Life is Good

Trip

2012-02-04T20:47:00.000-05:00

I took the Environmental Science kids and their families on a field trip to Raleigh this week. It was a three day, two night trip, and I AM EXHAUSTED! We played a lot of games to teach concepts, hiked lots of trails, and worked, worked, worked. Of course there was some free time, but mostly we were busy.
We got back late yesterday afternoon and had to prepare for a funeral. Two hours after getting home I was at the funeral home with my boys in tow. Today was a Ladies' Breakfast, the funeral, and tonight a concert for the boys. Hubby and I made a date to eat out, and now I am catching up on emails and stuff.
I knew a month ago that this two week section was going to be full, but some things were unaccounted for- like a funeral and a concert- so it is even more hectic than planned. Knowing that this time is just temporary helps a lot.
Of course the funeral has me thinking about that sort of thing. How nice it will be when I no longer have to run a harried race in order to get through the day's/week's/month's activities. How wonderful to think that "This World is Not My Home."

Healing A Paralytic

2012-01-29T13:57:00.000-05:00

Last week during church there were some strange noises coming from outside. They were muffled at first, but then, right during communion, loud banging and sawing noises came from the roof. It seemed like men were digging a hole in the roof to let down their paralytic friend. Actually, it was the roofers coming to fix the roof from Irene's damage back in August!
It made me wonder what that scene was like for Jesus, though. Was it loud and disruptive? Did anyone go outside to see what was going on? Did it all happen in the middle of a sober moment of prayer?
So often the Bible is read without thought or feeling. But those stories all happened, and they happened to people like me and you. Ordinary people experienced the extraordinary and rushed to be near it. The dead were raised, lame healed, sight restored, and hearing renewed. Crowds gathered to witness something they didn't understand but knew they wanted to be a part of. Some came hoping to get a free meal or a fresh start on life. Others came to jeer at a nutcase. Still others came to plot and kill and destroy.
But why did those men on the roof come? They came because they wanted something better for their friend, and they knew where to get it. They didn't come to make their own lives easier. They didn't come for a handout or a headstart. They came for the sake of a friend.
Do you have a friend who needs to be taken to Jesus? Don't wait for him to crawl there himself. Strap him to a mat and carry him up on the roof yourself. Give him the help he needs, so that Jesus can give him the healing that he needs. Then you too can be part of an extraordinary experience.

Fifteen

2012-01-26T05:22:00.001-05:00

This is my son driving the Driver's Ed car. That was in October; he was 14. Today he turns 15. Now he will be allowed to drive my car. I don't have a brake on the passenger side of the van. If he insists on being 15, then I must insist that I have a brake installed on the passenger side. End of conversation.

Yes, he goes today to take the test. Yes, I am nervous about letting him drive. I have had nightmares about it for weeks now. "Being a parent only gets harder" makes more and more sense the longer I am one.

Another Birthday

2012-01-25T05:12:00.000-05:00

We just seem to have a lot of birthdays and celebrations around here, don't we? Well, when you get married around Christmas and then have babies around Christmas, that's how it goes. #2 turned 13 at the end of December. Yes, this 42 year old, healthy mother has two teenagers. I know, I can't believe it either.

He was very excited to get a bunch of knives and other survival gear for his birthday. He thought that was going to be it because he told me he didn't want to do anything special. "16 is special, not 13." Huh!

So his dad and brother took him out to a movie, and I got everything ready. We had a surprise party with 12 of his friends, and boy was he surprised! Everyone hid in the livingroom, and when they jumped out at him he was so scared I thought he was going to cry. But he recovered nicely, and they had a great time.

They played group games inside and Capture the Flag outside. Whenever they were cold they came in for snacks and hot chocolate. It was a great party.

Here is my baby teenager. Sigh.

Family Christmas, Part 3

2012-01-24T04:56:00.000-05:00

With all of us in the house, sleeping arrangements are a little shifty. It used to be that all the kids would gather in one room and sleep together, but now with older kids and more of them, that doesn't work. So #1 was to sleep downstairs in the main room. That meant he was there when Santa made the final touches on the night's escapade and didn't get to sleep until late, late, late. So here he was the next morning hoping to be ignored.

Santa left a huge light saber for this guy. See his mom's hand showing him where he needed to go with his weapon? So glad to be out of that Star Wars stage!

After church we headed to my family's house. We were joined by my cousin's kids; all very sweet and obedient of course! Just look at them downing that wonderful Christmas dinner.....presents come afterward! Not only are they good eaters, but they sing too. After the presents were opened we all sang together- it's what we do, don't ask- and they helped lead the singing. They are quite talented even if I wasn't related to them. They called me last week for my birthday too. What a treat!

I guess #1 isn't ready to be a daddy and stay up with Santa. He had to take a long nap that afternoon.

This cutie climbed in the bag too.

We got my dad a walking stick. He enjoyed poking everyone with it all evening. I hope he enjoys lots of long walks. In fact, he and Hubby and I went for a long walk the next day to see where a coal mine is being installed. More on that later.

And here is my mother with her boys. As you can tell, by the time we got to our presents it was late. It was a long holiday full of love and family. Just right.

Family Christmas, Part 2

2012-01-23T10:04:00.000-05:00

This is the MoTown group. My brother-in-law and his family go early to the in-laws to let the grandparents babysit while the parents shop. So we usually go a few days before Christmas and get in a visit as well. There are several days of eating, visiting, and present opening, and by the end we are ready to rest. But of course, there is still more to do because by then it is only Christmas Eve!

These two are three and five, and they were a hoot. The nephew would gasp when he opened a present and then scream, even when he did not know what it was that he had opened. They were very excited about Christmas this year!

One of the visits includes cousins, and now the cousins are having babies! This sweetheart, also three just really tall, was so polite. He would ask to play with the other kids' toys, and then thank them when they said yes. He once said, "What a great idea! You're a genius!" to my little nephew. Definitely precious.

Crazy family moment

#2 wanted a purple body pillow. He sleeps with it constantly.

#1 got a video recorder. He wants to be a filmmaker and actor.

Christmas in NC

2012-01-22T09:56:00.000-05:00

We always have a small family celebration before we head to WV for the big Christmas Palooza. We really go pretty small, but it is nice to have a little time to sit down together and enjoy each other's company.

Even Kelly gets in on the action.

I had asked for a bucket for chicken feed and a new hairbrush from my boys. #1 got both of them for me, so #2 got me several nice smelling candles. I have appreciated all of them very much.

Hubby got HoHos, his favorite. They were hidden away for future sneaky snacks. I guess he better save some in case Hostess stops making them now that they are bankrupt.

Usually there is a gift to share for the boys. This year it was a bucket for movie popcorn and some gift certificates to the movies. I have seen several movies over the last month or so, and several more are coming out soon that I would like to see. The bucket is a wonderful buy, and on Tuesdays drinks are a dollar. Guess what I'll be doing Tuesday!

#2 got this hat. He seems to like it; it is constantly on him. It has been a mild winter here, but he is still wearing his hat.

Colorful Christmas Miracles

2012-01-21T09:46:00.000-05:00

Back in November, you may recall, my dad and I butchered a bunch of roosters. We also tried to butcher a chicken, but she eluded us. I wanted to butcher her because she hadn't laid eggs in about a year. A few days before we left for our Christmas holiday, I found three of her eggs! I know they are hers because she lays the greenish-blue ones. I guess she got concerned for her safety and decided to give us a little Christmas Miracle.

This is a colorful recipe I tried before Christmas and then gave as presents to my parents and in-laws. It is a Reuben Casserole, and it is delish! It is layered in the pan and very easy to make. I got the recipe from a church friend, but I also saw it later in Taste of Home, so I bet you could find it on the web.

And this is my last colorful exhibit. I was out walking a while back and came across this feather. One side was very, very yellow and the other black. It must have been a small songbird blown off course for the winter. I hope it made it to warmth before the cold front blew in.

It's My Birthday

2012-01-20T09:45:00.000-05:00

Today is #42 for real! Hubby has made pretzel salad--- pretzels, strawberries, and dream whip--- for my cake and I plan to eat it all day. I started suffering with a cold yesterday, and you are supposed to feed a cold, so here I go! Thank you to all of the people who sent me cards and well wishes on FB.
Hope everyone has as wonderful day as I!

December 16

2012-01-17T07:52:00.000-05:00

So based on my blog's address I guess you know 12-16 is important to me. It is the day my Hubby and I tied the knot. Over the Christmas break my aunt asked if we went out for our anniversary. It took me quite a while to recall- December and January are very busy months around here- but then I said, "Oh yeah!! We took a lovely walk."

She thought that was funny, but really we did enjoy ourselves. Now we also went to lunch and a movie, but honestly the walk was the best part of the day. Hubby and I hadn't been on the new greenway the city put in and thought we would try it out. The greenway is a paved path through scenic parts of town. We walked the river section and really enjoyed it.

There are benches and lots of people out and about. There are also signs showing you which way to go and how far you have gone. We enjoyed the balmy weather and peaceful atmosphere.

It was a walk worthy of 22 years. May the next 22 be as wonderful.

A Day Off

2012-01-16T02:50:00.000-05:00

Way back in December, I think the 14th or 15th, the boys and I needed a day off. The three of us headed to the beach for the day, and what a lovely day it was. We had been at each other's thoats, and it was just what we needed to get the love back.

My camera batteries died, so these were the only two pictures I was able to snap, but they were good. I told the boys we had to walk a half hour one way and then walk back in order to count it for the PE activity they needed. They took turns walking with me, being alone, exploring, and both joining me again.

The weather was about 70 degrees and very calm and sunny. Perfection is the only way to describe it. We stopped for a lunch pizza on the way down, and after our PE walk, we read books, looked for shells, and walked some more. Then we headed back and stopped at a bookstore. After searching there a bit, we went to WalMart to do the boys' Christmas shopping for the family.
By then it was getting to be time for dinner, so we stopped in a little town I love between here and the beach. We ate dinner at a Mennonite restaurant and then walked around town looking in shops. There was a Community Christmas Caroling going on, and we stopped to sing with everyone. An older woman commented to #1 that he is a great singer and she hoped he was singing in the choir at school. It was just the boost his self-esteem needed!
By the time we got home both boys were saying what a fabulous day it was and how glad they were I made them go. I quite agreed.
--Of course it has been a month now, and we need another day like that already! It may be a long semester....

Healthy and 42

2012-01-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

Healthy and 42, can those two words truly go together? It seems the answer is, "YES!" I went to the doctor Wednesday for a check up. His first question to me was why was I there. Most people would have a complaint- my ears hurt or my pinkie is changing colors- but my response... "My insurance said I have to come or they will drop me." No need to beat around the bush. I know I am not a good patient.
But you see I AM a good patient. I take care of myself. I eat right, most of the time, and I exercise. So when he started asking me all of the "doctor questions" I was able to say, "Nope. No. Un-uh." In the words of my f-i-l, "I don't drink, smoke, or chew, or go with guys who do." It makes doctors happy and me healthy.
So I spent the rest of the day telling everyone how healthy I am. "The doctor didn't even want my blood. He told me not to come back. He said I was the best 42 year old patient he ever saw!" So I started to exaggerate a little, go ahead and shoot me; I can outrun you!! I'm healthy!!!

Resolution Kept

2011-12-31T07:52:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again, when people look back and decide how to make the New Year better than the last. They will decide they are going to lose weight, read highbrow books, learn a new language, get a better job, or stop smoking. And perhaps they will truly mean it, but often they just think they mean it, and the resolution goes unresolved.
My resolution for 2011 has been kept, but it is one of those ongoing resolutions that must remain a resolution for this year as well. I decided to "correct" my back. I injured it several, perhaps five, years ago. I went to a chiropractor at first, after the doctors were unable to help, and he was able to get me put back to rights.
However, the injury had weakened me, and I was unable to stay corrected on my own. Time flies when you are raising kids and working hard, and a couple of years or more went by without a visit to the chiropractor. Honestly I didn't realize it had been that long, all I knew was that I always hurt, and I couldn't bend over to pet the dog at my knee.
I would bend sideways in order to try to pet her, I would brace myself on my knees with my elbows to get the dishes out of the dishwasher, and I would forego fun things like bowling with my kids because it hurt too much. It all snuck up on me, and I didn't realize the pain I was in until it was too late.
So last January I went back to the chiropractor. He X-rayed my back and about ran into me trying to tell me how bad it was. "You are on your way to surgery if you don't do something NOW!"
And that was what it took to make my resolution stick. I don't usually make New Year's Resolutions because I don't keep them after a month or two, but I thought this would be an easy one to keep. I wanted it to be a quick adjustment, maybe a week or two of visits, and then I would be on my merry way.
No, it has been a year of adjustments, daily at first and now about twice monthly. I will always need adjustments. I have also learned how to recognize a problem and when to get it taken care of. I know to apply cold packs, take pain reliever, walk, walk, walk, and now I have added stretches which seem to help me go longer between adjustments.
I probably wouldn't have kept the resolution at the beginning if I had known how much work and money it would cost me, but knowing the alternative was surgery I was "resolute" to make my decision a reality.
If you have made a resolution this year, it will likely be tiresome to keep. It may be expensive, painful, frustrating, and you may sometimes be pushed backward on your road. BUT if you will keep the resolution, you just may bend over to pet the dog and find yourself touching your toes next December.

22 Years and Counting

2011-12-16T07:51:00.021-05:00

"Angry Words" and "There's a Sweet, Sweet Spirit" are the two songs I think of on this day of the year. Those are two of the songs that were sung at our wedding. They have served us well over time. Hubby and I seldom use angry words with each other. The number of fights we have had could be counted on your fingers, on one hand. The reason, I believe, is that we asked Jesus to send His Spirit to be in our marriage. The Holy Ghost has lived in our home for twenty-two years now. He has guided us, talked to us, and shushed us. We have been thoroughly blessed all of these years. I could not have asked for a better marriage. Thank you God for blessing me with my Matthew.

Angry words! O let them never,
From the tongue unbridled slip,
May the heart’s best impulse ever,
Check them ere they soil the lip.

Refrain

Love one another thus saith the Savior,
Children obey the Father’s blest command,
Love each other, love each other,
’Tis the Father’s blest command.

Love is much too pure and holy,
Friendship is too sacred far,
For a moment’s reckless folly,
Thus to desolate and mar.

Refrain

Angry words are lightly spoken,
Bitterest thoughts are rashly stirred,
Brightest links of life are broken,
By a single angry word.

