Marulaon Woman’s Daybook

Just for today...Monday, December 16 

Outside my window...two little birds swinging on the electric line that connects the solar panels to our house.  They are small with red breasts and sit there about the same time every morning. 

From the kitchen...Pakistani Kima over coconut rice in honor of the friend who introduced this recipe to our family.  It's her birthday today. 

Around the house...the biggest pineapple I've ever seen!  We bought it at market on Saturday morning. 

On my bookshelf..."Everything: What you give and what you gain to become like Jesus" by Mary DeMuth.  My friend, Gayly, always passes on the best books! 

In the learning rooms...lots of fun California Gold Rush and Pony Express books in the basket right now.  "By the Great Horn Spoon!" by Sid Fleischman, "Chang's Paper Pony" by Eleanor Coerr, "Snowshoe Thompson" by Nancy Smiler Levinson, "Gold Fever: Tales from the California Gold Rush" by Rosalyn Schanzer (love her books!), "Mr. Blue Jeans: A story about Levi Strauss" by Maryann N. Weidt, "The First Transcontinental Railroad" by Adele Nathan, "Ten Mile Day and the Building of the Transcontinental Railroad" by Mary Ann Fraser, "The Last Rail" by Darice Bailer, "Riders of the Pony Express" by Ralph Moody, "The First Overland Mail" by Robert E. Pinkerton, "Riding the Pony Express" by Clyde Robert Bulla, "They're Off! The Story of the Pony Express" by Cheryl Harness, "The Sweetwater Run: The Story of Buffalo Bill Cody and the Pony Express" by Andrew Glass, "Buffalo Bill" by Ingri & Edgar Parin d'Aulaire 

A heart of thankfulness...for my amazing husband who did a great job preaching yesterday and for my leg healing so quickly in response to lots of prayers and good antibiotics 

Pondering these words..."The truth:  God puts us through more than we can bear.  He does.  Why?  Because after we journey through those places, we learn resilience.  And that resilience brings that the ability to joyfully live in the moment despite our circumstances -- a holy paradox."  ~Mary DeMuth 

A few plans for the rest of the week...try to get out a little bit more each day as my leg improves, begin back translating the story of the boy Jesus in the temple, last day of school on Thursday, then we celebrate Benjamin's 13th birthday on Friday 

A peek into my corner of the world...Sarah has made a nativity scene out of pipe cleaner people.  My favorites are Mary, Joseph, & Jesus in their popsicle stick stable and the shepherd responding in fear to the appearance of the heavenly host.