outside my window . . . everything is damp and refreshed looking after a long rain that lasted most of the night.

I am listening to . . . morning NPR. Discussing the debt limit debate.

I am wearing . . . still in my PJs!

I am so grateful for . . . a happy week with grandparents for the older kids.

I'm pondering . . . the Church, still. What is it? Where is it? Who is it?

I am reading . . . Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Orthodox Way, The Iliad, The Joy of Fearing God

I am creating . . . a nice clean and ready-for-the-start-of-school school room (before and after pictures coming!)

around the house . . . laundry piles up in the laundry room. Well, the kids are definitely home...and all their dirty clothes!

from the kitchen . . . some special treats for Tuesday, St James feast.

real education in our home . . . working on notebooks and book organization for our school year. This is the easy part.

rhythm and beauty in our home . . . hubby collected a huge pile of rocks while doing yard work Saturday (while I drove to VA to retrieve the kids). We might have a fire pit by the end of the week! Maybe sooner!  Why rhythm and beauty?  Well, we hope that this will become a fun family and friend gathering place.

the church year in our home . . . St James feast on Tuesday... a fruit pancake for breakfast and a nice fish dinner.

one of my favorite things . . . a gallon of "New Black" paint. I have my eye on a few items around here that could use some rehab.

recent milestones . . . Artemisia finally learned to swim - mostly under water! I've still got her signed up for swim lessons over the next two weeks so that she can learn some actual strokes.

the week ahead. . . Swim lessons Monday-Thursday. Our former youth director arrives for a visit Tuesday and we expect to be the center of some of the visiting.

In the mid-morning kitchen

Isn't it odd how a change in schedule can provide you with the opportunity to notice things you don't normally?

The big kids (Athos, Faramir, Artemisia) are off visiting their grandparents.  Hubby is our tearing up the kitchen at a rental house.  And I slept in a little bit (despite Kalliope's best efforts to rouse me by rolling around in bed beside me), which meant I was getting my breakfast a few hours later than usual.  I'm often in the kitchen mid-morning, but I suppose by that time I'm so busy passing out instructions to children that I don't notice how lovely my kitchen looks in that light.

But this morning my attention matched the timing and I did notice.  As I was heating my water for tea (Constant Comment today), I noticed how pretty the light was slanting in one of the windows and falling on the plants just below the window.  The morning sun was just low enough to glance under the lower tree limbs in. Not only that, but the whole kitchen seemed to glow with the light.

But it only lasted for a few minutes and then the sun rose up just high enough to be blocked by the thicker tree limbs.  Now the kitchen stays bit darker until late afternoon when it comes in the windows from the other side of the sky.

Daybook: Tuesday, July 5th

outside my window . . .  the leaves look positively iridescent green while the sky is a pale, slate blue.  I think it can't decide if it wants to be sunny or cloudy today. 

I am listening to . . .  "Aristocats" playing in the next room.

I am wearing . . . still in my pjs!  A late night last night.

I am so grateful for . . .  an unexpected invitation for a 4th of July celebration

I'm pondering . . .  the visibility or invisibility of the Church

I am reading . . .  Ghost Train to the Eastern Star (Paul Theroux), but thinking about putting it aside in order to read the last Harry Potter before we go see the movie next week.

I am thinking . . .  about meal plans for the next few days.  We are expecting an assortment of company coming and going through the week and weekend.

I am creating . . .  a fresh school room.

on my iPod . . .  I really have been enjoying KERA's "Think" podcast.  I'm about ready to purchase some of the mp3s from last year's CiRCE conference.  It was an excellent one and I still haven't listened to any of the talks!

around the house . . .  lots of cleaning up today as we get ready for company to arrive tomorrow.

from the kitchen . . .  Soupe Au Pistou tonight, Chicken Cacciatore tomorrow...still deciding beyond that.

one of my favorite things . . .  our new membership at the YMCA.  The kids have really enjoyed hitting the pool the past couple of weeks.

recent milestones . . . Kalliope has begun working on her initial consonants.  Athos got his first phone (he pays for the monthly texting fees).

the week ahead . . .  my mom and step-dad arrive tomorrow for an overnight.  One of Athos' friends (who is moving to Texas in a month) is coming to stay with us for a few days.  They are going to a concert Thursday afternoon.  VBS decorating and preparations begin this weekend.

picture thought . . .

Have a lovely Tuesday!

{this moment} -- July 1st

{...this moment...}

a moment from our week that I want to savor
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My drying line sags under the weight of delight that is well-used beach towels.