On Blackberry Hill

Why We Sing Hymns

2007-01-29T14:55:00.000-08:00

We don't go to church, too much preaching. But we do worship God, pray and meditate every day, and try to live by the golden rule. Part of our morning routine when we're homeschooling is to listen to different types of enriching music; folksongs, classical music, and hymns.

Not to sound cliche' but if you are in a situation where you feel helpless, God may be the only place to turn. During the throes of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln said "I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go". Depending on the severity of the circumstances you may not be able to recall scripture to get you through an immediate crisis.

But I can remember a song that I've heard over and over, usually for decades to come! I still shock the heck out of myself by the fact that I can still sing the Preamble to the Constitution some 30 years after I sang it along with "Schoolhouse Rock" on Saturday mornings, not even knowing what it meant. (Just ask me sometime, I'll sing it for you). If you know me you know I have the memory of a rock but like most people, I can retain the words to a song much more efficiently than with any other learning medium.

So, we sing hymns not only to worship our Heavenly Father but to have that resource to fall back on in times of trouble. I recall about a year ago I was having an MRI of my lower back and pelvis. It took almost 2 hours and I didn't know that going in, thankfully, because I was getting anxious just looking at the long, enclosed, breath-stealing, black hole the technician was about to slide my body into. At first she put headphones with pop music piped in on my ears, secured my arms with straps and stuck a "panic button" in my hand. Within 10 seconds of going into the tunnel I was pressing that button so fast and furiously my thumb became sore. I heard a voice over the speaker saying "Do you need something?" and I said "Yes, I need OUTTA here!". She quickly slid me back out and I asked her to take the headphones off of me and get rid of the arm restraints. My heart was racing and I felt weak and the technician asked me if I would like some sedation. I did not.

I told the technician that I would be ok as long as my arms were free and I didn't have the headphones constricting my air-flow (bet you didn't know they did that) and she agreed as long as I kept my arms over my head. I kept my eyes shut and prayed and when I ran out of prayers I started singing hymns, not the contemporary worship songs so popular today but the hymns I sang as a child in Sunday school and church. "Softly and Tenderly, The Old Rugged Cross, I've Got A Mansion, and Jesus Loves Me" just to name a few. It was truly amazing how all of my fears and hysterics were lifted and I was able to complete the test with no after-effects.

We were traveling a few days ago with all 4 kids. It was at the end of a long drive and we were just a few miles from home. We were all exhausted and hungry and the noise level in the truck was deafening.

The 2 older kids were in the back arguing about who-knows-what. DH and DD were having a rather heated discussion about something (probably boys). The radio was blaring and I was counting the mile markers, impatient for the peace and quiet of home! I was worried about Littlewho, who hates it when people are arguing.

Then, amid the din I heard a faint voice coming from the backseat. At first I thought someone had switched the radio station but when I turned the radio down I could hear it plainly. Littlewho was singing to himself, oblivious to all that was going on around him--"Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a weary land, a weary land, Jesus is a rock in a weary land....a shelter in the time of storm!". Everyone suddenly stopped what they were doing and just listened to the song which, by the time we reached home had become a rounding chorus of happy, peace-loving voices!

UNLIMITED Long Distance Doesn't Necessarily Mean UNLIMITED

2007-01-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

"Blackberry Hill" is becoming startling similar to "Green Acres". I have not had to climb a telephone pole to make a call yet and I don't much look like Ava Gabor but we are experiencing some "technical difficulties".

A couple of months ago, I tried for a couple of days in vain to get online. Then my son called the 800 number that was used for our dial-up internet connection. There was a recording that stated there was a problem with the number and could we please call back another time. We waited a few days and were still unable to get online so I called the Internet Service Provider (ISP). The guy who answered the phone replied with a slow drawl that the phone company was no longer letting their company use the toll-free number-he emailed me that information, by the way; need I remind you that I couldn't get on the internet and therefore couldn't get my mail!!?? Anyway, this made dial-up for me impossible (EVERYWHERE is long distance from Seymour).

Then I decided I would just go with AOL until the phone company makes DSL available in our area (tee hee). AOL would have a toll-free number from Smallville, USA, right? I mean, they are ubiquitous, aren't they? Well, after spending 30 minutes on the phone with a very nice and helpful man, and then installing the software, I discovered that AOL DID NOT, in fact, have a toll-free number from Seymour.

Undaunted, I remembered that I have unlimited long distance so dialing a long-distance number for internet access would most certainly not be a problem, I reasoned. Most people would have called the phone company just to make sure but, no, not me. Why do you think I love email and blogging so much? I never have to talk to anyone! I would rather spend an hour on the computer, send a few emails and blog a few lines to let my circle know what's going on in my life than spend 5 minutes on the phone! It's just so inconvenient.....[smile].

So, between my aversion to talking on the phone and my ability to convince myself with some degree of confidence that "everything will work out just fine", I started using the internet which was dialing a long-distance number each time I connected.

I don't spend much time surfing the web but the kids do. Imagine my surprise when I received our telephone bill last week. It was $799.00! Yes, that's right, $799.00! Turns out that internet connections are deemed "data calls" and don't fall under the unlimited umbrella. WHO KNEW?

There is a happy ending to this pitiful tale. The phone company felt so sorry for me and my ignorance that they decided to write off the charges. WHEW!

We are in TROUBLE!

2006-10-30T10:22:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I picture American politicians secretly snickering behind our backs, wondering just how much subterfuge we will endure before there is pandemonium of titanic proportion among the people. It's bad enough that there is so much inherent corruption, that the corporations and their lobbyists are the real "voice" (and that companies like Halliburton determine the kind of world we live in), but the money spent on these campaigns is unconscionable.

The most recent senate races are said to have cost at least 2 BILLION dollars! Something is wrong with people when they choose to put their money into a bid that is going to further their own agenda and ignores the needs of the suffering. Could 2 BILLION dollars not have been better spent?

I have never been so repulsed as I was with the latest senate campaign in Missouri. All of the candidates auspiciously promised that they are what this country needs; offering up some sort of distant panacea as if their words had an ounce of probity to them. More often than not they were maliciously dogging their opponents, as if "we the people" aren't smart enough to see through the CRAP.

The Bush campaign proved in 2004 that [some of] our votes don't really count (contrary to what they would have you believe), that elections can be bought and votes can be manipulated (and even thrown out if the governor of the state happens to be your BROTHER and he chooses to do so, at random). Oh, forgive me, that is all just coincidence, right?

The war in Iraq (and subsequent war on terrorism) is, of course, the biggest issue concerning most of us, or it should be. The Christian right (Bush's greatest fans) push their so-called "moral" agenda, as if the rest of us are incapable of determining what is actually moral, that God is only real to "them" and for all of the love that Jesus was about, they would have us believe that spreading hate and discontent and killing innocents is Ok somehow. Every human is precious in the eyes of God and Christians should be trying to stop this mess, not funding it! I couldn't say it any better than Robin Meyers, a minister and peace activist: "When you claim that our God is bigger than their God and that our killing is righteous while theirs is evil, we have begun to resemble the enemy we claim to be fighting, and that is immoral. We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us."

Most of you middle classers, like me, are sitting at home in your peaceful abodes, eating more food than you should, driving gas-guzzling cars that are dependent on oil that fueled (no pun intended) this war in the first place, buying too much plastic (try researching what goes into that stuff) from a store that imports it from a country who won't help us and who pays children 7 cents a day to make the stuff we're buying that will be in a landfill for millions of years to come. Washington pays no heed to the environmental changes the earth is undergoing due to our pitiful, noxious lifestyles. We are enjoying a prosperity unlike any other culture and are excessively wasteful while the corporations we support with our dollars enjoy record profits. HELLOOOO! There is a WAR going on! Innocent women and children are being killed, starved and tortured but we are fat and happy. How do we stand ourselves?

Sorry I don't have a bandaid to fix our problems. Like most of us, my comfort level is fine, I don't have any family members in politics and I don't have any money so I'll just sit back and watch the nonsense unfold and pray that God has a sense of humor.

Early Retirement

2006-10-30T09:37:00.000-08:00

Last April, dh stopped going to work. He simply could not do it anymore. You see, he has a nasty form of arthritis called Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and has had it since he was about 16.

He has had chronic pain ever since I've known him (we were high school sweethearts). His dad had the same disease and was disabled because of it. AS causes loss of disc space in the spine with resulting kyphosis (hunched over appearance) and loss of height. The spinal vertebrae actually fuse together so there is subsequent loss of mobility. AS not only affects the spine, it also affects all of the major joints and causes systemic problems, such as organ damage. There are varying degrees of the severity of the symptoms and dh has had a very difficult time over the years.

After a terrible exacerbation last spring, he was unable to get more than a few hours of sleep at night. He was up during the night off and on, taking hot baths and/or showers, using the heating pad, taking antinflammatory drugs and on more than one occasion I had to get up to assist him up the stairs. He started walking with a cane and was really having a lot of side effects from his medication (he will only take ibuprofen or aspirin, nothing stronger). He started experiencing a lot of stomach cramping, skin rashes, dizziness, weight loss and many other symptoms. He has missed a lot of work over the years due to his disease.

So, after much prayer and discussion, we decided that he would be better off at home where he could manage his disease better (when he's inactive he gets stiffer, so he exercises which results in more pain, a very vicious cycle). Thankfully, he worked for the City of Springfield and they were very accomodating when he gave his notice. He was able to draw all of his remaining ill time which gave him a paycheck for 3 full months, then he was able to apply for partial retirement based on his disability. We have worked for many years toward living without debt so we were in a position that he COULD stay home.

I am happy to say that the LAGERS union approved his disability after reviewing his medical records and Dr's recommendations and he is now officially retired.

DH is now doing better. Not having to get up at 5 am allows him to get more sleep. He no longer has to drive around in a vehicle all day which caused him significant pain and stiffness. He is able to exercise in short stints throughout the day which helps him maintain mobility in his neck, hips, and lower back. He is able to focus on eating wholesome foods and that seems to help keep inflammation at bay. Remarkably, he looks fantastic and has a six pack on his abs that is to die for!

Running--er, JOGGING for charity

2006-10-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

The St. John's annual Sunshine Run was October 14th. Part of the proceeds from the 5K went to THE BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION OF THE OZARKS--a charity I am particularly fond of and if you have money to give away, well, they are the real deal. Anyway, I decided to run in the 5K race.

I had not run a race since I ran cross country in high school (just a FEW years ago). Running is something I do to stay in shape, to get the proper amount of aerobic exercise, and you could say I'm addicted to the endorphins. That is enough motivation for me, although I admit I do have a running shoe ad taped on my fridge that reads: I COULD SPEND MORE TIME REDECORATING MY PLACE. It would give me a feeling of accomplishment. And I wouldn't feel guilty if I skipped a few days of redecorating. But picking out paint colors wouldn't make my butt look better in jeans. Keep running....

The 5K race was at 7:30 in the morning-ugh! I never run in the morning; studies have shown that your body does best running in the early afternoon. That should have been my first clue that it might be a little difficult. I don't run for speed, I run for endurance and currently am running for an hour 3 times a week. The distance is between 6-7 miles. And, did I mention that I run on hills? rocky hills? uphill both ways? That may be a little stretch but I figured a short little 3.1 mile race on the flat pavement would be a piece of cake! Boy, was I ever humbled!

First of all, I wasn't sure how to prepare myself. I drink a lot of water every day and so I started by getting up at 4 am to eat breakfast and proceeded to drink three liters of water! Not smart for a 40 year old woman who has had 4 kids, if you know what I mean. I nearly missed the start of the race because I had to pee!

As if bladder control wasn't a big enough problem, I locked my keys in my car. Well, not all of my keys. I had nightmares for days before the race, thinking I was going to lock my keys in my car because, well, that's just me. Sure enough, I took the key off of my keychain, put it in my secret zipper pocket in my running pants, ran to the bathroom with my jacket on because it was so cold, and when I went back to my car to put my jacket inside, the key I had removed was actually the ignition key and it wouldn't open the doors!

So, here I am 2 blocks from the starting line and the race is starting in 2 minutes. I still have my [heavy] jacket on, which I cannot possibly run in so after sprinting to where I'm supposed to be, I see a kindly looking woman and asked her to hold my jacket. She said "sure" and I asked her where I could find her after the race. She said she'd drop it off at the lost and found booth and I told her just to take it to the BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION (BCFO) booth.

It's 35 degrees, I'm struggling for air after sprinting and stressed because I have to be at work as soon as the race is over and I can't get in my car. There are 1500 people crowded onto Walnut street, packed together like sardines and I have to PEE. What was I thinking?

The emcee counts down from 10 and we are off! This is a RACE and I am wedged in between all of these people and start moving my feet but for some reason, I'm not going anywhere. Finally, the crowd starts to thin a little as the "good" runners pull away from the crowd. I am starting to get into a rhythm and look down at the ground and see a wallet, thinking "who would have their wallet in their pants during a race?". Then I looked up just in time to collide with the moron who dropped his wallet and had turned around in the swarm of forward moving bodies to run back for it. AAAAGGHH! We hit so hard that I nearly fell down and I shouted "DAMMIT!" without thinking, amid a group of schoolchildren.

Suddenly, my body started feeling very strange. I don't know if it was the cold, the sudden impact or just the adrenaline rush but I started hurting all over. It felt as if my legs would not hold me up and my chest felt like it was being crushed (and I had to Pee). I slowed my pace and just kept going, running through the discomfort (that's putting it lightly). Little kids and women pushing baby strollers were passing me! This was NOT my idea of fun!

The last half mile of the race I finally regained my strength and kicked it into high gear, but it was too late. I finished 3.1 miles in a little over 27 minutes.

I went to the BCFO booth and the nice lady had, indeed left my jacket there. I then used a friend's cell phone to call POP-A-LOCK. The lady was very helpful but then she said she had to have a credit card number to make sure I was good for the money. I sort of lost it then and took out my frustration on this poor woman who was only trying to do her job. It's not her fault that there are so many LOSERS who don't pay for services rendered. I told her that if I had my purse with me, I would also have my keys and THEN I WOULDN'T NEED THEIR HELP!! SHEESH!

After my little melt-down, she said I could just pay with a check; the man came within 15 minutes, had the car open within 20 seconds and I was on my way. It was an experience I will not soon forget and now that it's over , I can say that I will probably do it again next year!

I'm SORRY!!

2006-10-30T07:47:00.000-08:00

Once again, I've not blogged for weeks, and I broke my promise. To those of you who live to read my entries, God help you. I just haven't been inspired lately--too distracted, too much going on, dh despises when I'm on the computer, etc., etc.

Enough excuses; dh isn't here right now so I better write while I have the chance.....

Natural Flea Control

2006-09-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

Our dogs have fleas. They have been living outdoors all summer long and now that it's getting colder, Sisterwho is pleading their case; she wants to bring them back inside for the winter.

We have looked for natural flea killers and researched it on the internet. We have bought some of the once- a-month type stuff that you squirt on their back at the feed store. It's active ingredient is Pyrethrin which is derived from Chrysanthemums and so is as natural as I thought we could get. It worked pretty good, even better than the costlier topicals that we've bought from the vet and it has a lovely citrus frangrance. Still, it is toxic to puppies and humans.

Did I mention that our dog is about to have puppies? At least, we think she is. She had a doggie period a couple of months ago and Sisterwho woke up one morning to see something she wished she hadn't. She occasionally lets the dogs come into her room at night through her bedroom window if they cry and beg long enough. This particular morning, when Chewy was still in heat, Sisterwho said that when she woke up our male dog, Beau, had a really satisfied look on his face, smoked a cigarette and rolled over and went to sleep. Or...something like that.

For awhile we didn't think Chewy had conceived. She didn't look or act pregnant (no strange food fetishes or waddling around). However, now she is starting to show some signs, unless it is just wishful thinking on our part.

First of all, our kitten is suckling her. I looked out the kitchen window onto the deck the other day and saw the kitten with it's paws on Chewy's stomach and heard suck, suck, sucking sounds. Chewy was willing to be milked for a few minutes before getting up and walking off. The kitten takes advantage of every opportunity to suckle. Sisterwho insists that Chewy has milk coming from her teats and that her belly is visibly larger and I have to admit, she has been acting a little strange the past couple of days; i.e., not eating much and being a little standoffish.

Anyway, back to the fleas. We didn't want to put anything on Chewy and risk the puppies' health so I read about using Diatomaceous Earth for flea control. You just rub it all over the dog's fur and into every nook and cranny so the fleas have nowhere to run. I only know that it somehow interferes with the fleas ability to breathe and so they jump off or die. We went to the health food store where I had seen it many times and bought a bag.

