Spring? Cleaning

Spring cleaning in December causes surprise in people. They make comments like, "You are either very early or very late." The truth is I was very late. My spring was quite busy with an online class and a kid's broken head. Then summer came and there were camps and an exchange student. Suddenly it was fall and schedules were busy with school and activities. So December comes with a break and the opportunity to clean. My children do not see the break the same way as their mother. December comes and brings a break, but cleaning is not in any way implied. Here are some comments I heard... "Boy when my friends ask what I did for the holidays I can only say, 'Clean, clean, clean.'" "Don't you understand what "Holiday" means?" And my favorite, "But I don't want to!" The Queen of Clean couldn't keep this joy to her family alone, and so during a birthday party two more rooms were cleaned by the guests. I laid out all of the supplies and ran through the list of jobs to be completed then asked for volunteers. Here is part of the conversation... "So is Spring Cleaning just dusting and sweeping?" asked one friend. "It is deep cleaning. It includes washing the windows and walls..." I explained. "Wash walls! You wash walls?!" interrupted Best Buddy. "We don't wash walls." "Well then I will have to go to your house and teach you how to clean properly." I'm not sure, but I think I saw fear in his eyes. ------------- One of the reasons I love my house is that it has so many windows. I love letting light into a house. I love looking out and watching the animals in the field, the birds on the wire, even the stars at night. What do I not love about my house? The fact that it sits between a dirt road and a dusty field, but for now anyway ALL of the windows are clean. How beautiful. I told Hubby about #1's question, "Do you ever have fun?" I guess the answer depends on your age. Perhaps to a 14 year old, clean windows don't sound fun, but to a 40 year old woman who loves looking out the window they are very fun indeed.

Evolution of a Birthday Party

When my first son was born he would nurse by pushing his perfect little paws against me and kneading my breast like a puppy does its mother. That was how he got the pet name "Puppy". So, of course, for his first birthday it was a puppy theme. We had ham and cheese sandwiches cut with a puppy cookie cutter and puppy plates and napkins. The birthday cake was a homemade carrot cake sweetened with apple juuice. No artificial colors or sweeteners for my baby! Less than two years later we would celebrate the second child's first birthday with snowmen shaped chocolate cupcakes. His first word besides "Mommy" and "Daddy" was "Chocolate". There are many different parties in my memory. The first's third party included pumpkin pie instead of a cake because he much preferred pumpkin pie. The second child's fourth birthday was science themed mixing "potions" outside on the driveway and setting off rockets with alka-seltzer. There was a Cowboy party shooting cans off the fireplace with a dart gun, and the next year's Indian party that included a tipi in the back yard. There was once even a Cat party that included bringing cat toys and pet food to donate to the local animal shelter. We have never been big, expensive party people. The kids have been allowed to have over as many friends as their new age. We would celebrate with those few friends for a couple of hours, and then they would all go home. After the boys were about 10 years old, I told them they could have a few friends over for a sleepover or have the number of friends their age for a few hours. Ever since they have chosen the sleepovers. Sleepovers are not much trouble for me. The kids play, usually outside games like flashlight tag, and when I am ready to go to bed I tell them to stay inside and lock the door. In the morning I give them breakfast and then they leave. No themes, no decorations, just a cake and a couple of presents. My second baby turned 12 yesterday. He had a sleepover. They got up around 9:30 for breakfast, and then I made this announcement. "We are spring cleaning this week. You are welcome to stay all day long if you like, but we have to clean the two front rooms today. If you want to stay, you must first help clean those rooms. I will give you pizza for lunch, too." So they all chipped in and the rooms were done in just over an hour. No fancy decorations or themes, not even a cake since he asked to only have ice cream. Twelve is evidently the year that you learn the world does not revolve around your birth, and dirt must be fought every day of the year. Happy Birthday my Sweet Son!

Is It Clean?

Getting back a day earlier than expected had its benefits. I was able to unpack and rest from the travels a day earlier. That meant that we could start working a day earlier. Hooray!! We are spring cleaning a little early this week, and yesterday was the bedrooms. I made a list of what had to be done in the bedrooms...wash baseboards, dust, sweep, mop, wash windows and walls, change sheets; the normal spring cleaning stuff... and each boy was to do his own room while I did mine. I knew that they wouldn't do it to the specifications I would like, but I deep cleaned their room this past summer, so I was willing to let it go to a little lower standard. While I was cleaning my room I ran across an article by Dave Barry. He was talking about Male Genetic Dirt Blindness. He said that a guy could look at a commode (toilet) and say it was clean enough for heart surgery or slicing meat, while a woman could look at the same commode and not even see a commode but only a swarm of commode-shaped bacteria. I quite agree. #1 came downstairs several times saying his room was finished and I would go upstairs and declare it NOT finished. There would still be dirt on the floor. He mopped around the garbage! He told me he dusted only to have me cover my finger with dust on his dresser. He about had a conniption when I said you actually have to take all of the books off the case to clean it properly. #2 wasn't any better. When I asked if he had dusted he answered yes, but he only has one spot that gets dusty. He has a bookcase, two dressers, a chest, a desk, and a bed...and only ONE SPOT gets dusty? Hello Commode. So last night about 8:00 as I was still working on my to-do list #1 says, "I have been noticing recently that you work an awful lot. What do you do for fun?" The nearly 14 year old son of a mother that has always worked hard has just noticed recently? I think this explains the heart surgery commode. At 10:30 when we headed to bed I realized that I had forgotten to clean the ceiling fan. I mentioned it to Hubby and he asked how would I be able to sleep knowing it was dirty. That wasn't funny. So today before we start on the new day's Spring Cleaning, I have to go back to yesterday's and clean a fan. Perhaps I will do a little heart surgery too.

Rescue

This is just a quick update for those who may be worried. We left WV last night at 9:00. It was a sudden decision, but I think a good one. We didn't have trouble until we got to the NC border. There the snow had been falling for a while and the salt was no longer doing its job on the roads. The snowplow we passed didn't have its blade down; Hubby said he must have been trying to keep control of the "drifts" instead of actually clearing the road. Anyway, we drove all night, got in at 7:00 this morning and fell into bed. The roads are covered, the neighbor is trying to get out of his drive, and I am about to head over with a shovel to help them. We rescued two guys last night, or really early this morning I should say, so I guess it is the season of rescue in more than one way. Thank you God for rescue from bad roads, but especuially from sin and death. Happy Holidays.

Breaking the Fast

So my week of fasting is ended. I have to say that I enjoyed slowing down the stress. I even started knitting again; something I hadn't done in over a year! Friday was a bit stressful if for no other reason than that a kid broke his nose. I had the Envirothon team over for practice, and they always spend part of the time playing football. Friday was no different, but it ended differently for #2's Best Buddy. Another kid was tackled and knocked into Best Buddy breaking his nose and sending forth a great gush of blood. #2 came into the house, not at all upset, and said he thought I might want to come outside because someone was hurt. About halfway out he told me what was going on, and I took off running. All of the other boys were huddled on the ground around him, and there was Best Buddy holding a bloody nose three times its normal size. I called his mother right away to come and get him. He has had three concussions in his lifetime, and I didn't want anything hanging over me. She came right over and took off with him. He was amazingly calm and was asking if he couldn't please stay, but I said, "NO!" That was a case of realizing the importance of urgency and taking care of it right away. --------- Today I am washing laundry, paying bills, and stopping things like the paper so that we can be ready to go to WV for the holiday. That is a true test of deciding what is urgent and what can wait. I feel like it is going well, but not everything is ready to go yet. There might be a mad rush tonight before we pack the van. Hope everyone has a lovely holiday season. Enjoy some quiet time with God and thank Him for those moments of stress-free rest.

Starting Afresh Without Urgency

Yes I am still fasting from urgency. I just read yesterday's newspaper and mail. Actually there is good reason for that. Yesterday we had school all day, and then Hubby and I went out for our anniversary dinner. The day started with snow and slick roads, which was perfect since our wedding started in much the same way. On my way to school we passed a couple of people in the ditches, but this WV girl made it just fine. There were over 100 wrecks in our county yesterday. I had several kids not show for class. The high schoolers all made it there though. They took semester finals yesterday. We covered Romeo and Juliet, and then they took the test in class. I haven't graded them yet, but the kids said they felt good about it. After school I sent the boys home with a friend, and went home to Hubby. He and I went out to a steakhouse for dinner. They overcooked my steak so the manager brought me a new one, which was also overcooked. Then she brought out a third one as I was about done with the rest of my meal. She took my whole meal off the bill, and I brought home the two steaks for today's lunch. It was a bit wedding night reminiscent as we had so much trouble getting to the hotel that the kitchen was closed. They did give us a cheese and cracker tray that night. 21 years later and we still can't get a good meal! After dinner we came home and watched Notting Hill together on the couch. I knitted and Hubby suffered. He had a chunk taken out of his arm in the morning to make sure a spot is ok. We did have a cup of hot cocoa together. Here's to the next 21 years! Actually I told Hubby yesterday morning that I thought I might be having a bad omen. All in one morning I ran out of razor blades, shaving cream, deodorant, shampoo, and hairspray. He said he thought that was a good omen that meant we can always start afresh.

