Our children are very sheltered from today's sexually charged atmosphere. They mostly only see PBS on television, we monitor their movies and books closely, and their friends are being raised the same way. So when we ordered Mork and Mindy from Netflix, it was a real shocker to all of us to see the innuendos. Most of it the kids didn't understand, and what they did catch seemed fairly innocent. I wondered about whether to let them watch the other episodes, but they turned more into what things Mork learned on Earth, like friendship and sacrifice. So it turned out well. The other DVD that came was Happy Days. Hubby was watching some of it today and told me he wasn't sure that the kids could see it. They were talking about going to the lake to see the submarine races. Naive little me asked what that means. They were going necking! I imagine the kids won't understand that either since I didn't get it. Anyway, I decided that at some point they are going to come across this stuff, and these shows were what I was raised on. It was all very innocent to me and it didn't seem to "overcharge" me, so the decision is to let them cut their teeth on Happy Days. It can't be much worse than Calvin and Hobbes...the lingerie question still haunts me. That one is April 18, 2006 if you want to laugh.

I was listening to a story on the BBC day before yesterday about the drought in Africa and especially the terrible situation in Somalia. I knew Africa was going through drought, but I didn't realize it was so extensive. It makes the drought here in Eastern Carolina look like a rainforest. I have been concerned about the drought here, but that story put it in perspective for me. I can't imagine what I would do if my children were starving, or if I knew that it was imminent. Would I hide food from my neighbors so that my family would have it later? Would I share the last of my food having no idea if there would be any the next day? I can't answer those questions the way I want. I am nearly certain that I would hide food away for my babies. ---------- At dinner last night we were discussing the declining economy. I asked #1 if he wanted to move back to the farm in WV. He visually fell in spirit and asked do we have to? I told him that was what happened in the Great Depression; people moved back to the family farm to try to survive. He said he didn't want to move away from his friends. I told him they would be moving away too. Poor guy thought I was serious. I reassured him that we are here to stay and so are his friends. I guess we will keep the dinner conversation a little lighter for a while.

I haven't told you about the goats lately. They are such sweet little things. Faye, the one that gets milked, always looks happy. She has a bit of a grin to her face. Mary still stays far away from me, though if I have some feed in my hand she will gingerly eat that. I think she still has nightmares about being milked. Milky Way is a good mom, and I think she will be a good milker. I will start her in a couple of weeks. Darkie is her normal bossy self; she needs to be sold! But the babies, now that is the fun part of goats! I have to put Emma away at night so she won't nurse Faye and leave me no milk. She has a round belly and is sweet like her mother. She likes to be held, but not at evening when she knows she will be put in the chicken coop for the night. Madison is much friendlier than her mother Mary. If I don't put her away at night she will climb all over me while I milk Faye. She likes to get in my lap and waits for me to pet her. If I am busy, say milking, she will chew on my elbow until I have to pet her or push her off. She was chewing on my hair a couple of days ago. Ashten, her sister, is more the temperament of her mother and stays away from me for the most part. But if I don't bother Madison while I am milking, then Ashten will sneak over and try to chew on my boots. Oreo is Milky Way's baby and the youngest of the lot. He likes to stick his head in the joint of my leg and push with his head while I try to milk. Yes, all of this is going on while I try to milk. Throw in a barking dog, an angry goat who is not being fed, and roosters chasing hens and it is quite a three ring circus here every morning! I love it! ------- The dishwasher is running and I can barely hear it!!! Still happy about that purchase.

Since the company was here so late last night, I didn't get the goat put away until well after 9:00. So I was planning on staying in bed a little later today. It is a luxury I don't often get. I enjoyed sleeping as long as I wanted and then lying in bed a while longer. That sort of put me in the mood to have a day off, so I went for it. I took the boys to the free movie, Firehouse Dog, to the library, and then to the pool. Then I came home and took a nap. After dinner together we all played UNO, and now the guys are watching Hoosiers while I take a little time for myself. I have been conscious of the time my family spends together lately. A terrible tragedy here in the community has shaken me up a bit. A child was abused and died at the hands of his father and stepmother. I know the stepmother. Sunday as we ran errands, #2 picked up a paper and read about it on the front page. I had been trying to shield the kids from it. They actually handled it better than I thought they would. A friend of mine also was telling me of a young lady who died last week after giving birth to a son. She was unmarried and so it is uncertain what will happen to the baby. Again it makes me grateful to have my children and husband nearby and safe. Today at the movie I just had to reach out and pat #1 on the arm while I held #2 on my lap. Next week we will go on a vacation with our two families (parents) and my brother-in-law's family. God certainly blessed me greatly when he gave me such a wonderful family. I hope I don't take it too much for granted.