Believe it or not, it works! We put it on today and the dogs were running in circles while the fleas were doing the same, trying to get to a safe harbor. Within minutes of applying it, the fleas were inactive and there were fewer of them; hopefully they will be completely wiped out and the dogs can come inside. I'm anxious to see how often it has to be reapplied. I'll keep you posted!

Evaporation Made Simple

2006-09-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

We have a rain gauge mounted on a fencepost and every Wednesday the kids check it and record the amount of rain for the week. This week, it was empty. "But", Sisterwho said, "it rained a couple of days ago". "Aha", I thought to myself, "the perfect opportunity to discuss the effects of heat and humidity and resulting evaporation"! But before I could begin, Littlewho said, "It was the sun, it dries up the water". Sister and I both looked at him and I know she was thinking the same thing I was, namely-"How does he know that?".

I said, "Littlewho, you're correct, and how did you figure that out?". He gave us a look that appeared to say, "Ok, you simple-minded fools" and then he said, "Well, you know that song about the Itsy Bitsy spider....."and out came the sun and dried up all the rain.....?".

Duh!

The 100 Mile Diet

2006-09-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

THE 100 MILE DIET– The typical-American meal is made up of foods that have traveled an average of 2,000 miles to get from farm to table. While this practice is convenient and may provide us with greater variety, it also has a negative impact on energy conservation, greenhouse gases, and oil dependence. In fact, industrial agriculture and long-distance food transportation generate between 20-25% of all climate destabilizing greenhouse gases in the U.S. Given this fact, buying food that is locally or regionally grown can dramatically reduce energy consumption and greenhouse pollution. Enter a new trend, started by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon: the 100 mile diet. "We're the kind of people that ride our bikes everywhere, so we wondered why we were going to all this effort when our food was flying around the world," says Smith. The diet trend, which requires participants to eat only foods grown within a 100 mile radius, is catching on across North America. Philadelphia journalist Elisa Ludwig took up the 100 mile diet for 12 days to learn more about the foods she eats. "If eating local is a moral imperative, then every meal is an opportunity to do the right thing," says Ludwig, who kept a daily journal of the experience. You can read her journal entries at http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_1463.cfm.

"Thank you to Obentec, Inc. for permission to use this copyrighted material. For more information, contact Obentec, Inc. by email at info@obentec.com or by phone at 831-457-0301, or visit their Web site at http://www.obentec.com. Reprint permission granted with this full notice included."

"Lucky"

2006-09-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

Last week I really did a number on myself. I have done some really stupid things over the years and my Mom always says she should have named me "Grace". This last incident sort of takes the cake.

I was playing horseshoes with dh last Tuesday. He was practicing for a tournament and I was trying in earnest to be interested in the game (a big stretch); I thought maybe I would enjoy playing more if I could do it without my horseshoes ending up bouncing down the hill with every throw.

So, I was getting instruction from dh, who, by the way, is good at everything he does and therefore gets frustrated trying to teach someone like me how to do something that requires coordination. It was cool outside that morning and I had a jacket on when we started throwing. I became warm and took my jacket off and tied it around my waist (can you see where this is going?). As I was preparing to throw my horseshoe I was completely and utterly focused on my foot placement, my stance, my grip on the horseshoe, and I had my left arm placed at a 90 degree angle to my body for the utmost balance (who knew there was such technique to horseshoe throwing?). With my right arm I prepared to throw the horseshoe the 40 foot distance to the stake. As I hurled it forward, it became entangled in my jacket and instead of flying ahead of me, was jerked backward toward my face and clunked me square in the forehead.

For the first second I thought, "OW, that hurt!". In the next few seconds I became lightheaded
and sat down on the ground with my hand on my head. In the meantime dh had run into the house for ice and I was sitting there whimpering--it REALLY hurt. Littlewho started crying and said "Mommy, are you oK?". I mustered up the strength to say "Yes, baby, I'm OK". Then he shrieked "YOU'RE BLEEDING! ARE YOU GOING TO DIE??". I opened my eyes long enough to see a puddle of blood forming on the ground between my legs.

Dh came back with the ice and handed it to me so I could place it on my head. I was still moaning and once dh knew I was alright he couldn't contain the laughter. He proceeded with a list of comments-- "How on earth?....I didn't know horseshoes was a contact sport.....this must be a first.....we'll be telling this story 20 years from now". By now I was laughing and crying at the same time.

Dh asked me to remove the ice from my head so he could survey the damage. I assumed I had a small cut but when he said, "Oh shit", that was my clue that it was probably a little worse. When I finally made it into the house and looked into the mirror I was shocked to see a gaping 3 inch long, deep gash to my forehead that obviously needed professional attention.

8 stitches later, I am fine but with yet another scar and 2 black eyes. My parents love to tell the story that when I was a rough and tumble 3 year old, trying to keep up with the boys, someone said, "You're never going to be Miss America if you keep getting owies!", to which I shrugged my shoulders and glibly replied , "Then I guess I'll just be a scratched up nurse!". Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy!

You know you're a homeschooler when....

2006-08-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to the Homeschooling EduFair, the brainchild of Pamela Cooper, one of the homeschooling moms in our community. Pamela (who, I might add, gains nothing financially by doing this) organizes Field Trips for homeschoolers, as well. One never has to look far to find an educational outing to parks, factories, retail stores, government offices, etc. Pamela planned 3 Edufairs this year in Springfield, Monett, and Seymour, recruiting vendors and volunteers to bring resources to all who are interested in home educating.

As we were driving to "South Park" in Seymour, I was coaching the kids regarding their behavior. I asked Littlewho to please NOT say "Son of a..!", which he is in the habit of doing at home. He said "OK, I won't". Then I asked him to remember his manners and if he became upset to avoid performing any Karate kicks on any of the kids. He agreed that he wouldn't do that. I then asked the kids to participate in the Mad Science presentation that Pamela had scheduled and to try to do so with ENTHUSIASM! Suddenly Sisterwho started laughing hysterically and I couldn't understand what all of the carrying on was about.

When she was finally able to speak clearly, Sisterwho said "I was just thinking of that joke book you have". You see, I have a book entitled "The Official Book of Homeschooling Cartoons" by Todd Wilson, a homeschooling dad. We bought it at the Homeschooling Convention this year and have been able to relate to the way the cartoons poke fun at what is a reality in our lives.

One of the cartoons has a picture of a mom driving a minivan with the reflection of her face in the rear-view mirror. She is looking back at the kids with eyebrows furrowed as she is lecturing them. The caption at the top of the page reads "You know you're a homeschooler when...." and there is a conversational bubble indicating the words she is saying:

"Now don't mention that we didn't get up till 9:30 or that your little brother can't read...or that we buy our bread from a store...or that you've seen Disney movies...and whatever you do, try not to say the words Batman or Power Rangers...and for goodness sakes try to act SMART!!!!".

The bottom of the page follows up on the previous caption with "...you panic when your kids go to other homeschoolers' homes."

We had a good laugh and for the record, the kids didn't let me down.

Kindergarten Dropout?

2006-08-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

This morning I was listening from the other room as Dh and Littlewho were "doing school". Littlewho was sluggish and not very cooperative after staying up too late the night before.

Dh said "Alright, tell me the U.S. Presidents you know about." Littlewho sighed and started reciting (very slowly and with no enthusiasm), "Washington, George, wife was Martha *sigh*; Adams, John-2nd president; Madison, James-father of the constitution *bigger sigh*; Andrew Jackson-Old Hickory, 7th president. Dad, do I HAVE to do this?".

Dh said, "OK, let's do something different", and he had littlewho start writing his letters and it was immediately apparent that he was in no mood for assistance or correction. After a few minutes he threw down his pencil and said "I can't do it!".

Knowing how frustrated he was getting, Dh said, "Why don't you be the teacher? Teach me something". Littlewho eagerly said, "Do you know why God made the world, I mean, the grass and the trees and the flowers and stuff?" Dh replied "Well, I guess he was bored." Littlewho laughed and said "No silly, he wanted it to be nice and pretty for the people to live and be happy."

"Oh, I see", replied dh.

As I'm thinking about how sweet and angelic this child is his next question to dh was "Do you know why God made serial killers?".

Oh boy, new subject, please.

They went back to working on letters and their sounds; Littlewho still not in a good mood and I could tell by the tone of his voice he was getting really exasperated. I was getting ready to rescue him when I heard dh say, "Let's draw a picture-you draw a picture of me, the teacher, and I'll draw a picture of you, the student."

Littlewho loves to draw and was happily and intently keeping his work hidden from dh. When he was done and it was time to compare photos, I heard dh burst out laughing. While he had drawn a picture of a cute little boy with dimples and cowlicks, Littlewho had drawn a picture of his daddy with horns and fangs.

Garage Sale

2006-08-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

We had our first garage sale yesterday on Blackberry Hill. We didn't advertise in the paper, it was one of those spur-of-the-moment, "we need to get rid of this stuff" decisions. The kids wanted to make some money and they decided to do most of the work. Sisterwho did the planning; she considers herself a professional garage-saler after spending so many weekends with Grandma and I have to admit, she knows her stuff!

The day before the sale, they cleaned out the barn, fashioned tables out of plywood, hauled boxes out of the shed and the basement and set everything up. Dh and I told them to price everything cheap; the idea was to get rid of things we don't want while recycling it by keeping it out of a landfill.

Since we are out in the country on a dirt road, we didn't know how many people would show up. Ds19, who is very artistic, prepared 24 great-looking signs indicating the sale would be TH/FRI and we placed them far and wide to direct people to our home. When we arrived home from putting up the signs at 8 pm the day before the sale, there was a truck pulling out of our lane-someone had already stopped to shop!

At 6:30 am on Thursday as we were eating breakfast, our first customer arrived. The kids hurriedly got dressed, inhaled their breakfast and went to attend the sale. From that point on, it was a constant stream of people. The kids met many of the people who live in this area and heard stories from older folks about the people who built our house (Mennonites). We sold a wooden sign that said "ROMANCE" and the man who bought it was born in Romance, MO. And not a person who stopped didn't comment on the views from the top of our mountain. The kids really seemed to enjoy talking to everyone and learning more about this area. Oh, I mustn't forget, a couple of people informed us about the bears and mountain lions that had been spotted in these parts-YIKES!

By 1:30, most of what we had was sold, excepting a few books and misc. items. We decided to forego the sale on Friday and went to take down the signs. We have never had such a good sale, even when we lived in the middle of the city!

Back to School....at Home

2006-08-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

Today was our official first day of school. After weeks of preparation and hours of writing lesson plans, I was finally ready and Sisterwho even asked if she could do math (wait, is the sky falling??).

We are studying modern history for a term and then we'll go back to ancient history for the rest of the year. World War II is dh's favorite subject so he will be able to share his wealth of knowledge about Hitler, Stalin, Churchill, Truman, etc.

We are reading The Hobbit for literature, along with Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale". I would love to find a Shakespeare play to see this fall but after looking at all of the local college's fine arts schedules, there doesn't appear to be a production.

Geography is a study of David Livingstone's "Missionary Travels in Africa". We are learning about him as one of the great abolitionists and his work among African nations earned him tremendous respect there and in the United States. My friend Kim (what would I do without you) gave me the name of a game that facilitates the learning of the geography of Africa--10 Days in Africa--and the kids have already played it several times since it came in the mail yesterday. I just ordered more of the "10 days in ______" games. Currently available are 10 Days in The United States and Europe and they are working on "10 Days in Asia" to come out later this year.

Poetry, Latin, Foreign Language, Theology, Nature Study, Plutarch, Natural History, Composer and Artist studies round out our schedule. Dd and I are also doing a bible study together titled "Beautiful Girlhood".

LittleWho is officially of Kindergarten age but school for him is pretty much doing what we've been doing for the past 5 years; reading quality literature, counting everything that occurs in multiples like fenceposts, trees, stars, raisins, etc. and spending time in nature and cultivating his natural interest in whatever it is he seems to want to know about. Reading is something he hasn't shown particularly great interest in yet, and *gasp*, he doesn't even know his ABC's but according to language expert Ruth Beechick, there is no need to know the alphabet or even the names of the letters to begin reading. She recommends working on the letter sounds first, the rest will come later. Maybe I could convince him that in order to be a Ninja, he must sit still for a few minutes and meditate on schoolwork......

The 2 big boys, Ds21 and Ds19 are in the Blackberry Hill College of Real Life. They are both reading all of the books on my classical booklists, grabbing everything they can get their hands on; both of them are such voracious readers! We are enjoying being together as a family and spending time learning from each other, working on the house and the land and, hopefully, they will carry the practical knowledge with them into their adult lives.

Cree Proverb

2006-08-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

Only when the last tree has died
and the last river has been poisoned
and the last fish has been caught
will we realize that we can't eat money.

Youn Wha!

2006-08-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

Little Who had his first Tai Kwan Do lesson today. He has patiently waited for several weeks for this day to come, practicing his kicks and spins with the zeal of a true martial artist.

He wants to learn how to hunt and subdue serial killers. Yep, you heard me correctly, serial killers. For months that is all he has talked about and every move he makes is a step to prepare him for his job as a serial killer killer.

Being the martial artist that he is, he has worn a headband (made of gauze that I brought home from work) every day for a very, very long time. It's dingy and dirty but he takes great care to put it away at night and in the morning when he comes out of his room in his undies, the headband is always on his head. The other kids cringe when we go anywhere because it has become rather embarassing to be seen with Captain Underpants. Not only does he wear a headband but he has a belt, holster, and gun strapped on his waist in case he runs into a serial killer trying to abduct one of us out here on the farm (well, ya just never know!).

As we went into the "Y" for Little Who's class, sisterwho asked him to take off his headband. He said "Are you kidding me, I can't do Karate without this!". He didn't care and lucky for us, there was only one other child in the class, a 5 year-old chubby little girl who thought the headband was pretty cool.

Happy 60th Dad! (aka Papa, Indian, Butch or Paul)

2006-08-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

Dad's birthday party is over and I confess, I'm exhausted! Planning it was difficult for me because I am unable to make a decision. I debated whether we should have it at his farm, our place, the "lodge", a restaurant, or a bar. I thought if we had it at a bar or restaurant, the kids wouldn't have anything to do. If we had it at any indoor place, it would be smokey, which wouldn't be good for the kids. If we had it at our home, Dad's friends wouldn't know how to get here. I was driving everyone crazy trying to figure out where to do it! Then I spoke with my brother about my dilemma and he said, "Oh, we have to have it at Dad's, he wouldn't want it anywhere else". Gee, I wish I'd spoken with him first!

So, with that major decision out of the way I now needed to decide what to do for food and drink. Grinny (dad's S.O.), Shawshe (my cousin), and I labored over whether to have the party catered, have everyone bring a dish, or do it all ourselves. We decided against the catering because we weren't sure how the caterer's would survive our rowdy crew. It would have been too difficult for everyone to bring something because many of our relatives were coming from out of town. Therefore, we decided to do the food preparation ourselves.

Trash Can Supper

I have an Amish cookbook and had seen a recipe for a "Trash Can Supper". It is just exactly what the name implies, food cooked in a trash can. It sounded like fun to me but the recipe was pretty sketchy and I wasn't sure if I could use any type metal trash can, how much water to put in it, how much of all of the ingredients to use, etc. I looked online, asked everyone I knew, and couldn't find much about it. The recipe said to layer corn-on-the-cob, potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage and polish sausage--in that order--put it in a trash can and cook it over a fire. I decided to go to the Amish store and ask if they knew how to do the trash can supper so Shawshe (who stayed with me all week to help with the planning) and I headed out to do just that.

Beautiful People

On our way to the Amish store, there was a sign out in front of a house on the highway that said "sweet corn for sale". Knowing I would need a lot of corn, I pulled in to the house. An elderly gentleman came out and with a smile and a handshake said, "Hi, How have you been?" (I'd never seen him before in my life). I asked him how much his sweet corn was and he told me $2 a dozen and after I told him I wanted 3 dozen I said, "by the way, have you ever heard of a trash can supper?". He smiled and said "Sure, we have them all the time at the lodge". I explained that I was going to have one but that I didn't know exactly how so he (Forrest, I can't remember his last name, all I could think of was "Gump") invited me into his home to call his friend who was the chef at all of the "trash can suppers".

I spoke with Mr. Carpenter on the phone and he gave me all of the missing details I needed. He then told me I was more than welcome to use his 60 quart pot instead of a trash can because galvanized steel will leak zinc into your food. Dh was in Springfield at the time, trying to locate a trash can so I told Mr. Carpenter thanks and that I would call him if I needed his pot. He gave me directions to his house just in case I needed to come pick it up.

I thanked Forrest and his wife for their hospitality and sweet corn and left. On my way back to town I called dh and told him that Mr. Carpenter had offered to let us borrow his pot and dh said "go for it" so I drove to Mr. C's house. He not only gave me his pot but also his propane cooker and a full tank of propane and loaded it into my car and the dear man had just had eye surgery that very day. I was so touched by his generosity. I told him that since he had no idea who I was, I would leave him my 5 year old son as assurance that I'd return his stuff. He said "I'll take my chances!".

Shrimp Boil

Now I was getting somewhere but all I could think of was "Are we gonna have enough food?". We had a guest list of around 60 people. Dad is blessed to have a multitude of friends and they are all the type who want to share in his celebration so I had no doubt that most of them would come. Shawshe suggested we have a shrimp boil and red beans and rice, along with the trash can supper. It sounded good and easy and she and my cousin "Pooh" said they would do the cooking.

Keg

I have 4 precious brothers and they aren't much into party planning but when a keg was mentioned, they were happy to oblige! I was just happy that they all said they'd come. My youngest brother volunteered to get the beer--that's right--we had a kegger for my Dad's 60th birthday party. I told you he was a cool guy!

Miscellaneous

The other boys said they'd bring cake, drinks, plates and cups and utensils so it was all covered. I spoke with my oldest brother (who is 11 months older than me) and jokingly said, "I'm doing all of this by myself with no help from you guys!". He replied, "So.....that's how it's always been". I love my bros but one sister would have been nice. Honestly, though, everyone pitched in (sisters-in-law included) and made it a great day for Dad.

Party Day

The day of the party, we all converged on Dad's farm early. It was to be a surprise party scheduled to start at 6pm. My cousin Rick was to arrive at Dad's house early and drag him off on a hunt for a new seat for his truck (currently being held in place with a stump, yep, that's my Daddy). The catering crew (me, dh, Shawshe and my youngest brother) arrived at Dad's house and guess what? He was still there. My Dad doesn't do anything very fast and Rick hadn't been able to get him away from the farm. So, we just started unloading pots and pans, slow cookers, lawn chairs, etc. out of our cars while Dad stood there scratching his head. He knew something was up but no one said a word. Dad knew he better go ahead and leave with Rick so off they went.

The Guests arrive

We had not requested RSVP's from the invitees, that's not really our style--as my cousin Pooh said, it was "Hillbilly Heaven"--so we weren't sure how many people would show up. Well, I should have known that when everyone heard "kegger" they would show up in droves. We invited around 60 people and no less than 60 people showed up. Several of our Aunts, Uncles and cousins came and Dad's friends did not let him down. He was very surprised when people started coming by the carloads.

The food was great! Several people said it was some of the best food they'd ever eaten and I was surprised at how truly easy it was to pull off. There was no shortage of food, either! We sent trays home with several people and still had enough to feed everyone who stayed all night and into the next day.

Afterwards, we had cake and homemade ice cream and Dad opened presents including a bed pan, laxatives, preparation H, and a rubber ducky (of course)! Mostly, he just got 12 packs of beer.

Fear Factor

I won't implicate anyone by naming names but some of the guests had a little too much fun! Many of us stayed the night at the farm, some brought campers and we just crashed on the couches, the floor, and even in the backseats of cars. Early Sunday morning as everyone was slowly coming back to life and sitting outside drinking coffee, my little brother (R) was telling a story that had everyone in stitches. Apparently, he had picked up a large Cicada and a person who was a little, ahem, well, DRUNK, said "Feed it to me!". R said "What??", and the person repeated "FEED IT TO ME!!". R says he pleaded and begged for ? not to eat the bug but he held his hand up to the mystery person's mouth and R saw the cicada disappear, except for a couple of wings that were sticking out the sides because the bug was too big to be consumed in one piece.

The Party's Over

We spent the rest of the day cleaning up the mess and then took a break and went to the creek for a swim. It was a wonderful time and Dad said it was the best birthday party he'd ever had. He also said, "Gosh, I wonder what my 100th birthday will be like!!??". I can't wait but when he's 100, I'll be 80.....it's wearing me out just thinking about it!

2006-07-31T06:08:00.000-07:00

Ohhhh, I've been so busy lately I haven't had time to blog. There is a lot going on on blackberry hill.

We've been trying to keep up with the blackberries and I have finally relinquished them to the june bugs. I have suffered the last of the thorns this year and I won't be going to work again with berry stained hands, feeling the need to explain to everyone that I'm not a mechanic and that's not dirt under my nails!

Our 19 year old son flew home from Florida on Saturday, he's been gone for 4 months and it was a happy reunion! I've missed him terribly. He is happy to be home but left a girl in Florida so the saga is not over, I'm afraid. Having all of my children home where I know they are safe and happy gives me such a sense of peace. I will enjoy it while I can!!

Dad's 60th birthday is August 8th and he let us know a year ago that he wanted a party although he hasn't said a word about it since. Grinny, dad's S.O., my cousin Marcia and I have been working on a plan. My dad is a sweet, kind-hearted, loving person as evidenced by the number of friends he has; we have put together a list of his closest friends and there are at least 35. That, along with our family will amount to about 60 people, YIKES! I've never planned such a large party!

The summer is almost over and we will be starting school again soon. I've been online ordering books, pre-reading the books I already have, making schedules, etc., etc.,. Dh will be home to help this year and I'm looking forward to it. He has a photographic memory (if there is such a thing) and can tell you who the president was on a given year, what party they stood for, the first lady's name and numerous other interesting (or useless, depends on how you look at it*grin*) facts regarding the historical time period in which they served! He has a captive audience with the kids (he loves history so much and it's hard to find others who are quite as passionate *smile*).

I promise to try to be a better blogger from now on!

Real Christians Don't Gay Bash

2006-07-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

by the Rev. Jim Rigby

Progressive Christians tend to be nonjudgmental and to feel that challenging the intolerance of others is itself intolerant. For that reason we often sit by silently when Fundamentalist Christians criticize homosexual persons. We tend to think of this as being open-minded.
Not that long ago, it was considered consistent to be a Christian, and yet, hold slaves. The day came when slavery was understood as an affront to the gospel itself. I want to suggest that the day has come when Christians must declare that gay bashing is an attack on the gospel and that real Christians do not participate in any form of discrimination.
Several years ago, I was asked to do the funeral of a gay man who had been beaten to death in a hate crime. At that time, I had never thought deeply about the danger many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people face in this culture. That week as I worked on the service, I kept hearing a local “Christian” radio station blaming gay and lesbian people for everything wrong in America. By the end of the week I understood the link between religious hate speech and the funeral I was performing.
I know that critics of homosexuality do not consider themselves to be hateful. They would say they “love the sinner but hate the sin.” If the shoe were on the other foot, however, and someone were attacking their families, trying to take their children away, and constantly working to pass legislation to deprive them of basic civil rights, at some point they would understand that “homophobia” is too mild a word for such harassment. “Hatred” is the only proper term.
I was raised in Dallas, Texas and had classmates who were in the Klan. I remember that they did not consider themselves to be attacking other people. They perceived themselves to be defenders of Christian America. Their “religion” consisted of an unrelenting attack on people who were black, Jewish, or homosexual. If anyone challenged these views, these Klan members considered themselves under attack and believed that their right to free exercise of religion was being threatened. In other words, they felt that harassing other people was a protected expression of their own religious faith.
In the Gospel, biblical literalists and judgmental people were the negative example in many of the stories. The point of those stories was to teach us the hypocrisy of judgmental religion. When a woman was caught in adultery, the Biblical literalists lined up to protect family values. They pointed out that the Bible literally says that adulterers are to be stoned. If Jesus took the Bible seriously, they claimed, he would have to participate in the mandated biblical punishment of an adulteress.
Instead of following scripture, Jesus tells the woman to get her life together and tells everyone else to drop their stones of judgment. The only way to take this story seriously is to conclude that real Christians don’t use the bible to condemn other people.
It violates the teaching of Christ to say that God will get angry if America does not confront homosexuality as a sin. Jesus did not mention homosexuality and it is a lie to say he did. Furthermore, Jesus said “judge not or you will be judged.” These false prophets are saying “judge or else you will be judged.”
Jesus was kind and understanding, but he was not silent about those who abused the vulnerable. He called them “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Christians must follow the example of Jesus and confront those vicious predators who use the Christian religion as a camouflage for bullying. We must be as understanding and kind as we can be, but to be tolerant of the oppression of others is not true tolerance.
I believe the time has come to say that genuine followers of Jesus Christ do not participate in discrimination against gay and lesbian persons. Is it intolerant to challenge intolerance? Are we doing the same thing as those we are challenging?
Gay-bashing is not just an opinion, it is an assault. Just as the Klan did, religious fundamentalists have a right to believe that homosexuality is a sin. They even have a right to preach a message of hate. But when they harass people in public, it is time for Christians to rise to challenge their intolerance. We have an obligation to protect our neighbors from harassment and slander, especially when it is done in our name.
It is time to say that gay-bashing is not only wrong, it is unchristian. If Christianity is grace, then judgment is the ultimate apostasy. If Christianity is love, then cruelty is the ultimate heresy.
The Rev. Jim Rigby is pastor of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX, and a longtime activist in movements concerned with gender, racial, and economic justice. This summer he is finishing a book on principles for a New Reformation. Email to: jrigby0000@aol.com.

The Sheep, the Pig, the Cat and the Dogs......

2006-07-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

The pig and the sheep, Mr. Ziffel and Cardigan, are now happily coexisting in the same pen. Cardigan will not let the pig get more than a few inches away from him. I believe he thinks the pig is his mother.

The two unlikely companions sleep, eat and play together. Sheep are not known to eat slop but Mr. Ziffel has taught Cardigan that it's better than crimped oats any day. It's fun to bring the leftovers to them every morning and watch as all of our animals, kitten included, share a meal from the same bucket. Mr. Ziffel is not impressed when the other animals join in on his feast and tries to body slam them out of the way but they are persistent creatures, stealthily sneaking a piece of bread or apple core when Mr. Z isn't looking. To get Cardigan away from his feed trough, he grabs a mouthful of food and runs to another part of the corral, knowing that Cardigan will follow him. You can imagine him saying, "come look what's over here, you dumb sheep". Once Cardigan is sufficiently out of the way, Mr. Z races back to his trough to eat a few bites in peace.

Yesterday, as is the case more often than not, we were going on a hike. I talked dh into letting Cardigan and Mr. Ziffel go with us so we opened the gate to the corral and the animals eagerly walked out and started following us down the path toward the woods.

I've always heard that pigs are as smart as dogs and I believe it. Mr. Ziffel just took off walking along the path right along with the rest of us. Now, we love Cardigan but we're thinking his IQ may be a little weaker, or maybe it's just that he can't see very well. When he loses sight of Mr. Ziffel he just stands there and bleats continually until Mr. Z gets sick of hearing it. The pig will go toward the sheep until it is spotted and Cardigan happily runs toward Mr. Ziffel as if it has just been reunited with its one surviving relative.

Cardigan could not see Mr. Ziffel who had rushed down to the pond and was ecstatically coating himself with a layer of mud. The sheep was stopped midway down the hill "baaaaaaing" incessantly. Mr. Ziffel, newly energized, ran squealing back up the hill until he could be visualized by Cardigan and led him back down to where we all stood laughing at their antics.

So, we were a crazy sight, walking along our hiking trails in this order: Dh, Mr. Ziffel (pig), Cardigan (sheep), ds-5, Chewy (dog), dd-12, Beau (dog), ds-21, Shadow (cat) and me bringing up the rear. I was cracking up as I watched the animals just follow right along the paths as if they did this every day. They never once tried to stop and eat or wander off into the woods; they just hiked along with the rest of us.

As we were finishing our hike, I stopped to pick some blackberries. No one noticed that I was no longer with the group until Cardigan turned around, walked back down the path toward me and stood there in the path, looked at me and bleated, "baaaaa, baaaaa", as if to say, "come on, wouldya?". He kept on bleating until I finally said "OK, I'm coming," and started walking toward him. He immediately resumed his place in the convoy of hikers and walked joyfully back up to the house, content that everyone was accounted for.

Born On The 4th of July

2006-07-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

My niece, JL, was born on July 4th three years ago. Her birthday was celebrated at my brother's house. We arrived at JL's 3rd birthday party on the evening of the 4th, intending to watch the community fireworks display after the ritual opening of presents. JL is a beautiful child with dark brown eyes, a gorgeous olive complexion and dark brown hair, just like her Mom and Dad. When I walked in the house and said "Hi, Angel!", she replied in her usual third-person fashion, reiterating the reason for our being there saying, "JL is 3!".

After the requisite sugar bolus we received in the form of cake and ice cream, it was time to open presents. The children in our family are blessed to have many aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents to shower affection and gifts upon them. JL received a princess dress for her birthday last year and spends a lot of time in it, I hear. Her mother has washed it until it is shredded and thread-bare and the entire family proved sympathetic to the cause; JL received no less than 3 new princess dresses for her birthday!

It wasn't long before JL was newly attired in a princess dress, this one complete with a lighted skirt! She was mesmerized by the blinking lights (don't know how that one will hold up in the wash!). Littlewho was so impressed by her appearance, he sweetly and tenderly walked up to her and said "JL, you look like Cinderella!". There was an utterance of "aaaawwwwwws" heard throughout the room from ladies and men alike.

The fireworks started late, around 10pm but it was worth the wait. We had front row seats sitting in the driveway of my brother's home. It was a spectacular display of artistic brilliance, lasting about 25 minutes during which time there were repeated exclamations of "wow!", "oh my gosh!", "how wonderful!", "oooooooo!", and "Happy birthday, JL!".

Can you imagine what must go through a little 3 year old's mind when there is so much gaiety and merriment surrounding her birthday? JL has no idea that we are also celebrating our freedom but--who cares?--we should all be so fortunate to have such a birthday celebration!

How Many Indians Can You Fit Into a Tipi?

2006-06-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

We are studying Native Americans. Most homeschoolers I know, if they were studying Indians, might read some books about different tribes, make some popcorn or jerky and possibly even build a replica of an adobe hut. My family has built a tipi.

This tipi is not from a kit, nor is it your run-of-the-mill, 6 foot tall standard tipi. Dh and ds have spent days chopping down saplings to build it. They said they wanted it to be authentic, just like the Indians would have made. I've joined them in the woods as they've painstakingly selected the straightest trees to build the frame, cutting down beautiful oaks and birchtrees. I watched as they erected the frame, pole by pole in a shape that somewhat resembles a circle but more closely mimics an egg. And I tried not to comment when they starting tying the poles together at the top, ran out of rope and ended up using duct tape.

Yesterday, the structure was finished. It is big enough to hold a few elephants and one very tall giraffe. I'm not kidding! It's enormous and sitting right in the middle of our driveway, perfectly visible from the road. I've observed onlookers practically going into the ditch as they look up to the top of our hill at this monstrosity. In it's primitive state, with no cover over it, the tipi frame looked like some sort of pagan, sacrificial monument, complete with duct taped supports.

Dh said he was going to go to the Army surplus store and get an old tent to use to cover the tipi. I warned him that something that big was not going to be cheap so he called first. The size tent he needed was going to cost $1600! He decided to go to the local tool store, where he found a 30' x 30' gray tarp for minimal cost. He and ds worked for hours trying to arrange the square tarp over the circular (and I use that term very loosely) structure. Finally, they had it situated the way they wanted it and it fits surprisingly well, except for a few "air vents" where the tarp wouldn't reach the ground. They have staked it in place and placed rocks where necessary to keep the tarp secure. Now when people drive by they undoubtedly think we've erected a missle silo.

The kids spent the afternoon making mocassins from kits we ordered and we're planning on having a pow-wow, searching for arrowheads, and going to visit the buffalo farm near us. This truly is homeschooling at its best but I'm a little nervous about our next subject, the moon!

And on this farm we had a pig......

2006-06-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's funny how every time I go to work on the weekend, I get a timely phone call from dh telling me what he has done, seemingly to prepare me for what I'm going to find when I get home. I never know what sort of profound things dh has built, destroyed, or acquired. This past weekend was no different.

There is an "Animal Swap Meet" in Fordland on the last Sunday of every month. The kids very cleverly sweet-talked dh into going; they know he's a sucker for a cute animal. We have fondly referred to him for years as "Dr. Doolittle" because he just seems to have a way with animals and they love him in return.

On Sunday they set out for the swap meet with a cage in the back of the pickup. When they arrived, dh and the kids sorted through the vast array of ducks, goats, chickens, puppies, etc. Unbeknownst to me, the family had plans for a pig. It was 4 against 1 and I was not there to be the voice of reason. We had no place to keep a pig, for starters.

After weaving their way through the myriad of creatures, they finally found the pig man at the back of the swapmeet. They immediately saw a cute little red-skinned pig with a white face that they instantly bonded with so they said "We'll take that one.". The man said "He's a good 'un, he'll make some good eatin" to which dh replied, "Oh, we just want him for a pet". The pig man looked at dh and the kids in disbelief and picked the little porker up by one leg, handing him to ds21. He hugged the squealing pig to his body and climbed into the back of the truck. The pig proceeded to relieve himself, bowels and bladder, repeatedly all over ds.

I arrived home to find a primitive pig sty fashioned out of various types of wood and metal in our barn. You have to climb over a stack of shingles, onto an old dresser and over a gate to climb into the pen but, no matter, the pig seems happy, especially when we "slop" him. I don't know if all pigs are herbivores but this one is, although he has turned his nose up at broccoli and cauliflower.

Littlewho was in the pig pen today, alone, without permission. We were inside the house and he came sauntering in with a guilty look on his face. He said he and Chewy, our mutt dog, had been petting the pig. Of course we were upset that he had been in the pen and before we could explain (again) all of the reasons it was dangerous to play with a pig by himself, littlewho said the pig accidentally bit his arm. He impressed us with a compelling argument for the sake of the pig--that the pig was really trying to bite the dog and his arm just happened to be in the way. Besides, he said, "It didn't hurt". His arm had a snout-sized abrasion with a bruise in the center; thankfully, it didn't break the skin.

I'm thinking it may be necessary to throw a little pork into the slop every now and then to put the biting swine in it's place-the pig doesn't necessarily need to know we are vegetarians!

Blueberries Are Ready

2006-06-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

We went hiking this morning on some of the trails dh and ds have been cutting with the scythes. It has become sort of a morning ritual-dh and I wake up, have a cup of coffee or tea on the deck while watching the sunrise and then go for a peaceful, cool, morning walk.

A couple of weeks ago we starting noticing all of the fruit that is growing on the hillsides. This is our first summer here so it was a wonderful surprise when we discovered the peach tree, gooseberries, black raspberries, wild blueberries and, of course, the plethora of blackberries. We even found a pawpaw down by the creek bed, which I've not seen since I was a child. They are very elusive because foxes, raccons and opossums find them extremely desirable, as well.

Today we spent a loooong time gathering and eating blueberries and raspberries. There were only a few blackberries and by the time we got to them littlewho had joined us in the meadow so we had to fight each other for those that were ready! When they really start to ripen--watch out--there must be hundreds of thousands of them out there!

Although we have our own wild blueberries, unlike cultivated blueberries they are so tiny that it would take forever to pick enough to make one smoothie. We just enjoy them as we find them and, in the meantime, we will pick blueberries at the patch a few miles from our house. They are $8/gallon and ready to be picked!

Barbershop

2006-06-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

Dh got a haircut the other day. Since he has been off work and couldn't go to his usual stylist in the city, he decided to go to the barbershop in Seymour.

Remember Floyd's Barbershop on Andy Griffith? When you go to the Barber shop on the square in Seymour, it feels like you've stepped back in time about 50 years. This place is complete with a red, white and blue barber pole and your very own Floyd, Barney, Gomer and Otis! Interestingly, dh has been called "Opie" for years by his coworkers--must have something to do with the strawberry blonde hair, freckles and ageless face.

For some reason, dh felt it necessary to drag me along to the barber shop. There were 3 people inside when we arrived so "Floyd" said it wouldn't be too long. Well, as you can imagine, country people have a different perspective as to what "long" means.

The man who was getting a haircut when we arrived, we'll call him "Barney", was a hoot. He was thin and balding and I could almost picture him being allowed to carry a gun on the condition that he have 1 bullet--in his pocket! There was nothing this man didn't know or hadn't done, up to and including killing grizzly bears. He talked nonstop and I'm not kidding. It takes good 'ol Floyd about 45 minutes to do a haircut, we discovered, so we were able to hear all about Barney's escapades. He tried to convince us that you could catch pond carp, can it in jars and it "tastes just like salmon!" We said, "yum, we'll have to try that!". He said "Fish is fish". YUK! The place filled up while we were waiting and no one was as happy to see him go as I was. We practically had to shove him out the door to get him to leave.

Dh can keep up with just about anyone when it comes to talking and I have to admit I was a little surprised that he didn't get impatient with the laid back atmosphere. The truth is, we were having too much fun analyzing the characters from Mayberry and listening to the engaging conversation.

The next guy to get a haircut was a corpulent, pie-faced man, we'll call him "Otis". His clothes were dirty and ragged and he appeared as if he had just crawled out of bed (presumably, he let himself in and out of his jail cell, still a little ebrious from the night on the town). He was a sweet guy with a not-so-sweet odor. Ewwww! Floyd must have noticed it too, because Otis' haircut didn't take so long.

The next guy had a hat on that said "WWII Veteran". He had been sitting in a chair, taking part in the conversation and since he was there before us, we assumed he was next. When Floyd looked at him he said "Aw golly gee whiz, I'm just sittin' here for a bit. I don't need my hair cut today". Yep, you guessed it, Gomer!

FINALLY, it was Opie's turn. We were at the barber shop for 2 hours but I have to say, if you need to know what's going on in Mayberry, uh, I mean Seymour, just go sit a while at "Floyd's".

How To Treat a Rattlesnake Bite

2006-06-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

I saw a little boy in the hospital this weekend--19 months old--who was bitten by a rattlesnake. In 19 years of nursing, I've never taken care of a patient with a snakebite so I was fascinated by this particular case. The little guy touched my heart; he's such a cutie with his blonde hair and brown eyes and he was so tolerant of everything we were doing to him!

This nice family lives in the country and apparently, the child was playing on the patio when he was bitten between his thumb and forefinger. The mother was standing outside when it happened and they immediately took him to the hospital where he was given antivenin.

He is doing surprisingly well. The venom can cause problems with platelet levels (which help the blood to clot) so he was having frequent labwork and it was looking better every day. Unfortunately, his arm is very swollen and purple from the fingertips to his shoulder and he was having surgery today to open up the skin (fasciotomy) so the swelling wouldn't cause further tissue damage.

Rattlesnakes deliver a hemotoxin (affecting the blood) and a neurotoxin (affecting the central nervous system). No treatment in the field is recommended. It is no longer advised to ice the limb, apply a tourniquet, or suck out the venom (unless you are a skilled outdoorsman and have a "Sawyer" Extractor designed specially for this purpose). The most important step is to get to a hospital; the antivenin must be given within a 4-6 hour window. If at all possible, kill the snake and bring it along for identification and call the hospital ahead of time so the antivenin is available.

The Whos Have a Little Lamb, Little Lamb...

2006-06-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Dd12 has been asking for a lamb for quite some time, ever since she volunteered to take care of the flock of sheep that belong to the Mennonite neighbors down the road. While they were on vacation, they let dd feed and water the sheep, promising her she could have one when the lambs were ready to be weaned.

Mrs. Mennonite called the other day, letting dh know that the lamb was ready. Much to our chagrin, they wanted $1 a pound for it, which translated to $50 and dh agreed. He and ds21 took the truck to the Mennonite's house. They weren't gone long and arrived home with ds in the bed of the pickup, gently holding on to a cute, docile, male lamb. The kids decided to call it "Cardigan". We had visions of strolling around with the lamb following us, playing with the kids and just generally enjoying its tame nature.

Dh had been getting our corral ready for the lamb, cleaning it out and making sure the fence was intact so Cardigan wouldn't be able to get out. Ds carried the sweet little lamb into the corral and within seconds ds's pit bull (raised lovingly indoors) had clambered under the gate, cornered the lamb, and was tearing at the wool on its neck. Dh had a sudden rush of adrenaline and despite his arthritic joints, grabbed the pit bull by the neck and the tail and flinged it over the 6 foot tall fence as if it were a mere puppy! The dog lay in the tall grass, knowing it had really messed up this time (we overlooked the killing of 3 kittens). I will not elaborate but (ahem) we have 2 dogs again instead of 3 and I am resting much better at night.

When the excitement was over, we looked around and guess what? No Cardigan. It had jumped between the boards in the corral and escaped to the end of the lane and was standing in the yard, bleating in vain for its mother. We chased that lamb around the yard for hours, literally. It can jump like a gazelle. I have never laughed so hard in my life, watching 2 novices trying to corner and grab onto the poor little helpless creature.

They tried everything, chasing it as it weaved around the obstacles in our yard, jumping through their arms and out of reach; you wouldn't believe how lithe and muscular a little lamb can be! I almost peed my pants when they ever so stealthily crept up behind it with a lasso (dd's jump rope), simultaneously lunged for it and Cardigan, with the agility of a cat, leaped straight up onto the propane tank leaving dh and ds lying in a bewildered heap on the ground.

Cardigan kept going toward our basement window. At first we thought it was going to jump through the window, thinking it was an escape route. After several return visits, we realized the lamb could see its reflection and thought it was another sheep looking back at him! Since arriving at our home it had been attacked by a vicious animal and endured being chased for hours so it seemed to find comfort in its new friend. Dh and ds decided to use the window to their advantage.

First, the lamb rustlers tried sitting by the basement window, hoping Cardigan wouldn't notice them (tee hee). It did come quite close several times but when they would try to grab it, it just turned and ran. They were getting very frustrated, hot, and hungry and I was rolling around with stomach pains from laughing so hard.

At around 5 pm--yes, they had been at it ALL day--they came up with an ingenious plan. Ds decided to hide in the basement bathroom with the window open. When Cardigan approached the window to look at the other lamb, ds thrust his arm out the window and grabbed a leg and held on like a vice. Dh was standing by and pounced on the rest of Cardigan and lo and behold, victory! It was a long, hard day but such entertainment!

Cardigan is now peacefully enjoying his new home but--can you believe it?--he won't let us come near him.

Pesto, yum!

2006-06-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

We are finally starting to reap the harvest from our garden. I picked a bunch of Basil the other day--it is my all-time favorite herb--you just pick off what you need and it keeps producing, very easy!

Besides throwing Basil into everything I saute', I made Pesto for the first time. It is so incredibly good. Here's the recipe:

1 large bunch of fresh basil leaves, washed and spun dry
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts (I didn't have any so just left them out)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated (I used Asiago, it's what I had on hand)

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse to a paste.
Serve over your favorite pasta, I used organic tomato-basil linguine. It was fabulous, even the kids loved it. This is very rich so a couple of tablespoons per serving will suffice. Try it, if you've never had Pesto, you will be surprised!

Sandals and Scythes Don't Mix

2006-06-06T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today, I nearly cut my toe off. Well, not really OFF but it's a deep cut. Dh and I were sitting on the deck early this morning, drinking hot tea and coffee. I was enjoying the peacefulness and the unusually cool morning when he said "do ya want to go scythe?". I couldn't wait, I mean, who could resist an offer like that?

Dh has been off work due to an exacerbation of his arthritis so we've been able to spend the days together for a change. He is very stiff and has lots of pain in the mornings and it takes him several hours to loosen up. It helps him to be active and one of his [seemingly] favorite things to do is chop down the weeds on our land. Dh is as concerned about the environment as I am and even though we have a gasoline powered lawn mower and a big weed eater on wheels, he insists on doing as much of the chopping as he can with a scythe.

If you've never experienced the benefits of using a scythe, according to dh--besides the fact that we're not using fossil fuels and polluting the air--it's a great workout and it's therapeutic. I've been married to this man for 22 years and still can't figure him out but I do know he's got more energy in his pinky finger than I could muster up in a week. There are occasions when he simply has to have an outlet. We don't go out to eat or to a movie for fun like normal people, we do things like lift weights, paint the house or go scything.

Now, most people I know don't even own a scythe. We have 3. This morning at 7am, we were out on the hillside, scythes in hand, swinging away at the ubiquitous weeds. Most of our land we are allowing to naturalize but dh has blazed hiking trails and keeps the area around the tree swing, littlewho's fort and the zipline cleared away to keep the crawlies off of the kids.

Although I was very eager to spend quality time with my hubby, I was not really dressed to go scything; I was still in my pajamas and I was wearing a pair of sandals (Mr. Safety is slacking). After about 10 minutes, I was really getting into it and was aggressively swinging my tool, actually enjoying the work. Unfortunately, during one misdirected return stroke, the scythe hit a rock, bounced off and sliced into my 2nd toe. I threw the scythe down and started hopping around in agony, afraid to look down for fear my toe was no longer attached.

After a few minutes, dh had me sit down long enough to look at the damage. The toe was still there but had a deep cut and blood was dripping from my sandal into a pool on the ground. It could have easily used several stitches but ya know, it's just a toe.

Dh was so disappointed that he now had to scythe on his own, he woke ds21 up (who just recently moved back home) and took him out to the meadow to put him to work. Reluctant to lose another scything partner, he insisted that ds put his tennis shoes on. I have a feeling ds will have a job and his own apartment very soon...............

Heat Stroke

2006-06-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

I have had an epiphany; It's HOT! And, I might add, it's HUMID! I started running again last November so up until the last few weeks, my runs have been in cooler weather (the colder the better, IMO). My trek is 4.5 miles and the last 1/2 mile is uphill on a steep grade. It's killer and I had forgotten that I wasn't acclimated to running in the heat yet.

A week or so ago the forecast was for the temperature to climb to 92 degrees. I, in my ultimate wisdom, decided to go on a run at noon. Unfortunately, I have never been one to sweat very efficiently. I've always been envious of dh who sweats through 3 or 4 t-shirts a day when it's hot. I love to sweat--ahhh! It feels so good to get rid of toxins--but if I'm not careful, I just turn red and pass out.

So, on this particular day when it was hotter than Hades, I took off running. At the 3 mile mark, down in the valley where there was no air movement, I started feeling a little lightheaded. I kept pushing myself, thinking that it would pass and I'd be in the shaded area within a few minutes. At the 4 mile mark, right before the notorious hill, I was becoming extremely weak so I conceded and stopped at the creek to cool off. I poured water over my head and splashed my face with the cool, running water. I was delirious and it wasn't until later that I thought of the cattle upstream that were also cooling off in the water and relieving themselves without concern about the water quality, yikes!

I walked the rest of the way home that day, cutting through our meadow to get home faster. The kids were waiting for me outside as I trudged up the hill, red-faced and effete, croaking, "Water, quick, I need water!". I have since started getting up earlier and earlier each morning to escape the heat and have found that there is quite a lot of activity in the mornings around here.

We live on a 4 mile loop that consists of 3 or 4 farms. Some of the people are Mennonites and I can't tell you how strangely uncomfortable I feel when I'm running by in my shorts and sports bra. They're always very kind and maybe they aren't as disapproving as I assume but regardless, I decided long ago that my health was more important than their approval so I carry on. Our neighbors are all very friendly and it's not uncommon to encounter some of them on my runs. If only they knew how difficult it was to stop in the middle of a run to have a conversation! Once, one of my neighbors actually got in her car and drove the loop to find me to get my "professional" opinion when her daughter had fallen and hurt her arm!

Yesterday, I was on the final leg of the uphill stretch when I met a man walking along the road picking up cans. I tried to avoid his gaze so I wouldn't have to stop so I just smiled and said "Hi", but alas, he stopped to talk and I couldn't just ignore him! He said, "You sell them thar beagles?" (Our neighbor's 2 beagles have adopted us and will not leave, despite a few BB's to the posterior). I explained that those beagles weren't ours, they belonged to Goat Woman, they just liked our house better because, much to my dismay, sisterwho feeds them every day. He said he was interested in buying some beagles. I explained how much we liked the beagles but they kept us up at night barking and then said "So, on second thought, yes, they are for sale!". He laughed and I took the opportunity to finish my run.

Lofty Ambition

2006-05-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

Dh and the kids met a man the other day who was a professor at SMS (oops, MSU, sorry). They were having a lengthy discussion and eventually the subject of homeschooling was brought up. Why is it that people feel they must test our children when they are homeschooled? It's not uncommon for people to ask my children where they go to school and when they say "I'm homeschooled", inevitably the next question is "What's 9X6?", or "Who was the 3rd president?". Sheesh! I don't recall my older children who went to PS ever fielding such questions. I can only hope that it's because more is expected of homeschoolers than their public schooled counterparts. It's no secret that many of the last geography and/or spelling bee winners have been homeschoolers. I admit I would love to have a child with such a love of learning that they win a scholarship to an Ivy League College and obtain a PhD and find a way to cure cancer or end world hunger and win a Nobel prize and..........."EARTH TO CINDI".................Oh well, I can dream, can't I?

The professor eventually got around to asking sisterwho what it is she wants to do when she grows up. Sisterwho said, "I want to cut hair". Dh didn't miss a beat and nobly replied, "There ya go, we must be doing something right!".