Still Resting

The dog and I are enjoying being near the furnace. Hubby took her out this morning to get the paper and break the ice for the animals. The dog tried several times to get him to come back inside. She is a bit spoiled. I think we will be taking her with us to WV next week. It doesn't look like there will be a break in the temps, and she isn't used to being outside during extreme cold. In WV we can keep her in our parents' garages. I did not finish the laundry yesterday, though I came close. I thought about taking the boys to see a movie, but decided we have plenty of access to movies right here at home, and we stayed in. We watched Home Alone 2. They hadn't seen the Home Alone movies before so it was fun to hear them laugh at the absurdity of it all. This morning Hubby and I read through some devotional things with #1 and answered some questions together. Some of it was on goal-setting, and the differences between Hubby and I are funny. I see goal-setting as boring and stifling because it is setting up rules for myself. Hubby sees it as freeing and energizing because it gives him something to look forward to. I guess in that manner opposites attracted. We aren't very opposite though. Tomorrow we celebrate 21 years of marriage, and I think it is our likenesses that have kept us happily married for so long. So my restfulness continues tomorrow as we go out to dinner and maybe see a movie. I asked if we could go to the grocery, but he said I should try to go today. Where is his romantic side?!

Fasting

The sermon Sunday was from Isaiah on true fasting. It seems the Hebrews were very good at fasting to fulfill requirements, but not good at fasting to be closer to the Lord. Preacher Man always gives us an assignment for the week, and this week it was to identify what is keeping us from the Lord and then to fast from it. I have decided urgency or stress is keeping me from my God. Hubby asked me how I plan to fast from urgency this week, and I told him, "I just am." I am making a conscious effort to not hurry, not be scheduled, not think about what else needs doing. Yesterday it looked like sitting on the couch for several hours and not finishing the laundry. Today it looks like going to a movie with my kids and maybe still not finishing the laundry. Tomorrow I don't know what it will look like since I am not allowed to schedule it. For some that may look like laziness; to me that normally looks like laziness. This week, however, it seems to look like Jubilee. I am not using all of the free time to just sit. I am using the time to worship and meditate. This morning I decided that I should read Psalms about rest. What did I notice? Rest brings great praise to the Father and Creator. So from what will you be fasting? ------------- Some of us would like to be fasting from the cold. I had to use a sledge hammer to break the ice for the animals this morning. When Hubby left for work he had to break it again. The high today is to be 32 degrees! That is February weather! Hopefully it won't last all winter. I lost all of the beautiful tomatoes in the greenhouse. The pea plants are holding on, and some of the lettuce is still ok, but it is not warm enough for anything to grow. Except kids. Just wait, all of my family, when you see us next week you will think I have been feeding the boys Miracle Grow!

Get That Out of the Sink

Remember the days when you argued with a parent, and the parent won? You muttered under your breath, "I'll never say that to my kid." Although there are things you swear you will never say to your kids, there are things you never thought you would have to say to your kids. My favorite is a friend who had to tell her young son, "Don't pee in your cereal bowl!" I am sure that one never made it to my list of things I will never tell my children. Yesterday another one passed over my lips, "Can you please get the bird skull out of the kitchen sink?" The boys dissected owl pellets last week, and they kept the bones they found. #2 also kept the bones from other kids' pellets. (What did those parents have to do to get kids who would NOT keep their pellet remains?) Anyway, the teacher had told the kids if they wanted to keep the remains, they needed to bleach them to get rid of pests and bacteria. The boys put them in the sink to bleach them, and somehow #2's didn't get any farther. The bird skull was actually quite interesting having a 3-4 inch bill still attached. No wonder the owl coughed that up! The bad part, though, was that there were still feathers attached to the skull. #2 had to pluck them out and bleach the skull some more. But with what to pluck the feathers? Hmm. "Can I borrow your tweezers?" So not only are there things you never thought you might say, but there are things you never thought you might do.

Christmas Tacos

We had our first snow this past weekend. The boys were going to a friend's house to go caroling in their neighborhood, and Joyful Noise it snowed! I don't think it has ever snowed in December here, at least not this early. There was enough snow for them to throw some snowballs and a few houses' occupants made little snowmen. By Sunday lunch it was all gone again. So imagine the confusion when I started canning tomatoes last night. My brain doesn't know if it is summer or winter. I must say, however, it is much more comfortable to can in the winter than in the summer. Our greenhouse is turning out to be a good thing. My tomatoes are about done producing, but the ones on the vine are still good and ripening. The lettuce is absolutely gorgeous. We had taco salad last night and my husband's plate looked brilliant. The bright green lettuce and gorgeous red tomatoes mixed with the black beans and white rice made the meal as pretty as any Christmas lights. So perhaps I am mixed up with the seasons, but at least I am still in the Christmas mode.

An Allegory

My first article was "published" last week. I wrote a short article for our homeschool newsletter. I tried to copy and paste here on blogger, but it won't let me. I have to type in everything myself. That frustrates me when I would like to share it with everyone, but know that I need to get lesson plans done this morning. So here is my story typed very quickly... Growing in my kitchen is an avacado tree. It has enjoyed a spot in my window for over a year. Amos was learning about plants for one of his 4H projects, and seed germination was part of the study. We like a good guacamole in this house, and fresh is best, so we happened to have an avocado seed handy. Amos stuck toothpicks in the seed, positioning it in a jar to be halfway in the water. Then we waited. Time passed, and Amos had to turn in the project record, but nothing had happened to the seed. He was ready to throw the seed away since the project was over and he didn't need it anymore, but the guacamole lovers rescued the seed thinking it might be a great experiment to grow the tree and have some free avocados. The seed sat in the window for many months without any signs of growth. Matt and I continued to fill the jar with water as it evaporated, but nothing happened. Then, wonder of wonders, a crack formed in the seed. Great excitement filled the air, only to be replaced with despondency when nothing else happened. Months later a small sprout, barely visible, began to grow from the crack. Well here was some hope, but the water was green and looked disgusting there in the window. The growth was so slow that I considered throwing the whole thing out and just buying avacados. My husband didn't give up hope though, and the seed stayed put in the window. Finally last summer the sprout experienced a growth spurt. It grew toward the light, so we turned it, watered it, and fussed over it. Perhaps our dream of guacamole from our own yard was not in vain! The tree has 7 leaves now and other sprouts have started growing from it. Soon I may have to change the small jar for a larger one, but I am not thinking of throwing it out. Now I consider where we might plant the tree. At some point it will have to go outside. My husband and I will find just the riught spot to help it grow and produce. We will plant it in fertile soil that is well-prepared for our young tree, and then we will watch it grow. It will be a strong tree that produces awesome avocados for great guacamole. _________ I had another thought the other night. I feel like I am planting trees, but several of my friends feel like they are planting seeds. Maybe that is why they have a hard time letting their children go. Perhaps if they had looked at their children as future men instead of current children they wouldn't be having these issues.

Two Weeks in One Post

Everything is turned in!!! WOO HOO!! #1 turned in 6 project records and #2 turned in 8. If they win at the county level it goes on to the district judging that I help with in the spring. #2 just received his check for the two gold projects he won at the district level this past spring. $100 sure makes it feel a lot more worth all of the hassle. He would like to buy an ipod. The play a couple of weeks ago went well. The king was able to recover and medicate himself enough to be at both performances. That was a big relief to #1. He only had to remember his original lines that way. The director did say that #1 got some brownie points for later for stepping up like that. Both sets of parents were here for four days. They rode down together from WV, and helped take care of things while I did make up during the play. We had a nice visit with them. The boys had been counting the days until their grandparents arrived. Now they count the days until they go to WV themselves. We celebrated Thanksgiving with our parents on Monday. They did all of the cooking while I went to the eye doctor. Everything has stayed stable in the last year, and my prescription is the same. I haven't decided yet if I will get the bifocals. I don't have to have them, but I am noticing more and more that it is harder for me to read. Anyway, we ate the feast together, and I didn't have to cook any of it! It was nice to have them here to visit with and to help out. Another friend had her family visiting at the same time, and she was telling me about their strained relationship. She couldn't believe that my husband's parents and mine would actually drive down together and stay for four days. It's nice to have such involved and cooperative grandparents. Since we didn't need to prepare a feast on Thursday I was able to relax on Thanksgiving Day. I decided to rest and use it as a holiday. I sat on the couch and shopped the whole day. I nearly completed my holiday shopping that day! Of course I have been shopping at different times throughout the year and it has all been hidden throughout the house. Now things are wrapped and waiting in the spare room. The boys have already been shaking and feeling things to make their guesses. They are so funny. A few days after the play #1 ended up having the same fever that the King had had. #1 suffered a couple of days with it and then has had a cough since. He always ends fevers with coughs that last a few weeks. That should get him better right before Christmas. Now we have two weeks of school left, and then the holiday season will be in full force. Of course a lot of festivities start now. Tomorrow night the boys are going to a party to sing carols while riding through a neighborhood. Then they head back for hot chocolate and goodies. Hubby and I are planning a quiet evening at home. Sunday evening is our church Holiday Banquest and Talent Show. #2 is planning to juggle and Hubby always writes a story for the event. So that catches you up on the last two weeks. Hope your holidays have been and will continue to be a blessing to you and yours.

