Minute Musings

Regarding Violent "Discipline" for Teen Girls

2012-02-10T18:56:00.001-08:00

I've heard that there's a father who read a message his daughter put on facebook, got mad about it, and shot her laptop to death.

I've only heard about it, because I will not watch the video - nor am I linking to it - because I do NOT think we should invite shows of violence into our lives.

I am going to give my opinions on it, though.

First, for all the people who are applauding his act of "discipline"...Discipline is "Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement." (Free Online Dictionary)....what part of shooting a laptop was training to produce moral or mental improvement? What does that possibly teach besides violence?

Teen daughters. I have 2. I have read that the girl in question is 15....I had one of those up until November, I'll have another in July. 15 is a HARD age! Sometimes I questioned whether we'd make it through. We literally ended up in the emergency room there toward the last of her 15th year.......it was THAT hard.

She cussed us.

She called us Dreadful, terrible names.

She did things I wish she hadn't.

She was mean and cruel.

She was a scared, hormonal, trying-to-grow-up-but-still-a-kid, going through a tough patch with old friends and family, deciding who she was and what she wasn't, CHILD. 15 is a child. It seems so young now...although I at 15 was sure I was ready to take on the world. ;) 15 is so tiny....still small enough to need hugs and kisses from momma, but old enough to think it's silly to want them. ;)

We held her as close as possible and loved her through it. There was no grounding, spanking, threats or -horrors!- shootings.

HOW.....how on earth could the people who are supposed to love you MOST treat you the worst when you're already so stressed? I don't understand it. Parents are supposed to be the ones the kids can Trust most. How could you trust someone who would SHOOT your property?

We made it through fairly unscathed. When she turned 16 it was like flipping a switch. She's fun, and funny, and enjoyable again. She and her sister laugh all the time! Days go by without a fight between them! It's amazing. :)

I have a theory about parenting teen girls.....don't disturb them. ;) Kind of like a "Don't feed the bears" sign. From the ages of 13-15 you don't touch them unless they initiate it, you don't speak to them unless it's something happy and friendly (and even then you proceed carefully, taking into consideration the time of month, cycle, and wind changes), and you bite your tongue a LOT. I think more teen girls would come out relatively unscathed if these few basic rules were followed. (I'm having a hard time myself, this time around. My little one has always been my snuggle bunny, and it's difficult to remember to keep my hands to myself!) ;)

I do, however, look forward to the last few years before they're both adults with hope. I believe we'll make it through. I believe they'll grow up with less angst than their contemporaries and they'll go on to make a difference in their worlds.

I believe in my kids.

Even when they don't believe in themselves. Or in me.

Two Things

2012-01-27T18:18:00.000-08:00

"I wouldn't let her
walk in traffic because she doesn't like the sandy broken sidewalk or something.
She might NOT get hit by a car but it's just too risky."

" If she has the the flu
but wants to play out in the snow all day? "

These two quotes are brought here from an unschooling group I'm on. I brought them here, to my blog, so I can comment on them without hurting anyone's feelings. ;)

First part: traffic - I can completely imagine Anna not wanting to walk on a sandy/broken sidewalk. She has little quirks, and things that don't feel good to her feet is one of them. HOWEVER, just because she doesn't want to walk on the sidewalk doesn't mean she'd be - like it sounds like the OP is saying - walking in the middle of traffic. It's one thing to have a three-year-old playing in the middle of a busy street, it's quite another to hold your child's hand while they walk beside you on the edge of the street, stepping back onto the sidewalk or stopping when a car passes. Silly, silly people who can't see options!

Second part: flu. That's just nuts. What kid with the flu WANTS to play out in the snow all day anyway? No one. Not one kid who has a choice of what to do, and isn't being told repeatedly "It's too bad you're sick, you CAN'T go outside in the snow!" wants to go out when they are sick! I'd be willing to bet that if your kid has the flu and you leave it alone, staying outside in the snow all day will NOT happen.

Okay. Glad that's off my chest. ;)

Helping

2012-01-27T15:17:00.000-08:00

Emma is reading a story Anna is writing -

"You could change the format, so it will look better."

"How?"

"Like this...."

**click, click, click**

LOVE!!!

Game Over.

2012-01-24T18:51:00.000-08:00

I Win.

Helping?

2012-01-18T20:06:00.000-08:00

A friend was telling a story today, about after her son had to have surgery on his head to repair a skull fracture, and when he went back to school all the other kids wanted to help him with his schoolwork, doing his homework for him, and helping on his tests.

She said, "They didn't mean to cheat. They just wanted to help him. They didn't know any better yet."

Yes....I knew - in my head - that schools discourage people from helping each other, but it had never quite hit me like it did when she said that.

I am SO glad my kids have NEVER learned that it's "wrong" to help someone!

I was watching tv with them one night, and there were various crimes....can't remember the show, but it had clips of people being robbed, or beaten, different crimes - some sort of news show thing....and my kids were SO compassionate to the victims *and* the perpetrators! Along the lines of, "What kind of life must he have had, to do that?" Such beautiful people I have living with me! What a blessing!

The Things You Can't Say Out Loud

2012-01-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

From facebook today:

(Me) had an awesome church meeting to start off the new year this morning! The preacher was HOT....and I'm not just talking about the sermon. ;)

(Friend) i assume the preacher was your husband but some folks on here that may know you but not anything else will see this as you were lusting after some preacher. choose your words carefully in a dark world!!!!!!!!!!

(Me) My facebook friends are carefully chosen so as to be only those who get my jokes.

(Friend) understood but friends of your friends and their friends may not know

(Me) Which is why my settings are set to friends only.

And the part I won't say *outloud* of there......"Guess who's getting ready to be unfriended?"

;P

Just wanted to get that out there. ;)

The Year of the House

2011-12-31T14:38:00.000-08:00

I'm seeing our lives fold out into defined times.....a year for vacations and trips, then a year to stay home and work on the house. This appears to be a year of the house. :)

I painted today....touch-ups were needed in the bathroom where I hurried and painted over a spot that should have been sanded and the paint peeled :/ and in the hall where the girls picked out a spot about as big as my hand, and there were plenty of dings there, too.

The bathroom wall is green....my favourite wall in the house. I sit in the bathtub and just enjoy that wall. :) The trim in the bathroom is a lovely lilac....I would NEVER have chosen lilac paint, but it was a happy accident, in which I found three gallons of beautiful paint for $5 each at Home Depot, and thought it was cream - judging from the splotches on top - and when I got it home and started painting, lilac. Three gallons of lilac paint. I think I'm going to paint the alcove trim and cabinet lilac, too. I like it.

The hall is the colour of melted chocolate. If you've seen the new version of the Willy Wonka movie, when the palace of chocolate starts melting....that's the colour of my hall. Makes me want to lick the walls.

The rest of the house is mostly white. When it was put up for sale, it's owners slapped (quite literally) white paint on everything. I had so much to do just removing the paint from the floors and walls where it wasn't supposed to be - not to mention that the floors had to be completely redone, sanding and all, and when I took the wallpaper border off the kitchen wall the plaster came down, too - so I left most of it white. The kitchen, of course had to be re-painted after it was repaired, and I went with a light grey there. It seems the best compromise, because, although I want it to be sunshiny yellow, or at least a light spring yellow with blue accents, it wants to be brown. (And my library wants to be red......ornery rooms....)

I HAD to have the green wall in the bathroom, and the trim there was unpainted with plaster, so it required painting. The hall needed something, so it was chocolateized. The girls each got the trim painted in their rooms - Emma purple and Anna green, and the trim in our bedroom is blues.

The rest of the house is still white. I want to paint some things, but they don't want to be painted....kitchen trim, for example, is jealous of the hall's brown, and refuses to even try on yellow to see if it likes it. Library trim says if it can't be red it will just stay white.

I put on a coat of a beautiful cream colour in the living room, on 2 doorways and the door to our bedroom, but then the living room said it wanted to be fuchsia! Of all colours! I'm hoping I can talk it into at least trying a lighter colour, but I don't expect to have much luck after the other two. :)

I would like to someday paint the stairs' railing and risers some sort of funky colour or colours, but after hearing that the living wants to be fuchsia, I don't even want to ask what the stairs have in mind! ;)

Beyond colours, though, we have plans for a new kitchen floor (vinyl....we're too rough on floors to do wood in there, and cork would cost around $1000. THAT isn't going to happen!), perhaps a refinishing of the hall's floor. (Both the hall and kitchen have those nasty little stick-down squares. ick!)

We're decluttering....hopefully 2012 will be the year we can actually see past the piles of stuff. ;)

Then there are the odd jobs that need to be done -or redone-.....tub surround need to be re-grouted, kitchen sink needs to be taken up and re-set.....perhaps with a new, taller faucet? Stove needs help because it keeps shocking me. I don't know what to do about that one.....

The hardwood floors need attending, too.....I would like to polish them really well with oil or wax or something, but online says they need to be re-sanded and re-stained. Probably, but 2 years isn't enough time for me to forget doing it before!

Christmas Woes

2011-12-31T07:15:00.000-08:00

My husband worked up enough courage (or guilt?) to go to his mom's on Christmas, and take her a gift.

When he got there, she asked, "Did you see what my friend gave me?" and pointed to the porch. He looked out the window and saw a little plaster fellow on the porch, and said, "Oh, yeah, it's cute."

When he left he saw the sign it was holding - "Friends welcome, Family by appointment only."

Huh. Real sweet.

Just a Thought....

2011-12-14T22:27:00.000-08:00

Realized tonight I'm raising a couple little liberals. One moreso than the other, but both fit this description fairly well...

."“If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people-their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties-someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal", then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal.”"
― John F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage

Very interesting to watch them grow and form their opinions, from my POV, having been raised in a VERY conservative home....I find their thoughts on certain topics enlightening, to say the least. ;)

But WHY???

2011-11-25T13:19:00.000-08:00

"Met my old lover in the grocery store
The snow was falling Christmas Eve

Stole behind her in the frozen foods
And I touched her on the sleeve....

etc, etc.....

WHY is this song mixed in with Christmas music? Just because it includes the words "Christmas Eve" ONCE?

This is, in my opinion, the absolute most depressing song EVER foisted upon listeners!

They meet, drive around in her car drinking (HELLO? ), and talk about how miserable they are.

Merry Freakin' Christmas. Wake me in 2012.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dan+fogelberg/same+old+lang+syne_20035792.html

It's a SUPPLEMENT, Okay?

2011-11-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

I started a comment on a blog post, but decided I'd better move it here, to my own soapbox. ;)

The blog post in question complained about going to a food pantry for help, and getting only one box of food, and cooking most of it that night.

I'm sorry, really sorry, for those having financial problems, but service organizations are there to supplement what you already have, not to re-stock your cabinets.