Hey, where would the world be without Hairdressers?

Da Vinci Might Have Been a Nut

2006-05-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

I recently finished reading "The Da Vinci Code". I have to say, it's a great read and I would highly recommend it to those who have the discernment to take it at face value for what it is, a fictional novel.

The author, Dan Brown is a smart man. It is sadly comical that this book has stirred up more controversy than I imagine Darwin's "The Origin of Species" must have some 150 years ago. Unfortunately, in today's world we have the means to spread information, accurate or not, like wildfire. Dan Brown is now a wealthier man because he wrote a novel about something that gets people's attention. The movie, critics say, stinks, and if it weren't for all of the hoopla it probably would have been a flop! The author of the book and the writers/directors/producers of the movie knew exactly what they were doing and we've played right into their hands.

I'm not writing this to convince anyone of anything--we must all evaluate our own hearts--but if you are questioning what you've always known I would encourage you, no matter what your beliefs, to pray for clarity. Educate yourself on what the book says and you will probably be surprised to find as much information that contradicts "The Da Vinci Code" as you will information that supports its claims.

After I finished the book, I had questions about what the author says are "Facts". On page 1 he says that "All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate". Are they really? By whose standards?

One example: Regarding "The Last Supper" painting by Da Vinci; Brown proposes that the person seated to Jesus' right is not The Apostle John but actually Mary Magdalene. He points out the feminine characteristics and the color of the dress which is exactly opposite to the color of Jesus' garments, subliminally suggesting that Jesus and Mary M were lovers. First of all, I have to ask, was Da Vinci there? No, of course he wasn't. He painted HIS own idea of what the last supper might have been like and the symbolism he uses is of his own fabrication. Even if he did suspect that Jesus had a lover or a wife, was he right? If you look at the painting, you will see that many of the disciples look somewhat feminine and knowing what we know about Da Vinci, well, umm, I'll let you make your own assumptions. Historians KNOW that Da Vinci was a flamboyant homosexual, an eccentric, and is known for painting artwork depicting Christian themes, not as an expression of what he believed but to fund his lavish lifestyle! And here we are, putting Christian beliefs and Biblical truths on the line because of him?! Come on!

I saw a phrase on a church sign the other day that made me smile, "No codes, just truth". Before you question your faith or anyone else's, get the REAL facts. Be prepared to defend the truths you hold dear and don't ever, EVER, let the words that ONE small man has written convince you of anything without gaining more insight on the subject, regardless of the topic. As dh always says, "Be skeptical!".

It's pretty simple. I can't say what Dan Brown's motives are but most people write novels to make money, hmmmm.......

Wasn't Jesus a Liberal?

2006-05-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

Published on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 by CommonDreams.org

by Gary Vance

Liberalism has been under assault for years now. The battering of this grand political philosophy has altered the contemporary definition of liberal to the point that Conservatives use it as a profane word. They use it to paint a political opponent as anti-God and anti-American. It has gotten to the point that moderate and liberal Christians are afraid to be open about their political leanings. Sadly, it even affects their conscience and choices as they enter the voting booth. This is particularly troubling to me as a Christian evangelical minister who loves America.

Liberalism as defined by Webster’s Third New International Dictionary: “a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of man, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for tolerance and freedom for the individual from arbitrary authority in all spheres of life…”

I am not sure why anyone would feel threatened by Liberalism as defined by the dictionary. They are apparently unaware or simply refuse to acknowledge the long history of liberals who have labored for the betterment of society and the furthering of God’s Kingdom.

The labor movement of the early twentieth century was aided significantly when major Christian denominations got behind it. No average American would have a fair wage today if it weren’t for liberal Christians and labor activists. Liberal Christians and civil rights activists fought and still fight against conservative America for racial equality. Child labor laws were enacted because liberals fought for them. Medicare and Social Security exist today because of Liberalism. “Bleeding heart liberals” have long advocated for the homeless, the hungry, the less fortunate, and the disenfranchised. The women of America owe liberals a big thank you for their almost equal rights. “Tree hugging liberals” fight for clean air and water standards instead of favoring industrial polluters and short term profiteering that destroy God’s green earth.

Liberals believe in affordable health care for all U.S. citizens. They also believe in higher taxes for the rich and lower taxes for the middle class and the poor. Liberals love their spouses and children. Liberals faithfully attend their churches to worship God. Liberals love America and hate terrorism and have proved it by fighting in every war for this country. Liberals come in all shapes, sizes, and color. They are found in the ranks of Protestants, Catholics, Jews, agnostics, and atheists.

Conservative Republican policies generally favor the wealthy and ignore the needs of the poor. Their policies are so often greed-driven, with no concern for the environmental or societal consequences for their exploitive actions. Jesus plainly taught that the love of money is the root of all evil. So, Christians can go after the various “fruit” of sin in our society, but they won’t see the real change for the better until the axe is laid to the root. Christians should oppose greed-driven policies as a primary point of political concern.

I am sick of reading letters to the editor and editorials that paint Democrats and liberals as anti-God and anti-American and that portray conservative Republicans as the only true Christian patriots. We know that many Democrats are pro-choice and many support gay issues and this troubles most evangelicals. Democrats also support causes that should be of Christian concern that go untouched by Republicans. I have listed some in the above paragraphs. True prophetic vision sees that there is great need for repentance on the left and the right. The effects of powerful lobbyists, special interest groups, greed and corruption abound on both sides of the aisles of Congress. God sees it all and so should Christians. Christian voters need to see that God’s heart breaks over more than just a few political and moral issues. It is time to take off our blinders and mourn for the sorry state of affairs that is American politics.

Jesus was the ultimate liberal progressive revolutionary of all history. The conservative religious and social structure that He defied hated and crucified Him. They examined His life and did not like what they saw. He aligned Himself with the poor and the oppressed. He challenged the religious orthodoxy of His day. He advocated pacifism and loving our enemies. He liberated women and minorities from oppression. He healed on the Sabbath and forgave adulterers and prostitutes. He associated with drunks and other social outcasts. He rebuked the religious right of His day because they embraced the letter of the law instead of the Spirit. He loved sinners and called them to Himself. Jesus was the original Liberal. He was a progressive, and He was judged and hated for it. It was the self-righteous religionists that He rebuked and He called them hypocrites.

The primary issues of Christian Liberalism were birthed when Jesus spoke the profoundly prophetic words found in Matthew 25: 31-46. These scriptures reveal God’s heart for the poor, the sick and other neglected people through out history. Christians should read this text and judge for themselves which of the two groups mentioned there more accurately reflect the political parties of today. His Liberalism lives on today and the issues have not changed much.

I am glad that conservative Republican candidates advocate for the family and a few Christian issues, but we must quit pretending that they are the only ones that Christians should consider voting for. People should not call themselves pro-life if they are only anti-abortion and yet feel no twinge of conscience over the unfair application of capital punishment or wars fought for dubious motives. A true pro-life position cares just as passionately for the born as the un-born and views war as a last resort when all other options are exhausted.

Christians should look for candidates that will work for issues that are of importance to Christ and that can be tackled legislatively. Sadly, most of those causes have historically been opposed, ignored, and minimized by conservative Republican policy makers. They seem to dangle the moral issues carrot around election time. Then, even with a Republican controlled White House and Congress, prove themselves powerless to do anything about those issues when they convene to legislate. Issues such as eliminating poverty and homelessness in America, true equal rights for all citizens, environmental protection, a fair minimum wage, affordable health care, and lowering our infant mortality rate all go unattended. That’s just to name a few.

I have some questions for the Christian Right. Why have you not held our current elected majority officials accountable for their failure to address the full spectrum of Christian issues? Why would you vote for them again?

It is time for Christians of conscience to stand up to religious and political hypocrisy. Christians should proudly proclaim progressive values today and should advocate for the Christian Liberalism that is our heritage and our legacy.

Camping on the Buffalo River

2006-05-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a camping trip in Arkansas. What peaceful, quiet, unrivaled fun! Dh doesn't like to camp, he's a homebody and his arthritis makes him so stiff that he couldn't possibly enjoy sleeping under the stars. I have bugged him to take us camping for quite some time without success so when my friend (I'll call her "K") and her daughter, "Z" (4 years old) asked us to join them on a trip, we answered with a resounding "Yes"!.

K, who had Z, her only child, when she was 43 has camped and hiked around the globe. I, on the other hand, haven't been camping since I was a child so I was a little naive. We debated on whether to go to the Lake or to the river and when K asked sisterwho which she would rather do, sis answered "I'm scared of lakes, let's go to the river". So the river it was.

Packing for the camping trip was a major challenge. Since we've never been camping as a family, we had no camping supplies. I had to buy a tent, sleeping bags, lanterns, a life jacket for littlewho, and a cooler. Bass Pro saw me coming a mile away! I started packing a week ahead and ended up with a carload of stuff that would have gotten us through a few weeks in Alaska. Heck, when you don't know what the weather is going to do, you have to be ready for anything. I had everything from swimsuits to hats and gloves.

Food preparation was also a huge undertaking. I was not about to undo the wonderful benefits of spending several days in the open air by eating a bunch of potato chips and bologna sandwiches so I toiled over the hot stove for days, baking bread, making tortillas, chopping vegetables and cooking soups. K brought chicken salad, hummus, boiled eggs, carrot and celery sticks, dates and nuts. We ate well!

I arrived at K's house Monday a little embarassed. I was afraid that she, being the experienced camper that she was, would surely laugh at my car packed to the ceiling with stuff. I almost lost it when I saw her car loaded with things which Z "needed" for camping such as a plastic doll highchair and a stuffed rabbit bigger that her!

We chose to go to a campground with a few amenities like toilets and showers. Neither of us had ever been there and apparently had envisioned a campground situated right on the river with the water in full view. We arrived at "Tyler Bend", a national park, around 2:30pm. K was following me and I pulled into the park and drove around searching for a campsite on the river. The river was nowhere in sight. K got out of her car and walked over to the edge of the woods hoping to see water rushing but it was not to be. She walked back toward me with her hands up in the air and said, "Where's the river?". We were a little disillusioned so decided to drive back up to the visitor center to be directed to the closest campsight with a river view.

I walked in the door of the visitor center and there was a lady behind the desk. I said, "We're here to camp but really wanted a site next to the river". I was sure I could hear her snickering to herself as she said, "We can't put the campsites right on the river, they would wash away with every rain". I almost expected her to end her comment with "you fool". She explained that there was a trail leading to the river so we could just walk to it whenever we pleased. We asked if there was any way to camp ON THE RIVER and she showed us the way to a campground that was primitive--we would be camping on a gravel bar and there were no facilities. We weighed our desire to be able to see water with our longing for flushing toilets and the toilets won out. We drove back to the campground and started setting up camp.

I am the type of person who reads the directions thoroughly before putting anything together; probably has something to do with having a dh who dives in first and asks questions later. It's excrutiating to think about the number of items we have put together only to find, hours later, a crucial, missing part that had been forgotten. After unloading the car, I started taking the tent out of it's bag and sat down to read. Sisterwho had brought a friend with her and they wanted their own tent so I forgot to mention I had purchased a small, 2 man tent for them. They chose a spot for their tent several feet away from the campsite, next to the woods. I had my back turned to them and K as I was reading the novel that was to show me how to erect a tent.

I finally had all of my tent parts layed out in order on the ground and was ready to start putting it together. I turned around to see if I could offer the girls any assistance and was shocked to find they had their tent up, complete with bedding inside and they were moving in! K also had her tent put up and offered to help me but I was determined to do it myself. Once I got started, it actually went up quite easily and turned out to be very comfortable with my queen sized air bed inside (it's what you call "roughing" it).

The kids were eager to start exploring so littlewho and the girls took off down a path that led into the woods. Minutes later littlewho came running back to the campsite yelling "my legs are itching and they won't stop!" He looked quite miserable but I couldn't see anything. I poured cold water on them and within seconds he had little whelps coming up all over his lower legs. I hollered at K to come look (she's a physician). At first I thought it must be poison ivy but K said it takes a couple of days for someone to react to that. She asked me if I had brought any Benadryl and fortunately I had (but neither of us--a doctor and a nurse--remembered bandaids, go figure) so I gave littlewho one to chew. It didn't take long for the whelps and the stinging to subside and we eventually determined it must have been stinging nettles that caused it. Whew! Poor little guy, he was really suffering and that was the first time I had ever encounted such a thing!

It wasn't long before the camp host (aka the "camp nazi") drove up in her golfcart to welcome us to the Buffalo National Park. She was listing the rules of the campground and warned us about "critters"; skunks in particular had been quite a nuisance and someone's dog had recently been sprayed. As she was telling us this, Z's eyes were becoming wider, unnoticed by us and before long she was crying and clinging to K, terrified of the skunks. Who knows what kind of vision she had in her little mind regarding skunks but she was in such a state that she wouldn't let K put her down for hours and there was nothing we could say to alleviate her fears. K eventually put her in the car where she felt safe. I told littlewho to go talk to her and explain what skunks were and pretty soon they both came bouncing back to the campsite without a care in the world. I wish I could have been a fly on the window and heard exactly what it was that a 5 year old could say to his little friend that made her forget about a vicious kid-eating skunk.

We started a campfire and made "Hobo pockets". I chopped potatoes, carrots, onions, zucchini and sweet potatoes ahead of time and let everyone choose what they wanted in their pocket. I put a tablespoon of butter on top, wrapped it in foil and threw the pockets in the coals of the fire. They cooked surprisingly fast and were incredibly tasty. Even the kids gobbled them up!

At night, it was cold but we all had fleece clothing. I'm not inclined to wearing polyester ANYTHING but I realize now that synthetic materials have their place. K taught me that fleece will hold the heat in, unlike cotton. That, along with our sleeping bags rated for 25 degrees kept us very warm at night. In fact, I was too warm, even when the temperature got down to 44. K even has fleece socks which are on my wish-list, something you don't want to camp without in the cooler weather.

K has a portable, one-burner propane stove that we used the next morning to make hot water for coffee and hot chocolate and pancakes. There's nothing quite like waking up and emerging from your tent on a cool morning to the birds singing, the sun gently warming your face, and pancakes.

We lugged our lawnchairs and coolers down to the river so the kids could play all day. They swam, caught crawdads and tadpoles, collected rocks and built sandcastles. The Buffalo river is particularly beautiful with it's high bluffs and clear water. The kids played on the sand bar most of the day and we are still crunching sand between our teeth, just like a day at the beach! In the evening we made another fire and had burritos for supper. K had brought avocados, black olives and refried beans and I had the homemade tortillas, cheese and salsa and we had another wonderful meal. Afterwards, we roasted marshmallows (our one indulgence) and made s'mores, YUM! Littlewho kept repeating "I am having so much fun!".

At night, we loaded all of the food into our cars because of the animals who wait for unsuspecting campers to go to sleep so they can raid your coolers and baskets. Unbeknownst to me, sisterwho and her friend had their own stash of junk food in their duffel bags. Their tent was only large enough for the 2 of them so that night they put their bags outside the tent. When we woke up in the morning, one of their bags had been dragged into the woods and a trail of candy wrappers, slimJims and pudding cups led us right to it. None of us heard anything during the night; I suspect it was raccoons who can be pretty creative little "bandits". I only hope it wasn't a bear!

I went on a run while we were there. I didn't really know where to go but decided to take off on one of the hiking trails. I assumed (wrongly) that the trails would be like the ones at our local nature center. YIKES! The trail was little more than a cow-path and I was running along the edge of embankments, dodging huge boulders and tree roots. The trail went down for quite some distance and then started going up and up until I came out on the top of one of the bluffs looking down at the river. It was beautiful but quite dizzying and I kept imagining myself falling so I quickly took off again on the trail that was marked "return trail". Well, turns out the return trail returns you to a spot about 2 miles up from the campground and I had already run at least 4 miles on rough terrain. When I finally arrived back at the camp, I had been gone an hour and my knees were a little worse for the wear. I was not at all winded, though; training on these hills where I live has really increased my stamina.

We spent our final day enjoying the river. We found another spot on the river with a shallow area that had a pretty strong current so the kids and K rode the rapids. I am a wimp when it comes to being cold AND wet and the water was really, really cold so I opted out. K had a fleece shirt on in the water and said it even keeps you warm when wet. I'm not convinced!

The kids and I are eager to go camping again, soon! Sitting around a campfire at night and looking up to see gazillions of stars, playing in the tent with the kids while waiting for the rain to pass, the peaceful sound of rushing water, food cooked and eaten out-of-doors and the uninterrupted quiet that comes from having no TV or radio is, in my opinion, the best vacation there is. At one point K said "I am in such leisure mode, I haven't thought about anything but being here". It was the most relaxed I've been in quite some time.