We had company over this evening for dinner and a visit. It was good to talk with people and get to know them better. They left about 9:30 and then I needed to finish cleaning up the kitchen. The boys had started cleaning it up, but they haven't quite perfected the fine art of cleaning just yet. Anyway I wanted to try out the new dishwasher and it worked great. It is very quiet, and I put it on a certain wash cycle that lasts 29 minutes, and YES they were clean! So it is quiet and energy efficient, plus I don't have to do it all by hand. I heard back from my interview. They decided against hiring me. I am very qualified, they just didn't think I "fit." I called the headmaster back and asked him what that really means. He said the staff didn't think I would be able to keep up the pace. Ok all of you can breathe again. I know that was shocking. Maybe I should point them to my blog to see what kind of a pace I can keep! Personally I think it was that they didn't think I could home school and teach. Hubby and I had worked out a schedule and felt confident in our system, but they weren't going for it. I was quite angry about it at first. In truth, I still am. But I was letting this be a God thing and if it doesn't work out then I guess they don't listen to God or I don't hear very well. Either way I suppose it isn't meant to be. #2 was relieved that I didn't get the job...until he found out that the new bedroom will have to be put on hold indefinitely!

I need my weekends. I can't function well when my home is in turmoil, and it takes the weekends to get it straightened enough to get through a week. Weekend before last was spent in Charlotte, and then this past weekend we had a beach trip planed with our church. We went to Atlantic Beach and it rained the whole time. When would you ever see adults sitting in a lawn chair in the rain? At the beach. We stayed an hour and a half, and then went to lunch to see if it might stop while we did that. No. So we came on back home. I spent the rest of the day finishing the job in the living room. I had put a coat of paint on Friday on the spots I was patching, but it didn't quite match. I found some paint from the original paint job, and painted over it with that on Saturday. Yoo Hoo! It still was good. Then yesterday I had to do some things to keep up too. I really try not to work on Sundays so that I have a day of rest, but like I said...I need my weekends. My van had a horrible smell after the beach trip, and when we started out for church Sunday morning it smelled like something had died in there--even from far away! So I cleaned out the van, couldn't find anything, and let it air out. Then the boys and I ran errands. Another thing I try not to do on Sundays, but you know. So here it is Monday and I still don't have the house straightened up. It looks to be a flustered week. But good news that shoud help...The dishwasher arrives this morning!

I did go to the appliance store and the movie yesterday. Then in the afternoon I went to a friend's house to let the kids swim, and after that I went to the doctor. I know it could be the busy schedule messing with me, but I felt awful. It was the usual Spring Strep that I seem to get here. Now I am fogging my way through the day. My mind is too busy to just lie around, but the body is having trouble keeping up. The boys and I watched a special on PBS Tuesday night about China. The changes that have been going on there are amazing. One girl works at a cell phone factory for 40 cents an hour, yet she is happy about this because she can afford an apartment (hole in the wall) and get away from the traditions that say she must marry and stay in the village. There were several stories like that. The amazing part was a man saying the money was great at first, but then he realized it wasn't fulfilling him. He turned to Christianity and is enjoying life more than ever. Next week they have another special on The Underground Church in China. Of course, if you are going to talk about China, you are going to talk about the One Child Rule. One man has 2 daughters by his first wife in a province where you are allowed to have 2 children, and now has one son by his second wife in a different province. I don't know how that works, but she is expecting a second child and they will go to Canada to have the child so that they don't get into trouble. The fine for an extra child can run up to $95,000! Another woman was talking about wanting a career right now and a child later. She was getting pressure from all of the family though to have a child soon. #1 asked a question, "Can a woman pick when she wants to have a child?" I replied, "Well, she is married." "I know, but can she decide when she will have a baby?" I said, "She can't decide exactly when to have a baby, but she can try to not have a baby until she is ready to." "How can she do that?" #2 looked at him in disgust and said, "Birth control pill." (Duh was in his voice.) I still don't understand how the 9 year old, who hasn't had THE TALK knows more than the 11 year old who has.