Bleeding Green

Breathe. Breathe. Yes, it is "4H Project Record Book Time". That means life as we know it is put on hold and every thought and motion is under the Green Patrol. Books are actually due a month earlier this year. I think I am going to like it, because it means I have all of December to relax before we start new projects for next year. HOWEVER, I am not there yet, and so I dream of the day I turn in all records, forms, and files. Actually I don't know how I can dream of it since I can't go to bed until I am done. I would be done, but I made a discovery today. The electricity project that we completed this year isn't the right one for the boys to qualify for the free trip in the summer to Electric Congress. So I made a few calls, and visited a few friends, and voila I have acquired the correct book. So tomorrow the boys have to do 7 activities based on the correct electricity book. Lots of smiles and cheers for that one!! But once they do that, it is all over. YEE HAW! ----------- Once all of this is out of the way I will update on the last week and a half. It has to do with the play, Thanksgiving with family, relaxing, shopping, and a sick kid. All of that and Project Records. No wonder I feel a little loopy.

Stepping Up in Kingly Fashion

Last night at the dress rehearsal one of the worse things that can happen did happen. One of the lead parts got very sick. 102.7 fever! So an hour before the full dress rehearsal in front of an audience, #1 was asked to step in and take the king's spot. I didn't even know what was going on because I was putting make-up on the other actors. Evidently about an hour before the rehearsal the actor called the director to say he couldn't make it. The director asked #1 to step in, and he did a great job. I found out about 20 minutes before they were to go on. He came to ask me to do his make-up, and we were able to chat for a minute. He was nervous, but doing ok. While the cast went over some last notes, he sat on the bleachers going over the part. I felt miserable for him, knowing that he doesn't like change. After everything got settled, I went out to the auditorium to watch the play. I have been at several practices this week, but I am always graading papers or some such task and hadn't seen more than snatches of the play. The play is The Spell of Sleeping Beauty, and it is funny. It is meant as children's theater and involves the audience a bit. The evil witch is perfect, and I imagine some small kids may cry!

#1 was able to say a lot of the lines without any aid from the script. He is in a lot of scenes with the king, so he also had to teach another kid his original part. I was impressed with his ability to jump right in and take over. Yes, he used the script some, but honestly he stuck to the part and did excellent.

Even people in the audience were amazed at how comfortable he was and how quickly he caught on and knew the part.

At the curtain call, he was called out, "Go King!!" He told me on the way home that he wished people would just tell the truth, "You did ok for the first time, but you messed up a lot." I told him he was nuts. If it had been his part for the whole play they would be right in saying such a thing, but to jump in and take over a large part like he did was a very royal act indeed. Hopefully the other kid will be fine by tonight, it would be a shame for him to miss out after all of the hard work and time he put into the play. But if he is still sick, #1 will be the king.

Short Eternal Story

The high school Composition class I am teaching is going well, though I don't like all of the grading. I would much rather write a story than try to grade one. I have several talented writers in my class. Currently we are working on short stories. Short stories often have a moral, and rarely do they end well. Besides writing short stories, the kids are having to read a couple each week. It is interesting to me that the kids have enjoyed the older stories better than the "newer" ones. The more recent ones aren't really all that recent, but in comparison they are. They have enjoyed The Bet by Chekov, Dr. Heidegger's Experiment by Hawthorne, God Sees the Truth But Waits by Tolstoy, and An Honest Thief by Dostoyevsky. Some of the kids don't like the sad endings, but they seem to understand the morals behind them. Perhaps that is why the kids like these stories: morals. All of the kids have been raised to know Christ and His standards. They understand right and wrong, good and evil, just and unjust. I have been reading Jesus Freaks lately; it's a book about Christian Martyrs. What I mostly notice is Communism's lack of understanding. Communists try very hard to eradicate Christianity because Christians pledge to a higher authority. They can't seem to see, however, that the higher authority actually allows them to serve those around them in an even better way than communism requires. How can feeding the hungry, serving the helpless, and loving the orphaned be bad in any society? It seems that life on Earth is the basic short story...Good versus evil, but it doesn't always look like the good wins. To those of us who know the Eternal Story, and not the just the short version, it is the Pulitzer Prize Award Winner.

Loving the Lord with Your Shoes Off

I stepped over a black pair of dress shoes yesterday as I headed out of the sanctuary to help serve communion. It never crossed my mind that the shoes were not on my child's feet. It never even entered my mind that the child whose feet should be in the shoes wasn't in his chair. It was not until I returned from serving communion that I realized #2 was putting his shoes on. His shoes often come off in church, truth be told so do mine, but the embarrassing part of the story is that he was ALSO serving communion. Yes, in his stocking feet, my child served the body of the Lord. I hope God saw it as respectfully walking on Holy Ground. ---------- The hang out Friday night went well. We had about 20 kids show up and they played so hard that one of the moms called the next day to tell me how exhausted her kids were. One fell asleep at the breakfast table and the other didn't make it past the floor at the top of the steps. My boys are already talking about next month's hang out! ---------- Why is there always one basket of unfolded clothes left all week until next laundry day? I would like to start one laundry day without having to finish the last one. Play practice starts later this week as the kids prepare for a night performance on Friday. This last week is always a killer, but we love being a part of it. All of the grandparents are coming down on Friday to spend several days with us. They will go to the play on Saturday. Monday they are preparing a Thanksgiving Feast for us, since we won't make it home this year, and we will all enjoy it together. Last week in Science class #2 commented that he wouldn't have understood the chapter if he hadn't seen the movie on black holes at the museum last summer. That lead us into a conversation about why he does better at school because of the advantages he has in life, and then I asked him to name them. He said he has the advantage of having his parents with him all of the time, and that we travel a lot and go to museums and parks, then thirdly he said, "And I get to see my grandparents, and they come to see me." I thought it was great that he picked up on that huge advantage. Knowing that you are greatly loved and cared for, that someone (in this case 4 someones) think you are the best thing that ever happened, can put you ten thousand steps above the rest in the advantage race. If only everyone could see the way the Lord loves them.

Alexander Graham Bell Would Be Shocked

I went to a home school support meeting last night and learned a lot about my phone. The speaker is a fairly new homeschooler; her kids are 8 and 4. She is still in the "do it all" phase of home schooling. Her topic was explaining an organizational notebook that she keeps. The notebook was probably 4 inches thick!!! The experienced home school mom at our table pulled out her spiral notebook and said, "It is all in here." I then pulled out my pocket calendar and said, "It is all in here." If I lose that little calendar I'm toast. Then the speaker said something about a memo pad on her phone. Hmm, I thought, I wonder if I have one of those on my phone. Soon the 4 moms at my table were all engrossed in our phones. None of us had bothered to see what capabilities our phones have; we just use them to call people. Go figure. Yes, my phone has a memo pad, as well as a way to put dates on a calendar, set alarm reminders, make to-do lists, and more. My phone is one of the free ones you get when you sign up for a plan, and it is several years old now, so it really is easier to just keep a little pad of paper in my purse and write myself a note. I know that sounds like an old person afraid of technology, but in reality it is a mother afraid of a 4 inch binder! I like my pocket calendar, thank you very much.

Thirteen Year Old Eeyore

#1 has always been a bit of an Eeyore. You know, the sad, gray donkey from Winnie-the-Poooh. No matter what happens, even if it is good, Eeyore expects that it will end poorly. I used to say that if #1 got to go to the Zoo, the Circus, and a Movie all in one day, but stubbed his toe at 10:00 a.m., it would have been the worst day of his life. Now Eeyore is 13 and it has become even worse, or funnier depending which side you are sitting on. Not long ago, perhaps last week, he asked me if he is difficult to teach. I said, "When you don't focus and complain about why you have to learn any of this anyway, yes you are difficult to teach. But no you are not hard to teach things to. Why?" "All of my teachers sigh when they have to teach me." "What?" "When I have a question they moan or sigh when I ask it. They make comments like 'We would dissect, but SOME people can't handle it.' I just don't think any of the teachers like me." Now, granted I am one of his teachers and occasionally I do sigh when he comes with a problem, but never in class! Of the other 3 teachers, 2 are really good friends who love him like their own. Maybe they are sighing like I am! Last week after a fun Halloween Party, we got home to hear, "I don't think anyone cared that I was at that party." Why he would think that is beyond me, but think that he did. He has been acting that way for quite a while now, and I am about to the point of saying, "You are right. Nobody loves you. Nobody wants to be around you. You have no friends. Go eat a worm." I have refrained so far. This is so foreign to me. I expect to have fun. I expect that things will go well. I imagine that everyone likes me, because really, why wouldn't they like me? My neighbor calls me Miss Sunshine because I think the best of others and think they think the same of me. Sometimes I get the feeling that he doesn't think that way about me though, but then I move on. My neighbor is an Eeyore, too. I just invited all of the 11-14 year old homeschoolers over this Friday night for Capture the Flag and a fire. Want to make a bet that Eeyore thinks no one will come? I expect about 30 kids myself! I wonder how Eeyore's mother got him through puberty?