There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place
And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord
There are sweet expressions on each face
And I know they feel the presence of the Lord

Sweet Holy Spirit... sweet heavenly dove...
Stay right here with us
Filling us with Your love

And for these blessings
We lift our hearts in praise
Without a doubt we know
That we’ll have been revived
When we shall leave this place

NUTS

2011-12-15T07:39:00.000-05:00

What's the first thing you think of when I say "Christmas"? Nuts, of course. "What?!" you say? You mean you don't think of nuts? My grandparents, particularly my paternal grandfather, would get Hazel nuts for my mother for Christmas. Mixed nuts, still in the shell, would be in a bowl on the livingroom floor with a nutcracker the whole Christmas season. Nuts and oranges would be in my stocking on Christmas morning. And don't you know, when I got married, I discovered Pistachio nuts were my husband's Christmas tradition. There is always a bowl of pistachios on his mother's table or counter during the holidays, and there is a package of them among the presents to be taken home. My children purchase nuts for their grandparents as Christmas presents, too.

So even though I don't put up a Christmas tree or lights, I still have a bowl of nuts on the table.
Merry Christmas Everybody!

Give 2 the Troops

2011-12-14T07:20:00.000-05:00

Our club helped again at Give 2 the Troops this year. We help throughout the year at different times, and #2 is volunteering there weekly now, but we also always have a Christmas project packing boxes for the deployed soldiers. These kids are removing address labels from magazines so they can be given to the troops.

A dentist in Buffalo, NY buys back candy from his patients after Halloween. He then donates it to the soldiers. He sent over 5000 pounds of candy to the center. These two, along with the rest of us, packed the candy iinto smaller bags that could be put in stockings for the soldiers.

#1 helped sort items for the stockings and make gift bags. The bags held shampoo, toothpaste, soap, candy, and other items. Some of the soldiers have their packages dropped to them because they are so far away from a base. Getting these hygiene items to them means a lot since they are away from the PX for months at a time.

We also make cards for the soldiers. I also asked our congregation to make some cards and to sign some store bought cards, to send to the soldiers. The cards let them know they are supported back home and that we wish the best for them.

What a great bunch of kids and American Citizens!

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I told my mother about the packages sent to soldiers and that we often donate our magazines to them. Hubby takes online surveys and then "wins" free subscriptions. He gets two Golf magazines, financial magazines, and Reader's Digest. We also get Smithsonian and National Geographic. My mother got All You for me last year, and I donate that too.

So my mother donated magazines, and she told her church about it. They donated magazines, as well as other family members donating. Several of them read this blog, and I thought I would show them what they accomplished. When I went last week to help at Give 2 the Troops, there were absolutely NO magazines for the soldiers! All of these magazines were donated by you, my readers and family. Good job Everyone!

PS I then told my church how low they were on magazines, and my church donated a few bags as well. What a great way to recycle.

Annual Holiday Banquet and Talent Show

2011-12-13T07:07:00.000-05:00

Every year our church has a talent show. We start off by eating lots of holiday foods- potluck style. Then we gather for the fun. The show is open to any talent that might offer itself up.

This sweetheart sang Rudolph while balancing on this ball thing. It was his debut in the talent show. Good Job, Sethmeister!!

This little fella has been in the show many times. This year he built Lego animals and had us guess what they were. He is holding the Angler Fish.

These lovely ladies are also veterans. They did some solos and then sang and played together.

And for the second year #2 showed off his juggling skills.

Hubby wrote a story about our congregation, and we all enjoyed a good laugh. He writes every year in a "Prairie Home Companion" manner. This year the story was about the "Gunbrella Man" that occured here a few weeks ago.

These are some of our friends who came to enjoy the evening with us. They are sweet kids and good friends to #2.

Bambi

2011-12-12T08:51:00.000-05:00

No her name isn't Bambi, but she does have big doe eyes doesn't she? I thought I got this picture in yesterday's post, but I guess not. #1 really does like little kids. I think he would be a good teacher. He has talked about being a teacher or a youth minister.

#2 did get a doe over the Thaksgiving break though. The first day was too foggy, and though they tried going out, he and my father had to return home empty handed and stay in all day long.

The second day was foggy but not as bad as the first. They came upon two does, and my dad told #2 to lean against the tree and line up his shot. Dad said #2 was very calm and careful, and he shot just as he should have. The shot went right in the back and dropped her quickly. They went back home to get the tractor to haul her out. She was about 120 pounds and as tall as #2.

On Friday after Thanksgiving we cut up the meat. #2 wanted steaks and stew meat and that's just what he got. He ended up with 17 quart bags of meat. He even got two bags of the backstrap which is like filet mignon. My boys love filet mignon! Expensive tastes, I know.

#2 was disappointed that there wasn't more meat in a deer, and he plans on getting two next year. Well he can plan all he wants, but a lot of it is luck. #2 wanted to let the 4H club try the meat, so we had stew meat at the meeting last week. I put it in the crockpot with some herbs and Worcestershire sauce. It was good. We have had steaks, too that were good. She was a yearling deer and the meat is tender enough for a butter knife. Betcha loved that last sentence, all you non-hunters!

Angel Cops and Scarves

2011-12-11T08:38:00.000-05:00

Our 4H club hosted the program for the County Council meeting last month. The kids led the meeting- 3 of our kids are officers- and then we had invited a policeman to come and speak to the group.

After the speaker told us about the homeless in town who don't stay at the shelter, we made no-sew scarves to give out to the homeless. The cop who spoke started a group that helps the unsheltered homeless in our town. They are called "Angel Cops" and there are about 57 tents set up in "Tent City" now for these homeless people.

Our club purchased the fleece to make the scarves, and then all of the kids got to make one. They cut the fringe and then tied it in knots. I think we made 37 scarves, but don't hold me to that.

Of course some of the kids babysat siblings while the others made scarves. This little cutie thinks she is my son's girlfriend. She attaches herself to him whenever she can.

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

2011-12-10T12:36:00.000-05:00

Finally here are the pictures. I did not do the Beavers' makeup, but I had to do touch ups on it as they sweated under the stage lights. Their teeth would start to come off!! Anway I thought their make-up was well done.

As you may remember, I DID get to do Aslan's make-up. Up close like this doesn't do it justice. Once he was on stage and at a distance it looked really good. He was a great lion with a super roar.

This is the White Witch, whom I also did not make up, but she looked pretty. She had HUGE false eyelashes, and I did get to put false eyelashes on the Unicorn, but no picture.

This is the Blue Jay, one of Aslan's Followers. She was a sweet girl, and I enjoyed making her up.

#1 was originally supposed to be a centaur, but they couldn't get the back legs to work right, so he became a Satyr. The head dress was really cool, and at 6'2" already, it made him look very towering. The White Witch should have run just looking at him!

The five o'clock shadow was my creation.

My camera isn't great for long distance shots, but it was a wonderful stage of scenery. It was really cool to watch them break down the set at the end and see what it was all made of. Mostly cardboard, believe it or not!

A happy ending with the new Kings and Queens of Narnia. Two more months until the next play practices start. Whew!!

Christmas Blah

2011-12-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

Everyone is feeling it; the Christmas Blah. We don't want to do school work, house work, or yard work. We don't want to get up in the morning. We don't want to cook, clean, or decorate. We don't want to be exhausted, but we are.
For my own household, we don't decorate anyway, but it seems there are so many other things that have to get done at this time of year, that it is very small comfort not to decorate.
I hate to spend money this time of year, knowing that a lot of money is going to be spent, but my legs and feet are killing me. I think my exhaustion can be helped if I have some new tennies. I know some of you are nodding your heads and saying , "Sure it will help." Seriously, I don't like to shop, it isn't for an excuse to go shopping! I don't want to get out of bed the legs hurt so badly.
So there you have it. Christmas Blah.
Blah blog post too.
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Wednesday night was the Christmas Pageant. The kids did an excellent job and Mary DID decide to have Baby Jesus. She giggled through it, but at least he was born. The sweet little angel delivered the baby right to the manger, and everyone oohed and aahed. King Herod managed to show off his regal disposition and not have a fit that he was a "bad guy". The shepherds and wise men were right on cue. It was a good program and I am glad we did it.
One girl asked if we will do this for every holiday. I said I thought we would at least do Easter. "Who gets to be the bunny," she exclaimed. Hmmm. I guess we will have to start by reading the Bible.

Trees

2011-12-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

I love trees. They make a place look lived in and loved. BUT, I don't like trees when hurricanes come through. Our front pear tree split during Irene and we needed to trim it up.

My men have been working hard clearing branches and even trunks away to the fire pit.

It's good activity for ornery boys! Plus we will have some lovely fires this winter and spring.

Geography Finale

2011-12-07T07:54:00.000-05:00

Our last Geography club meeting was a cooking session by popular demand. The kids voted that we all bring recipes and ingredients and cook a South American meal together and then enjoy lunch. These boys helped me make tortillas with the tortilla press. The little one stayed with me the entire time. He was so excited about his tortillas, he wanted to take one home to his dad.

These kids are working on sauces to go on the rice. The sauces were yummy, but we ran out of rice.

We were in charge of drinks, so the boys and I went to the local supermercado and bought some things. The sodas were not all that tasty, but I don't care for most soda anyway. The far left drink was an atole, which is cornmeal, milk, and cinnamon. It was good the first time around, but warming it up the next day for breakfast... not so good. The far right white drink was a rice mixture, also not so good. I guess I will stick to water.

And finally we enjoyed our lunch. Until next year Phileas Fogg Geography Club!

Sock Hop Third Edition

2011-12-06T08:43:00.000-05:00

Elvis made an appearance again at the Sock Hop this year. This was the third year we held this event.

We brought a couple of friends from church. They seem to think glasses make you a "Fifties Girl". I guess there weren't many contacts wearers back then. I didn't take offense at the glasses.

These sweeties were helping at the refreshments stand. There were lots of goodies as wella s the most delicious chili dogs you ever ate!

#1 was supposed ot be helping at concessions, but someone caught his attention. I guess he didn't notice if anyone swiped a few of the goodies.

Enviro Trip 2: Raleigh

2011-12-05T08:34:00.000-05:00

Our second day was spent in Raleigh. We went to the Centennial Campus at NC State University. That is where the Wildlife Resources Commission is centered. We toured the exhibits and watched a movie about the changing environments in NC. Then we had a class on Radio Telemetry.

After class instruction, we went outside to actually search for critters with the radios. It was not as pleasant out as the previous trip, and were not as thrilled. It was pouring the rain, acyually, and had turned colder. Still we plodded through the forest looking for...

This TURTLE! Yes, they have radio transmitters on 8 turtles and you can go out and search for them. Because of the colder weather, the turtle had gone underground. You can see its orange shell in the center of the picture. It was buried in mud.

We left there and went to the NC Museum of Natural Sciences to hear a lecture and visit the exhibits. Here we are stroking a taxidermied opossum. Our next field trip is a three day excursion in February.

Enviro Trip 1: Don Lee Center

2011-12-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

A month ago, HOW COULD THAT BE!?, we went on a field trip with our Environmental Science class. These kids are going to really kick butt at the Envirothon competition if they stay calm. It was a great day of learning and doing hands-on activities in a gorgeous environment.

The kids got to go canoeing to look for macroinvertebrates. They found a jellyfish that was pretty cool. It is near the mouth of a river, so we weren't too far from the ocean. Still it was unusual to find a jellyfish.

There were a couple of dissecting classes, and #1 actually participated. He may end up with Biology 2 after all! Actually he is nearly done with science classes, and I would be hard pressed to talk him into any more. Anyway, the kids dissected a squid and a fish that day.

The kids collected plankton and looked at it in a microscope. They also tracked some animals and then make casts of some tracks.

This is our group. There will be a high school team and a middle school team. It was a beautiful day, and we had a fabulous time. I want to LIVE at the Don Lee Center!

Parking

2011-12-03T08:20:00.000-05:00

The one positive about the political night was learning that some churches evidently provide parking spots for their preacher's wife. You can see I took a picture of that!!

I approached the elders at our church about it, and they said they could find a spot for me. It was way off at the other end of the property. I guess they think I need a little exercise. I'm sure it had nothing to do with a lesson in humility!

Southern Politics

2011-12-02T11:19:00.000-05:00

A month ago or more, the 4Hers helped conduct a Political Candidate Forum. In the past we have hosted a Political Meet and Greet of the candidates, but without an agent this year we piggy-backed another group and just helped out. They let us ask four or five questions, so some of the kids were assigned a question, and they stood up at the microphone to ask. That was about the middle of the evening.

I was in front of all of the other 4Hers from the county, and so I missed seeing that they got up and left part way through. We stuck it out through the whole thing. Whew!!

Questions were asked that are illegal to ask- like "What party do you belong to?" in a non-Partisan race. Strange comments were made like, "Will you promote a bill saying that boys have to keep their pants above their underwear?" That seemed to be a serious request!

We stuck it out through the entire meeting, but once it was over we booked it out of there. We rewarded the kids with a dinner at Wendy's, and the poor things were accosted by a man who talked their ears off. What a night.

Best Christmas Pageant

2011-12-01T10:50:00.000-05:00

A new month and perhaps a renewed blogging run. The play went well; pictures are coming soon. We went from one play into another though, as the Christmas season at church started. I am helping produce a small Christmas Pageant that will be given next Wednesday at Family Night. The kicker is that the roles I assigned are unwanted. The lines are not difficult for Mary, so I gave the role to the five year old who doesn't read. It turns out she doesn't want to have Jesus and refuses to answer positively when the angel appears. Of course, the angel doesn't feel so hot either since she wanted to be Mary because Mary is on stage longer. King Herod is unhappy because he is a "bad guy", and on it goes. The director looks exhausted by the time the parents come to pick them up.
This is so reminiscent of our attitudes with God. He has assigned each of us a role to play in this great production of Life, and we all complain about it. "I don't want to do that!" "Why does she get to be the star?" "Why do I have to do the dirty work?" And the Great Director looks exhausted knowing He doesn't get to send them home with someone else.
In fact, He was the parent who sent His Son into this cast of unprofessional actors. He watched as each fulfilled a role in the raising and slaughtering of His Son. And He never gave up, never quit, never resigned. He still directs and produces today. Take a bow God.

Short and Sweet

2011-11-15T14:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know that my posts are waning. It is the final stretch before the play, and life disappears amongst the make-up kits and costumes. Last night was our first make-up lesson, and I go again this evening. I get to do the main character, Aslan! I also have a squirrel and a satyr. Some of the other ladies like the pretty girl make-up so I leave that to them.
We finished Geography Club today. South America has much better food possibilities than Africa did. I think we all agreed that Africa was the worst for sharing recipes, though the peanutbutter ice cream is still one of my favorites. Today we all cooked together and the kids helped. I think we may do it again just for fun.
It has been amazing to watch this group of kids grow up together over the last six/seven years. I don't know what I thought when I started this, but I am pleased with how it has gone.
Next year we head to Central and North America. Sounds like good food possibilities then too!