The kids have been going to VBS this week at a church down the road. Our church isn't offering one. #1 started the week off by saying he didn't want to go and why did I sign him up for this? We told him he could stay home and help sand the living room, but he opted for VBS. The first day he said it was "so-so," the next it was fun, and then he prayed that they not sleep late so they can get all their work done and be at VBS! I guess he is glad I signed him up after all. I took #5 to the summer free movie yesterday with a friend and her youngest. The older kids were upset that they didn't get to go to the movie, but the youngest ones couldn't go to VBS, so it was a fair trade. I am considering going to another free one today, but I also need to catch up on some work, so it may get skipped. I plan to go to the appliance store today or tomorrow. They are having a sale, and I would like to have a dishwasher again- other than myself. I have done my research, but I might change my mind still. More on that later.

We had this song sung at our wedding.

Love One Another

Angry words! O let them never from my tongue unbridled slip. May the heart's best impulse ever check them ere they soil the lip.

Love is much too pure and holy, Friendship is too sacred far,

For a moment's reckless folly thus to desolate and mar.

Let our words be sweetly spoken. Let kind thoughts be greatly stirred.

Show our love to one another with abundance of kind words.

"Love one another," thus saith the Savior;

Children obey the Father's blest command.

I often sing the first verse and refrain to my children to remind them to be kind. Sunday we sang the whole song during worship, and I was confronted with my own unkindness. The night before, while driving back from Charlotte, my husband and I had unkind tones in our voices. The words that went through my head were not one bit kind. In fact, they were so unkind that they shocked me. I apologized after church. Words can hurt, but they can heal as well. May your day be filled with kind words AND thoughts.

We went to Charlotte yesterday to attend my aunt's retirement party. My parents and all of my aunts and their husbands were there. It was a big family reunion of sorts. We could only go for the day; it's a 4 hour drive one way. I took a nap this afternoon. Missing a whole day like that takes it out of me. ------------- Happy Father's Day. We took our Daddy out to lunch and then gave him a tea brick from our trip to VA. He likes strong black tea. A tea brick is mashed tea leaves dried together, and they will last about forever. You slice or grate a piece off and make the tea. Hope he likes it. I thought I might put down some memories of my dad and grandfathers to honor them today. My Papaw Sharp always walked slowly with his hands clasped behind his back. I remember him walking down the lane to go and get the mail. He usually had a dog walking with him, and he wore overalls and a straw hat. He didn't hurry anywhere. I can see him tilling the garden, too. He loved his wife with all of his heart. He called her his bride until the day he died, and he gave you the feeling that she still looked like his bride. He took care of her and appreciated her. He liked to read. He read anything he could get his hands on. He gave me a book on canning, The Blue Book by Ball, before I ever thought of canning. I hung onto it for some reason and it has come in handy these last few years. I also remember him spanking me. I was about 6 years old and swinging on the gate. He told me to get down and I told him I didn't have to listen to anyone but my parents. He reassured me that I did. My Papaw Fitzwater was a tall man in my memory, though I have been told that he wasn't overly tall. He had big hands. I remember his clothes as gray janitor's clothes. He worked for the public schools repairing things. I was always proud that he had helped to build a dam in my hometown. I can see him in the garden as well. He liked salad greens. I remember him as being strict sometimes, but mostly I think of him as a happy man. He always seemed to have something to say to people, even strangers. He liked jokes and funny stories. My own father was a good dad. I think of watching western movies together on a Sunday afternoon. I would curl up with him on the couch. I remember trips that we took as a family; family was important to him. We would travel across the country to visit all of his brothers and sisters and their kids. He got me cats and dogs, goats, sheep, and even a horse once. I wanted a kitten from my uncle, and my dad got me 3. "One would be lonely and two might fight. It's best to have three." I think he couldn't say no to his little girl! He brought me my first dog, Lucy, who was my best friend through those Middle School years. My dad is a man of his word. When Hubby asked permission to marry me, he asked my dad to keep it a secret. My dad didn't even tell my mom! When I was 8 he said I could have a "big bed"( double) in a couple of years. When I turned 10 he gave me a queen sized bed. He is a man who wants to help others. He has hired men that other people have totally given up on to help him on the farm. He has taken in struggling kids to give them a second chance. He has strong political views, likes a good joke, and still races my kids down the walk. These three men have changed my life, raising me and raising those who raised me. My Father in Heaven blessed me tremendously when He put me in their paths.

