/listening to...On the Edge by Parker Hudson. A friend brought it to my attention and I am so glad she did! It is a story about spiritual warfare, of what goes on in the spirit realm beyond what we can see. It's about the battle for our souls. It's really different in that it's two books in one. One shows what one family's lives would be like without the presence of God and the second shows what their lives would be like if they were saved by Jesus and had a relationship with God and the influence of godly friends. There's nothing new, really, but Hudson has such a talent for putting things out there plainly and really making you think. It's an older book, from 1994...I wish I had known about it and read it years ago as a young Christian. It would have maybe saved me a lot of heartache.

I am hoping...to avoid the flu (or any bug). It's beginning to hit our area hard and with me being around kids every day, it's a concern. I keep up on my vitamins, wash my hands a lot, and the bus is stocked with Lysol spray and wipes, as well as hand sanitizer.

I am learning...to live more in the moment, to reach out rather than keep to myself, and to be more bold in my faith.

In my kitchen...I'm doing more cooking from scratch. I enjoy cooking, but at the end of the day I am usually tired and don't want to put the effort into cooking. I recently signed up for a meal plan program where there are a month's worth of meals to choose from in several categories and most of them are quite easy to make. It even has shopping lists I can download. I chose several recipes this past week, ordered the needed items online from Walmart (which eliminates those impulse temptations at the store), and then just had to pick them up at the store. I tried to pick recipes with foods I know my husband will eat, but that are prepared in a new way. So far it's been a hit.

In my garden...nothing is happening since we are once again in the deep freeze and covered by snow.

Post script...I am just beginning to explore The Spruce. It's a website with tips and advice on virtually anything home and family related.

Shared quote... 

Closing notes...A pot of soup is simmering on the stove and it is snowing again. My husband is battling icy roads to come home. On a good day he has a 2-hour drive. Bible study at my teacher's home has been cancelled for tomorrow night. Today was a day off work due to the MLK holiday. I wonder if tomorrow will be called a snow day or delayed due to the weather?