Good Boys

2011-11-11T13:59:00.001-05:00

I have been reminded lately of what good boys I have. I am not sure how I am so blessed, other than that the Lord has shone His mercy on me.
In the last couple of weeks I have been complimented on #2. It seems that some kids like him because he is always nice. "Some kids are nice part of the time, but #2 is ALWAYS nice," some have told me. Another parent said that #2 stood up for her daughter when even her brother wouldn't stand up for her.
I commented to #2 how proud I am that he is always nice and willing to stand up to friends to defend someone. His response? "I was just being me." Yes, he was.
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#1 informed me that he will probably not be ready to leave home at 17 after he graduates. (Whew!) He thinks he will go to the local community college for a few classes and get a job somewhere. Then he can think about what he wants to do in "real college" and get some experience for his resume. With some experience he will be able to get a better job to help pay for college. Sounds very responsible to me.
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Thank you God for such sweet boys. Please help us to parent them in the way that each one needs.

Found It!

2011-11-08T12:40:00.000-05:00

The Bible tells us parables that Jesus used to express the excitement of finding the Kingdom of Heaven. There are parties and exclamations, probably even a bit of whooping and dancing. I don't think Jesus would have used my experience of finding something this morning to describe finding Heaven.
All last week I kept smelling something. Just a whiff here and there, especially if the dishwasher was running, but nothing I could pin point. Since it is getting cooler here, I imagined it was a dead mouse. I figured it crawled in near the dishwasher to get warm, and Plltt! It died.
It seems I was close. I was putting away dishes this morning and pulled open a drawer that doesn't get used often. Right on top of the ice cream scooper was a dead mouse. A big, dead mouse. A very well-fed, big, dead mouse. And he was a stinky mouse! I had to disinfect everything and put the drawer outside as well.
I'm glad Jesus didn't choose mice surprises to express the excitement of reaching Heaven. Yes, my heart raced, my voice rose in a shout, I even did a little dance. But Heaven just CAN"T smell like that!
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Sorry for the lull in posts last week. I was running all over the place trying to take care of things. We had two out of town field trips that I will talk about later, a 4-H meeting and a Political Candidate Forum to attend, AND the van battery died. Thank goodness it wasn't on the day of the trips, but nonetheless, it was a difficulty to deal with.
For all of you Honda owners, a bit of advice. There is a code to get into the radio and other sound systems. If the sound system is ever disconnected from the electrical supply- like when you put in a new battery- the whole system shuts down and without the code you can't use it. Find the code BEFORE this occurs. It will make it nicer for you on a long trip with 5 middle school boys.
I found the code after the trips. I did do a happy dance over that found object.

The Kingdom of Heaven is Love

2011-11-02T11:14:00.000-05:00

Sunday's sermon was about Jesus taking 613 rules of the Jewish religion and blasting them down to two rules: Love God and Love others. A few years ago at Winterfest the kids were taught it as L1L2. Whenever they hear L1L2 now they know: Love God, Love Others.
Sounds easy, loving God and loving others, but we know it isn't. Sometimes God doesn't do what we want. Most of the time Others don't do what we want. And instead of L1L2, it is LMe and no one else. We get in the way of Love.
L2 says tell your brother he did a good job, but LMe says, "I did a good job too. Why should I say anything to him?"
L1 says God has blessed me beyond expectation, but LMe says, "I'm pretty good and God ought to bless me. I deserve it."
Sometimes it seems like 613 rules would be better than just two.

The Kingdom of Heaven 6

2011-10-31T08:57:00.000-05:00

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a tree of hybrid fruit. Many types of fruit grow on the tree, but its main branch is always the same. God welcomes all of the fruits of the world, as long as we all attach ourselves to His Tree. (Made you laugh with that one, didn't I? There are several fruits living in this house with me!)
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Finally, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a checkers game. There aren't many rules, just keep heading in the right direction. There is an enemy that will try to ambush you, but the King will always come to your rescue.

The Kingdom of Heaven 5

2011-10-30T08:51:00.000-05:00

And again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a Squirrel Gathering Nuts. The squirrel knows that hard times are coming, and he stores up precious nuts in preparation. The Squirrel is the citizens of Heaven who still abide in this foreign land. The Nuts are the Words of God that will help us survive our winter here. God is the Giant Oak who provides the precious nuts and even a hole in the tree for rest and protection.
Let the Ancient Words impart.
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The Kingdom of Heaven is a rainbow without beginning or end in sight. Its beauty directs our eyes upward, away from ourselves. It goes on unendingly.

The Kingdom of Heaven 4

2011-10-29T08:40:00.000-05:00

The Kingdom of Heaven is like the First Robin of Spring. After a long, cold, bitter winter, the Robin hops through your yard and announces the arrival of Spring. Its cheery song reminds you of better things to come. Its bright red-breast sends happy thoughts through the recesses of your mind to clear out the cobwebs of winter.
The long, cold winter is this life filled with its troubles and heartaches. The Robin is the Holy Spirit blowing its warm breeze across your cheek, and Spring is Heaven itself, always new, bright, refreshing.
He who has eyes to see, let him see.
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Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a Family Christmas Celebration. It is warm and welcoming, light penetrates every dark corner. Good food abounds, gifts are given without reserve, and love can be felt in the air. It smells good, looks good, tastes good, sounds good, and feels good. IT IS GOOD. Welcome to the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Heaven 3

2011-10-28T08:39:00.000-05:00

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a kicking, screaming child. It is best not to be ignored.
Probably not my best one, but it works in some odd way.

The Kingdom of Heaven 2

2011-10-27T08:21:00.000-05:00

I borrowed this one from Preacher Man, but I am extending it a little.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a woman who cleans out her attic and then visits Antique's Roadshow. She pulls out her junk from life, never expecting it to be worth anything to anyone, and she is told it is priceless. Ecstatic, she rushes home to insure her prized property and to tell all of her friends.
The Antique's Appraiser is God, and He knows worth when he sees it. He looks each one of us over and proclaims, "Priceless!" Then asks His Son to cover the cost so we can join His Collection.
So clean out your closet, attic, garage, whatever it is, and run to tell the neighbors of the amazing welcome you received at the King's Antique's Roadshow.

The Kingdom of Heaven

2011-10-26T08:07:00.000-05:00

Preacher Man spoke from Matthew 13 Sunday. Jesus told the crowds about the Kingdom of Heaven using everyday, ordinary objects or events. It sounds confusing, even sacreligious, to describe the Kingdom in that way. He said the Kingdom is like a mustard seed, yeast, warring kings, construction contractors, treasure, well maybe that one sounds ok.
Then Preacher Man challenged us to look around this week and describe the Kingdom of Heaven in ordinary terms. It didn't take my goofy mind too long to start a list, and then I thought, Why not blog this? So for the next week or so you will be reading about the Kingdom of Heaven "Angel" style.
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The Kingdom of Heaven is like a perfectly roasted marshmallow. On the outside it looks hard and difficult to break into, but the crispy outside is easily broken and the soft, sticky sweetness is Heaven on a Stick! The Kingdom Ruler is not hard to serve, but He loves us with warmth and sweetness. Once His Kingdom touches a part of your life, it starts sticking to all of the other parts of your life. The more of the Kingdom you eat, the more you crave its goodness. Yes, the Kingdom of Heaven is a perfectly roasted marshmallow. He who has ears, let him hear.

Goofy Again

2011-10-25T10:35:00.000-05:00

And here is one that happened last night at dinner...
#1 and I were discussing his History project to be shared with the club today. His assignment was to find a fairy tale story during the historical period he is studying and share why this story was popular. He is studying Ancient Greece currently, so he chose the myth of Pandora's Box. I asked him what the moral of the story is and he answered, "Curiosity killed the cat."
"No it was wine and a bad liver," said #2.
"Who would give wine to a cat," snorted #1.
"Someone with a vineyard and a bad batch," I responded.
And then quietly and very soberly Hubby says, "Well you have to marinade them first you know."
I nearly shot tea through my nose! He is always so understated in his humor that it catches me by surprise.
Just another family dinner at our house. What is that they say about the family that eats together lasts longer? I guess that doesn't include the family cat!

Crazy, Goofy, Odd

2011-10-25T08:08:00.000-05:00

I don't know how to describe some of the conversations that go on around here, but my family keeps me in stitches. I always think I am going to remember things to post later, and then of course I can't remember how they go. Here are a few:
I was walking past #1 not too long ago and noticed that there was a bulge under his shirt. I picked up his shirt to see that his pants' waist was hanging several inches out in front of him.
"You need a belt!"
"I'm an 'after,'" he joked.
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Hubby and I went to a funeral last week. The funeral was in another town and was at night. We left the boys at the house while we went to the funeral. When we came back, #1 was in the livingroom watching tv and talking on his computer.
"Who are you talking to," his dad asked.
"Susie (not his real answer)."
"Susie," I exclaimed.
"Yeah, he's really sensitive about his name," he piped right back.
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Again with #1. He poured some milk in the kitchen and walked into the diningroom with it. He spilled the milk in the kitchen and continued walking to the diningroom, dripping milk the whole way. His father remarked on it, and he said he would clean it up.
"I already caught most of it with my sock," he replied.
"Maybe that explains why my foot was sticking to the floor this morning," Hubby went on.
"Wow. How did you get sticky feet?"
"From the orange juice you spilled in the morning."
"You should wear socks," said #1.
"Yeah, when I was packing my bag for the retreat I found a dirty pair of milk catchers in there," Hubby exclaimed. #1 had used Hubby's bag on one of our trips and had left a dirty pair of socks for the next bag user to enjoy.
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I really can't think of any silliness from #2 right at the moment, but he does keep me laughing too. Sadly, though, he is at the age where everyone thing is about him, and everyone intends to "dis" him. So he spends a lot of time sad at the way his brother has treated him or because we have laughed at him. I remember #1 going through this a couple of years ago, so I guess it is a normal stage.
#2 is such a more optimistic kid than #1 that I am hoping it won't be as extreme as it was a couple of years ago. I am only getting older, you know!

Friday Night Lights

2011-10-24T07:59:00.002-05:00

Friday night was a sad night for my husband. WVU lost in a really bad way to Syricuse. Hubby had rushed home after his class in order to see as much of the game as he could. He had the computer hooked up to the tv so he could just turn it on as soon as he got home. Those Friday night lights weren't shining on happiness for him.
There were some other Friday night lights shining around here that did make some kids happy. We hosted the home schoolers' Middle School Hangout. We were showing an Alfred Hitchcock movie outside with a projector, and we had a fire going to warm up by and roast some marshmallows.
About 15 kids showed up and they ran all over this place. I think I should not set up movies unless the kids pick them out. They never seem to stay put for the ones I pick out. Not to worry, they still had lots of fun. The funny part was that they never stayed wherever the parents were.
Two parents stayed here with me, I had told the parents they could stay and hang out or just drop off the kids, and if we were watching the movie, the kids weren't. If we were by the fire, the kids weren't.
They ended up walking down the dirt road to chat and visit with each other. That seems to be the favorite pastime: talking and visiting. I am glad my boys have such nice kids to talk and visit with on a Friday night.

Only in Eastern NC

2011-10-23T08:16:00.000-05:00

My parents came for a visit a couple of weeks ago. They brought down our yearly beef ration. Yum Yum! We eat very well thanks to them. The beef filled a whole chest freezer and should last us until next year. I love filling the crock pot in the morning and smelling the delicious aroma all day.

We also butchered NINE roosters while they were here. My dad is so much better at it than I am, so when he comes for a visit I try to get some help with the chore. I didn't realize I had so many roosters. They are free range and I hadn't counted them. I just knew that when I looked out he bedroom window I usually saw dinner crossing the road.

My dad brought his chainsaw to help with clearing up after the hurricane, too. We chopped up a lot of the tree that split, and I asked if we could keep the chainsaw until Thanksgiving when we see them again. He said yes, so now Hubby has some clearing to do in the next few weeks!

My mom likes to eat at Dixie Queen when she is here visiting. It is a local fish restaurant, and the food is good. Of course there is a reason it is good, and it is best to only eat there on special occasions, like a visit from the parents.

It is a local establishment and therefore it has a local flavor. There is a bulletinboard in the waiting area where you can put up your business card. I think they draw for a free meal once a month or so. Anyway, Hubby and I were looking at the board and found a couple of funny things.

One was an advertisement for a barbering magazine. It was so funny I took it off the board to save for a blog post. It's ok. The date had passed on it.

"Its going down! No magazine like this has ever been released in G---, NC. History in the making!! Platinum Barbering Magazine Release Party...and on it goes. It featured "Tyler Perry's Barber and Madea's Stylist" There was even a $25 registration. Funny.

The other funny thing was this poster of a jackass. Hubby didn't get it at first. He thought they were selling the jackass. "It would be illegal if it was a human," I told him. Then he saw the part about breeding. Yep. They are selling rights to breed with this award winning jackass! Step right up!! Too funny.

It was a great visit with my parents. We got a good bit of work done and also enjoyed playing together, too. Hubby and Dad watched some football together, and Mom and I went over to Washington for a walk around the waterfront. The weather was perfect for a change, and we had no rain. It rained for a week after they left of course. Goodbye Sunshine!

He's My Kid

2011-10-22T08:04:00.000-05:00

Here is another irritating example of why I didn't care for the Driver's Ed Instructor. The last afternoon that I dropped off #1, the instructor said he would be done at 8:30. He was supposed to be done at 7:00.
"8:30!?" I asked, quite startled and annoyed.
"Is that a problem?"
"Well yes. He was supposed to be somewhere at 7 and was already going to have to be late for it."
"Then he can be done at 7."
"Can you drop him at the other high school? That sure would help me out."
"Sure. Whatever."
Sounds nice, huh? Just wait.
So the other kid gets on the phone to ask if her mom can pick her up at the other high school. The instructor says you can't drive with a phone in your hand, so I say- thinking that I am helping- "Well he can drive first so you can start. He doesn't have a phone."
Now it starts...
"Well he has to have a phone when he starts driving."
"No he doesn't."
"Yes. he does."
Now I am wondering is there a law I don't know about? But I am fairly certain that they can't MAKE you have a phone when you drive. There are even laws AGAINST using a phone in the car.
"He doesn't need a phone. I drove without one for twenty years."
"Yes, Dear, but they don't have phones with coin slots anymore."
"He'll be fine."
"I bought a phone for my wife to drive to Goldsboro. It's just safer."
Ok Folks, Goldsboro is about 45 minutes away. I used to drive from Texas to West Virginia with two babies and no other adult, and guess what, NO PHONE EITHER!!! But I managed to bite my tongue and make a feeble concession that if he needs to use a phone sometime he can always take mine with him. Of course if he does that I can't rescue him since I evidently can't leave the house without a phone. Oh my word.

Socialized Science

2011-10-21T07:50:00.000-05:00

The Driver's Ed Instructor really irritated me. He evidently doesn't appreciate homeschoolers. The first day we met, he asked #1 if he liked homeschooling. "Some parts of it are ok."