Regarding the one box of food you received at the food pantry. I am stock manager at a food pantry, and it is very difficult sometimes to have enough food to even give out that one box. Our pantry serves over 500 families (540 in October) each month, and we usually get two truckloads of food a month, and that food costs around $1500 each time. When donations from churches and individuals fall off (extremely low sometimes) we can only afford one truck. Imagine, if you will, 6 pallets of food that have to be divided between 540 families. No one is going to get very much. We do the best we can, stretching it as far as it will go. I have seen the volunteers at the pantry bring food from their own houses so we could make it through one more day. I've done it myself.

Climbing down off my soapbox now....

Spankings

2011-11-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

One of my cousins posted on facebook a pro-spanking message....and facebook didn't see fit to put it on my news feed. ;)

I guess it knew I wouldn't "like" that kind of post? ;)

I'm thinking about going to her page and commenting....but that feels just a bit like stalking.

I'll leave a few links here, though, in case someone else might want to re-think hitting their kids...

http://www.stophitting.com/

http://www.parentinginjesusfootsteps.org/

http://www.awareparenting.com/twenty.htm

http://www.neverhitachild.org/noframes.html

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/discipline-behavior/spanking/10-reasons-not-hit-your-child

http://www.physorg.com/news189367630.html

(And, heck yes, that judge that beat his sixteen year old daughter should AT LEAST have the same thing done to him. AND all the parents who told their kids that they'd eaten all the halloween candy while the kids were sleeping should get a good kick in the pants.)

Ah...I love having a little soapbox over here in the corner....

A Book Giveaway

2011-10-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

A book giveaway!

The book is: To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man's Year of Almost Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life. No Lie. by Phil Callaway.

It looks SO interesting! I've enjoyed books like this (dudes and their year-long challenges) before, so I think I'd like this one. :)

Decluttering....and Re-cluttering... ;)

2011-09-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my good friend's blog posts (last one) about decluttering, I tried to dispose of a few things last month.

It worked.....somewhat. ;)

I cleaned out my closet and got rid of two trash bags full of shoes, clothes, and purses. I've also brought in two new-to-me purses, but I'm still ahead, right? ;)

I've been sorting books, too. When we moved I boxed all the girl's books and they've been boxed ever since, for lack of a shelf. We've been slowly going through the boxes (5, I think, so far) and each of us choose the ones we simply *must* keep, and sending the rest away....except the ones I keep to take to the homeschool used curriculum sale next year......yeah....it's difficult to get rid of books. :)

I'm planning on working in the attic and my closet a bit more today. I boxed up clothes when we moved that I haven't even gotten out of the attic, so those need to go somewhere today (hoping Anna's grown enough to wear them, if not, out they go!) and I'll try to get all my clothes in the closet, instead of in piles around the bedroom. :) Neat, folded piles, but still, piles must go!

Next week I'm going to tackle Anna's room....I have plans to take down her bed - she sleeps in the living room - and then they'll have room for their Barbie houses and all their dolls. I hope they have enough room for them all! :)

Plans, plans.....the planning comes easy.... ;)

What NOT to Donate

2011-08-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

I was working at the food pantry tonight, sorting clothes, and thinking about a blog post...

Because, really, we don't want your junk. There are some places that can use stained and torn t-shirts, your local food pantry probably isn't one, even if they do give out clothes.

Just because people are poor doesn't mean they want to wear rags! And in America, there is no need for them to. There are enough great clothes, relatively stylish, clean, and in good shape that there is NEVER a time for wearing trash.

A lot of what we get in is trash. Last weekend we picked up leftovers from two yard sales. Bless their hearts, the little old ladies who donated the stuff were so sweet, thinking they had special things that were useable, but this weekend I'm working my butt off to get the few good things out of all the trash.

Seriously, we got two boxes just like these full of clothes, and one that was as deep, but rectangular. I kept four banana boxes of summer clothes, and two trash bags of winter clothes. Everything else has to be bagged and carried off.

Speaking of winter clothes....

Don't donate winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter unless you know for sure the place you're donating to has lots of storage space.

Space at the food pantry is at such a premium that unless it's something new with tags, or in pristine condition, I don't keep it. It would be lots better for you to keep a couple bags in your garage until the weather changes than for me to have to send it somewhere else. We simply don't have the space to store lots of out of season things.

There were scary-dirty clothes....looked like someone had picked them up off the bedroom floor and instead of doing laundry, donated it. Underwear, too. Ick. No, thank you, I don't want to sort that bag. Dirty clothes, clothes that smell like mothballs or cigarette smoke....do me a favor and go ahead and throw it in the garbage. I guarantee that's where it will end up.

Your grandmother may have been the sweetest lady in the world....I still can't use her polyester dresses from the '70's. Or your grandfather's suits. If it's older than my kids, it's automatically going in the *out* pile.

And shoes. Five inch heels are fine and all that, but no one ever takes them. I'll just cart them off later, too. Shoes you wore in grade school......no, they haven't come back in style. Shoes your kid wore twice and outgrew, yes, we'd love them.

It's really quite easy - if it's something you'd wear, but it's too small or the wrong colour or something , go ahead and send it in. If it's been in your closet since you were in high school, put it out of it's misery. Please. For the sake of us all.

Sharing a Contest....

2011-06-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

A contest via Home Educating Family Publications - the prizes look Great!

Enter to Win
1. "A Journey Home" from Franklin Springs Media
2. "Beside Still Waters" by Tricia Goyer
3. Well Planned Day Planner, 2011-2012
4. 1 year subscription to Home Educating Family Magazine

This prize pack has a value of over $70.

Contest Dates: June 23, 2011 through June 30, 2011.

Trash Pickup

2011-06-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

It's so easy to thrill me. ;)

Every Tuesday morning I'm thrilled by the fact that two (or three) men come along in a truck, and LOAD UP ALL OUR GARBAGE and take it away. I'm even more thrilled when I actually get to watch -- it's SO amazing that they DO that for us! ;)

At our old house, indeed, at all the houses we've had before this one, we had to haul our own garbage away. Granted, at the old house it was 1/2 a mile to dumpsters, and the house before that just about a mile, but still we had to do all the loading and lifting and taking.

Now we just wheel our cans out to the road on Monday night, and on Tuesday morning (or afternoon, depending on how busy they were) they're empty and ready for us to re-fill! It's one of the wonderful things about this house....disappearing trash....... ;)

Too Funny Not to Share Somewhere ;)

2011-06-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

SO, you know my husband's just started pastoring a church.

Yesterday, I was making red clover tincture, and yelled downstairs to him, "Bring the Everclear when you come up!"

He came up after a few minutes, handed me the bottle, and said, "You know, I was on the phone with the treasurer when you said that.

Hehehehehe.....I'm still chuckling over that. ;)

This & That :)

2011-06-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

Anna came into the library this morning, sat down, picked out a book and started reading. :) She came and went all day, and still finished the book before the sun went down. *That* is how my library is supposed to be used....I'm so happy. :,)

I checked my blood pressure yesterday - down to 120/74 - yay! I suspect it's all the exercise, because I've been SO snacky it couldn't be dietary changes. ;)

I hurt my back, though, last week, picking up a microwave at the food pantry (who knew an "empty box" could be SO heavy!) and haven't been able to exercise like I was. I'm still persisting in doing my walking, even though I can't run like I was beginning to be able to.

Morning Walk

2011-06-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

A few photos from my morning walk....

Sunshine and fog and papaw trees... Oscar beside the pear tree...

Oscar wouldn't come all the way with me every time....he'd stop and look at me as if to say, "WHAT are you doing walking up there again?" :)

(I'm so excited about my blueberries!)

Oscar got bored with walking and decided there was something much more interesting in the papaw trees. ;)

Morning Walk

2011-06-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

I'll have to take my camera tomorrow....it was SO beautiful out today!

I saw three mama turkeys with a whole fleet of chicks, and Oscar sniffed out a rabbit, then when we came back home a blackbird and a wren came out on the carport to clean up the spilled birdseed. :)

I added a cucumber to my morning smoothie......I think a whole cucumber was a bit much. I may try half of one tomorrow and see if I like it better. It wasn't the taste as much as the smell. My smoothie just smelled overwhelmingly cucumber-y today. :)

I have a plan to overcome my health issues.....morning walks - uphill, so my heart rate goes up better. If I walk on flat ground I tend to dawdle. Morning smoothie filled with lots of good stuff. :) Lots of water, a mostly vegetarian diet, with a bit of fish/chicken once in a while, vitamins and supplements, and nightly yoga. Plus making myself get off the computer and *live*! :)

Should be fun. :)

It's AMAZING -

2011-06-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

what happens when you listen to your body!

I went to the doctor today, and my blood pressure was high. Not *really* high, just higher than it should be. I came home and started researching online - after I took a nice walk with my kids - what I could do to lower it.

I found this site, and was SO amazed by the list of helpful foods - minus a couple things (fish and baked potato), that's my morning smoothie!

When I first was learning about unschooling the talk of listening to your body to see if you're hungry or tired or what made me wonder.....and the more I practiced it, the more I saw it was true.....for my kids *or* me. :)

This is SO Annoying....

2011-06-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

I am really tired of people who won't say things straight out to you, but they slink around and say things *to other people* when they know you're listening.

Or, just as bad, they blog about it.

If someone has something to say to me, I'd rather they just come right out and say it. Their excuse is always that they don't want to hurt your feelings by saying whatever, but, really, IMO, it's lots better to just go ahead and say it, instead of saying something *about* it to someone else and hoping they get the hint.

Annoying people...... :P

You Know What?...

2011-05-31T13:47:00.000-07:00

I really don't care what gender your kid is.

I don't want to know, my life is fine without knowing.

Guess what, people - you don't need to know, either!

ALL THIS HOOPLA over whether this kid is a boy or a girl.....I clicked on the comments, but couldn't bring myself to read them.

Really...don't people have better things to do with their time than to wonder what's in that kid's diaper!?! And, gosh, doesn't it just sound perverted when you stop to think about it?

I suppose if you were a perfect parent and made no mistakes whatsoever and your kids turned out perfect and also raised perfect kids, then you might be in a position to give your opinion about how this family is raising their kids, but otherwise, you really should keep your mouth shut (or your fingers off the keyboard, as the case may be).

I Don't Think SO...

2011-05-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

From Facebook:

"My promise to my children ~ I am not your friend.....I am your Mother. I will stalk you, flip out on you, lecture you, drive you insane, be your worst nightmare & hunt you down like a bloodhound when needed because I LOVE YOU! When you understand that, I will know you are a responsible adult. You will NEVER find someone who loves, prays, cares and worries about you more than I do! Repost if are a parent and agree.♥"

NO.......not gonna repost that!

*Might* post this, though:

"My promise to my children ~ I LOVE being your friend! Being both friend and Mother is a wonderful experience. I will hang out with you when you feel like it, talk when you want, and listen when you need me to, drive you anywhere you need or want to go, wish you sweet dreams every night and miss you like crazy when you're away because I LOVE YOU! Someday, I hope you do find someone who loves, prays, cares and worries about you more than I do, and when you do, marry him! Repost if you are a parent and agree.♥"

;)

Signs of the Times...

