Grateful for

1. Time with Laurel, Mom, and Lucinda tomorrow. Laurel is having a party to sell stuff and we are happily attending!
2. Boston being so close by.
3. The feeling after sweeping the disgusting bathroom floor. A clean floor is a wonderful thing.
4. Had a good long walk today. It was sunny and there was a cool, gentle breeze blowing. A good Spring day.
5. I have a lettuce plant (!) that my friend gave me for Easter and I can't wait to put it in my garden and grow some more lettuce. It is actually thrilling to have lettuce growing in a pot in my kitchen!
6. A brand new spider plant that is lush and thriving, from friends as a gift today. I got rid of most of my plants when we moved and/or this winter in general, and now we have a new house, full of sun, and a big yard. I am super excited to start fresh.
7. Little Girl is learning to crawl. I better get on that child-proofing project...
8. Changes underway in my spirit and heart.
9. Spring fever. I think it is going to lead me to a new and hopefully much better haircut.
10. The ever-growing idea that time and space heals a lot. And that change is inevitable and eternal - it can upset as well as comfort us, and I know I can count on it.

~Ally

Poems for Sunday

I swear the earth shall surely be complete to him or
her who shall be complete,
The earth remains jagged and broken only to him
or her who remains jagged and broken.

I swear there is no greatness or power that does not
emulate those of the earth,
There can be no theory of any account unless it
corroborate the theory of the earth,
No politics, song, religion, behavior, or what not,
is of account, unless it compare with the
amplitude of the earth,
Unless it face the exactness, vitality, impartiality,
rectitude of the earth.

~Walt Whitman


---

To live content with small means,
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion,
to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich,
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly,
to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart,
to bear all cheerfully,
do all bravely,
await occasions,
hurry never--
in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.

~William Ellery Channing

Simple Woman's Day Book

The Simple Woman's Daybook

April 5, 2012

Outside My Window...it is cloudy and chilly, the perfect weather for Maundy Thursday.

I am thinking...how there must be so many lonely mothers who have decided to stay home with their kids to raise them, but are desperate for some adult human interaction, especially in the late winding hours of afternoon.

I am thankful for...my parents having stayed together all those years, because even though I don't know how to do it, i know it can be done, and that gives me hope.

From the kitchen...i should be making some banana bread to thank that lovely mom in town who gave me a bunch of leftover baby food jars and diapers, via our new babysitter.

I am wearing...a bizarre, somewhat mismatched outfit. maybe today is the day to get my clothes unpacked finally and sorted out. oh, but a nap seems like a better choice...

I am creating...a Thank You project for me and the husband to do on a daily basis, as we are both feeling underappreciated and undercherished at the moment. gotta remedy that.

I am going...to try and join the local Zumba class on thursday nights. i really want to meet people, and do something active and fun. my hearts needs this.

I am reading... Joshua: A Parable for Today by Joseph Girzone.

I am hoping...to revive our family happiness in this new town and new house. already scott seems much happier here than in our previous home. but miracles take time and i am hoping that bit by bit, we will both come to a place of joy and contentment.

I am hearing...my father in my head a lot lately. he always seems to be sending me messages and for the most part, they are less judgy and more gentle than when he was here on earth. my view of life after death changed somewhat while reading a silly novel called "Saving Fish From Drowning," and i now always think of my father as possessing divine all-knowingness in his new status, whatever it may be. it has helped our "relationship."

Around the house...is one chaotic pile of mess after another. we moved about two weeks ago and i had work conferences going on at the same time. we have barely had a chance to stop and breathe. we have a LOT of work to do to get this house feeling like home!

One of my favorite things...is regular old day-to-day life with laurel, and i got a slice of that heaven last saturday when she came to visit overnight with the boys. i just wish we lived in the same town. i really need that daily-ness for the health of my soul. it fills me up so beautifully.

A few plans for the rest of the week...are continuing to prep for my next upcoming conference at work, and then unpacking and family time - hopefully a little bonding - and then some friendly socializing over Easter dinner at mom's with some of her/our friends. lucy does love her some partying.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Miss Nine Months Old, as photographed by Daddy, Scott Snyder, this morning.

And tomorrow is the full moon...
View other entries at The Simple Woman's Daybook. And write your own!

~Ally

beautiful Jane Kenyon

After an Illness, Walking the Dog
by Jane Kenyon

Wet things smell stronger,
and I suppose his main regret is that
he can sniff just one at a time.
In a frenzy of delight
he runs way up the sandy road—
scored by freshets after five days
of rain. Every pebble gleams, every leaf.

When I whistle he halts abruptly
and steps in a circle,
swings his extravagant tail.
The he rolls and rubs his muzzle
in a particular place, while the drizzle
falls without cease, and Queen Anne’s lace
and Goldenrod bend low.

The top of the logging road stands open
and light. Another day, before
hunting starts, we’ll see how far it goes,
leaving word first at home.
The footing is ambiguous.

Soaked and muddy, the dog drops,
panting, and looks up with what amounts
to a grin. It’s so good to be uphill with him,
nicely winded, and looking down on the pond.

A sound commences in my left ear
like the sound of the sea in a shell;
a downward, vertiginous drag comes with it.
Time to head home. I wait
until we’re nearly out to the main road
to put him back on the leash, and he
—the designated optimist—
imagines to the end that he is free.

borrowed from today's Gwarlingo: http://www.gwarlingo.com/2012/the-sunday-poem-jane-kenyon/

(such a lovely blog post dedicated to Jane Kenyon today. and i dedicate this reposting of it to Barb Bald. xo)

another one you might like: http://astherabbithole.blogspot.com/2011/07/100-times-beginner-status-thoughts-on.html

Beautiful baby boy new to the world xo

Welcome to the world, Baby Kai. You are a most beautiful dream come true!

And congratulations to mom Kenda and dad Bob. Such a precious time in your lives.

~Ally

A Prayer

A prayer from the Book of Common Prayer (shared tonight by a friend of a friend on FB):

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work,
or watch, or weep this night, and
give your angels charge over those who sleep.
Tend the sick, Lord Christ;
give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering,
pity the afflicted, shield the joyous;
and all for your love's sake.
Amen.

(images from the web)

Info: household plants that are poisonous to children

direct excerpt from this article at planningfamily.com

Plants and Flowers

Did you know that many common house and garden plants could be poisonous to your little one if they are ingested? Since your infant is at an age when he is apt to put anything and everything in his mouth, you may want to consider removing certain plants from your home entirely, or at the very least, placing them far out of reach from your exploring baby. If you hang plants up high to be out of reach, be sure that no leaves or flowers can fall into an area that your baby could reach. If you do keep poisonous plants in your home, be sure to label them clearly. Even if you know all the names of your plants, chances are most of your babysitters won't and if your child accidentally ingests a leaf or two, labeling the plant will help expedite communication with their doctor or poison control.

Some poisonous plants include:

• Iris
• Lily of the Valley
• English Ivy
• Hyacinth bulbs
• Azalea
• Daffodil bulbs
• Rhododendron
• Rhubarb leaves
• Tomato plant leaves
• Holly and Mistletoe

Though you may have heard that the Poinsettia is poisonous, Holly and Mistletoe are the real culprits. Poinsettias are not poisonous, but they can be irritating, so you should still be cautious and keep this plant out of baby's reach.