"You're learning twice as much as those kids in that school," replied the instructor. "That's what he doesn't like about it," I said. "He has to work harder." "Well don't worry about socialization," he went on. "You'll learn more in college than you would ever learn about in high school. You'll get socialized just fine then."

"We weren't worried at all about socialization," I responded. "He is in 4H, Geography club, History club, Smiles and Frowns, Student Government, and more." Later when we were trying to figure out times for us to get together for the driving he found out how social my son is. It took quite a while to find an empty evening for him. Even then we had to cancel other events to make room for it.

Here he is learning about hard and soft water in Environmental Science. Poor little homeschool boy closed up in a tower by himself just hoping to learn a little something. Phooey!

BTW= Behind the Wheel

2011-10-20T07:36:00.000-05:00

Remember back in July and August when #1 was taking Driver's Ed? Well he finished that the first week of August, and then he had to wait his turn to take the "Behind the Wheel" portion. His time finally came a couple of weeks ago. You have to go out three separate times with a professional instructor. I had no idea it would be such a long ordeal. You have to drive at least two hours each time, but you aren't allowed to drive alone with the instructor. That means you have to find a kid who can drive the same evening, and you are out for 5 hours!

#1 had to leave from a high school that is on the other side of the county from us. I made sure to have him over there nice and early. The first day they drove around and afterward #1 told me that the instructor, a very large man, keeps the car frigid. The second afternoon after I dropped #1 off, I realized his jacket was still in the van with me. I knew where they were headed, to the high school near us to pick up another kid (yes, after I drove him way to the other side of the county!), so I followed him.

It wasn't so much that I was following him as it was that I had to go that way to get home anyway. But my baby is freezing in that car, right?! So he needs his mommy to rescue him from the Frost King Driving Instructor. What else was I to do but follow?

I followed him all of the way into the high school parking lot and around the lot twice! He was very, shall we say, embarrassed. I tried to take his picture while I was there but he was very adamant that I shouldn't. So I took his pretty driving partner's picture. She didn't mind at all. After all, I wasn't HER mother! The stunning thing about her is that she is from MORGANTOWN, WV!!! Is that not wild?!

I did manage to capture this dash into the car. See that jacket? I saved his life. What are mothers for?

Shotgun Affair

2011-10-19T07:24:00.000-05:00

While we were home in WV for the holiday last month, my dad took the boys out in the field for a little target practice. #2 is planning to go hunting with my dad this fall over the Thanksgiving break.

So they loaded up the gun and sited it in.

Tiny Pap gave them some pointers.

And then POW!! That sure was loud.

#2 did pretty well. If it had been a deer it would have been dinner. I hope he is as lucky next month!

My dad did his best to prepare #1 who isn't as "gun ho" about the whole thing.

Poor guy had his face too close to the site and smashed it against his eye when it kicked back. He didn't care to shoot anymore after that. He wouldn't be hunting anyway. He is too soft hearted. You should have seen him trying to kill a bug in the shower this morning. He better marry a strong stomached woman is all I have to say.

Sorry about the picture, Mom. I didn't see that you had your eyes closed or I would have taken another one. These are my parents and my favorite boys in front of some very beautiful sunflowers. My parents' garden is much more productive than my own.

I love WV. It is definitely Almost Heaven.

What's That Dirt?

2011-10-18T07:17:00.000-05:00

#1 has had a dirty smudge on his lip for a while now. See it below? Yeah, neither did I.

He has been irritated by this little dirt for several months, so I finally gave in and let him "wash" it off. His dad tried to show him how, but of course we weren't too sure of his dad's abilities to remove the dirt since Hubby's whole face has been dirty for years!

You have to get hot water and wet down the "dirt". Then you put on this creamy soap.

Finally you wipe off the dirt with a double-blade knife. Sounds dangerous!

Now there's a fresh, clean looking boy! He goes through this ritual once a week now, whether he needs to or not.

Nature Pix

2011-10-17T06:58:00.000-05:00

Several years ago our 4H club was working on a backyard habitat program. Each family in the club was supposed to make some sort of a backyard habitat in their yards. Our project turned into a rather large project. We ended up asking the club to come and help us. Each habitat should have a source of water for the wildlife. My boys decided to dig a pond. By hand!

There is an area of our property that stays wet most of the time, so it seemed perfect for a pond. During our Environmental Science studies we have discovered this is what you call a vernal pool. It only has water part of the time. The last couple of years we have experienced bad summer droughts, and the little pond often has nothing but weeds in it. But after this fall's deluge, it has held water for a couple of months now!

Vernal pools are great places for amphibians and reptiles because they don't have to deal with predator prey issues as much. No fishies to eat them up, you see. So our vernal pool is full of tadpoles right now. I mean FULL.

After we dug the pond years ago, I dug up bulbs that were around the house. They come up in the fall after we have a lot of rain, usually the third or fourth week of September. I don't know what they are called, but they really are lovely. They grow all around the pond now, and from the house the circle looks like it is on fire.

My garden is a laughing affair. I really wish I could put more time to it, but alas, we all know that story. The okra has taken off though. I love the flowers, they are so pretty. I am the only one in the family that eats okra, so a lot of it goes to waste. What a shame.

Fall means these purple weed-looking flowers bloom in the front of the house. They were here when we moved in, and I don't know what they are either, but I enjoy them. Evidently the autumn butterflies do as well.

This is the Bradford Pear tree that split during the storm. It sprang back to life as quickly as it could. New sprouts are all over the broken pieces, and FLOWERS appeared as if it was spring!

I have to spend the weekend getting out winter clothes and sorting through what fits and should be kept and what should be passed along. I know it will soon be chilly, even if the pear tree doesn't.

Science Lab

2011-10-16T06:49:00.000-05:00

I am teaching three classes this year. Whoo Boy is it pushing me. You can probably tell from the absence of posts for a while! I am teaching Middle School Creative Writing, High School American Literature, and Environmental Science for both Middle and High schools.

I really like the Environmental Science class. I assign the readings through the week and they also have some video clips to watch about environmental issues. Then we meet once a week for a short review of what they read and a lab experience.

This particular day we loaded in the van and took off for a local park. I was hoping it would go ok since it could have still been flooded from all of the rain we have had the last couple of months. It turned out to be a lovely day for it.

These are kick nets, and you are supposed to kick the bottom of the stream into the net. Then you look for macroinvertebrates and compare them to macros on a dichotomous key. You can then determine if the water quality is poor, moderate, or good. We discovered the water quality was very, very poor. No big surprise after all of the flooding we have had. It was a fun lab, much better than sitting in a classroom!

Birthday Boy

2011-10-15T06:39:00.001-05:00

Hubby celebrated his birthday a few weeks ago. My goodness how time flies! Quite honestly I don't need to ever go through another hurricane in my lifetime. And this one was not even horrible! It just seems to take so long to get everything back to normal.

Anyway, Hubby had a birthday. He loves pie better than cake, so I made his favorite Blackberry Pie. Notice the age cut into the top? Yep. Forty-four!! He sure did rob the cradle when he married me.

Our family celebrates birthdays together by eating out. Hubby chose Red Lobster. He used to choose the Japanese steakhouse, but he has stopped that. I told him if he wants to go there he has to go alone. The boys and I don't care for the food, and once you have seen the show a couple of times you really don't care to see it again. So Red Lobster it is.

My guys sure are goofy. Below is the face of the man I love, even the older version of it. (Love ya, Sweetheart!)

And this is me and the other goofy man in my life. I am very blessed to have these three hooligans.

Labor Day Beer Pong

2011-10-14T18:37:00.000-05:00

Last summer my mother-in-law told the boys she had bought a fun game for them to play the next time we get together. She said you try to bounce a ping pong ball into a cup and if you get it in the other person has to drink the cup. "That's called Beer Pong, Grandma," said my older homeschooled boy. Yes, she is that innocent, and yes he does get out in the world.

So when we got together with the family over Labor Day weekend, the grandkids and the rest of us had to try it out. Grandma said we were going to use prune juice, but we went with Cream Soda instead. Thank goodness! Prune juice could have caused some very bad problems for the female team, which lost miserably!

I did not manage to get a single ball in the cup when we played guys against girls. Then we set up a play off of one-on-one. I evidently was using my wily poker skills the first practice round.

I think I started playing in the second round of the individuals, and it went in the other person's cup every time!! Seldom did I have to drink anything myself.

Here is Preacher Man giving it a shot. He didn't do very well. I suppose the congregation will be glad to hear that!

Now look at all of the drinking! What's that? You don't see me? Hmmm.

What were we thinking playing right before bed?! Sugar rush!!

Even Grandma, the game initiator, had to gulp down her share of cream soda.

So that is our family. The grandma teaches the kids to play Beer Pong with the preacher, and the preacher's wife wins!--------- This may embarrass my M-I-L. Sorry. I'm sure everyone knows you are really that innocent and naive.

Sickness

2011-09-28T07:34:00.000-05:00

I think it has to do with the hurricane that came through last month. Everyone is sick. One sweet little girl at church, aged four, has mono! My men are coughing and hacking, tired and irritable, but not dead enough to let them off the hook when it comes to work. I bought a bunch of medicine yesterday, and got carded! I don't think I would get carded in the ABC store!
Anyway I dosed #1 last night before bed, and I am letting both boys sleep a little longer this morning. They actually have a busy day, but they need some rest.
I was looking back at some old blog posts from years ago and discovered that I am not nearly as interesting or reflective as I used to be. I wish I were. I just seem to go from one thing to another. I do spend time in reflective thought, but I don't get it down nearly as often as I would like.
Just got a phone call. Another friend is sick and won't be at Odyssey of the Mind this morning. At least we aren't alone in our misery.

Justification is NOT Sweet

2011-09-22T15:32:00.000-05:00

I took the boys to the orthodontist on Wednesday. It was a second check for #2 and a first for #1. #2 is missing several adult teeth, you will remember, and he has to wait to lose some more baby teeth before they will do anything to help him with orthodontia.
Well, he lost 3 teeth in the last 6 months! That is major since he hadn't lost any for the last 3 YEARS! However, it wasn't enough aand he will continue to "Waitin' to Straighten". The orthodontist thought it would probably be another year unless he loses a lot of teeth in this next 6 month period. It also looks like what was supposed to be a peg tooth is actually just a sliver of a tooth and may have to be extracted.
#1 was told that it is time to go ahead and brace him up. The cost was $5800! Yes, for the price of a good used car you can put metal on your kid's teeth. I decided we would go to another guy and get a price and recommendation. #1 was happy- sort of- to get another opinion, but his opinion is that he doesn't need braces. He thinks he looks just fine. (And given the rate of female followers he has I suppose he is correct.)
Anyway we headed out today for another opinion. This time to a dentist that was recommended by a couple families as being gentle and less expensive. He also does orthodontics and does it faster and less expensive than most. Can't say as I agree.
The dentist did a thorough exam with lots of Xrays, but didn't actually do anything to help #1. #1 has a lot of plaque under his gumline. The dentist pulled out a bunch of it to show us and told #1 that he isn't brushing well enough. This is something I have said thousands of times, literally.
So #1 has 4 cavities. Yes, FOUR! Though I have warned him for years that that could happen, he has refused to change his brushing technique. Now that I can say, "I told you so" it falls a little flat. The four cavities cost? $970! Doesn't taste sweet at all.
The good news is that this dentist said there isn't any real problem with #1's dental/skeletal frame and he does not need braces. Well thank goodness, 'cause all my money just went to filling cavities!

Food For Two Days

2011-09-20T13:49:00.000-05:00

I have been following the famine/drought from Africa lately. I read about mothers with children strapped to their backs walking and walking to find food and water. The children are dying on the mothers' backs without the mother noticing. It is a shame and a pity. Pray for rain and rescue for East Africa.
But that isn't what this post is about. No this is about what my son thinks he needs to eat for two days at a water park: a piece of cold pizza, an apple, a banana, and a granola bar. Nothing else. Not even to drink.
I told the boys to pack their lunches or take money for food and that they needed to prepare for at least 4 meals. I would take care of breakfast.
After he packed this meager lunch, I asked if he planned on buying all of his meals. No. He planned on buying NONE of his meals. This, he believed, was all he needed. I provided more food as time went by.
Then yesterday he packed an apple for his lunch at co-op. We are gone from 8:00 until about 4:00. Included in that time is PE, first thing in the morning! Did you eat any breakfast? No. Of course not. What was I thinking?
He came to me at lunch and asked for something else to eat because, in his words, "I got hungry this week. I don't normally eat more than an apple though!"
As I talked with a friend last night and relayed my exasperaton with the boy she said, "It's just such an awkward age. We have to feel sorry for them."
I think she used the wrong pronoun. We should feel sorry for US!

Missed Week

2011-09-17T08:45:00.000-05:00

What can make me miss a week of blogging? Well...Finding time for house repair estimate appointments, men telling me the house is full of mold and needs to be condemned (it wasn't quite that bad, but it felt like it!), an emergency dental appointment for a chipped tooth, two visits to the chiropracter, an overnight 4H trip, helping at a home school support meeting, ferrying kids to auditions, meetings, etc.---Oh and I taught school.
In the middle of all of that is the constant feeling that God is up to something. I am not sure what it is--hear FRUSTRATION in my writing voice--but I am trying to be patient and attentive. Prayers for clarity are appreciated.
Soon I hope to blog about foxes, packing food for a two day trip, and emails from students. I do still get daily laugh time to ease the stress of life. Maybe soon I can send some laughter your way.

Weekend

2011-09-12T19:10:00.000-05:00

I attended a home schooling conference this past weekend. It was about how to school through high school, and I found it to be quite helpful. I had questions answered about credits and transcripts, as well as testing and college stuff. More importantly I was reminded about how much I love God and need to hear His word.
The speaker was from the national organization Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). She filled her talk with the Word, and it felt good to hear it. One of the first things she covered was that you can't school through high school if you don't have time for God, your spouse, and your children. So you have to simplify and choose what you will participate in. You have to choose what you will battle, what you will push, and what you will focus on.
She talked about "white space" and having time on your calendar to stay home and just be. It is very true. I have most Wednesdays, and Thursdays and Fridays open on the calendar. It is a great time to finish school work, straighten the house, and get ready for the next week's co-op.
But this week we have a 4H trip planned for Thursday and Friday. It will be fun to be away with friends and relax at Great Wolf Lodge, but it is stressing me out a bit to think that two days are lost from my down time. I need that time to slow down, get work done, and enjoy peace and quiet.
I need solace to listen to my God. I need my God.

Flash from the Past

2011-09-10T21:37:00.000-05:00

Last night I was talking with a couple of friends about eating out. None of us ate out much as a kid. I can remember sometimes going to 4 Corners Restaurant after church for lunch. I would order mashed potatoes and roast beef with gravy on top of white bread. Lemon meringue pie was the dessert. 4 Corners had a fancy pie display case, and all of the pies were in a circle for you to look at and make a decision.