2011-05-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

It's hilarious when you know someone's out of jail because he's finally on facebook. ;)

A Conversation

2011-05-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

Emma: "Who's been drinking out of my cup?!"

Me: "Has someone been sleeping in your bed, too?"

Emma: "Mother! Don't be facetious!"

I love the way my kids speak!

;)

I Think They've Got Something There...

2011-05-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking lately that other countries are on to something with their midday rituals.

Take teatime for instance. A light snack and a cup of tea is wonderful in the early afternoon.

And the siesta.....oh, my gracious!

What better time to take a nice nap than when the day's too hot to work? You wake up refreshed and ready to work into the cooler evening hours...perfection!

(The things I've been thinking lately.....yesterday while having a bit of afternoon tea, and today, when I woke up from my siesta.) ;)

Mister Potato Head(s)

2011-05-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

I've wanted a Mr. Potato Head toy for ages....but I didn't want to pay for a new one.

Week before last I found three bodies in a large ziplock back with sundry pieces for $1.50 (enough pieces to make two Misters and one Mrs.), and this week I bought another (Mrs. Potato Head this time), then found two more while dumpster diving!

So six new Potato Heads to play with within the past month, to go with the one body and few pieces I already had.....7 potatoes!

I've been cleaning my library this week, and made a new place for the Legos. When a local video store closed their business I bought their drop box, a wooden cart with wheels. I put the Legos in there, two cat litter buckets full - which is where they were stored before - three boats and all the pieces that go with them, which wouldn't fit in buckets. I'm going to get the big baseplates and put them on a piece of board for a lid and it will be moveable storage for Legos....hopefully also made in such a way that I can flip the Lego side over and use it as a flat table, too.

I organized all my "extra" game pieces....a quart-size baggie of dice, pieces to Clue...all except for the lead pipe which is, of course, what was lost the last time the girls played....Monopoly Jr pieces, marbles and lots of pawns, both plastic and wooden. I buy lots of games just so I'll have the pieces, and woodens are my favourites.

When the last library shelf is finished I'd like to make one more small shelf, possibly with glass, to showcase the really cool pieces.

Vacation!

2011-05-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

We have returned from our vacation....a drive down-one day at the beach-drive home kind of vacation, but it is still nice to get away, even if just for a bit. ;)

We stayed at Cedar Point Campground in North Carolina....absolutely wonderful place! They say quiet time is from 10pm-6am, and it really is.....everyone there - and all the sites were full - was polite and nice. Mostly older couples, with dogs, and a few young families.

The salt marsh just down the road (in sight from the campground entrance) was beautiful - and SO interesting! Clams and crabs and birds all over.

That was one of our favourite parts....waking up to the bird songs! So many different kinds of birds! Although, besides the sea birds, the ones I saw were the same ones we have here, there were so many more there! :)

We took a wrong turn at Raleigh on the way down and circled the city twice before heading on down, and then I had us on a different road (I hesitate to say "wrong", because it did lead to our destination, but took a bit longer to get there), but we managed to make it to the campground before it closed up for the night. The tent went up really quickly - yay!, and we were in bed by about 10:30. The dogs weren't happy, though, so I got in the van with them and slept in there.

We stopped at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on the way down, and it was Awesome! And free...free is always good for families! ;) I would have preferred more *real* exhibits, but it was interesting even with models.

On Saturday we had planned to explore Beaufort, NC some, but happened to stop at the beach and the girls didn't want to leave. ;) We finally left about 2:30, but the street with the museum was closed off for a boat show, so we just drove around town a bit and went back over to the island and explored Fort Macon.

Today - Sunday - we drove home, taking the "right" road this time and making much better time, and stopped by Mt. Airy to see the Andy Griffith Museum ...a must-see for any Andy fan. ;) I took Schnitzel's picture with the Andy and Opie statue....it might be his new Facebook photo once I get it uploaded onto the computer. ;) My favourite thing in the museum was Barney's Salt and Pepper.....classic. :)

We also stopped by the World's Largest Open Faced Quarry ...when I finally found it. They really should have better signage.

Then we headed home, and it was SO nice to cross back into Virginia and drive up into the mountains. ;) That flat land's okay, but there's nothing like home. :)

Putting Things Off...

2011-05-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

I'm putting off cleaning my bedroom....thought blogging might spare me a few more minutes. ;)

I have SO much to do in there......spring cleaning-type stuff, moving the bed and seeing what's under there, wiping down the walls....all those fun things. ;)

I know I'll like it so much when it's finished...it's just that getting started is so hard!

Yesterday I hired my nephews to weed-eat the bank at the front of the yard...too bad I don't have nieces who would like to clean for a bit of cash. ;)

Bows? Really?

2011-04-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

What is with the companies that make women's undergarments?

WHY do we need little bows and/or lace on everything?

Come ON, people! I'm thirty-five years old, I no longer choose my underthings based on whether they've got bows or flowers or pictures of my favourite cartoon character!

I really can tell the difference between men's underclothes and women's without the help of the little bow. ;P

(A quick rant, because I can't remember what I was thinking last night would be a good post, and it's my blog and I can.) ;)

Sleep Paralysis

2011-04-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

Sleep paralysis is an interesting phenomenon, and one I experience every-so-often. This morning, as my body struggled to meet my mind in wakefulness, I had this thought: "I'm glad my life, my dreams, are sweet enough that I can take the time to experience this without being scared." Having grown up in a very religious household, I've heard dozens of stories of people who woke and felt that there was a demon on their chest, holding them down. Now, I don't *disbelieve* in demons....I have a very active imagination populated with all sorts of fanciful creatures, including fairies, leprechauns, yeti, ghosts....I even have trolls living in my backyard! However, I am not scared of them. There is nothing on earth that has the power to frighten me in a spiritual way. There is a quote I've always liked "I no longer look for Satan under every rock....I know what ROCK he's under!" I am glad my life is sweet. I hope that my children's lives are also happy, and their dreams sweet enough that if they wake into the dream world (love that thought!) it will be an enjoyable experience. :)

Hummmm....

2011-04-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Em said tonight, "Parents always apologize." Somehow I feel like a failure now. Parents don't always apologize. The *real* world isn't like that. I've always wondered what she'll (well, really, both of them) will think when she meets a boy from a "normal" family.....and she'll think he was horribly abused and feel very sorry for him and try to make him feel better....and that's where my imagination leaves and memory takes over....I remember feeling sorry for a fellow or two in my youth. ;) Does everyone with children feel they're failures? Except for those who really *are* failures and think they're wonderful.....and I don't believe any of those read my blog. ;)

April Brilliance! ;)

2011-04-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

Anna tried to set a trap in the back yard to fool Daddy and Em. The trap didn't work, and she came in upset and cold and unhappy. She asked for help in thinking up another trick, but I couldn't think of anything.....the uppermost thought in my brain was how nice I thought it was when Em said, "I don't like April Fool's day....it's not nice." ;) She draped herself over me, and obviously needed something....something to take her mind off her failed trap, and something to do. And I thought of something! I suggested we sort through three bags of toys Dad and I picked up to take to the food pantry to give out. We spent a sweet, happy hour sorting toys, picking out the trash and choosing ones to keep. :) SO many times I can't think of anything.....I can't make my brain move past the problem to a *good* solution. I was so happy with the result this time, I wanted to blog so I'd remember it later. :)

A Thought on Dieting

2011-04-01T16:01:00.001-07:00

Why do people listen to a million other voices telling them what to eat/what not to eat/ what to drink/what not to drink, instead of listening to their own bodies? Grapefruit diet! Atkins! Hollywood Diet! Cabbage Soup! Slim Fast! Master Cleanse! South Beach! If they would instead try eating *real* food....enough with the food-like substances! I'm TIRED of people eating "cheese food" and thinking it's real cheese! If it squirts out of a can, it's NOT food! (Tripped over a soapbox there....where was I?) ;) If people would eat REAL food....things that look exactly or nearly the same when they're outside growing or when they're on your plate....they would be healthier and -most likely- loose weight. I've started eating a healthy smoothie for breakfast. After a couple days of eating it late and skipping lunch because I was still full, I noticed I wasn't feeling the best. I added in a late lunch and pushed supper back a bit, and I'm feeling good now. In other words....I listened to my body! The body KNOWS what it needs! You must learn to listen! Your body can tell you to drink more water, or that you need more fat, or that you've eaten too much, or too little! So many people don't know how to listen, though....it's sad.... A true story....a friend posted on facebook that she was going to start eating smoothies for breakfast, and did anyone have any good combinations to share? I shared with her what I eat in my smoothies....frozen fruits, greens, coconut oil, chia and flax seeds, tumeric, plain yogurt, fresh fruit, cream..... Then another of her friends posted about a smoothie they'd had....strawberries with strawberry yogurt and cool whip! Ewww! ;) I hope she takes my advice over theirs! Eat REAL food!

Idiots Annoy Me...

2011-03-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Vegans charged in infant death This has been all over facebook....and I think it's the most ignorant thing I've ever read. OBVIOUSLY it's nothing really about the parents being vegan....it's about medical neglect. They were told to take baby to the hospital after it's *9 months* checkup? It died at *11 months*.....and hadn't been to the hospital -or apparently the doctor- in the two months past. The baby died of medical neglect....and the parents are at fault. I don't care if they choose to graze in their front lawn for their food....their baby should have been taken to the hospital. Their eating practices have nothing to do with the fact that they neglected that baby. And they should be punished.

Super Moon?

2011-03-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

Unless you've not been in contact with the outside world for the last week or so, you've no doubt heard about the so-called Super Moon, who was making his appearance last evening.

Somel people expressed disappointment that it wasn't as *Super* as they'd been expecting, given all the hype.

Others were amazed at it's beauty.

I was a bit on the disappointed side....first we had clouds, which blocked our view of the moon rising, which would have been the best time to see it looking larger. By the time the clouds cleared the moon looked like a lovely, full moon. I've seen them before. ;)

HOWEVER, another way to look at it's *Super-ness*......

Suppose we saw the *Super* as people going outside to look at the moon -on purpose-

Parents telling their children about it, and taking the time to sit and watch a moonrise with them.

A husband and wife who have been feeling at odds with one another who feel a bubbling of connection while waiting for the moon to rise.

Yes....I do believe it was a *Super* moon last night.

:)

(Picture is clickable, and will take you to a page that gives more scienific reasons for the moon's superness.)

Dogs and Bits of Food

2011-03-20T17:35:00.001-07:00

I'm used to Oscar being beside me when I'm eating, and tonight I reached down with the last bite of sandwich for him....and something else was there....

;)

It was Schnitzel, and he, of course, wouldn't eat the bite of sandwich, but since he *did* sniff it, Oscar wouldn't eat it either.

They're such WIENERS! ;)

(Picture is when Schnitzel first came to live with us, getting his first bath at his new home. For future reference, Jan. 20, 2010)

2011-03-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

Since when is torturing kids a good marketing campaign?

