Outside my window: The black is giving way to gray, which will soon burst into some sort of pink. I love sitting at my desk this time of day, watching the miracle of another day begin. Today, though, I’m in my kitchen, so I’m seeing the start of day from my sunset view.

Around the house: My three-year-old is up and tucked on the couch with a movie. Someone’s making noises upstairs, though I’m not sure yet if it’s my six-year-old or my husband. The baby still sleeps. (I bet he won’t still be asleep by the time I’m done with this post, though!)

In my kitchen: There are baskets of laundry to be folded and dishes by the sink and a full carafe of coffee, freshly brewed.

In my thoughts: I have a lot that didn’t get done last week. I’ve also noticed that I am terribly out of shape. I need to address that. (Sigh.)

In my plans: This week, a very dear, wonderful friend is coming to visit. We are all excited (my kids have been asking about her kids for at least a year, and she reports that her kids have done the same). I also have a pile of things that need done, though I’ve been very clear with God that this work that needs done needs some intervention.

(Baby’s up!)

In thanksgiving: For infectious baby smiles. For shared laughter. For good books.

In my prayers: I’m thinking of two dear friends who are carrying the weight of their grief, and I’m holding them close to Mary each morning in my rosary.

Nose inserted: I have three different reads, and that’s too many: I’m torn every time I can read. First, Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton, which I’m blogging about on Tuesdays–“The Maniac” this week. Next, another Chesterton-related work, G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense, by Dale Ahlquist. And my current fiction is The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson, by Jerome Charyn.

Recent reads: Neeta Lyffe: Zombie Exterminator, by Karina Fabian: Though this is a book filled with humor, it also explores some deeper themes, which I appreciated. I’m not usually one to read horror anymore (did plenty of that in my youth, enough to last a lifetime), but though this has “zombie” in the title, I’d argue that it’s a book more about human nature than it is about zombies. I’ll be in line to read the next book, if there is one. Really enjoyed this one!

A favorite thing: Secretariat, which is just as good on DVD as it was in the theater. Maybe it’s better, because I get to share it with my girls, whose pronunciation has been (sadly?) corrected from “Secretariad” and “Sequetarian” and other variations I just can’t capture. I have the book on my to-read shelf, but though my husband whipped through it the week after we saw the movie together, I don’t think I’ll be able to work it in for a month or two.

Food for thought: “Every day we have to choose to love, and this requires help, the help that comes from Christ, from prayer and from the wisdom found in his word, and from the grace which he bestows on us in the sacraments of his Church.” -Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Youth, Westminster Cathedral, London, England, September 18, 2010 (via BenedictEveryday.com last week)

Worth a thousand words: