How We Spend Our Days

Presenting... Hank!

2012-02-12T10:34:00.003-05:00

Our newest grandson, and the first grandchild to carry on the family name as our other wonderful five were born to daughters, was born on " The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord." He was long awaited and countless prayers from many people were offered for the health of his mother and his safe delivery. He IS an answered prayer and the fruit of the love of this young married couple who now are a family. Welcome, Hank!

The Church celebrates on this date every year "The Presentation of the Lord", which is also called Candlemas, because the pure beeswax candles used for worship are blessed on this day. I wanted to share this quote from Luke 2: 22 which is the Gospel reading for this day (quoted from the Magnificat).

    When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
       Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and The Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
    " Now Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles; and glory for your people Israel".
        The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, " Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted - and you yourself a sword will pierce - so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
          There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem
        When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

          Pope Benedict XVI had some commentary on this special feast day which I am quoting directly out of the Magnificat, vol 13, no.12 February, 2012.

      "On today's feast we contemplate the Lord Jesus, whom Mary and Joseph bring to the Temple " to present him to the Lord". (Luke 2:22). This Gospel scene reveals the mystery of the Son of the Virgin, the consecrated One of the Father who came into the world to do his will faithfully. (Heb 10: 5-7)
       Simeon identifies him as " a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:35) and announces with prophetic words his supreme offering to God and his final victory. (Luke 2: 32-35). This is the meeting point of the two Testaments, Old and New. Jesus enters the ancient temple of God: he comes to visit his people, thus bringing to fulfillment obedience to the Law and ushering in the last times of salvation.
       It is interesting to take a close look at this entrance of the Child Jesus into the solemnity of the Temple, in the great comings and goings of many people, busy with their work: priests and Levites taking turns to be on duty, the numerous devout people and pilgrims anxious to encounter the Holy God of Israel. Yet none of them noticed anything. Jesus was a child like the others, a first-born son of very simple parents.
       Even the priests proved incapable of recognizing the signs of the new and special presence of the Messiah and Savior. Alone two elderly people, Simeon and Anna, discover this great newness. Led by the Holy Spirit, in this Child they find the fulfillment of their long waiting and watchfulness. They both contemplate the light of God that comes to illuminate the world and their prophetic gaze is opened to the future in the proclamation of the Messiah: " Lumen ad revelationem gentium!" (Luke 2:32). The prophetic attitude of the two elderly people contains the entire Old Covenant which expresses the joy of the encounter with the Redeemer. Upon seeing the Child, Simeon and Anna understood that he was the Awaited One."

Our new grandson has also been awaited and watched for! Grow in age and grace and wisdom, Hank. As we thank God for the great gift of your life, we also pray for all couples struggling to become parents and beg God for his blessings to be upon them.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

Puppy Love

2012-02-12T09:06:00.005-05:00

Jeff and Chelsea decided to make an investment in an adorable chocolate brown lab puppy. They drove more than 4 hours to pick him up from a reputable breeder at the age of 8 weeks.

They had the supplies one needs, a collar and matching leash, toys, a soft blanket and a nylon crate. We all got a big kick out of Chelsea holding the pup while Jeff was in charge of carrying the stuff to and from the car, just as it should be!

In our extended family, there are many labrador retrievers which seem to make for a great family dog. There is Buddy ( nicknamed, Tug), Judge, and another chocolate lab named Charlie. Jeff told us that the chocolate color is recessive and therefore, rare.

Chelsea grew up raising dogs and is comfortable training them. As for us, with the exception of Larry, we've never been good at understanding dogs and teaching them to be an asset to the family rather than a big hassle.

This little guy, named Dawkins, is very beautiful to look at! He must be special- he's in my living room!

I hope that Dawkins grows up to be a fine dog who is a great companion and fun to be around !

Warm February Trail Ride

2012-02-12T08:42:00.000-05:00

It was such a pretty, sunny day on the first of February, that we looked forward to getting outside.

It soon became too warm even for a sweatshirt!

The girls started with some riding in the ring and then I walked with them on a trail ride.

The scenery was very pleasant to look at. We were astonished to think that this was the beginning of the coldest month of the year and we were comfortable outside in shirtsleeves!

Natalie was on Foxy and Juby rode Dixie.

She was riding with her reins dropped here to show how gentle and trustworthy this pony is.

On the way back to the barn, we stopped to admire the Zonkey, (half zebra and half mule), and pet our pony, April.

Puzzling!

2012-02-04T23:45:00.004-05:00

I was absolutely intrigued when my neighbor mentioned that her 18 year old sister had spent an entire Saturday putting together a 1000 piece puzzle from start to finish. I thought long and hard about that investment of time in such an activity. I've never done anything like that! I was so fascinated by that, that I picked up a 4 pack of 500 piece puzzles with very pretty scenes and decided to try it!

We have an old card table set that I bought about 15 years ago and I put it up in an out of the way spot in the living room.

It didn't take me long to realize that doing a puzzle requires an abundance of natural light because the differences in color shading are so subtle. I moved it close to the window and gave myself permission to work on it all day! The kids helped for awhile but that wasn't as an idyllic scene as I had hoped!

The main reason why we have never been able to do this kind of thing in the past is because of a steady stream of young children growing up in this family. Now that our own children are old enough to leave the pieces on the table, I decided to take a chance with my grandson by simply explaining to him that he shouldn't touch them. I had never thought of that with my own!

It also helped because he has been on a puzzle kick himself, both here and at his home. These wooden boxed puzzles by the Melissa and Doug toy company are so durable and a pleasure to put together. They each have 12 pieces and are of different transportation vehicles.

The little guy can put them together with minimal guidance and has learned some puzzle vocabulary such as "edge piece" and "corner piece".

I regretted not getting a picture of Tim and Kristy while they sat down for a long time to help on this puzzle. As crazy as it sounds, we decided to give up on finishing this one because after a solid hour, we just couldn't get these solid white pieces to fit! We simply opened up the next one and Kristy and Miss J assembled the entire frame for it.

Some of the oomph has left to work hard on puzzle number two but I am reluctant to put it away. Perhaps we will get a big snowstorm soon and then working a puzzle in the very bright reflected light will be just the thing to invest our time in!

Doll Salon

2012-02-04T23:01:00.000-05:00

I hope that I don't sound materialistic as I highlight some of the fun Christmas gifts that the kids received and have had so much fun with this year! Juby told me later that she had an idea what might be in this long box on Christmas morning...

A real American Girl Doll with gorgeous blonde curls!

As my niece says, its not as much fun to own just one doll, because then they have no one to talk to! Luckily, Miss J already owned a Target brand doll, but her hair had gotten wildly shaggy!

I was very proud when she thought to shampoo, condition and set the hair on sponge rollers!

This was fun to watch and I wondered if it would make a difference.

The burning woodstove put off a lot of heat and made for a great hairdryer.

This old doll had to keep up with her brand new friend with Goldilock's tresses.

The next morning, when the curlers came out, her old doll looked much better with hair more manageable and full of body. The two dolls look nice together and she is having fun playing with both of them.

Star Wars Legos

2012-02-04T22:30:00.003-05:00

As previously mentioned, John is a Star Wars fanatic. He also enjoys playing with small toys. It was very easy to please him this Christmas with sets of Star Wars Legos.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this wonderful arrangement that he made of all the different men, robots, guns and light sabers in his kits. C3PO and R2D2 are located at the top left.

I underestimated the amount of play value that Legos have. I thought that the fun was in the building of the items but not so for John. He truly enjoys fighting battles with these figures and has long adventures with them.

During the same few weeks, John created a film of sorts by taking still pictures of a lego scene with minute changes in each photo.

As a parent, it makes me very happy when my children use their imagination and really play with their toys. These Lego sets have been a good investment and so far have provided for many hours of fun.

Green Machine

2012-02-04T22:08:00.001-05:00

For many years now, Jeff has picked a different member of the family to esteem with a special Christmas gift. If he followed his usual pattern, we figured that this would be Sam's year.

It was hard to tell who was more excited, the giver or the receiver as Sam unwrapped a complete outfit, trimmed out in green, which included a jersey, pants, a helmet and riding goggles from his older brother.

The last present opened on Christmas morning was in a tiny giftbag for Sam.
Inside it was the key to this ATV, already well broken in!

Sam looks great as he rides his new wheels and also this little minibike on the trails!

Winter Wonderland

2012-02-01T01:52:00.001-05:00

One evening in December, we attended Winter Wonderland which is a fantastic light display set up in an entire park.

This beautiful, woodsy park has a large pond, or small lake if you will, which is surrounded by paved walking paths. The Parks and Rec Dept installs tens of thousands of Christmas lights every year around the park and charges a very modest price to stroll through it.

I love to go to this outdoor evening attraction which is open every night for almost a month. We could not believe how well attended this was on the night we went. The parking lot was full with many cars coming in and out but we didn't feel crowded in the park.

At one point, the decorations are electronically synchronized to cheerful, loudly amplified Christmas music. They turn on and off again in time to the music which makes for a great light show.

Folks of all ages took in the cool evening air from seniors to babies in strollers. It is definitely a family attraction but would also be a lot of fun for a group of friends or a romantic date!

I have always wanted to go when it was lightly snowing! We are having such a mild winter so far (no complaints!), that it actually started to rain by the time that we were finished walking. This decoration is "Seven Swans a' Swimming."

The proceeds gathered from this delightful winter walk are often given to different charities on specific nights. I look forward to making this a tradition and hope that next year we can get a bigger group to join us for walking in a Winter Wonderland.

The Maryland Theater

2012-02-01T01:25:00.000-05:00

Wanting to be supportive and also curious to see what Sam's classmates were like, I volunteered to be a chaperone for a field trip to the theater.

It was a joy when Sam wanted to sit next to me on the bus. I really enjoyed the camaraderie as we traveled, and found his classmates to be funny and not quite as rowdy as I had expected!

Our destination was to this very old downtown theater used for live performances, modernized for the times but leaving its old fashioned elegance and beauty intact.

The place was spectacular with the very large stage, auditorium and elevated seating boxes along the walls. We were treated to about ten plays of famous short stories including Edgar Alan Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart" and "The Raven". We also saw "The Monkey's Paw" and "The Necklace" written by other authors. The acting was fantastic and I particularly noticed how the excellent special effects helped to keep the junior high students' attention. I was thoroughly entertained and thrilled to be reacquainted with these works of literature with which I was distantly familiar. The students had been studying them in school and this really must have augmented those lessons.

This theater is located in an old city and I got an absolute kick out of the meandering path we walked at a rapid, no nonsense clip through the alleyways between old buildings. We arrived at the theater just in time and left promptly and purposefully after the show to the arriving buses. It reminded me of some kind of secret agent movie where there isn't a minute to spare. We were hauling....! It seemed to have kept the group focused and discouraged foolishness.

I really enjoyed this outing and was so glad that I went. I saw some fantastic acting and had the pleasure of experiencing a beautiful old theater in a city that I had never really been in. I also made the acquaintance of some of the young people that Sam goes to school with and can now put a face to the names he mentions.

The best part was spending an exciting day with my son and seeing him be his best self in a group of his peers.

George Washington's Office Museum

2012-02-01T00:33:00.003-05:00

We took advantage of the chance to visit the actual office building used by sixteen year old George Washington when he worked as a surveyor in what was then known as the Western Frontier.

On this evening there was no admission cost and it was a nice treat to do something together as a family. We had gotten out of the habit of doing those kinds of things regularly and have realized how much we have been missing. It makes a difference in the dynamics to have Dad along no matter what we're doing but most especially when viewing an attraction involving history which he loves! The kids behave better and I can be more relaxed. We can all get out of the house and have some fun, which isn't always my specialty!
This is one of the oldest buildings in town and is very small. It is filled with artifacts discovered near it from the time period and old surveying instruments like the ones George Washington might have used as a young man.

This sculpture is of the young George Washington. I believe it is cast in bronze.

On the same evening, we also visited Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters which was decorated for Christmas. We were escorted up the walkway by these Civil War soldier reenactors holding candle-lit lanterns. Women were dressed up in long gowns inside and gave a history presentation in each room of the house. The tiny gift shop there was filled with good books on the Civil War and fun historical items for kids which made for some good Christmas presents, if you like that sort of thing... Which I do!

Drummer Boys

2012-01-31T23:50:00.000-05:00

Sam entertained himself and the kids by setting up a kitchen band using pots and pans.

The G man played cymbals and Miss J's instruments were assorted items from the room including a tool chest and a hardhat.

We have been very grateful to have found for Sam some reasonably priced weekly lessons given by a sweet college girl studying percussion.

She tutors him as he is new to the band this year and is teaching him to read music.

This little guy really loves to emulate his Uncle Sam and was very happy to receive for his birthday...

his own miniature drum set!

Christmas Parade

2012-01-31T23:25:00.003-05:00

The Monday after Thanksgiving, which was at least 65 degrees out even after dark, found us downtown to watch the annual Christmas Parade.

We caught up with some good friends and sat comfortably on the curb.

Small floats and community groups dressed up like elves and such paraded through the streets to welcome in the Christmas (shopping, no doubt!) season.

We were very excited to see Sam march in the band for the first time. They really sounded good.

There he is, the second drum from the left! He saw us and it was thrilling! In fact, this parade is so folksy and this town so small, that we all knew lots of people in the parade and were able to give them a shout out as they went by because its all about having fun. It was very pleasant to be outdoors and downtown on a school night!

The little guy was able to join us and enjoyed the candies thrown by the marchers.

Santa arrived although it all seemed surreal to me. It was so early (still November) and so warm that it just didn't feel like Christmas!

Seeing this beautiful house decorated with not just a candle but a small, lit Christmas tree in every window was a treat and made me look forward to enjoying this special time of year.

Time Is Change

2012-01-31T22:56:00.000-05:00

It has been two months since I have been able to enjoy taking the time to write on this blog. In November we had a new granddaughter join our family. I have had the privilege of caring for her part-time after her Mom went back to school.

It was also December and time to prepare for Christmas. I enjoyed shopping and tried to stick to my budget while choosing gifts that my family would appreciate. I gave up trying to do that by myself a long time ago. Most all of the kids helped me to shop and wrap. I would much rather get the right size and color the first time then have to make a bunch of returns after Christmas.

The biggest challenge that we have faced in the last seven weeks has been helping Larry to go through major surgery, a Total Knee Replacement. No one could have prepared him for the amount of pain he has been in and the difficulty of the actual rehab work. It has been quite a journey- oftentimes very discouraging for him. The rest of us have hated to see him hurting but have been able to see how well he is doing and how much better his knee is. He can walk!!!! In fact, today he went for a walk in the woods!

Physical therapy 3 times a week for five weeks and now 2 times per week for a couple more weeks has been the key. Larry has developed an excellent trust relationship with his physical therapist who is a guy about his own age and an avid history buff. They have had a lot to talk about in every session that exercises his new knee to the limit.

While recuperating at home, this Dad was able to spend a great deal of quality time with all of us which we needed and enjoyed more than can be expressed in words. It was an absolute gift to have him home so much. Nevertheless, it wasn't too long before he was wanting to drive out to do errands. He took Sam to the Podiatrist to have a little minor work done and they shared a pair of crutches coming home!

We all got a kick out of Sam's paper slipper!

Now that Christmas has come and gone, Larry is significantly on the mend, and our littlest princess is more settled, I would like to" catch up" on how we have spent our days through the past couple of months in more detail. Thanks for reading!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T22:44:00.001-05:00

My pictures capture but a few aspects of our peaceful, fun and relaxing Thanksgiving.The day was full of our traditions including the Walk, the feast and the Turkey Bowl. 62 family members (four generations), and 6 dogs joined us to celebrate God's Goodness in providing for all of our needs.

These pictures are set to the words of "Let all Things Now Living", (text by Katherine Davis, music by Gerald H. Knight)

Let all things now living

A song of thanksgiving

To God our Creator

triumphantly raise;

Who fashioned and made us,

Protected and stayed us,

By guiding us onto the end of our days.

God's banners are o'er us,

Pure light goes before us,

A pillar of light shining forth in the night;

Till shadows have vanished

And darkness is banished,

As forward we travel from light into light.

His law he enforces,

The stars in their courses,

The sun in its orbit obediently shine,

The hills and the mountains,

The rivers and fountains,

The depths of the ocean,

proclaim God divine.

We, too, should be voicing

Our love and rejoicing

With glad adoration,

a song let us raise:

Till all things now living

Unite in thanksgiving,

To God in the highest, hosanna and praise!

New Market Battlefield

2011-11-20T11:00:00.001-05:00

We recently enjoyed a beautiful and sunny fall day visiting the New Market Battlefield with our homeschool group.

This Battle is especially known for the ten cadets from VMI who lost their lives here when the 15-17 year old students were pressed into service to help the Confederacy. The student body (all but the 13 and 14 year olds) marched 85 miles in 4 days to New Market from Lexington, Virginia. Intended to be in reserve, they were indeed needed and the cadets were given the order to advance by the commander. One of the commander's young cousins , a cadet, was killed first as the line of young soldiers came up to the front line. AS a group, they fought well and helped to win this battle.

Our Tour Guide amazed me as she knew her history and had an absolute gift for handling a "classroom".

The first thing she did was to form an "army" with only four rules and discipline!

She lined us up into two rows and just like an army commander told the children how it was going to be!

We were very fortunate to have two Dads join us on this trip. Often, it really helps to have a man along when you are dealing with kids.

We met for an educational, interactive discussion in front of this memorial stained glass window that helps depict this battle and the role of the VMI cadets who fought here. Our docent immediately had the kids sit on the floor and the adults in the chairs. I liked her even more!

She went over the uniforms and equipment that our just formed "army" would need. John volunteered to wear this officer's coat.

Then we broke up into teams of 3 kids and one parent on a Scavenger Hunt to find 10 specific items in " The Hall Of Valor" museum which required us to look at and read many of the exhibits to find the item and write in the information. Our guide wisely had the children count off 1-8 to be put into a group that was not made up of their immediate friends. This separated the boys which usually works out well!

The battlefield is located in the southern Shenandoah Valley and the mountain range beside it is impressive.

The weather was so nice for a late fall day as we headed to the Bushong Farm on which the actual battle raged in May, 1864. Incidentally, the family was at home when the battle occurred but were able to stay in their basement, below the line of fire.

I was so intrigued with this gal's hair which above all looked neat and pulled together. She had a bun and a braid that went across the top of her head and had the front pulled back with hair combs.

We got so much more out of this trip because she told us many details of the story and obviously had pride in ownership of the tale of the cadets' courage, honor, and sense of duty.

The farm has many outbuildings preserved that are open for viewing.

The Storehouse.

Brick oven. Notice the rounded sides and the roof over top to protect the cook from the elements.

The house was taken over as a field hospital for the wounded of BOTH sides of the fighting. Surgery was performed in the parlor.

The little wooden crib is beside the bed which is covered in mosquito netting.

There is so much snake rail fencing around this property. One of the kids asked why they built fences in this way. Our guide explained that this kind of fence can be built by one person by himself who can use the downed trees on one's own land. She said it is "Horse high, bull strong and pig tight." Wow- I never realized that!!!

Blacksmith shop.

We picnicked after our tour on the grounds.

The boys had a chance to throw a football together before we left. This trip was a bargain financially because of the group tour price and had the added benefit of a knowledgeable tour guide who not only loved her subject matter but could also handle a group of children in a very kind, but firm, professional manner.

Feeding the Birds

2011-11-20T09:31:00.001-05:00

We had a large jar of shelled peanuts that had passed their prime. John set them out to feed the squirrels. Many squirrels did come to eat them but we also had the pleasure of watching the birds flutter in and away each time taking one peanut in their beaks. This is a woodpecker on the rail.

Here the woodpecker is climbing the tree behind the deck with a peanut in his beak.

We couldn't believe how fast these birds got the memo that there was free food available. A cup of peanuts was completely gone in about twenty minutes. I didn't realize that a bird could pick up a peanut because bird seed is so much smaller.

It was very pleasant to sit on the couch during our read-aloud and watch so many birds of three different varieties fly in to take one peanut at a time until they were all gone. We refilled the supply three times and then saved the rest for another day of bird watching.

Quick and Easy Scrapbooking

2011-11-20T08:24:00.001-05:00

To preserve memories from the interesting things we have seen and done, I have discovered a quick and easy solution that has really worked for us. Blank journals are readily available in different covers and I purchased these eight years ago to record our trips as part of our homeschooling adventure. I had to buy two more, one for each younger child as they began their schoolwork. Tori's book was filled when she finished homeschooling and now it is hers to keep.

When we visit any attraction or attend an event, I pick up the pamphlet or hand-out that goes along with it, enough for each of the kids who went and myself. This means that I often take 5 or more glossy brochures and I don't feel badly about it because they will actually be used and not thrown into the trash.

These attractions employ professional photographers and graphic artists to showcase their features and print on excellent quality paper . There is no way I could improve on that, so I use their materials to tell their story in our scrapbooks.

In the first few years, I had each kid cut up their own pamphlet and glue it into their book. However, I pretty much do it myself now, keeping up everyone's book with the stuff they do because I really enjoy and it is fun. On the left are pictures from Franciscan University and Mary Washington from when we were doing our college tour. On the right, is our trip to Montpelier, the home of James and Dolly Madison. The card from the restaurant we had a wonderful meal at that evening is also included.

There are very few events and places to visit that don't have printed materials of some kind to use, even special fairy birthday parties!

This trip was to Emmitsburg, Maryland to see the Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine and the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes with its outdoor Stations of the Cross.

I was able to see the arresting original photograph displayed in a museum of this woman from the Middle East that I remember seeing on the cover of National Geographic decades ago. Who could take a better picture and have it printed out for scrapbooking than this? We also ate at Chik Fil A that day so I saved that logo too. On the next page are pictures from an Agricultural Research Farm that we visited.

This is the first trip that I recorded in this way, to the National Zoo and the John Paul II Cultural Museum in September, 2003. I really try to keep up with this. Sometimes, I'll have pamphlets from a few trips in a pile waiting and I do them all at once.

Juby helped me this last time. The only equipment necessary is a pamphlet for each person, a blank journal, scissors, glue and about 30 minutes or less. That has been very doable for this busy mother!

This is our anniversary trip to Vermont taken a number of years ago. I saved the airline ticket, a view from the sky of the landscape, and some pictures from the brochure of the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at in Stowe, Vermont. Without these scrapbooks, it would be very easy to forget the beautiful things we have seen. At some point in my life, I may get into more professional scrapbooking with the many lovely supplies available to personalize one's memories. I offer this idea here because it is so EASY and fun to do for anyone who would like to preserve a record of their own and their family's excursions.

Love Pink

2011-11-20T06:59:00.001-05:00

After a very long and difficult labor and delivery, we welcomed our newest family member into the world. It was by God's Grace and her own rock solid determination to deliver her own baby, that my daughter was able to give birth to an almost 10 pound baby. The labor went on for days and nights at home and walking around town and Walmart. She knew that the secret is to stay out of the hospital for as long as you can. I was able to share this exciting time with this couple in person often but also through the medium of texting! As my mother says, " You only get to have your first baby, once." After that, you've got an older child to tend to as well. I took care of my grandson while his mother labored and recovered in the hospital. But I was able to share in the experience closely because we texted back and forth through out.

This mother was determined to avoid an Unecessary C-section which seems to be the preferred method of some busy providers who don't realize or don't care what the act of delivery means to a woman. THANK GOD for NECESSARY sections that save the lives of mothers and babies who would in previous times have died. However, her doctor ( in this whole circumstance) was not kind, not professional, not encouraging and was actually taunting her through the night because this mother didn't give up early in the proceedings so the doctor could get a good night's sleep. Prayer Warriors were called in ( Mom and Grandma Dolly) and every Saint in Heaven that has a relationship with this family. Laugh if you want to but when there is no one else to call and desperation hits I am grateful beyond belief for the intercession of the following saints who were begged for their prayers to help conduct this baby safely into the world : Mary, who gave birth to our Lord Jesus, Elizabeth ( of the Visitation and of Hungary), Margaret of Scotland, Francis, Maximilian, Gregory,Louise, Jane De Chantal, Edward, John the Baptist, the Evangelist , Vianney and The Beloved, Anne, also both Theresas, Padre Pio, Benedict and Bonaventure, Edmund, Maria Goretti, Catherine, Cecilia, Peter and Paul,Thomas, Daniel, Augustine, Gerard of Majella, Margaret Mary, Vincent, Michael , Blessed John Paul II many others. I was up most of the night praying and apparently gritting my teeth! After I received a text saying " we have a baby" I took a few moments to thank each of the Saints by name that I had been calling on to pray, meanwhile giving All the Glory to God. A day or two after the birth, I saw an article entitled " Number the Saints Among Your Friends" by Elizabeth Foss which I didn't read because I didn't want to be influenced by it before I shared my own experience here.There IS a Communion of Saints and we can ask for their prayers. I do believe in miracles. I've seen a lot of them.

After waiting for 9 months, the gender was revealed to all of us and this big fine baby girl got to meet her family.

Jon's Mom.

God our Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Who is The Giver of All Life, Thank you for this beautiful baby. Please protect all babies in the womb and help them to grow well and be delivered safely. In your great mercy, help all couples who are struggling to become parents with the gift of life, if it be Thy Holy Will. Amen.

It's a Wrap

2011-11-11T23:43:00.001-05:00

The day has finally arrived... We used the last piece of gift wrap from this very large roll that I purchased for seventy- five cents about 14 years ago! Each member of our entire family has probably received a gift wrapped in this beautiful all purpose paper somewhere along the way. This paper wasn't stuffed somewhere in the back of a closet- it was used for everything including some Christmas presents! I bought it from my neighbors when their Bridal Shop was closing. I have always enjoyed the pattern which I felt was just right for any occasion and fine for both men or women. I will miss having such an easy gift wrap solution handy and fondly appreciate the countless times this pretty paper has enclosed a present from this family!

Mill Heritage Day

2011-11-11T22:15:00.001-05:00

On our anniversary, we came upon this mill which was opened for tours. I wanted the kids to see it so we returned the following week-end for their Mill Heritage Day. The fall weather was gorgeous and this was a beautiful place for picture taking.

Fresh cider was being pressed.

According to the Burwell-Morgan Mill brochure, This mill dates back to 1785 and was such a thriving business that an entire community prospered around it. Nathaniel Burwell (pronounced Burl), who graduated from William and Mary with honors in Mathematics in 1774, designed and built this Mill with the help of Daniel Morgan, of Revolutionary War fame. It was so successful, that the flour it produced was sold in Alexandria, Va, and the Tidewater of Virginia. From there, it was shipped to the West Indies!

The indoor waterwheel which is 20 feet in diameter is one of only a handful of indoor wheels in the country. The seeds of 9 grains were actually being milled while we were there. It was amazing how fast the wheel was going around.

The "run" or stream that supplies the water to the mill comes from three springs that originate about a mile from it. This little pool was the site of "pumpkin racing" for the kids.

The pumpkins marked with numbers came over this waterfall, the first one over being the winner.

John was able to volunteer by putting stickers on brown paper bags full of flour ground that day. They gave him this cute bagful for helping out.

It is a very scenic spot with the water, trees and wooden bridges.

The water that powers the wheel comes out of the building through this channel. I have no idea how they control the water to prevent serious flooding but to have it survive so long, I guess they do.

These gears are so impressive. It is mind boggling to think about the precise measurements and the timing involved. I was awed by how this design gives Glory to God, our Creator and filled with respect for the human minds with the knowledge, will and perseverance it must have taken to build this mill so well.

This machine is called a corn sheller.

We happened upon some friends of ours while there and enjoyed watching their boys receive a demonstration on how it works. Husked corn is put down the shoot while one turns the wheel by hand.

Not two seconds later, the empty corn cobs came out of one section, and the corn kernels, ready for grinding, came out another.

The second floor of the mill was added on after the Civil War to accommodate the increased flour production. This space is currently used as an art gallery with frequently rotating local art work exhibited for sale.

This table had old fashioned cooking ingredients and implements on it.

It was a pleasure for us to visit this impressive mill while in operation on such a gorgeous fall day.

Hard Core Parkour

2011-11-11T21:41:00.001-05:00

The guys have a new hobby- "Parkour" which best I can figure means climbing and scaling almost everything.

They both were able to scale this wall to the top and then climb over the fence.

Their brother-in-law seemed intrigued and gave it a try.

I love seeing these brothers having fun together, exercising their bodies outdoors.

Get Me To The Church on Time!

2011-10-31T14:09:00.004-04:00

We got all dressed up to watch Greg and Cindi become members of their church. They floored us by inviting all of us out to lunch at a wonderful restaurant.

We very rarely eat out and almost never with the whole family so this was a really special treat.

In fact, the last time we had eaten here, was with this couple, at their rehearsal dinner 2 and a half years ago. Larry and I sat across from Cindi's parents so that we could catch up about their recent trip to England and Ireland!

This lovely meal helped us all to celebrate Jon and Meg's first wedding anniversary.

We were wondering if we would be singing "Happy Anniversary, Baby" but it wasn't to be today.

We also had the pleasure of celebrating our own 29th anniversary on this same day.

After church and lunch, Larry and I scooted out to take a Fall ride together on this special date which means so much to us. Our destination was to see...

the fifth largest pumpkin in the world ( according to the sign), weighing in at 1676 pounds! This pumpkin was grown in Pennsylvania. The seeds were removed from it yesterday, close enough to Halloween to keep it from beginning to rot too early. The seeds are highly prized. Growing a huge pumpkin is quite an honor. This farm market makes it a point to get the largest pumpkin they possibly can find each year. This season they had about 10 pumpkins here, each weighing 300-400 pounds and sold them all at a pretty penny.

I loved this beautifully carved pumpkin which had a timely phrase and picture on it stating " Bear One Another's Burdens." There is more than frost on this snow covered pumpkin!

The snow, the sunshine and the pretty autumn leaves made for such a nice view as we enjoyed the country scenery of beautiful old homes, barns and pasture lands while riding along together.

Bejeweled

2011-10-31T13:16:00.000-04:00

Eve told us that she would be bringing her jewelery making supplies when they came up to visit and hoped that we could have some crafting time with the ladies.

Did we ever!!!! We started making necklaces in the morning and continued throughout the afternoon and evening as the different girls in the family stopped in to visit and hang out with us.

Being busy with our hands around a table allowed for some great socializing and creative fun. The guys were singing and playing guitars on the other side of the living room while we chatted.

Crafts are not something that I have yet made time for in my life. I was impressed with how relaxing and pleasant this was.

Eve was so patient and gentle with us as we designed necklace patterns from the large selection of different colored and shaped beads and pendants that she had brought with her. After we threaded our beads onto the wire, she attached the clasp to finish the piece. She did that with each one.

The beads were laid out in patterns in channels on the palette. We all especially loved the length of the finished necklaces which does make a difference!

Natalie's friends really enjoyed the craft and each made a necklace for themselves to take home with them.

Meg was too busy crafting a little person to participate, but Tori and Cindi joined in.

From the left, I made the pearl necklace, the next two with the crosses were created by Natalie as Confirmation gifts for our friends, the green one is for herself and Juby made the one on the right.

I made the red , black, silver and gold one for Tori and then obsessed for hours about mixing silver and gold together which was taboo when I was young. The girls assured me that this is indeed the latest style! She then arrived in time to make her own mixed pearl necklace. These seven pieces plus Kristy's, Cindi's and the three teen girls visiting us added up to twelve gorgeous necklaces in all! Thank you, Eve, for sharing your talent with us and for your generous gift of bead supplies.

Have A Seat!

2011-10-31T12:31:00.000-04:00

Eve surprised the guys and gals with custom made woven chairs in a theme close to each one's heart.

A lady she knows takes old frame chairs and restrings them using strong, colored rope. The quality is amazing. They are sturdy and very comfortable. She uses the money she makes from doing this to fund mission trips.

For the girls, Eve brought these black and tan chairs with a horse woven into the back. I love the checkerboard seats.

This is Sam's chair since it has the Roman Numeral IV in the bottom corner as he is the 4th son! The lady who made them told Eve that her biggest challenge is to find old frame chairs for re-stringing. Now I have something to keep in mind at yard sales and thrift shops! I will pick up any that I see and pass them on to this creative and worthy cause! Despite the enjoyment of sitting in these great gifts during the game on Sunday, The Redskins lost, again...

Weekend House Party

2011-10-31T11:21:00.000-04:00

We were all looking forward to the last weekend of October because of the many exciting things planned for that time. Those plans provided a framework upon which a most delightful series of very fortunate events unfolded! This blessed time will be remembered as one of the nicest weekends I have ever had!

Although snow was predicted and it really felt like snow on Friday afternoon, we couldn't believe it would actually happen. God showed off His magnificence in a lovely steady fall of snowflakes throughout the day on Saturday. It was heavy and wet and stuck to the leaf covered ground and tree limbs. The power flickered on and off a few times and we prepared to loose it by storing water. Luckily, we never did have to go without.

Nothing's better than hunting in the snow thought our Greg, named after our visiting friend, but Tim wasn't as excited to have to cancel a big ATV adventure!

The paradox of having snow before Halloween was surreal! It was about 3-4 inches.

Making music was high on the agenda. Lots of picking and grinning accompanied the singing of old favorites like "Can't You See....", " The Highway Song", " Ain't That America", "You Look Wonderful Tonight" and any others that came to mind. Greg D.'s laptop pulled up to lyric sites made it possible to finish those songs without having to hum through all the verses! We ALL sang the choruses!

These guys can harmonize and aren't bashful about singing out loud.

Although Larry's knee, immobilized because of a twice torn meniscus and floating cartilage, was very painful, he succeeds in being a great sport!

Greg played and sang so beautifully a new song he's learned by The Zac Brown Band "Colder Weather". He really treated us with this gift of self. Larry's late mother, Sally, came from a family who played live music regularly. I appreciate this wonderful way to spend time together that she passed down.

Needless to say, the kids were up, dressed in snow clothes and out the door early. We started a fire in the wood stove to dry all the wet clothing and boots.

Natalie invited some friends over for the day and they added to the fun, for "The more, the merrier!"

By God's abundant providence, we had plenty of good food, drinks and desserts to share.

Fall foliage and fresh white snow are not often seen together! This was something to enjoy and remember!

A New Thermostat

2011-10-31T00:53:00.003-04:00

I could no longer read our old thermostat because the degree lines were too small and it was located in a dark hallway. This would never do since I like to adjust the temperature many times per day! Curious, I happened to ask our good friend, Greg, how hard it would be to install a new thermometer. His response was, "Oh that's easy, about 15 minutes." That statement turned out to be the Kiss of Death for what was expected to be a straightforward project!

Because technology baffles me, I picked out a very simple thermostat that lights up with big numbers every time you touch it.

Greg offered to install it before he and Eve left town.

After over 4 hours of continuous, experienced and competent work, Greg diagnosed two separate problems with our heat pump and air handler. I had noticed it cycling on and off very frequently last winter. You could hardly feel any air moving in the house when it was running with heat or A/C. We considered repairing the system but because it was 22 years old, replacement seemed like the best option.

Three different businesses gave us a free estimate for a new system. This helped us to become better educated on the theory of heating and air conditioning so we could ask good questions and compare apples to apples.

Hoping to stay here for a long time, we went with the higher end model than just the basic.

Two young men were our HVAC expert's helpers. They did the heavy lifting and placement of the equipment.

We are very happy with this Rheem heat pump so far. The air flow is much stronger and it has to run much less frequently. It is wonderful to have heat and we are so thankful that Greg discovered that our system was broken when he did.We had no heat or a/c at all for almost two weeks but with this temperate fall weather, we didn't need either! It was much easier to have this installed in the fall than the bitterly cold winter.Won't it be great if this system lasts for as long as the one it has replaced?!

Gallant Gutter Guys

2011-10-30T23:59:00.001-04:00

With leaves falling like rain, our gutters were filling up quickly and needed to be cleaned out. Larry's bum knee made it impossible for him to get on the roof. We weren't sure what to do when just then our son-in-law walked in and said that he'd be glad to do it!

While the guys cleaned out the debris, we headed to the Home Improvement store to investigate a permanent solution for our lousy gutter coverage system which was inadequate.

This net filtered topper for only $2 per yard looked quick and easy.We were home in no time with supplies.

Tim jumped up and he and Jon installed these filters using " zip" screws recommended by the knowledgeable Lowe's dude.

The G-force had his tool kit set up and was sure that he was helping out.

It was frustrating for Larry to take an auxiliary role as he couldn't walk well. He hung out with the guys from the ground.

We were both so grateful to these young men who really helped us out. The gutters are clean and hopefully will require much less maintenance with these filter caps on.Thanks a million, guys. I hope it comes back to you all ten-fold.

Leaf Pile

2011-10-30T23:06:00.001-04:00

It was too nice a day for gentlemen to be in the house. Out they all went for fresh air and exercise!

They got right to work creating some fun.

Tag-teaming it, they moved twice the leaves along to their destination.

The older guys know what the little guy is soon to find out; you wait all year for the opportunity to jump into a big pile of leaves...

I was impressed by their cleverness in rearranging these yard toys into a working whole: ladder, playhouse and slide.

If a little is good, a whole lot must be better. Another pile is begun in the back.

John demonstrates how it is done.

Daddy encourages his boy to be brave and adventurous...

Bingo! A safe and sound landing in a pile over his head, and quickly pulled out to do it again!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2011-10-18T09:52:00.001-04:00

We wanted to show Kristy how much she means to us so we baked a batch of Pumpkin Cupcakes for her birthday! This recipe is so easy and is made up of things normally found in my kitchen. I keep a can of pumpkin in my pantry ready to be able to whip this up any time in the fall and winter months.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Recipe from the Spring House Restaurant in Woodstock,Virginia. This makes two cakes (make two instead of one thick one, they are better thinner, for more icing on each bite, or 48 cupcakes! I froze half to eat closer to Halloween).This cake mix is very tasty! This recipe could easily be cut in half, it makes a great deal of batter.

3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 1/4 cups oil
large can of plain pumpkin ( not the "pie" mix)
3 cups of flour
1 TBL of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 TBL baking soda (or slightly less)
Icing: 2 packages of cream cheese, 1 1/2 sticks of real butter, 1 and 1/2 pounds of powdered sugar, and 2 tsp. vanilla. Enjoy!

Diocesan Pilgrimage

2011-10-18T09:34:00.000-04:00

On October 8, 2011, the younger kids and I attended the Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

I jumped at this chance to ride in a coach tour bus to this absolutely beautiful architectural marvel. I wanted to take the time out from our busy life-style to pray the Rosary and attend Mass with more than 3000 other "pilgrims". If you are reading this post, there is a very good chance that your intentions were also remembered! There were folks from every nationality present as our church is "universal". The Rosary was prayed in scores of languages, the beginning of the prayer said in a native tongue and the response we gave in English.

The music was fantastic, performed by an orchestra and the massive pipe organ. The acoustics in this Basilica were amazing and the female soloist sang like an angel. The theme of the day was " Come Worship the King of Kings."

I will set the rest of the pictures to the lyrics of "To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King". Please feel free to sing along!

To Jesus Christ, our Sovereign King,

Who is the world's salvation.

All praise and homage do we bring

And thanks and adoration.

Christ Jesus, Victor!

Christ Jesus, Ruler!

Christ Jesus, Lord and Redeemer!

Your reign extend, O King benign,

To every land and nation;

For in your Kingdom, Lord divine,

Alone we find salvation.

Christ Jesus, Victor!

Christ Jesus, Ruler!

Christ Jesus, Lord and Redeemer!

To you, and to your church, great King,

We pledge our heart's oblation;

Until before your throne we sing

In endless jubilation.

Christ Jesus, Victor!

Christ Jesus, Ruler!

Christ Jesus, Lord

and Redeemer!

Great Country Farms, 2011

2011-10-18T08:30:00.001-04:00

Our Homeschool group visited Great Country Farms for an October field trip as we did last year.

With Sam in school now, we were fortunate to be able to invite another fellow for John to hang out with.

Beautiful weather made the hay ride fun.

Each child was able to pick out their own pumpkin or gourd.

MANY other school groups were here, probably eight or nine.

This jumping pillow is quite an attraction.

John and Erik sit in the center of the web.

These little "cars" are called Doodle-bugs.

This Agri-Business is filled with fun, outdoor things to do for kids like this steep double slide.

There was a lot of exercise to be had as the farm encompasses many acres.

Kids love to play on old construction equipment.

We didn't see these self-pedaled, heavy-duty go-carts last year.

A small stoned gravel racetrack was fine for enjoying a long ride.

There were many of these carts available so that a group could ride together.

I pushed the little guy around.

It was a wonderful fall day spent with good friends in a lovely setting.

A New Rubi

2011-10-16T01:55:00.001-04:00

Jeff decided to trade in his fancy sports car for something a lot more sturdy.

He wanted something rugged, with all the high-tech amenities on the dash.

This log proved to be no problem for the wheel to scale.

Folding the top down took only five minutes.

This band of brothers is ready for adventure...

Have Fun, Be Safe. Happy Trails!

Homemade Apple Pie

2011-10-16T01:32:00.000-04:00

Homemade apple pie seemed like just the right dessert to serve our good friends coming up for a weekend visit.

We don't have an apple peeler and probably don't need one since these would be the first pies I've made in over five years.

I buy mixed varieties of apples by the bushel from the nearby orchard where they are grown for 16 dollars a box. They have been very good, crisp and juicy. I like to eat an apple a day when I've got them.

This apple slicer was used to core them and then I took the skin off with a paring knife. G Money (wearing briefs) attended.

Of course I wanted to make the crusts from scratch which is the scary and difficult part.

14 apples were cut up and cinnamon, a small amount of sugar, and a pinch of salt were added. This recipe didn't call for butter chunks on top of the apples nor any vinegar in the crust.

They turned out well and were plenty of dessert when served with vanilla ice cream to a large crowd.

October = Pumpkins!

2011-10-16T00:58:00.001-04:00

I was able to buy these nice sized pumpkins for only two dollars each at a roadside stand. I asked the youngsters to wash the dirt off them and we brought out a bucket of warm soapy water and a scrub brush for them to use.

I can honestly say that never in a million years would I have thought to actually "bathe" a pumpkin by submerging it in the pail of water, but these two did.

They dropped them in one at a time and scrubbed them in the water. I thought you had to dip your brush into the water and wash them on the deck! I also didn't realize that pumpkins float...

Duchess strolled by as Gangsta G Dawg got right into this project. Apparently he was in charge of the heavy cleaning. All I could think of was " Not bad for a two year old!"

These pumpkins were sold by size- the two dollar size happened to be a great fit in the bucket. Like most families, we buy a pumpkin for each person in the family. Its a personal thing- everybody gets their own to carve in any way they want to. I have had the pleasure of using my pumpkin (a much bigger one than these in past years) to cook dinner in. Once, we had a tasty hamburger goulash and the next year, a "pumpkin custard." There is nothing to it- carve out the pumpkin ( leave the bottom intact), place the prepared food inside it, set on a cookie sheet in the oven at 375 or so and cook. Serve from the pumpkin!

Aren't they beautiful?!!! To me, pumpkins symbolize the spectacular month of October which is a very special time in this family. This month, we hope to celebrate a birthday, two wedding anniversaries (on the same day!), and the expected birth of our new grandchild, please God!.

Boys To Men

2011-10-16T00:13:00.002-04:00

Instead of cutting wood this year we ordered it to be delivered and had it dumped in the yard.

I considered having a "stacking day" and inviting our grown sons and son-in-law to help place it in neat rows because we had some fun with that last year. No doubt, I had more "fun" than the actual workers since I mostly cooked and served food!

Then I came to my senses and realized that all of those big guys had their own work to do and we had two able-bodied young fellows living right here that could handle this project themselves. It occurred to me that Sam is almost 14 and we only have 4 more years worth of mandatory hard labor that we can require him to do! I've wasted so many opportunities! For too long, it has just been easier and more natural to ask the older folks to help. These guys need to be brought up to speed on the ways of the strong and capable young men that they are becoming.

They embraced this project and made it easier by attaching a yard wagon to the ATV for transporting logs closer to the pile.

Our goal for them is to stack at least an hour a day until it is finished. That is, if it isn't raining!

I have noticed that in pictures, things look a lot more dangerous than they seem in real life. Yes, I am referring to the lack of helmets which was allowed in this one circumstance. By the next day, the trips were widening out from just point A ( wood mound) to point B ( stacked wood pile) to encompass other points elsewhere and the helmet rule was back in full force! In future, I will avoid making exceptions- it doesn't work.

I am making an effort to stay out of their way and let them work out the details. Micromanaging is one of my most glaring faults and I cheat myself of peace of mind and others out of developing and implementing their own plan for success when I indulge in it.

It was a "Eureka" moment to realize how quickly the next 4 years will pass. TODAY is the day to harness these fellows' strength and energy with increasing amounts of responsibility and hard physical work. They will certainly benefit from gaining the skills necessary to maintain a home and yard. More and more, we need their help. Thank you, gentlemen!

On The Bookshelf

2011-09-29T23:57:00.004-04:00

My summer read this year was Manor House Life In An Edwardian Country House written by Juliet Gardiner. This book I picked up at a church yard sale because I, like many Americans, love all things English. It is an oversized "coffee table book" with some very beautiful pictures, but it is really a book for reading with almost 300 pages of small print! Ms. Gardiner tells the story of a recent social experiment in which a modern, 21st Century family is transported "back in time" so to speak by living exactly as they would have during the time of 1901-1909 when Edward VII, son of Victoria, was the King of England. Twenty other modern day folks were hired to be their servants who also had to follow the norms of the period in dress, attitude and behavior and perform the duties of waiting hand and foot on the family upstairs. This was really interesting because it was not only about the rich and famous but also about rank, peerage and royalty!

They had a hard working French cook who turned out deluxe multi-course meals three to four times a day and plucked his own pheasants etc. They could only use tools and methods that were actually available in the period. An elaborate mansion was leased by PBS and this Edwardian Experiment was filmed as a TV series. Many interviews are given in the book as to how people were feeling and dealing with their new roles. The family above stairs had to get used to entertaining and being waited on to the point of having very little privacy.The servants had to get up before dawn and work all day into the late evening doing everything from keeping fires burning to polishing silver, peeling vegetables and preparing for parties of distinguished guests. This book gave a lot of background history of England in the early 1900's and showed pictures of their elaborate dinner parties and ridiculously extravagant entertainments. The modern participants, including the folks living the privileged life of the upperclass family as well as the servants, found it most difficult to get used to the absolute, unwavering attention to rank and status. They all were very grateful for the opportunity as no expense was spared to make the experience authentic.

What is typical of my style, is that I read the entire book but I have never seen an episode of this series on TV or on the computer. I generally prefer the written version of most things. I would much rather read a review of a movie than see the movie! It took me most of the summer to read this non-fiction book and I found it to be worth my time.

These next two books I read were borrowed from the library. Becca's Story by James D. Foreman is based on a true story from a diary in the author's family. Becca is 15 years old at the start of the Civil War and is kind of sweet on two of the young men in town who enlist. By the end of the war, having written many letters to both of the young men and received their replies, she chooses the steady one over the adventurous one to marry. It was pleasant to read and gave details about some of the battles of the war that are familiar to me.

Left neglected by Lisa Genova was a very interesting and up to the minute story of a high powered career couple and their crazy-busy family life in a fancy suburb of Boston .The Mom has a serious, life-changing car accident while texting her business associates. She spends the next four months in neuro rehab because she is no longer aware of ANYTHING to the left of the midline of her body. She cannot see the left side of anything and is not aware that it exists at all. She eats only the food on the right side of her plate and can only read the right side of the page. In fact, she doesn't know that she has a left hand, arm, foot or leg. She can't "find" them and make them move. She eventually comes home from rehab and her husband has to floss her teeth for her nightly which is in complete contrast to the 13 or more hour days she used to work in a fast paced job while raising three young kids (with the help of a great nanny).
Although I had never heard of it, this strange condition can happen to people after a head injury. The author took great pains to describe how it felt and what it was like to have it. Not quite as busy as the Mom in the story, I could only imagine how tragic it would be to suddenly not be able to do for oneself and be this dependent on others for everything. At the end of the story, the woman is able to return to skiing downhill in a special disability snowboard and takes a job in charge of the program at the ski resort. She and her husband move to Vermont to a much slower paced and less expensive lifestyle. She connects with her son who is struggling with ADD because they do similar homework together and help each other.It was a very entertaining story and it was easy to read quickly.
Since, the school year began, I have been reading great children's literature like Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic from which I get child-rearing tips, and All -of-A Kind Family about an Orthdox Jewish family of 5 daughters and their wonderful Mamma and Pappa. It has also been great to re-read Sarah, Plain and Tall. Good Stuff! Happy Reading!

Star Wars- The Next Generation

2011-09-29T20:40:00.000-04:00

John has been fascinated with Star Wars for a few months now. The funny thing is that he has never seen the movies. We own them, but he has never gotten around to watching them.

He has developed an interest in this topic because he has read about ten novels on this futuristic Science Fiction fantasy. Some of these books we own and were originally purchased for and read by Jeff and Greg when they were younger.

Others he has borrowed from the library which has an extensive Star Wars collection. Like Star Trek, Star Wars has a lot of fans of all ages.

The only video game he plays, when he is allowed to, is a Star Wars game set in a Lego's world. He has been introduced to many obscure characters of the series in this game, which apparently follows along the movies closely. He has a couple of Star War's Lego sets of his own with which he acts out the battle scenes he has played in the game or read about.

I appreciate that Star Wars has had the staying power to fire the imaginations of these young people across the span of many years. Their cousins also seem to enjoy these characters. Some of them have borrowed and read our aforementioned books, and others have their own collection of Star War's costumes. I WILL encourage John to put a couple of Light Sabers on his Christmas List, so that these dangerous ski poles can be put away!

Toadstools

2011-09-19T13:40:00.000-04:00

I have been noticing a lot of mushrooms around the neighborhood and more than that- all the different kinds of mushrooms and their large sizes!

Kristy noticed the same thing and provided these little ones with a wonderful nature time collecting many varieties.

I don't know what the difference between a mushroom and a toadstool is, but the shapes and colors of many of these fungi lent themselves precisely to the storybook notion of a fairy's toadstool.

We were all aware that mushrooms in the wild are often highly dangerous, at least that's what the legend says and what we told the kids. We made sure that no sampling was going on.

After they had a ball going all around the yard collecting them, Kristy laid them out according to type and what a wondrous variety there was. None of us have ever seen so many different kinds growing at one time before and in such profusion.

Lemon Yellow

2011-09-19T13:24:00.002-04:00

I grabbed my camera because it just happened that my kitchen was ablaze in the color yellow all at the same time! Tori gave Natalie at least a dozen yellow roses during her recent hospitalization.This reminded me that my parents gave me a dozen yellow roses for my sixteenth birthday back when roses were not so easy to come by.I was saddened that I had forgotten to do the same for Natalie although I remembered roses for her sisters on their sixteenth.I was thrilled that Tori's gift was so timely and made up for my lapse ( I hope!).

The roses were beautiful while blooming but now had faded. We allowed Miss J. to cut them up to play with. She happened to have my yellow shirt on.

Meanwhile, John was standing right next to her scooping yellow vanilla pudding. He was doing another experiment which called for lemon jello. Not having that, we substituted pudding. The idea was to see if one dyed lemon jello red, would people think it tasted like cherries or strawberry jello. Humans use their eyes as well as their sense of smell when eating. Unfortunately, nobody was fooled by " vanilla" pudding dyed red. They didn't think it was some kind of cherry pudding because that doesn't exist. Red jello is very common though, and we all agreed that it could have fooled someone into thinking that lemon jello, dyed red, could be thought to be"cherry jello".

Natural Selection

2011-09-19T13:06:00.000-04:00

We looked forward to the first science experiment of the year because it called for a large bag of m&m's, my favorite candy. John is studying Apologia's Land Creatures of the Sixth Day. The Notebooking Journal is a fantastic addition to this book and that is where he recorded his results.

The idea was to separate the colors of m&m's and to count them out.Whichever had the smallest number would determine which number to be used in the experiment.

Then, three colors of construction paper were gathered, seven sheets of each color, cut into 6 pieces each.

They were put into a hamper with the sides blocked. All six colors of m&m's were poured into the hamper.

The author of this text is a "Creationist". He strongly disbelieves in the theory of evolution.He states that no matter how many millions of years one pretends to count up, a lion will NEVER turn into an elephant. He believes that God made KINDS of animals- dogs, cats etc..(as it says in Genesis). There HAVE been modifications to the characteristics of those animals all within their own kind. Dogs are still dogs no matter how big.....He is a strong believer in the process of Natural Selection, that is, that animals that have characteristics that lend well to survival in their environments will naturally do well and live to reproduce which perpetuates those specific characteristics.

The idea (and hypothesis) for this experiment was that m&m's whose colors match the three colors of construction paper would be harder to find because they are camouflaged and will elude capture.On the contrary, the m&m's that don't match, like the red, blue and brown ones would be very easy to spot and find in this hamper environment.The kids had to find them in a 2 minute period and count them after sorting by color. In the end, their results were skewed because they wound up with more m&m's in the basket than they had put in! Their conclusion was that a certain young student wearing purple added additional m&m's to the basket! John wrote this up in his notebook and we all enjoyed a candy treat!

Color Coordinated Closet

2011-09-19T12:36:00.001-04:00

Natalie outdid herself when asked to clean her room recently!

After bringing out two bags of unused clothing, she arranged everything else according to the colors of the rainbow. I didn't actually check to see if it was ROYGBIV but it looks pretty close!

I got such a kick out of this creative "going beyond the call of duty" that I'm pretty sure I said yes to whatever she was asking for when she went in to clean her room!

Animal Prints

2011-09-19T12:29:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has spent any time shopping lately can verify that this season's hottest trend is animal prints!

I am seeing it on dresses, shirts, shoes and even school supplies! I happened to look out the window and got such a kick out of seeing it all over these two! Of course Princess always wears her tortie colors.

This outfit was Meg's in first grade and the hat we've had for ten years. In other words, we've had these clothes long enough for them to be in style, go out, and come back in again!

A Trip to The Salon

2011-09-19T12:21:00.002-04:00

Miss J. received some money from her brother for her birthday. She decided that she wanted to go to the Salon for the first time and have her hair done.

She really enjoyed the whole experience. She got a "bob" which looks great on her and is easy for her to manage by herself.

I admired how she was able to spend her gift of money in a special way that would be fun and a treat for her. In the past, I have definitely been known to use a gift of money (given to me) to pay a bill or to gas up the car. That isn't much fun. I liked my daughter's attitude and I will try to emulate that in the future.

Hurricane in the Forecast

2011-09-19T12:12:00.001-04:00

We had heard about Hurricane Irene coming up the coast and we wanted to be prepared.

On the morning that the brunt of the storm was to be over us, these three guys put on their hurrricane uniforms.

I washed out this big water cooler and filled it and many old juice bottles with water. I probably had 12-15 gallons of water saved in containers. My biggest fear is to have the power go out and then be unable to use our well. I felt a responsibility to my whole family to be ready. That is why I also went to Walmart and bought six of everything they had in the store so we would have plenty of food to feed not only ourselves but also the neighbors if the worst happened!

Tall, blessed candles were set up in case we lost power.

We neatened up the yard and secured the lawn chairs so they wouldn't become missiles in gale-force winds. Then we spent the entire dark and gently windy, lightly raining day waiting for something big to happen.The whole day felt like we were waiting for the other shoe to drop. It never did. It was somewhat disappointing, like when they forecast 12 inches of snow and you get only a dusting.

The next morning, the weather could not have been more beautiful!!!!

The air was as fresh as it could be and it was sunny and cooler!

Perfect for laundry, I hung 27 of Jeff's white t-shirts out to dry. Like any good bachelor, he has a month's worth of clothing to tide him over in between laundry days.

We took advantage of the spectacular freshness of the atmosphere to watch fireworks out front.

Everyone came over throughout the day, so we were able to visit with nine of the ten children in this family with their spouses and friends.

The main lesson that I learned from preparing for this hurricane was that you never know. The poor folks in Vermont had a terrible time and There But for the Grace of God go we. You cannot prepare for everything nor in the exact way that it will be needed. Make reasonable preparations as able, and Trust in God.
By the way, I hated to have to throw out all the water I had stored away. A friend mentioned that it could be used to fill up the washing machine and that is what I did!!!

Off To School

2011-09-19T11:34:00.005-04:00

These two boys are about to be separated from each other for the first time during the school day. I was well aware of the sadness of that while escorting Sam to the bus stop. It was the first day of school and he was be picked up by the bus for the first time in his life.

Sam is going into the eighth grade, the oldest class in the school. Grandpa told him to continue to always start at the top, and to forget beginning in the mail room!

15 minutes later, we drove Lady Jayne to her bus stop for tenth grade!

Then we began our first day of homeschooling for this year! John is in sixth grade.

Juby is in second. I have high hopes for a wonderful year. These two students are both terrific readers. They both also love to play. I love to spend my time homeschooling, which is probably why nothing much else is getting done around here!!!

Tori-Dori is off to Community College.She took all her classes on-line over the summer and loved it. For the fall, I suggested that she attend classes to see the people and to experience something different, since she was homeschooled through high school. She found that she excels in writing papers at home, but does need practice in taking tests at school, so this will add to her skill set.

Our youngest pupil is with us three days per week so that his mother can also attend college. I ordered for him some wonderful preschool workbooks, primarily cutting and pasting but we have not yet found the time to do them. He is a good boy who can play well so that is what he is doing. He listens to all of our discussions.
I am amazed at how busy we are, like every other family, no doubt, since the school year has begun. We work all day at schoolwork, have a modest number of activities and then study, read and do homework until 11pm at night. Then we begin again in the morning. That is why I took an "In-service Day" today to write eleven blog posts. There is no other time. I really enjoy seeing so many students studying daily here, from college age down, because that is the primary occupation of young people.
May God bless all students, teachers and parents and those who support their work this year and help us all to realize that To God Be The Glory as we study and marvel at his Handiwork.

Birthday Week

2011-09-19T10:50:00.002-04:00

Three of our youngest four children have their birthdays over the course of one week in August.

These ladies celebrate 4 days apart.

Tori gave this wonderful birthday sash and tiara to Miss J. for her day and her sister was able to use it for her Sweet Sixteen!

Scented lotions and soaps are always a big hit and made a great gift from Tori to Natalie. Gifts are downplayed in this house.They are not expected and there is NO obligation to provide one. Less is definitely more in my book. However, some people really like to show their love by giving a well chosen gift and that gesture is always appreciated.

Larry and I give a modest gift of money and John picked out a Star Wars Lego set with his. He is thoroughly enjoying it.

Each birthday child (and even a birthday adult) enjoys being remembered in a special way, whether that be by a call, a card, a visit, a message, a gift, a thought or a prayer. Happy Birthday, kids! Wishing you all a happy, healthy year.

Earthquake Survivors

2011-09-19T10:09:00.000-04:00

We, along with folks from Canada to North Carolina, had the exciting sensation of feeling a 5.8 magnitude earthquake and living to tell! Like most folks, by God's Grace, we had no damage or injury. Best of all, we experienced this with Tim and Kristy which made it even more of an adventure.We were all sitting in the living room when we felt the couches and the room rolling in WAVES.We all looked at each other with shock and exclaimed "Earthquake!!!! Get out of the house!!!!!! I ran to get the napping little guy and out we ran.

Apparently, that must be the instinctive natural reaction because that's what everyone did, including Jeff and Chelsea in D.C. where people were spilling out of the buildings into the streets. Apparently, Jeff was texting and posting to Facebook as he ran down the stairs "Earthquake! Repent!" A little later when the All Clear was realized, he updated his status " False Alarm,, Nevermind..."

We got out into the yard and then realized that our campfire, extinguished by hose three nights earlier, had spontaneously started smoking and then caught up into flames. There must have been a lot of heat trapped underneath it and the earthquake shook things up enough to rekindle the fire.

Tori, like everyone else on the East Coast, attempted to contact friends and loved ones. The phone service was JAMMED for twenty minutes as folks checked to see if their neighbors felt it. When we turned on the TV and saw that it had been felt in Canada, we were amazed

The G-man demonstrated again and again by shaking this fountain drink back and forth what had happened.

He actually told me as I grabbed him out of his bed immediately after it happened that it had woken him up because his bed was shaking and he moved his body to show me. This was the first earthquake my own family has ever experienced. Although we didn't actually feel it, one of our deerhead mounts fell off the wall striking a lamp at the same time that an aftershock was recorded. It was a very memorable experience.

Politics and Economics at the Lemonade Stand

2011-09-19T09:24:00.001-04:00

Juby decided to sell pink lemonade and she used Sam's wheelbarrow, a gift to him from Grandma Dolly, as a Stand.

She had all she needed, a cool "lemon" pitcher, a tray of ice and a princess bag to put the money in.The cups fit nicely into the handle of the yard cart.

The boys helped out for safety reasons and also because this was where the lemonade was!
They got a few customers from the neighborhood.

Minus a pair of roller skates, Juby car-hopped here to serve these thirsty girls their order "To Go".

I imagine this cold drink hit the spot after horseback riding in the heat of the afternoon.

Right about here the trouble started... I don't know what it was about- maybe " rent" for the use of the wheelbarrow or something equally important.

She packed it all up. I love how the chair fits into the cart!

Back at the house, the disagreement continued about the disbursement of the funds. Finally, I snatched all the money, about a dollar and seventy five cents, threatening to put it into the Poor Box if they couldn't work it out. Loud crying and gnashing of teeth ensued. That's when Tori made the observation about Lemonade Stand Economics which is the name of an accounting course for high school students.

This led to a long and drawn out meditation upon life, and the reality behind the pictures and blogging in general. I thought long and hard about Humility and Pride and the idea of living a quiet life behind the scenes versus the public life of an on-line presence.
A friend of mine said that the best thing about a blog is that it is a way to "use the pictures" that are fun to take of family life. I totally agree. For so many years I didn't take pictures, claiming that I was too busy living life to record it. I have just a little more time than that now, although not lately!
My mission is to celebrate family life because EACH family is God's masterpiece ( Bl. John Paul II ), and to show how trying to live our great Catholic faith makes life richer and more meaningful for me.

Playing Games

2011-08-18T09:14:00.001-04:00

Playing games can be a great way to spend time together. They are a way for folks to have fun and build relationships.

They can teach many social skills like being pleasant, being fair and negotiating conflict.

Most kids love games.

I realize that there is a whole lot of talking and interaction that can take place with computer and video games, but I prefer the 3-D aspect of board games.

They can be a safe and interesting ice breaker!

Sometimes they can be time-consuming to set up. In that case, it's best to leave them out for a few days so that others can come along and play them, also.

Parcheesi is my favorite game. I spent many hours playing it with my childhood friends, Laurie and Kim.

I own an older version of this game with the wonderful wooden pieces. I ask the kids to be careful with them because they mean a lot to me.

Both John and Juby particularly like to play games with me. It's not always easy for a busy mom to sit down and play a game with her children. However, I value the lessons that playing board games can teach in such a fun way. It would be very wise to build a time for a daily game into my homeschool day with my two youngest! And wiser still to take the time to play with the older kids, too!

Let's Go Swinging!

2011-08-18T08:20:00.001-04:00

We attended "The Yard Crawl" which was a day of continuous yard sales on both sides of the road for 40 miles down one route. I gave each kid 5 dollars from their allowance and we walked about a mile down and then back to the van, stopping at each sale to browse.

Sam purchased this wooden swing with ropes and clamps attached for a dollar.

Using a fishing pole, the older guys had already installed a rope over a very high and sturdy limb. They "cast" the fishing line up, and when it went over the limb and down again, they tied a heavy rope to it, suitable for supporting a swing, and then threaded it over the limb. We had had a "baby swing" attached to it originally, before this treasure was found at the yard sale.

Now, everyone gets to take a turn going back and forth, and around and around.

A side rope, attached to the swing, allows the person on the ground to pull it way high.

Even the big guys can have fun in this old-fashioned way.

The wooden plank is big enough for two to ride together.

I an grateful for another activity for the kids to play out-of-doors!

Veja Du

2011-08-18T07:43:00.005-04:00

Sometimes a mother can get mighty discouraged when her children suffer from " Veja Du", that is, the feeling that NONE of this has ever happened before!

It seems like every day, I have to say : 1)unload the dishwasher, 2) take out the trash, 3) get off the computer, 4) load the dishwasher, 5) pick up your socks..... all with a great big smile and a warm and friendly "Please, dear children...", of course! Sure...!

I haven't been able to come up with a system that automates these daily chores. It's like somehow each day is unlike the 365 days that preceded it and all of these duties are completely new ideas.

You can imagine my delight when out of the blue, Sam decided to organize the mudroom cabinets. On his own, he emptied them all out, and throughout the day, put things back in groups of like items.

He now has in his head, an inventory of the things we already own and where they can be found when needed.

In that very same hour, John took it upon himself to make a bowl of tunafish. This picture doesn't capture how delicious and timely this lunch was!

Meanwhile, I tried to stop Tori, only 24 hours post-op from surgery on her finger and opposite elbow, from doing housework because she was sick of sitting around healing. Tori is ALWAYS a self-starter and like her late Grandma V., can clean 10 times better than me.

I would like to be at a point where my dear sweet children know what to do and then do those things on a daily basis without having to be asked to do them!

I don't know if a chart, or a point system, or rewards and punishments are the answer. It seems like we've tried them all, but obviously not consistently! I guess I will continue to repeat myself like a fool, hoping that these habits will become automatic.
I just realized that they never will as long as I'm willing to live my life in a state of Deja Vu, that is, a feeling that I've been saying and doing the exact same stuff I've done daily to remind them for years!

Nature Walk

2011-08-18T06:35:00.003-04:00

We have been able to add a most pleasant routine to our days lately.

That is, a daily walk, or hike if you will, in the woods.

The weather has been so nice, with no humidity and warm breezes, but the woods are cooler still.

Although the ATV's are no longer welcome there, the wonderful trails they left behind are a hiker's paradise.

Each day there are new wonders to be seen.

It is a great place to talk and visit while walking.

We have been trying to go on a daily basis and consider it a real treat. Collecting pine cones and rocks to paint later makes it even more fun to walk in the woods...

A Potty-Training Tunic

2011-08-10T23:29:00.001-04:00

After making the pillowcase dresses for Juby, I was pondering how much fun it is to sew for little girls. I wondered what mothers (and grandmothers) of little boys sew. Costumes came immediately to mind, but then I thought of what our little guy could use and began to make him a Potty-training Tunic (" it's not a dress-it's a tunic", from Night at the Museum!!!).

I loved this fabric that we used for recovering the desk chair aforementioned! Cindi ordered this fabric when she made a hand-made quilt for Greg years ago.There was just enough for the purpose.

Unfortunately, the G-man wasn't feeling the love that went into this here. It is just the right length to keep him covered while potty-training which is his main job now. He is doing very well with that.

I couldn't wait to surprise his Momma, who I knew would love it!

Now they both can match! Except that one's a dress, the other's a tunic...

I had to put a shirt under it because he thought it was a little itchy and scratchy.....Fail....

We all had a good laugh and who knows, maybe we can turn this into some kind of Halloween costume!

Pillowcase Dresses

2011-08-10T22:42:00.001-04:00

Look at this high -tech set-up! The pattern is no longer on a piece of paper, but is on the Internet instead!

With the end of summer's free-time approaching, I decided to tackle this project that has been in my closet for two years. I wanted to try my hand at making the "pillowcase dresses" that Aunt Nancy introduced us to.

I picked these two gorgeous pillowcases up at a church yard sale for 50 cents a piece. I bought matching ribbon and thread and left it all in the bag for a rainy day.

I know that I was afraid to try this project and I was also waiting for my little friend to get tall enough to wear the finished product.

The day finally came. Amazingly, this was so easy to do that I got one finished in between errands! Note the armholes cut out and the chest and back piece shirred with elastic in a casing.

The coordinating ribbon trim is the best part, but the older, high quality pillowcases are also very nice in themselves.

I don't mind that this is long on her, because she ( like my tall niece does), will be able to wear this for many years to come.

The second one is an ivory colored pillowcase with at least 5 or 6 inches of beautiful lace along the bottom.

I trimmed it out in sage green. The arms are outlined with seam bias, and the ribbon was used to decorate the elastic shirring, the lace bottom and is also used to tie the dress on.

Tomatoe Man

2011-08-10T22:16:00.001-04:00

This is a fantastic time of year for good eating, and what could be better than homegrown tomatoes?!!!!

This is our tomatoe man. He sells them for $5.00 a basket. He just built this wonderful work table for his hobby which has a built-in hole for an umbrella to keep the fruit and himself shaded.

The customer gets to pick which basketful of ripe tomatoes she wants. He transfers them into a bag. I make it a point to keep cash in my wallet to buy these little beauties as soon as I am running low, at least weekly, if not more often.

This senior gentleman has 98 tomatoe plants. Currently, he is selling "Better Boys".He said that next week, a different variety will be ripe.

Larry and I have been living on these delicious and flavorful tomatoes. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have been eating them 3 meals a day, that's including breakfast, for 2 weeks! They are so juicy and good that I've had to work stains out of many of my shirts after eating them. They need to be sold with a bib!

First Horse Show

2011-08-10T20:01:00.002-04:00

Milk and toast started the day for Miss J. on the morning of her first horse show. Because of a prior commitment at church, the boys and I couldn't make it!!!! The girls took pictures for us.

Natalie has been giving Juby lessons and she is very comfortable on this pony, Dixie.

Larry hooked up our trailer and they all picked up Dixie and our pony, April, to take to a local show. Because they are herd animals, you can't take one horse in a trailer. They get lonely and fussy. April is too "green" for Juby to show, so she just went along for the ride.

She said she wasn't nervous.

She signed up for the "Beginner Walk, Trot" and began her class.

Some of her biggest fans were present to watch.

Meg said that the G-meister was sooo proud of her and was loudly cheering her on.

Natalie told us that the judge was grinning from ear to ear throughout the class!

Did I mention that Juby was the only one in the class?

She got a First- a Blue Ribbon!

Here she is with her Horse Show Dad. I suspect this is the first show of many more to come unless I can get her signed up for piano lessons pronto!

Dining Room Chairs Recovered

2011-08-10T19:37:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday, we completed a chore that has been on the To-Do List for about 5 years.

Which means that it has been needing to be done for about 7!

Our chairs are used daily. They were beyond embarrassing.

We've made a decision to get some projects finished ASAP, before the hunting and football seasons begin.

Meg was our loyal helper as her husband was defending the country for the week-end.

We picked out this upholstery fabric in neutral tan and off-white with stripes of green and burgundy running through it.

Pre-measuring, we found out what we would need- 8ft of cloth and 8 feet of vinyl to cover it with. To be safe, we just made it 3 yards of each.The fabric was 60% off at Joann's but it still wasn't cheap.

Larry removed the 4 screws from the bottom of each seat cushion with an electric screwdriver and when finished, he reassembled them. Unlike some women, I do not use tools! I have never learned and really have no aptitude for them. He has always been willing to hang all of our curtain rods and pictures, too.

We took the chairs two at a time. At first the learning curve was steep,

But eventually we got the hang of it and developed an assembly line process.

While we were at it, I remembered that I had purchased a foam pad years before for this chair that needed to be recovered, also. We found it in the closet and luckily had enough of this gorgeous " Hunter" fabric tucked away.This desk chair turned out so well with the new foam pad, that I wished I had had the fore-sight to buy new pads for every dining room chair to make them super padded and comfy.

Although the moods throughout the day weren't always pleasant, we persevered by God's grace and completed all eight chairs plus the desk chair by the end of the evening!

An American Girl Tea Party

2011-08-10T19:03:00.003-04:00

This little lady was invited to her cousin's special birthday party. The invitation let us know that it was appropriate to dress up in Sunday best and to bring an American Girl Doll (or Target brand, like we own!!). We took the opportunity to curl her hair on electric rollers!

We were able to see all the girls' dolls sitting at their own table, ready for tea. That's the Birthday Girl Hostess with them.

Refreshments looked lovely!

Here are the lucky ladies- cousins, sisters and friends. Happy Birthday, Shannon!

Kid Switch

2011-08-03T00:00:00.002-04:00

One of the things that has been so nice about this summer, has been an arrangement that my friend and I have had twice weekly. On one afternoon, her children have come to my house to play with my kids here, and on another afternoon, mine go to her house to play there with her children.They have a pool and a brand-new playground for the boys to bike to, nearby. We have woods and some room to run.

This regular time has offered many benefits to all the kids and also to the mothers! Both my friend and I have been able to tackle some projects while at home with all the kids because they actually play better with friends over. On the afternoons we have had off, we've been able to shop unhurriedly or catch up on some work at home that requires uninterrupted time to spend on it. This has been very consistent and such a big help. We have all enjoyed it. Thanks, Allison!

Vacation Bible School

2011-08-02T23:37:00.004-04:00

Our parish just finished a wonderful week of Vacation Bible School. A curriculum was used called " A Wilderness Adventure Through The Sacraments". This is published by a group called "Cat Chat". This program and the other ones in previous years was well worth the price because it is so well put together.

One of the best things about the program was the fantastic music and choreography that went along with it to teach the children about Jesus and the Sacraments.The kids were put into classes: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and the 4th and 5th graders were grouped together. About 115 kids participated in the program which only cost five dollars per kid for the whole week!

Each day began at 9am with an assembly of song and dance and the teaching of the day. Monday was Baptism. All the sacraments were discussed in the context of a camping trip and the things one would need to take along.

A different skit was also presented each day which was usually quite funny.

After the morning assembly, the five groups rotated through five stations. These stations were Fun and Games, Arts and Crafts, Faith, Snack, and Music.

Each activity in these stations tied into the sacrament of the day. Those were grouped as follows: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation and the next four were grouped in twos- Reconcilliation and Anointing of the Sick (the healing sacraments) and finally: Holy Orders and Matrimony ( the vocational sacraments).

It is amazing to me that this whole production was put on by only 8 adults and of those folks, two of them were only about 21. That is because the majority of the work was done by teen-agers, all 35 of them who came out in droves to help decorate and to work on a daily basis.

Our Director has very good relationships with her Teen helpers, many of whom have worked at VBS for years. The teens are required to sing and dance, in other words, to participate. No texting allowed while on duty! This picture was snapped at the beginning of the week when we were just learning the words and motions to the songs.

By the end of the week, we had All gotten pretty good at knowing All the words to All the songs which are Really fun and catchy!!! The most important thing about having this many young people help, is the fact that without a doubt, they are being catechized as much as the younger ones are!

The teens had a workroom for projects that needed to be done like putting 115 of these frames together.

My job for the week was Snack Leader. We served terrific snacks, all planned out in the curriculum book, that were fun and mostly healthy. The kids had to assemble them like the butterflies above which represented the change that occurs in us after the sacrament of reconciliation.There was a ton of food available which had been donated by parishioners according to a "wish list". I had four young ladies who were my regular helpers each day and I really loved working with them.

Because we had all the food in our station, the kitchen was a popular spot for the teens to wander through! After the VBS day was over at 12 noon, My helpers and I served a large snack to our 35 teens who stayed to discuss the day and to plan for the next day. We also prepared a drink and other goodies for their workroom each morning. Working with food and serving large "meals" was a great fit for my skill set!

After the snack, the kids in my station played a different game each day which they loved. Above is "Skunks, Bears and Campers" which is a variation of "Rock, Paper, Scissors".

In this game, the kids tossed a skein of yarn from person to person to create a "web". The web represented the interconnectedness of the love of a husband and wife in matrimony and the love, work and play that their family shares together. Likewise, the web also displays the many ways that a priest is connected to God, his church and and all the families in it. I sat right by the groups and had scissors ready in case this got crazy and folks got dangerously tangled up in the yarn.

In order for me to volunteer my time for this project, I had to enroll John , who is technically a grade above the age limit, but not yet ready to "work" it, in the class. He had a good time and met some new friends.

Meg enrolled the little guy also so that she could work at it. He not only had a blast but he was as good or better than some of the kids!

At the closing assembly each day , a Bible verse was recited and a Saint or two was introduced. St. John Vianney represented Holy Orders and St. Gianna Mollo was the saint for Matrimony.