Things that I wouldn't go camping without are: a saw to cut firewood, fleece if it's cool weather, Teva sandals (they dry fast, stay on your feet, and are indestructable), a rope to fashion a clothesline, buckets, shovels and nets for the kids to catch and store their treasures, and a good cooler that keeps ice frozen for days.

Yes, I had Liposuction

2006-05-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, I had liposuction last week and I admit it. One of my friends said, "More power to you, you go girl!"; everyone else has made comments like "you look just fine" (not in my opinion), "are you trying to be a supermodel?" (Ha! Not in this life) and "are you nuts!?" (possibly). No, I do not have a body image problem and yes, it was covered by insurance. Hey, I have enough scars and conspicuously missing parts, I can use all the help I can get.

3 years ago in July, at age 37, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After 2 unsuccessful attempts to get all of the cancer with "breast-conserving surgery", I decided to have a mastectomy. One of the options for reconstruction after a mastectomy is a "TRAM", or Trans-Rectus Adominus Myocutaneous flap.

In laymen's terms, a TRAM involves taking part of the abdominal tissue, leaving the rectus abdominus muscle attached for a blood supply and tunneling it under the skin to form a breast. For me it was either using my own tissue for reconstruction or no reconstruction at all. I did not feel comfortable having something foreign in my body (breast implant) after already having cancer.

Another benefit of a TRAM is that you essentially get a tummy tuck (can you believe a male surgeon developed the procedure, woohoo, what a guy!). It's not as pretty as a cosmetic tummy tuck because the scar must be higher and wider to take advantage of the best blood supply but I have carried 4 children and therefore had a little excess tummy that I was happy to part with. However, I would caution anyone who is not both young and in the very best of health to think twice before having a TRAM. It is unfathomably debilitating and I have since taken care of several patients who've had the surgery and they have had difficulty recovering. When I called my surgeon's office almost 3 years ago to tell the secretary to schedule me for the surgery, within minutes my doctor had called back and said "Are you SURE? You're a runner and it's going to set you back." I appreciated his concern and he was right but I don't regret it. It took me 2 years to get back to running!

My scar goes from hipbone to hipbone and actually looks pretty good except that it's still rather red. I'm very happy with the results of my surgery and my plastic surgeon says the scar will continue to fade. The only thing I've had a problem with is the little resulting extra skin at the ends of my scar, commonly referred to as "dog-ears". Since I am not a dog, I didn't want to have their ears so I chose to have the skin (OK, call it fat if you must, who cares?!) flattened a little.

So, I went in for outpatient surgery. The hospital requires that you arrive 2 hours early so you can, well, sit and wait for 2 hours, I guess. It took the nurses about 10 minutes to get their paperwork completed and start an IV so I had plenty of time to finish my book, "The Da Vinci Code" (that's another topic...).

I don't necessarily volunteer the fact that I'm a nurse when I'm in the hospital because I don't want anyone to be uncomfortable and I know from experience that taking care of a fellow medical professional can be a little unnerving. The nurse asked me to sign an operative permit and asked me to verify what surgery I was having done. Without thinking I said "bilateral abdominal donor site revisions". She said "wow, you got that perfect!" then she eyed me suspiciously and said "are you a nurse?". It was too late, I had blown my cover.

I had been NPO--translation, "nothing by mouth"--since midnight the night before surgery and I drink enough water in a day to float a boat so my mouth was parched and I felt dehydrated. The nurse had me all checked in and asked me if she could get me anything. I very matter-of-factly said, "a glass of water, please". She didn't fall for it.

The surgery itself was pretty unremarkable. I have bruises and it's a little tender to touch but I have had surprisingly little pain. My surgeon talked me into general anesthesia which I regret, I think. My body simply doesn't metabolize drugs well; I'm a week out and still feeling the effects. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining and I'm not sure I would have wanted to be awake while they inserted a trocar and rammed it in and out of my skin (a perverse "friend" who watches the discovery channel described it to me as such). I am extremely happy with the way it looks; now I can buy clothes that actually fit!

Heirloom Garden Show

2006-05-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

If you are into heirloom gardening, you have most likely heard of Baker Creek Seed Co. They are one of the most well-known rare seed companies in the seed-saving world. Their mission is to provide healthy, natural, authentic foods by promoting original, non-GMO (gene-altered) seeds.

I have ordered seeds from Baker Creek via the internet for several years. Turns out that they are in our backyard, only 7 miles down the road in Mansfield. This past weekend they held their spring Garden Show.

Yesterday, Littlewho, Sisterwho and I set out for a day at Baker Creek. To get there, you drive to Mansfield, MO, take 1 of 2 exits and head North about 5 miles. It is off the beaten path, to say the least. After turning off the main highway, you drive several miles down dirt roads while navigating the chugholes, over creeks, past a multitude of farms and eventually wind up at an old farmhouse at the end of a lane. Parking is in the fields around the house and along the creek bed where many people have set up tents to stay for the 2-day event.

Vendors come from areas all around to attend the Garden Show. Here you will find varieties of tomatoes and peppers that are unusual, old, and reportedly delicious. I bought 4 beautiful, large tomato plants and I'm anxious to see what they will produce. The fun is in finding out what types of jewels you have at harvest time. I bought a "Purple Russian" plant, described as "delicious,...flavor that tops the charts,...one of the best varieties for salsas and preserving, etc.". Another variety I got was a "Black Krim" which says it is a favorite of many fine chefs. I have no idea what the other 2 are but they are supposed to be good. Dh is a tomato lover, I just like growing them.

Just down the dirt path from the main house at Baker Creek is a wonderful building that houses all of their seeds. During their garden shows in the Spring and Fall they sell all of their seed packets for $1 each! It is incredibly overwhelming to stand among bins and bins of seeds, stacked floor to ceiling, most of which I've never heard of. Not having done my research, I just picked varieties that sounded interesting, or more importantly, pretty. I bought "Jumbo Pink Banana", a winter squash, "Chantenay Red Core", a carrot, a long bean called "Chinese Green Noodle", a cucumber called "Delikatesse" and melons called "Minnesota Midget", along with a plethora of other seeds, none of which I have room for. I just couldn't resist!

There were musicians, Silver Dollar City performers, speakers, including James Clary of "Clary's" restaurant who talked about what he looks for in locally grown food. There were people selling honey, tee-pees, jewelry, braided rugs and skads of other items. Littlewho purchased a wooden hunting "knife" and a treasure box carved out of cedar with a secret drawer in the back. Sisterwho bought a sterling silver ring and a painted wooden jewelry box.

The music was inspirational country gospel and bluegrass. There were kids playing fiddles, guitars and keyboard. One lady yodeled and most just sang and played whatever was on their hearts or what the audience requested.

The restrooms at Baker Creek are very nice, most of the time. Unfortunately, the women's restroom was out of order so Sisterwho and I were relegated to the port-a-potties. Rather than try to explain to Littlewho how to use a port-a-potty, I let him go into the men's restroom by himself when the other stalls were unoccupied. I sent him in with explicit instructions while I stood by the door. He went into the stall which I could observe from the doorway. Within seconds he came wobbling out. There he stood in the doorway, pants around his ankles, anatomy glaringly obvious to the 20 or so people standing around. He was yelling "don't shut the door, I'm scared!". Sisterwho shrunk away, mortified, pretending she was not with us. I ushered Littlewho back into the bathroom, not caring that I was of the wrong persuasion and assisted him with his business. There were a few knowing smiles and snickers as we walked out. Sister was still hiding behind a tree but Littlewho quickly spotted her, ruining her cover when he said "Sissy, what are you doing back there?".

We had a wonderful, peaceful, spirit-filled day. If you ever have the chance to go, I highly recommend it and if you aren't already aware of the dangers of "Frankenfoods", go to www.rareseeds.com for more information.

Going to the Drive-In

2006-04-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night we decided to go to the drive-in theater. The Owens Theater in Seymour is one of the few left in this area. I never have been able to figure out why a Theater doesn't do well in the city, it is so much fun!

The theater was showing "Ice Age 2" and the kids waited with anticipation all week. We arrived about 30 minutes before the show started; we've driven by the theater hundreds of times and rarely are there very many cars there. As we approached, we could see that the field--yes, it's nothing more than a field--was packed!

The Owens Theater boasts that it's been family owned since the 1910's. As we approached the pay booth, we realized the man at the counter must be the original Mr. Owens. A little, old man was manning the booth and he yelled at us "How many?". Dh pointed to the back of the truck and told him we had 3 kids, 2 adults. Mr. Owens said "how many 5 and under?" Dh said we had 1 under 5 and 2 other kids. Mr. Owens chastised dh because he turned his head away and he couldn't hear him so dh repeated himself. Then Mr. Owens said that kids under 12 were $1 and adults were $5. Dh told him we had 1 kid (dd's friend) under 12 and 3 adults. Mr. Owen said "heh? I can't hear, how many you got?". Dh explained that we had 1 child who was five, one who was 12 and one under 12. Mr. Owens looked at him with a glazed look on his face. I couldn't stand it so I piped in, yelling that we needed to pay for 3 adults and 1 child, but I was all the way over on the other side of the pickup and he couldn't hear a word I was saying. Mr. Owens exasperatedly threw his pickled old hands up in the air and said "I don't know what you got!". I told dh just to give him what we owed and move on before the poor old guy had a stroke so we threw $16 at him and drove off.

Since it was opening night of "Ice Age", we had to park at the very back of the field. Once we got situated and comfortable and got the kids in their positions in lawn chairs, we looked up and realized we could barely make out the characters on the screen. There was nowhere else to go so we hoped that our eyes would adjust.

The girls wanted to go to the concession stand almost immediately so we gave them some money and sent them off. They were back within a few minutes, empty-handed. "The line is too long", they said so they sat down to watch the previews. 15 minutes later they decided they couldn't wait any longer so were back off to get popcorn, nachos, and soda. The movie had started by this time so we hoped it didn't take them too long. About 30 minutes later, the girls finally arrived with armloads of concessions, never mind that the movie was half over. Ds was enjoying it immensely, he could almost make out the wooly mammoths on the screen.

At one point dh looked over at me and said "wanna make out?". I laughed and said "sure" but right then ds fell through the sliding back window of the truck and said he was cold. The last time we went to a drive-in ALONE was 22 years ago when we were in high school.

We had a good time; I think the movie was good. The mammoths were cute, anyway.

Descent into Booger County

2006-04-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Every 4th Friday I must make the journey into Ava to pick up our groceries and run a few errands. I've always heard people refer to that area as "Booger County", assuming that it's because it's sort of out of the way and you could hide yourself, a meth lab, or a dead body in the Ozark Hills pretty easily-don't worry, I'm not considering knocking off anyone. There's a couple of intentional communities, as well. I've been told that "East Wind" is a sort of hippie community where they make nut butters and hammocks, reportedly in the nude. There's also a Gay Sanctuary somewhere in the midst. I love Ava, it's a charming town that for all of it's "boogers" seems more progressive than other towns of it's size. The square has a Health Food store, an art gallery, antique stores and a pet shop, among other things.

We belong to a food coop which ships once a month and we pick our items up at the VFW building just off the square in Ava. We are able to get the same stuff the health food stores get, only at a significantly discounted price. The group also buys organic produce and ships it in for pickup on the same day. Therefore, we have wonderful fruits and vegetables for about 2 weeks so we eat mostly raw meals and juice a lot. The other 2 weeks we resort to the frozen and canned foods and I actually have to cook!

The excitement my family reserves for coop day just goes to show how very strange we are. It is a big deal to plan our order the week before the pick-up and then we must wait patiently for the big day. Everyone helps to clean out the pantry, the refrigerator and the basement where we store all of our excess canned foods and the deep-freeze. We make sure we have enough jars and baggies to divide those things that need to be divided and frozen, i.e. raisins, cashews, barley, carob chips, to name a few. Most things are purchased in bulk so storage is a must. To go grocery shopping, we need go no further than our basement!

We never know what time the truck is going to arrive on the pick-up days until the night before it arrives so the entire day must be reserved. Before going to get our order, we always make a stop at the health-food store for the few items that I can't buy through the co-op (or that are simply too expensive to buy in bulk). Jean's Healthway has the best chocolate drops that we buy for a treat and I usually pick up milk for the kids that is supplied by the local dairy--they don't treat their cows with hormones or antibiotics. Jean's also has hard-to-find bulk herbs and spices.

There is a pharmacy right down the street from the building where the coop meets. The kids and I always make it a point to stop in and have an ice cream cone. They have an old-fashioned soda fountain complete with red vinyl barstools, black and white checkered floor and a jukebox. Most notably, ice cream cones are $.05 a scoop! The atmosphere and the price make it a nostalgic event (for me, anyway) that we look forward to once a month.

Around the corner from the soda fountain is a pet shop. We went there for the first time last Friday and it is delightful! The man who was working there was happy to let the kids hold the myriad of hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets and bunnies and littlewho even held a python (don't be too alarmed, it wasn't much bigger around than my thumb). They had lots of birds, 2 of which were quite large and spoke very eloquently. One bird, if I remember correctly, was a Cockatoo. She was a beautiful, whitish-coral color and loved people! She would climb outside her cage, hang on with one foot and stretch the other out, indicating that she wanted to sit on your arm. I held my arm out to her and she hopped right onto it and proceeded to chant, "Dolly's a pretty girl, SQUAWK, Dolly's a pretty girl, HELLO!"

After killing time and not running into any "Booger-men", we converged on the VFW building like locusts to pick up our food; rushing in and out to get the items into our vehicles before it spoiled and then we headed home. By coop day, everyone is craving something besides beans and rice and it's like Christmas! We all stand around the kitchen and taste everything in site, avocados, mangos, strawberries, baby spinach, yummm! Shopping this way is much more economical; I save about $250 dollars a month and I rarely ever have to go to the grocery store. I would do it for that reason alone, even if it didn't save me money!

Square Foot Gardening

2006-04-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

For months I have been desperately trying to figure out how to have a garden on this rocky mountain. Dh has made several suggestions such as, 1) put in at the bottom of the hill by the pond (the only flat spot for miles)--oh sure, and the deer, armadillos and rabbits will eat everything as fast as we can get it planted, 2) plant everything into the compost pile--which would have enough room for one tomato and one cucumber plant, 3) forget the garden and buy everything from the Amish--NO WAY!

I love gardening. There is something so life-giving about being outside in the sun, getting your hands dirty and seeing the delightful surprises you end up with. My family knows that if they want to see me in the spring, they must get involved in gardening with me. This is the time of year when it is the absolute most difficult for me to keep on track with homeschooling.

I was starting to wonder if I was even going to have a garden this year and I was to the point that I was ready to sell the house and buy some flat land! Then, "The Old Schoolhouse" magazine came in the mail. It is a homeschooling magazine and they include a section on Natural living in each issue. As I was perusing it, I came across a short article by Mel Bartholomew, the Square-Foot-Gardening guru.

Several years back, I read Mel's first book on the subject. It seemed like a great idea--you make the most use of your gardening space by eliminating rows but the plans he had laid out for developing a square foot garden seemed daunting, and impossible for me or dh to do. In this article, Mel explained very clearly how to build your own simple, raised beds. Dh seemed willing to go along with the idea and decided to take a day off work to help me get our garden up and running.

I know now why dh stayed home. He thought if he wasn't there to keep a rein on me, there's no telling what I would do; I might actually believe what this magazine article was telling me (gasp!) and try to put together the type of wooden boxes Mel recommended. Of course my ideas are not always the best ones, and any woman who has been married for very long knows that sometimes you have to let your man figure out for himself that you are somewhat capable of making a good decision.

We set out early in the morning to the local garden centers. First of all, for all of his superb qualities, my dear husband is not a carpenter. He will work harder than anyone I know but is quite challenged when it comes to building anything. So our first stop was "Klier's", the feed store, (go figure). Dh wanted to see if they had anything already put together that we could use. He eyed some big, round, steel watering tanks and said "hey, think of all the plants you could get in that thing!". I said, "yes, but it will look like a flying saucer has landed on our lawn". He tried to talk me into some old half-barrels that had once been filled with some black, tarry substance--most likely oil--probably wouldn't qualify for an organic garden. Then he tried to talk me into buying plastic buckets for planters; see what I'm up against? We didn't find anything we could both agree on so we moved on.

Our next stop was the Antique store, don't ask. Dh was determined that we could find something better than a wooden box so he pointed out anything and everything that could be used for a "garden", up to and including an old bathtub. I said, "while you're at it, let's just have my front teeth removed, throw away my shoes and take the tires off of all the cars." Sorry, that's not nice but I wasn't about to have a bathtub in my yard.

