Welcome Henrietta Pussycat

Best birthday present ever has to be my iPad. It's like crutches for my brain. Things that came so easily when I was younger, I now need apps to keep track.
And there are tons of apps! Want to get your kids excited about doing their chores? Chore Pad has everyone working hard to earn stars and open trophies. Want to pray in a deeply meaningful way in community with the church? The Divine Office simplifies all the ribbons and antiphons and allows you to pray at the same time as three to five hundred people. Want to lose weight? Livestrong Calorie Tracker has all the info you need to count calories including those burned by exercise. Want to pick up the pace on your writing project? Write Chain gently nudges you to meet daily goals. And I'm just getting started.
Not to mention that it's just fun. I have games and the Internet at my fingertips. Entertaining children who are worn out or bored is just at the tap of a finger. I've added nook for kids, though I won't be replacing my classic nook--X the Owl. I love how it is as close to a book as an electronic machine can get. All of my Great Books reading will be done on my nook. For picture books you really have to have color, so I don't mind moving that function to my iPad--Henrietta Pussycat. All in all, I foresee those two sharing purse space for years to come.

To Do List

1. Pray the Divine Office every day.
2. Housework
3. Training the kids in basic life skills.
4. Summer School
5. Finish the first draft of Harriet and polish small sections up to second draft standards for my writer's group.
6. Read the Great Books, specifically The City Of God,and prepare for monthly meeting of the Great Books Group.
7. Take kids to Japanese study group.
8. Maintain blog.
9. Publicize Pregnant Rituals
10. Develop recipe for Pillsbury Bake-off.
11. Exercise

Felix Felicis

Did you ever have one of those days where everything goes better than right? Yesterday was one of those days for me. It started with my terrific kids working together to clean up while I led my second through summer school. Just as we finished, Kurt's love spoon was delivered. Hand crafted in Wales it was the sequel to the one we bought on our honeymoon. None of the ones we browsed were ambitious enough to have six balls in a cage signifying the desire for six children. We purchased the most meaningful spoon instead and have treasured it all these years. Now we were ready for six balls in a cage. The same craftsmen carved both. I was so excited about giving it to Kurt. Next I took kids to the library to work on Japanese in their study group. While I was out I decided to walk through our little village and actually shop the stores I drive by. It was a pleasant distraction until I reached the Love Inc. thrift store. They often have nice things, but I was not expecting to find a complete set of the Great Books with a terrific binding. I needed a copy of the Syntopicon that I could carry around. My husband's parent's set is both revered and the binding is a bit fragile, so I don't take it out of the house. I dickered the already reasonable price down to a guilt free price. I came home and got ready for a mysterious date that ended at the Apple Store where this 40 year old lady was given an iPad. I love it. I love, love it. The portability is amazing. Last stop was El Burrito Loco--my favorite restaurant. They were nearly empty so the chef put some extra shooozz into my burritos. I felt so blessed and enriched. I'm doing the right things with my life. I've finally found my path. That is so worth turning 40 for.

Rango and Redwall

We finally have the technology to bring Redwall to life. Earlier efforts lacked the power to really bring Gulo or any of the villains to their terrifying life. It was all so warm and cute. Redwall's warfare is not warm and cute and the villains are horrible and crazy. Rango was great fun, but all I could think about how perfect this style of animation was for our abbey. Martin deserves the appropriate gravity his life and legacy have earned.

Mother always said...

I was born 35, so I'm coming up on 75. It's a good thing I like younger men as Kurt is officially 40. I'm embracing old age. This is the part in books where it's perfect and you don't want anything to change. The kids are all still home. They are growing and learning and continually amazing me with the things they do. I have a lot of zip and I know what to do with it. Kurt's pretty hot for an old guy. I finally know what I want to do with the second half of my life, and it took me all of the first to get there. Time is just short enough for me to be focused on how precious it is. What a wonderful thing to be 40.