Day 58: Mountain Sunset

A late sunset -- missed the brightest colors but I still liked seeing the glow of pink under the clouds.

Day 57: Lenten Mass

Mass in Victoria House this morning -- with icons, candlelight, the 1928 prayer book on its stand, the wafers and chalice for the Eucharist, and draped over a chair is the purple chasuble used for penitential seasons. And so a dining room becomes a chapel.

Day 56: Lenten Prayer

I adore Phyllis Tickle's Divine Hours trilogy that bring me through the entire church year with prayers for Morning, Midday, Vespers, and Compline. I have just started the Springtime volume, having finished the Autumn/Winter one in January. It's mostly Scripture, with a few prayers from the Book of Common Prayer and a few other sources. I love praying from it ... so thanks, Dru, for passing it along to me.

Day 55: Ash Wednesday

Just after getting home from Ash Wednesday Penitential Liturgy....

Day 54: Me, Myself, & I

T kindly took some photos of me as I was wanting a new profile photo for Facebook. Several of them came out okay, and this one was the best. He took a couple of me reading and more of me sitting at our school table writing. I am one of the least photogenic people I know; I rarely take a good photo, and this one is merely "okay" on my scale. But I didn't want a four-year-old photo on my Facebook profile any longer. Thanks, T!

Day 53: A Rockin' Kid

B rocks out, headphones and all.

Day 52: Cloudy 'n' Cool

Clouds over Viejas Valley, on the way to church


Clouds over El Cajon, on the way home from church

An usual day of high clouds with some lower ones, too -- very unusual for San Diego County.

Day 51: Writing in the Winter

Keith bought me these wonderful wool ragg fingerless gloves for typing and writing in the wintertime. They're a tad itchy but they definitely help to keep my arthritic fingers functional despite the cold that usually stiffens them.

Day 50: T's Favorite Job

T's job for the past few years has been building and tending our woodburning stove which we enjoy using, especially on stormy nights.

Day 49: J's First Essay

J is typing up his very first essay five-paragraph essay for our little writing class of three students: J, T, and a neighboring young lady. First topic: qualities I look for in a friend. Olivia is sick today, so it will just be the boys and I discussing their essays before I assign their second five-paragraph essay. They're discovering that five-paragraph essays aren't nearly as onerous as they thought they would be.

Day 48: My Desk, Part 2

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been spending a great deal of time at my desk this week, working on registrations for the writing workshop this weekend. So this is what I've been looking at all week: my desk. On the wall is my 2009 Rule of Life and a postcard of Shakespeare's birthplace from my former Shakespeare prof at Point Loma who spends almost half her time in England (I will not be envious, I will not be envious). Keith and I purchased this desk light in the days immediately following our honeymoon, and I've always loved it. My favorite rosewood dip pen peeks from a china holder (along with the matching china-handled letter opener).



Here's a detail of some desk items: my fancy bottles of calligraphy ink in front of my box of Winnie-the-Pooh stationery and the slate heart Keith made for me for our first Valentine's Day as a married couple. Isn't it lovely? It's been on my desk ever since.

Day 47: My Desk, Part 1

I've been spending a great deal of time at my desk this week. At my elbow are the books I'm currently picking up at least once per day: Uncle Tom's Cabin, which I'm reading for Logos, my 1928 Book of Common Prayer, my ESV Bible (love this translation!), my Divine Hours devotional with prayers set up for morning, midday, Vespers, and Compline, and the book I'm going through V.E.R.Y. slowly and meditatively: The Family Cloister by David Robinson, Kitty's cousin. Peeking at the bottom of the stack is my poetry journal.

Day 46: St. Valentine's Day and I <3 My Girl

E placed a heart sticker/tattoo on her face to celebrate St. Valentine's Day. Isn't she adorable?

Day 45: Keith's Presentation

Keith is explaining how he created the 1,500+ piece stained glass window that he created for our doctor and his wife to a gathering of the Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council (MECAC). For a stormy night, we had a fairly good turnout. If you'd like to read the entire write-up, you can click here: MECAC Stained Glass Event with Keith Barrett

Day 44: B's Penmanship

B's favorite subject in our homeschool is penmanship. Now that he's in third grade, he has to submit all of his written work in cursive. I love seeing his copywork; it's definitely the neatest of all the boys' work.

Day 43: Cool Doing School

J had quite the set-up going for school: TV table, hot tea, comfy armchair, school books, and sunglasses. The beauty of home education!

