Monday Musings...

Outside My Window...
Cool and overcast, with a chance of rain. And maybe more rain later in the week. Unfortunately, while I very, very much want the rain, it is supposed to rain Friday, which is just not a good day for that! With recent weather, etc., the kids didn't see their friends for a month, since Friday is the primary time we get to hang out. And so they would be really bummed if it rained again this Friday!

In the House and Garden...

I harvested my first artichoke for the year! (Isn't my purple colander pretty?) And I have about 7 more growing so far. I realized this weekend that we could also make better use of the front yard for growing some veggies (that's where the artichokes are). Maybe some Rainbow Lights Swiss chard, some kale, and next winter, I'd like to put in a row of asparagus plants. Thankfully, it is okay around here to grow edibles anywhere on my property, unlike some cases I have read of. Ridiculous, huh?

And around the house, even though we have gotten rid of a lot of stuff, I still feel we have too much. I feel cluttered. I think my mind lately is aspiring more to this than this. I wonder which the husband would find more appealing?

In the Kitchen...
I've been looking for simple, make-ahead yummy breakfast ideas lately, and then remembered this fabulous refrigerator oatmeal. I made some for the kids and I for today, subbing in strawberries for raspberries in the raspberry/vanilla recipe (I also didn't use jam, but put a little raw sugar in there, and I used regular [whole milk] Greek yogurt). YUM! It is creamy, and a little chewy. I'd like to try some of her "newer" flavors too -- apricot ginger sounds great, and I bet the kids would love the pineapple-coconut!

I'm also making a couple of soups this week for a friend's mother, with The Girl's help. The mother is at home, dying of cancer, and all she wants these days is soup. So I am making a batch of butternut squash-orange soup, and a mild chicken tortilla, so I've got bone broth going in the crockpot right now.

In Our Homeschooling...
The kids really loved all the readings about the Buddha last week, and we did indeed watch Little Buddha again--our favorite parts naturally are the ones that depict the life of Siddhārtha Gautama / Buddha. This week, we'll read the second chapter on Buddhism in Human Odyssey, and some of Demi's Buddha Stories. The Boy is really enjoying the challenge of Jousting Armadillos & Other Equations, so he'll continue with that, and The Girl is getting faster and faster with math facts, using Knowing Mathematics.

Reading & Watching...
We're about halfway through The Wind in the Willows. The Girl and I are enjoying a story each nights from The Serpent Slayer & Other Stories of Strong Women. We'll be watching Cosmos again this week. Last week we finally watched the first lecture from HHMI's Changing Planet, and plan to watch another this week. The kids are still making their way through the Dr. Who series. Movie night is still up in the air, though we've been talking about Indiana Jones!

On the Agenda...
The Girl was bummed that Easter got in the way of derby practice this week. She may be in a bout on Saturday though! The Boy has fencing practice two nights this week, and I am down to the last few weeks of classes myself. M may or may not have more job interviews this week. Definitely a quieter week ahead (knock on wood)!

Have a good week!