*Really?* THAT's all they could come up with?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ideas?"

"Well, we could have people being mean to their kids."

"Great idea! Let's go with that!"

"Okay, now on the important discussion: where are we going for lunch?"

"Hahahahaha"

*Group leaves for lunch*

**crickets chirping**

Christmas Ornaments

2010-12-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

It's been too long since I've blogged, or they've changed something, but I can't get the pictures to get in order. I'm too tired to fool with it....I'm just going to go with the flow....so, the last shall be first. ;)

Anna working on the tree.
Both squirrels sorting decorations....

2006...Bible verse...I don't know if this was supposed to be a Christmas ornament or not, but I used it as one. ;)

A "B" on a block, with Santa on the other side....I have no memory of ever seeing this one before, but it's here just in case it's important. ;)

One of several from 2000...

I have this one because it was free. ;)
Emma and Anna's angels from, I think, 1998.

Oscar's commemorative doggie in a stocking, 2007.

Anna's first Christmas, 1997.

2009....my mantra for last year. ;)

Anna's angel, because she didn't have one in the set....I think I explain about the set later....

The ornament someone bought us after Ethan died. I think it was

MIL, but I'm not positive.
Ethan's first Christmas ornament, 2000.

2002...this was a quick-run-in-Walmart-and-find-something-before-everything-is-sold thing. ;)

Christmas lists the girls made, I think, in 2004.

2004, mirrored butterfly. It's fallen apart SO many times and I've had to glue it back!

From 2000...I bought several new ornaments that year.

2005...perhaps....?

2002....you notice I stopped relying on my brain to remember the year and painted it on. ;)

Barbies, gifted to the squirrels from my cousin...the ballerina is Anna's, and the bride, Emma's. Both have broken legs, but the bride's dress hides hers...if you look close you can see tape on the ballerina's legs. ;)

1999....Emma made this in school, her first and only completed year of preschool or any other school. ;)

2005...photo holder

2008...I have no idea what it's supposed to be, but I liked the shape. ;)
2001...a bell.....it was difficult enough to buy one at all....buying something particularly special was NOT going to happen. Emma's first Christmas, 1995.

2003....lighthouse...plays Silent Night and has a teeny light in the top.

Our angels. Well, angels for three of us. These were from Emma's second Christmas, so Anna doesn't have one. I wish I could find one for her, simply because it would complete our set...not because I particularly like them. ;) (MIL gift.) ;)

Vintage glass ornaments. I LOVE these, but they're a bit too fragile for tree use...

so I hung them on suction cups and stuck them on the window. Yeah, THAT's going to be safer....

And that, my dears, are our ornaments we get out every year and love so ridiculously much. ;)

Swirly Learning

2010-09-13T11:27:00.001-07:00

I have learned SO much lately....things I am amazed I never knew!

For instance...."Educational Notes".....NEVER heard of these before they were on an episode of Pawn Stars. HOW did that happen? I used to read U.S. money price guides for fun! How did something so interesting get past me?

This page tells more about them...http://banknotegallery.com/maingallery/mainpages/edunotes2.html, but these have larger, easier-to-see photos...

http://usrarecurrency.com/1896$2SilverCertificateEducationalFR248PCGSEF40PPQSn10273175.htm

http://usrarecurrency.com/1896$1silvercertificatefr224au55educationalsn545828.htm

http://usrarecurrency.com/1896$5SilverCertificateFR268EducationalSn7423707.htm

And the Occupation of Alcatraz....How'd THAT never get mentioned once during 11 years of history classes? History is my favourite topic to read about.....I've read thousands of books about history, mainly United States history, and had never heard of this before I saw a mention in Antiques magazine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_Alcatraz

Today I learned the difference between *disc* and *disk*

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-disc-and-a-disk.htm

Happy Thought

The world is so full of a number of things,
I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.

~Robert Lewis Stevenson

Unschooling

2010-04-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

There was a segment on Good Morning America about unschooling.

I do NOT recommend watching it....HIGHLY biased. They announce before they even start with the segment they're biased against it!

They say, "There are no textbooks, no tests and no formal education at all in their world.".....um, excuse me?

They're in the *real world*.

No textbooks? We have books on top of books in our library, and, yes, some of them *are* textbooks. (I would insert a picture of my wonderful library here, but the shelves haven't been built yet, and the books are still in boxes.) ; )

No tests? When we need to figure out the square footage of a room, *that* is the test of if we can figure square footage. When they are writing a story *that* is the test of how well they understand the English language. When they hear about a news story or watch a movie and look at a globe to find out where it happened *that* is the test of their knowledge of geography.

No formal education? Well....only if they don't *choose* formal education. Both my girls have chosen to take classes they were interested in. Not for a grade, not for a certificate, not for prestige...simply because they were interested. Radical concept, no?

Quoting from the article again..."When asked how their children learn things like math, she said, "If they need formal algebra understanding, then they will, they'll find that information." " (*She* in this quote is the unschooling mother.)

Actually, what the interviewer said was, "They'll never get X+Y=Z." I'll not mention my opinion about how stupid that sounds and go on to the facts. X+Y=Z *only* means something if there are values given to X and Y. If my kids go to the store and want a snack and a drink, X becomes the price of the snack, Y becomes the price of the drink and they find out, wonder of wonders, what Z really is!

Again, a quote, "Most children will always choose television over reading every time..." Yes, and *most* children are schooled. Right now my children are reading. Sitting right beside the tv. The tv is off. No one has told them to turn it off, they have as much freedom to have it on as to have it off. It's a choice they've made on their own. This is an AWESOME blog post I read today about unschooling reading. I LOVED it!

One thing they mention, and I've seen somewhere else recently, is the argument that kids should go to school for "exposure" to different things so they'll know what they're interested in. I suppose, if a kid spends all his time doing one thing, say playing the same game over and over they might need help with exposure...(unless, of course, the game is chess in which case people seem to think it's a good thing.)

Well, I don't know about *all* public schools, obviously, and have no idea what they might offer, but I do know about *required courses* and by the time you get through with their required courses how much time do you have left to explore the others? From our own school experience when we did the little unhappy teaching/schooling experiment at the beginning of '09-'10 school year, Emma was signed up for the required Biology 1. All the kids take Bio. 1, then Bio.2, then Chemistry. They *might* take Physics if they're particularly gifted. On the other hand, when Emma and I were discussing things she might be interested in learning about, paleontology, geology, archaeology and astronomy were the fields of science mentioned. If she had spent the past 10 years in school would she have even known there were other sciences she could delve deeper into?

I Loved this quote from the father in the story: "they will do what they need to do, whether or not they enjoy it, because they see the purpose in it." Amen!

Here's a statistic for you...."As many as 29 percent of state university students and 43 percent of community college students require some amount of remedial education upon enrolling in college" http://blog.scholarships.com/news/many-college-freshmen-need-remedial-courses/

That's 72%. 72% of the kids who actually attempt to go to college need remedial courses, and there are lots of kids who don't even attempt college. I guarantee my kids can do at least as well as that! LOL

How many 14 year-olds count Shakespeare as one of their favourite authors? My kid does. How many 12 year-olds can rattle off scientific facts like a wizened old scientist? My kid does.

One example of unschooled learning comes to mind. Emma is currently interested in anime and manga . When she decided to make some of her own manga the second thing she did (the first thing was to read a book on how to draw manga) was to go to the library and check out books on Japanese history and culture, and asked for a book on learning to speak Japanese. (I found her one at a used book store.)

I wish she'd let me scan some of her pictures! She's doing GREAT with the drawings. I haven't been privledged to read any of the stories yet, but I'll bet they're good, too.

She is choosing to draw, read, learn and study because she wants to! She already knows more Japanese than I learned of Spanish during a *required* course in high school.

Once again, my kids are the best! ; )

Odd Bits of Rambling...

2010-02-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

We've *still* not finished with the house-stuff....BIG mess-up with the appraisal, but we're past that now and finally have a closing date...and I am SO ready to be done with it all and MOVE! ; )

Almost everything we own is in boxes, and Anna is bored nearly out of her mind, and I'm fighting depression and, honestly, *any* kind of "education" is NOT happening right now! Emma is on the computer from the time she wakes up until she goes to bed, and she's interested in Animae, and Japanese as a side-effect of that, so *she's* busy and happy, but the rest of us....BLAH! : P

Anna wants to sew...of course anything I could pull out like that is all packed...she wants to draw and can't find any pens or pencils in this mess (really, I don't think I packed them, I think they're just buried...), there are boxes on top of boxes, all the books are packed, and the videos, although the DVD's are still out. As a result, she's spent the past week watching The Andy Griffith Show over and over.

Daddy has been finding some shows for her to watch online, sciencey stuff from the History channel and Discovery channel sorts of things that she likes, but mostly she wanders around bored. I'm so sorry for her, and I simply can't muster the get-up-and-go to help her!

I'm going to try some St. John's Wort when I can remember to buy some....something's got to change, although I suspect when the house-stress is gone that will help a LOT, as will Spring's arrival! ; ) Winter has been SO rough this year! First day there was sunshine and I spent about two hours just sitting in a sunbeam! Daddy walked past and said I reminded him of a cat, but I couldn't help it. I NEEDED that sunbeam!

Yeah, I've whined and complained in this post........good thing I don't get many readers! LOL

On Self-Evaluations, from GWS #116

2010-02-17T19:47:00.000-08:00

Quoting Susannah Sheffer from the editor's note in GWS #116, May/June '97

"In the opening pages of A Sense of Self, I tell about Nicola, a 14-year-old homeschooler who was in a violin class in which the students were asked to critique their own performance. The other students were uncomfortable about having to evaluate themselves. Most of them kept turning to the teacher to check with her. Nicola was the only one who seemed to find it natural to look to herself for an evaluation of her performance.

Though I told this story as one in a series of examples of how homeschooled girls stand out with respect to self-confidence and trust in their own perceptions, I always felt that the subject of self-evaluation was fascinating in itself and deserved a closer look. There's so much talk in education about how best to evaluate young people, and so little talk about about the fact that being able to evaluate one's own work is an important skill. But think of the dependence that comes from having to rely only on outside evaluation, from having no idea how you "did" until you get the test back or see your report card or hear your teacher tell you what she thinks.

This is the kind of dependence that some educators think young people have to live with, but ...young people can be quite capable of looking critically at their work and evaluating their progress over time. Even when people are novices in a particular area, they are capable of discerning the gap between what they've done so far and what they want to do. ... It doesn't help a beginner to say, "You achieved 76% of what's possible." (which is essentially what grades do). Rather, it seems to me, beginners are looking for advice about how to close he gap between what they are trying to do and what they have managed to do so far.

Which is why thinking about evaluation inevitably leads me to thinking about goals. The deeper flaw in schooling's usual system of external evaluation is that the students are seldom setting and working toward their own goals in the first place. Self-evaluation only makes sense if you're asking yourself, "What am I trying to do, and how close have I come?" Otherwise, it becomes something more like, "I'll try to guess how well I have met someone else's expectations," and that mind-reading game is, I fear, more often than not what characterizes the ecperiments in which students are asked to give themselves grades. ... the key question - so often the key question in education - is: who's in charge?"