You Know You're Married When...

When I was 19 I prepared for a date by showering, fixing my hair, applying make-up with special care, and even spritzing on a little body spray. My date would arrive at the preappointed time, and we would head out for dinner and a movie with popcorn and drinks, maybe followed by an exploration of the local bookstore. Yesterday my lover and I decided to go on a date. I sold two goats this weekend and had a little extra cash. I was trying to finish up lesson plans for the week so I could get everything squared away for the coming week. As soon as I typed in the last of the lessons, I blurted, "Are you ready?" My date put on his shoes and off we went. Our first stop was to drop a borrowed sweater off at a friend's house, then we headed to the library for the history books. After that we raced to the theater to get tickets and Hubby had popcorn and soda. I declined as it upset my stomach the last couple of times. The movie was a comedy, and I cried through the whole thing. The movie was about two people who get an orphaned child when their friends pass away. It did have funny sections, but the mother in me kept thinking what if this were our child. After the movie we went to the grocery store and were excited to find they had restocked the organic mac and cheese (49 cent special) and milk was marked down to $1.75 for dates of November 10. We bought 4 gallons. We tried to make a side trip to Lowe's to look at seeds for the greenhouse, but they were closing. Then we made a final stop at another grocer that carries the laundry soap I needed. Today is laundry day and I was completely out of soap. On the way to that store my date started sniffling and by the time we pulled in the parking lot he had a bloody nose. We managed a kiss in the van when we pulled into the driveway. Then I came in, ate a bowl of cereal, and headed to bed...alone.

Sleep

I went to bed at 7:30 last night and it was nearly 7:30 when I got up this morning. One of my medical friends said that Bell's Palsy is related to Mono, so maybe that is why I am so tired. I just got up from an hour long nap too! I feel like I could still go lie down longer, but there is work to do, and do it I must. Today's paper had an article on American's use of money. It seems that even though the Great Recession is over, most Americans learned a lesson and are spending differently. Another short article in the paper had 10 ways to save your money. I get frustrated with those articles. We already do the things listed, so how can we save money? One friend pointed out that we make choices that limit the money we have. For instance, we have chosen to homeschool, and therefore I don't have a larger income. While that may be true, I would like help for those of us in this situation. There are more and more of us out there according to public school records. Don't tell me not to go shopping so often; the skirt I wore today is over 12 years old, the shoes 3 years, and the shirts hand-me-downs. I did buy 3 shirts for myself last week, but that was because I had a shortage of long-sleeved shirts, and we are saving money this year by keeping the heat lower. I thought the shirts were a wise investment. One way we have been cutting back is to not eat out. It takes a lot of forethought, but it is definitely helping the pocketbook. As it was we ate out about once a week as a family and once with Guys' Night Out. Now we eat out a couple of times a month. The guys have been limiting their restaurants to twice a month and just watching a movie at home or looking around the library. The library is a great way to save money. We have a great library system here as well as being able to use the University library. We borrowed The Odd Couple from the university this past week and watched it last night as a family. The movie isn't as good as the tv show. Maybe I will have to add that to NetFlix. Oops. There's an expense we could cut out. Shh. Now off to the work!

Smokin'

I put a brisket in the fabulous crockpot yesterday morning, and we had a terrific dinner last night of brisket, corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes and gravy. I guess I decided how to cook those potatoes after all! During dinner Hubby asked if I know anything about Liquid Smoke. No. "The brisket is good, but if it had a little of that smokey flavor it would be great." I stared him down. "What?" "That would be putting chemicals in your food!" I exclaimed. And the match was on. "But it would make the meat taste better," he smiled. "Carcinogens," I returned. "Taste," he mocked. "Don't you know your body is a temple?" I cried. "Don't you think there was smoke in the Temple?" he slyly chuckled. At this #1 could hold himself back no longer. "I bet Abraham smoked Camels," he giggled. Match won by the novice rookie. We were all laughing. This morning #1 put bread into the toaster and then headed to the newspaper. About 10 minutes later Hubby walked out of the bedroom into the kitchen and about died from smoke inhalation. The toaster sticks on the right hand side and #1 was oblivious to the layer of smoke filling the room next to him. The whole house is full of smoke now and we are freezing as we try to air the house out. It wasn't Camels that boy was smoking. --------- We are getting our family portrait taken today. The yearbook staff this year is taking pictures of the whole family and then you get a cd of the pictures with permission to print them. We haven't had a family picture taken in about 7 years, and I didn't buy that one. This may be the last one while the kids are still at home. Sad to think.

Potatoes

I can't decide what my potatoes are or how to "cook" them. Sunday I went to a new homeschooler meeting. The topic for the day was time management, and I was talking about lesson planning. The leader showed us how you can get more in a bucket if you put in the big, important things first. She loaded in the potatoes, then beans, then rice, then water. Potatoes are the most important ingredient; "What are your potatoes?" she asked. Well, that isn't difficult. I know that Hubby and my boys along with myself are the potatoes. I didn't list God since I put him in with taking care of myself. BUT what does it mean that we are the potatoes? I can't decide. I hear all of the people around me talking about how fast time is going and that there isn't time for everything. All of my friends are stressed by everything they have to do. No one has any help for me; we are all in the same bucket swimming in a soup that we can't escape. I can't stay at home all of the time, but when you add in 4 people, we can't do everything that there is available to do. I can try to stay home until 3:00, but the school work still isn't done and the house still isn't clean. I am not watching tv and popping bon-bons either! I try to soothe myself with the knowledge that once the boys are gone then I can do the things that are left undone now. But how does that help with the stress level now? And I was talking to a grandmother yesterday who told me that she is always at meetings and functions and doesn't have time for the art that she planned on making all of those years she had kids at home. That was depressing. I guess I am once again complaining about the fast pace of life and the lack of leisure. I must figure it out though! My eye is twitching and I am exhausted yet again. I don't want to ask God to clarify things for me since I may be struck down with something worse that Bell's Palsy, but I sure do need some help that seems to be otherworldly, for no one here has any answers for me.

Sock Hop

Along with the DC pictures were the ones from the Sock Hop. Again, I didn't take many, but here are a few. I did buy a cd from the official photographer, but I haven't looked at it yet. #1 ha to help in the kitchen before it began.

The hula hoops are a big attraction. #2 was the night's winner. That boy can move!

Elvis was in the House and had a change of costume too. He looks more like Johnny Cash to me, but he does a good job of keeping the kids involved in the fun.

This sweet family is becoming more involved in our lives. Their oldest two sons are on the Envirothon team, and three of the kids are in my writing classes. The younger girl wanted to dance and her dad didn't want to. He was dragging her off the floor before the dance contest. Another mom and I hounded him about being a bad father, so he took her back to dance. They ended up winning! He was flipping her through the air and tossing her under his legs; she had a great time!

The night before we left for DC #1 was part of a Political Meet-n-Greet through 4-H. He was to ask one of the candidates a question. He seemed very pleased that his dad was there to see him. He seems to be wanting his dad these days. I guess it is right and proper...Growing Up I think they call it.

---------

I slept about 10 hours last night and I feel a lot better this morning. My lipstick went on a whole lot better this morning! I am blinking more naturally and my mouth is a bit easier to control, though singing in church had its issues. Thanks again for your prayers and concern.

Criminals on the Mall

The first night in DC we walked the Mall and looked at the monuments. I had taken a similar group photo at the Washington Monument 4 years ago. After a group picture, I thought they looked like they were in a line-up, so I had them do profile shots too.

--------- Thank you for the calls and emails about my health. I seem to be slowly improving. It has been a week and a day since the Bell's Palsy attacked full force. I still don't blink my right eye naturally, but things feel like they are returning to normal positions. Hubby isn't so sure, but then he hasn't had to put lipstick on the last week. My lip is definitely moving back toward its usual place. My rheumatology appointment went well yesterday. The doc said I don't have arthritis. I am just tired and achy because I am old. I liked the doctor that said I was young. I want HIM back! -------- I took the kids to a corn maze last night with SGA. Both of my boys were able to go since it was a family event. The kids went through the maze and the parents sat around the fire and talked. It was relaxing and enjoyable. I took my 2 as well as 5 other kids, so we got home late after dropping everyone off at their own homes. It is funny that kids don't think you can hear when you are driving a vehicle. They have some interesting conversations. Last night's conversation of interest was a defense of the Constitution by #1. His friends were saying you should have prayer at public events, but he was saying it is unconstitutional. I keep telling him he should be a lawyer.

Pictures as Promised

I did it! I loaded the pix onto my computer. This bunch of hooligans is my favorite group of little people...young adults. They are a great group of kids and I love them all.

The tour of the Capitol was enhanced by these headphones. So that everyone can hear the tour guide, you are all plugged into his microphone. It was wonderful. I hope other tourist places start adding these.

