InstaFriday - A Lot of Needs

I need prodding every so often. Deadlines. Inflexible ones. Like a plane I have get to catch.

On Monday, my husband and I leave for Rome, Italy. The trip serves a dual purpose. First, we are going to visit our sweet daughter, Hannah, who has been studying abroad since January 15.  She's been blogging about her experience here. And secondly, we are celebrating, albeit a little early, our anniversary. August 1, 2012, will mark 25 years of wedded bliss for me and my Lou.

So, I've had to get all my kids' ducks in a row for my sister-in-law and friends who will be staying with the kids while we are gone. This week, I finally finished filling out the menu for 2 weeks, and writing out their crazy schedule.

Still in process at this point

I also squeezed in some needed bread making this week. Lou loves my homemade bread. We are a bit out of control with it, even milling our own wheat. A few years ago, I heard a compelling presentation by the  Bread Beckers, and we've not looked back.

I  knead my dough for 7 minutes

But before you assume we are healthy all the time, the following picture was taken at a Friday night fish fry.  Sometimes I need something fried. My southern roots just run too deep. I enjoyed visiting with the dear Norma Bishop, whose footsteps I can only hope to follow in. I spent some of our time explaining Pinterest to her. I told her it could be addicting, a real time black hole. Her response? "I'm too busy for that." You go girl! You may not believe this, but she is in her early 90s.

My apologies to the two ladies we caught in the background

Saturday, the girls and I headed to Springfield for a little shopping and lunch. And, we needed to take some  fun pictures.

She's very embraceable

David was out of sight, but not out of mind.

When he played baseball, he needed these

This is the only time I'll have long legs. We said we needed this mirror.

While we were out shopping, I noticed that Elizabeth's beautiful blue phone now had a grey back.

"What happened to the back, Elizabeth?"

"My phone has a best friend."

"What?!?

"Doran and I traded backs because our phones are best friends."

(This gives new meaning to the phrase, "I've got your back.")

Need a couple of these globes

These cute little globes were hanging in the restaurant where the girls and I ate. I like.

I also like the fact that my oldest son, Luke, came home for the weekend. He didn't even need prodding.

This week, at Classical Conversations, the students' presentation was a "how to." One of Mary Grace's friends showed how to do a fishtail braid. Very cool.

I need to learn how to do this

I also smiled when I saw how Mary Grace illustrated the paper she wrote about the flag.

I'm sorry if this is overkill, but Mary Grace wrote this poem yesterday and finished it today, and it knocked my socks off. I need to share it too!

And finally, I appreciate what Jeannette over at Life Rearranged encouraged all of us InstaFriday participants to do this week.

Give back in a small, but concrete way. I need to be reminded to do that. It was a very simple thing - buy a few cans of food and donate them to someone, or some charitable organization this week. Life Rearranged averages 175 InstaFriday participants a week. If each of her participants donates 10 cans, you're talking 1,750 cans donated. It felt good to buy and give a little something. Thanks, Jeannette.

Well, I need to end this, and get busy tying up all the loose ends of preparing for our trip.

Hope you all get some needed rest this weekend!

Blessings!