Outside my window: Sunny. And hot. Already.

Rambling thoughts: This week, I seem to have twice as much on my to-do list as I do hours to complete things. I’m pushing things off until next week, when presumably I’ll have more time. (Don’t laugh too hard. I can dream!) I’m also, though, getting some of the main writing that needs to get done, done. And I have taken the kids to the local water-shooting-out-of-the-wall park thing (we call it the Bunny Park because of the large rabbits on the hill over the water-shooting walls). So I get some sort of gold star, don’t I? Oh, and we haven’t yet eaten only ice cream for dinner. Today may be the day I break that resolution, though. It’s been pretty July-y around here.

In thanksgiving: For the air conditioning unit my husband put in the office at home. Though the kids can sweat it out and huddle by fans and play in the baby pool, I’m not above hiding for hours at a time in front of its clunky, loud blasts of COLD AIR.

Folded hands, bowed head: For a family whose 18-month-old son drowned recently. For a friend who needs to sell her house. For a friend who’s house hunting. For family near and far.

Kitchen meanderings: So I’ve been in a bit of a kitchen slump, but thanks to the many recommendations from Facebook, I have a whomping pile of cookbooks from the library. Now…to use them.

Nose inserted: Don Quixote (which is delightful, I tell you, delightful!) and The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions for Holidays, Feasts, and Every Day, by Meredith Gould (which I should finish today, and which is also wonderful).

Recent reads: The Loser Letters, by Mary Eberstadt, which is a must-read. I almost recommended it to a friend who is an atheist, and then I hesitated. I didn’t want to recommend it and seem like a snarky, smart alecky kind of person…but I did find it heee-lare-eee-ous (yes, it needs to be spelled that way so that you understand how much I enjoyed it).

Around the house: There’s a five-year-old playing horses in the windowsill (the same one in #7 of this post) and a two-year-old still sleeping. The kitchen is cool, making me wonder about using this early morning time to cook something for dinner and bring it out later. Hmm. Now there’s a thought.

A favorite thing: Lists. They’re keeping me on track. I seem to be triply prone to procrastination this summer (perhaps because of the things I’m trying to get done before baby’s born in late fall). Also, the things Colleen listed in the Savor Simple Things Contest.

Plans made, possibly kept: Oh, we have plenty. Next week, I’ll be taking a break from blogging, and I have the guest posts to prove it. I know I’ll still be posting updates to Facebook and Twitter (because I can, even from my phone! Yippee!)

Food for thought: In order to belong to Jesus we must be little, but few want to remain in that littleness. – St. Therese of Lisieux

Worth a thousand words:

(Yes, that’s a donut. But not just any donut…it was a chocolate-iced cream-filled Long John from a local bakery. I don’t blame her for guarding it.)

(Hey everyone, sorry about the bum link earlier!)

Inspired by Peggy’s work at The Simple Woman’s Daybook.