#2 was desperate to look like he was holding the Washington Monument. It was so dark in my viewfinder I had a hard time getting it just right.

The WW2 monument is an amazing monument. I think it is my favorite in the whole Mall. Here are my WV fans, even the little guy in the middle. Taking them to WV for summer camp won all of them over.

BP in DC

It was lovely in DC this past weekend. I promise to download pictures this week. I really didn't take a lot of pictures. I find that I don't now that my kids are bigger. I used to be the Picture Queen, but it just doesn't seem as important as it once did. Now I enjoy the moment and hope it lives in my memory well. There were 9 kids and 6 adults. Hubby did not get to go, and neither did another father. We managed to get tickets to the Washington Monument for all of us. We also saw many museums and took a tour of the Capitol. Now for the bad news. Last week I started having an awful taste in my mouth. It was so disgusting that I wouldn't eat or drink. After two days of that Hubby and I decided I better go to the doctor because I couldn't go to DC and pass out from dehydration. The doc was concerned that it might have been a small stroke and scheduled me for a CT scan as well as doing some blood work ups. I went on to DC. On Friday the doctor called and said all of the blood work came back fine and the scan was scheduled for Monday. By Friday evening at dinner I couldn't close my right eye or move the right side of my mouth. I had a friend with me who is a nurse, and we both believed it was Bell's Palsy. We decided to go on with the trip and if anything out of the ordinary (beside what was already going on) were to happen, they would take me to a hospital. By Saturday evening I could close my eye if I thought about it really hard. So I felt like that was an improvement, but I asked one of my friends to drive for me. The lack of blinking is irritating and makes my eye water and blur. Monday I called the doc and got right in. I was right...Bell's Palsy. When I got back from the doc's #2 met me at the door. "What's wrong?" "Bell's Palsy." "So you had to pay to learn something you already knew, huh?" Yep. I should have been a doctor. The CT scan was cancelled since it didn't appear to be a stroke. I saw my podiatrist in the afternoon and he explained BP as unplugging an appliance. It still works, it just isn't plugged in right now. He also referred me to a rheumatologist since I am still having aches and pains along with exhaustion that is not my thyroid. Anyway, I have been on the couch most of yesterday and today just trying to rest. My eye isn't doing well with computers and books, so mostly I rest. That is probably the best medicine anyway. I told the boys they have the week off of school, except for Thursday classes, and hopefully I will be much improved by next week. The doctor said it can last two weeks to two months, but since I am young it will probably not last the months time period. It was nice to have a doctor think of me as young for a change.

Quiet

Autumn fog shrouds the morning sun in Eastern Carolina. It is a delightfully sleepy morning as I watch the chickens race outside in the yard. #1 just came down to read the paper and have breakfast. He grinned when he saw the weather, "Looks like rain!" That boy loves a rainy day. The birch started balding last night. Leaves litter the side yard and warn me that winter is coming. I put away my summer clothes yesterday, knowing that the forecast said it was the last of the really warm days. I like summer better than winter, but snuggling up on the couch now with a soft blanket and a quiet house, I have to admit that there are some winter qualities that excite me. A slower pace, a time to turn inward and ponder, a chance to quietly enjoy my family...This is my happiness. Bring it on Winter, but bring it at about 65 degrees, please.

Hacked

Sock Hop is over and I am enjoying a couple of hours that feel sort of stress free. This afternoon I will start preparing for the trip to DC, but for now life is good. Actually, it isn't all that great. One of our accounts was hacked last month, and someone in GA bought a new computer. I love our credit card company because they are always on top of these things, but this one slipped by them. I had to make a payment today and that took a while. I talked to people in several states to try and figure out what we actually owe today. We always pay in full, but I am not paying for a computer I don't have. It seems to be cleared up now. Being hacked is a fear of mine in this day and age. You may have noticed that by my use of numbers for names. Last month I suddenly had more followers on my blog- and I don't know who you guys are!- so I immediately went in to deceptive mode. It kind of freaked me out that strangers would be reading this. I intend my blog to be a place to practice my writing and to keep family and friends updated on our lives. I am glad others enjoy my writing, but when it is combined with an identity theft at the same time...just a little disconcerting, that's all. I changed the blog last year to only accept comments after I see them because someone kept leaving comments in another language, and when you clicked on them you got an eyeful of something you didn't want to see. Now I keep getting hits to leave comments. The favorite post for leaving comments is Defiantly Joyful. I don't know what that means in some Asian language, but it evidently doesn't mean the same as in English. Lately the hits have been Jesus and Opossums and Guy For A Night. I can understand why the last title gets hits, but Jesus and Opossums? Who knows. Anyway, I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the posts, few though they be. I will try to trust that you are all "normal" people who just like to peek into my life every now and then. But I still go check on you sometimes too!

MY BOYS

The video was made by #1 for our church worship service today. He is studying communication in 4H and I thought this would be a good project for him. The sermon was on Isaiah 6 and asking God to send us to his people. #1 went all around town taking pictures of places that our people go...work, home, school, market, etc...and then made a video about being sent to those who are already near us. I would guess he did 85% of this by himself. I helped with some of the conceptualization and with the typing. Now that I have admitted that, I must put in the caveat that the English teacher in me was kicking and screaming the entire time, but #1 didn't want to use capital letters. I insisted that God be capitalized, however.

We had a wonderful time at the Sock Hop again this year. I didn't get many pictures since I was one of the people in charge of it. I plan to buy some pictures from the guy that was the official photographer, so hopefully soon I can get pictures up from it. #1 was bummed that there weren't more teens. He felt like there were too many little kids. It was planned as a family event, and there did seem to be more little kids this year, but I quickly named 18 teens. He agreed that the problem wasn't the number of teens, but the number of available girls for dancing!

#2 won the hula hoop contest. He and his brother were the last two in their category for the elimination round. They kept at it for a long time. Finally, they had to add another hoop to do it with 2 hoops. #1 can't do that and had to drop out. During the final round I thought no one would get out. We went through 3 songs and had to add hoops to the last 3 kids, but finally we had a winner.

Now I have to return items to the store, take garbage and recycling to the dump, and finalize all the numbers. Then my part of the SGA committment is over until I have concessions duty at a ball game in late November.

Last Tozer

Last post from The Pursuit of God... Let us say it again: the Universal Presence is a fact. God is here. The whole universe is alive with his life. And he is no strange or foreign God, but the familiar Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whose love has for these thousands of years enfolded the sinful race of man. And always he is trying to get our attention, to reveal Himself to us, to communicate with us. We have within us the ability to know Him if we will but respond to His overtures. (And this we call pursuing God!) We will know Him in increasing degree as our receptivity becomes more perfect by faith and love and practice. Wednesday evening we were heading to church after a long and eventful day. I was feeling a bit foul and irritated. Driving the van, Hubby gave a sigh. I sighed at the same moment. Then I said, "This presence of God thing isn't working so well today." Then I remembered that Brother Lawrence also said that when he felt himself leaving the presence of God he would just simply turn back toward God, without guilt. And so I did as well. Perhaps that is why we call it the pursuit of God. Yes, He is pursuing us, but we so often turn and head the opposite direction. When we realize we are going the wrong way, then we turn to God and pursue Him. And we don't even have to be long distance runners. He is right there! Yay 50 yard dash!! Tomorrow is the Sock Hop. Our homeschool group put one on last year, and we had ever so much fun. This year I am in charge of putting it together along with another woman. That basically means that all day tomorrow will be decorating, cooking, cleaning, dancing, cleaning again, and undecorating. The middle part sounds fun. I will try to get some pictures. We will have a hula hoop contest, limbo contest, bubble gum blowing contest, and dance contest. There will also be cheeseburgers and little glass bottles of Coke for sale. We are really looking forward to it. Once the Hop is over, we prepare for our trip to DC with 4H. So although I would like to say I will be better about writing on the old blog, I can't promise anything. Just want to let everyone know that we are fine down here, and the weather is starting to change. However, I believe it is still nicer than WV, though, if you want to come and visit. Love you all!