On Friday, the kids sang one song that they had been practicing at the 8:30 Mass. For a short while, I stayed downstairs to prepare my snack until I realized the irony of missing Mass "to work" on the feast of St. Martha and I went right up to it!

The parents all arrived back on Friday at noon to watch their children perform one different song per class, of the 6 or 7 they learned. The performances were great and cute to watch. The lyrics of the songs weren't cheesy at all but profoundly spiritual and the music was excellent. I found many of them beautifully moving

An anonymous donor had a catered lunch of Chicken Alfredo and Pizza brought in on Thursday for the volunteers during our "wrap up" meeting.We took this picture then.

I enjoyed this experience so much, volunteering about 15 hours the first week and 30 the next. I got up early each day to pray before going in. It was super important to be a good Christian and to treat people the way I would like to be treated, with respect. I knew that I would need God's help to be consistent with that and I felt good about how all of that turned out. None of these teens were being paid to give up a week of their summer, it was all volunteer work. I really enjoyed forming working relationships with them and admired what they brought to the experience. I also enjoyed the young children and wanted to be a role model of faith for them.
After a covered dish lunch for all the kids and their parents, the church having provided BBQ hamburgers and hot dogs, all the workers cleaned up.Decorations were stored to be recycled next year.We were completely finished by 4 pm, at which time I took my family home, exhausted, but joyfully grateful for such a fulfilling week.

I LOVED everything about this week, especially getting to know by name so many of the youth of our parish, both teens and youngsters. My Faith was definitely strengthened and I hope that all of theirs was, too. Each child received a copy of the CD (bought from the curriculum provider) of all the music. Our kids have been playing it frequently in the days since, and are doing all the dances and hand motions along with it. I plan to participate again next year, God Willing!

VBS Prep

2011-07-27T00:25:00.001-04:00

The kids have been very helpful in preparing for our Parish's Vacation Bible School.

We outlined five bible verses (one for each day) on poster board and then colored them with markers.

We worked at Vacation Bible School as a family last year and had a blast. I was delighted to be asked back and again wanted to to make it a family project.

We started the decorating the week before. The theme is a "Wilderness Adventure Through the Sacraments". Our Director is putting together a hiking mountain man who resembles John The Baptist.

Sam brought in his Halloween prop of a left hand which is attached to the nylon hose stuffed arm.That's Sam's new tent in the background which ties in well with a "hiking in the wilderness" theme.

There were a couple of wigs to choose from to make our mountain man look rustic which entertained the helpers.

It has been nice having the kids at church many nights this week, helping to set this big production up. My hope is that if they jump into the "middle" of joining church related functions, it will be harder for them to "fall off" the edge of practicing their faith. Besides all that, it's fun to be involved!

On the Potty Train

2011-07-26T23:52:00.002-04:00

We have been helping our little guy to be successful in the traditional rite of passage known as "Potty Training". The method used, which is working extremely well, is to remove the paper encumbrance below and leave it off, and cover up with a long tee shirt.

He has been wearing a variation of this outfit for a full week now (except at bedtime) and has almost no accidents. He thinks he is playing "Madden" with Grandpa here but has no idea that his controller isn't hooked up!

Aunt Kristy provided some reinforcement by making a little sticker chart for this fellow, who will be 3 in four months.

His Mom cleared her schedule and they stayed at home for the first few days of training with frequent reminders. He can now travel a bit and stay dry. On his own, he takes himself to the bathroom, preferring not to be nagged about it. Congratulations, G-man.

Coffee and Books

2011-07-26T23:31:00.005-04:00

I like to say that " Books are my one addiction" or that "Buying books is my only vice". This of course, is not true. I also am crazy about drinking coffee!!!! Unfortunately, the living room was starting to look like a used book store. We were able to find a solution in this interesting and unique coffee table.

My mother says " If you are going to have readers, then you are going to have books." I value the reading of good books.
I am not bothered too much by visual clutter, but many people are. I wanted to be able to manage the books without tucking them into a bookshelf every time we put them down.

The reason I love this table is because the glass surface can be clear and clean and ready for a cup of coffee, while the shelf 4 or 5 inches below it can hold the books that we are currently reading. When the kids or I sit down, it is easy to SEE and grab our book. After all, "Out of sight, out of mind". That's what we don't want!
The drawers could hold games or a basket of toys ( maybe the toys that are crowding the fireplace hearth!)

We purchased this coffee table for the other side of our living room but it seemed too bulky there. Moving it to the this side worked much better especially after bringing up these almost matching end tables from the basement. The cherry finish appeals to me against the green couches.
It has been wonderful to be able to relax and place a cup of coffee on a smooth surface while still being able to reach for a favorite book.

Peach Cobbler

2011-07-22T01:49:00.003-04:00

I brought my peaches with us on our visit to see our extended family, but there were quite a few that didn't get eaten. That surprised me because they were soooo juicy and good!

Because they were "overripe" when I bought them, it was time to make a cobbler.

I have a recipe for "Lazy Man's Cobbler" and we used that. It is made up of Ones.
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teas. baking soda
1 stick of margarine ( or butter)
1 cup of milk
1 can of fruit
   Melt the butter in the bottom of a 13x9 pan.
                                 Mix the dry ingredients all together in a bowl
                         Then add the milk, stir, and pour into the pan over top of the melted butter
           Do Not Stir again.
                                 Dollop the fruit out on top of the batter
                                 Bake at 350 for 45 min to an hour

I doubled this recipe and added some extra flour.

Here's what it looked like before it was baked. The fruit is sitting on top of the unstirred batter ( all the melted butter is still at the bottom of the pan).

I cooked it on a cookie sheet because these peaches were so juicy that I didn't want a clean-up later. it took every bit of an hour, probably longer. This cobbler is very delicious, if you like that sort of thing, especially with ice cream (or milk) on top! I wish the kids liked this stuff as much as I do!

A Chance to Spend the Night

2011-07-22T01:19:00.002-04:00

The boys had enough money in their allowance to buy a tent for a planned visit to see our cousins.

Since all of our family lives within an hour or so of each other, the adults never make a plan to spend the night, but instead, just drive home.

This visit would be different. Three families of moms and kids, ( sisters and cousins) would stay overnight so that we could visit the next day, too.

A "Tent City" was erected and the fun began...

A scrumptious meal of spaghetti and meat sauce, salad and garlic bread hit the spot on our first evening!

The visiting Moms brought some food but most of the food for this crowd of 21 relatives was supplied and cooked to perfection by our hostess,

Aunt Cecilia, shown cuddling her youngest, who had just awoken from her nap.

Swimming was the main recreation.

This pool is close to ten years old. Most people would have "disposed" of it after one season or two but not this family. They have taken great care of it and have been able to swim in it for years.

The teen-agers had a lot of fun hanging out for an extended visit.These kids, like their parents, are busy people. This window of dedicated time to just be together was really special and they were enjoying it.

Natalie was testing to see if a Big Red Wrapper really is painful when stuck to one's forehead. She was the only one who didn't think so and wore it all evening.

Unfortunately, a "bobcat" ( teen-age cousin?????!!!!) spooked the would-be campers and everyone bedded down in the basement. I retired with the nine middle cousins at midnight but the other aunts and teen-aged ladies were up 'till 3 am chatting and hanging out.

Because we were in the country and partly in the woods, I didn't even notice that it was a 100 degrees outside!

Aunt Nancy gave us an in-depth tutorial on the theory of coupon shopping. She has gotten very proficient at it and is saving her family big bucks at the check-out. Sometimes, she even gets her food or health and beauty products for free and the cashier has to pay her money back at the end of the order!
There is a definite science to this extreme couponing. Helpful web-sites are available that plan your shopping strategy based on store sales and recently printed coupons. I am not sure if I could find the time to get good at this but I do know that everything is getting more expensive and it would be wise to try this new way of shopping.

After a great lunch of hot dogs on the grill, we had s'mores for dessert, which each person just heated up in the microwave.The kids and I thoroughly enjoyed this overnight visit with our cousins and aunts (Thanks to all the Uncles and Dads who were at work keeping the ships afloat).It was such a different idea- to have local folks spend the night in order to prolong a visit. I hope we can do it again sometime!!!
Thanks, Country Cousins!!!

Over-ripe Peaches

2011-07-21T23:57:00.001-04:00

In preparation for a visit with lots of cousins, we stopped at an orchard on the way home from the noon Mass to buy some fresh fruit to bring as a snack. These gorgeous peaches were offered for half-price because they were very ripe.

We happened to have a large jug of ice cream in the freezer, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa! Peach milkshakes made for a fantastic summer lunch!

Koi Pond

2011-07-21T23:32:00.001-04:00

Unlike today, with the temperature at 102 in the shade, last Saturday was another one of those perfect summer weather days.

I had a three hour block of time to spend with Juby while waiting for Tori to give her speech in front of a live class for her on-line course in communications.

After a lovely visit with friends who took us on a long walk on the bike path to the playground, we returned to wait for our college student.

We then spent a relaxing half-hour at this very healthy koi pond.

The sights and sounds were so pretty.

This is the pump house. This cute little house was built to cover a modern day pump.

Likewise, the water line is disguised inside this hollow log.

A blue dragonfly, (which is a popular decoration on girls' clothing this summer), hovered over the pond and alighted on a leaf.

The lilies were in bloom. The pads must be "lily leaves".

The bumble bee to the left of center in this photo was as attracted to the heavenly scent of this flowering bush as I was. The fragrance reminded me of a hedge bush called "Bridal Wreath" which it may be.

Observing this pond was an extremely pleasant way to pass some unhurried time...

while we waited for Tori,

who got an "A" on her speech!

An Inspired Choice

2011-07-16T02:08:00.005-04:00

Last Sunday was such a perfect summer day, warm but not hot, sunny and breezy.

We planned to go to the 5: 30pm Mass because Meg had been asked to babysit for her friend's baby for the entire day and we wanted to help out.

The weather was so delightful and we were all enjoying it.

Larry invited our friend Carl to come over to play some Horseshoes.

This little lady watched her dad play horseshoes. She actually followed the game while sitting on her tricycle and rang the wind-chime when someone got a ringer or one point.

We were having such a nice day as more and more family arrived to hang out.

All of a sudden, we remembered that we hadn't been to church yet and it was 4:45 pm! It was time to leave for Mass in 15 minutes!

For a split second there was a temptation to say " Everyone is here and we just invited Carl over only an hour or so ago. Maybe we should just stay home..."

Thankfully, we realized almost immediately that it was not worth missing Mass for anything when it was entirely possible to attend.

We had the boys put on collared polo shirts (the girls had already gone to the 7:30 am Mass) and we jumped into the van. We were able to give Carl a lift back into town. He had attended his own church in the morning and understood completely that we had to cut our visit short because of our forgotten plans to go to the 5:30 Mass.

We knew that although we had attended Sunday Mass 51 other times in the past year, our kids would remember the one time we chose to miss because we had a house full of family and friends, and in the future, they would follow our bad example. Grace intervened, and we decided that we were going, no matter what.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Mass, as always.
When we got home, our family was still here. We had the added pleasure of being able to tell this lovely young mother how much we all enjoyed her beautiful baby!
Deliver us from all temptation -To God Be The Glory!