Smoke is everywhere. I have lived lots of places with "weather conditions." We have been in Tornado Alley, Blizzard Blvd, and now Hurricane Haven, but I have never lived where fire was a danger. The whole county is covered in smoke, and has been for 3 days. The huge wildfire in the very eastern part of NC has sent its smoke to visit us with the changing winds. I feel wheezy in my chest, and I don't want to be outside. I feel sorry for the animals; Kelly is the lucky one who gets to stay inside. I'll be taking advantage of the poor conditions to start scraping paint in the living room. ---------- I have a formal interview on Tuesday. I am to bring my own book and read to young children and lead a discussion. I think I can handle that easily as I have always loved reading to children. I still read to my boys at night. I think it is one of their favorite parts of the day. On more than one occasion, a book that they found boring on their own took on new life when I read it.

My kids have asked me before why we don't have lots and lots of money. I told them that evidently God knows we would have trouble handling it and He is saving us from that trouble. I have a relative who hordes money. He has a lot of money, but rarely spends any of it. He makes many frugal decisions that I quite agree with. When he travels he takes a cooler along with him instead of always eating at restaurants. He takes a long time to consider all of the options before making large purchases. He is very wise when it comes to spending. But you get the feeling that the money owns him instead of him being the owner. I also have friends who acknowledge that they spend money unwisely. They quickly run out to eat or go to a movie, when they really have enough food at home to eat, and have other bills to pay off. When it comes to credit cards, they are "Quick-Draw McGraw." The economy owns their money and they just visit it occasionally. This year they have decided to change their habits and pay off their debt, sticking to a budget. They describe the relief of paying off those cards as a wonderful thing. They are starting to own their money. I have been following an interesting conversation the past week or so about how much money is enough to pay a minister. Answers have varied and some have been quite thought provoking. But the best answers have to do with attitude. What does the minister do with the money that he receives? Is he known as a generous man? Does he pay his bills? Is he a big spender with lots of flash? I think those are wise questions for anyone to ask. As some of you receive your government tax money this summer, what questions will you be asking?

I often feel like God puts me on hold until the last second. He once waited until we had $75 left before Hubby received a job. But this week God seems to be full steam ahead. I take care of 3 brothers three days a week. This has definitely been an answer to prayer. I have always wanted more children, and these were dropped in my lap 3 years ago. However, they will not need me after next year, and though the loss of a paycheck would not cripple us, it would definitely hurt. So I started praying recently that God would find the perfect job for me next year to replace this one. Enter God on a sugar rush. Almost immediately I saw an email from a friend about a possible teaching position that is half day. It was originally posted with the possibility of it being a job share and so I was very interested. Then I discovered that option was no longer on the table. So I had to think really hard. I talked to a couple of friends who thought that it would work out alright for us. I talked it over and over with my husband, and finally we decided that I should apply. So I had an "informal interview" this morning at 8:00. I felt like it went well, and was asked to come back Tuesday for a formal interview. That will be a short time with some Kindergarten aged children, an interview with the other Kindergarten and First Grade teachers, and another interview with the Headmaster. They are hoping to make a decision by the end of next week, and definitely by the end of June. There is one other person interviewing. I am not nervous about it. I told this story to the headmaster today, and told him I really only expect God to take care of this; it isn't my doing in any way. As for you, my readers, you can pray that God's plan will be obvious to us as we still believe it is best for our family to homeschool and this will add more stress to our family. I think we are ready to move on to this new stage, but apprehension is present.