Receptivity

I have been temporarily shut out of the internet. Our ISP has been fixing things that weren't broken, and therefore I have been unavailable. It wouldn't have mattered too much anyway. As it is I just had to interrupt this post for half an hour while I put out a brush fire. I seem to be running from one dilemma to the next these days. I have not allowed this frantic life to tear me away from my morning quiet time though. Here is another excerpt from The Pursuit of God: (Receptivity to God) may be increased by exercise or destroyed by neglect. It is not a sovereign and irresistible force which comes upon us as a seizure from above. It is a gift of God, indeed, but one which must be recognized and cultivated as any other gift if we are to realize the purpose for which it was given. Failure to see this is the cause of a very serious breakdown in modern evangelicalism. The idea of cultivation and exercise, so dear to the the saints of old, has now no place in our total religious picture. It is too slow, too common. We now demand glamour and fast flowing dramatic action. A generation of Christians reared among push buttons and automatic machines is impatient of slower and less direct methoods of reaching their goals.We have been trying to apply machine-age methods to our relations with God. We read our chapter, have our short devotions and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting or listening to another thrilling story told by a religious adventurer lately returned from afar. The tragic results of this spirit are all about us: Shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies, the preponderance of the element of fun in gospel meetings, the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, quasi-religious fellowships, salesmanship methods, the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit. ...We have all contributed directly or indirectly to this sad state of affairs.... What God in His sovereignty may yet do on a world-scale I do not claim to know. But what He will do for the plain man or woman who seeks His face I believe I do know and can tell others. Let any man turn to God in earnest, let him begin to exercise himself unto godliness, let him seek to develop his powers of spiritual receptivity by trust and obedience and humility, and the results will exceed anything he may have hoped in his leaner and weaker days." The first time I read this I was struck by the fact that this was written about 60 years ago! My particular denomination hasn't dealt with the "entertainment of religion" for 60 years. It has been a fairly recent advent, perhaps of a decade. I do feel that we have lost our grip on the deeper side of God. I am not laying blame, as I have admitted here in the last month or so, I too am feeling the shallow waters of drought. I very much was looking forward to having time this year to read some of these deeper thoughts with my older son, but it seems that our schedule is not condusive to that. We each seem to be reading on our own and then trying to have a conversation every couple of weeks at the end of a book. Currently we are reading Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. He was a monk in the 1600s. #1 seems to be enjoying it. I finished it this morning. I may have some tidbits to share from it as well, but mostly I have been dwelling on the idea of always being aware of God's Presence. Perhaps if we were more aware we would not find ourselves in this predicament that Tozer describes.

Stumbling through a Darkened Hallway

A low, electric hum awakened me at 1:33 a.m. I listened for about 20 minutes, and then I climbed out of my cozy bed to find the source of my annoyance. I was afraid that it might be the septic system alarm. The Great Rain of last week could have filled the ground to capacity and a problem might be occuring. Of course, the first thing one must do upon climbing from a warm bed is to "visit the facilities", and the septic alarm can be seen and heard well from our bathroom window. Thankfully, no red light was glowing or alarm sounding. Walking into the hallway, I noticed that the computer had been left on upstairs. I flicked on the stairwell light and went up to turn off the boys' computer. In the light I noticed the ceiling fan was on high and thought for sure that that must have been the humming noise I heard. After pulling the fan cord I happily headed downstairs fully intending to slide back into my warm spot under the covers. No such luck. At the bottom of the stairs I could hear the humming again. I went into the kitchen and discovered the noise emanating from my refrigerator. Great. The refrigerator has been giving us fits for a few months now. We stopped using the water in the fridge because it was leaking. I even put up packer's tape so that one can't forget that it leaks and use the dispenser by accident. A while after that the fan froze in the back of the freezer. The water was not just leaking from the dispenser but also from the icemaker. I defrosted the fan twice before I decided it would be easier to use ice cube trays. So now I am awake at 2 in the morning trying to not think that we may need to purchase a new refrigerator. Certainly it merits a call to the repairman if nothing else. After about a half hour the humming stops, and I attempt to sleep. Of course by now I am fully awake and thinking through the many problems of life and love. Then at 2:33 the humming begins again. And yes at 3:33. That was when I decided I could better solve the world's problems if I were sitting up, and now I am on my couch. I checked the freezer and the fan is not frozen, so the humming was evidently an alarm clock from God. Here is the next excerpt from The Pursuit of God... Why do some persons "find" God in a way that others do not? Why does God manifest His presence to some and let multitudes of others struggle along in the half-light of imperfect Christian experience? Of course, the will of God is the same for all. He has no favorites within His household. All He has ever done for any of His children, He will do for all of His children. The difference lies not with God but with us. Pick at random a score of great saints whose lives and testimonies are widely known. Let them be Bible characters or well-known Christians of post-Biblical times. You will be struck instantly with the fact that the saints were not alike. ...Their differences must have been incidental and in the eyes of God of no significance. In some vital quality they must have been alike. What was it? I venture to suggest that the one vital quality which they had in common was spiritual receptivity. Something in them was open to Heaven, something which urged them Godward. Without attempting anything like a profound analysis, I shall say simply that they had spiritual awareness, and that they went on to cultivate it until it became the biggest thing in their lives. They differed from the average person in that when they felt the inward longing they did something about it. They acquired the lifelong habit of spiritual response. They were not disobedient to the heavenly vision. As David put it neatly, " When Thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek." Psalm 27:8 I know when I don't feel close to God, it isn't because He isn't close to me. It is because I have not responded to His invitation to seek Him. Perhaps in another 40 years I will have overcome that fault, but for now I seek in spurts and ask the Lord to forgive my times of self-seeking. Today I answer the hum of the refrigerator and seek my Lord in the early hours of darkness.

A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

I finished The Pursuit of God this morning. I read several chapters over as I went. It has been quite a while since I read a deeply devotional book. Today's devotions seem somehow shallow. Anyway, Tozer wrote back in the 1940s, and his writings are thought provoking. I want to share some parts I enjoyed. It will probably take a few days to do so... What does the Divine Imminence mean in direct Christian experience? It means simply that God is here. Wherever we are, God is here. There is no place, there can be no place, where He is not. Ten million intelligences standing at as many points in space and separated by incomprehensible distances can each one say with equal truth, God is here. No point is any nearer to God than any other point. It is exactly as near to God from any place as it is from any other place. No one is in mere distance further from or any nearer to God than any other person..... If God is present at every point in space, if we cannot go where he is not, why then has not that Presence become the one universally celebrated fact of the world? The patriarch, Jacob, in the "waste howling wilderness" (Deut 32:10) gave the answer to that question. He saw a vision of God, and cried out in wonder, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not" (Gen 28:16). Jacob had never been for one small division of a moment outside the circle of that all-pervading Presence. But he knew it not. That was his trouble, and it is ours. Men do not know that God is here. What a difference it would make if they knew. The Presence and the manifestation of the Presence are not the same. There can be the one without the other. God is here when we are wholly unaware of it.He is manifest only when and as we are aware of His Presence. On our part, there must be surrender to the Spirit of God, for His work is to show us the Father and Son. If we cooperate with Him in loving obedience, God will manifest Himself to us, and that manifestation will be the difference between a nominal Christian life and a life radiant with the light of His face. ---------- I know God is everywhere, but to hear it in this way was refreshing. It was also refreshing to hear that God is here even when we don't admit it. Certainly I admit the fact of God's presence, but I don't always dwell in His Presence. I just need to recognize Him more often. I am enjoying my morning time with God. I feel more at peace with my day. Try it for yourself.

Comfort Food

Last week during the rainy weather we stupidly ventured out for dinner at Olive Garden. We held classes as usual Thursday, and then the grandparents picked up the boys after school to take them out for a while. Hubby and I met them later for dinner. We were all surprised to see the restaurant parking lot so full. Truly it was dumping thousands of gallons of rain by the second. What kind of "idiots" would be out in this? We commented on that to the waitress, and she said that when the weather is bad they are often swamped with customers. It seems the warm soup and bread combined with the pasta dishes is just the comfort that people need. I agree that the smell of freshly baked bread on a dismal day can make me feel warm and cozy inside, but there just isn't anything better than a hug from my sweet son sitting in my lap. Welcome Fall. Welcome Rain and Chill. Welcome Hugs and Snuggles.

Busy

I seem to have disappeared from the cyber world. I am having trouble keeping up with everything. We had a lovely visit from the grandparents this last week, and I wouldn't give up those visits for anything, but they do mean that the schedule goes a bit wonky as my Scottish friend says. #2 is doing a 4H project this fall on his family history. One of the assignments was to make a photo collage of things around the house that show his family history. He took a picture of this trunk that belonged to his great-great grandfather. The grandfather signed the trunk, so the picture is of his signature. It was good to have the grandparents here to help with part of that project. We discovered that green eyes and curly hair are very dominant on his father's side of the family. #2 has always wanted to grow an afro with his blond hair. Yesterday, though, he was trying to get me to put his hair in a stocking and pull pieces through. He wants to look like he is part bald for Halloween. From afros one year to balding the next, that boy keeps me on my toes. More big news about #2, he lost a tooth yesterday!!! It is in the front on the left side. It is one of the places with no adult tooth to come in behind, so it was actually being pushed out by the wrong tooth. That is his first lost tooth in nearly 4 years! He was asking me about the tooth fairy last night and locked his door to see what would happen. Well, the tooth fairy made it in with a dollar, but she left the tooth behind. He thought that was odd, but is hoping to try again tonight. Here is another reason I haven't written in a while. This was our backyard and grape arbor on Thursday. I took it through the windshield, so it isn't clear, but the depth of water is certainly clear. The road in front of our house was flooded and had about a half lane open for part of the time. Schools closed for a day and had late start the next. Our internet service was messed up for several days and access was spotty.

This is the dog. When I leave my room in the morning, this is often what I see. She lays at the bottom of the stairs to catch the air conditioning as it flows down the stairs. Why she puts her head against the wall I will never know.