New Year, New House, New Life?

2010-01-10T18:25:00.001-08:00

December passed so quickly I don't remember much about it. ; ) Christmas was quiet...mainly because we were snowed in for most of the week before, and 3/5 of the Christmas parties we'd planned on attending were cancelled.

BUT, we were not just sitting around playing Monopoly. ; ) (Not that there's anything *wrong* with sitting around playing Monopoly....I enjoy a good Monopoly game...where was I? Oh, yes...)

We've been working on getting our house! It's close now....so close I feel all bubbly inside! ; ) The survey is scheduled for tomorrow, and we're supposed to go talk to the peoples at the insurance office....the last two big things on our end! After that it's just waiting on the loan guys to get their ducks in a row...or papers in a file or whatever it is they're doing. ; ) (At least, that's what I think is what's happening now...I could be wrong...we've never bought a house before.) ; )

Until we figure out the nuances of our new bills...water, electric heat, house payment....we'll be without phone/internet. Hopefully once we're into it a bit we'll be able to find money for those, but until then....or until a few pets die off...I'll have to use the library computers....NOT looking forward to going back to that! lol BUT, a house is worth it! : )

I'm so full of ideas and thoughts about fixing it up! Every morning I wake up thinking some new thing I might do to it. ; ) This morning I was thinking about making drapes. We *will* need drapes or something....someday I'd like to have wooden shutters inside, but they're not in the budget (or daddy's to-do list) so I'll have to wait on them, so drapes, I guess, will have to do. I can see the design in my head but getting it out onto fabric is another thing altogether.....I can NOT use a sewing machine, and that'd be a LOT of hand-sewing! Still, que sera sera! : )

As far as schooling is going....lots of fun there! Emma is writing two novels right now, a sequel to a certain vamipre book which shall not be named and a sequel to the same book from the vampire's POV....sound's interesting, but she doesn't want me to read it. ; ) She's going through pens like there's no tomorrow, though. ; )

Anna is doing whatever it is she does....experimenting with fire and ice and animals (not at the same time, mostly) and building shelters and learning about survival in the wild and she just started basketball again.....she's always busy!

Oh, and Emma made a new friend! At Anna's basketball practice/game yesterday (wherein Anna scored 10 points for her team!) Emma noticed a girl sitting on the bleachers near her and....wonder of wonders...went over and introduced herself! You'd have to know Emma to know how HUGE that is...she surprised herself, even! ; )

SO, lots of things going on....it's going to be an interesting year, I just KNOW it! : )

Thursday Thankfulnesses

2009-11-27T11:52:00.001-08:00

Yeah, it's Friday....yesterday I was too busy stuffing my face to post about being thankful for anything. ; )

But, I was thankful.....VERY thankful all day....

For my family

for the food they cooked and fed me and cleaned up after I stuffed myself

for my beautiful squirrels who went exploring in the woods and found a mysterious hole in the ground and they want to share it with me

for homeschooling, which has enabled me to cultivate a sweet relationship with my squirrels.

More Thursday Thankfulnesses to come next November, hopefully. : )

Sick, Sick, SICK!

2009-11-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

This is the beginning of the third week I've been sick.....I am SO tired of it!

It started as a flu....I dubbed it "whine" flu, because it made us whine a lot. lol I don't believe it was swine flu, and it's a good thing, too, because as hard a time as I've had getting over this, I don't know if I couldn've survived anything worse!

Both girls had it and were over it in a week.....I'm still coughing and so weak I can't do much more than stick a load of laundry in the washer and get back to the living room.

I cough so hard it makes my head hurt, my stomach hurts, and I believe I've pulled a muscle in my back....still not as bad as my MIL, though....she coughs so hard she breaks ribs regularly...fifty years of smoking will do that to you......

I had a good night's sleep last night, though...my first in two weeks, and I am SO thankful for it! I only woke up coughing about four times and was able to go back to sleep quickly and didn't cough too badly any of the times....things are looking up! : )

We kept my sister's kids yesterday while my mom went to her in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner. They were SO good....little angels! I think the younger squirrel was a little bit sick, she didn't seem like she felt well, and toward the end of the evening she fell asleep on Emma's lap. ; )

The other two watched movies/tv shows with Daddy and Anna, and later in the evening, watched while we skinned and butchered a deer. : ) Then they roasted marshmallows over a fire, and then Mom came back and picked them up.

And, I have to say a bit about *my* baby....Oscar was SO good while they were here! I was amazed...he didn't bark or growl or offer to bite even once! I think he was a bit jealous, and he pouted until we took him out for his long walk in the night, but he was a little angel himself. ; )

Thankful Thursday #3

2009-11-19T18:55:00.001-08:00

I am thankful we have food, shelter, water.....all the basics supplied.

I am thankful my girls are feeling better.

I am thankful for life.

I am thankful for enough.

Thankful Thursday #2

2009-11-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

I am thankful that although we *are* sick, we're not really dreadfully badly sick.

I am thankful for the warm sun shining today.

I am thankful that I don't have to go anywhere, and my kids don't have to go anywhere and we can all stay home when we're sick without worrying about too many missed days. : )

Bucket List?

2009-11-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

Yes. Bucket List......things to do before I kick the proverbial bucket. ; )

What do *you* want to do?

I will love my children like there's no tomorrow!

I'll thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.....at least up to the part where "civilization" creeps in. ; )

I'll see an eagle in the wild.

I'll restore an antique vehicle.

I'll be fully myself with no reservations or embarrassment. ; )

I'll stop wearing my hair twisted up all the time simply because it's "easiest". : P

I will get a kayak *and* I will go white-water rafting because my husband would like to and he'll have more fun with a friend. : )

I will choose to move toward the light with all my choices, including my choices of people I'm around.

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

The flock of mourning doves in my yard this morning.

Good news about our house.

Squirrel feeling better and doesn't have a fever any more.

Got daddy's laundry finished up yesterday.

Had a good night's sleep and woke up to a beautiful day! : )

Fall Decorations - Super Easy Cute Pumpkins

2009-10-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

I was reading a blog somewhere the other day with instructions to make pumpkins from rolls of toilet paper. I thought they were cute, but didn't think about making any, because I don't generally have a stash of orange cloth around.

BUT, Monday we stopped at a thrift store to drop off some stuff, and they had orange tissue paper.....for .25! SO, with the thought of pumpkins in mind, I bought it....and they're SO cute!

This is a blog that has pictures and instructions. Enjoy! ; )

TP Pumpkin Decoration

(My picture includes the one pumpkin that survived my *garden* this year. I don't know why, but the plants didn't want to grow until about August, then they took off and covered everything and started producing...too late for most of them to mature.)

October....

2009-10-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

during which I have forgotten to blog! ; )

We've done a couple-few things....been a few places....mostly stayed near home and worked on the house-buying stuff.

Squirrels are busy with Facebook mostly, now that they've "discovered" it, and I've been cracking nuts most days.

A neighbour gifted us three boxes of black walnuts, and I'm trying to crack out at least one cup each nice day (which I need to get outside and do today, since it's sunshiney), and my mom gifted us a bucket of pecans, and I've been trying to get them opened and ready for pie. Ummmm... ; )

The garden is about through for the year. I cleaned out my herb garden, because catnip had nearly taken over. I set the catnip I thinned out to drying, and hopefully I'll be able to make a few cat toys for Christmas. ; )

When the tomatoes all died (besides the cherry tomatoes, which are still ripening all over the place) the pumpkins took off....but too late to really produce anything. There is one I *think* is big enough to be something, and about six tiny ones I don't think are edible.....or maybe baby pumpkins are edible....something to learn about, I guess.

I still have a hot pepper (the name eludes me) plant with green peppers which I'm hoping will change so I can make some more tabasco-like sauce. Daddy liked the last so much I barely got any! LOL

Anna has been reading Farmer Boy again for the first time, and conducting scientific experiments late at night with the stove...."How quickly does the eye heat up after it's turned on?" Answer: Quick enough to leave blisters when you touch it. ; ) She was *very* proud of her blisters, and bragged about them on Facebook and you'd have thought she was in danger of imminent death. lol

Having FUN!

2009-10-11T09:19:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw

(When I embed it there is an advertisement at the first that IMO messes up the "plot", so just follow the link. It's worth it, trust me.) ; )

My educational philospophy in a nutshell...have fun! ; )

The First Week of October, or Thereabouts

2009-10-06T18:31:00.001-07:00

We've been away from home a lot lately, but I couldn't say what exactly we've been up to. ; )

House-shopping some, and trying to find Daddy some jeans that fit, since he's lost 70 lbs...!...and library and running those little errands that pile up so if you don't stay on top of them.....hopefully we're done with all that for a while! LOL

Last night we had a wild idea....spend the night in the woods and hope to see some wildlife. Well, it didn't work out so well. lol By 10:00 the squirrels were bored and wanted to come home! They didn't even wait until the moon came up over the mountain. LOL This morning Anna said she wished we'd stayed, and then, when I asked if she wasn't lots more comfortable sleeping at home, she said she was. : ) I was certainly glad to get to sleep in my own bed! : ) We didn't see or hear anything, either, so it was kinda a bust. ; )

Tonight they're watching "Hello Dolly"....my mom gave us her copy, because my squirrels liked it more than she did. : )

They're also eating H'ween candy. Anna said, "Halloween better hurry up...we'll be out of candy." LOL

Today we volunteered at the food pantry, and my sister brought her oldest daughter down to help, and they all had lots of fun playing with the food. LOL

We went to the Salvation Army thrift store Friday, and found two nice bookshelves for the girls for $15 each! *Hopefully* we'll have a house before long to put them in! LOL

We went yesterday to look at one...don't get me started on it! Dreadful! I think we might be going to see another Saturday......there has to be something out there somewhere!

In the meantime, we're happy here for right now. Our odd neighbour has started being quiet, so it's nice better here again. : )

Late Nights

2009-09-28T23:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight, about 1:00, Anna started singing "Danny Boy" then stopped and said, "I can't remember what comes next."

I was just about to get off the computer, but I asked if she would like for me to find and print the lyrics out for her. She would, so I did.....but then there was a bit of conjecture about the tune, so I looked it up on You Tube and we listened to it...along with a Muppets version ; )

Then she pulled the piano-ish electric keyboard out, and started picking out the notes, so I asked if she'd like some music for it.....she did, so I went in search of music, then I marked the notes with their corresponding letters and she played around with it a bit, and now Emma's playing with it.

It reminded me of Sandra Dodd's page Late Night Learning ....and I'm glad that, although I need to get up early for a doctor's appointment tomorrow, I was still awake to help her find what she needed in the middle of the night. : )

(And now I'm *really* getting off the computer and going to bed!)