During our conversation, one friend made a comment about Hardees, and suddenly I remembered another thing. When I was older, but still a young teen-ager, my mom and I would go to Bridgeport to shop at the new mall on Saturdays. We would drive through the Hardees in the curve of the road and get an order of cinnamon raisin biscuits. They were warm and goey, covered in sweet glaze.

This evening we were headed out for a movie at the park. I popped a batch of corn on top of the stove, and we climbed into the van. Suddenly I was transported back to the drive-in theater we went to when I was a kid. I imagine it was on a Friday night, my parents would put us in our pajamas and toss us in the station wagon. My mom would bring a brown bag of freshly popped corn and a cooler of Kool-Aid. At the drive-in we would throw out a blanket on the ground or curl up in the back of the car and settle in for the movie.

I had a great childhood. It always surprises me when these memories flood back to me. They seem so long forgotten, and then suddenly the cobwebs are washed away and the smells and colors return as fresh as new paint. I wonder what memories will be etched in my own children's minds 30 years from now.

They're Gone

2011-09-08T09:10:00.000-05:00

I enjoy my morning walks because of all of the wild life I encounter. I have mentioned before the birds, the tracks we see, and the beauty of the surroundings. One thing that I have particularly enjoyed this summer is a pair of hawks.
They have a nest in the loblolly trees, and they soar around it in the morning calling to one another. The call sounds so wild and free. It is a sharp, bracing scream that reminds me of cowboy and indian movies from my childhood.
Irene's fury has been over for nearly two weeks now, and I still haven't heard or seen the hawks. I don't know if the storm damaged the nest or just scared them away, but the morning walk just isn't the same without them.

Eating Like A Teen

2011-09-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

I have a friend who runs every day. She doesn't run because she loves to run, but she runs because she loves to eat. Running lets her eat whatever she wants. I guess I don't love eating enough to need to run, although I do enjoy a brisk walk with occasional sprints, I would just rather eat.
However, I evidently don't like to eat as much as my son either. He just had breakfast, a HUGE egg and cheese filled tortilla downed with a glass of milk. He put the dish away and then walked in to my room.
"Mom, what's for lunch?"
"You JUST had breakfast!"
"I need to eat! I'm a teeneager. A boy teenager!"
"Chicken wings."
Huge smile followed by, "When's lunch?"
My dad is butchering another beef for us at the end of the month. He said to make sure we have room in the freezer. No problem. The boy teenager has been eating here for several months now. And it looks like #2 is soon going to join the ranks of boy teenagers. Maybe I will stop sprint walking, and then I won't need to eat.

NC Vacation

2011-09-01T04:14:00.001-05:00

We decided this year to vacation in the great state of NC. We have lived here nearly seven years, and there were still some things we wanted to see. It was the second week of August, and we are now getting ready to head to WV for a short family get-together, but I am faithful, if slow, so here are the pictures of some of the highlights. The above picture is at Reed Gold Mine where we walked through an old mine and then were able to pan for gold. I did find a teeny-tiny nugget!

The waterfall was at DuPont State Forest. It was a hot day and the hike to the falls was sweltering, but it was beautiful once you were there and the water was ICE cold! The only problem was the lack of restrooms. Port-a-Johns on a hot summer day are NOT pleasant.

In Cherokee we went to the outdoor drama, Unto These Hills. It rained, but the show went on. #1 and I covered ourselves with a blanket while Hubby and #2 stood under a section of roofing. After intermission we joined them out of the rain.

We stopped in a couple of towns and looked around. Our favorite was the sweet little town of Sylva. This picture is in front of a toy store in Brevard. My little guys enjoyed playing with a race track inside. I guess they never truly grow up.

This is another waterfall at DSF. #2 had hoped to swim here, and we intended that he should, but the lack of restrooms had pushed me to my limits, and we left. It did look like fun though.

While in Cherokee we went into the casino to try a restaurant, Paula Deen's Country Kitchen. The boys think she is funny and so we thought it would be a fun treat. Our food was good, but not great. It was fun to try new things though. I had lime coated catfish, and that was probably the best thing we ordered.

#2 was dying to try the fried peanutbutter and jelly sandwich. It was sort of like a donut.

#2 loves chicken pot pie, but I do believe he likes mine better than Paula Deen's. This had too much crust and was very salty.

While in Cherokee we also visited the indian village. We took a tour and then we went back and stayed longer at the spots we liked. This guy was shooting with a blow gun, and he was great!

#1 enjoyed talking with this Cherokee. He had lots of questions about what life was like for the early indians and how things are now. The indian, Matthew, was very kind to talk with us for so long.

The above picture is while we were waiting for our food at Paula Deen's. I wanted to get a picture this past Sunday of my boys, since it was Brother's Day, but I didn't make it. So here are my sweet boys in a momemt of brotherly love- that usually only happens when food is involved. Honestly.

We also visited Old Salem in Winston-Salem. We took a whole day to look all around the village and talk to people. This guy was at the tavern and he showed us games you would have played there. This one is a number game the boys already play when they visit their grandparents in Motown.

#2 was all about hte gun shop. He had lots of things to tell the worker, and he was usually right. #2 is looking forward to hunting with his grandad this fall.

Upstairs in the tavern we were able to try out the bed. It was a rope bed, and actually it was more comfortable than I expected. Poor #2 would have had trouble sleeping though. People just weren't that tall back then.

Missing from the pictures are the hike we took near Charlotte at a state park. It was there that #2 took a wrong turn and became lost. It was nerve-wracking for just a little bit. I figured he knew to stop and wait for us if he got lost, but he walked a looonnnggg way before he decided that he was lost.
It was a nice vacation. Now there are only a few more things I want to do in NC---Wright Brother's Memorial, USS Wilmington Battleship, Blackbear's Exhibit in Beaufort, and see more lighthouses on the Outer Banks. Then I guess we start all over!

Boys' Prayers

2011-08-31T04:13:00.001-05:00

My three year old nephew offered this dinner prayer last week: "Thank you God for all the food, Mommy, Daddy, and Sisters. And please make Boiler (their puppy) stop licking his bottom." His mother thinks he was peeking during the prayer!
My own nearly fifteen year old son offered this one a week or so ago: "Thanks for the food and all you give us. Let me be safe at the swimming party and let #2 be able to find something else to do." That was his not-so-subtle way of letting us know he didn't want any tag-along brothers!
The prayers around town haven't been so funny. Many homes were destroyed in this storm. It is going to take a lot of time and muscle to get things back to normal. But the prayers for safety were mostly answered positively and we all are thankful for that.
Many are still without power and for quite a few that means loss of water as well. Please pray for Eastern Carolina as she picks up the pieces that Irene left behind.

Damage from Irene

2011-08-30T10:39:00.000-05:00

I went in today to speak to our insurance agent. We have never had to file a claim so I was unsure if we were doing things the right way. I told them I know we are not a top priority. Our losses can be dealt with. Others in the office were saying they still have no power, water, or phone. One guy was in a tornado because his phone wasn't working. His daughter was trying to call and warn them but the phone was still out. This part of NC has been hit hard. The paper this morning showed the loittle town where #1 goes for theater. They have 200-300 houses damaged by trees!

Our house holds water underneath when we have storms, so we have to puimp it out. This is what it looked like under the house. We had rain again last night, but I think it is ok under there now. We need to get the dehumidifier going, but I loaned it to a friend whose house is worse than mine.

The front porch ceiling is holding water too. You can't tell so much in the picture, but it is bowed from water. Below is our biggest concern- the barn. The roof was torn off about 10:00 Saturday morning and it rained and blew for many more hours afterward.

We didn't notice until Sunday afternoon that we had some ceiling leaks. It evidently took a while to soak through. We think it was mostly bown under the metal roof by the force of the wind, but it probably needs to be resealed. We have a vent in the ceiling of the kitchen, instead of in the hood of the stove, and it has been leaking pretty badly. There was water there woday after last night's rain, too.

This is a sideways picture of the hose draining the water from under the house. I thought it was going to be a picture of the tree that fell in the front yard, but my eyes aren't too good on those little computer pictures. Now I can't get it to delete, so here you go!

Safe and Sound

2011-08-28T16:38:00.000-05:00

We lost power for about 12 hours, others have had it worse. We did lose part of the barn roof and several trees. A friend from church lost most of her roof and has a lot of water damage. Everyone else at church just had tree damage from what I gather.
There was a lot of isolated flooding in our town and many, many downed trees. It was stunning to see the trees knocked over by the roots!
We have cancelled the co-op classes tomorrow for home schoolers, so it is actually a day of cancelled school for home schoolers. They are shocked. Actually, they will have to work at home, but no co-op. For them that is actually sad news.
Going now to call the insurance.

Quick

2011-08-27T05:58:00.000-05:00

Typing quick cause the power is going in and out. All are well through the night. Dog won't go out to potty. What do we do about that!? Still have power most of the time. I will be turning off my phone now. Call Hubby if you need anything. It is mostly rain, some wind. Don't worry.

It's a Comin'!

2011-08-26T14:03:00.000-05:00

I had the boys be sure to finish their schoolwork that requires the internet so that they don't have to worry if the power goes out for the weekend. The storm is predicted to go right through our town, and counties not far from us are evacuating low-lying portions. We have lived here 7 years, and this is our first BIG storm. We've had rain and minor flooding, but Irene seems to be causing a lot more commotion.
I was buying gas last night, the lines 3 deep at every station, and overheard a conversation. It seems the stores are not selling alcohol after a certain time because they don't want people drinking too much in case there is an evacuation. The things I never think of!
The university has been stressing to the students to "make good choices", meaning don't make parenthood one of your first subjects now that you are in college. The school is supposed to be quite safe and has trained for this sort of emergency, so I guess if something happens we will head that direction!
The thing that concerns me most is losing the roof. I don't think that there is anything else that I should be concerned about. Our house was not affected by the flooding in '99, and that is supposed to have been horrific.
We still need to push over the basketball goal post so it doesn't blow over and hit my van. I will put the goats in the chicken coop soon, since the rain is supposed to start "for real" in about an hour. The chickens are on their own and hopefully will decide to head for the coop, though right now they are hanging out under the rabbit hutch. They are soaked of course. And lastly I need to fill the tub with water. I thought that was to have water around for various reasons, but learned a bit ago that it is so you can flush the toilet.
The dog is staying nearby, and the boys have been reassured that if we have to leave we WILL take the dog with us. Sigh. Hubby's classes are cancelled for the weekend, propane for the camp stove is in the sunroom, and candles are on the counter. Sounds like a lovely weekend at home.

Cleaning Schedule

2011-08-26T09:08:00.000-05:00

Tuesday was our first Geography Club meeting for the year. We are studying South America and for this class each child was to prepare a dish from a South American country. I enjoyed all of the food, which doesn't always happen with our food studies. My boys made a peach/orange smoothie type drink from Chile and a small empanada type appetizer with bacon, olives, and artichokes from Brazil.
While we ate the mothers took the opportunity to visit, and we began discussing cleaning and chore schedules. One mother is very excited about a new system she is trying at her house. I have tried different systems, but I have never found anything that hangs around for very long.
Part of my problem is that the kids don't clean well enough for my tastes, and then I just get angry and irritated. So in order to keep peace in our house I decided a while back not to give them anything to do that I wanted done a certain way.
I apologize to my future daughters-in-law, but perhaps your husbands will make enough money to employ a house cleaner for you. They know how to sort laundry, take out the trash, empty the dishwasher, wipe down the bathroom, and other menial tasks, but they won't wash baseboards, clean up and organize, or fold laundry worth a nickel. Sorry.

East Carolina Whales

2011-08-25T08:52:00.000-05:00

Our co-op started again this week. I am teaching 3 classes this year. I hope I don't regret it! Overall I think it should be good. I am teaching Creative Writing for middle schoolers, which should be easy as long as I keep them busy. American Lit is the high school English class, and I have been reading most of the summer to prepare for it. The class time should mostly be discussing the books we read, and there is no research paper to grade, so I shouldn't have too much time tied up in grading.
The third class is Environmental Science, and it is for both high school and middle school. The objective for the class is to participate in Envirothon, so there wasn't too much of a reason to separate the grade levels. This week I mostly lectured; it should be mostly lab work in class the other times. While I lectured on Soils we got to the types of soil in NC. The middle of the state, called the Piedmont, is mostly clay and I asked what would that soil be good for. One boy piped up, "Whales."
Hmm. I don't know this kid, but he hadn't come across as stupid in the first 40 minutes of class, so I asked him to explain.
"The clay holds water real good, so that is good for whales."
Still not getting it, but then I tried picturing whales swimming around in the clay, and it hit me.
"Wells!?"
"Yes, whales."
Sometimes my ears are still too Yankee for this town.

Dog? Cat? NO! It's a Chicken!

2011-08-24T06:07:00.001-05:00

As #2 slept in the spare room downstairs we left the dog in the room with him. We thought we would get a good night's sleep, even though the storm raged without, because she had #2 to make her feel comfortable. Evidently he isn't as big and strong as Hubby and I are!
She began by pushing gently on our door, then giving a small scratch. After several attempts at subtlety, she began pushing her whole body against the door. When she wasn't able to knock the door down, she tried digging her way through. As her sharp nails dug into the door and hardwood floor, I got out of bed to let her in. The dog scored.
She stood by the side of the bed shaking. Then the lightning picked up the pace, and she climbed up on the bedrail sticking her head up on my pillow. "Save me!" she screamed. I put my arm around her and comforted her in my half-asleep stupor.
When I awoke in the morning, I started to get out of bed, but stepped on something. The poor thing had been so frightened she had pushed herself under the bed and had trouble getting out again.
She looks like a dog. She washes like a cat. She ACTS like a chicken!

Growing Up

2011-08-23T13:51:00.000-05:00

Last week at the Study Skills Seminar, #1 returned a few seconds late from the break. As he entered the room, the class broke into spontaneous applause. He lifted his arms above his head in a victorious gladiator stance and basked in the light of love.I asked him at dinner that night why everyone applauded.
"Because it was me," he simply stated.
"This from the boy who used to cry that he had no friends."
"I haven't done that in years, Mom," he replied.
We have come a long way with that one. He is more sure of himself, more confident in his abilities, more responsible, more wonderful to be around.
Sadly, his brother is two years younger than he and is now beginning that stage. Hang on! Spanish may be the end of us all! Adios.