Finally, after hours of trying to find something suitable, dh decided that maybe we could just build some boxes out of wood; what a novel idea! We went to the lumber yard and had twenty-four 1x6's cut, each one 4 feet in length. This was enough for six boxes. We bought deck screws to put them together, predrilling the holes first. The lumber was pine, I didn't want anything treated, so dd and I rubbed linseed oil into the wood as a protectant. It took about an hour to build the boxes and cost about $50.00.

Our biggest challenge has been trying to find compost to fill the boxes (I can't even begin to imagine filling that big watering tank!). Mel recommends a 1:1:1 mixture of Peat moss, vermiculite, and compost. We had some compost from our own pile but not nearly enough. Mr. Safety doesn't want to get compost from the City of Springfield's pile because he dumps stuff from the streets there and says there are too many chemicals, hypodermic needles, etc. that go into it.

Yesterday, dd and I carefully plotted out how many square feet we needed for all of the things we wanted to plant. Dd calculated that we would need a total of 128 square feet of space (you didn't think I'd let an opportunity for a math lesson slip by, did you?), and we only had 6 boxes (96 square feet), so we purchased enough wood to make 2 more boxes. Mel emphasizes laying out a grid over each box, dividing each square into 16 smaller squares and then planting one seed per square foot. We did this by buying some unfinished 1x1's, cut them to size and screwed them together at the joints. We placed the boxes in 2 rows across our back yard, approximately 3 feet apart in order to be able to walk easily between them.

The overall effect of our garden is very pleasing and even dh agrees!

SNAAAKE!!

2006-04-20T05:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago littlewho was playing outside and came running into the house yelling, "a BIG snake, a BIG snake!" (as opposed to the hundreds of little garter snakes we see around here). Dh went outside to look and there was a snake hiding in the block retaining wall behind the house. Littlewho had been playing on the wall and heard a rustling sound and looked down into the blocks and saw the snake. It appeared to be a Blacksnake so, unlike my big, brave, rugged, fearless daddy who shoots every snake he sees, we left it alone. (Dad says NO snake is a good snake).

Yesterday, we were outside again, minding our own business when we looked up and saw the snake. With a quick 2nd look, we realized there were actually 2 snakes entwined together. If you know anything about snakes, you know this is their mating ritual. The snakes were entirely too busy to mind us so we were able to observe them for hours (apparently males snakes REALLY enjoy mating-DUH!, and keep the females attached to them for a very long period of time). We proceeded to learn more about snakes and their mating habits--homeschool moment--and discovered that these were Speckled Kingsnakes, not Blacksnakes. Kingsnakes are good snakes to have around. They eat other snakes, including Copperheads and Rattlesnakes whose venom doesn't affect the Kingsnake, and they eat rodents. We also learned that Kingsnakes are constrictors, they inject poison into their prey and then squeeze them to death.

Littlewho was "petting" the snakes and shouted "EW!, They're having a baby!". Upon closer inspection I did see that something red and ugly was coming out of the male and penetrating the female. Hmmm, could it be? Yes, snakes have penises. How else would they get the job done? I don't know what the female counterpart is called but it was a strange sight, something I had never seen or thought about before. Littlewho was disgusted and didn't want to watch them anymore so we gave them some privacy and got back to gardening............

"All For Love"

2006-04-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Easter. I was at work. One of the great things about working in the medical field is that you get to spend holidays with everyone but your family. In my case, any holiday that falls on a weekend, I'm at the hospital. Of course Easter and Mother's and Father's day are always on a Sunday but this past Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day all fell on the weekend. Oh well, there's always Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Anyway, since I wasn't home to see the kids through Easter, I got up at 4:00 am so I could hide their baskets and eggs. Easter was always my favorite holiday growing up because my mom would write "clues" to help us locate our impossible-to-find goodies. Once we discovered that bunnies don't lay eggs, it sort of took the fun out of it for mom so she created her own fun. We would wake up early Easter morning with a poetic rhyme pasted on our headboard that would read something like...."Good morning Sunshine, hope you're feeling fine, the day is just beginning and you're gonna be grinning cause the bunny is feeling funny and your first clue is where you keep your money!" I would then proceed to look in my purse (yes, I still insisted on this tradition when I was 18, what of it?) and there would be another clue and another verse and so on until the last clue would give the exact location of the Easter basket. My mother did this faithfully every year that I can remember for all 4 of us kids and we loved it!

Needless to say, I don't do it for my kids. It's not that I can't come up with phrases that rhyme, I just never seem to be able to find the time (see, I CAN do it). So I woke up at 4, got ready for work and hid the kids' gifts. They already had candy because Grinny and Papa came bearing Easter baskets early, so all they got from this Easter Bunny was a chocolate rabbit and some clothes. Where, oh, where is that creativity gene? At 6 am I was outside hiding plastic eggs filled with quarters and dollars (the kids never once asked to color eggs so I didn't volunteer). I left dh instructions to read the children the story of the resurrection in the Bible story book. I found out later that there was also a note from the Easter Bunny saying he had been at our house to see two good kids...... where do we come up with stuff?

Before going to work, I stopped at church for an Easter sunrise service. The music, the message, the feeling was amazing. The theme was "All For Love", that God gave us His son, and Jesus endured tremendous suffering out of love for us. What a gift, to be forgiven again and again because Jesus shed HIS blood for us! Love was the motivation for all Jesus did. When He was betrayed, Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends." It's never too late to open our hearts to His love and experience the joy that can only come from knowing Him.

Happenings in "Whoville"

2006-04-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's been a hectic week or two. Last week we went to the Nature Center for a "Little Acorns" presentation. All of the little preschoolers were sitting on the floor while this nice man talked about racoons. He asked the kids if they knew why his job was important and littlewho yelled out "so you can make money!". True, but not really what he was getting at. After about 15 minutes of listening quietly, ds then raised his hand to speak. Mr. Conservation called on him and littlewho said "I think I have a tick". Mr. C politely explained that mommy would check on that when they were done and I tried to become invisible in my chair but ds ran over to me and said "Mama, is this a tick on my neck?". Happily, it was just a mole.

While we were there, things were stolen from my car. I had forgotten to lock it, grrrr! Fortunately, I had locked my purse in my trunk so I didn't have to deal with the mess that would have created. The thief took my new "Bento Bag", a designer bag I ordered online that holds a recycled plastic lunch box and perfect portion-sized containers, a stainless steel drink container, and stainless steel soup thermos-very cool and convenient but quite pricey. I ordered it from www.laptoplunches.com. I decided I had to replace the bag so I explained to the owners what happened and they are shipping me out a new one for half price. Several days after the robbery, I realized that the thief had also taken another bag that I carry with me and it had my makeup in it, none of which was Cover Girl, if you know what I mean. All totaled about $300 worth of stuff was stolen =(.

I was off work last weekend, the first in 6 months and now I know why I rarely take off. It was nice to be at home but I do appreciate my job. I have always said--jokingly--that I go to work to rest and now I realize I wasn't really joking! When you only get to stay home 3 weekends a year, you tend to want to make the most of them so I had all sorts of plans made for us. At one point dh looked at me and said "you're not taking off again for awhile, are you?". Even the kids were exhausted and are happy to send me off to work again this weekend.

Dh says he moved me out to the boonies in order to keep me from doing too much. I love it in the country but occasionally we need to go into the "city". I had a staff meeting so a friend of mine watched the kids for me. When it was over, I picked up the kids and her 4 year old daughter and took them to the park. The kids were playing on the jungle gym when a woman started screaming at ds. I heard her yelling "where is your mother? WHERE IS YOUR MOTHER?!!!" I approached her and asked what the problem was and she said--screamed, rather--that my son had pushed her son. It was diffucult to stay calm but it was apparent that this woman had forgotten to take her medicine that day so I said "if you will calm down, I will address this problem, but please stop yelling, there are children here". That just made her even more angry and she got right in my face and put her hands on my chest to demonstrate the atrocity ds had committed on her son. I quietly explained to her that if she touched me again, I would notify the police at which point she started jumping around and screaming "go ahead and call the police, you need to control your child!". It had actually become quite ridiculous by this time and there were a couple of men there who pulled the lady away from me. Ds said he wanted to apologize to the little boy so he walked toward him but the mother ran to her son, grabbed him and said "NO!". Ds just walked back to me and very maturely stated that she must just be upset because she was worried about her little boy. Hmmm, she could learn something from this 5 year old "bully", I think. Afterwards, 3 parents came up to me and thanked me for staying calm, all the while shaking their heads in disbelief.

Dd turned 12 on April 7th. She wanted nothing but a cell phone for her birthday, much to my dismay but dh thought it would be a good idea so we bought her a prepaid phone. You know, the kind where you purchase minutes ahead of time and when they are gone, you're done. It seems like a good idea but each minute costs $.25 and dd's allowance is only $7 a week! Of course, she has to text her friends who live 1/2 mile down the road and my goodness, it's just not cool to call someone on those old-fashioned wired telephones! Dh (Mr. Safety, remember?) wanted her to have it so he could call her home in the evenings when she is over at the neighbor's riding horses, down at the creek catching crawdads, or in the woods searching for who-knows-what.

Last night she and her 2 little girlfriends wanted to go on a hike and it was getting kind of late so we told them to be back before dark. Well, apparently they were having so much fun walking the creek beds that they lost track of time. Before they knew it, they were a couple of miles from home and it was dark. We suspected what had happened and all 3 girls have a cell phone so we would just call them, find out their location, and go pick them up, right? Turns out that none of them took their phones with them! ...."but honey, we'll always be able to reach her.......".

A "Typical" Week in Our Homeschool, Opossum's and All

2006-03-31T05:23:00.000-08:00

I use the word "typical" very tongue-in-cheek because there really is no such thing in our lives. My childrens' education is extremely important to me but I have never been the type of person to stick to rigid, uncompromising schedules. I've always admired mothers whose children wake up at the same time each day, are meticulously groomed and ready for school by 9, take a nap at 1 and are in bed by 8 (sheesh, do people like that REALLY exist?). I don't even pretend to be able to achieve that in my home. I rely heavily on God's grace, love and strength to guide me.

Fortunately, AmblesideOnline provides a yearly schedule for my organizationally handicapped self. I break that down into a manageable weekly schedule with all subjects included, then dd11 and I condense it further into a daily schedule. Ds5 is not doing anything formal yet, he's too busy being a "rescue ranger" and drawing incessantly (on everything that doesn't move, I might add). We use our schedule as a guide but the beautiful thing about homeschooling is that nothing is set in stone and flexibility is a requirement! Stuff happens.

If friends ask us to spend a play day in town and attend the Discovery Center, we can. If it's a beautiful day and we choose to go on a nature hike and study the different kinds of wildflowers that grown on our hillsides, we do. If there is a particularly interesting field trip planned by the homeschoolers in our area, we take advantage of that. If grandma or grandpa want to spend the day with the children, who am I to deny them that pleasure? And if it's just a yukky, cold, rainy day and we want to stay in our pajamas, have read aloud story-time and drink hot cocoa, we will!

Regardless of how our days pan out, by the end of the week dd knows that everything must be completed. If we chose to take a day off school during the week, this may mean that she needs to do 2 days of school in one, during which she will do one day in the morning, take a break, and complete another day's assignments as "homework" (it's all home work, isn't it?). 3 years ago I never thought I would say this but now I am impressed at her motivation to finish her assignments. She is forming valuable lifeskills such as: independence, perseverence, and problem solving. We have the "last day of school" marked on the calendar and that also helps us stick to our goals. I still get the occasional "Ah mom, do I HAVE to do school today?", but we are learning to turn the phone off, delay trips to the store, and stay on-task. It's as big a challenge for me as the kids!

I feel like I need to define some things before listing our schedule. Charlotte Mason's principles are paramount in our homeschool and some of the terms found in her methods might be unfamiliar. (To learn more about Charlotte Mason and AmblesideOnline, got to www.amblesideonline.org). The children read from whole, living books (versus textbooks, which only give part of the story) and then do a narration, which means to tell back what they have just read. Of course, younger children must be read to but they will easily and readily tell back the story without even knowing they are narrating! According to Karen Andreola, who has studied Charlotte Mason extensively and republished her original homeschooling series, "...narration takes the place of questionnaires and multiple choice tests, it enables the child to bring all the faculties of mind into play. The child learns to call on the vocabulary and descriptive power of good writers as he tells his own version of the story."

Copywork combined with oral narration are the first steps in teaching a child how to write. Dd copies passages from great writers, poetry and the Bible, thereby mimicking the work of the greatest authors of all time. The child sees proper grammar and spelling as they are copying and Charlotte Mason felt that nothing more formal was needed in the younger years in those areas.

History readings are journaled into a "century book", which consists of a timeline marked with dates from creation to contemporary times. This allows dd to visualize and conceptualize the events that were going on in the world at any given time. She is able to "see" that while Ben Franklin was living in France working for the colonist's independence, Napoleon Buonaparte was born and Mozart was giving concerts in Italy.

Nature study is an important part of our days. We learn about science, biology (lots of "ologies", in fact) and God. First and foremost the children are aware that all things were created by God and what better way to become closer to Him than by studying His creation? Nature study doesn't have to be planned and calculated, it can be as simple as sitting and staring out the window observing the birds at the feeders, or lying on your back in the meadow, taking in the sights and smells and watching the bees as they buzz from flower to flower. Children will learn from observation and each observation stimulates interesting question and answer periods. The children don't even know they are learning but they will remember the things into which they, themselves have pursued more in-depth knowledge.

I recall the day the kids were out walking in the woods with their friend. I heard them saying "Mom, come quick!". I met them down by the pond and dd had by the tail the biggest opossum I had ever seen. It wasn't moving a muscle. They set it down in the yard which had the dogs in a frenzy so I told the kids to put them in the house, then we sat back, quiet as churchmice, and watched. The opossum continued to pretend as if rigor mortis had already set in for about 5 minutes. Then, when it was sure the coast was clear, it slowly opened it's eyes. It waited a bit longer then stretched out its body slowly. When it sensed that danger was no longer imminent, it scurried off into the woods as fast as it's ugly, short body could manage. This prompted a discussion about marsupials and animal defenses, but ended abruptly when dh (you know, Mr. Safety) found out what was going on and interrupted to herd the children inside to wash their hands. I suppose someone has to be sensible!

Ok, I promised a sample schedule so here goes:

Monday

Bible-Old Testament
Singapore Math
Read passages and narrate from:
History-This Country of Ours
What Everyone Should Know About the 20th Century
Science-Fairy-land of Science
Science Biography-George Washington Carver
History Biography-Carry a Big Stick, The Uncommon Heroism of Teddy Roosevelt
History Tales-Trial & Triumph (church History)
Character study-Plutarch ((read aloud with mom)
Copywork: Poetry
Composer Study (we use Beautiful Feet's guide: The History of Classical Music)
Piano-practice

Tuesday

Bible-New Testament
Singapore Math
Read passages and narrate from:
History-Abraham Lincoln's World
What Everyone Should Know About the 20th Century
Geography-Book of Marvels
Literature-Kim
Natural History-Wild Animals I have Known
Poetry: John Greenleaf Whittier
Copywork-The Bible
Piano-practice

Wednesday (our light day)

Bible-Psalms
Folksong: English Country Garden
Artist Study/appreciation
Physics Lab In the Home-Observation/Experiments
Nature Study-we use "The Handbook of Nature Study" by Comstock, among others
Latin-Latina Christiana
Spanish

Thursday

Bible-Old Testament
Singapore Math
Read passages and narrate from:
History-This Country of Ours
Abraham Lincoln's World
Geography-Book of Marvels
Science-Fairy-land of Science
Composer study
Piano-lesson
Shakespeare-Winter's Tale(read-aloud with mom)
Copywork-Math Facts
Grammar (one of dd and my favorite subjects-we use Easy Grammar)

Friday

Bible-New Testament
Scripture recitation
Singapore Math
Read passages and narrate from:
History-This Country of Ours
History Biography-Carry a Big Stick, The Uncommon Heroism of Teddy Roosevelt
Science-Christian Liberty Nature Reader
Geography-The Book of Marvels
Literature-Kim
Dictation
Copywork-literature
Piano-practice

This is our current schedule and some of the books we are reading change each term (12-week period). Books are read slowly, taken in small bites so as to be able to ruminate over and recall what has been read, as opposed to the way I devour a book in 3 days; ask me a week later to tell you details about a story and I couldn't do it. It may appear as though this is a heavy schedule and it can be, but the lessons are short and we strive to have most of the work done by lunchtime.