Lists and Scheduling (Article)

2009-09-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

(From Growing Without Schooling magazine, #93)

Click on the picture to read the article. It opens up much larger.

9-23-09

2009-09-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

I've spent most of the last three days being drug around the dinkiest little towns, getting VERY frustrated because of the horrid directions I've been given, looking for some sort of decent housing.

A quote from The Beverly Hillbillies keeps coming up, "Too poor to paint, too proud to whitewash." (Jed, talking about Cousin Pearl) Apparently we're just like her! lol Everything we can afford we wouldn't touch with the proverbial ten-foot-pole. ; ) And the ones we like...well...

Anyway, it's been interesting...seeing places I never knew existed. ; ) And today, while on top of a mountain 18 miles (!) from the nearest podunk town, we came around a bend and there was a momma black bear with two of the cutest roly-poly cubs EVER! It was SO awesome! They went down the road a bit, then went over the hill, and were gone before I could get my camera out and turned on. I wish I could have gotten a picture!

Tomorrow I've been promised I can stay home all day. Do you believe it? I don't either. ; )

(The good news is we've found two pieces of land....looks like we might be going the *new house* route now....new is good.) ; )

Recent Animal Encounters

2009-09-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

The last of our *original* Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches died this past week. We had four originals, then about thirty offspring...now we're down to two. She was upside down one day, and I turned her back over and told Daddy, "Watch. She'll be dead in a couple days, because when they flip over and can't get back up they're dying." She did die in a couple days, but what I want to talk about was what happened before she died.

I was cleaning the cage, and I thought she was already dead, but when I picked her up she moved her antennae just a little, so I put her back in. The next morning one of the younger ones had come to sit with her, and it sat with her most of the day, until she died, then it went back into the tube.

How sweet was that! It burns me up to think of people using Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches for "Fear Factorish" sorts of things! These are living creatures with feelings for heaven's sake!

The second animal happening was yesterday. We were going down the road, and passed a squirrel. At first we thought it was roadkill, but as we went past it's tail moved. We didn't want it to suffer, so we went back to, as Daddy put it, put it out of it's misery. When we got back, though, it moved a bit more, so I got out to check on it. I took a magazine with me for protection ("I am a crazy, rabid squirrel, and I WANT MY COOKIES!") and when I got to it there was no blood or anything, so I scooted him up on the grass in the middle of the road and waited while some cars and an ambulance went past (must have looked really odd...lol). When the road was clear again I picked him up with his scruff and slid the magazine under him and carried him to the other side of the road where trees were, and after a second he hopped off the magazine and disappeared into the brush.

I was SO glad we went back to help him! He apparently hadn't been hit, was only scared and didn't know which way to go. It made my day happier, having saved a squirrel. ; )

Thank God, We're Back Home! LOL!

2009-09-13T05:25:00.001-07:00

Well, the "school" experiment didn't last long. ; ) I lasted three full weeks, and couldn't take any more....I guess I should say *almost* three weeks, because I walked out in the middle of the third Friday. ; )

I simply couldn't bear being part of something so WRONG! I felt like too much of a hypocrite.....when have I *ever* used knowledge of a "predicate adjective" in real life? Well....about....um....*never*? In real life no one worries about whether or not you know where the predicate adjective is....no one cares! In real life, I dare to say, there are NO predicate adjectives......there are simply *words*. There are so many words, used so many ways....and the way people are taught in schools to "identify" them is...odd....to say the least. ; )

Rant over....we're HOME and that's all that matters! : )

We're still in the throes of house-buying, so pretty much all the stuff we usually do is taking a back seat to that. We did do a trip to a park and planetarium last week, to relax a bit.It was a very relaxing trip, and we all enjoyed it. : )

Other than that we've just been doing "around home" things....the squirrels have been on Facebook a lot, I've been working on getting fall produce stored for winter, and daddy....well, daddy's been working on getting the house-buying moving. ; )

(I noticed I didn't mention how the squirrels felt about leaving school. I think what Emma said last night while we were out walking the dog sums it up pretty well....we were walking hand-in-hand and she said, "I'm glad we're not in school anymore. It was fun to be in class laughing at the boys, but I'd rather be here." My squirrels are so sweet! : )

From a Conversation Online...Real Love

2009-08-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

'It's all those other others that aren't so easy, neighbors --anybody who lives by you-- and so called enemies. Love neighbors as yourself. Well ok that sounds like how I'm invited to love God.
Oh and none of these are injunctions but invitations to Love. What do you think?"

"I think that the real issue is that many of us do not know what real love is.

I think we all are told we should love our neighbors as ourselves, but few of us know what it really means to love ourselves.

This is counterintuitive. On its face, it is easy to conclude that we love ourselves. But I don't think this is true.

I think this is because in our culture, we do not experience real love. We are not loved for who we really are. Most of what passes for love in our culture is conditional acceptance.As children we are rewarded and punished based on our behavior. Parents withdraw love when children do not perform in acceptable ways.

The church has adopted this thinking, too.As spouses are not loved for who we really are. Over 50% of marriages end in divorce. And more Christians than non-Christians live in loveless and unfulfilled marriages because they want to avoid divorce.

If we really knew how to love ourselves - if as children we had good examples of what real love and acceptance is, unconditional love - I think we would be better able to love our neighbors unconditionally.

If we accept ourselves for who we are, with all our faults, it would be much easier to accept others, too.I think that is where God comes in - to show us his unconditional love for us.

I think it is impossible for us to really love ourselves without experiencing God's unconditional love. Only then are we able to love others in the same way."

Karen Smith

A Beautiful Mess...

2009-08-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

apples for poppy anne photo challenge for this week...

Happiness Is...

2009-07-27T08:33:00.001-07:00

doing what *you* choose!

I have to say...digging out a creek bed wouldn't make me very happy, but Daddy is enjoying it. ; ) sitting beside the creek, reading and snacking? Not for me,today, but for Emma, great fun!

and for Anna? Playing in the *very* cold water! : )

(and *not* being in pictures at all makes me VERY happy!)

I love choosing what I want....choosing what makes me happy! I also exjoy extending that to the rest of my family! Having a CHOICE....and knowing you have a choice!....makes for happy days! : )

The apples for poppy anne blog post this week was AMAZING...so much better writing than I can do (not to mention a better picture). Go and read. (Nope. No choice. Just do it.) ; )

Hiatus

2009-07-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

I am taking a hiatus from homeschooling....at least I *hope* it's a hiatus!

I'm going back to work, and both squirrels want to give school a try.

In a way it bothers me....wasn't our homeschooling experience "good" enough?

On the other hand, I understand their wanting to experience something new.

It happened to me at about their ages, too....I'd been in a small private school for 6 years, and decided to give public school another try.

I only stayed one day! At the end of that day I collapsed into the van and said, "Never again!" lol

In a way I want my squirrels to do that too! lol I want them to have a good experience, though...because, well, they ARE my favourite peoples ever! : )

This being an *unschooling* blog, though...I don't know that I'll post here much more. I'm thinking of starting another blog...not sure yet....maybe a "Can We Survive School After Homeschooling?" lol

Cats DO Control Humans!

2009-07-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090713/sc_livescience/catsdocontrolhumansstudyfinds

Was there ever any question?

"If you've ever wondered who's in control, you or your cat, a new study points to the obvious. It's your cat."

I've Laughed All Evening About This...

2009-07-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

The library had a photo scavenger hunt today. The bonus clue was "I have close ties to family history where I ponder myself bald about the past."

Instead of taking a picture of the statue of the man the room's named for (you can see it in the far right-hand side of the picture), my squirrels asked a local historian if they could take his picture.

He was a good sport, and the librarians said, "Now he's got a new story to tell...and he'll tell it, too!" lol (He told three people within five minutes.) ; )

I don't know if they told him what the clue said....

(He's doing a geanology workshop Saturday. I asked the squirrels if they'd like to go and see him again. They said they would, and maybe take another picture...)

It Begins With a Colour: Circle

2009-07-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

The apples for poppy anne "it begins with a colour" challenge for this week is...circle!

I took these pictures a couple weeks ago, but when I read the challenge I thought of them...

Daddy's....
Anna's.

The Lord is My Pace Setter

2009-07-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

The Lord is my Pace Setter....I shall not rush

He makes me stop for quiet intervals

He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity

He leads me in the way of efficiency through calmness of mind and His guidance is peace

Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret, for His presence is here

His timelessness, His all importance will keep me in balance

He provides refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity by anointing my mind with His oils of tranquility

My cup of joyous energy overflows

Truly harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours for I shall walk in the pace of my Lord and dwell in His house for ever.

*A version of the Twenty-third Psalm from Japan*

My Life, Part Two

2009-07-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

In response to my previous post , in which I whine a lot....

I'll try a more positive spin...

We got to volunteer at the food pantry again today! It's so nice to be able to help people. : ) Daddy didn't get to go with us, because he had an opportunity to help our neighbour...and make a little extra money. Extra money is always nice. : )

The squirrels were SO well behaved today, it was amazing! One of their friends was there, and she helped them with their work, and boys kept coming in, which delighted Emma, as she enjoys seeing a good-looking fellow every now and again. ; )

I had lots to do, no time spent wondering what needs doing! That's always nice. I like having jobs. : ) Even with being so busy, I did get to have a nice chat with the director after lunch. It turns out she's a distant relative...she's so thrilled by that! lol She's a sweetheart.

The commode overflowed just before we left, and thankfully we had some blankets Daddy's mother had sent down....they're wonderfully absorbant and just the thing to get water up out of the floor. They worked so well all the water was out of the floor in no time. I brought them home with me to wash....it's such a blessing to be able to do that! Up until about six months ago (probably less....I don't remember the dates exactly) I wouldn't have been able to do that, because I didn't have a dryer. Now I have a dryer, and it's SO NICE to be able to just pop them into the washer, then into the dryer and they're DONE! : ) I can take them back tomorrow all fresh and clean, ready for the next time the commode overflows. lol

On the way home we passed an injured pigeon, and my sweet girls wanted to stop and get it. I'm so glad they show compassion for animals like that! It was really badly injured...I thought it had died twice while I was holding it.....so we brought it home with us so Daddy could put it out of it's misery. Poor little thing. Daddy was wonderful, though....I'm so glad I've got him to do stuff like that! (I really could have used him during the restroom incident, too....true confession time....I don't know how to use a plunger!lol)

I made spaghetti and cheese sticks for supper (I love my crockpot! It's so nice to have food ready when you get home!). I accidentally knocked my plate in the floor, and Emma gave me hers....my squirrels are so sweet! : )

I was thinking of berry picking this evening, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow. Both girls are tired, and, truth be told, I'm a bit sleepy, myself. ; )

My Life...

2009-07-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

Today has been like a see-saw....up and down, up and down....

We went to volunteer at the food pantry...and DH didn't go, because our neighbour came over and asked it he'd spray poison on his field. (Don't even get me started on poisons!) SO, anyway, he stayed home to do that, and we went on.

