2 May 2012

What are you doing today?

I think we'd all agree that written words play a very important role in our lives. I blog almost every day and write every day. As well as the computer writing there is handwriting, and I still love to write by hand, and many of you, but not me, are texting. I have texted once (even the words relating to texting sound wrong to me). When I did, I felt like a monkey trying to write a Shakespearean play. One was enough, I quit and won't text again. Nevertheless, words and their meanings play a big part in my life - some sentences stay with me long after their reading. I particularly enjoy words about productive work.


The other day, Gail wrote this as part of her comment: "Today after i have finished my basic housework, I'll be sitting at my sewing machine making an apron and edging some old towels that I will cut up for cleaning cloths. I think of you and the other ladies who comment often as I go about my day and wonder what you are all doing."

I felt all warm and smily when I read those words; Gail reached out and connected to me in a real sense. Later in the day, when I was in a really boring meeting, my mind wandered back to Gail and I pictured her, cutting up old towels and working away on her sewing machine. I wondered what other regulars and newbies were doing too and decided that today, I'd write a post to find out what an average day looks like in your home or work place. I find it quite fascinating that while I'm sleeping, others are ironing or taking children to school and when I'm baking or washing up in the morning, others are piecing together a quilt in the fading light of day. Over on the forum, Rose sometimes starts a thread asking what members are doing over a 24 hour period. That is what this is about today.

Please join in if you have time, even if you don't usually comment. Let's build up a written package of our days from Norway to New Zealand, and every place in between. Add the time you're writing and what the weather is like and, of course, anything else you can - be it what you think is dull or what anyone would think is exciting. I will love all the "dull" and ordinary things. :- )

Wednesday - 5am. It's 17C and raining lightly.

Today I'll make breakfast, feed the cat and chickens, let the chooks out to roam. Then wash up and clean the kitchen, tidy up the lounge room, put some washing on, get some bread on the go and make our bed and the one in the guest room.

At 9.45am I'll drive over to the coast to pick up my sister from the airport and bringing her back home. No doubt we'll talk a leg off an iron bed, we'll drink tea and talk some more. We'll have lunch with Hanno when the bread is ready, I'll wash up and put on a pot of pea and ham soup for our tea. Later, we'll um, talk, and I'll do some knitting. She usually brings some hand work with her, often it's sewing, so I guess she'll work on that while I knit. I'm knitting baby woollies again.

Late in the afternoon, I'll start on tomorrow's blog and work out what I'll talk about at a function we're going to on the weekend. It's The Planting - part of the Woodford Folk Festival and we three have been invited along to be part of it.

So what are you doing today?
......................

I'll be signing books at the Collins bookshop at Sunshine Plaza, Maroochydore this Saturday from 10am - 12 md. Come along and say hello if you're close by.
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165 comments

  1. It is 5.30 am in Redcliffe. Normally I would be starting to get ready to go to work. Today is a day off. A medical appointment first then the car is booked in for a service. Today I will be making a new soap which I am calling romance. Then I will finish off some gloves and scarves that I have been working on. I love days like these.

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  2. Woke up at 7:30 with the newborn and nursed. Made breakfast for the other four kids. Worked with older two on their homeschool work with interruptions for helping the two year old use the potty, nursing the newborn, and doing little chores like chopping veggies and hanging laundry. Made lunch and read to the whole gang. Once baby went down for his long nap, I worked on more chores like watering the seeds, organizing the art supplies, and checking emails. Now it's time to get the stuffed bell peppers in the oven (I've been assembling them, on and off, since the morning!). Once hubby is home we'll all eat together and play around until bathtime and bedtime routines begin. I love hearing the day-to-day details of people's lives.

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  3. It's just after 5.30 am and today will be slightly different than the norm for me. In about an hour I will start getting the kids up and ready for school, and I will potter around the kitchen, preparing lunches and food for the chickens and guinea pigs and start getting ready for the day myself. Once the girls have gone to school I am off to get my hair cut, a rare and expensive treat, and I am excited. After that I will come home and do some general housework, maybe a bit of knitting until the kids come home, then I will start tomorrow's bread and head off to netball training, where I will sit in the car for 90 mins and knit, yay! Then off home to prepare tonight's dinner, grilled chicken and salad today, after which I will potter around the kitchen some more and spend some time with my girls. A very good day.
    Thanks for this opportunity, I am fascinated by the everyday routines and schedules of others and can't wait to read them.

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  4. Today I am teaching in my little school below the mountain. Although i will miss the garden and cooking for the day...my slow cooker will be stewing a beautiful casserole for my return with homegrown veges in it. I look forward to a day with these wonderful children and part of our day today will be spent working in the school vege garden and starting a little garden diary together.
    I hope one day that they might have a garden like mine one day when they grow up.

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  5. Good morning to you Rhonda. It's 9:48 Tuesday evening and I am checking your blog before turning in for the night. Looking forward to tomorrow I will
    Be waking around 6 for my devotional time then waking the rest of the family around 7. It's washing day so laundry loads to be done followed by hours of homeschooling. Around 2:30 I have my cousin popping in to drop off old jeans for my daughter to repurpose into aprons and bags. Her mother in law is coming too to look at my garden and consider bringing her garden club here to see it in spring. 3 of my 4 children have colds and sore throats so a lot of the day will be spent nursing them and making ginger lemon and honey tea. In between this I will
    Cook three meals, carry on decluttering, take my son to tennis, walk the dog and clean the house. Gosh best I say goodnight so that I am ready for my day! Hope you have a wonderful time with your sister. Wendy in South Africa

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  6. Tuesday, nearly 4 pm on a warm and strangely blustery day, and I've spent yesterday and today at home taking care of my sick little girl. Normally today would have been our day to go to the produce stand and maybe do some stocking up at the grocery store, but she's needed some TLC from mama at home, so that's what we've been doing. In between administering back rubs and cool drinks I've been doing normal stuff around the house--fixing meals, washing dishes, doing laundry, etc. and also working on making some lacing/sewing cards for my daughter so she has something fun to occupy her when she has to accompany me to midwife appointments. When my husband comes home we'll have dinner and start our evening routine of bathtime, bedtime stories, and tucking the little one in bed. And then hopefully an early bedtime for me, as I've been up a lot with my girl the past two nights.

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  7. It is nearly 4:00 p.m on Tuesday in Upstate, NY. It has been a rather dark and dreary day today with temps around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

    I started the day at 6:00 a.m. Got ready and fed the cat who nearly knocked me down the stairs to get to his eating area before me.

    Got my daughter up at 7:00 and got breakfasts, and made beds. Out the door at 7:50 to take daughter to Kindergarten.

    Came back to my home office where I have spent the balance of the day closing out the books for the month of April for many of the companies I do bookkeeping for.

    I will shortly be out the door to pickup my daughter from Grandma's house and then home to make dinner and later laughing and enjoyment with the daughter and hubby.

    I am taking a little break right now reading your blog. I am ashamed to say I have never commented before even though I have been reading for nearly three years, but you have been instrumental in making lots of significant changes in our household Rhonda. Thanks for all you do.

    With warmest regards,

    Teresa in Upstate New York

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  8. Hi, Rhonda!

    I'm one of your "invisible" readers , living in Romania, Europe.
    It's 22:45 here, so my eyes tell me it's time to bed, but I love reading your blog just before that. I like your idea, it's interesting to know what we all do in one day. Well, obviously, I'll go to bed now, but in the morning I"ll prep my daughter for school, drive her there, then cook and bake bread.When I'm done with all these, it's time to pick her up from school, then I'll make some soap and after 5 pm I'll do some gardening. During the day I also have to take care of the chooks, dog, canaries and of course, humans :)
    That's tomorrow for me!
    Oh, about the weather, it's really crazy, we had 30 C today ( the normal temp. for this date is 15-18 C ).

    Ok, have a nice day!
    Diana

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  9. Good morning Rhonda.
    Here on the Gold Coast it's 17 degrees too. Right now I'm enjoying a coffee while my two children play and watch TV. Soon I'll make some porridge for us all, then we'll wave goodbye to daddy as he goes to work.

    Later we will take the dog for a walk, do some washing, then go to my son's friend's birthday party. Afterwards when the little one is sleeping I'll make up a big pot of bolognese sauce, some of which we will eat tonight, the rest will be frozen for the next couple of months.

    Have a great day.

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  10. Fairy from Organised CastleMay 02, 2012 6:21 am

    Hi Rhonda

    It is just after 6am here, raining lightly and the day is dawning.

    Like most days I am off to a longish commute on the train, however, today is a 'late' start for me - catching the 7.30 train as I have accrued plenty of hours. In my 'extra' hour and a half at home I will cook and mash the potatoes ready for dinner and prepare the other vegetables so that it is a simple matter of grilling the salmon when we get home.

    A load of washing will be done and hung on the airer to dry in a closed room with the dehumidifier doing double duty.

    I spend almost 3 hours commuting each day (my choice) but use the time effectively - dishcloths are knitted, emails written, holidays planned, shopping lists and menu plans written.

    Working entirely within my home is a goal that I am working towards but for the time being I manage my time to combine simple living with full-time paid work. I do not have children at home but with commitment and time management it can be done.

    Keep up the good work of sharing the message that simple living is for anyone and everyone.

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  11. Hi Rhonda, It's just after 3pm here. (you post like clockwork :)
    My day started at 6:30am by making breakfast and lunch for both my husband and son, sending one off to work and dropping the next off at school. at 9:15 I was off for my usual Tuesday grocery run. Back home about 11:45 to unpack and have some lunch. Then I moved on to fold laundry mountain, starting with towels and sheets, changing loads between finishing with clothes and matching socks. :)
    Which brings me to now, where I sit and check what you've got going on for the day.
    Next I'll move on to do some dishes, tidy up before picking up my son and then start up on dinner (fajitas tonight) and then I clock out to relax and enjoy my family.
    Undoubtedly I'll wish I'd gotten more done, managed my time better and in general been more efficient but then I'll remind myself that I'm learning, it's not about perfection at all....simply about the process, always growing and learning.
    I love reading about your day, I hope one day mine have that same ease of routine.
    Thanks for teaching us!
    Alex

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  12. It's evening here - 9.30pm. One of my children home sick today, so spent most of it trying to keep littlie out of his way (she likes to do handstands on the sofa, he likes to sleep on the sofa). I've baked - bread, some flatbreads for dinner, two cakes - one for our family, one to put aside for someone else. Removed wood-shavings from the chicks' water about fifty times, washed clothes, swept floors and fed the wood-burner (it's May, but it's not yet warm enough to dispense with the fire, especially with poorly people around).

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  13. It's Tuesday at 4:18 in the afternoon here and it's 90 degrees Farenheit and breezy.

    This morning (even before my first cup of coffee!) I fed the cats and transplanted 24 tomato plants that I started from seed and then I put the sprinkler on them and the rest of the garden. I enjoyed my coffee while reading some blogs, answering emails and starting my blog post. I had some lunch and then went outside to do some more digging on the new duck pond.

    I took a few minutes to sit outside and photograph some hummingbirds drinking from the feeder.

    I also made up a Bleach Alternative to be used while doing laundry that will coincide with my homemade laundry detergent.

    In a few minutes I will gather the chicken eggs (and hopefully a duck egg!), give them some scratch, some more water and more feed.

    Then, I'm going to do some more digging, get a shower, eat some supper and crochet some more dish cloths to be listed on my Etsy store. I will do a bit of reading right before bedtime.

    That's pretty much it for today. Each day brings a little something different to do but because I am able to stay home and do the job I love the most (thanks to my hard working hubby) I am a happy girl! I am most fulfilled when working with my hands and keeping my home in order in a frugal way.

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  14. I'm never really certain how my days will go but this is what I expect today. I have just taken sourdough bread from the oven for todays lunches. I will get the kids ready for school and make the next sourdough sponge. I'll let out the chooks. I will take the kids to another town for a Cross Country event. There is a bus but it's a windy road and the buses have no belts. I'll be taking the socks I'm knitting but it's unlikely I will get a chance to knit because I imagine they will need parent helpers for the races. I will also take a sandwich and a thermos of coffee. At the crucial moment I will be cheering loudly and hoping my kids are having fun! When we get home I'll knead the bread and then I'll fold clothes and sweep the floor. I really hope I get time to do my Slow Living Diary post today but I very much doubt I will. I imagine that after dinner the bread will be ready to go into tins. I will get the kids ready for bed after hearing them read. By then I will be exhausted so I'll probably put the bread in the fridge to cook tomorrow. I hope I can spend the WHOLE day at home tomorrow because home days are productive days!

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  15. Lovely idea.

    I read your blog while giving my newborn son his early feed. My daughter generally wakes up while I'm doing that, and the three of us come downstairs and let my husband sleep some more.

    I get my daughter ready for school. Then my husband comes down and we have a cup of tea of coffee and chat.

    Then my son and I go back to bed. I get up again, put the nappies on to wash and I catch up on correspondence or study or anything that needs doing around the house.

    We then go for a walk, and when he sleeps in the afternoon I prepare dinner.

    I then pick up my daughter, and we have the crazy screaming frenzy that is witching hour while my daughter and I eat dinner.

    At 7 I put them both down, do the dishes and then go to bed myself.

    Looks like it will be sunny and it's 13 C.

    Eliza

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  16. I have just posted a day in my life today - inspired by your questions. Each day is different, although there are common threads to our days here.
    xx

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  17. Hi, I've never commened before but have been back to the beginning and read your entire inspiring blog. Being in a different season of life my days are very different to yours so here goes...

    6.45am woke to 2 year old daughter shouting 'mummy, where are you?' so cute.

    Got up, showered, made breakfast, packed lunches for 6 & 8 year old boys. Listened to 6 year old read. Sort swimming money for 8 year old.

    Sent husband out the door and then took boys to school, just a couple of minutes round the corner thankfully as black clouds were looking ominous!!

    9.00am walked into town with daughter and friend. Went to toddler group where I help out. Managed to grab a cup of tea before it started and then full on playing until 11.30.

    Quick nip to supermarket for cake baking ingredients and fairtrade bananas. Home for 1pm to be in for supermarket home delivery of monthly meat order or organic and free range meat (we eat far too much meat but husband moans....and moans if there's no meat!!!

    2pm baked 12 vanilla and 2 chocolate cupcakes for a meeeting tomorrow night for toddler group planning. Will buttercream them tomorrow.

    3pm Pick youngest up from school
    4pm Make homemade tuna burgers with chips for tea, fight with 2 year old to eat something. Put washing on.

    5pm husband home, so eat tea and catch up on his day.

    6pm Collect eldest from friends house

    7pm kids bed!!

    7.30pm trip to third supermarket of the day! to get rest of dry goods for the month and fresh bits for this week. I hate supermarkets.

    9pm sit down to watch tv and catch up with blogs.

    Didn't even have time to make bread today, but luckily I have some in freezer for tomorrow. Not a very exciting day but pretty typical, apart from 2 days I'm a childminder so the house stuff goes on the back burner those days. Oh and finally I walked 21,000 steps today!!!!!

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  18. It's now 6:35am and my day started 6am. I get up and make toast for breakfast. Our toaster is broken so I cook it under the grill, whilst I am waiting for it to cook I make my two daughters lunch and morning tea for school. I then eat my toast whilst reading Rhondas Blog. Afterwards I get my girls up and they have breakfast. We all get dressed, do our hair [and I do my make up ] I make my lunch, I make the beds, pack the girls bags and wash up the breakfast dishes. At 7:45 I leave to drive half an hour to work at hubby puts the girls on the bus and goes to work himself.
    I arrive at work by 8:25 and stay until 4:30. I drive home and get home usually around 5ish. Hubby has usually already made dinner and gotten the girls off the bus at 4:15. I help set the table, talk to the girls about their day etc. I put a load of washing on to help stay on top of it and hang it out. if it's raining I hang it on the clothes horse inside.
    At 6pm the tv goes off and we all eat dinner together around the table. Afterwards I wash up and shower the children and have a shower myself and we all sit and relax. [Tonight though my hubby and I have an appointment in towm so we are dropping my girls at my parents house and they are bathing and giving my girls dinner as we won't get home until after 7pm]
    At the moment I am immensly overwhelmed by my days. I am wanting to stay at home more and slow down but unfortunately even with cutting the cost of living down as much as we can the mortgage and insurances etc are so high. So for now I do my best each day.