This cutey is in our Geography Club. We were studying Oceania for a couple of weeks and had a Balinese dinner one day. It was quite tasty...rice, chicken, pineapple, onions, crunchy noodles, and more.

And this was the dessert. #1 had New Zealand that day and we took Pavlova. It is a meringue cake filled with whipped cream and fruit. It was really quite easy and the kids loved it. I will likely make it again sometime. If you are in New Zealand this is the type of cake you get for your birthday.

Geography Club wrapped up last week. That means one less thing to do on Tuesdays. As #1 said, "That should make things a little better." Except that he got a part in the play and has practice several evenings a week until mid-November. With the play, Student Gov't Association, Envirothon field trips, and 4H I can't guarantee any more frequent posts, but I am hopeful. Living in a fantasy world, but hopeful.

Tears Fall Like Rain

Yesterday was another rough day in the life of a high schooler. Poor #1 is having trouble with Algebra, though his problems are not limited to that alone. Mostly, I believe, he is having problems with discipline and self-control. I told him Friday that he would need to do work over the weekend. He had a field trip on Friday, and his grandparents were coming to visit for a few days on Monday. If he wanted time to visit with them, then it would mean doing some work on Saturday and Sunday. He did part of an Algebra lesson and took his Composition test. Not enough. So yesterday as the rain fell, so did his spirits. He needed to complete a presentation for Geography, do a bunch of schoolwork, and do it all well. Tears flowed, especially after he realized I couldn't allow him to go to the SGA meeting. We talked through why he couldn't go- Algebra is more important- and then I told him that if he couldn't keep up with his part in the play and school, it would be the play that would have to go. I didn't realize how much that had been a punch in the gut until an hour later when he asked if I would be taking him out of 4H after he was taken out of the play. And yet I am having the same problem. I don't like this tough parent discipline stuff. I want to let him do all of the fun things, because it is more fun for me to have him happy. But I know that his happiness in the future is dependent on getting through these classes. So for now I make a harder decision to have easier decisions in the future. I just hope it isn't too far in the future.

Cleaning House

I bought a new mop today. I need to finish mopping the house, and I don't plan on doing it on my hands and knees again. Our whole house has hardwood floors, which I love because I know when they are clean, however I also know when they are dirty. Wouldn't it be nice if you could see your behavior as clearly as you can see a floor? Yesterday I had to call down some of my favorite boys in the whole world because they were being mean spirited and bullying. It made my stomach turn to hear what they were doing. Satan can walk into your house and muddy up the floors faster than a puppy on the loose! Now I have to clean the rest of the house. The boys are upstairs working on their domain. The downstairs livingroom is now called "Mom's Paradise", but somehow I just vacuumed Starburst papers and food bits from the couch cushions. I don't eat in here, so I guess someone is having a party when I am not around! --------- Today is the 6 year anniversary of when we received the call to come minister here. We had been living in Texas for the four years before that. My boys were born in Philadelphia, and then moved to WV for a year. They spent their preschool years in Texas, and have been in East Carolina since then. It is amazing how quickly time has gone. We hope to be able to stay here at least until our boys are finished with school, if not longer. I know that sounds odd for homeschoolers, but both Hubby and I grew up in one place and want that stability for our boys. In today's world where families don't live nearby, it is important to us that they have some sort of sense of belonging. Even so, my parents were down two weeks ago, and Hubby's are coming down next week. The boys do have strong relationships with their grandparents, just like we did.

Slowing Down

I have been learning about "Margin" in my Wednesday evening small group. No, it isn't a butter substitute, but recognizing the need to leave extra...extra time, extra money, extra energy, etc. This past Wednesday we were especially looking at time. The speaker said that if you will give God your schedule, and put Him at the beginning of it, God will make sure that everything that needs to be done gets done. So this morning after I woke and started my morning prayers as usual, I noticed that I was beginning the day stressed with all that needed doing before we headed out on our day long field trip. I decided that even though I really didn't feel that I had time for devotion right then, I needed to give God the first place, first importance, rightful spot. I headed to the living room, said a little prayer, and started my reading for the day. After I finished I started into all of the things that had to get done. I did not have enough time to get them done, but I went after it anyway. Strangely, each time I finished something on my list, I would look at my watch and only a few minutes would have passed. After a while I kept looking just to see if it were really only a few minutes. Somehow God slowed time for me. I was able to finish what needed doing, AND I sat down to eat breakfast. I remembered everything I needed for the day, got all of the chores done, and was relaxed. Guess what I will be doing tomorrow morning.

Bubble Gum on My Face

Our assignment this week is to tell at least three people what we are thankful for. I have already shared with one person, so I guess you are number two. I am thankful that God thought I was worth something. Not like, "I found a quarter in the parking lot, maybe I can use it in the cart at Aldi", but really worth something. When Jesus prayed in the Garden to not have to die for all of Humanity, it was me that God reminded Jesus about. And Jesus said, "Got it. I love her. She's mine. I'll do it." And what really makes me thankful? I know I'm not even worth a penny stuck in chewed up bubble gum melted to the bottom of my chicken manure covered shoe.

Scheduling Happy Time

We had to have a sit down with the teachers and student last week. It seems that #1 was doing his work with great speed but not with great accuracy. We had to give him a schedule: Algebra 8-8:50, Biology 9-9:50, Comp 10-10:50, etc. At the close of the conference, his father asked if he had any questions. "Why does school have to be so boring?!" I guess he isn't enjoying the structure. Of course I have the same issues...Why does housework, grading papers, shopping, writing reports, paying bills, ironing, whatever I am doing and don't want to be doing, have to be so boring? I can look for the enjoyment that I get out of each...pride in a job well done, saving money, looking good...but sometimes I can get overwhelmed with everything else that is on my plate and forget to look for the happy parts. #1 has a 10 minute break scheduled between subjects, so last Friday he asked his brother to "fight" with him for 10 minutes. They bought Nerf swords not long ago and they like to duel with them. #2 was not being agreeable since he had school work to finish or he couldn't go to a birthday party. Finally I said, "I'll fight you. Come on!" So out we went with the swords. Then he hit me with it! "You don't hit me with it!" "That's what we do! We hit each other." "Well you guys are stupid. Those things hurt!" He just laughed at me. By the end he had my adrenaline up, and I was hitting him back. It ended up being a happy part of my day. I'll have to remember that beating children can add pleasure to a stressful day, of course that child is 5 feet 10 1/2 inches now and can whup me if he takes a mind to. Better take on the little one next time!

Where Is Strawberry Island?

Today was Geography Club again. #1 had New Zealand, and #2 had Easter Island. Mommy had a mess. Yes, what I learned in geography today is that you do NOT put frozen strawberries in a food processor. I was making the topping for New Zealand Pavlova cake. I needed to chop up some strawberries, and I thought, "Oh, this will be quick if I just throw the berries in the processor." I filled the container and turned it on. The lid flew off from the pressure of frozen berries being banged against the container! It was banging so hard I couldn't get the machine to turn off!! "Well," I thought, "it should be ok to turn it back on. Surely the worst is past and it will chop up those babies now!" I held the lid on just in case, though. The measuring cup on top flew up nearly to the ceiling and came crashing down on the counter. Strawberry bits and pieces were splattered all over the kitchen walls, counters, appliances, floor, and me...in a nice white shirt. Lovely. The dessert tasted yummy though, and I have had requests to make it again. A little bright spot in the red juice of disaster.

A Happy Heart

There are two churches in our neighborhood that are discussing joining forces. They used to be one church many years ago, but they acted like sinful humans instead of like Christ-Followers, and the church split. Now after these many years, when probably no one even realizes that they used to be one, they are talking of getting together. It makes my heart so happy. Can you imagine the impact that could have on this community? If you were interested in going to a church, but were fed up with the hypocritical religiosity of churches, wouldn't you try a church like that? I am sure such news will make the paper, and it will intrigue some people. It speaks well for the churches and for the leaders of the churches who have decided that doing what God wills is more important than any human will. Hallelujah and AMEN! -------------- My older child is on his first "car date" tonight. Not really. At 13 1/2 he is too young for a date, but he has gone out with a group of friends, and they are riding with the 17 year old ring leader. She isn't driving far- maybe 3-4 miles- and they are going to a well-chaperoned party, but still it is his first "Teen Thing" in my opinion. #2 is at a sleepover birthday party, and Hubby is teaching his Weekend College course. So what does that leave me doing on a Friday night? Well after I delivered dinner to the shelter, I came home and watered and fed everything. Now that I have updated everyone, I will head to the pantry for the broom and mop. Yes, that's right! My exciting Friday night plans involve cleaning house. I really know how to live it up!

