Ok. Time to Stop----

I get it.

I was getting way too busy, too stretched. I felt like Bilbo in Fellowship when he had owned the ring just a bit too long and felt like butter being stretched too thin across a piece of bread.

It didn't help that our long delayed summer heat just hit and it was 101 today. I know, this is Texas and we should be 'used to it', but we ain't.

Things are good, we are just busy. Helping oldest ds with his writing course. Dog sitting is picking up and we have a new 3 visit a dayer starting up for a long stretch and one of our regulars starting up tomorrow. I am doing my workouts, which does take a lot of time, but this won't be forever (at least daily frequency).

I had signed up to help my parish make stained glass which requires six 3 hour classes. I just got the first neighborhood newsletter out and we began our monthly saint feast celebration.

Oh, well, the list goes on.

What was happening was I was not seeing my family as much as I wanted, was always in the car or planning to be and it was time to stop. The final straw was when I showed up on the wrong week to meet a friend for tea. I went last night. She planned to go on the right day, next week. That is not me!

So, I started thinking today-- should I do the stained glass class. That is a BIG committment and I was having to juggle my life to make the classes.

Should I, Shouldn't I?
I was talking to another friend and started babbling about this on and on and she asked if I had asked the Holy Spirit to guide me.

Well. uh, no.

So, I laid down on the bed with my dogs for a bit this afternoon under my big ceiling fan, and did. Suddenly all these little questions popped in my mind. .... Who would I be serving? Do they have enough help? Will it bring my family closer together? Will this be a long term good?

I realized that they have more than enough volunteers and will do fine without me. Why did I feel compelled to do this?

I realized I wanted the feeling of being part of that glass after it is installed in our Lady Chapel. Also, I was a bit ashamed of having to tell the organizer I mis-planned after being so enthusiastic with her. It was pride, really. And I knew that my prayers for the project would be as important as my hands. So I emailed and told her.

I feel better already. I don't have to move things around to make the class (I was juggling before) and the week looks better.

Glad I got the message.

What's Up

Good Morning Friends-

Reading Leonie's blog as I do most days , I was inspired to write about what we are up to.

One reason I like her blog, that other favorites I have, is I get a sense of what is really going on in life. Not just a list of stuff that I then feel I have to measure up to. I had to swear off of that a long time ago... it was too exhausting. :)

But I like how Leonie said she is living in terms, even though she is 'living without school.' I think it is the natural structure.. the daily pegs, the weekly flow, the monthly rhytyms that our life seem to find itself settling into.

Here in Houston we are just getting into what my family considers the 'good' weather season. Time to be outdoors and enjoy the mild temps. That has an effect on what we are up to. Also is the liturgical year. I am getting so happy about the fact that Advent is coming. My local hs group also is planning and All Saint's event. Then of course the beauty of Christmas. All this is coming.. that and cooler weather.

Well, here is what is finding itself happening at the Kelly home:

- Tennis lessons started up again and will go weekly through April. We love our instructor and the boys play with their good buddy who is back in school. So we get to see him regularly once a week and I just love sitting out and drawing, paying bills, addressing Christmas cards, or whatever while they play. What a joy.

- We are enjoying our twice a month LOTR discussion group. I sip coffee and listen.

- My dh is now working from home. All our rhytyms have changed due to this big change. The bumps are being worked out and he is enjoying it. We have him here for lunch, he will take breaks and check his garden, the dogs are in heaven as the whole 'pack' is home all the time.

-Boys are working hard earning money at our many scheduled dogsitting jobs to pay for video games to be released. They enjoy reseaching the new games and planning ahead for the release dates.

-S and I have been learning how to write up high school credits for Clonlara. We have a years worth of journalling which is translating into 6 credits. We are doing one a week. Sending it in to my advisor who is giving us feedback. We are both in a learning process and it is very interesting and also connecting my son and I as I learn even more about his learning and he sees how it is translating. A very positive experience all around.

-We look forward to my MIL visiting for Thanksgiving and have 3 dog sit clients during that time. So glad my dh loves to cook!

-Boys are re-reading LOTR...

- S is doing a self-study with this Teaching Textbooks math CD. Soon will be starting his Driver's Ed CD. We tried to do it with the state information, but too confusing, so I am ordering the CD. His goal is to get the permit by Thanksgiving so he can drive to and from our dogsits. They are perfect practice as they will be happening many times a day, and are short traffic-free drives.

-B just finished watching the entire Ken Burns Civil War DVDs so I am strewing new related stuff. One movie on order is Gone With the Wind.. should be an interesting comparison...

-My Lighthouse business is so enjoyable and I have 3 appointments next week. This is a real challenge to fit this into our life and have it flow. It is easy for me to get too involved and then things at home get out of whack. But, I really enjoy it.

- I have begun drawing again as I would like to do a pencil portrait of each dog I sit to give to the clients for Christmas. B is helping me work on each new breed and giving me (very helpful) comments. Both boys are good artists and give great advice.

- A friend and I had a first time gathering for moms who are interested in interest-led homeschooling.. and it was so fun. I see that as possibly blossoming and becoming a enjoyable part of life. I love getting together to share and support.

- S is planning a workout program for himself.

- We are thinking about new community service opportunities. The prolife group we used to volunteer for has slowed down a bit. We are thinking about starting to make sandwiches monthly for the local shelter again. Today we are making a meal for a local homeschool family who just had a baby, and also for the berevement group at our church. Boys will be cooking today!

-I am working out several days a week at Jazzercise still and enjoy the interaction.

- I also have fallen into the pattern of having tea with a dear friend every Thursday night. It just happened this way, and now my sons and her son tag along and get their own table and are renewing their friendship. The best things do happen natrually.


That last line is important I think. Yes, I plan, look for ideas, schedule and do. But it seems that the very best things do happen, or at least continue happening, when the time is right and the season is right.

This is a happy season for us. Time to remember to thank God for all of his blessings.