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  19. Wednesday 6.30am, a light misty fog is enveloping the house, and drizzling rain is leeking from the sky. I'm drinking a large glass of water with a squeeze of lemon, and catching up on all my favorite blogs. I especialy get up early every morning to do this, as it's the only time of the day that is truely uninteruppted, and reading about what everyone is up to puts me in a calm happy frame of mind, and a smile on my face ready to start the day.

    Today I will be getting the kids to school and preschool, tidying the house and kitchen, catching up on the washing and ironing (lots of ironing). Rewatching an episode of River Cottage and writing down the instructions on how to make a sour dough starter, and making it. And I may even post a blog about it.

    Taking my son out of school at luch time to a dental appointment, and perhaps squeezing in a trip to the nursery for some seedlings, and plant them.

    I'll cook dinner, help the kids with their homework and music practise. Clean up after dinner, and sit down with the kids and watch an episode of Dr Who before stories and bed. (It's our little 'thing') Then hubby and I will probably watch a little something on TV before bed.

    That's the gist of my day today, but it's also filled with a hundred other little things, which would be to long and boring to include.

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  20. I am writing at 9.45 Tuesday evening (UK) and tomorrow I have our bedroom to dust and tidy and the kitchen to clean while my DH hoovers both bedrooms and the sitting room then sweeps and mops the hall, kitchen and bathroom. If a friend drops by as she has said she might, I will sit and drink tea and eat cake with her. MY DH has some other jobs to do involving the shed and DIY. I will skin and marinate some chicken thighs, make a salad and prepare Meditteranean-type veg for roasting with the chicken. I do have to go out for half an hour about 2.30 but when I get back, he will go out with a friend and I will have some lazy me time, putting dinner in the oven about quarter to five and dishing up for us, the friend and his wife at about 6.15. We will sit and chat, planning for our weekend away together. When they have gone I will catch up with the Archers on Radio 4 and go to bed.

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  21. This morning I am going to an exercise class with my daughter. I have changed my diet and been exercising over the last year and, at 47 I am healthier than I've been for years.
    Then I am going to see how my son is - he's got a cold - if he's a little better then I'll do some homeschooling work with him.
    I'll tidy up the kitchen, vacuum and dust.
    I'm going to see my friend this afternoon and finalise the date set for our community market and Biggest Morning Tea - no doubt we'll plan this over a coffee.
    I have some bookwork to do for my part-time cleaning job.
    Finally, I'm going to start to knit a beanie. Our local knitting group starts back this Friday and some of us are knitting beanies to show in the Great Southern Beanie Festival here in Tasmania.
    Have a wonderful day everyone1!

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  22. Hi Rhonda, I live in Portugal (Coimbra)and have been reading your blog for 2-3 years.Now it's almost 10 pm and i'm by the fireplace because it's a bit cold here.
    I had friends over today and for lunch we had red bean soup with portuguese cabbage, a pizza (wholemeal + okara crust, tomato sauce, olives, cheese, tuna, mushrooms, lettuce and tomato salad. We spent the afternoon in the garden, doing some work mowing and cleaning. Then we had cake, coffee, milk. I'm glad everything was made from scratch, simple but delicious and in good company. Sandra

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  23. As I sit reading your post for May 2nd it's the evening of the 'day before' here. For Weds 2nd may I have the following planned: post a birthday present to my uncle. He loves jigsaw puzzles, but his eyesight is now going, sadly, so I've got him one with larger pieces.

    I also want to try and pretty up a plain duvet cover with some patchwork which I started working on a while ago, and which has been sitting in my cupboard.

    In the afternoon they're playing some music by one of my favourite composers on BBC radio, - an Estonian called Arvo Part, so I would like to take the time to stop and listen to that.

    Weather-wise, it's spring here, and we're getting quite a bit of rain (for us!)

    I look forward to reading what others are doing. Have a great day, everybody!

    Anna
    South coast of England, UK

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  24. Hi..i too find it very comforting and also connecting to think that i am doing the exact same thing as other ladies are doing...i hate texting and the awful text language that goes with it..i adore written letters..and sending them gives me great pleasure..
    So today..
    Up early...breakfast for girls and boys..
    wash up
    make the beds
    feed the chickens and check on them
    feed the dog.
    get beef in the slow cooker and get veg out the freezer
    take 1 tot to school
    tidy living room
    clean kitchen
    off to town to get paint for the kitchen
    go to the library
    pop into shop for some card and paper for girls
    come home and have lunch
    ironing
    fetching 1 tot from school
    have tea
    bathtime
    bedtime with a story
    but tomorrow is baking day so will get pastry ready and anything else i can think of..
    busy days but i love them
    sara

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  25. Morning Rhonda, what a lovely idea. Well I was up early to make lunch for my husband who was off to work an get the bread out of the bread maker (mmm waking up to the smell of fresh bread). Feed the animals and kids Then it's get my 2 boys to school and little miss to kindy.
    I normally have 1 day a week child free but as of next week will be volunteering at a local school as part of a course. So today I'm going to run and get a few things that I need from the shops then go for a run or take the horse for a ride.
    Then make up the home made springrolls we are having or dinner (mince cooked last night) and pick up the kids. Let the chooks/ducks out when I get home and start our normal Afternoon.
    I hope you have a great day with your sister.
    Michelle

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  26. Hello, I haven't commented before but have been reading for quite a while.

    I live on the outskirts of London, England. I have been at home since January 2010, when I had to leave my job due to illness - I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME.

    It is 9.40pm and has been mostly raining for about two weeks, though there was some respite yesterday and this afternoon. My 20 year old son is at work, due home around 1am - he often works the late shift and I worry about him travelling home on the bus late at night. I don't sleep properly until I hear him come home.

    Today, like most days, I rested a lot, but in between times I did some laundry. I was able to get it dry outside when the rain let up for a couple of hours. I love to see the washing blowing in the breeze! I put some washing away that had been hanging on a rack drying in the house, and tidied around generally, and prepared and cooked lunch and our evening meal. Sometimes in the evenings I knit, sew or continue my efforts to learn to crochet, but this evening I am tired, so have been reading a couple of blogs and watching a history programme on television. My husband of one year (it took me until I was 40 to find him) is sitting opposite me, working on an essay for his MA. Our black labrador, Star, is asleep in her basket.

    I love being at home, but struggle to feel productive as I can't do anywhere near as much as I would like to. I bought Down to Earth and am full of inspiration now, so many plans and dreams that I would like to carry out, given the energy. One step at a time, I guess, and hopefully I will get there.

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  27. Hi Rhonda,
    It is a catch up day for me today. I will have breakfast, clean up, go to town and pick up the mail, drop some forms off at the council, come home, finish off the newsletter for our craft group, make a flyer for a fundraiser we have coming up, chase up the insurance company over an outstanding claim (JOY), start knitting the left front of a cardigan I am making as I finished the back last night, collate a package for my second cousin of family history info (we met yesterday and are going to share research)and add more things to my list because I have so much to do! we are having smoked fish pie for tea..yum yum..
    Love Julia in Bowen xx (PS My boys both loved the book by the way even the 20 year old, he said they have cooked your scones already!)

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  28. Good morning from a newbie! 7am and 20C in Townsville, north Queensland. My 5yo will be up soon, we'll have breakfast, get ready and go off to school. I work part time but still can't seem to be very organised! I am considering dropping a day at work after reading this lovely blog and especially the last 2 days.
    Cleaning, taking Mum to an appointment, lunch with some old friends, a bit of of gardening, take daughter to dancing, dinner, bath, knitting, bed.
    (Not sure how to sign off, "FrancesMonique", Helen.)

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  29. Good morning,Rhona. Well, here is my day....I am checking your Blog before going to work. It is raining lightly here too.Then after work I will check on my older sister who recently had a bad fall. Then it's home to get dinner for hubby and son before starting packing to go and see my grandchildren on Friday who I haven't seen for 7 months! I will be taking your book to work today to loan to a colleague to read while I am away. Tonight I will also make some more bread to freeze for the men. Also I will be finishing off a crocheted topped towel to show off to my daughter when I visit, how well I can crochet now. LOL! She is learning too.

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  30. I so rarely comment, but I'll join in. I live in a Boston suburb in a fairly urban area.

    I woke at about 6:15 this morning. I woke up slowly to reading blogs. Breakfast was some zucchini bread that I had made a while back and frozen. Then I was out in the veggie garden which has to be my favorite chore in any day. It was a bit drizzly, but not raining yet. I checked on the plants and noticed my strawberries had small berries so started to put up hoops for a cover to keep the squirrels at bay, but the rain chased me in before I finished.

    Later in the morning my daughter called me from Canada and we talked for an hour and a half. Then my friend and I got together to lift weights at my house.

    Usually I spend a lot of time outside, but since it was raining I took the afternoon to clean the house. My favorite chore is to clean the bathrooms except for the shower. I don't do the shower when I do the rest. I only do it when taking a shower and do small bits everyday. Then I'm not stuck with a huge hated chore.

    At 4pm I started making some quiche. I had some bok choy that I picked yesterday so I used that along with some left over diced ham that was frozen a while ago and some smoked Gouda left over from a party. Most of the cheese was cheddar bu the Gouda ought to make it taste very good. I totally forgot to wear my apron when making the crust so I've got bits of flour down my front. If only I could remember. Right now I can smell it baking and it will soon be time for dinner.

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  31. Wed 7:10am small community North Queensland, drizzling and overcast 21C. I have just waved hubby and son off to work/school. First I will fill crock pot with vegie curry. Next hang out washing, check vegie garden for possum raid damage from last night and let chooks out to run. After breakfast, ride my bike to cleaning job for 2 hours. Ride to have cuppa with friend, then home for lunch. After some houswork/admin I'll walk to another cleaning job (2 hours.) In the evening we will walk dog,eat curry together and sleep listening to the waves crash a few hundred metres away. An ordinary and happy day!

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  32. Hi Rhonda, how are you? I am nearly finished your book and have loved every page. Thankyou for taking the time to write it!!! My bathrooms are clean (without using nasty chemicals), 10L laundry liquid made, bread baked, and now I am researching seeds to buy from seedsavers for my vegetable garden (which I have let go lately).

    I thought you would like to hear about my son's 5th birthday party on the weekend. He invited 5 friends. I made each child some binoculars (using toilet rolls stapled together and string for around the neck) which they decorated with textas and stickers and then my wonderful husband took the children for a nearly 2hr bushwalk (we live next to a National Park). I gave each child an apple to munch on and a handmade "map" with images of various things to find (twig, leaf, seed, rock, poo, bones, dog, bear etc). When they arrived home hot and sweaty they had some water, we cut the cake and sang happy birthday and then they went home. They had an absolute ball and I didn't need to prepare any games, or clean up any mess in the house. In fact while they went on the bushwalk I sat with the mums and we had a lovely relaxing coffee :)

    All inspired by reading about living simply and not going over the top. I thought your readers may like to use this idea and know that it works! I think all the children will have slept well that night, and that they will remember that bushwalk for years to come.

    I received my beautiful apron from Sandra last week (a peg apron) and have really enjoyed hanging out my washing with such a special gift around my waist. Thanks for organising the swap.

    Many happy thoughts to you today,
    Miriam

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  33. wednesday- 9am cloudy but expected sun later.

    This day will just be the basics. Already my son has walked to his school with a yummy lunch & a big kiss on his leaving. I will soon do the dishes & hang the clothes up outside when the washing machine finishes. Today instead of my usual day it will be jigsaws, reading books & lots of cuddles and maybe a nap. My youngest Sally aged 6 is into her second day of a horrible tummybug. We are both tired after our night so we will do just what makes us happy & hoping that this bug leaves her soon.
    Soon enough 3pm will come around & Sally's older brother(9) will walk in the door with stories of his day and that will bring something new for us to talk about. I then later will get tea on, I'm thinking of cowboy casserole as my son has soccer training tonight and it is easy but filling. Later Dad will arrive home & it shall be tea before Dad & son go off for the training. Sally and i will once again be just us while I get her ready for bed.
    Of course this day all depends on poor sally's tummy. Wish us luck :) But either way it will be nice mum and daughter time.

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  34. Today I'm fair demented packing to leave tomorrow for two weeks in Budapest visiting my daughter Em and her husband and my two darling granddaughters, Sofia 4yrs and Clara 2. This afternoon I babysat for my grandson Stephen so his mother could volunteer in the library at his grade school, but Stephen slept all the time and I kept on with my packing and considering.....It is not a usual day! This evening I am sewing two totes for my granddaughters out of Dinosaur Train fabric - a very easy simple way to make them.....But I should have done it last week!

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  35. Its 9.30am here in Poriura New Zealand. I am at work 'checking my emails'. Lol. Its cold and wet , around 12 degrees c. And bits of sunshine coming thru.
    Today I am at work till 4, then home to make tea. Talk to hubby and doggies. Read and watch some tv. Knit for my grandaughters jersey. And go to bed. Rather boring!
    Juanita.

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  36. Good morning everyone!

    It's a clear, bright Canberra morning here today, but only 2.5 degrees C now at 0730h. Crisp!

    My husband's already headed off to work, and I'll be making the kids and my breakfast in a minute - eggs from our chooks and toast from bread I baked late last night.

    Then it's off to swimming lessons for the three year old, then home again to vacuum, mop, launder and make lots of playdough ready for our new Saturday playgroup. (I'm the coordinator and it's our first week this week. I'm a bit nervous!)

    Lunch will be toasties with ham and cheese, then the kids will nap while I work down my sewing stash - I have a huge pile of half-finished projects I've promised myself I will finish before I start something new. I have a new girls dress pattern just waiting for me to cut it out.... *sigh*

    In the afternoon I will meet a friend for a brisk walk (well, not that brisk, we have five kids under four between us, so the strollers are packed to the brim, but pushing is good exercise!) and then we let the kids run wild in the park until it's time for home and dinner prep.

    So today will hopefully be much like any other day! I love our gentle life rhythms.

    Thanks for this Rhonda, I can't wait to hear what everyone else is up to!

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  37. Oh and a bit off topic but thought I'd mention a dear friend of mine, who lives an hour away in the BLue Mountains is coming down to help with dinner and bathing tonight (as my husband works very long hours). So the village and community does still exist! Feel so blessed.
    Eliza

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  38. It's now half past five in the afternoon. The kids are in bed now, because we get up very early in the mornings, around 5. This morning I baked biscuits and made some gravy for breakfast and tidied up a bit. I looked online for some secondhand items and confirmed that I would be picking up a shipment of half a cow tomorrow.

    I then went down to the local school for a tour to see whether we would like to continue our plans to homeschool or whether we should enroll our kids in the school. They are quite nice so now I'm undecided.

    I made up some ground beef and tomato sandwiches for lunch and afterwards I went through our playroom/office and decided to declutter some toys and books that were no longer relevant to us. I am trying to decide what to list for sale and what to just donate to the thrift store. Then I read a few chapters to the kids, had supper, cleaned up, and we watched The Road to Avonlea together to wind down. Now they're in bed and I'm starting the second shift where I start my writing for the night. Hopefully I'll make some progress editing one of my WIP novels. And that's about all!

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  39. It's 7.30am and I've just woken up. (a bit of a sleep in for me)Very foggy probably why I slept in.A cup of tea first then off to feed and let out animals. I'll be working in the propagation house today.We have a school visiting for a tour. My daughter and grandchild will visit. We'll have morning tea, biscuits were made yesterday. I'll probably make soup for lunch probably pumpkin and have the bread we made yesterday with it. More propagating this afternoon and some planting. then lock up and feed animals, fix ourselves something for dinner and then knitting til I go to bed.

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  40. Hi rhonda I don't normally post as I never have much time after I've read your blog but I'd love to tell you that all my friends think I'm super mum as I work two jobs and have a 19month old baby (hence the reason I'm up early) you have inspired me that much that every bit of spare time I get I'm making something from scratch and I now have inspired my mum to do the same. I received your book yesterday and was so excited and sat up reading it lastnight I just didn't know where to start reading as I wanted all the info rite then haha. Today I will be cleaning a friends house and playing with my lil girl then as I already prepared tea yesterday I will go to work to do a split shift as I'm a chef and work in hospitality and then when I get home tonight I will have to do a load of washing and that will pretty much be my day I look forward to your daily posts and hang out over the weekend for your next blog, I better stop typing as this is going to take a whole day to read. I thankyou for inspiring me to do more things myself as its healthier for me and my family thankyou Rhonda I look forward to seeing what you have to write about tomorrow.
    Thanks stacey

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  41. It's 7-38am in Hobart, Tasmania and FREEZING, wet and dreary.