Classical music and Hymns are played throughout the day in our home and artist prints are displayed to observe for 2 weeks at a time, during which the children are asked to make occasional observations about the prints. Dd gets keyboarding practice while doing written narrations. Geography study is complemented by locating the places we read about on the globe and doing mapwork. Dd is learning to sew and she cooks and bakes alongside me every day. Often, the children will work on handicrafts or artwork while I'm reading aloud to them. Daily chores are required and an allowance is given to both children so that they can learn the value of money and how to save for the things they desire. We become involved in service projects as often as possible and that will be integrated into both children's weekly routine as they become older.

There you have it, now I better get busy--wouldn't want to get off schedule!

Horse and Buggy People

2006-03-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

Since moving to Seymour, we have discovered an array of wonderful people. We are deep in Amish and Mennonite country and their lifestyle has always intrigued me, enough so that I chose to do a little research. I'm frequently asked, "What is the difference between the Amish and the Mennonites?", so I set out to find the answer.

One of my close friends was raised Mennonite, lives next to her mother who is still a practicing member of the church and she has many close relatives in other parts of the country who are Amish. Along with the plethora of information she has given me and my own observations, much of what I've learned comes from the book, "20 Most Asked Questions About the Amish and Mennonites" by Merle and Phyllis Good.

The Amish are generally less progressive and still do without most of the modern conveniences we take for granted, like electricity, cars, and television. They dress in very conservative clothing, all handmade and of muted, neutral colors. Amish children are the most adorable with the little girls in their sweet dresses with pinafores and black bonnets, and little suspenders and straw hats for the boys.

Mennonites in this area generally have very modern homes and modern conveniences but still wear conservative clothing. Men are very clean-cut and the women wear a certain style of dress and have a "head covering", usually a small fabric cap fitted over a bun. These head coverings are worn in, what they believe, is obedience to the bible passage in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16.

The way they look and dress is only a tiny part of this culture. Most Mennonite and Amish groups have common historical roots. They were originally nicknamed "Anabaptists" at the time of the Protestant Reformation in Europe when radical Christians were persecuted. They sought a return to the simplicity of faith and practice seen in the early Christian church. There is a strong emphasis on peaceful living and Amish, particularly, discourage worldliness (conforming to the pressures of society which takes the focus off of God).

The Amish typically live a life of hard work and most are self-employed, many as farmers or construction workers. Of note is the fact that many of the Amish in this area have automated chicken houses and produce chickens for the large poultry companies. I've been told that these chicken houses net them $12,000/year per house and many farms have multiple houses. Many of the men are fine craftsmen, building cabinets & furniture.

Women are too busy raising children, ironing clothes, growing food and making meals for their large families to be concerned about their own liberation. Family, church and community are priorities and they appear to be very satisfied and content, much unlike modern women who find balancing family and work an almost impossible task.

Most Amish and Mennonites refuse to go to war. For hundreds of years these people have believed that peaceable, humble Christians should never kill another human being, regardless of nationality or ideology. We could all learn something from their desire to express Christian love in all of life.

Many people don't understand why anyone would want to live so "backward" a lifestyle. If any of us were to list the 5 things that are most important to us in life, what would they be? A sense of meaning? A feeling of personal fulfillment? Having people who really care about us? Basic needs met? Contentment and Peace? Does the average modern American really have a more profound sense of peace and fulfillment than the "backward" Amish? Do their horses pollute the environment more than our gas-guzzling SUVs? Does the local grocery store have healthier food than that which is produced in clean soil outside your backdoor? Will our children grow up to be happier, healthier members of society because they have video games and TV and dolls that are "perfectly" proportioned and are carted off to endless activities?

Dh says that if you go into town on a Saturday around here, you feel quite strange because the horses and buggies abound. He said there are hundreds of them at the stores, the banks, and the restaurants and if you are on foot, watch out for the little gifts that so many horses leave behind! Have you ever seen a hitching post in a McDonald's parking lot? They are a necessity in this community. It is a charming vision, indeed, to see a buggy with several tiny Amish children in the back peering out from under several layers of blankets.

My favorite thing about the Amish and Mennonites are their stores. An Amish family has a General Store a few miles down the road from us. It is stocked with fabric, shoes, hats, stainless steel cookware and the best blocks of chocolate that I've ever tasted (think Little House on the Prairie-Olsen's Mercantile). The store has a wood stove in the center and old-fashioned wood floors and if you show up after the sun has set, you better bring a flashlight! The Mennonite store that I frequent at least weekly has bulk grains, beans, dried fruits, spices and wonderful candy that reminds me of my childhood. If you are looking for those sweet, liquid-filled, wax soda bottles or gummy chicken feet, it's worth a trip to Byler's Country store.

I admire the unusual approach the Amish take to human life. They have such a strong sense of community. I don't wish to romanticize or idealize their lifestyle; no doubt they have weaknesses just like any community but the evidence points to happy, healthy people who choose to stay together. I was recently given a poignant reminder when told a story by an Amish girl I met. With all of the recent tornado damage in our area, most families will be sorting through their ruins, finding temporary homes, dealing with insurance companies and spending months, if not years, getting back to "normal". There was an Amish family who was hit hard by the storm and their house was completely destroyed. The very next day, 100 men showed up to pick up debris and rebuild their home. It was finished by evening and they slept there the same night!

"What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

Homeschooling, Charlotte Mason, & Play

2006-03-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

One of the questions I am asked most frequently is "What made you decide to homeschool?". I usually preface my answer with "Why not?". Our children are placed into our responsibility and what better educational environment could there be than a home where they are loved, cared for, and encouraged. And they will never have to miss recess because their bladder needed emptying during an unscheduled break time!

There are many reasons why we made the decision to homeschool and first and foremost is that spending time with our children is a joy. Call me selfish but I want to experience those exciting moments when they finally "get" something, or see the smile in their eyes when they finally learn to put letters together and read!

We are finishing our 4th year of homeschooling and have tried different styles, curriculums, and philosophies. After researching and speaking to other experienced homeschoolers, we have settled on a philosophy, really a lifestyle, that we will not depart from. We use a curriculum guide called Ambleside Online. A group of ladies took the time to research quality, living books and put together a 12-year schedule which incorporates Charlotte Mason's principles. It is a phenomenal gift to us as parents, the work they put into this project. The website tells you everything you need to know to give your child a Charlotte Mason education and you can learn more at www.amblesideonline.org.

Charlotte Mason was an educator in the late 1800's/early 1900's who believed that children are born persons and that they don't need contrived lessons in which everything is diluted for their young minds. She believed that children should play, and although there may be value in organized play, CM felt that "...boys and girls must have time to invent episodes, carry on adventures, live heroic lives, lay sieges and carry forts, even if the fortress be an old armchair; and in these affairs the elders must neither meddle nor make." She also says that if we do try to monopolize too much of our childrens lives and organize their every waking moment that there is a serious danger; "In this matter the child who goes too much on crutches never learns to walk". It is my contention that we are doing our children a strong disservice when we do not allow them unstructured, unplanned, unchoreographed time to just be kids.

In her book For The Children's Sake, Susan Schaeffer Macaulay states that children are being "fitted into" a streamlined schedule designed for the parents so they can cope with their pressures. This means putting them into an institution (e.g. school) where the children must be herded; out of necessity they need to consider group control more than the child's needs. She points out that before today's current trend to have our children's time managed, we were left to ourselves to play for hours on end. We didn't have to rush off all the time to do things that were "good" for us. The adults left the children free to play and to organize their own time. There was always someone to go to if you needed help but the adults didn't meddle with our time.

Children need to be outdoors playing. They need to make noise and mud pies. TV should be severely limited. Charlotte Mason believed that children should finish their lessons by lunchtime so they could pursue their own interests. This does not mean that she didn't value their education, in fact she so believed in the power of their young minds that she provided for a truly liberal education at a very young age. Children were respected. I recall my own childhood where my parents, who had never heard of Charlotte Mason, turned us loose day after day. We explored in the barns and fields surrounding our home. We waded through the creeks, explored caves, devised forts and tree-houses and never came inside except to eat. My brothers and I were glued to the TV for a couple of hours on Saturday mornings but we had adventures to create the rest of the week.

Children have an appetite to learn and they will learn with enthusiasm when by all appearances they look like they are only engaged in play! Take them to a park or the woods and observe their curiosity. They will throw stones, jump on logs, watch bugs crawling through the grass, wonder at the activity of the squirrels and chipmunks, all the while learning about the gifts God has given us in nature. Give them a trunk full of hats and scarves and old clothing and see young actors in action. Provide them with paper, crayons, paints and brushes and watch them create and develop motor skills at the same time.

Ds5 received a castle lego set for Christmas. We have been reading The Story of King Arthur and His Knights and he created his own "Camelot" out of legos, complete with Uther-Pendragon, the Sable Knight, Merlin, Lady Guinevere, and Excalibur the sword. It was the ultimate evidence to me that he was not only listening as I read to him, he was understanding and comprehending and was able to transfer that knowledge and recreate it in his play. Education is an adventure!

What's Up With dh, dd, ds?

2006-03-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

In an effort to protect the names of the innocent, I am using abbreviations which the sleuthhounds among you may have already deciphered. Dh is the code for "dear hubby" (or husband, hairball, hardhead, honey-you choose), ds is "dear son" and dd is, of course, "dear daughter". Hope this helps prevent any further confusion!

Cat Skeletons

2006-03-24T05:10:00.000-08:00

There is a lady who lives just down the road from us. We call her the "Goat Woman" because she raises goats, lots of them. Apparently, goat meat is becoming very popular. She also has ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats.

Her animals have all been known to frequent our property but most recently it was her orange cat, Mister. Several weeks ago dd was out walking on our land and came home to tell us there was a large cat stuck in a tree. At the time, we did not know who this cat belonged to. We weren't concerned, after all, it would come down when it got hungry, right? Well, dd the animal lover gave daily reports on the cat's well-being and begged for us to rescue him. Dh kept repeating, "the cat will come down on it's own". After 10 days, the cat's appetite still wasn't enough motivation to come off of his perch. We decided to try to help the poor thing. Dd and I dragged a 20-foot ladder out of our garage, down the hill and into the hollow where Mister was staying. He was in the tallest tree in the woods! Upon our approach he was crying out as if he desperately wanted help so we were confident that this would work.

I put the ladder against the tree and looked at dd. She said, "you want me to climb up there?" I surreptitiously explained to her all of the reasons why she should be the one to do the climbing. Plus, I told her, if she fell I could catch her. She still wasn't convinced but her love for all living creatures won out and after a short debate she started up the ladder. When she was halfway up, I handed her a plank to extend to Mister so that he could walk down it. It seemed like a good plan but Mister would have none of it. He would approach the plank and appeared to want to climb down but just couldn't muster up the courage. We went home dejected.

Several days later (day 17 for Mister), dh decided to attempt a rescue while I was at work. He put a piece of meat on a long pole and held it up to Mister. The cat was obviously very hungry by this time and was carefully approaching the meat. When he got close enough, dh swung the pole and tried to knock the cat out of the tree. This is no stupid cat, I'll have you know. He climbed to the uppermost branches of the tree and sat there.

I joined dd in worrying about the cat. I asked friends what they would do. One person said, "I've never seen a cat skeleton hanging in a tree, it'll come down". So, we waited.

On day 21, dd reported that the cat was no longer in the tree. We rejoiced that he had finally managed to come down. Then dh, who has a way with words, said "it probably became too weak and either fell out and died or a big hawk or owl carried it off". The kids and I grieved for the cat.

A few days later our phone wasn't working so I went to Goat Woman's house to ask to use her phone to notify the phone company. She agreed and I did and as I was leaving she said "You haven't seen a cat in a tree lately, have you?" I replied that yes, as a matter of fact there was a cat in one of our trees for about 3 weeks but that he was now gone. She said, very nonchalantly, that it was her cat, Mister, who frequently got himself stuck in trees. I told her I was so sorry for her loss, had I known I would have notified her. She said "Oh no, he's fine! He was very skinny and weak when he hobbled home but he's perking up. Just let me know if you ever see him again-I can get him down."

Yesterday I happened to look out my window and saw Goat Woman standing on her tractor reaching up to a tree limb with a box mounted on a pole....................................................

Chicken Little

2006-03-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

Ds-age 5 has a "chicken". This is not just any chicken, it crows. He brought it home from the neighbor's yesterday, carrying it wrapped in his coat because "it was cold". He named it Chicken Little. Last night he made a cage for it in the barn, very carefully and thoroughly arranging boxes, bikes, tools and wood so the "chicken" couldn't get out. He wanted to check on it before he went to bed so at 930 we went out to the barn. No chicken. I didn't have the heart to tell him a cage with no roof is simply not effective for a bird. After crying hysterically for the assumed fate of the poor chicken, he asked if we could pray for the chicken to be safe. I said of course so in his sweet little voice he said "Um, dear God, thank you for letting me get this chicken, please don't let anything eat it, amen".

Prior to discovering the missing foul, we had to make a late evening run to the convenience store during which time ds said he couldn't wait for his chicken to lay eggs. I explained to him that his chicken was really a rooster, which meant it was a boy and as he already knew, boys don't make babies, girls do. He said "Oh yeah, I know, the boys plant the seed that's in their testicles, how do they get it to grow?" (although he used a more common slang term for testicles, rhymes with "falls"). I did what any good mother would do who takes advantage of every teachable moment, I quickly changed the subject. Speaking of chickens.......

Lest you be worried that the rooster met his end during the night, I have good news. Ds bounded out of bed this morning and put on his coat and shoes and headed outside. He was gone for quite some time so I started to go check on him and met him at the door. He was grinning from ear to ear and said "the chicken didn't die!". I told him how happy I was for him and asked where the chicken was. He said he had to chase it for a while but finally captured it and proceeded to pull the chicken out of his jacket. Then he asked me if chickens like oatmeal and turns out, they do.

Now if we can only convince dh (aka Mr. Safety) that we're not all going to come down with the bird flu!

"A Time To Share"

2006-03-23T07:09:00.000-08:00

The Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks (BCFO) held it's annual "A Time To Share" event on March 11. It is a time for Breast Cancer Survivors to come together and support one another but especially to give inspiration and hope to those newly diagnosed and others who want to know more about the disease. They also take a moment to honor those ladies who did not survive. Most recently, our sweet friend Angie Mallow went home to be with the Lord at age 31.

The event is directed by the ladies at The Harem & Co. and it is great fun! The day starts with speakers and a silent auction and ends with a luncheon/fashion show in which all of the models are breast cancer survivors. I first participated 2 years ago, 2 months after finishing chemo and my brain was mush, verified by the fact that I wore a bathing suit! What was I thinking?! I suppose at the time I felt like if I could get through treatment, I could do anything. Whew, thankfully that has passed.

Mary Beth O'Reilly founded the BCFO to honor a friend of hers who died of breast cancer at a very young age and Mary Beth herself is also a survivor. Their focus is helping women with financial difficulties while going through treatment. As you are probably aware, many women are young and still working and trying to run a household at the time they are diagnosed. The BCFO has also recently instituted a free mammogram program and a mentoring program. If you would like more information about the BCFO or if you want to make a donation, go to www.bcfo.org. I can tell you without a doubt that every bit of the money they raise stays in Southwest Missouri.

Sunshine and Blackberries

2006-03-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our family blog. Our family and friends now have an avenue to keep up with us since we have moved soooooo far away from everyone! We are actually within an hour's drive of our parents, kids and most brothers and sisters so we are very fortunate. When it comes to staying in touch with those I love, I admit I'm the worst! You know, you wait until you will have plenty of time to actually talk and that never happens and before you know it, months have passed. I called a dear friend of mine yesterday who I hadn't spoken with in over a year and she said "Cindi, where have you been!" Thankfully, she still loves me and forgives my faults.

We moved to the country last August on approximately 20 acres. For those of you who can't imagine "why on earth anyone would want to move to Seymour", our home is situated on the top of a ridge so we have panoramic views of the valley below us, the main reason we fell in love with the place. The North hillside around our house is covered with Blackberry bushes; we went there for dessert several times last summer! The house is built in such a way that we have the advantage of passive solar gain. The windows are primarily on the South side of the house so that we get all of the winter sunlight streaming through. The overhangs are 2 feet deep so they provide protection against the summer sun, which is higher in the sky. I couldn't have designed it any better myself! Our last electric bill was $42.00. The kids love playing on the tire swing and the zip line, playing in the creek and going on "trudges" as Davey Crockett (intrepid, 5 Year old explorer) and dh call it.

I don't want to bore anyone with daily entries about "what we did in school today" but hope to provide interesting tidbits about the neat opportunities homeschooling affords and those oh-so-frequent aha! moments. The local school is on Spring break this week so we are, as well. Dd's choice--too bad the weather hasn't been better!