Last summer/fall sometime I wrote about the guy who paid me $22 for a hen. I thought the guy was NUTS! Well, last week the neighbor saw me throwing out a dead chicken- one of my good layers too- and said that they are going for $20-$30 at the auction. I couldn't believe it. I thought he must mean for a group of layers, but no, just one hen. So, Saturday a guy showed up on the porch who has been here before to try and sell me a goat. Saturday he wanted to know if I wanted to sell some of my hens, because he remembered my saying I wanted to weed them out. I said no, I was wanting to get rid of some roosters, but not the hens. At least not until I have some new ones to lay for me. As we continued to talk I realized what he wanted was hens for the sale! He finally told me they are selling $18 and up. I asked if that is for a certain type and he said no, just say that they are laying and the price goes up from there. A guy down the road from us is selling chicks that will start laying in September and he is asking $4 a head. Just so you know, grown hens a couple of years ago sold for $4. Last night I ordered 25 new hens on-line. They will come the second week of July. I have been looking at them for a year, but the price is so much that I have put it off. Well I figured the price is half now of what I would pay around here, so I went ahead and bought what I wanted. This way I get the kind I like. They are called Black Star. They are very friendly and lay great. I had 4 from the first time I bought chicks at Tractor Supply. One was so friendly that the dog mangled it and it died. Another was sold for $22, and I guess the other died; I don't remember. So I am down to one, but she is still my best layer. No one around here has them; I've checked. So in July I will be the proud owner of 25 new baby chicks. But for today we have 3 little ones running around with their mother--very cute. I guess all of that is to tell you chicken and egg lovers that prices will be going up soon at the store.

We spent yesterday morning in the yard mowing and weed eating. The heat is so extreme for this time of year that it wiped me out for the day. We had to surrender this past week and actually turn on the a.c. 3 weeks earlier than usual! We don't keep it very cool- 78 in the daytime- but when you come in from the outdoors it sure does feel good. I may actually get in a pool before mid-July this year. #2 hosted a party Friday evening. He wanted to have a party and invite friends. I kept asking what he was going to do and how much would it cost me. It ended up costing me 4 boxes of jello, some sodas, and a cake mix. I didn't think that was too bad. He wanted to play board games and make gum drops out of the jello. They didn't do either, but he said he had a great time. The kids played outside having sword fights and other fun. They came in around 8:45 to watch a movie, and everyone was gone by 9:30. I was mowing the yard while they "partied." I was watching them run around and do as they pleased, and I thought how much I love living here. We have plenty of land for them to run as they please. They like playing in the barn and walking back the lane to swing on the neighbor's tire swing and look for sharks' teeth in the dirt pile. They are living as close to the ideal childhood as you can still get. #2 woke up fevered in the middle of the night. I am hoping it is something simple. He had a tick earlier in the week (that ideal childhood in the woods) and I couldn't sleep thinking what if it is Lyme's Disease. I'll keep an eye on him.

I saw a horrible story yesterday about a "man" who is pregnant. He was born a woman but in her late teens/early twenties decided to be a man, so she took testosterone injections. Later she married a woman who had had a hysterectomy. So now they want a family and the man is having the baby. Later, during dinner, we were having pork chops. We started talking about it being "the other white meat." The kids wanted to know what that meant, so we got into a conversation about people deciding that fat is bad for you, so they bred hogs to be leaner. Then when chicken became so popular, they started breeding chickens to grow huge really fast. Now the hogs have no taste to their meat, and the chickens have more fat. I went off about how people shouldn't play God---I think the pregnant man story was still troubling me. So my weird children's humor kicked in and they said they like playing God. "He's really good at baseball. He hits it all the way to the Harris's house." Gee whiz.

I went out to milk this morning and saw a flash of yellow down run behind the barrel in the goat pen. Sure enough, the chicks are hatching! At least 2 have hatched so far and she was sitting on 6. The second one is brown. While I was milking I could hear the chipping and cracking of the egg shells. What a miracle! It is good to be able to save both goats' milk now. I got a quart this morning that didn't get kicked or stepped in. I am only milking once a day right now. The mothers are still nursing the girls. I had a thought yesterday to put the girls in with the boys, since they aren't old enough to get pregnant, but Jameson chased Emma around so much and panted and bit her that I took them back out. There isn't any grass in the chicken coop where I keep the girls at night, so they will get the privilege of continuing to nurse. #1 slept a couple of hours yesterday morning. He NEVER does that, so I knew he wasn't faking and really was sick. I am doing a good bit better today and he told me he is feeling somewhat better as well. Good. It is short-lived.