    Today I'm going to make a triple batch of honey cookies - 3/4 for the freezer and a 1/4 to go in the biscuit tin. I was going to make these yesterday, but didn't feel very well, so I snuggled on the couch instead and did some needlepoint.

    Have a lovely day everybody!

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  42. Hi Rhonda

    Just completed a patrol of the veggie patch, where I just witnessed a spider catching a bug, thanks spider!
    After dropping my daughter off to school, I will be cleaning out and reorganizing my pantry, which is long overdue for a big clean out. Then after some lunch of leftovers for me and my dog, I will help out with a reading group at the school.
    Then back home again, where I will get dinner organised, pasta tonight, because of after school ballet today and we get back quite late. School pick up, ballet, then home. After dinner and baths, I hope to knit at least another three rows on my first ever dish cloth.
    Busy day, but that's how I like it.
    Have a great day catching up with your sister.

    With love
    Anna

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  43. Hi Rhonda, it's 7am and its 7 deg. Shortly I will be getting 3 children out of bed and ready for school, it's busy until I take them at 8:45 after Im finished at school it's home for a cuppa and chores. I have to go to the fruit and veg shop today, I won a voucher and it needs to be used today. While I'm down the street I will be calling into the discount store to pick up some feather bowers to use on the bottem of my girls dresses. I am making them flapper dresses for my birthday party it's a 1920s theme (they are quite excited by the sequined material) I'm also making matching bags for them also. I'm hoping to get some of this sowing achieved today. Before I know it, it will be time to pick them back up from school, I'm hoping weather permitting the children and I can plant some more vegetable seeds they love gardening and it's always so exciting when the seeds start to come up! After that the rest of the day will be filled with readers, excitement when daddy comes home from work then telling him all about our day today. Tea, more chores, some tv and bed. Hope you enjoy your day and catching up with your sister. Thank you for sharing your day, Bec :)

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  44. Today, I will feed and let my chooks out whilst my dogs come and run and sfiff around. I will milk Ella who is only giving 2 litres now ( she had her calf 2 years ago) I need to whip some of her cream to take to my sewing group today. We aren't good at morning tea's like the other groups apparently so one lady is bringing scones, another the jam and I am taking the cream. I will be working on a block of the month quilt ( I am three blocks behind), Probably picking up some mince to make more dog food and may be some more caustic soda for the next bath of soap. I might try the muffin recipe tonight as my attempts at the orange cake have not been as good as I would have liked. Vege curry for dinner after I have milked and locked chooks up, maybe some weeding in there if I have time and of course, some chook watching which I love and some computer checking in between jobs.After dinner I might try and complete cleaning up my cook book book case which I started last night. I hope everyone has a good time no matter what you are doing today. Cheers cqgardeningchick

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  45. I like this idea! It's 4:50pm here in Oklahoma, in the United States. I've had a slow, quiet day. Breakfast, watering my garden, then knitting a scarf while catching up on some favorite TV shows, while I moved two loads of laundry through the machine. The last couple hours have been paying bills (and paying off not one or two but THREE smaller credit cards!) while my dogs snore on the bed behind me. Evening plans include baking a lasagna and some more knitting. What a great idea to share our days!

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  46. Its wet here at Bacchus Marsh and about and the current temp is 11. I get up around 6.45 and make my son his lunch for work while making oats for my daughter and my self for breakfast. While eating my oats i check emails and read your blog. Just before 8am i go outside and feed the chooks, letting them out in the yard and also feed and pat my 2 ducks and collect any eggs. Once i get my daughter off to school i then put the kettle on for coffee and have some toast. White the toast is cooking i put todays bread dough on in the bread machine. I eat my toast in front of the computer while checking my sales from the day before and sending emails. After doing this i clean my teeth, make the bed and wipe down the en-suite. I will put on a load of our clothes and let them wash while i tidy the lounge and clean the kitchen and get the food out of the freezer for tonights meal. Once the bread dough is finished i shape it into 2 loaves and leave it to rise.
    After the kitchen is done i tidy the other rooms in the house, feed my inside birds and give the carpets a vac if needed. Today when i have finished the house i will then sit in the lounge and get some crochet orders done while watching last nights taped episode of packed to the rafters. Around 3 pm i have my shower then i will have to start on dinner early tonight as my 2 sons and partner of the eldest son )that lives with us) are going to the movies which starts at 6.45 pm. I feed and put the chooks in between 4 and 5pm. The evening routine is always the same, dinner, dishes, making hubbys lunch a bit of TV, crochet and then bed.

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  47. It is 8 am in Brisbane and feels like it will be rainy today. I am rejoicing in the cooler weather. Shortly I will be driving Miss P to school. This is necessary. I also have to go to the office. When I return I will make breakfast and give mum and dad their medicines and breakfast. There is washing, folding, the kitchen to clean and vacuuming to do. My son needs to be driven to a restaurant for an interview and he wants to lunch there. Mr W and I need to organise travel insurance today.

    The hardest part is dealing with my parents needs. Dad has Alzheimer's and the day has a habit of taking interesting twists and turns. Yesterday it was service medals and razors. I wonder what today will bring?

    In the afternoon I will organise dinner. It needs to be soft so I think fish cakes, mashed sweet potato and lots of other vegetables will do. Then it is clean up until I get my middle child from the bus station. Her French lectures always end at 8pm. Hopefully when all that is done and dad is settled for the night I will be able to knit some more on a scarf.

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  48. The warm fireplaceMay 02, 2012 8:05 am

    It is 10.55pm on the 1st here in uk, i always check your blog before going to bed. Tomorrow i shall be up 7am dogs out, bath, potter round cleaning the house then work as a dinner lady in the playground with 58 delightful chidren, then my husband will pick me up from work 1.10 and take me to my watercolour art class which i adore,3pm home and dinner preparations how many for dinner who knows right now from 3 to 7, but i think my son has his uni friends round for a revision session, the evening we will sit in our conservatory it has a glass roof and i love to sky watch whilst i do some crochet or knitting, i will check out the blogs ive bookmarked then to sleep. Each day is different here do enjoy yours.
    Sue

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  49. It's almost 8am Wed morning here in South Gippsland, Australia and it's raining but not cold.
    My days don't always follow a pattern - but each day always starts with an hour's dog walking whatever the weather. As I'm retired & living on 2 & half acres & renovating a barn to turn into a holiday let, my days are determined by the weather & what stage we've arrived at in the reno. Today I will start painting the kitchen & living areas of the barn after I've gone on a mouse hunt in the house. I saw one yesterday & although they don't freak me out, I'd rather not be sharing my home with even one. Whatever I'm doing in the day I usually log on to D2E & catch up with Rhonda & the forum whilst having breakfast. Around 1pm I'll stop & have a bit of lunch & maybe take out half an hour to do a little knitting, or catch up on reading. Dear OH gets home about 4.30pm, we have a cuppa & talk about the day. As it's colder weather now I light the woodburner, then I will organise dinner for around 6.30ish. Then we settle in front of the TV - often some knitting or sewing in my lap. We're not socialites in the main, so it's very rare we venture out in the evenings. Bedtime usually around 9.30ish. A quiet life,but it suits us.

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  50. Hi
    Ah, the joys of waking in your own home! I missed that as I live over 1 1/2 hours commute from my work so stay in Brisbane 2 nights a week. Because this fractures my week somewhat it is hard to categorise a 'normal' day. But today I woke, did my exercises to start the day (something I only have time to do when I stay in town), then showered, breakfast while watching 10 minutes of Sunrise, then brushing teeth, repacking and tidying my bedroom and making the bed. The drive to work is only 5 minutes today, which is nice. I start work at 7.30 and stay till 4pm. I usually catch up with Rhonda's blog either when I first get to work or on my lunchhour. I am a bit of a newbie but this blog and the comments left by other people are a major inspiration in my life and my desire to work less and have time to do more for myself. On the drive home I usually listen to an audio book to help pass the time, and will get home a little after 5.30pm, and almost dark now that winter is approaching. We have just got 3 Light Sussex pullets on the weekend, so I will wander out to say goodnight to them and lock them up for the night if hubby has not already done it. Then we will probably enjoy a glass of wine and chat in the kitchen to catch up with each other while I prepare dinner. After dinner its the dishes, unpack my bag, put on a load of washing, all those little jobs that don't get done while I'm not home, discuss mail, plans for the weekend etc. I may manage 1/2 hour in front of the TV crocheting the blanket I have been doing spasmodically during winter for the past few years. Then around 8.30 I'm looking for my bed.

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  51. Raining here on the sunshine coast but lovely here in our home. wahing on animals feed, one more lunch to make and i can concentrate on my day. dog food to make dinner to plan and grocery list to make[ much shorter these days]
    I love this blog and the book is next. I want to try and perfect my bread I had a lot of flops
    thanks Rhonda
    cheers mary-anne

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  52. It's 8.15 on Wednesday in Brisbane and the sun is out.
    I am going to head of shortly and make my Mother-in-Law and I some Breakfast and then we will go for a trip to the local shopping centre. This is a bit of a treat for MIL but for me it is frustrating as it is time away from my garden and my household chores. Although I will still have most of the afternoon to catch up while MIL has a little sleep.
    Tonight as I watch a little TV I will be finishing of knitting a Teddy Bear for my newest Grandchild due in a couple of weeks..

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  53. I tried replying earlier, while catching up on my blog reading as DS had a top up feed, but it didn't work out.

    So far today, it's been an ordinary sort of day, walking to school with the kids, getting on with the laundry, dishwashering and other housework, planning food, playing with the baby, finishing up an essay, paying bills, picking up my daughter, buying fruit with the kids before taking them to ballet. DS wanted to join in the ballet (or maybe he just liked being the centre of attention with all the girls!), but at 8 months is a little young. I've fed them, listened to DD read, read to them both, bathed them, put them to bed, made packed lunches, done some more work. I've also done a spot of de-cluttering, which is incredibly addictive! I'm determined to re-claim the house from all the stuff we do not need. Oh, and I've shined my sink, so it's time for me to trundle off to bed (it's almost 11:20pm).

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  54. It's 23:16 Tuesday in England. As every Tuesday I go to my evening French class and my husband cooks supper. I'm ready to go to bed now cause I'll wake up at 5:30 tomorrow .
    I feed my cats, make coffee for my husband and bring his cuppa - I like to spoil he a bit. Then a have 8 hours of work in a coffee shop in London. Back home I hope the rain gives us a break because I want to care of my vegetables!

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  55. What a great idea for a post Rhonda. I enjoy reading the comments at your blog. Our blogs do connect us with like minded people don't they and I have to say I quite enjoy reading about 'ordinary days' and the simple pleasures of homemaking. This morning I will be making my apricot and macadamia sourdough bread. I will sit down with my younger children and continue their reading lessons. I also have to read my daughter's review of 'Warhorse' and read another chapter of our current read aloud book 'Island of the Blue Dolphins'. As you can tell we homeschool. Around lunchtime I have to go into town for several hours because my daughter has a driving lesson followed by her test. (Wish her all the best!) I will visit the library and reluctantly return a great book on growing berries in Australia. ('Berry Bounty' by Allen Gilbert). I might also make a suggestion for the library to purchase this great book called Down to Earth so locals don't have to pay and wait months for an inter-library loan! I'll also have plenty of time to look around the op shops for some more vintage linen tea towels for my kitchen and some more china tea cups for the soy candles that I hope to begin making today.. my candle making supplies arrived yesterday and I'm really excited to start making my own candles.
    It's going to be a wonderful day and thank you for the opportunity to share my plans with others.

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  56. Morning! It's 8.45 here in Melbourne, so far this morning I have showered and dressed, had breakfast,fed the cats, made lunches,got the kids off to school, inlcuding a friends child, now there is just me and 1 sick child. This will make my day a home based day so I will be ironing and baking, and probably doing some knitting as well as being nurse maid! xxBrenda

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  57. At 530 this morning I snuggled down under the quilt in misty moisty Canberra and hoped against hope my new found rooster wouldn't crow and wake up the neighbourhood! Or get me out of bed. LOL I had a late night because I just couldn't get the numbers right on picking up the stitches on the neckband of the little baby cards I'm trying to get finished before grand-baby 2 arrives sometime in the next week. I finally met the day, and the rooster and his five friends at 730am when the wonderful gardening crew arrived to help me cut down weed trees, plant beautiful and/or productive trees and get the front garden in order. My darling old aunt left me some money and we've decided that's what we're spending it on. Today we're planting fig, mulberry and a magnolia grandiflora. Now it's 830 and I'm off to work. I'm very privileged to be able. To work from home most of the time so the rhythm of our lives is wonderful, breakfast together, coffee at 11 usually with my home made chic chip cookies and then lunch at 1 on our home made bread, drinks at 6 while we make our dinner. Tonight a big batch of tomato pasta sauce using our own tomatoes. Yum yum. I often think of you and my other bogland friends while I'm working away or in meetings in artificially lit offices or meeting rooms. Have wonderful days ladies and g's! Greenie Claire x

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  58. Up at 6, stunning Autumn day here in Armidale. Drank tea,cooked breakfast and brought a load of firewood in. Swept the front porch and chased a few cobwebs then vacuumed my studio and dusted.
    Into the shower then gave 2 piano lessons from 7.45 AM. Tended to a sick child and some more cooking and paperwork then off to school to give another 6 piano lessons.
    Pick up youngest from school,afternoon tea together then give 5 more piano lessons.
    Cook dinner and check homework,eat and cleanup. Story time and relax with kids.
    This is a typical weekday for my family.
    Enjoy your day everyone! Madeleine

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  59. Oh, I neglected to say walk my beautiful dog which happens every day too :)
    Madeleine

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  60. 9:10am in Melbourne, it's raining and about 11 degrees outside. Luckily today is my cleaning day, so I don't have to go out in it if I don't want to. My to do list.... Changing kids' sheets on their beds, vacuuming, mopping, dusting and if I have time, cleaning the bathrooms, otherwise I'll do them on Friday. Wednesday is almost always my day at home, as Tuesday is a busy day out and about.

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  61. Hi all! Love reading about your days. It is 9.15am in Woolsthorpe vic, Australia - cool and wet from rain overnight. I'm just taking 10min of sneaky blog reading time having sent my kids off to school with their freshly made lunches, before I go in to help in their classroom. It'll be chaos at school today ad the whole community is excitedrhat we are finally getting a new school!
    After reading i'll come home to a bit more housework, some more work on my renovations and hopefully bake something for when the kids get home. Then a quick dinner of leftovers before I go off to teach my Wednesday night belly dance class and finally hone to a glass of wine with hubby while I watch one of only 3 tv shows

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  62. My morning started at 730 taking my little girl to the toilet. All 3 are eating breakfast I would normally take the boys to school but hubby is home so he will do it, I'm not well at the moment tonselitise I think. So I will put the dishes away, fold some washing and hang out some also. At 1150 I have a doctor's app after that I will come home and have lunch then sleep for a couple of hours. Get up bring in the washing, help with home work and tea. I will shower and get myself ready to start work at 6 at a hottel bar and gaming room and will finish at 230 tomorrow morning. Go to bed at about 330 and get up and do it all again. Jodie from Adelaide.

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  63. It's 7PM here in North Carolina, USA and I'm just now able to read your post for today. Was up at 6AM this morning, a bit early for me, but I've had trouble sleeping this week due to sadness over having to put our beloved cat to sleep last Thursday. I've been trying extra hard to stay busy and today was no exception. Washed, hung out to dry and folded three loads of clothes. Tuesdays are my normal wash day. Believe it or not, I love to hang out clothes and I usually check each thing I hang out for tears, missing buttons, holes in socks. I love darning. Only one sock with a hole today. Later I thawed chicken for husband's lunch and a veggie quiche for mine. I'm trying hard to use up what's in the freezer. Worked on the budget trying to come up with how I can trim it another couple of hundred dollars a month. Short term, that's an easy thing to do because I'm using up a lot of what is stockpiled. Cleaned the catbox for our other cat and cried again over the one we just lost. Made the bed and thought of your post about how special a nicely made bed is to snuggle into. It's true and now I take my time making the bed each morning. Made out the menu for the next seven days based on the "less meat" challenge. Still trying to cut back on meat, but I have a lot to use up in the freezer. Watered the garden and noticed that the sunflowers are up...the birds will appreciate the seeds later. Shared some extra bean seeds with a friend and was glad about that. Also cut some aloe to put on the blister he got from pulling weeds in his own garden. Was glad about that too, as the aloe is a natural antiseptic. Came home from a meeting to hot cheese pizza that my husband prepared while I was in the meeting. Gotta love how willing he is to share our chores.