Demons of Darkness

2011-08-22T13:34:00.000-05:00

There appears to be a little demon of darkness living over my house. He is especially fond of breaking things. I have spent the last few weeks repairing or calling for repairs.Both weedeaters broke, upsetting the homeowners but not the rent-free dwellers! Hubby got one of the weedeaters to behave long enough on Saturday to get around the house and a few other weedy spots.
The dryer that he fixed a couple of weeks ago is still acting up, now refusing to heat. That means I have been hanging all of the laundry, which for now is fine but in a few months I will need something done.
The new refrigerator isn't working right in the water and ice area, and I still need to call about that.
The air conditioner downstairs was out of whack and needed a new "capacitor". All I could think of was Back to the Future and the "flux capacitor" when the repairman told me that! Anyway we got that fixed, but at the same time discovered the upstairs unit wasn't working right. So we had a part under warranty exchanged, but also had to fill the refrigerant. NOT cheap!
While we had the air men here we finally got a price and schedule to put in a new unit downstairs and that has been completed. You can actually hear air coming out of the vents now. That has never been heard since the day we moved in here!
So now that school has officially started perhaps the demons will be too busy foiling homework plans to mess with anything else in the appliance area.

Chiggers

2011-08-21T08:25:00.001-05:00

I enjoyed my walk yesterday listening to the sounds of the insect world, but there is one sound I don't care for; "Mom! I ITCH!!" #2 unknowingly discovered chiggers Thursday. He went to visit a friend, and they went into the woods to play paintball. Evidently the wood is infested with chiggers, tiny red bugs that make you itch like nothing else.
He woke up scratching early Friday morning. When I found him a few hours later, he was covered in bites from head to toe. We have treated him with Chiggerex, and he is putting cold packs on the worst areas. He is also taking Benadryl around the clock.
I told him this lasts about a week, and then it clears up. But that is just a ruse. The blamed things will "come back to life" a week or so after that! Chiggers are a nasty business.
I co-taught a Study Skills Seminar last week for the homeschoolers. #2 participated, though Friday was difficult for him to sit through. One of the activities was to fill out a career inventory to see what things interest the children. Then they can think about that as they make high school schedules and plans.
Of course #2 came up with Agriculture and Natural Resources as his interest area. I hope he finds something in a dry area with little in the way of poison ivy and/or chiggers!

Make a Joyful Noise

2011-08-20T13:23:00.000-05:00

I left the doctor's office Monday with a big smile on my face. He told me I could do whatever I want- and then backtracked when he found out what I wanted to do- but the air cast was off and mostly can stay off now! I gave a "Yes!" and raised my arms in the air as I left. The other patients seemed to understand. That cast is HOT!
I was told not to walk for exercise for a week, but I finally had to venture out today. We had rain last night, and I just couldn't stay cooped up in here any longer.
The wet earth and cloudy sky made the sounds around me so much more distinct, and I enjoyed my quiet, slow, and yes, short walk. The songbirds were glad for a respite from the hot, dry weather, and a robin was calling to its mate from the woods behind the corn field. As I rounded the corner a hawk took off through the loblolly pine and shrieked its call through the sky above.
Locusts were scratching out their sounds to any who would listen, and the crickets and grasshoppers were chiming in with their own song of joy. Frogs of various breeds chirruped and croaked, happy to at last have a little puddle of water to relax in.
The rhythmic thump, thump of a horse scratching its leg with its teeth made me pause to listen to the lean beasts chomp the grass that greened up with the new rain. The dog whined as she rolled in the dirt to scratch the itchy fleas. Other insects made their presence known as butterflies floated above the wildflowers while a mosquito whined in my ear.
The air was heavy with humidity, but also with the smell of damp earth and newness of life. The fields were dark green speckled with yellow, purple, and fuschia color where weeds and wildflowers gained a grasp of the ground beneath them. It looked beautiful, smelled wonderful, but sounded divine.
The world was worshiping the Lord of Life, and I was a part of that small chorus of praise.

Ready

2011-08-07T14:53:00.000-05:00

I have nearly packed all of the food, the drinks are in the freezer and fridge, and my clothing is gathered. We leave very early tomorrow for our vacation! Oh how I need it. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my family away from the distractions of home.
The AC was "fixed" but now the upstairs unit keeps freezing over, which makes it NOT cool. It was 97 degrees upstairs one day. Hopefully when we get back we can get everything sorted out and fixed.
Hubby fixed the dryer this past week. He had to look up parts and directions, but he did it. I use the clothesline mostly anyway, but I like to start the wet things in the dryer. Ten minutes in the dryer makes them dry softer on the clothesline.
My classes are getting close to being ready, and I am preparing to co-lead a study skills seminar the week after we get back. I have been making tests for Geology and Mythology for #1, and helping #2 get his presentations done for Geography.
See why I need a distraction from home?
We plan to put Kelly in the neighbor's kennel so we don't have another run-away dog and note on our door when we get home. Gee Whiz.
Have a great week everyone!

Sweltering Waiting

2011-08-04T11:39:00.000-05:00

I couldn't decide how to title this post, so I went with both words. Our downstairs air conditioning unit wasn't "keeping up" through this heat wave. Finally, Hubby said he didn't think it was about keeping up but about doing anything at all, so he turned it off. I guess he was right, because it didn't get much hotter afterward. But now we have been without the downstairs unit for over a week, I think, and the inside of the house isn't cool at all anymore.
I called the repairman this morning and he hopes to be here today. Not as much as we hope he is here! Hubby and I haven't slept well for a long time because it is so hot and muggy. Last night I was so tired I was shaking, but it was too hot to sleep.
I went out on the back porch for a while about 4:00 AM. It was nice out then. We didn't have air conditioning when I was growing up. Shoot, we didn't have air conditioning until we moved to Texas. The kids were born without ac in our Philly apartment. When I was a kid you opened the window and put in a fan.
Not that I am wishing for the old days. No Siree, I like the air conditioning, but there seems to be a connection between knowing your neighbor and sleeping with the windows open. None of our neighbors sleep with open windows as far as I can tell, and it has been difficult to get to know them.
Maybe a blackout would bring our neighborhood closer together.
On second thought, I doubt it. We would be too irritable from lack of sleep. Grrr!

Trip Planner

2011-08-03T20:50:00.000-05:00

I disappeared for a couple of days, didn't I? I am trying to get things ready for my commitments to a co-op I will be part of in a few weeks. The biggest problem this week has been a trip I am planning. I had hoped the Environmental Science class could head to the western part of the state for a look at some environmental zones we don't see here, but the cost is too prohibitive. So, finally, today, I think I made a decision.
We are going to go to the coast and stay at a Presbyterian camp. I can get it for $12 a night if I take 16 people. With food and an extra little trip to the aquarium, the total price for three days and two nights will be $43 per person, plus gas. Several places I looked at were going to charge about $200 for that!
I enjoyed looking at all of the Environmental Educational Centers available in NC, and told Hubby that I thought they would make great vacations or day trips. He thinks I'm nuts. Really, though, the places look like fun and are very beautiful. If I can just be sure not to break any legs while I am hiking!
We are leaving for a family vacation on Sunday. We decided that we will stay in NC for our vacation this year. We made a list for the boys of all of the things we could do in NC, and then we let them choose what they wanted to do. Drum Roll Please!!
We will be going to Cherokee to see the indian village and watch a play called "Unto These Hills" about when the Cherokee hid in the mountains of NC so they wouldn't have to follow the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma. Then we are headed to a state forest to hike to waterfalls and enjoy the scenery. There are a few places you can swim under the falls, so I imagine we will cool off that way in the afternoon. The next day we head to a gold mine for a tour of the first gold mine in NC and to pan for gold! Maybe we will strike it rich and pay for our vacation- might have better luck at the casino in Cherokee! Finally, the last day we go to Old Salem to visit one of the first settlements in NC and see what life was like for the Moravians in Winston-Salem. After that we drive home.
No amusement parks or trips to Europe for my boys. They are happy to see the scenery and enjoy a little history. Sounds good to me, too.

One Smart Lady

2011-07-31T14:04:00.000-05:00

Quarks and leptons, traits of mythology, types and signs of erosion, the five parts of a story, plus sites and customs in Chile; it all adds up to one week of homeschooling my children. I think I should get some sort of degree when this is all finished!
Saturday I went to Raleigh to train for a leadership workshop. It allows me to rent the lodge at an environmental educational park. We are renting it in February for the Environmental Science class that I will be teaching this year. I discovered the park staff to be very polite and helpful, and the activities that are available there are sure to give us a boost in our competitions.
The oppressive heat continues here, though God has blessed us with a little rain today. The corn crop around here is dismal, so I imagine feeding goats and chickens this winter is going to be expensive. I am reading The Worst Hard Time right now about the Great Depressoin and the Great Plains. It is a very interesting look into how the GD and the Dust Bowl affected each other. It combines two of my favorite subjects, History and Environmental Science, so I am enjoying learning a lot that I never knew or connected.
Today's sermon was about being a lifelong learner. Yes, we need to keep stretching our brain power and learning new things, but we also need to be stretching our spiritual power and learning from God. So what I am learning lately from God? Mostly He has been strengthening my trust in Him. I know that He is taking care of all of my "problems" and concerns, I just don't have the big picture yet. Of course, I have a lifetime to learn how to paint on the canvas that He has handed me.
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#1 was stricken by strep this past week. I told you Thursday that he fell asleep. He woke with a sore throat and feeling miserable. Later, looking in his throat, I made the diagnosis of strep throat. I dumped probiotics down him, along with Aceteminophen, and finally this afternoon he seems to be on the upward mend. Good thing too, if he misses any Driver's Ed he has to quit and re-register. I don't want to go through this again, and neither does he!

Socks

2011-07-28T15:03:00.000-05:00

Some people name cats or horses "Socks". I supppose if you really dislike an animal that would be an appropriate name. Socks are objects of derision from the beginning. Have you ever seen a baby happy to keep his socks on his feet? The little cherub will kick and squirm until the infernal things are off his feet, and then he gurgles happily.
Socks have played a role in my life as a mother for the past 14 1/2 years. If I had had any idea what they would mean, we would have stayed in WV so we could just be barefoot!
My first son had a habit of crawling to the laundry hamper and dumping it out. He would sort through all of the soiled clothes until he found a nice, chewy sock, and then he set to work on it. He would chew socks and suck on them as if they were Tootsie Roll Pops. It's true. I have pictures.
Then the second child came along. He was a sock sucker too, but also a sock thief. He would steal the dirty socks and hide them for future sock sucking.
Finally came my third and final child, the dog. She would steal socks from the shoe piles and chew on them, pulling with her feet and teeth until holes dappled the socks like sunshine through a winter tree.
Of course, there are the missing socks in the laundry. Many a housewife tells the tale of drying a load of socks and having one left over. My issue doesn't seem to be the dryer, but the washer, or lack of washing. When I wander upstairs to put away something in the attic or to check on the boys, I always find socks strewn on the floor.
"Pick up your socks," I screech. And I suppose that they do because they have some in the dirty laundry each week. But then I return upstairs, and the layer of dust on the socks I find tells me differently. Socks are under the desks, the couch, the beds...there are even pairs of socks stuffed down in the couch cushions as if the feet they adorned scorned their presence so immensely that simple removal could not be a fitting punishment.
As the boys packed a few weeks ago, I finished the laundry, including the socks. Then #2 came downstairs and informed me he didn't have enough pairs of clean socks for the week at camp. I was sure he must have some, since I had just done the laundry. He didn't.
So I did the only thing I could, I offered him my socks. And he took them! Pink toes and heels trim my socks, the only tell-tale sign that they belong to me. In the past year I have had to start marking socks with a fabric marker so that I know the owner of each pair. I spent extra money to buy pink ones for me so that I would be sure that they were mine.
Undeterred, #2 took my pink-toed socks. "I'll just explain what happened and tell the boys I have to wear my Mom's socks."
I just wish he could explain to me what happened.
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My boys both fell asleep this afternoon while doing their school work. The first week of school has been hard on them, I guess. A friend told me her kids asked if they could start school next week. It's too hot to do anything else they complained. They're right. In fact, it is hot enough to melt a mailbox here in our little town. It was in the paper!

School Is In Session

2011-07-26T16:03:00.000-05:00

I left this morning at 7:30 to drop #1 off at Driver's Ed and said to him, "I guess school is back in full swing. This is what it usually feels like anyway."
"What? Hectic?"
Yes, that is how it usually feels. He told me he doesn't even feel like school has started yet. Of course not. Yesterday after DE I picked him up, and we went out to lunch. After lunch he had plans to bowl with some friends, and then he had a County Council meeting after dinner. A friend came home with us after bowling because she is also a CC Officer and needed to go to the meeting, but her family's vehicle had broken down and she needed a ride.
Today we left for DE with #2 in tow because he and I had an errand to run and then a 4H meeting and pool party at 9:00. They stayed until 3:40 when I said we HAVE to go home. Classes will be this evening.
Hubby has a meeting this evening to learn about Odyssey of the Mind. He thinks he will be a coach for the high schoolers this year.
That's right, the second day of school and we are already running full throttle!

They're Back

2011-07-23T15:00:00.001-05:00

The boys are Back!!! WooHoo!!! I love having my chicks back in the nest. The dog has stayed home the last couple of days too. Of course, that may be due to the extreme heat that we have been suffering here. She doesn't even follow me from room to room as usual, but stations herself where she can see me from multiple sites and stays put.
Lest any of you should read the last post and think that I am irritated by my boy or that he is a bad apple, I want to reassure you. He is a very good boy. The day he came back, he came downstairs, wrapped his lean, long self around my neck and told me that he loves me and is glad to be back. Then he said, "Thank you." That threw me.
"Thanks for what?"
"For being my mom."
I don't know what I did to deserve that, but I took it...with tears in my eyes, of course.
The day that I went to Raleigh to pick the kids up, I was told by another mother that #1 was a good boy. The van they were using broke down, and they had to take turns getting rides to the other events across campus. He stood in the parking lot (read HOT SUN) while she made three other trips to take kids to their spots. Finally she got him. He apologized TO HER because she had to miss seeing her son do something that morning in order to give everyone else a ride. He really is a gentleman.
Today the family took a spontaneous shopping trip to JC Penney. They were having a time-specific sale, and I thought I would try getting a few things. I bought 2 t-shirts each for my boys. As we left the building, #1 said, "Thanks for the shirts, Mom."
So you see, he is a good boy. He just isn't going to be pushed into a decision. Actually I am glad that he is like that. When he does claim Jesus, as I am sure he someday will, he will be certain that he chose from his own volition and not pressure from his parents.
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So how did my boys fare at State Congress? They did well. Neither one placed for his presentation, but both felt good about their performances. #2 received Gold Individual and Silver Overall for the State Project, and #1 received Silver Individual for the same. That project is judged for the entire state regardless of age, so it is pretty impressive.
Our club received Silver for our Community Service project from last year, which was to have each kid donate 10 hours to community service. They actually donate much, much more than that, but 10 hours was the required amount.
#1 had also been invited to an awards banquet so that he could receive the Gold medal for his Public Speaking cumulative record. He actually won Gold in both "Public Speaking" and "Expressive Arts and Communication", but you are only allowed to win Gold in one category and the other has to be given Silver. There was some sort of mix-up and they said it was Gold for "Expressive Arts and Communications". We will have to check on that.
So 4H takes a break for a few days. We have just been vegging inside the last couple of days to try and stay cool. Monday night is the County Council meeting, of which #1 is VP. Then Tuesday is our club business meeting and pool party. #1 may have to miss that since he will be taking Driver's Ed starting Monday!!! Oh My Goodness.
That also means school starts on Monday for us. Whew! Where are the fall breezes for school?