I made it through this spring without strep throat. I have had it every May that we have lived here. I think it is in the soil and when I start working in the garden it gets to me. I haven't been doing much gardening at all this year. When I can get Green Giant vegetables for pennies I just don't have the same desire to garden. Though I don't have strep we are all sharing some kind of cold. Sore throat, generally yucky...I thought it was just me, but the kids and hubby woke up today feeling the same way. Faye's milk is finally good!!! Yeah!!! I was getting concerned that maybe she has bad milk. She puts out pretty well, and I was thinking what a waste. But yesterday's milk was good. So of course she stepped in the bucket today and most of it had to be thrown out. Mary is still fighting me tooth and hoof. The kids are crying because they have to be separated from their mommies. Actually I have only separated the boys. They have cried until Jameson has no voice and Sam is nearly hoarse. The kitten, Luke, has figured out how to get out of his box. He likes to hide behind it. --------- #5 said last week, and other times since, "I'm a disaster with rice." He is right. It always ends up all over the floor.

I was milking Mary last week when #2 and his friend showed up. They saw the way I tie her down, and #2 said, "Gee, you're really cruel." Today she got her leg untied on the second round (teat) and kicked over the cup, so less milk. Ugh. She really burns my britches sometimes. -------- We have a new kitten. Yesterday, a man showed up on the doorstep asking if we have a kitten. No. Is the black and white dog yours? Yes. Well she had this kitten out on the road throwing it in the air and onto the road. That's our Kelly. So now we have a kitten, named Luke, and he is teeny tiny. I guess he is 4-5 weeks old. He just clings to you if you pick him up. Hope he survives. -------- We have thought of a job for #2! When the boys are 12 we have told them they will have to have some type of job. We have had trouble thinking of things since delivering papers is not an option. Then the other day it hit me for #2, trees! He loves to climb trees. So we are going to plant a little orchard for him and he can sell things at the farmer's market. It will take a few years to get production going, so he has to start now when he is 9. We have an appointment at the Agricultural Center next week for him to find out what will do best. He was so excited about it...His face lit up when he thought about climbing all of those trees!

I am trying to wait on God, but sometimes he is so slow. We have a gap in children's ages at church that means that #2 will be the only kid in his class at church in the fall. I am praying for kids to move in before then, but knowing the way God has acted in the past, they probably won't come until the last Sunday in August. I have been noticing that this town is changing. We have only been here 3 years, but it already has a diffeent feel to it. A lot of "foreigners" are moving in---that would be people who weren't raised here. This is a churchy part of the world, and the first question after "What's your name?" is "Where do you go to church?" But that has been changing with people moving in and I am not sure that others have recognized it yet. I am meeting more people this year who don't know about Jesus than I have in the 3 years before. I hope we are up to the challenge. As I talked with a friend yesterday at church, he told me that he knows a guy at work that homeschools his kids because there is too much religion in the public schools. Wow. That isn't something you hear very often. I know a lot of people who homeschool because you DON'T hear enough about religion in the schools. I guess you can't please everyone. ---------- We have separated one of the baby goats from the rest because he is capable of impregnating the older goats now. It is so sad to listen to him crying for his mother and sisters. He has been separated 2 days now and he has lost his voice. It breaks my heart. Tough love.

I got a phone call yesterday from an elderly gentleman in our church. He was just calling to let me know that his wife had passed away and he found her that morning on the sofa. He wanted to let me know so I would know why he wasn't at church today. I told him certainly I understood. He replied, "Oh you understand. Well, okey dokey then." Who in the world calls to tell you his wife of 70 some years has passed away and ends with "okey dokey then"? He is definitely a Southerner. We will be going this afternoon to visit him. He is a sweet man, his beliefs astonishing for a man in his 90s. I can't imagine losing my lifelong best friend when my life has been that long. How very lonely he will be.