    That's enough of my day...going upstairs to darn that hole I spoke about before it gets bigger. Then a little reading and off to bed.

    I love hearing about everyone's day. Thanks for suggesting it.

    Diane in North Carolina

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  64. It's just after 5pm here in Denver. It's been a cloudy day but warm - in the 70's. The sun is just starting to peek through the western sky.

    I slept late since CatMan came for a visit last night and we had a nice dinner, and stayed up late watching movies. Then I had to clean up after he left.

    So my morning began lying in bed trying to decide if I was really ready to get up yet, when, out of the blue, one of my cats leaped off of the headboard and landed right on my stomach! Talk about a sucker punch to the gut first thing in the morning!

    Anyhow, that got me up, and I spent a few hours doing some work on one of my long-neglected web sites.

    Then I went out to do some work in the garden. Had hoped to get the tomatoes in, but didn't get that far. Ended up spreading some manure, turning the ground and filling an entire wheelbarrow with weeds.

    I picked a bunch of spinach... it's already bolting. Sigh. Watered everything else and in a minute or two I'll go make a nice spinach salad for dinner.

    Tonight I may do some photography, or get back to work on that web site... or maybe I'll just take it easy. I might also try to finish up the rag rug in the kitchen (it's only been 3 years!)

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  65. Jimmie, so sorry to read about your beloved cat. I send love and hugs. xx Rhonda

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  66. It's almost 7:30 pm in Connecticut. I worked today at the library; came home and dropped off a couple of books for my elderly neighbor and visited a bit. Fed the cats, started some laundry and gussied up some drab soup I made the other day. My hair is washed and bed turned down. I'm going to have soup and a BLT. I'm excited because yesterday I started a compost bin (the portable kind), and also planted some lettuce seeds. This is new to me.

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  67. Hi Rhonda, It is 7:20 PM and I am writing from suburban NYC. I had many plans for today - - - some planting I was hoping to do, bread I wanted to make (I have almost stopped buying bread entirely at this point), a school project I was hoping to finish with my 9 year old daughter. But a dear old friend - my oldest friend - called today because her father, who has been ill for months, is nearly at the end. Her husband dropped her 3 daughters off at the house, and so immediately I went from 4 kids at home to 7! Plans were scratched. I came up with a new dinner - one I could make to feed a crowd (thanks to my stockpile, I was prepared). And so it goes with the best laid plans . . . but what a blessing to be flexible enough to scrap my "to do list" in a second when required. I love my life at home!

    Kate in NY

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  68. My hubby helped drag me out of bed early & into the shower :) so that I could have those extra minutes needed to get the chorizo and lentil slow cooker stew on for tonight's dinner. (Normally he does this kind of meal, but I want to do more & help us eat better). I've made myself a coffee and sat down in front of the computer to check Facebook and read Down to Earth. Any moment I'll drive to the train station, park, catch the train to work.... work... later tonight I'll go to karate and have dinner :)

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  69. Hi ,what a great post never fails us.Woke at 5am made coffee for me and DH, bit of a chill in the air today.While DH gets ready for work I make his lunches,then he is out the door at 5.30.
    I go round the house and open up curtains and windows ,put a load of washing on and start my day.Then back to bed with another coffee and check the blogs where you never dissapoint.After coffee I get dressed ,make the bed and clean the bathrooms.Take out the dinner things to prepare Later.pumkin rissoto and lamb chops.Eat breakfast and check my emails. While eating.
    Then at 8am I drive to my daughters house and walk to school with them while the weather is nice.
    9ish I do the shopping and go home and sort it I like to boil some eggs and make a salad peel veggies and have things cut up ready for meals in the week.
    I will sit down and have some tea and sandwich.,while I pay some bills as it a pay day today.Then I will nearly always look at some more blogs for a while .The afternoon I will do some weeding general tidy of one side of the garden.
    4 pm I will cook the dogs food for the week and make our dinner.DH arrives home at about 5.30 and we settle down for the evening.Day is done.I usually do sewing while watching tv withDH.
    This was fun feel tired already enjoy yourselves whatever your doing.

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  70. It's 9.39 and we, myself, my two month old and my three year old, are having a home day after a busy few days. I've been making beds, washing clothes, tidying the rooms and playing with the kids. I'm about to make bread and hang clothes on the line. While the children nap after lunch I will be sewing up the toddler apron I cut out last night, a gift for a little boy from playgroup who is having a birthday party this weekend and who loves to bake with his Mum. This afternoon we are going to the library, dropping off some bags of clothes to the op-shop and then going to Grandpa's house for dinner. Once home again the little ones will go to bed and I will sit down with my knitting.

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  71. Hi Rhonda and Hanno
    It is 9.20am here in Adelaide. Today I woke at 7am (lucky because I forgot to set the alarm lol), to wake the kids for school. I packed lunchboxes and left at 8.15 to drop them off. We were supposed to walk but it is threatening to rain and since it is a 4km round trip for me to walk them to school I didn't chance it today!

    I popped into the shop on the way home to pick up a few things for dinner tonight and am now at home catching up on blogs that I love reading. I may or may not get to post on my own blog lol.

    Before I pick the kids up from school I have some general housework to get done and my seedlings to take a peek at. I also have washing to put away after last night's ironing session. I hope to get some washing powder made up too.

    When thte kids come home from school at 3.30ish there will be homework to be done and our traditional Wednesday night meal of toasted sandwiches (tonight is soccer/karate night both of which fall right on dinner time!). My eldest needs to get to his part time job by 4pm and he will go and stay at his dad's house after work. My 15yo is going to an Adelaide United Soccer game tonight as a treat from their soccer coach so he will need to be dropped off at the Stadium at 5.30pm. My 11yo has karate at 6pm.
    I need to do some meal planning today as well, I have been slack and am taking meals a day at a time which isn't good on my sanity or my budget!

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  72. Today, I am lucky enough to have a home day from my part time kindergarten teaching job. It's cold and misty here in Tasmania so apart from a short harvesting session in the garden where I will bring in parsnips, carrots, chard and leek to make a nice big pot of soup. Then I will make a batch of Cornish pasties that I freeze for the bearded wonder's lunches. I look forward to acing time to read and do some jewellery making. The day is increasingly becoming softer as we speak so I might go harvesting now. Have a lovely and satisfying day everyone.

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  73. Hi, its a chilly 12 degrees here in Victoria and drizzling. I'm going to have an easy day today recovering from a few stressful days so I'll do some crocheting and maybe start on an apron most likely with the help of my 2yr old daughter who has just woken from her nap. We need some yummy snacks here again so I will also get everything ready for a baking session with my elder daughter after we collect her from school. Thank you for your blog I have been enjoying reading it each morning and am loving all the tips and ideas found amongst the archives, Amber

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  74. Good Morning Rhonda and other posters. I'm Carolyn, a newbie from Melbourne, where it's 10am and drizzling this morning.

    So far today I've gotten my kids ready for school, made their lunches, and dropped them off. I then sat down with a hot chocolate to read your blog and continued on to see what everyone else was doing with their day.

    I'm planning on mostly staying home today. I'm about to start on my bread for the day, and will prepare a roast chicken for dinner while I'm in the kitchen. I'll also do a kitchen clean and tidy.

    I have lots of clean washing to fold and put away this afternoon and plan to do some knitting too.

    Tonight one of my daughters has a ballet class, but apart from that, I plan to relax and knit for most of the evening. I'm knitting a scarf for my 16yo.

    Enjoy your day everyone :-)

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  75. Its 10:12 am and I am off work today so I am having a different kind of day. Got up at 6.30 and got the kids lunches ready and put a load of wash on and did the beds as they came available! I have got the meat out defrosting for dinner and lemon biscuits in the oven. My Mum is coming into town so we will have an afternoon of crafting. Kids will come home and we will do homework and chat, then dinner is in full swing and then the house will settle down to quiet pottering by 8pm.

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  76. Good Morning Rhonda and Kindred Spirits,
    It is 8 am in WA and fine and sunny where I am, blue skies and going to be about 25 degrees.
    I have been up since 6, Hubby has gone off to work at 7. I then tidy the house,make the bed, feed our little dog, and let the chooks out for a day of adventure in the orchard. I have made my lunch, leftover Zuchini Slice and salad and a piece of Boiled Pineapple fruit cake for my sweet tooth.
    I have enjoyed two cups of coffee and some toast with homemade jam.
    As soon as I finish this I will be off to work, I love my job and love my customers I am still working 5 days a week but I enjoy what I am doing and want to keep going to work for a few more years if I am blessed with the good health I have now. When I get home Hubby will have a cuppa ready for us we will sit and enjoy that (he gets home before me so he will have seen to the chooks and collected the eggs)and then,I have some fish out for tea, my daugher nik named the "after thought" is still living at home, and she wants to cook tonight so I will be her kitchen hand and we will get tea together we three will then enjoy our meal at the dinner table and talk! Hubby will clear the table and I will iron the work clothes for tomorrow (no ironing basket here, I hang everything up unironed and just iron it the night before) then I will come back and wash up, I may rustle up some kind of dessert, then I will go and have a shower and Hubby will make our last cuppa for the day and we will enjoy our dessert with that. This has just made me realise what a team we are. Late start for me today so time to shower and get ready for work. I try to get lots done on the weekend so the work days are not to hectic at home. Like to sit outside in the morning and enjoy my coffee and toast and collect my attitude for the day from the birds!
    Hope we all have a productive and happy day.

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  77. Hi Rhonda,and everyone!It's 8:18 here in south western Pennsylvania.My morning started early.I make the coffee before the boys wake up.Then around 9am I go out and water my vegetable seedlings,and feed the ducks.Then once the boys are up it's breakfast and getting started for the day.I drug out the lounge part of the sectional couch to the deck and scrubbed that with a mixture of water and borax,then did the couch cushions,and let them sit and dry in the sun.Then I hung out the living room run on the line and let that air out.My brother in law and his wife are coming home from Hawaii where he was stationed in the army,and i want the place looking nice.So today I spent cleaning.I cleaned the microwave,dusted,and did some laundry.Bad news for today was,we found a dead baby duck.We raise ducks,and we had a mama hatch some babies,but we found one drowned.It broke my 3 year olds heart.So I dug a hole,and had him go get a flower.We layed it in the hole,said some nice words,and buried it.It's sad but it does happen.We spent the rest of the day picking up outside,blowing bubbles,and playing on the swingset.Dinner just ended amd now it's time for bath and bed...whew! Busy days,but I love them!

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  78. Hi, Again, I`m another that has never posted but always follow your blog. It`s morning teatime here in Tasmania on a wet and gloomy autumn day. Have just finished with the housework and now am about to make a batch of loganberry jam- that will bring the scent of summer into the house! After lunch there will be socks to mend and buttonholes to hand sew on a shirt I`ve almost finished. No doubt during the afternoon I will get a visit from my 2 grandsons who live next door.A quick tour round the garden to harvest vegies for stirfrying tonight to go along with the lentil rissoles, then working on a cross stitch project till bedtime.

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  79. Hi Rhonda and all,
    Our five sons are all grown and gone for the most part so we are getting used to life as empty nesters...We were up at 6AM for morning coffee (each doing it our own way), me while drying my hair, my hubby while reading emails....
    At 8 I headed out to my job as a preschool teacher. I enjoyed 4 fun filled active hours with our class of 18 4 year olds, cleaned up and then I drove to grocery shopping (one hour from home). I bought 2 small watermelons and am anxious to cut them and share with the preschoolers tomorrow as we have been talking about the letter and sound "w" this week. Came home to greet my youngest son who has arrived home from his second year of college. He will be busy working this summer and may be away during the weeks, but we will see much more of him than through the school year.:) After unpacking and putting away the groceries, it was time for my 45 minute walk through the woods and small cemetery with my very happy dog to visit our new homesite. On the way I passed my garden and noticed that the lettuce is up!! Each day I have been noticing all of the new wildflowers blooming. It has been such fun taking these walks this spring and watching as our world unfolds to my favorite seasons of the year...spring and summer!! While I was out, my son made the turkey meat tacos for our dinner, along with a mess, but I didn't mind. I have always loved to cook and bake and all of my sons are very comfortable in the kitchen! Just now I made 5 onesie cupcakes (made from onesie tee shirts and receiving blankets) which I will give as gift at baby shower this coming weekend..Oh and I made some homemade granola while cleaning up the taco mess!!. Thanks Rhonda for rounding out my days with thankfulness!!
    PS I am writing from northeast Pennsylvania, USA

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  80. 8:45PM It was an overcast day in Florida...My day started early - 5:30AM with the little ones waking. We always light a candle while I make breakfast. After dropping my oldest at the bus stop we rode our cargo bikes to the grocery store. We are striving to be car free and we have dedicated the month of May to strictly using the bikes! After getting home and unloading a weeks worth of food we had lunch and naps. After naps we took a stroll through the woods behind our house going on a "bear hunt". No luck finding that bear today! It rained a little while I was tidying the house and the kids were playing the drums with their papa. We played blocks, made a pirate ship, and had a dance party...The highlight of our day was roasting marshmallows at the fire pit! Papa is putting the kids to sleep now while I finish "interneting". I think I'm going to sit down with a glass of wine and my new book "You are Your Child's First Teacher" then head off to bed. It has been a good day!

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  81. Here in Amish Country, Pennsylvania USA, I awoke at 6am, checked my email, facebook and Pinterst ( I use this time to drink my tea and enjoy my sit down time) I then washed 2 loads of laundry, worked on my crafts, did the morning dishes, made the bed, showered and was off to my job by 10:30am. I worked until 8pm this evening, came home, watered my tomato plants, got my nightgown on, turned the bed down, have ice hockey on the tv and am catching up on blogs. It is currently 9:07pm, the temps outside went in the high 70's today, it is a bit muggy out there. I will head off to bed here shortly as I have to be at work at 6am in the morning until 3 pm....then there is a whole different list of chores to do in the evening...I hope it is a nice day as I want to work in the floral beds outside my home.

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  82. Good Heavens; it's 11am here in rural NSW and there are 66 comments already! Rhonda, you really know how to reach out to people and value the 'everyday'. Somehow 'ordinary' has become a dirty word with so many people striving for success (whatever that means), excessive money or notoriety in their quest to be extraordinary. So sad to confuse "Standard Of Living" with "Quality of Life" because they bear no relationship to each other.
    My Day: Overcast with the threat of rain, currently 10 degrees Celcius. Slept a bit late (0700) because it was warm in bed and the cat snuggled up. Let dog out, fed cat, chooks and poddy calf. Did a load of washing and hung it in the sunroom to dry. Basic house cleaning, baked a batch of biscuits, put bread on to rise (I don't have a machine so there's always clean up after kneading). Pureed the last of roast tomatoes and put the jars in the water bath. Started a batch of green tomato chutney with the remaining fruit on the vines (we've already had a couple of frosts and more forecast for later this week.). I stewed a huge pan of quinces yesterday and they are currently hanging in a jelly bag to strain for quince jelly.
    I'm having my coffee and catching up with your blog and the the forum friends before potting up some of my garden cuttings and veg seedlings and moving them all under cover.
    This afternoon I'll swap the last of the summer clothes out of my wardrobe and bring out the long underwear(!) ready for the escalating change of season. The wood fire will need lighting by mid afternoon and I'll fill the old wheelbarrow with enough wood to see us through tonight. Then I'll put on dinner (beef pie today) in time for my husband to come home. He still works away in Canberra for three days a week (but hopefully not for much longer), so I look forward to him coming home to a clean house and welcoming smells.
    A spare pie goes in the freezer for my dad (78) and I'll ring him to check on his day and doings before picking up my crocheting (a hex granny blanket a la Lucy at Attic24).
    I stepped off the professional treadmill almost two years ago, leaving behind a career and people that I loved, but I haven't looked back. Medicine is far more than a job and has been my passion for 30 years. Now my children are grown and I'm following the other passions that had to take third place behind family and career for so long. Loving it!