At first everything went fine...the girls didn't fight, and they had a friend there to help them with their work, and I got lots done...it was really busy today, and I was kept going, trying to keep the shelves stocked.

Anyway, just before we were going to leave I went to the restroom...and it looked like it hadn't been flushed, but there was a small girl there, so I didn't think about it, just went, and flushed...and it overflowed and KEPT ON FLOWING!!! The water wouldn't cut off in the tank, finally they had to cut it off manually. So then I had a BIG mess to clean up....about two inches of water over the entire floor, and it was beginning to seep out into the carpet. OOPS!

I got it all dried up, and volunteered to bring the blankets I'd used home with me to wash, because I felt really guilty (but, hey...they could have said, "Oh, the commode is stopped up..." as I passed the office...but I digress.)

SO, on the way home, we passed an injured pigeon in the road. And, of course, Anna had to stop and get it. It was injured too badly to live, I'm surprised it was still alive when we found it, it was in such bad shape. So we brought it home for DH to put it out of it's misery.

We got home, and I put the blankets in the washer, and Emma went to the field to get DH....and it has just now occured to me that she probably shouldn't have been out there breathing that poison....DUH, momma! And he "took care" of the bird, and I dug a hole and popped it in...and Anna is upset, because this is the second bird she's had die in two days...she was holding one yesterday when it died, and she's afraid she killed it...

I left spaghetti in the crock pot for supper this evening, but forgot to turn it on low and it was burned (not completely, but more than the girls wanted to eat), and when we got home I put cheese sticks in the oven to have with it, and they got a bit over-done, too. Neither was inedible, but Anna wouldn't eat any, and Emma just had a couple bites.

Then I knocked my plate in the floor, and Oscar ate my supper.

I was thinking of berry picking this evening, but with the day I've had, I have no doubts I'd meet up with a bear. I think I'll save the berries for another day. : )

(positive version)

It Begins With a Colour....PURPLE!

2009-07-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

The "it begins with a colour" challenge for this week is purple.

Emma helped me find lots of purple when we walked the dog this evening....and she also posed for me. : )

I thought this beauty deserved to show off by itself. : )

Wiener Dog Wednesday

2009-07-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

Oscar is watching Daddy make pottery...and helping himself to the jug of water. lol He was very interested in what Daddy was doing...

until he got tired. : )

Then, later, he watched Anna work on her creation.

6-27-09

2009-06-28T05:30:00.000-07:00

Daddy has a new toy. He found this little jewel at the goodwill thrift store for $20! And this is his first creation. I am amazed he can make something so cute on his first try!

We went to pick blueberries yesterday....three buckets full!....and it went nicely until I got stung on the finger. I don't know what got me, but I started swelling immediately, then my throat started constricting (which was a new one for me), and I got scared and barely got to pick any more berries (which, of course, means I was still picking and ignoring my throat...brilliant, I know...)

We were going to try to get some more raspberries (I picked just a few, and we were going to see if we could find some more.) When we came across this little fellow.

Daddy walked right past him, then came back *Quickly*, but the poor little thing was in his own private misery and didn't notice us at all. We suspected rabies, and called to see what could be done, but were told to call back Monday, because everything is closed for the weekend. Oh, the joys of rural life! lol (Speaking of the joys of rural life...we also found the bones of the little baby deer I came across last time we were berrying....something got it. Which was sad, but still, that's life in the wild....)

We've been staying busy...seems like every day has somewhere we need to go, or something we need to do. Summers are *really* busy around here. : ) Seems like there's somewhere to go and something to do every single day! BUT, still I know June is nothing compared to how July will be! It starts off with a bang with a cookout and family reunion on the third and fourth, then gathers momentum from there, and we won't slow down until after Anna's birthday party on the 17th!

(Hopefully I'll have time to blog, though.) ; )

Wiener Dog Wednesday

2009-06-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to post!

I had to hurry and snap a couple pics of my baby..... but he was willing....that's SO unusual.....I wonder what he's been up to?

(but he looks SO innocent!) lol

Looking Up

2009-06-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

As soon as I read the challenge for it begins with a colour this week *look up*, I KNEW what I wanted a picture of...
the trumpet vine that's growing all over the building beside the food pantry where we volunteer. It's amazingly beautiful.....and I think it's holding the building up. : ) In the winter when it's all dead you can see the cracks in the building's walls, and you don't want to walk too close. ; )

This is my favourite oak tree ever....last year I spent most of the year on the couch, because my back was all messed up, and I watched this tree go from bare to tiny squirrels-ear leaves, to full leaf, to red, and back again to bare. This year it's SO nice to be able to watch it change *as I go about my life*!(I also just loved the green and the blue.) : )

Jam!

2009-06-23T06:16:00.000-07:00

I thought it was so cool....wake up in the morning with not even a thought of jam, and end the day with this! : )

Hubby was going out to work, but decided to come home and take me berry picking. We ended up picking only enough cherries for a mouthful, but I got enough black raspberries for a batch of jam and a cobbler later, and blueberries for THREE batches of jam and a cobbler later! I was SO happy with it. : )

I also came across a baby deer, hiding in the weeds! If I'd had my camera with me I would have snapped a picture, but I didn't, so I would have had to go get it, then come back, and I didn't want to bother it. I was startled, then looked close to see if it was breathing, and then went on quietly. I figured it's momma was hiding, watching me, and I didn't want to worry her any more than I had already. It was so sweet, though.

I'm Dreaming....

2009-06-19T10:31:00.001-07:00

It has a barn.... a perfect house-site...

a creek...

if you click on this next one to see it better, you can see where I want the house, facing the barn, and a little bit farther back, t'other side of the field.

and this would be my view...

I've already named it.

Zephyr Valley.

I'm wishing and dreaming....

It Begins With A Colour :::Wild Card:::

2009-06-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

it begins with a colour challenge this week it a wild card......as many colours as possible in one picture...

I've been looking for piles and bunches of colour...instead I found shelves... : )

And, although not *many* colours, still bright, beautiful, amazing colours...

(click on it. revel in the colours.)

If It Weren't For Scheduled Posts...

2009-06-17T13:06:00.001-07:00

I'd be posting nothing at all!

We've been on-the-go so much I've barely had time to check e-mails lately....and haven't taken time to blog about everything.

Some things I'm not mentioning...let's just say my neighbours are idiots...

Other things....

We've been helping at the food pantry fairly regularly. We were there Monday evening, and Tuesday and Wednesday morning. The squirrels bagged flour, oats, sugar....things like that, and I've sorted and stocked shelves and re-sorted and cleaned until I'm wore out! I was so tired this evening I took a nap when we got home.

Monday we helped sort a shipment of food, and Anna kept saying, "WHY do they buy food from these people?" because the boxes we were sorting through had trash in them. I swear, some of them looked like they'd swept the floor and just threw in whatever they swept up....NASTY stuff, too. We keep buying food from them because it's cheap, but I hope someone calls and complains. There's no sense in them sending us boxes of trash. : (

I wish I had my camera handy...I'd like to take a pic of my garden and brag about it! It has done SO good this year! It's tiny, but lush. : ) I think we have 12 tomato plants, 6 hot peppers (I'm hoping to get jalapeno's, but haven't remembered them yet...), three pumpkins (they're funky old-fashioned lumpy things that store well....well, that is, once they *have* pumpkins they will be. The plants are just about hand-sized right now.), and lettuce and onions, and cucumbers. (And peas, but they're about done, so I won't mention them.) That's the back garden...in the front I have some zuchinni, a sunflower and a few peanuts. The sunflower came up on it's on under the bird feeder, and I'm assuming about the peanuts. I planted some, but until they're bigger I'm not *positive* that's what they really are. lol

My squirrels have been spending lots of time with the x-box, and reading. Emma has read almost 40 books in the past few weeks. She asked if I'd get Pride and Prejudice and War and Peace at the library, so we went yesterday while we were out, and she looked at War and Peace and decided it was boring and she didn't want it, but she did get Pride and Prejudice. She also got two Shakespeare for kids books, and several others she's read before and wanted to read again.

She's been wanting to read "real" Shakespeare....we have As You Like It and ...I've gone blank on the other one...in comic form, and she enjoyed the stories, so she said she'd like to read them *as* stories, not as comics. I thought a Shakespeare for kids would be more readable than a *regular* Shakespeare, although I bought an anthology of his plays at the latest used book sale, in case she wants to see them.

My mom was so surprised when Emma was listing her favourite books and mentioned the two Shakespeare plays as favourites. As a former high-school English teacher she knows Shakespeare as something to be avoided by young adults. lol

Anna is still spending large chunks of time outside. She fixed herself a "kitchen" in the front yard, and she goes out there and makes mud cakes and pies and decorates them. : ) At the food pantry yesterday she found an old rat skull outside and brought it home with her. Ewww! lol

Weiner Dog Wednesday

2009-06-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

He went for a swim.... and got all tuckered out!

G'night Oscar!

Contrast/Hard and Soft

2009-06-11T06:43:00.000-07:00

The it begins with a colour challenge this week is contrast.

While I would LOVE to be able to take my camera out and take lots of pictures for the challenge I accidentally dropped it in the creek the other day, and it's ....we'll say *not happy* right now...

HOWEVER, I do happen to have a couple recent pictures with lovely contrast...both of which made me think of *hard and soft*.

(yeah....one of the last pictures before I dropped the camera...) ; P

Weiner Dog Wednesday

2009-06-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

SEVEN

2009-06-08T04:24:00.001-07:00

SEVEN pumpkin seeds, waiting to be planted.

SIXes

2009-06-07T07:01:00.001-07:00

On Daddy's shoe... SIXty-nine degrees...

SIXty cents for a drink...... .50 is a lot easier...who wants to deal with all those dimes?

address....

short cycle...

Day FIVE

2009-06-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

FIVE little toeses... numbers scratched in concrete...
yard sale prices...
thermometer...
and wind chimes...

Day FOUR

2009-06-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

With FOUR windows in a row... FOUR on a tag...

Twenty-FOUR bottles....

Nineteen-FOURty-five...

and this...my favourite...the model number on my mom's old water heater, written by my brother, who I miss terribly.

Day Three

2009-06-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

It's time...for THREES...$3 desserts...

numbers on the road....I have no idea why...

THREE on a van...

a passing train...

die...

year books...

variety...

Daddy was reading across the table from me. ; )

Day Two

2009-06-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

(Two handsome fellows, hard at work...)

I had a difficult time at first with today's number....my mom went to the hospital with heart issues (she's okay) and I forgot to get my camera out of the van. : )

When we were back home, I was starting to fret...what to use? Then I started seeing 2's everywhere I looked......and since that's what I wanted today... ; )

(this picture shows how seldom I change this calendar-block lol) time...

TWO thousand calories.....look close..it's there... ; )

No. TWO food chopper...wonder why it's not No. 1?
sale...
TWO gas cans...
a TWO dollar sandwich....
and a TWO dollar tip. : )

Weiner Dog Wednesday

2009-06-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

Day ONE

2009-06-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

it begins with a colour challenge this week is numbers.