Checking In in Less Than a Week

I started a new medication on Sunday for my arthritis. I don't like it. Like all medications it comes with lots of cautions and warnings, but to read that if I intend to stay on it I need to wear an id bracelet makes me nervous. On top of that it sends me to the bathroom A LOT. I have lost 5 pounds in 4 days just "making water" as my Philadelphia students would say. The medicine tastes terrible and I don't think it is helping much. I go to the doctor on Friday and I think I will nix this prescription. Yesterday was Geography Club and we ate lunch together. There was shrimp, lamb, salad, chicken, salmon, ANZAC cookies, and our two creations, Lamingtons and Apricot and Banana Crumble. It was nice to sit and visit with my friends while the kids ate and played with their friends. It was encouraging to hear that the kids in our Thursday classes are all feeling a bit overwhelmed to have so much "work" to do through the week. They have had it easy in school until now and are having some growing pains as they morph into high schoolers. Along with the Composition class I am teaching the high schoolers, I am also teaching a 6-8 grade class and a 3-5 grade class. It is a lot to prepare for and involves a lot of creativity. I have finally decided that I need to go check out some writing books and let someone else be creative for a while. So the boys and I are heading to the library after lunch. They will take their work and study while I look for resources. Another day not at home. On the bright side, #1 has been showing some signs of maturation. I noticed they were out of toilet paper in the bathroom this morning. I asked him if he had used it all, "No." But then he went ahead and refilled it!!! Wow! He also asked me last week if he could read some more of his Civics book even though it would mean reading ahead. Then he asked if he could read a book I am assigning next year! This year in Religion I am assigning a book of the Bible and then after it is finished I assign a "regular" book. #1 and I just finished reading The Bronze Bow. He said he liked it because it made the Bible stories come to life and seem more real. I told Hubby about it and he suggested reading The Book of God. It is several inches thick and retells the story of the Bible as a historical fiction story. I told #1 about it and showed it to him, but explained that I thought we would save it for next year. He thought about that for a while and then asked if he could read it this year anyway. He thought it sounded interesting. Hmm. Maybe there is hope for him yet. Auditions are this evening for Sleeping Beauty. We took #1's head shot this morning after his shower. I hope it goes well for him, but as always, I hope he does NOT get a big part. It means a lot of practice sessions if he does.

Faster than a Speeding Train

Like a speed train rushing through the channel, my life has been going fast and underground. I can't believe it has been a week since I last blogged. I know Auntie is getting anxious to know what we have been doing down here. School. That about sums it up. Last night at 9:00 we were still grading math with #2. There have been so many interruptions...parents visiting, meetings scheduled, clubs and co-ops...that we have gotten behind on things. So last night as we got back home at 10:15 from picking up #1 at a meeting, I told the boys that school would start at 7 a.m. this morning. WHAT!!! screamed me ( and them). Yes, we have such a hectic schedule today that I thought we better get it out of the way. So we were baking lamingtons and banana and apricot crumble this morning for our geography club. I took some pictures and hope to upload them soon for you. We did have a lovely visit with my parents though. We very gratefully received half a beef from them. They give us meat for our Christmas present, but this year we seemed to go through it faster than ususal. Maybe it was the two growing boys living with me. Anyway, we have had taco salad and beef stew and are loving having some good meat to eat. I had been feeding the family fish since I think of all the purchased meats it is the least contaminated with steroids, chemicals, fat, etc. I do like red meat though. Thanks Mom and Dad. We also had a campfire cookout with 4-H on Friday at our house. I love getting together with friends and sitting around a fire. It was great to sit and relax for a while. We were looking at introducing a new family to our club, so we did a little "try out". I'm not sure what they thought of us when I asked the 6 year old if her mother has a home school cage. She said no. I'm not so sure. Every good homeschooler has one....for the mother to lock herself in and eat lots of chocolate!

Sudoku Wisdom

I enjoyed my night off last night to forget about all that has to be accomplished today. I was working a Sudoku puzzle this morning and getting to where I couldn't find any new numbers when #2 came in for help with Bible and Science class. I stopped to help him for half an hour and then headed back to my puzzle. I suddenly saw things that I hadn't before. Taking a break and changing directions for a while can actually make a smoother road ahead. I will have to remember that when I get frustrated.

Traditions

Labor Day in the Northeast means so much more than it does in the Southeast. I remember when we lived in PA that Labor Day meant the end of summer, for real. The pools closed because it was too chilly to keep them open anyway, school started back, fall harvests began; it truly was not summer any longer. It is still summer where we live. We are still comfortable in shorts, the pool is still open, and you can still get a lot out of the garden. School started back in August, because it isn't any different than September, so why wait? Sunday in Bible class we were discussing traditions and their value. Some traditions mark the passage of time, like Labor Day picnics, and others tell who we are, like Easter celebrations. Traditions are important in our development of self. They keep us aware of what we hold to be important. We celebrate birthdays because the day my child arrived in the world is unforgettable. We celebrate Memorial Day because war's devastation and destruction should never be forgotten. We celebrate our anniversary because it was the beginning of a delightful amalgamation of two lives. Some traditions aren't so much celebrations as they are the way we live and why we live. We go to church every week because God is important and deserving of our worship. My sons kiss me after a meal to show me they appreciate what I do for them. My husband finds me when he enters the house to kiss me hello. And we never leave without saying goodbye. When we speak of traditions the term is often confused with conservative. Traditions make us who we are, whether we are conservative or not. They remind us of what we hold to be important. Traditions make us take the time to remember that the rush of life isn't what we are all about. I like my family's traditions, and I like who they tell me we are. ------------- Another family tradition is Guys' Night Out, Tuesdays. So the guys have gone off to be manly together and I am left at home to think and contemplate. It is such needed time for all of us. It is a great time for the guys to realize they need each other, and a time for me to realize I am not always needed. I enjoy time to be insignificant. It's relaxing.

Following a New Road

I am managing to waste some time fiddling with Blogger. Sometimes my mind needs to be empty to recover from the onslaught of all the other days. I cleaned house yesterday, actually I cleaned a room in my house, and it took all day. My back was so out of whack afterward that I had to spend some time on the couch. I am about to be extremely honest. Don't judge me. The room that I cleaned hadn't been cleaned in about two years. Yes, two years. We were going through all of that house remodeling rigamarole and if I cleaned I was just going to have to do it again. So I figured, why clean? Then once all of the remodeling was completed I needed to fix all of the things that broke during the remodel. Then I had to clean rooms that were more important in the scheme of things. So yesterday as I found sawdust under a shelf I realized it was from the electrical work we had had done about two years ago. My how time flies. I have been thinking lately that I need to do some house cleaning in my mind and soul as well. Sadly, time has flown spiritually as well, and I have felt like I have ignored God for all too long. I have cleaned the rooms that everyone sees, but the ones that aren't out front have been overlooked, occasionally dusted or swept, but not delved into with great intention. It is time to pull the furniture away from the walls, wash the interior with some strong cleaners, and hope I don't find too many creepy crawlies. I love the way the room looks now. It is so spacious and welcoming. It was a long, painful day to get there but the hard work was worth it. I hope to say the same of this new spiritual sojourn.

Beauty

The wind blows at 200 mph nearly constantly. It is dark more often than not. The temperatures rarely rise above freezing. It is the driest, coldest, most uninhabitable place on Earth. The continent that no one may claim for his own, where all nations have a right to belong, where penguins and seals are the only aborigines, is Antarctica. Antarctica would seem to most to be a forgotten wasteland of no use, but looking deeper one finds that it is a very important part of our planet. Research is going on there that looks into tiny atoms frozen in the ice from thousands of years ago. Water is frozen in icecaps, glaciers and icebergs, that if melted would flood much of the world. There is even beauty on Antarctica. The tsunami of 2004 was recorded there as icebergs moved and twisted with the impact causing a song of sorrow to be sung by the Earth itself. Plants grow part of the year, animals breed and raise their young, a volcano steams and hisses its warnings. It is not a wasteland after all. A friend of mine lost her sister this week to ALS. The sister struggled for years to continue living a life worthy to be called "life". As this disease grabbed hold of more and more of her abilities and strength, the sister wondered if she still mattered, if she still had any worth. I went to her memorial service yesterday. There were so many people there that they overflowed the room. The parking lot had to be extended to the front yard, and afterward it was tight squeezing through doorways and hallways as so many people talked and visited. She had affected people in the work world, her neighborhood, her church, and most recently in cyberspace. Even as she lay in bed destroyed by ALS, presumed by most to be a dark, forgotten wasteland, she showed her importance to the rest of the world. Hundreds of people were connected to her through her struggle with death and life. Just like Antarctica she had many qualities that made her needed here on Earth. It is so easy to look at your own life and only see the small picture. You can't see the people who would drown if you let go of your frozen waters. You can't know how an earthquake or tsunami that someone experiences may be noticed by you. The small moments of beauty in your life may be the only chance for survival that some young penguin has. God created His world with so many intricacies connecting it in important ways. Antarctica may look unimportant, undeserving, unworthy of our attention, but God gave it much importance and did not forget that it was needed, too. It is that way with each of us. God made each one of us to make a difference to those around us. We all need each other to survive, to enjoy this world, to be safe and comforted. If your life is looking dark, feeling cold, and the wind is blowing you over, remember that God made this time and place as well. Stand strong in the knowledge that you do make a difference. "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 Use what God gave you to serve the common good, and don't ever forget that beauty shines brighter in darkness.