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  83. Hi Rhonda, It's 11:30am in Victoria and today is my son's 8th birthday, so this morning before school was filled with opening presents in bed, all together, candles in toast, and getting ready for school. oh, and testing out the presents!

    I listened to children from my daughter's class read, and then it was back home. I have picked the last of the Granny Smiths and Quinces (Crabapples will be later in the week), finished the folding and ironing, and picked some roses. I'm hoping to spend a couple of hours reorganising my sewing room, before picking the kids up from school. Then it will be decorating the birthday cake, cooking tea, and a quick tidy up before the relatives arrive!

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  84. It's 11.30am, apparently it's 13 degrees here in Orange NSW, but I reckon it feels about 8... I don't work on Wednesdays, so I met with a couple of friends for breakfast this morning before they scurried off to work. Then I went to the book shop and bought the only copy they had of your book - I was hoping to get two copies, one for me and one to send to a very good friend. She has recently broken up with her boyfriend and is very heartbroken. I thought your book could not only cheer her up a little, but also distract her and keep her busy. I'm sure she'll embrace simple living wholeheartedly. Anyway, they only had one copy so I decided to buy it for myself and order one for her online so I can get it delivered straight to her. Saves me postage anyway - because the online bookstore doesn't charge extra to mail it!
    For the rest of today I'll be packing and organising for our move back to Queensland. We've got about 3 weeks to go, and I am trying to be on top of everything so the last week isn't too stressful... So far so good :) Although now that I have your book I am sure I'll be distracted by it when I should be cleaning out cupboards and packing all the breakables!
    Take care,
    Tilly x

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  85. Hi Rhonda
    I do not comment often but read your blog daily. My day often starts the same with a 4:00am wake up. I then start a loaf of bread, while rising feed all the animals and milk the goats. Then upon returning to the house bake the bread, then at 6:30 fix breakfast for my daughter, grand daughter and mom. While they are eating I hang the clothes on the line, that I started when I got up. Then its in the car and off to school for them and cardiac rehab for mom. Fix lunch for mom and I check on the animals again and work for a couple of hours in the garden (has rained a little off and on today). Pick up the kids from school prepair supper, clean up, bring the clothes in and put them away. The chickens and goats get shut up for night and we end the day with a nice movie. Oh and of course I read your blog before I go to bed. :)
    Kim

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  86. Hi Rhonda, I'm in central Arkansas in the U.S. where it was sunny, windy and warm today. My husband and I are traveling for the next three weeks so I spent the day preparing. I woke at 5:00 am and did morning devotions, then did 3 loads of laundry, showered and dressed and tidied the house (couldn't leave it dusty for the housesitters!). I packed, and repacked since my suitcase was overweight, ran a few errands, picked up my neighbors mail since she's out of town, watered the plants, cleaned out the refrigerator, made final calls to my 3 children, made dinner (mostly leftovers from cleaning out fridge), and checked my stock of pantry items so I can replenish when I return. I made copies of all travel documents and put last minute things out so I won't forget them in the morning. Oh and filled out a birthday card for my daughter who will celebrate while I'm away. I haven't commented before but Ive been doing many of the things you talk about for a long time now...make my own detergent and fabric softener, make most meals without using processed foods, stockpile pantry items when on sale, bake bread, have a very small garden, can and dehydrate foods for storage, and repurpose items wherever possible. I love your blog! Blessings, Marlene

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  87. It is almost noon here in the tropical northern part of Australia. I am at work - about to heat up some lovely veggie soup I made over the weekend and froze in individual containers. I will also hop onto the treadmill for 20 minutes, since I work at the computer all day. I just spoke to my hubby on the phone - he has a load of laundry hanging on the line, and says the tide might be a bit high when we go for our afternoon walk on the beach. Leftover roast lamb for dinner tonight - life is good :) enjoy your visit with your sister Rhonda!

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  88. It is 11:56 am in Ipswich, temperature is 24 Celsius, overcast. First time I have read your blog for several weeks as I have been busy at work with Parent/Teacher interview appts, that is finally over. At home the peas are growing and rosellas are frutiting nicely, jam soon. This afternoon have a few small jobs to do on the way home and hope to finish knitting a pixie bonnet for a friends small daughter.

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  89. 6.00AM Get up, feed cats, dogs and myself, read blogs and emails. Add new customers to my email lists. Be thankful that it's raining so I don't have to water the veggies.
    7.00AM Wake my 4 boys. Hang out washing (optimistically)in the rain. Let chooks out and feed them. Make sure lunches are made and uniforma are on. Get ready for work. Contact my Group Leader about a customer query from the night before.
    8.30AM Drive to school. I have a 5-on day till 3.10PM. Teaching ESL and English to year 8s, 9s and 10s. It's busy but fun. (At the moment I've got my year 9s in the computer room writing their persuasive speeches. It's reasonably quiet...)
    3.10PM School finishes. I now tutor a year 11 boy in English till 4.15PM
    4.30 - 7.00PM Home. I tidy around, collect the eggs (if any) get dinner ready. I also have to phone people on my customer lists about a special offer the business I'm also doing is having, so that will take up most of my time. I'd normally do that at night but tonight I have to go back to the school in the evening.
    7.15 - 9PM School Open Night. I've been rostered on to speak to prospective year 7 parents about the school's English program.
    9.15 - 10.30PM Home again. Walk into the kitchen and become operatic because none of the boys have thought to tidy up. Go out to chook run and lock up hens and bring their food in. Make biscuits/cake for tomorrow's lunches. Boot a son from the computer and go through emails etc. Make a lemon verbena tea and go to bed with a book.

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  90. It's midday here in Sydney, and the bread is almost ready and smelling wonderful. We got up early, as usual - 6am - and I went to the park for a one-hour walk and the little bit of Tai Chi that I know. Came home, meditated - just mindfulness meditation, on the breath. I love breakfast! Home-made yoghurt with fruit, home-made bread. Prepared lessons - I'm teaching tonight from 6-9, and I do volunteer ethics teaching tomorrow morning. I'll read for a while after lunch before work, and my knitting is nearby too. I love to hear what everyone is doing! This is a good idea Rhonda

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  91. It is9:30 pm here in the mountains of new York state. I read and enjoy your blog so much rhonda. I can't remember if I have ever commented before. Today I got up early. I got my two grandchildren off to school then got ready for work and the busy day ahead. My daughter is a veteran and is in a wheelchair. My husband who is retired stays with her when I go off to work. I work just 2 hours a day at our local school. I am the schools recess aide and I look after the children while they take their recess time. I love my job. I feel like mama to all the children. It is a great feeling. After work and stopping at the grocery store and at the post office. Then home to start supper and do dome chores, when the grandchildren get home its homework and afterschool smacks and get ready for the children's martial arts classes. Came right home after that got the children ready for bed helped my daughter and now I am laying in bed and enjoying reading your blog on my kindle fire. I should be doing some crocheting but I am just enjoying this right now.
    Well its time for me to go off to dreamland where I can dream of beautiful gardens filled with fruits and veggies. Well stocked pantry and maybe a peaceful place where I can stitch or crochet for days now that's my idea of dreamland. Good night all.

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  92. It's currently 10:00 p.m. here in northern Ohio, USA. Today was a warmer day than what we've had recently and the sun peaked out for a little while, but currently it's drizzling outside. Of all days to talk about our day (usually I keep rather busy) Tuesday is the day I use the car for errands and visiting. I used to just run about whenever I felt like it, but ever since I chose to limit my time out and about, I am so much more content. I hope everyone had a memorable and safe day!

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  93. It's 12.05pm here in Brisbane. Blue skies, cool breeze, practically perfect weather.
    My mother-in-law is up from Melbourne for a few days to attend a wedding. and is staying with us.
    We managed a sleep-in till 7.30am today. Got up and ate breakfast, fed the guinea pigs and chatted on the verandah while my daughter (20 months) played in the backyard. Listening to stories of my husband's grandmother & my MILs lovely gardens. How they gathered seaweed from the beach to add to the soil and successfully grew roses and other cold climate plants at Beachmere. Went for a walk around the block, stopping to show my daughter the flowers, trees & chickens in other people's yards. Naptime for baby. Washing & breadmaking. Cup of tea with fresh bread & homemade rosella jam. More stories. Call from husband at work. Blog writing while MIL reads books to daughter and helps her draw. Lunch & more leisurely family time at home to follow. Bliss!

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  94. 9:35 PM here on Central Time in Oklahoma. Just getting ready to head to bed soon. Will be up extra early in the AM to have fasting bloodwork done, then take my oldest daughter and my 5 YO daughter to violin lessons before school. Then it will be home with the other three, ages 8, 4, and 2 for a bit of housework and homeschooling. I also need to pick up orange juice and sausage for a breakfast I volunteered to bring food for on Thursday morning........will make the breakfast casserole tomorrow and put it in the fridge, then it's off to my church to cook dinner for folks to eat before Bible study classes. Back home again to get all children to bed and head there myself.

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  95. Today, after dropping my son off to school and my daughter to kindergarten, I stayed on the kinder to volunteer to do some paperwork. I then when into the kinder room with my daughter and her class to make Mother's Day cards.
    At midday, lunch and a little blogging. I then get a meal ready for tonight's dinner.
    At 2pm, a tidy up of the house and then it's the kids' pick up time at 3.30pm.
    This evening will be an hour or so of university study at home.

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  96. Hello there! It's nearly 10 pm here in Chicago. I've got the 4 kids to bed and just finished cleaning up the kitchen. Today was an at home day for me, I got the 2 kids off to school, then my preschooler off on the car pool. I quick tidied the house and made lunch for a few friends to come have a chat with their little ones. After lunch the older kids came home from school and did homework, chores and reading. Dinner was a quick fix of smoothies, french toast and hash browns before soccer practice. It was a lovely day! Thanks for letting me share.

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  97. Hi Rhonda
    I discovered your blog through your Women’s Weekly column and have enjoyed getting so much good advice from your blog. I am an artist and art teacher who moved from South Africa a year ago to be near my daughter.
    I started the day planning to walk. When rain stopped that I put a load of washing on, had breakfast and started a blog post. Then it was time to drive through to Redcliffe to take paintings for an exhibition selection. On my return, I cleaned the house and studio, and had a salad lunch while reading your blog.
    A little later I will fetch my granddaughter from school, and spend time helping with her homework - while I still can - kids today are pretty advanced - then take her to ballet.
    This evening I’ll join a local networking group. It’s a good way to meet new people.
    A busy day and not a usual one, as I try to spend time each day painting in my studio.
    Thank you for all you helpful hints - don’t know if I’ll ever be a bread maker but who knows?

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  98. 1pm here and after spending the morning getting my girls ready, making breakfasts and lunches, and walking them to school, I bused it into the city for a work meeting. Back home now to quickly get the bread on to go with dinner, washing and tidying up. Will definitely squeeze in a quick walk before pick up time, cooking dinner and some biscuits for school lunches. Will do some more work (marking) for a couple of hours after the children are in bed before unwinding with a quilting project before bed. Thanks for your amazing blog!

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  99. It´s now 11,30 am in Perth, lovely sunny day, 21ºC (will be max 27ºC), I had my usual day off work, woke up at 6am, had breakfast, put a load of washing in the machine and got ready to take the car for a service. The lovely mechanic dropped me off at a nearby shopping centre from where I caught the bus home. Then after hanging the clothes to dry I sat down to do some sewing, I´m making new pillows for the lounge sofas. I´m now finished and took a break reading some blogs and will then carry on with house cleaning, making dinner, and then sit down to write my next post which on the A-Z of Australia series, which is long overdue!
    Enjoy your sister´s visit!

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  100. It it 1:21pm in Bli Bli, overcast and not overly warm which is nice!

    I have just returned home from grocery shopping all morning with my toddler and baby. I have been inspired to stock pile and bargain hunt here, so I went to Aldi first, shopping list in hand. Then I headed over to the plaza to Woolies and Coles - I spent last night online comparing prices for the items on my shopping list I can't get from Aldi. When I finally finished I felt oh so accomplished with the savings I had made, was backing out of the carpark when BANG! I backed into someone. There goes my savings andthensome! Gotta laugh at how the universe works sometimes!

    Off track a bit there, just thought it was a funny story even if it is at my own expense!

    The rest of my day will be spent cleaning the floors, entertaining a toddler and bub, picking my stepdaughter up from school, helping with homework, preparing dinner, bathing kids and sending them to bed. Tidying the kitchen then curling up to watch my favourite tv show 'Offspring'.

    I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying this homemaking business now that I have given a name to everything I do everyday! Thank you for your endless inspiration Rhonda!

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  101. Firstly what great topic Rhonda:) I cannot wait until tonight when I have a spare moment to read through all of the comments:)
    I started today,cooking breakfast for my four children,stoked the woodfire to get it warmer to cook the porridge on,thinking hubby will probably have to chop some wood..don't think there will be enough until tomorrow! (He still has to do the winter pile yet!but he has a full time job so its hard..and he just come off night shift this morning,so is sleeping!)
    I stay at home with our four children aged nine,five,three and two,just this year I started homeschooling with a Steiner approach...we live in the country,so far we have chickens(hopefully goats soon:),so I tend to them in the morning and night as well.
    We start the day by covering English first,then Math,then we have snack time (today I baked two loaves of banana bread),plus I cut up a platter of fruit and cheese.Then we do a subject that could be anything from science,the solar system to say aboriginal myths...just to give you an idea.
    Then lunch probably today it will be left over beef and vege stew from last night with toast.
    Then after lunch we do craft,sewing,knitting or cooking,yesterday we made Mothers Day cards,the day before my daughter made a chocolate mud cake that was amazing!
    Then we will have quiet story time,were all sit around the lounge and either I or my daughter will read a book or two!
    Then they can turn the Tv on for a couple of hours while I do dinner and then today put away about three baskets of washing,because our rainfall over Summer was low,our tanks are low in water,so fortunately my husband can take it to work and do it,so we can save on water...very very grateful for that:)
    Then dinner,probably jacket potatoes..home grown:)with a cheese topping.I wish I was that little bit more organised to menu plan I usually decide on the day what we are having....and I'm over it,so that is definately something I wish to work on!
    Every few hours during the course of the day I feed our Rayburn stove with wood,its like the heartbeat of our house,heats our water and its lovely and warm in here today,which is fortunate because its around 13 degrees and has been raining all day.I mention my stove because I just love it so,my stove is a huge part of my day..every day:)
    Carleene:)

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  102. In Hoppers Crossing, Victoria, my day started at 6am by assisting hubby to get ready for work (not a morning person) and later struggled to get my teenage son with Aspergers to go to school.

    Does anyone else have an Aspie that is a teenager?????

    Failed miserably and then went off to do full day as Accountant running several small businesses. Will get home about 6pm and then its cook dinner, dishes, housework and maybe 1 hour to talk to friend, email, watch TV, read blogs before collasping in bed around 11 and doing it all again tomorrow.

    I so envy you girls at home. I live vicariously through your posts each day and get so much pleasure from your achievements.

    Dont worry - i'm planning big things. Cheers.

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  103. Today has been a very long day. Woke at 9 a.m. First thing was getting the chicks out of their hutch into their run, put in new feed for them. I read my bible chapter for the day while drinking my coffee and took notes. Made yogurt and put them up in jars. Ate a wonderful lunch of leftover spinach pie using your recipe and my homemade ricotta cheese. Made homemade pasta for a mac and cheese dinner using a recipe I found from a friend using gorgonzola cheese amongst others. I cleaned out the freezer and tidied it up along with the refrigerator. Took the food and indoor compost bucket out the compost pile. Did a load of laundry and hung it out to dry.
    After dinner it was reading my daily blogs and posting in my own. Enjoyed homemade banana pudding pie and a cup of coffee. It is almost midnight and soon I will head to bed.

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  104. Today I was woken at about 5am by the baby so I fed her and put her back to bed. My partner's alarm goes off at 5:45 and the baby who had probably not gone back to sleep was crying so I got her up, set her up with some toys so I could make myself breakfast. My almost three year old woke up soon after and the day started in earnest.