Questions...Parenting

2011-07-21T08:59:00.001-05:00

Part of raising kids is letting them go. Last week I let my older son go to the opening of Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows, Part 2. That's right. The midnight show. The one that lets out at 2:05 AM. Yes, I normally go to bed at 10:00 PM.
He asked if he could go with friends, and I said yes. I had a couple of caveats. I had to approve of the friends, and I had to be there. Not that I actually had to go in to the movie, but I was going to be in the parking lot the entire time. Just in case.
He went with two of his best friends, and they had a fabulous time. I dropped them off at 10:30 after a candy stop at Sheetz. I put the seat down in the back of my van, threw out a comforter and a pillow, and went to sleep. At 2:08 they called to say they were on their way out. Nothing happened.
That is how I let go. Small increments.
He is starting to ask questions about church now. I so badly want to tell him that Jesus is the only way and if you don't accept that, I will hog-tie you and lock you in your room until you get it. But I don't. I answer his questions. I let him go to other churches. I let him read other books. I keep the conversation running. And I let go.
God has to take this part of parenting for me. I am desperate that #1 should claim the Lord Jesus as his Savior, but I can't do that for him. I can take him to the Lord, but all I can really do is sit in the parking lot and wait.

Relaxing?

2011-07-20T20:33:00.000-05:00

I took the boys to the Ag Center on Monday morning to drop them off for the ride to State Congress in Raleigh. A few of the moms were standing around visiting, and one asked what I planned to do with the boys gone. "Relax," quickly interjected one of the moms.
"You don't know Angel if you think she is going to relax. I bet she has a long list already made out!" stated my friend.
How right she was. I have been working on school plans for my high schooler. He is taking a couple of classes through The Great Courses, but I have to come up with the assignments and syllabi. I finished Myth in Human History a couple of days ago, and yesterday I nearly finished Geology. The Geology prof is actually from WVU, and it looks quite intimidating in the notebook. I watched some of the videos, and although it is difficult material, the prof seems to make it interesting and understandable.
Besides school I also had a list of things to do around the house. The dog finally got that bath she has been needing, and today #2 and I worked on the front porch.
"What made you decide to do all of this work all of a sudden?" he asked.
"I didn't decide all of a sudden. It has been on my list for a couple of weeks, but we are just now getting to it," I replied.
We washed the ceiling, windows, floor, furniture, and cushions. We painted the rockers, sanded and shellacked the big rocker, and returned the porch to a generally acceptable state of being. This was the first time I let #2 try painting, it was spray paint in the yard, and he did fairly well. However, he went through the paint faster than I expected, and now I need to go get one more can to finish a couple of spots.
Tomorrow I head to Raleigh to help pick up all of the 4Hers and their luggage. #2 is happy that we can't work for too long. He understands "relax" in a different way than his mother.

2011-07-19T08:44:00.001-05:00

The boys are gone again this week. This is State Congress week for 4H in NC. That means they head to Raleigh and compete, take classes, and have fun. This is the first year that #2 can attend, and he was nervous when he left Monday. He actually can only stay Monday and Tuesday, and will return Tuesday evening. The pictures below are from the District Activity Day back in June.

District Activity Day is a competition for giving presentations. It was the day that we left for WV for camp, so the kids were anxious to get it over with for more than one reason! I didn't get to see #1 give his talk. He was in the Public Speaking category which means he gave a 5-8 minute speech without presentation boards or props. His topic was "War: What Is It Good For?" He came in second place and will be competing Tuesday morning for the State title.

#2 gave a presentation in the Forestry category, and he won Gold in the District. He competes for the State title as well. His presentation has boards and a few picture props. His topic is prescribed burns. The district judges said it was the best they saw all day. I hope he does well at State!

This is the last of the big summer events for 4H. Hallelujah!! We are all tired and ready to stay home for a while. I know the dog will be glad when this is all over. Every time she sees me doing laundry now, she starts to shake. I guess she knows it means the kids are leaving again.
Last week when we took #2 to camp, we put her in the dog kennel in the goat field. We were gone for one night, and when we got back this was on the door:

7/11/11
Your black and white dog has found her way back to our neighborhood again this year. We live in S--- off I--- RD...just take a right from your house.
We're concerned because the neighbors have talked about calling the pound. Mary

Isn't that lovely? I headed right over without even finishing the unpacking and scooped her up in the van. Kelly thought she was a queen. I informed her she was NOT! And then the next day, while I was working in the garden, off she went again. Someone else from the neighborhood came over to tell me she was there again. There are kids at home over there is why she returns.
So she has been a prisoner ever since. She isn't very happy about it, but the other option is death at the pound. Since #1 volunteers there once a week, I don't think that would be a good plan. Hopefully once the boys are back to stay she will behave herself more often.

Swimmin' Hole Part 2

2011-07-19T02:06:00.000-05:00

As my dad and I walked along to the swimming hole, I asked him how he knew about this lost place. It certainly wasn't any place I knew of; hidden at the end of a forsaken dirt road that traversed a stream, the trees encroached the road space until you nearly couldn't walk through in sections. He said it was a place he and his brothers frequented when they were kids. "It was where I met my first drunks," he continued.
"What?!"
He and his brothers had gone over to fish and swim, taking a bunch of food to get them through the day and night. There they met three drunk men who stole their food and ate it up. The next morning the hungry boys walked to town eating wild onoins. In town they traded some soda pops for food before they walked back. I guess the fish hadn't been biting.
That sort of adventure is reminiscent of a Tom Sawyer summer, and what a story to tell your kids and grandkids. But what sort of stories will today's kids tell when they are all grown? "Yeah, I played Halo all day when I was 14." Just doesn't have the same strength, does it? So boys, put down the joysticks and computer gaming consoles, and go find yourself some drunks!
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I went to the Urgent Care on Saturday. While teaching hiking at camp I stepped wrong on my left foot and pain shot up through my leg. I limped for a while, but unless I stepped on it wrong, I didn't have any issues. I went hiking several times, walked here with a friend, and did whatever I pleased. But occasionally that shooting pain would rear its ugly head. Friday night as I slept, I awoke several times with pain when my foot got caught in the blankets.
So I decided to go get an Xray at Urgent Care. Yep, it was broken. It looked like it was healing, so the real break can not be determined. They put me in an air cast, and I went to my podiatrist Monday. I have to wear the air cast for a month, and then gradually wean myself off of it. At least I am still able to swim. I thought I might finally have the story of wearing a cast all summer and not being able to swim. Yet another adventure that I can't tell my kids.

Swimming Hole

2011-07-18T14:03:00.000-05:00

#2 had been looking forward to a trip in the "holler" ever since he went last year with his grandfather.

Last year, I left WV after camp to attend Envirothon School for coaches. I left the kids in WV with our parents. One night #1 went to stay with Hubby's parents, but #2 wasn't ready to leave the farm. So my dad took #2 and a bunch of male cousins to a childhood swimming hole. They fished and swam, cooked over a fire, and slept in a hay trailer. It was the best thing he had ever done, and he was sure that we all needed to be a part of it this year.

His mother- that would be ME- did not believe that this would be the best thing to ever happen to her, so she suggested we go for the day, but return at night to a bed and flush toilet. The girls in attendance were in agreement with me, so #2 acquiesced. We rode a hay wagon for several miles on the main road. The dog rode along with us, and the kids were having a great time.

When we got to the dirt and rock road into the "holler" there was a large tree felled across the road. The tractor could go no farther. My father said it was about a mile walk, and we decided we could handle that. Three of us chose to follow the road, the rest of the kids chose to follow the stream bed. It took them a lot longer to get there, since water doesn't take as direct a route as a road usually does.

Another reason for the delay was this snake. The kids came across a snake, just a harmless garter snake, but a couple of the kids refused to go any farther until it was killed. This guy (Best Buddy) killed the snake with a rock, and then he brought it on to the swimming hole so he and my dad could skin it. He took the skin home, and it is now nailed and stretched in his garage. Best Buddy has a cool mother too.

As it turned out, we wouldn't have been able to stay at the swimming hole all night anyway. A storm came along and broke up our party. That of course added to the adventure. We had to race back in thunder and lightning, my mom came to rescue us from the hay wagon by offering a ride in my van, and a dog chase ensued for the nervous dog afraid of storms AND my van. It was a great day at the swimmin' hole.

Dolly Sods Hiking

2011-07-14T03:52:00.000-05:00

I taught a hiking class to the kids at 4H camp a couple of weeks ago. The first day we tried to determine how far we could hike in an hour. I measured off a tenth of a mile on a flat piece of pavement and had the kids walk for fifteen minutes. They were then to convert the time and mileage to discover their hourly rate. The problem was that they didn't all grasp the idea of hiking.
Some of the kids tried to beat everyone else. If the average adult walks 2.5 miles an hour, then those kids were going to walk 5 miles an hour. The problem is that you can't maintain that pace for a day's hike, nor should you want to hike that fast. I tried to explain to the kids that hiking is to enjoy the environment, whether it is an ocean or a forest, a mountain or a desert. You should hike to enjoy your surroundings and discover the beauty of nature.
I went hiking at Dolly Sods while in WV. Dolly Sods is a US Wilderness area that is part of the Monongahela National Forest. There are many trails for hiking, and people come from all over to enjoy the beauty. At least I thought they went there to enjoy the beauty.
My father and I took 7 kids there to spend an afternoon hiking several miles on one of the trails. We saw bear tracks, deer and coon tracks, and a fabulous, slimy, purple mushroom. We crossed a little stream, sat on a fallen log, and tramped through an ancient meadow. We climbed on an outcropping of rock, high above the rest of the world and looked out at the mountains before us. Several of us picked up fallen branches and used them for hiking up the steep slopes. We found huckleberry bushes that had most of their berries eaten by some wild animals, and we watched beautiful butterflies searching for their own food.
We also saw other people hiking; people loaded with heavy packs, swinging professional walking sticks in their hands, huffing and puffing, not looking anywhere but the next step ahead. We tried to talk to a few, but they had little to say. We managed to get out of one man that he was from northern Virginia near DC. He was from a land of concrete and steel, of rushing traffic and busy rat-race ways, and he continued his race there in the Sods.

I am sure the other hikers benefited from the exertion of the hike. Their heartbeat quickened with the strain of climbing mountainous terrain with packs on their backs; their breathing labored as they struggled to keep up a steady pace. Our little group of tramps also benefitted from the hike; our hearts racing with the excitement of climbing trees, rocks, and hills, and our breath coming in gasps as we looked at the beauty around us. Both of us strengthened our bodies that afternoon, but I wonder if the other hikers exercised their inner spirits as we did.

Chiropractic Savior

2011-07-12T13:08:00.000-05:00

I went to the chiropracter last Thursday. As always he asked how I was doing, and I answered, "It isn't too bad, but I can tell I need an adjustment. I have been travelling, hiking, and camping with a bunch of kids for two weeks in the mountains."
He was "amazed" by my answer, recalling how I was when I entered his office back in January. Now that I feel so much better, I have to remind myself of how bad I was. I couldn't put on my underwear without sitting down. I had to crouch or stoop sideways to pet the dog. I always ached. I had to wake up at night to turn over because I couldn't roll.
Now I can look at people and tell they have back issues. The way they stand, sit, walk, move, twist; it's all there. The pain, the frustration, the annoyance of not being able to do what you are designed to do.
Spiritual growth can be the same sort of thing. You spend your time in pain, frustration, and annoyance. Then you discover a way out of it and find calm, peace, and joy. After a while you have to remind yourself what life was like before Jesus entered and made an adjustment. You look around and see others dealing with the same issues you used to encounter, and you can feel their pain and frustration.
My chiropractor has a sign on his wall...Feel Better, Tell Others...His adjustments have made a difference in my ability to lead a normal life. Jesus's adjustments have made it possible for me to lead an extraordinary life. I feel better, and I am telling you. Let Jesus make an eternal adjustment for you.

Wiped Out

2011-07-08T12:37:00.000-05:00

Absolutely wiped out! That is how I feel. I managed to survive taking 12 kids to camp for a week, and then 7 kids stayed with me at my parents and in-laws for about a week. Driving back on I-95 with pouring rain didn't energize me any either. By the time we got to our house, the rain was coming down like a hurricane!
The in-laws stayed Weds and Thursday nights and then headed back this morning. Now I am paying bills, filling out paperwork, and generally getting ready for the next event. #2 leaves for camp on Sunday and #1 leaves Monday morning at 0 dark 30. Hubby and I have reserved a cabin in a national forest for Sunday night. After we drop off #2 at camp we will head there for some relaxation.
Hubby managed to get a lot done on my summer projects list while I was away, so he needs the rest too. I will update you on all of the adventures we had as I get some energy back. I am looking forward to some good writing time. WV always leaves me filled with inspiration. Happy summer to you!

A Day in the Life

2011-06-17T09:34:00.000-05:00

A day in the life of a stay-at-home mom, June 16, 2011: Get up about 6:30, dress, drink some juice, head out the door for morning exercise. 8:00 wake children to ready for 4H meeting at Ag Center. 8:30 leave for Ag Center. Return home at 9:15, very ill. Leave at 10:45 for chiropracter appointment, return home at 11:15. Ice back and rest. Leave at 11:35 to retrieve children, notice another kid needs a ride home. Return said child to his home across town, and then return to own home 12:30. Wolf down sandwich. Take older child to animal shelter for volunteer service at 1:00, then head to hospital to pick up friend. Back home at 2:30 and into bed to try resting some more. Leave at 3:15 to pick up son from shelter.
The lock-in that was scheduled for that night had been cancelled- can I hear a Hallelujah?!-- so I was able to stay in bed for the evening.

It is good to have a less scheduled day today. I am still a bit ill with a stomach thing, but I think it is nearly over. Sorry I haven't written much lately...It is summer and I am trying to work, plan, and rest for next year. We leave in one week for a trip to WV, and then when I get back the writing should be more regular. Hope you are all having a fabulous summer.