Day 42: Snowy Week

It's been a verrrry c-c-c-cold week. Rain. Sleet. Hail. Snow. Finally on Monday night we *really* got snow ... about an inch or so. I love seeing our mountain home covered with snow -- so cosy and wonderful. The kids loved playing in the white stuff, but I was quite chagrined to find my precious, spicy-scented stocks frozen solid.

Day 41: Poetry Revision

I wrote this poem at Summers Past Farms last month and took it out this week to work on it so I could share it at our writers' workshop Tuesday night. I got some really great feedback on it, and helpful revision ideas, too. Revision is always the most difficult and time-consuming part of writing....

Day 40: The NEW Window

Keith is working on a window now thast he started the last time he had a dedicated stained glass workshop.... almost 18 years ago. Back when I was pregnant with E who will be turning 17 two months from today. For her carousel-horse nursery.

He's cleaning it up and getting it back together. It's looking really lovely now, once he gets the cut pieces washed and starts grinding the pieces, fitting them together, and foiling each one.


The window he's putting together.

The pieces that still need to be washed, ground, and foiled....

It's gonna be a beautiful window. Simply gorgeous.

Day 39: Snow Falling

Shortly before midnight last night I stepped out on our front porch to get my black skirt from the laundry room to wear to church this morning. And there it was: a white blanket of snow on our front lawn and across the meadow, albeit thin. Shivering on the front porch, Keith and I watched huge flakes land with the softest "whoosh" before retreating inside. While waiting for the iron to warm up before pressing said skirt, I peeped out the back door and saw huge flakes landing on the stone steps and vinca bushes. After snatching my camera from my purse in the kitchen, I came back, opened the door a crack, and snapped a couple of shots. Not until I downloaded them did I see the huge snowflake in this shot, the shadow beneath welcoming it to earth.

Day 38: Cabrillo Lighthouse

The old lighthouse at the end of Point Loma between storms -clouds and ocean lit by the sun.

Day 37: Alma Mater

The Department of Literature, Journalism, and Modern Languages at Point Loma Nazarene University where I received my BA and went back as an adjunct instructor after grad school. One of the most beautiful campuses anywhere. And one of E's top choices for college in 18 months.

Day 36: Long Division

B is quite proud of completing this extra-credit long division problem all by himself. Math is much more fun when done on the whiteboard, don't you think?

Day 35: The Japanese Bridge

The weather here in Southern California has been so delightful that outdoor photos are a must. This will be (perhaps) my last photo from my trip last Friday to Summers Past Farms, but the pictures came out so nice that it's hard to resist posting them. Even though hardly any flowers are blooming in late January, the gardens are still lovely and relaxing, fueling both reflection and creativity.

Day 34: An Unexpected Visitor

I was taking photos at Summers Past Farms on Friday and happened to snap this visitor in a bright yellow poppy. Very few flowers were blooming in the middle of winter, but these poppies are so bright and cheerful.

Day 33: Planning My Week

Okay, so this is last week's spread in my beautiful Barnes and Noble Desk Diary, but I adore this planner, courtesy of Carol when Keith was completely our of work right after Christmas and I needed the 2009 version. Isn't she the sweetest? I love the literary quotes, the information on different writers, and all of the literary birthdays scattered throughout. And I love being able to write my schedule next to a specific time -- it really helps me to keep my days straight. This Desk Diary stays open on the left corner of my desk at all times, and I write in it only with my special fountain pen filled with sepia calligraphy ink.

Day 32: Before and After

I took this photo at Summers Past Farms on Friday, and I couldn't decide whether I liked the first, normal photograph or the second art-enhanced photo better. What do you think?

Day 31: Sirius ... Seriously!

Eeyore has been replaced by ... Sirius! Since my new laptop is an HP, it only seems proper that it is named for a Harry Potter character. Since it's so shiny and black, Sirius Black seems like a wonderful name. I'm so thankful for a new laptop that Keith found for half price -- I'm tired of trying to teach online classes from the library computers when my laptop wouldn't work. And I had to put up the final photo of Keith's stained glass window as wallpaper. And guess what? He just received another stained glass commission from the same client -- this time for a peacock in a door. It will be even more complex than this 1500 piece window.

Day 30: Time for Devotions

Having my morning prayer and Scripture readings at the school table.

Short Delay

I have a new computer, and we can't load PhotoShop onto it until Keith brings it home from his office. So until then, I can't post my new photos here. But I have been taking photos and I will catch up.

It's a lovely "problem" to be having after struggling with my old laptop for so long.....