    Goodbye to my partner. Breakfast for the children, set up the toddler with a tv show, set up the baby in a rocker in the bathroom so I can have a shower. Dress myself, dress the baby, dress the toddler. Make toddler's lunch for preschool...

    Take the toddler to preschool, the carers and little girls LOVE babies and gather around my baby while I sign the toddler in, kiss the toddler goodbye and then rush home so I can get the, now cranky, baby into bed. She sleeps for a lovely two hours(!) while I fret over some very slow cooking chickpeas and discuss said chickpeas with friends on Facebook LOL. Damn chickpeas took 2.5hrs to cook! I also got out into the garden to hunt for cabbage munching grubs to squash... most satisfying.

    The babe awakes. So I change her nappy (poo in a cloth nappy - sigh). Get her lunch ready. a few icecube portions of sweet potato mixed with puy lentils. She loved it! I make myself some lunch with left over roast pumpkin, chicken and some of the lentils. A bit stodgy so I drizzle with lemon. Perfect!

    Strip all the meat off the chicken from last night and put the carcase and left over bones on the stove with water and bits and bobs to make stock.

    Get rid of some pushy Austar salesmen that come to the door. Bundle up the baby because its FREEZING in Hobart today. We have to take the Toddlers bike to an welder to be fixed.... they will get to it next week. Then we go to the grocer to stock up on some fruit and vege. Then home.

    The baby goes down for another nap... screaming blue murder! I have a chat with my sister on Facebook and read some blogs... that's why I'm here writing this really long comment LOL

    That is my day up to 2:30. I was going to go into the city after the baby wakes, but it's too cold. I have my book club book to read and I have some washing to do...so I might do it.

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  105. Hello Rhonda :)

    It's 10:15pm Tuesday here in Alberta, Canada. Today was busy, challenging, interesting, productive, fun and widely varied. The first of every month, we rotate chores, so it took a bit of figuring to see who was doing what today :) After morning chores (animals fed and tended to, basic home keeping and personal care), we ate a breakfast of fresh eggs on toast/oatmeal with peanut butter and bananas. The kitchen was tidied, laundry was put on, and we settled in to school lessons after a 2 week hiatus. A break mid morning gave the kids some fresh air and exercise while I got 4 loaves of bread on, finished up some morning housework and popped in to check the forum. We got back to lessons, then had lunch together (leftover baked cheesy tomato noodle casserole).

    The afternoon saw us tending to the animals again, hanging laundry, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, washing windows, watering the greenhouse plants, dusting, tidying the house and prepping for guests. The dog was walked by our teen daughter and my sewing room "catch all table" was tidied by me while the 2 younger kids read. We welcomed guests at 3pm and they stayed until 5pm - we chatted and had coffee - it was really enjoyable.

    We then had more leftovers for an early supper to finish them up. After our early supper, I took our younger daughter to ballet class and enjoyed an hour at the library all by myself. I chose books on pruning, gardening, homesteading, home keeping and xeriscaping plus some books for the children.

    We arrived home at 7:30pm to find my oldest son and his wife here so we settled in for a short visit. So good to see them :) Evening routines followed (kitchen tidy, readying the children for bed, and prepping the house for night time). After tucking the children in, I went to check on the chickens before nightfall and discovered that half of the young pullets had escaped into the established hens' run. I removed the temporary fencing and prepared a more secure boundary for these fast growing, curious little birds and locked everyone in for the night. The feeders and waterers are full and all is well again in the poultry yard. I pulled the laundry off the line on my way in to the house, closed up the greenhouse to keep the heat in and popped in to check the forum again while my teen daughter folded the clothes.

    The children are sleeping, the house is reasonably tidy, chores are done and I'm off to bed to read a book.

    Another wonderful day :)

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  106. It is 6.20 AM in Germany near Koblenz on the Rhine. I got up at 5.30, had a mug of tea and put on a load of laundry. My husband will get up soon, then we will have breakfast together. Then I`ll hang the laundry on the line outside, start a second load, clean the kitchen and then plant some vegetables (salad, kohlrabi, cabbage). After that, I want to sew a ipad sleeve for a friend. For lunch, we will have leftover quiche and a salad. After that, my husban who doesn´t habe to work today, and I will take the train to Bonn to meet our son and visit the Botanical Garden there. In the evening, I´ll attend a church meeting which will end very late because there are a lot of changes in our community.

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  107. It's a beautiful autumn day, all the sunshine and warmth with none of the summer humidity, I'm guessing 23degrees.

    I just got off a plane, heading home after my once-a-month commute to the city for meetings. I don't mind the flight because it gives me the chance to sit still and knit, a hobby which is a new obsession. I will arrive home in time to help my stay-at-home husband with the whirlwind school pickups. With three kids 2-15yo, afternoons can be quite crazy and it helps to double-team them. 

    Tonight we are being joined by my grown niece, who is making a detour to catch up with us and she just sent a text to say her brother is free to come along, too. We're all looking forward to the visit as it's so hard to keep up with the older kids in the family. So, this afternoon I will make up the guest beds and my husband is already defrosting a huge lasagne; fortunately he had just made a batch on the weekend, so we're  all prepared to feed the extra mouths. We are currently renting while we build a new house, so don't presently have a vege garden, however I will make a salad from greens generously supplied by a green-thumbed friend and extra bits and pieces picked up from the weekly farmers' market. 

    Tonight we will eat in two sittings, the little ones first, the rest later. While we gather in the kitchen to talk and catch up, I will get a batch of bread going in the mixmaster with the dough hook attachment and will let it rise while I shower the two youngest kids. They'll be allowed to stay up later tonight so they can climb all over their cousins. A couple of quick books and then bedtime for those two. 

    After the dough has risen a second time, I'll put it in the oven and we will no doubt be tempted to have a slice with butter before we go to bed. In the meantime we will all talk and laugh some more and hear the stories of their young lives and I'll be busy knitting - yay!

    I will go to bed late - much too late probably, considering we need to be up at kiddie o'clock in the morning - but I will go to sleep with the thought that my husband and I are slowly, slowly making small but significant changes towards a more sustainable lifestyle and one that will allow me to shift to being a SAHM within the next 12 months. Now, that ought to provide for sweet dreams. 

    Love this blog and the community of readers.
    All the best to you,
    Sharon

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  108. WOW! Rhonda, I've read through all the comments, and they were wonderful, but there are so many. I should have been in bed 30 minutes ago. It will be in the high 80s here.

    Tomorrow I'll wake up when I wake up (no alarm). Coffee, clean the kitchen because I hate doing it the night before, putter around with other chores. At 8:30, I'll check on the market (stock market), study, maybe make some trades if opportunity presents, eat a late breakfast, take the dog out, check on the little garden, pull some weeds, put out the trash and recycles, possibly move some ajuga to the front for a little garden area I want to start around the mailbox. I have an idea of some ajuga at ground level with a raised area, possibly large flower pots, containing labeled herbs that neighbors can pinch off to take home for their own use. We have lots of walkers in our subdivision, and somehow I have massive amounts of oregano, parsley, and mint. In the evening, I'll water the garden if needed, and take the Du dog for a long walk down by the Arkansas River, do a quick check of facebook, read, and crash. If it were rainy, I might get inspired to sew a little. I usually spend time trying to save some dough, often experimenting with energy saving ideas. Frugal success might keep me from having to return to cubicle life. This was fun.

    brenda from ar

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  109. 9:30 pm in Fairbanks Alaska- it snowed here today. Picked up some local grass fed beef from the market today and made spaghetti and homemade garlic bread for dinner. Planned out our deck garden today- we have a really short season! Now that the kids are in bed, I will knit until it gets too dark. We do our best not to use any lights during the sunny months since we don't have much choice the other half of the year!.

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  110. It's 6.30 pm here and I have enjoyed the many varied days :) I started today with a mini sleep in to make up for last night when hubby worked late. Listened to make sure the boys got up and dressed and had breakfast and made lunch and got off to school (teens are great!). Youngest was fine, eldest needed to be pulled out of bed! So much for that!

    After that I cleared the kitchen and got my own breakfast and started a slow cooker full of yoghurt. Decided not to do the washing - too damp and cold. Then a general whip round and some putting away of forgotten things (mostly boy related), a quick lunch and then took mum to have some stitches out (she had a mole removed from her wrist - not dangerous as it turned out) then took her home and made us a cuppa.
    Got back and finished moving furniture from a to b (swapping rooms is annoying but, in this case, productive) then helped hubby waterproof and draft proof the back door. Still need to make a doorstop though. Dinner will be mashed spuds with corn and tomatoes with a sliced up bierstick (local butcher is really great!). I might add some parsley and peas to the potato yet. Will watch some tv, look at some internet, maybe play a game or so and go to bed. Somewhere in all that the cat got fed and the bed got made. And I wished I had done the washing as the clouds rolled away and it got nice and warm. Will have to make up for that tomorrow!

    viv in nz

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  111. I`m up by 6am making tea for DB and myself, then get dressed and get him up. We sit and watch the morning news program while we have some breakfast. Yoghurt and fruits for me and toast for him. I drive DB to work then come back home for a bit to tidy up the house and do the washing up. I leave the house by 8.15 am to drive to work. Today I will go shopping straight after work as this frees up Thursday for other jobs. I only work the first three days of each week, the rest of the days I`m at home being the homekeeper. Weather is dull and overcast this morning. They told us on the news that it will bighten up a bit later, but there is loads of rain to come for the evening and for tomorrow. It was the wettest April we`ve ever had sofar. And there are hosepipe bans in force as they tell us that we are in a drought. How strange does this sound. All over the country are flood situations acurring and the surface water does not seep away. Strange things are happening to the weather and our climate. Expect that we shall see more strange and extreme weather over the coming years.
    Well, there you have it. Just an ordenary sort of day in the UK.

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  112. What a lovely idea.

    Up to now I have let the chickens out of the henhouse, fed the cats, walked the dogs, I'm sitting eating my oatbran porridge and drinking coffee at the computer catching up on emails and Blogs.

    Next I'm in the greenhouse, planting and potting on veggies for the raised beds. While the washing machine does the washing for me (lovely stuff technology).

    This afternoon will be raking over and covering the raised beds ready for the weekends planting. Giving the chickens their corn and cleaning out their house and readying the other henhouse for 6 new occupants on Saturday.

    Then it's tea preparation time and then a lazy half hour on the computer again Blogging and cathing up on family news.

    Then teatime round the table chatting over the days events, and if it stays fine, a walk through the woods to drink in the beauty of the Bluebells while they last.

    Lots more things will crop up and be slotted into gaps, but you know how this simple life is, you fit it in and relish the moments.

    Sue xx

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  113. Good evening, It's 6.15pm on the Sunshine Coast in QLD. Woke up at 6.30am this morning let our dog in for a cuddle while I had a cup of tea. Walked to work at 7.15am. I am a swimming teacher so the cold morning are hard but I'm always pleasantly surprise when I find the water is warm. Love teaching my kids and I do look forward to work. I come home for lunch and fit in a few hours of "pottering" around our house. Then it's back to the pool for another few hours of work. I'm 27 been married for 4 months now. We just bought some land and plan to start the build soon. I've never commented before on your blog but find it very inspiring. I'm starting to slowly simplify my life adopting ideas such as planning meals, planting herbs, making laundry liquid, not living on credit and many more of your ideas.
    Lovely to be part of this great online community. Anyway, Time for my prenatal vitamin and dinner (we are starting a family soon!) All the best, Eve

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  114. Today the alarm was set for 5am for my early morning asana practice, but I didn't get out of bed til 6am, with barely enough time to get ready for work. Made a cup of tea, Brushed my teeth, grabbed a can of flavored tuna and some dry biscuits for lunch. Threw a banana in my bag to eat on the way to work and laughed at Red Symmons antics on the radio.Jumped in the car drove the 20minuites to work and ate my banana. Arrived at work with time to spare, got my self organized and put in a solid 7.5 hours in the facility I work in. Finished work at 2.30. After work I went to the supermarket to get some change for the parking meter for tomorrow and ended up buying 20 boxes of cup a soup that was on special at half price@99c. Bargain and a reason why I try to avoid going to the supermarket if its not pay week, I can't resist a bargain. Came home checked the mail box, 2 bills one from telstra, one a gas bill and one looking for a donation. In the door at 3.10pm, made a cup of tea, opened the mail, took the bucket of the dogs head and started to do my asana and prayama practice that I had not done in the am. Finished that at 4.30 and turned on the computer. Went through my emails chatted to my daughter for a while, lit the coonara collected some firewood and then had dinner a pasta bolognaise that I had cooked last night. Now I am going to to do some homework and I will be in bed at 9pm ready for a long day tomorrow, I need to be out of the door and in the car at 5.45-6pm at the latest tomorrow. Marian

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  115. Today my 'baby' is 4 years old so we all sang happy birthday to him! Our day starts 6.30am with family reading and prayer and then i'm down to the kitchen for the busiest time of my day which involves letting out the chickens, making a cooked breakfast for our family of 6 and heating up soup for their lunch, juicing, making sure they all eat, pack their lunch and get out of the door on time to get to school with everything they need. When the older 3 kids have gone I'm left with the little one who attends a beautiful nursery up by the woods. mornings only.

    Today I will be menu planning, making kombucha, beef broth and for dinner we will be having stuffed cabbage leaves (your recipe Rhonda). I shall also hope to get some laundry and cleaning done. My sister may pop in for a sit down and a chat while i'm getting dinner (whilst her 2 older children are in a martial arts class nearby).

    The weather here in South East London is dry and pleasant enough but the sun hasn't peeped through yet. its currently 10.15 and time to be up and back to work (i always sit down at the computer with a cup of tea after dropping 4yr old in nursery).
    Charlotte

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  116. Up at 5.50am this morning, got a sourdough rye bread mixing in bread machine, porridge cooked for breakfast, my husbands lunch & mine done, bread kneaded & in proofing tins with breakfast eaten before 7pm! Housework done, hair washed, dried & straightened, wood stove & inbuilt fire stoked and off to work at 8.20am! Home at 5.15 to putting bread in oven & pumpkin soup now cooking in pressure cooker! Usually take the dog for a walk after work but not on bread making day!

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  117. I'm a lurker! I've been reading your blog since just before Christmas and have never commented, mainly because as I am partially disabled I don't do many of the things I used to, so didn't feel that I had much to contribute.
    I applaud anyone who has discovered the simple way of living, and who are not impressed or envious of anyone who has this, that or the other. Are those people any happier?
    Since my disability I've had to give up a lot of the things I used to do, which saddens me, but there are still things I can do in moderation.
    Normally I get up with my husband at 6.30 but this morning I overslept and got up at 7.15. The barometer says 64F and it is dull and cloudy (Wales)
    Whilst drinking my first cup of tea I did a row of knitting on a jumper for my grand-daughter. It has a yoke with fair isle, 181 sts on a circular needle. The reason I knit first thing is that if I don't knit before I use my left arm for anything else I won't get any knitting done that day and it is one of my pleasures. It's also good exercise for my arm.
    After I've written this with one finger I will wash up, sort out the recycling stuff to be put away, put the washing on and get the ironing board ready to iron after I've had a break with a coffee and a couple of biscuits.
    The rest of the day will be pottering, or typing up my family history (one finger) and maybe a nap depending how tired I am.
    It will be a snackish tea tonight as my husband is going to the gym shortly after he finishes work.
    At 9pm he will settle down to watch some TV and I will read tomorrow's (Thurs) Down to Earth blog.
    I purchased your book through Fishponds and is now being avidly read by a work colleague of my daughter, so I feel I am spreading the word.
    Maybe now that I've broken the ice I will comment more.

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  118. Hi Rhonda,

    Grey, chilly and wet again here in Northumberland (UK). Before I even get out of bed at 5.45am the dog says hello to me and I make a big fuss of her. Then downstairs for breakfast. I ususally pop into the garden to open the hens pophole and feed and water them before I eat.

    After breakfast it's off to the allotment to check on my seedlings and pick a bucket of weeds for the hens.

    Unfortunately at 7.10 I have to catch the train into town to work - but I do use the time for reading and make the most of access to a great fruit and veg market while I'm there.

    Luckily today is my half day so I'll be home in time for lunch. Today we're having home made bread with Carrot and Coriander soup that I made last night.

