Seven Quick Takes vol.1

I have been a follower of Jennifer's blog (Conversion Diary -- Formerly Et Tu). She has begun a sort of meme among her readers... we are tasked to share seven things... to see the entire list of responses from her readers, check out her blog. See "Et Tu" on the left side where my blog list sits...

This will be my first attempt at thinking of seven (at least marginally) interesting things to share:

1. My two boys have been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather... yesterday it was 82 degrees and sunny. Today (78 degrees) they actually talked me into letting them use the water hose in the sandbox to build amazing sand structures and tunnels and towns, etc.

2. We are working along toward the end of grade levels for the boys' schoolwork. We are on week 30 (of 36), so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I really love Seton's entire curriculum. I must admit that I have to remind myself that we don't really have to do absolutely everything listed in the lesson plan...

3. As our new president makes some of his first changes after coming into office, I am particularly dismayed by the attack on the unborn. It really doesn't seem fair to me that tax dollars are to be used to fund abortions in other countries just on the strength of his signature...

4. I registered this week to attend the CMAA Colloquium (that will be in Chicago in June) and am very excited to see that there will be many people I have met at other conferences and workshops will be there, too. The week of hearing and singing such heavenly music and daily Mass, morning and evening prayer, etc. sounds really wonderful.

5. I ordered three new books that we'll be reading in my Catholic Women's Book Club today. This month's books were:
The Blessed Eucharist: Our Greatest Treasure, by Fr. Michael Muller, CSSR
Optional/Additional Reading: Eucharistic Miracles, by Joan Carroll Cruz

The books coming up in the next few months are to be:

February: Angels and Devils, by Joan Carroll Cruz
March: The Spear, by Louis de Wohl – Novel on the Crucifixion [ I've read this -- I like anything by de Wohl]
April: The Devotion to the Sacred Heart, by J. Croisett
Optional/Alternate Reading: Love Peace and Joy, Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus According to St. Gertrude, by Andre Prevot
Suggested Summer Reading: Attaining Salvation, by St. Alphonsus Liguori

6. We have almost used up our first quart of homemade yogurt. I need to get to the grocery store and buy more milk... can't wait to try some of the other recipes in my new yogurt recipe book. I'm particularly interested in trying out making 'yogurt cheese'. Apparently, if you drain the yogurt through a sieve, most of the whey will drain out and leave a sort of soft cheese reminiscent of cream cheese... I can imagine making delicious cheese balls and dips with it.

7. I have not been knitting as much lately and really need to finish the sock I have halfway completed before I forget where I am in the pattern. Knitting socks has been a fun way to pass the time when I have to be present and watching over my two little schoolboys. I have found some great buys on sock yarn a Knitpicks.com and made 6 pairs of socks the past couple of months. Perhaps it is the warm weather... I like knitting more when it is chilly outside...

I can't get the wonderful 7 Quick Takes logo to work on my post... if anyone can tell this digitally-challenged person how to do it, it would be much appreciated!