Teenager

2011-06-04T12:37:00.000-05:00

It happened for certain last week. I thought I had a teenager for a couple of years now, but it became a certainty last week; Thursday to be exact. Thursday I asked the boys to help outside by digging up the grass that has overgrown the brick walkway in the back. #1 took out a water bottle filled with lemonade. I was walking inside when I noticed the bottle sitting in the sun on the porch.
"I moved your lemonade into the shade," I told him.
"It was in the shade," he replied.
"No, the sun had moved the shadow and it was in the sun."
"That can't be. I set it in the shade."
"Yes, but the sun has moved."
He then went on to tell me how that couldn't be right. I do believe he said something like, If I were God I wouldn't have done it that way. Yes, he is a teeneager...smarter than God, now!
Then he was asked to mow the yard. He was thinking about a girl before he started mowing; I know because he was asking me about her. Hubby came outside where I was hanging laundry and asked, "Is the blade turning on the mower?"
I listened and it didn't sound right. We stopped #1 on his pass by us and asked if he had the blade engaged. No.
So that is it. He is smarter than God, and he can't keep his mind on anything but girls. Oh boy!

Relaxing

2011-06-03T20:35:00.000-05:00

The in-laws came down last Friday and spent the night. Then they took the boys down to Myrtle Beach with them to stay at a time share. Hubby and I went down after church on Sunday. It was a nice resort, nicer than a lot of others, and we had a relaxing time. There was a lazy river, a large pool, and a balcony overlooking a reservoir. I read two books!!!
We planned on leaving Wednesday morning, and the in-laws would finish out the week and then head to a cousin's wedding in GA. However, F-I-L's baby brother passed away suddenly on Tuesday night, so we all left on Wednesday. We came on home and they went back to WV for the funeral. His brother was very overweight and smoked, so although it was very sudden it shouldn't have been a huge surprise.
Today #2 and I went to the beach. We thought we were meeting friends there, but I didn't check my email before I left and the friends couldn't make it. Sick kid. #2 and I had a lovely time relaxing together though and I am glad I went. I had been questioning whetheer I should go, but we worked hard on Thursday knowing we were going, so I guess it was ok. #1 didn't care to go; he said he slept a lot of the day. I think we all just needed some down time.
Tonight we went to a going away party for the couple hubby married last week. They are headed to Pennsylvania. I have fond memories of our time in PA. My babies were born there, how could they not be fond memories? I wish the couple a happy beginning.

Walking

2011-05-28T15:02:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I have been walking in the mornings in order to escape the heat and humidity of summer afternoons. I often walk in the evenings with a friend. She and I walk in her neighborhood around a loop of paved sidewalk and new houses. Hubby and I enjoy walking back in the woods and through the farm fields. Here is why:
Yesterday our walk involved spotting a lot of tracks: bear, opossum, deer, large cat (maybe bobcat), various birds, and snake. We even saw evidence of a skirmish between a bird of prey and a snake; scratch marks from the talons were beside the snake track and then the snake track ended, so I am guessing it went in favor of the bird.
This morning our walk again involved the spotting of tracks. Today we added the possibility of a fox track. Then as we were walking around the corner we heard two birds arguing. One was a crow and the other a large bird of prey. The argument continued for a minute or so, and then we saw them flying out of a tree. The crow chased the larger bird, some sort of hawk, for a long way. I guess the crow must have had a nest in the tree.
The walks with my friend are good, long walks. We talk and laugh and encourage each other through difficult times. The walks with Hubby often include the same laughter and encouragement, but with an added element: God and his creation. It is so easy to imagine that I am most important and that God needs to respond right now to whatever problem I am having, but these walks remind me that there is a lot going on, right in my backyard, that I never even see. I see signs of life that occur without my presence, catch glimpses of important events- life and death even- that happen without my knowledge, and then I remember that God has all of those beings in His hands too. Everything will be fine and God will care for me just as I need to be cared for if I will just walk with Him.

Food for the Soul

2011-05-25T11:03:00.000-05:00

The pungent sweetness envelopes me like a thick blanket on a hot day. It fills my nostrils like water wrapping around a swimmer on a summer afternoon. The smell clings to my arms, hands, fingers. My nails, stained red from the ruby juices, display the tell-tale signs of my morning's chore. I nearly missed the spring berry picking season, but I made an effort to get out to the fields today, and I was rewarded with 15 pounds of sweet, glorious goodness.
Last summer I picked so many strawberries that I didn't think we could possibly eat them all. I froze berries and made jam and syrup, but what I really wanted to do was make fruit rolls. I didn't have a dehydrator so it was not to be. But for Christmas this year I got a dehydrator, and today I have two batches of strawberry puree drying in the kitchen.
We went camping with our 4H club this week, and on one of my walks a mother was lamenting that they don't have a garden. I told her that last year I decided I would no longer even try to have a summer garden because we are gone so much of the season that it gets away from me and all of my work is for nought. I plan on a spring and fall garden, but if I want fresh in the summer I will go to the local farmers and get what I need. It is a compromise that I have had to make with myself.
When you become so busy that you can't enjoy the produce, then it isn't worth the heartache and backache of trying to raise a garden. Gardening to me isn't all about the food. It is the smell of dirt, rain, manure, plants, and produce. It is the sight of dark and light greens mottled by colorful reds, oranges, purples, and yellows. It is calm in chaos, pleasure in pandemonium. It is rest, peace, order in a life of running, pushing, and planning.
There was a time, even in my lifetime, when gardening meant life or death. Now it means sanity. Here's to the Creator of all that grows; the One that supplies food for the body and the soul.

Symbolic Adoption

2011-05-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

Attending the wedding this weekend made me think about all of the symbolism involved in a marriage ceremony. The bride wears white for purity. Two candles light one candle for unity. A ring has no end for the endless love of the marriage. But here is something new I hadn't thought about.
The guys wait up front for the girls to walk down the aisle. They are separated by a large chasm, the chapel area, until the couple are joined by God in marriage. There is a side for the bride's family and friends and a side for the groom's. But after the ceremony all are allowed to flow freely between the two.
God does amazing things. He has promised that if we keep our promises to him, he will keep his promises to us. Where two completely different families/groups are joined in a common goal- living together under His control- He will provide the glue necessary to hold them together.
Marriage is not dependent on looks, personality, ability to have children, job, money, or health. Marriage is dependent on whether there is commitment to God. He will save whichever marriage depends on Him to do so.
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While we were in WV for the funeral last week, I was talking on the phone with my parents. I gave them directions to the funeral home that is about 2 hours from their house. One of the boys asked who I was speaking to. My parents. Are they coming? Yes. WHY!?
"If you were adopted 21 years ago by someone, don't you think you would feel like family," I asked.
"Yes."
"Well your daddy was adopted then and his adoptive parents are going to his grandmother's funeral. If you are lucky you will be adopted by just as wonderful a family someday as your dad and I have been."

A Beautiful Wedding

2011-05-22T14:05:00.002-05:00

We went to a wedding at our church this weekend. It was very much a family/church event. Everyone helped out in some way, from cleaning the carpets, to moving furniture, to being the emcee, to everything else. I think that was part of what made it one of the loveliest weddings I have ever attended. These two playing the violin and viola were great. She is the bride's new sister-in-law and he is a long time family friend.

Here is the absolutely gorgeous bride being escorted down the aisle by her oldest brother, husband to the violin player. He also carried his daughter, the flower girl, down the aisle since she decided she couldn't walk that far. She is 2.

Here they are in front of the most handsome preacher I have ever laid eyes on. I tried to get several pictures of him, but that bride kept getting in the way. What was she thinking!?

This was the first wedding I have been able to attend that Hubby has resided over. I have either been having a baby or not invited to the others. He did a lovely job speaking about the difficulty of keeping a promise that is to last an entire lifetime.

Here they are; married at last!

And here we are; still married after 21 years!

Prom 2011

2011-05-21T14:45:00.001-05:00

My handsome hunk of a son went to his first prom with three gorgeous girls. They thought they were Charlie's Angels. The two next to him are sisters and the other one might as well be. These four are all best friends, and they had a wonderful evening together.

#1 enjoyed his hat, and wouldn't you know it, best buddy got one for herself!

This cute little number is actually purple. For some reason it came out blue in all of the pictures. She showed it to me a long time ago and I said hold it up against #1. It didn't even come down low enough to cover the important stuff. Good thing he isn't a girl!

This sassy girl was so excited about her dress and shoes. This is an original design and altered to her exact proportions. She felt so glamorous and you could tell. She didn't stop smiling all night.

This babe is not as flamboyant as the others, but she is still very attractive. Flamboyance can be over-rated in the eyes of a mother with sons anyway! Her dress is pink with a black lace cover. She looked beautiful.

And here is the gigolo ready for a night on the town. He smiled a lot through the evening too. When he finally got home he told me he had a good time and wants to do it again next year! That means he had a fabulous time.

#1 took a rose to each girl. We used different tissue paper to match each girl's dress. Of course they didn't notice and picked up the wrong roses. Oh well. We tried. The funny part was that when I told #1 he needed to take them flowers he asked why. "To be polite!" That satisfied him. By the time I get him raised he should be quite the gentleman.

This was a staged picture. The daddys both pack guns, and the girls thought it would be funny for the dads to guard their daughters. In all actuallity the dads would probably side with my son. It was all in fun.

Taking off for dinner...They went to Olive Garden for dinner and then a local yogurt place for dessert. #1 said dinner was one of his favorite parts of the night. His other two favorites were dancing and sitting at the country club on the porch with his friends.

This was taken at the country club. I went out to dinner with friends and then drove over to the club. The kids came later and I took a few pictures. I wanted to see all of the pretty dresses and handsome guys. I have to say I was sort of disappointed. Prom dresses just aren't as pretty as they used to be. But our little group looked great!

Here they are walking into the dance. The mother of the girl on the left was a chaperone, so I hope to get some good pictures from her. I heard they had a lot of fun and #1 didn't lack for dance partners. One dance down, many more to go.

That's That

2011-05-20T10:37:00.000-05:00

So now you are caught up on the pictures. I have gone back and seen that I have typing errors. I guess you will have to deal with it since I am not going to fix them. I need to get a boutonniere (man's corsage- I had to look up how to spell that) made for my prom boy and wash and iron his shirt for tonight.
Hubby and I have plateaued on our weight loss, so we have been trying to push it again. We have been walking through the woods since the road hurts my back, and we have been coming back with ticks. A lot of people I know have had ticks this spring, and we have had several in our family. The WHEP day was really bad for them and I came home to take a thorough shower! We go camping for two days next week with 4H, so we will have to spray a lot of tick killer.
We are starting to think about summer vacation plans as a family. Soon we will have a family meeting to narrow down the options, but it is looking like a historical trip to Gettysburg is the main attraction. Our family really enjoys history. It is the one thing we all have in common. So I guess we will head over to AAA in a few days and get some brochures and books to make our plans.
I looked for a time for #1 to take driver's ed this summer and there was only one option that worked for us. It was of course right in the middle of what had been the planned family vacation, so we have to rework the vacation. Now you can all get back up off the floor. Yes, I said #1 is signing up for driver's ed. I am just as stunned, but it is time.
Hubby is performing a wedding this weekend. It is a big weekend for the whole family I guess. Hope you enjoyed this run-down of our family's adventures. Talk to you soon!

WHEP

2011-05-20T10:15:00.001-05:00

And what would summer vacation be without some learning?! I entered the boys- at their request!- in the 4H WHEP competition that was held last weekend. They had to read a guidebook (which we didn't really read since we were called away to WV) and then they took 4 tests on saturday. I took my two boys and another club member.

This is the aerial photo test. There are four aerial photos with areas circled on each one. The kids are given a list of animals and they have to identify which picture represents the best habitat for each animal.

This is the food test. They brought in "foods" like tadpoles, flowers, bark, etc. and the kids had to identify from the list which animals would eat which foods. No talking was allowed the entire time. I have to say the boys were good sports about spending a summer Saturday this way.

This was actually the first test and I liked it. The director brought out taxidermied animals for the kids to identify. This was a Teal-Winged Duck. Everything had to spelled correctly for credit. I was amazed that we didn't come in last place (next to last though), but not studying or even knowing how the test would be presented I wasn't expecting much. I thought the boys did great and we celebrated by going to get ice cream cones.

Hungry to Help

2011-05-20T10:04:00.001-05:00

Another thing that has to get done at this time of year is the 4H state project. The theme this year is "4H: Hungry to Help". Our club has been promoting helping the hungry each month with a new project. One month we packed backpacks for kids who will go hungry over the weekend. Another time they went to visit the homeless with Angel Cops to protect them. They gave the homeless people some food that they could eat without preparation required. We had a food drive at a local grocery and donated the food to this food bank. My family sponsored packing lunches for the homeless shelter, and another family decided to gather 100 pounds of food over a few months and deliver it to the food bank. This was our final project, delivering all of the foods and helping pack and shelve things at the food bank.

This humungous box was full of egg noodles. The kids had to measure them into a ziploc bag and pack them in boxes. Then the boxes of noodles will be shipped to local food banks that help in our area. As you can see the box was about 4 feet tall!!!

This is #2 by the stack of noodle boxes. I think they said we packed 30 boxes.
I like being able to help the communitty through our efforts with 4H. It is a way our family can learn to help others and enjoy being together at the same time. this week we finished writing up the boys' individual projects for the state project. #1 had a Free-Rice-A-Thon to raise grains of rice for the UN's World Food Program. #2 raised money for Heifer International to help send animals to poor people around the world. Good job Guys!

Presentations

2011-05-20T09:48:00.001-05:00

Another reason it doesn't always feel like summer vacation is that we still have to do 4H. The week we were to leave for the funeral was also the week that we were scheduled to give presentations at the county level. This young lady had a scheduling conflict and had made her presentation early on Monday. We asked if we could join her to get our's done before we left for the funeral. The agent agreed, and off we went.
The girl above, who will be one of my son't three dates tonight (when you are good-looking you just can't help yourself!), gave her presentation on The Power of Peanuts. She made a wonderful snack called Peanut Delight. Yummy!!

#2 repeated his presentation from last year with a few tweaks here and there. His topic is wildfire and prescribed burns, and he calls it "Fire: Just What the Doctor Ordered". This year instead of beginning with a song, he gets the judges' attention by telling a joke. "What is Smoky the Bear's middle name?" "The."
I liked this one, but he can't tell it...Why didn't Smoky the Bear have any cubs? Because every time his wife got hot he beat her with a shovel!
Anyway, he did a good job, but needs to add some more material and especially some props. It shouldn't be too difficult, but it means we have to get it done.

#1 entered the Public Speaking contest offered at Presentations. He did that two years ago and spoke on the history of basketball. He had a good speech, but when he listened to others give their speeches he realized he didn't have the best topic. It was a perfectly appropriate topic for a 12 year old boy, but the ones he heard were older and they did things like violence in school and bullies. So this year he chose to speak on "War: What Is It Good For?" He talks about the bad things of war, but then details good things that have come out of war. His conclusion is that although war is an evil thing, some good can come from it.
District competitions will be at the end of June and we will go straight from the competition to WV to attend 4H camp there. What was that about summer break?