    This afternoon I hope to take the dog for a nice walk along the river....cut the grass paths at the allotment ...do some painting in the house....then later I'll make a Veggie Curry and serve it with home made Coriander raita, and flat breads. Interspersed with all of this will be various cleaning tasks and maybe more baking.

    Hope everyone has a nice day.
    Carole

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  119. Good Morning,what an interesting response you've had! I'm coming out of hiding to add my day in North Florida to the list. It is just after 5:30 in the morning, We've been up for an hour. DH is off to work where he will stay for the next 12 hours. I will tidy the house, have my breakfast, then head into town for my monthly grocery trip. While there I might grab a yoga class, then I'll meet up with an old friend for lunch. Home to put away the groceries and do any prep work before things go in the freezer. It's supposed to rain today, much needed, so I hope it does. That will leave me inside possibly making jelly from some dewberries I picked earlier this month and froze (we were heading out camping, but I couldn't miss out on the berries!) or I might work up some photos that I took yesterday (a hobby that brings in a bit of pocket money), or maybe I'll do some prep work for a homemakers club I run for girls in my neighborhood. So many options! I'll prepare a spinach quiche for supper, along with a fresh salad. Then enjoy a bit of time with my DH and DS before we head to bed. It's early to bed and early to rise around here, and the days are always full, but almost always joyful as well, especially since I learned to take pride in those chores that make up homemaking. Thanks Rhonda!

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  120. As I expected the day did not go entirely to plan. Time with my son was wonderful. He was last seen heading into a commercial kitchen. The most important jobs have been done.

    Dad has been so out of sorts this evening. He has spent two and half hours escaping. But things are calming now. As usual some jobs have been pushed to tomorrow.

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  121. My day started at 7.00 this morning when the alarm went off to get son out of bed for school. I got up and dressed then went outside to let the chickens out for the day and checked on and said hello to our dog Millie. Dropped son at school at 8.30 and then prepared breakfast and had a nice cup of tea, while checking blogs, emails etc. After that I went off to check the garden and give things a bit of water, then watered the pot plants. Next was the bed making and a quick tidy up in the bathrooms and bedrooms. For morning tea I decided to cook some choc chip muffins using the basic recipe from Rhonda’s book. I also cooked a batch of Anzac’s, a favourite here at the moment.

    For lunch I made some toasted ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches. In the afternoon we had visitors and they enjoyed having a muffin with their cuppa. After the visitors left, hubby climbed up on the roof to put the cover on the air conditioner so we could get the combustion fire ready for winter which I think has arrived on us today. Fire is on for the first time this year :)

    At 2.45 we went to pick our son up from school, checked the mail and picked a few things up at the shop for hubby to go to work tonight. Had roast chicken, homemade chips and salad for tea. After the dishes were done, it was time to say goodbye to hubby for a couple of days, and wash school clothes ready for tomorrow. They are now drying in front of the fire.

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  122. It is 6:10am in Panama City, Florida. I just finished packing my lunch for working, breastfeeding my 4 month old, tucking him back into bed with his daddy and now Im off to work my 12 hour shift at the local hospital.

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  123. Hi Rhonda,
    It is 8:08 am here on a cloudy day and temp of 10C for the day. I am having my morning coffee. I have already made the bed and had breakfast. Today I hope to vacuum the house and scrub floors. They are a mess with renos all winter to this old farm house. I will also check and water my seedlings that I started in the house. It is still to early to plant outside yet. Tonight I have to go to a meeting at 4:30 to 7:30. so that will take up the evening. That's about it from Canada.
    Carol

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  124. Well today starts as a continuation of yesterday. I will be leaving in an hour to go to a nursing home to move in my mother-in-law and sign those papers. Then I'll have to check in on my own mother who is in intensive care with some sort of blood pressure/heart/?? problem. Then I'll check in on my 81 year old father. . . .

    However, I hope to make RAGS today or tomorrow. I came across a cut of flannel and rags it will be. I really need to spend some quiet reflective time with a sewing machine today. I hope I get to it.

    Its days like this I find a moment and open Rhonda's book. It allows me to exhale.

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  125. I'm up at 4:30 am here in Brighton, CO. My husband has already woken up and left for work about 3:30am. I love this quiet time-I read my blogs, and plan the day, as the light from the window gradually increases, and I hear the neighborhood start to wake. I will feed and water our cats and my dog, and refill the water pan for my bees. I'll check that the water starts on the drip system in the garden, and add some more sprinklers this morning for the bean and cucumber rows. I'll telecommute to work here at the dining room table from 10-2, then pack up last minute items and leave for our little retirement house in Kansas to spend the week catching up on yard work, working in my beeyard, and enjoying our kids and grandkids. Three more years, and we'll sell the Colorado house, and move to Kansas for good. Our house there is in a town of 700+, and going there is like taking a big step back almost to the fifties. Everyone waves as they pass you on the street, neighbors chat over backyard fences, or gather on porches in the evening to share a beer and conversation. I will plan a couple of mornings to help on my friends farm with whatever needs to be done with the chickens, goats and cows.

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  126. 7:27 am grey skies and birds singing. dh has just left for work and my day is just beginning. first breakfast and dressing the children and a bit of cleaning, maybe some writing. need to work on sewing a skirt, plant strawberries, arrange drs appointments, and make lemon curd for canning.

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  127. It is supposed to be stormy and humid today. Finished putting in the garden yesterday in anticipation of storms. After cleaning the house today, will be putting cinnamon rolls on to rise for supper tonight and baking a quiche with some leftovers that need to be used up. I am also hoping to finish up a dish towel I am knitting and work on some quilt blocks. Nothing too major here..the school year is finally winding down..should probably be brainstorming ideas for extra meals this summer with kids home : ).

    Anne

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  128. It's 5:33 AM on Wednesday in Colorado, USA. Still dark out, but I feel very cool air entering from a window I've had open just a crack the past few nights. I just nursed the baby, who fell back asleep. I'm not usually up this early, but our household has been fighting a wretched illness since the weekend, and everything feels "off."

    I'm feeling a little better this morning and hoping to catch up a bit on what fell behind as we rested. I'll start with washing baby's diapers, followed by what will be several loads of washing throughout the day - on and off the outdoor line. It will feel good to be outside in the fresh air and sunshine.

    The chickens will be let out to roam, given scraps, and their water and food refreshed in the coop. I'll take a bucket to the compost pile and greet the goats.

    The dishes need doing, but likely only the essential items will be washed between nursing, naps, and cooking some rice soup for baby.

    In the late afternoon, I'll water the berry bushes, garlic, and herb bed. I'll check on my new radish, lettuce, and carrots seedlings and give them extra water in hopes they still germinate after a few days neglect!

    Dinner will be leftovers.

    An easy day of healing, rest, and the essentials here today!

    -Jaime

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  129. Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Wednesday, 2nd May 2012, 14h02, according to the weather thingie on the computor, 25deg C. Does not feel like it though! Got up early this morning, hung up some washing, cleaned my room, did a bit of odd housework, had a guest for tea, read a few blogs, sent a few emails, busy unpacking some of my boxes of stuff that we moved into my son's garage over the weekend to see what I will keep/donate to the Anti Animal Cruelty Soc. Must still try and plant a few bulbs this afternoon. Must also start on new projects. Will really try making that soap using veg oils (future project)! That's it for today.

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  130. Its 1:05 and I'm just home from a really great small play group with my 22mth old son & daughter. Wonderful success of getting them sleeping from car to cot is making me smile, so now they will have deep sleep and wake in great form to enjoy their afternoon. I get to cook their lunch and have a quick check of this blog and forum which I only joined yesterday :) We atarted at 6:30 with smiles, up for porridge with banana melted through for breakfast, wave goodbye to Papa at the door as he cycles to work, make grapes and cheese cubes plus vegimite crackers for play group snack to take, check pants and out the door on time(ish). This afternoon as we are having a break from the rain (we're in Ireland;) I think we'll see how repotting some herbs goes, lovely soil fun. Then dinner, then bath play and babies sleep around 7(ish). I'm planning on cooking some freezer meals this evening with a talking book in the background (hubby out for dinner with work mates so relaxing quiet for me :) leste

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  131. Wow! What a response you've had so far Rhonda! 109 entries before me, and likely more!

    Today is a special day for me to comment, as it is my daughter's 9th birthday. It is 10pm now, but it has been a beautiful sunny autumn day here in western Sydney.

    Today I went to my regular Wednesday Bible Study with my 4yo DD, picking up my friend and her daughter on the way.

    Later, after we got home, walked up to the local shops hand-in-hand with said 4yo. Very precious. Bought some groceries for the nights celebrations.
    Pegged out washing. Made birthday cake.
    Picked up 9yo DD Birthday girl from school with her best friend, coming over for a play date.
    Later, my sister and her kids come over for dinner.
    Had a lovely family dinner, with BBQ chickens and simple food.
    Opened daughters presents, and ate birthday cake.

    Looking forward to a day with a friend tomorrow.

    Kathy xoxo

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  132. I'm baking today and about to go for a walk along the lane by the river. I was so inspired by your blog post, I thought I would write it up more fully on my blog, in case anyone is interested:

    http://www.codlinsandcream2.blogspot.co.uk/

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  133. Dear Rhonda,

    Thank you so very much for your sweet condolences at losing our cat. I always love reading what you have to say and this message was very special to me.

    I've really enjoyed the diaries of everyone's day.

    Diane in North Carolina

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  134. Husband and I are going fishing!! On a Wednesday, when the rest of the world is working!! :-)))

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  135. With a forecast of rain for the next several days I had two loads of washing , dusting to catch up on( a bit like painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge) make a Vege & Chicken Slice for lunch. Dinner will be Savoury Mince from the freezer(so handy cooking in bulk) with mashed spuds, peas and carrots. Give our two doggies attention and the MOTH as well. Hopefully, there will be time today to finish the coverI have smocked for a basket. A quick trip out to pick up a repaired item, weed the pot plants out back, make numerous cups of tea ( son has flu) and some time through the evening, a bit of embroidery might happen if I can stay awake.
    Just a very enjoyable and ordinary day at our place.

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  136. My day (like most week/work days) started at 7am. After a shower and breakfast and a bit of tidying up I'm out of the door by 8.
    After a full day's work sitting at a computer I'll arrive home just after 6pm. Will then probably make a quick bolognaise for tea before clearing up the kitchen, helping son pack for a holiday, making packed lunches for tomorrow and maybe throwing in a load of washing. Any time that's left will be spent sewing or knitting something. I'll probably call it a night at about 11pm.

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  137. I live in a little village in Belgium, and it has been raining all day. I was up at 6.30 am, felt a bit sick, but I did make it to start my workday. Wednesday afternoon is off for the pupils (3 - 18) here in Belgium and as a teacher, it is for me too. I had two classes today and I enjoyed it very much. Teaching is my passion and I can honestly say that I couldn't imagine doing something else. I came home at 1.30 pm, after a long talk with a collegue who had a dreadful weekend, played a bit with the dog, made myself a healythy wrap, watched outside how the rain fell in our garden. How I love our garden, even if it's nothing exciting - it's ours. I surfed some blogs I love, then went out again to buy some dog food and treats. I found the cutest little shop where the lady sells great natural food and knows a lot about it. We talked for a while and she helped me pick out some treats that are healthy enough and good for the teeth. Back home, I called my mother, who lives on the other side of the country (90 minutes driving from here, which is far away in Belgian terms), then laying out the recipe I want to try tonight. I'm curious to find out if it'll work, I love cooking from scratch. It makes me calm and content, and while the food itself is nourishing my body, preparing it is nourishing my soul. My husband will come home around 7 pm, and I'll try to have the meal ready when he arrives. He'll probably watch a movie, and I plan on preparing some of my Friday classes. Today I feel blessed, and reading what you and Gail wrote, makes me feel connected to a whole world of people. Thank you for that.

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  138. Today I think about you!!! Making some wonderful cookies for my husband and my son!!! They are very yummy. I take some with my afternoon tea and we have some with fresh strawberry tonight!!! I declutter my home too.
    I was busy all the day but I'm very happy this evening (it's dinner here in France). I make all I want to do (menu planning, cooking, paperwork, declutter and.. reading a few page of a novel with my cup of tea).

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  139. I'm writing this at 19:00 after a day at work. Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
    I got up at 6:30, started the washing machine and went rowing in the skiff before I went to work. It was great, really quiet in the morning. The water was nearly flat, no waves, a bit foggy and around 12 degrees (celcius).
    After a shower I hung up the laundry and went to work. After work I picked up our youngest daughter (age 12) from the rowing club and I brought her to her best friend. It's a school holiday here and she's staying there till tomorrow.
    Then I did some grocery shopping and fixed myself a nice salad. My DH will be home late from a visit to his mother and the older kids are also celebrating their holiday with friends.

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  140. It'a 10ish am just outside Vancouver BC Canada. It's been raining and cool in the early am but there is a chance of clearing. Already today, I've put my tomatoe starts outside for a drink and some sunshine - it's still too cool to plant them out so they live in my living room. Fed the dog and myself. Pulled some yogurt starter from the freezer to come to room temp and then I'll make 3L today. Had my daily devotional using a new to me book of 365 devotions. Still to do - finish the yogurt, run the dog at the park and get some exercise. if the weather clears I will go to my community garden plot and finish prepping it for planting. I was lucky enough to get the plot last week and it is in need of some TLC. Then supper and a women's bible study tonight.
    thanks for the thread. enjoyed reading about the lives of your readers. SJ in Vancouver

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  141. It is 12:18pm here in Crete, Il. It is 78F and a storm is going to be rolling in. I am trying to get my bearings straight today due to my 2.5 year old son not wanting to sleep lately, I got about 3 hours last night.
    I got my older two off to school this morning and made my husbands dinner for work. When I went to make our sandwiches for lunch I realized that I sent the rest of the salami in my daughters lunch instead of her lettuce for her sandwich. I wonder what she thought when she pulled that out!
    If I can get my ambition back I will finish altering some of my clothes that I started working on last week. Otherwise I will just stick to the basics today.

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  142. My daughter and I woke up at about 8:00 this morning. We laid in bed talking and playing for about a half an hour, sometimes we do that for an hour. My husband had already gone off to work at 6 am. Today is stay home day until my doctors appointment at 4:45 pm. Kat will come with me, like she often does. It is her doctor too, so she will probably get a quick check-up. After rolling out of bed, Kat had her usual milk while we cuddled on the couch. I started some laundry, made us breakfast and we played in the living room. I've folded clothes and straightened up the house a little. Followed by playing some more. It is a warm, sunny, spring day here in Royal Oak, Michigan, USA and currently 68 degrees F. but going up to the mid 70's with a possible thunderstorm. Spring is in full swing. Everything gets greener by the day. The yellow finches outside our living room window have shed their pale winter colors and are now bright yellow. Robins are everywhere and there is a cracked blue egg on our deck outside. We just finished lunch, it is 1:00 pm. We will be heading outside for a few hours until it is time to go to the doctors. We will exam that blue egg and Kat will probably attempt to ride her new, big girl bike she received as a handy-me-down from a friend my husband works with. I'l try to get some gardening done. Thinks are growing faster than I can keep up with right now. After the doctors appointment will head back home and have dinner with the three of us. This is a typical day unless there is a gymnastics class or play date. Sometimes we go outside earlier and have all of our meals on the back deck. On those kind of days, we often do a lot of art. The back deck and driveway are perfect places to spread out and get messy. Once a week go and visit my mom and brothers, where we pretty much do the same thing as we do at home, but just with more people. Most of our days are very simple and easy going. Kat is 3 1/2 and going to preschool next year and kindergarten the following year, so I'm trying to really enjoy these quieter years. Change in plans, we are going to paint our toes and finger nails right now. Then perhaps we will get outside or perhaps we will paint finger and toe nails outside.

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  143. It is 11:01 A.M. on Wednesday here in Washington State in the USA. It is 50'F and cloudy...will probably be raining later.
    I am finishing up some time on the computer and beginning to plan for our summer away. We spend our summers in Montana in our 5th wheel. It is something we always dreamt of doing in our retirement years and are so enjoying the fulfillment of that dream.

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  144. Rhonda - thank you for reaching out and connecting with each of us.

