Thursday's List

READING: Michael Wood, I love you. If I lived in England, I would be your groupie. Shakespeare is one of the best books I have ever read. I'm getting close to the end and I just dread finishing it.

POOLSIDE READING: The swim club doesn't open until this weekend (when it is supposed to be cloudy and gloomy and rainy - hate!) but I've got the poolside reading knocked out with a bit of completely mindless but entertaining chick-lit by British author Lisa Jewell. It's called Thirtynothing, one of those stories about the guy and the girl who are best mates and can't see that they are, like, totally right for each other. You may wonder why I like this kind of book and I'll tell you: they have happy endings. That's about the size of it. I finished The Pillars of the Earth last week and have been kicking myself ever since. Why did I devote hours of time reading those 1000+ pages when the end of the story wasn't particularly happy, in spite of the fact that the %$#& cathedral was finally built? I'll never read anything by that author again. I'll take another serving of chick-lit, extra sugar, please.

LISTENING TO: Dave Ramsey's radio show on personal finance.

THINKING ABOUT: Squeezing enough cash out of this week's housekeeping money to buy the flowers to fill the hanging baskets that go in the back: Two big pink geraniums, two red vining petunias, two vinca and maybe a little white alyssum. They're always so pretty and I've been aching to get them done, but money's been very tight.

FAVORITE NEW FIND: Breyer's Sugar Free Butter Pecan Ice Cream....really good, although they were unconscionably stingy with the pecan pieces.

FAVORITE THING TODAY: So You Think You Can Dance starts tonight on Fox. If I described to you how much I love this show, you would think that I'd been kicked in the head by a chorus line member.

WISH I HAD: A new lip gloss, in a better color than the one I have now, which is just about to run out. The one I have now is neutral; I want to go with something more pink.

SCRAPBOOK PAGES THIS WEEK: TEN pages. TEN. I am the Goddess of Scrapbooking, bow before me. Lower than that.

HAPPY THAT I'M: Looking back on a really good year of homeschooling. We all agree -- this has been our best year so far. We've done some of the coolest things and really stretched ourselves and enjoyed it all.

PRAYING FOR: My internet friend Kathy, who died very suddenly and unexpectedly from cardiac arrest after leaving Adoration at her parish last week. She was only 41. Her funeral is tomorrow, Friday, May 25. She leaves behind her husband, Jeff, and two daughters, Kari, 18, and Gracie, 8. Please join me in praying for them.