I had a bit of a difficult time deciding what to do with it, then I decided to just go with the flow and *post*. ; ) Each day, one number.

Today is number ONE.

One Dandy Lion in my yard...

ONE little squirrel asleep on the couch...
ONE happy doggie in the sunshine. (I don't know why, but every time I tried to get a picture of him today he opened his mouth.)
ONE kiwi fruit hiding in a bowl of nuts...

And ONE book of Chicken Soup...

Day TWO is here .

Day THREE is here.

Day FOUR is here.

Day FIVE is here.

Day SIX is here.

Day SEVEN.

Quick Recap...Before I Forget...

2009-05-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

I already have no idea what's been going on this week! I forget SO quickly!

Monday Emma was a not-feel-good-bear, but Tuesday she felt better and went to a cousin's school band concert.

Anna got sick Thursday morning, and had a dreadful fever with headache and sore throat all day, and Friday morning got up with stomach pains so bad she was doubled over in the floor. We took her to the ER, and the doctor said it was probably just a virus, which I had suspected anyway.....but I can't take a chance with my baby, so off to the ER we went. She was fine after the meds (the names of which I've forgotten) and ate, which she hadn't felt like doing yesterday, and walked about 2 miles when she went to my mom's tonight. She fell asleep early tonight, so hopefully she'll wake up feeling better tomorrow.

Thursday Daddy and I went to the food pantry to help unload food first thing in the morning, then when we were finished there we went and picked a gallon of cherries. I just got around to pitting them this evening, and we had cherry dumplings for supper...SO delicious! I had enough for another day, too, so I put those in the freezer for later. I LOVE spring and fresh fruit!

My garden is BEAUTIFUL...I need to get some pics of it. The tomatoes are almost knee-high now, and starting to bloom...except one poor fellow who is being eaten for some reason. Still, one plant out of 16...I can let the bugs have one, I guess. lol I remembered today I had meant to get some peppers so I can make hot sauce again, I don't suppose it's too late, so I might try looking for some pepper plants to put out, and I forgot okra, too, so I might also possibly try to get some of that going...I don't know about seeds so late, though....que sera sera, I guess. ; )

Tomorrow I'm going to go to a used book sale or two...depending on what time I get going in the morning. I had books I was going to take to try to sale, but they were supposed to be dropped off by 1 today, and we didn't get out of the ER until 1:30. Que sera sera there, too, I suppose. ; )

We took 12 boxes...cases, really...of books to the library for their annual sale. I am SO glad to have those boxes out of my living room floor and off my porch and out of my van! I did pretty well, I thought...I only found two books to bring in the last time I went through them. ; ) I'm just hoping we won't buy any of them back at the sale. lol

Oh, yeah...one more thing...

Rosie picked me! Rosie picked me! Rosie picked me!!! (You can't see it, but I'm doing a happy dance, which is what I do every time I think of it! Rosie picked me!) I get a really cool long black necklace, which Emma is already asking to wear. ; ) AWESOME!!!

Weiner Dog Wednesday

2009-05-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

white & green

2009-05-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

it begins with a colour challenge for this week is white and green.

I have attempted a photo slideshow...something I've wanted to try for a long time.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

5-25-09

2009-05-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

Emma was sick today, so we scrapped all our plans and stayed home most of the day.

In the evening we went to get water, and the cherries were ripe! (Well, ripe enough...lol) I ate so many my teeth felt funny, because they *were* still a bit sour. By Wednesday, though, I think they'll be just about right. The mulberries were starting to get ripe, too...Yay for fresh fruit! I LOVE spring!!

Third Week of May Recap

2009-05-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to do a quick recap of last week before I forget it all...

I've already blogged about the book sale, so I'll start after that...

Thursday, Daddy went up to Gilbert, WV, where the flooding was, to help bring a kitchen trailer back with a man who had been doing relief work. He was gone all day, because he worked in the morning, came home long enough to grab a snack and a water bottle, then he headed up there, and it was 8:45 pm when he got home. While he was gone Anna and I walked up the road a little ways to a spot of easy creek access and waded in the water a bit, then we came home and got Emma and we all walked to the end of the road and back. I cooked a chicken and made spinach soup again (and put a bit too much salt in the soup), and we all had homemade ice cream when Daddy got home...except for Daddy who is lactose intolerant. He had popcorn, and we all watched The Tale of Despereaux, which I enjoyed. It was a bit hard to follow in places, but still, a very satisfying movie.

One day this week...not sure which one...I cut my hay, then Friday I raked it and covered it just in case it rained Saturday, like was predicted...however, it didn't rain Saturday, and was beautiful and sunshiny and I could have left it out to dry a bit longer. Oh well. ; ) We went to visit my mom, and Anna found a tiny baby bunny getting eaten (or preparing to be eaten) by cats. She rescued it, and made a nest in a round plastic thingey for it, and brought it home with her. It's skin was torn off it's hind leg, but she still had hopes it would be okay. We put it in with Brussels Sprout, because we figured if anyone could help it, it would be Brussels Sprout. I looked up caring for baby bunnies online, though, and it said only 10% of wild bunnies taken in will live, and almost none that have been attacked by cats. : (

Saturday I began the day by buying strawberries...YUMMY!!! Then we went up to my mom's and spent the day, the squirrels playing with my sister's kids, and Daddy working on Mom's garage. In the evening we stopped at home for a minute and fed the baby bunny some fresh clover and spinach and lambs quarters. Then we went to a cookout with our food pantry friends. We were tired and not planning on staying long, but you know how it is, and we sat and talked, and the squirrels played baseball and hide-and-seek, and carried around the ABSOLUTELY cutest miniature dachshund EVER! His name was Zero, which was a dreadful name for someone so cute. : )

It was late when we got home, and I was planning on reading in bed for a bit before falling asleep, but only read one page and I was *gone*. I have no idea how late the squirrels stayed up, because they were still up, eating strawberries and reading when I went to bed. : )

Today when I went out to feed the rabbits, Anna's little wild bunny was almost dead, but I didn't wake her to tell her, only waited until she woke up, then told her, and when she went out to check, it had already died. We buried it next to the bunny hutches, nestled in some fresh hay. So, today has been a sad day for her. :,,,(

This week we have a dozen or so things to do, but only two actually marked on the calendar, so I'm hoping we can remember them all...I *really* need to get them all marked, but some things I don't remember the actual date we're supposed to be doing them! I guess I'll guess, and we'll see how well I do....I might at least learn to start marking things down. ; P

Weiner Dog Wednesday

2009-05-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

yellow memories...

2009-05-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

The "it begins with a colour" theme is YELLOW for this week.

When I was about 13 we moved into an old, old house. The kitchen was an addition, tacked on to the back of the original 1800's house, and it *could* have been a very dreary, unhappy room.

Instead, my mom painted the walls a cheery yellow, added blue touches for accent, and hung what I remember as the most beautiful curtains in the whole, wide world. They were gauzy white, with yellow flowers on long green stems.

I sometimes dream about having those curtains in my kitchen.

Even on the coldest wintery days (and that house did get cold!) the kitchen was always a warm and happy place to be.

With sweet and happy memories of a yellow room, it's no wonder it's one of my favourite colors now! : )

One of my Favourite Things...

2009-05-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

is a used book sale!

We totally got more stuff than this, but about half of it disappeared as soon as we came in the door.

We did get less stuff than at last year's sale, but we still managed to come home with a box full.

Besides what is in the picture Daddy got several books, and I picked up some posters and nature magazines for Anna, plus a binder and a folder. We took fifteen or so boxes ~BIG boxes~ of books to sale, and we brought home fourteen boxes full...so since we filled one box there, we sold two boxes of books! Yay! We made $26.80.

Emma wanted to keep our table...and I didn't mind, because I wanted to shop. She did all the calculating in her head...I took a calculator, but she didn't want to use it.

When we got home they got out the Model Magic stuff and played with it some, and Emma made this statue for Froggy's front yard...

she says the smile reminds her of Aunt Bea...

You may have to click on it to see it close enough to tell. ; )

turquoise

2009-05-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Apples for Poppy Anne photographic treasure hunt...turquoise. "I have come up with this: once per week {mondays}, I will give any of those who wish to participate, a photographic treasure hunt of sorts. It can be a private experiment or it can be a public affair of your choosing."

I looked about for turquoise, and thought I didn't have any.

Then I *really* went searching...

and I found turquoise in bits, here and there...

On my coffee mug...

In the fraction tiles....

which are seldom used for fractions...the squirrels use them for some sort of game with dice; I've not been able to understand their instructions so far. ; )

on books...and on the "Buddha Bag"....turquoise is such a cheery color, I wish I had more of it around!

'Twas fun searching out the bits of color in my life!

Thanks for the inspiration!

Minute Musings

Regarding Violent "Discipline" for Teen Girls

Two Things

Helping

Game Over.

Helping?

The Things You Can't Say Out Loud

The Year of the House

Christmas Woes

Just a Thought....

But WHY???

It's a SUPPLEMENT, Okay?

Spankings

A Book Giveaway

Decluttering....and Re-cluttering... ;)

What NOT to Donate

Sharing a Contest....

Trash Pickup

Too Funny Not to Share *Somewhere* ;)

This & That :)

Morning Walk

Morning Walk

It's AMAZING -

This is SO Annoying....

You Know What?...

I *Don't* Think SO...

Signs of the Times...

A Conversation

I Think They've Got Something There...

Mister Potato Head(s)

Vacation!

Putting Things Off...

Bows? Really?

Sleep Paralysis

Hummmm....

April Brilliance! ;)

A Thought on Dieting

Idiots Annoy Me...

*Super* Moon?

Dogs and Bits of Food

Christmas Ornaments

Swirly Learning

Unschooling

Odd Bits of Rambling...

On Self-Evaluations, from GWS #116

New Year, New House, New Life?

Thursday Thankfulnesses

Sick, Sick, SICK!

Thankful Thursday #3

Thankful Thursday #2

Bucket List?

Thankful Thursday

Fall Decorations - Super Easy Cute Pumpkins

October....

Having FUN!

The First Week of October, or Thereabouts

Late Nights

Lists and Scheduling (Article)

9-23-09

Recent Animal Encounters

Thank God, We're Back Home! LOL!

From a Conversation Online...Real Love

A Beautiful Mess...

Happiness Is...

Hiatus

Cats DO Control Humans!

I've Laughed All Evening About This...

It Begins With a Colour: Circle

The Lord is My Pace Setter

My Life, Part Two

My Life...

It Begins With a Colour....PURPLE!

Wiener Dog Wednesday

6-27-09

Wiener Dog Wednesday

Looking Up

Jam!

I'm Dreaming....

It Begins With A Colour :::Wild Card:::

If It Weren't For Scheduled Posts...

Too Funny Not to Share Somewhere ;)

I Don't Think SO...

Super Moon?