    It is 11:19 am in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. I am on break at work right now - I work in the library at the University of Northern British Columbia. The weather right now is +7.1 C with a light breeze. Looking over the city from my perch atop a hill, I see the sun shining with some white fluffy clouds coming in from the East.

    This morning I woke up at 5. When my alarm went off at 5:30, I hit the snooze button for half an hour while I dozed. When I got up, I got ready for work, fed the furbabies (two cats and a dog) and cooked myself breakfast (french toast) with enough leftovers to bring some for lunch and leave some for my husband for breakfast. I played a video game while I waited for DH to get home from work - we have only one vehicle this week, so I leave for work after he gets home from his night shift. We had a few minutes to talk then off I went. I dropped off his carpool buddy on my way to work. Here at work, I am making sure our students, staff and faculty have access to all the electronic journals and databases that the library has to offer, so I have spent the morning ensuring all the data in our system is correct (the tail end of a huge project that I am happy to be done!). At lunch I will attend a workshop put on by Human Resources about interviewing practices. As this is the one day of the week that I get the afternoon off, I will take the car for an oil change, try to find a bolt to fix the truck, and pick up some old, damaged books from a second-hand shop for my book repair workshop I am presenting on Friday. When I get home, I'll likely cook supper (Teryaki tofu stirfry with rice; DH usually cooks but as he works again tonight and hasn't been sleeping well, I'll take over tonight) and feed the furbabies again. I'll try to remember to check the seedlings (pumpkins, lettuce, broccoli, and brussel sprouts) and give them some water. Then I'll think about cleaning the kitchen (and I might actually get around to it!) and try to get in some time to make a set of wire rose earrings for a silent auction for the local equine rescue that I volunteer at. Then I'll have a shower and crawl in to bed, likely around 9 or 9:30, where I will make my nightly phone call to DH at work and read a book until 10. Any spare time I find today will be spent stressing about the truck, making stuff - two bird stuffies for a friend's twins, a ring for a friend going through a difficult time, and the aforementioned earrings - and thinking of what to make next.

    Thank you again, Rhonda, and thank you to everyone else who has already replied :)

    Best,
    Mandi

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  145. Shalom from southern Wisconsin. It is just after 2pm in the afternoon, the sun is out shining bright and beautiful, with a sweet cool breeze, it is 76* here today. We had a beautiful rain storm last night, and the smell outside is wonderful. I went into town today and got the expired produce from the local grocery store to feed our livestock. We have 11 goat, 7 of which are new babies, we had 6 males and 1 female born in March. We have 12 "henny penny's" that are our egg layers, and 40 other little chicks, some of them will be for meat, 2 roosters, and some more layers. Got them all fed, and have been enjoying a good book on the "orbital" which is my lounger, and listening to the sounds of the wild birds, our livestock and chickens. Thank you God for such a beautiful day. Tomorrow, I will go in to town again and get more expired produce and bread for the livestock and chickens. What a blessing that is. Fixing spegatti for dinner tonight for my beloved husband and I tonight. Didn't have to water the gardens today since it rained so wonderfully last night. Hoping I get gazillions of tomatoes this year and that all the other goodies we planted come up soon.

    Love in Messiah to all,
    Rivkah

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  146. I absolutely love this idea. I love your blog, Rhonda. Thank you for being willing to share your life with us. I've learned so much from you. Today I've been hanging laundry, cleaning house, playing with my kiddos. Right now it is 1:24 and 67 degrees farenheit. It is a gorgeous spring day and my peas, beets, carrots, lettuce and radishes are very happy and so am I

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  147. Shipsshape AnnMay 03, 2012 7:31 am

    Hi Rhonda,
    It's just after 7am on the Capricornian Coast in Central Queensland. I am retired and live with my husband on a sailing boat. Today is my "boatkeeping day". Everything has to be shipshape otherwise you cannot function properly. The cleaning and decluttering on a boat is very different as there are so many confined spaces. My galley (kitchen) is very small and I had to learn how to utulise every available inch. My friends are always amazed how I serve a three course meal so effortlessly. Also today is our hairdressing day. We cut each others hair and save a fortune. Nobody can ever tell unless we choose to tell them.
    So our life is simple, filled with appreciation of our health and companionship and the great outdoors.

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  148. What a nice idea. I'm in Massachusetts, USA. It is 7:20 pm, 50* damp and overcast. My husband and I were up at 5:05 am, our normal time. I get up start the coffee, let the dogs out, and feed them go into the down stairs bathroom to check on our 3 wk. old chicks, our first. They have knocked over their food yet again. Feed them. Go pack our lunches, pour our coffee and my husband is off to work. I clean up the kitchen and start a couple loads of wash. Get myself ready for work and call my mother who lives 5 hrs. away. We speak on the phone everyday. I work 9-4 most days, but today is Wednesday and I work til 5 pm. Most mornings I get dinner started before leaving the house, but I have so many leftovers in the refrig., we are going to have the quiche tonight. I'm out the door at 8:50 am to my job. I nanny for 15 mth. Old twins, Owen and Olivia. My children are 22 and 18. They are the best. I adored being a stay at home mom to them, and this is the next best thing. Owen wants to be picked up before I even put my things down. He nuzzles into me for a squeeze. Olivia is smiling and laughing as usual. We empty the dishwasher. Owen tries to stand on the door of it. When we finish cleaning up the kitchen, we head out for our walk. We see the wild turkeys and the children are very interested in them. Olivia thinks its funny when I tell them the turkey says gobble, gobble. It's a typical day with twins. I am glad my own are 3 1/2 yrs. apart. I head home at 5:15 pm, stop at the library and then home. Grab the mail, let the dogs out, check the chicks, ugh, they have knocked the food over again, and Pede is roosting on the top edge of the brooder box, feed the dogs, clean the brooder, do a little laundry, put the quiche in the oven,check on my seedlings, fill the outside bird feeders, pour a glass of wine for my husband and I, sit down to read my emails. Our son is away at college, but will be home tomorrow night and so will our daughter. It will be wonderful to have everyone at home.

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  149. This is such a lovely idea! I love reading what everybody is doing in their daily lives! As for me, my day started at 6:15 a.m. (Nebraska, USA). I got up, dressed, and made the 4 huge bottles of milk replacer to feed our 4 little bucket calves. Hubby helps me as this is a challenge! ;) Then it was back into the house and I woke our son up for school, made breakfast (scrambled eggs, toast, and milk and got him off on the school bus. I work full time at a job in town 6 miles away so I quickly went for a 2 mile walk, came home, showered, and readied myself to get to work by 9. Before leaving home, I threw in a load of laundry and put a ham roast in the crock pot for supper. I am so lucky to have a very flexible job. Today I got to take an hour and a half lunch break. I snuck home and flipped laundry loads, emptied the dishwasher, made my bed (which I had forgotten to do before leaving home), and chopped a quick salad for supper.

    I got home from work at 5:45 p.m., changed clothes, and rebooted the laundry. I then mixed up bottles for the bucket calves again and got them fed. I then got supper on the table -- ham roast, leftover mashed potatoes, salad, and green beans. I did dishes, checked my sons homework and then folded laundry/put away clothes. I am now relaxing with a book and am thinking of going to bed early. I love reading about everybody's day! :)

    Kristina

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  150. Hi Ronda, I'm usually a lurker but have loved this idea. It's amazing how different everybody's day is! It is May 3rd here and is a cold and rainy day - currently 9.3c and expected to reach 13c - in Mooroolbark, Victoria (Australia). I woke at 7:30 today which is a bit of a sleep in for me. Husband has already gone to work and son (chef) is currently sleeping. I have had breakfast of porridge, put a load of washing on, folded up washing, put a whole chicken and vegetables in crockpot to make soup for tonight's tea. In between, will do some cleaning, read blogs, watch tv, read a little and work on my new crochet project. Lovely day really.

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  151. I have enjoyed reading everybody's days. Yesterday we woke at 5.30, my husband leaves at 6.00am and made me a cup of coffee. I listened to the news (Radio National) then showered. Woke our daughter, while she showered and prepared herself for school I made our breakfast which was a poached egg on a muffiin and half a banana with juice. Fed our dog and changed her water, started the woodfire. Took daughter to bus stop, did some grocery shopping. Came home, made beds, dishwashing, put a load of laundry on, loaded up some wood as it was a cold day here. Rang my parents then
    went to layby new bed/mattress for daughter's upcoming birthday. Worked a little on my Mum's
    Mother's Day gift (a small quilt, handmade). Started preparing a spinach and ricotta pie for dinner. Picked
    daughter up from bus and went to doctor's appointment,
    came home and made a quick batch of pancakes. Fed
    dog, ate dinner with husband and daughter, watched
    7pm news, daughter did homework, husband worked,
    dog slept by he fire, I hand quilted then we all went to bed.

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  152. Today, I am working in our office until 1:30pm. Working with my husband is a new thing but right now it is a financial necessity and I am learning lots of new things so that has to be exciting (sometimes).

    I have also been researching Bread Makers. My children are pooling together to buy me one and I am very excited. It may seem small, but this is my step 2, in simplifying my life and cutting back on what we buy that I could make. 2 days ago I made the all-purpose cleaner and threw away the horribly smelly chemical one I have been using to wipe my kitchen benches.

    Today, I am one step closer to living my dream...a dream that you introduced to me Rhonda. I can't believe that I only recently discovered you and all of your wonderful ways. Thank you

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  153. It's a sunny, mild day in Sydney. I woke at 6.45 and had my usual peaceful breakfast with my husband while watching the news. I think we might switch to the radio, it will probably encourage a bit more conversation rather than couch potato-ing.
    I'm at work til after 5pm - I create the closed captions on TV, I love it (most of the time!). This evening we're going out for Vietnamese, then seeing a theatre production at the school where my hubby works. It should be a fun night!
    I really enjoy this blog, it is the most spur-to-action inspiring thing I've read on the web. Since discovering it, I have gotten back into sewing, made soap, started enjoying housework more, and we are buying chickens! I will always come back for the home-life inspiration.

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  154. hello,
    I read your blog and had to comment...yesterday..started
    7.50am I slept in!! Boys aged 8 and 5 were playing together. So it was a rush of morning jobs, breakfast,teeth,lunches, hair etc..
    After walking them to school I rushed home to tidy up,did a pilates dvd and mowed the lawn. After a quick cup of tea, changed to go back to school to help out in their "munch and crunch garden" I tought them about a natural weed killer - vinegar!!. Back home for some lunch,bring in two loads of washing, put the chickens back in the pen and change to go back up to school for assembly where son 8 was dancing! Then home to make dinner, homework, light the fire, quiet time with hubby and boys and more crocheting. Early night 10.30

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  155. Today, here for me in Redcliffe, is not a normal day. Today I am not rushing about teaching high school students, I am not rushing about with lots of errands to do, I am not tending in my garden, or having a chat with my chooks. Today I am just being. Today I am with my Mum. Today I am at my parent's house. Today like the past 10 weeks or so I am helping my Dad to nurse my mum. Today Mum has slipped into unconsciousness and today may well be her final day. Mum has been putting up a damn good fight against breast cancer, however these past few days I, along with my family are now really learning a most important lesson - how to let go.
    Almost exactly a year ago we found out that Mum's cancer was back, was in her lungs and was terminal. Through the wonders of modern medicine we have managed to keep her with us, but now we must allow Mum the space to move on.
    My mum has taught me & my sister many good lessons about living a meaningful life and I know those lessons will stay with us long after she has gone.
    This year Mother's day will be a bit different for us, as will her birthday. Mum would have been 63 later on this month.
    Thank You for a beautiful topic idea of sharing our days.

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  156. What a lovely idea! It's actually Thursday here now, but I'll comment anyway...

    Yesterday I got a bus, a train, and another bus to my office in another city, where I spent the day on a surprisingly enjoyable training course. Another train home (and a 5 mile walk), and then off out to an unplanned dinner at a friend's house - a gorgeous home made curry and plenty of laughter.

    Today I'm working at home. I've spent an hour sitting in my chair by the kitchen window, reading here and catching up in the online world while I drank a cup of tea. In a minute I'll move up to my attic, and spend the day working on a journal article I'm writing.

    Ill stop at about 5.30, have a little tidy in my attic, and make some food using up our veg box veg. Then a friend is coming round for the evening to sew. We call it a 'craft evening' but often end up repairing holes in clothes! Feels like a lot calmer day than yesterday.

    Very much looking forward to looking through everyone else's days!

    Jenni xx

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  157. Margaret BlairMay 03, 2012 8:49 pm

    First of all to Pam Smith , Cherish the memories you have of your Mum and find strength in the coming months from all the wonderful times you had together , take one day at a time it won't be easy but you will get there.

    Today is or rather was my quilting day where 9 friends meet each week in each other's homes. We do morning tea,lunch and afternoon tea. Whoever had her turn the previous week supplies morning/afternoon tea and the hostess supplies lunch.We set the world to rights and solve all the worlds problems,ahh.. if only we could.... We have lots of laughs ,sometimes tears if someone is sad and heaps of hugs.Sometimes we knit , crochet or make cards or even a teddy or two.
    We share food or plants from our gardens.We never argue and feel we are unique, I am so blessed to have these wonderful women in my life.
    Hope your day was as fulfilling as mine
    Marg in Tas

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  158. Yesterday, I took the day off so I could go to the city with a dear friend. She ran late, so I was able to do some cleaning first. I am happy to report that we two spotless bathrooms!
    I haven't been to the city in years. It was so much fun. We parked near the South Street Seaport, then took a bus to Chinatown/Little Italy area. We kept getting on the wrong bus, but the drivers and other passengers were so helpful. People of every ethnicity and age went out of their way to help us, several asked us if we needed help when we didn't even ask them. That was not my experience of NYC in the past. I wonder why? Has New York changed, or have I? Hmmm...
    After poking around in the colorful outdoor stalls, we had dinner in a great restaurant in Chinatown. It was full of Chinese families. One of the fathers slung his daughter's Justin Bieber backpack over his shoulder as they left. So sweet. If I were to live in NYC, I think I'd like to live in Chinatown. It's alive and friendly. Wehn we got home, everyone in my house was aleep, even the dogs, who rallied to greet us. Wagging puppy tails are such a nice greeting, don't you think?
    Now today, it's back to my routine. Walk the dogs. Ride my bike to work. Work. Ride home. Walk and feed dogs. Check on my seedlings. Make dinner. Clean up. Relax. And start all over tomorrow. Life is more relaxed now that our sons are grown. So why do the weeks, months and years seem to fly by faster?

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  159. Pam, I feel your pain. I have walked that same road with my dear mother. I'll be thinking of you and your family today.

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  160. Pam, I've just read back through all these comments, and there's yours right at the end. I'm so sorry to hear about your mum. How very difficult for all of you. I'm very glad that you have good memories to cherish, and that she has taught you good lessons for you to take forwards. Thinking of you all x

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  161. Hi Rhonda, I have been reading your blog for quite some time and am ashamed to just now be typing in. You have taught me so much for which I am grateful; I love your blog !!

    I have just recently moved in with my oldest daughter and her family while I make some decisions about where I will make home. I previously lived with a younger daughter and her family who were going through a difficult time. As a single woman (and mother) I am able to freely move around where I am needed.

    Today it is cold and rainy. I wake at 5:30 am to be at work by 7 am. I am a caretaker/med tech for the elderly in an assisted living facility. I have met some wonderful people and love being a part of their lives. I am there until after 3 pm then off to spend time with my older daughter and her family (husband & 3 grandchildren). We cook dinner, play and create as much as we can in the hours before they prepare for bed. After the children go to bed, I either read, write, use the computer for learning new things, or take a stroll out near the bay. I am fortunate to be living in a beautiful place, Traverse City, Michigan, USA. I am surrounded by lakes with the Great Lake Michigan almost out my doorstep.

    Tammy, Michigan, USA

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  162. It is 3 months since your initial post, and I visit regularly, but have never commented.

    Today, I am working for a wonderful natural living company, designing a blog ad for your blog actually. I will be picking the kids up from school at 3pm, and have a few of the kids' friends joining us for a play after school. Shortly I will be baking banana cake in my lunch break to use up some browning bananas in the fruit basket to feed the hoards this afternoon.

    Thanks for sharing your knowledge and thoughts here. I thoroughly enjoy bringing myself back to earth. xx

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