Life Under a Blue Roof

Sick Day

2012-02-13T08:02:00.000-08:00

I knew today would need to change at 11:40 last night when Micah was up to use the bathroom. He wouldn't be in shape to go to school today.

It's something I'm pretty strict about, this missing school thing. Strict as in, if it's more than a head cold, you're staying home. I think it's left over from when I taught school and parents would send children to school with all sorts of viruses. Seriously, if it's more than a cold and the child isn't on an antibiotic, then the child needs to be at home until it's out of his/her system. Otherwise the entire class gets it. And takes it home to their families.

So Micah, who caught the GI bug on Friday, isn't quite ready yet. He needs at least today to drink a lot of water and let his body rest. He's already a bit antsy about tomorrow, hoping he doesn't miss the Valentine's Day party.

It's very convenient that I do not teach on Mondays or Fridays. I call them my "days off", but you teacher moms know that they are not truly "off". It's not like I pack up and spend the day at the art museum, which I would dearly love to do. But these days are a happy mish-mash of planning lessons and grading papers, mixed with washing sheets and catching up on housework from the weekend. I really enjoy the cozy feeling of a certain amount of work to be done and a set amount of time in which to complete it.

That changes a little bit when someone needs to stay home with you.

Today we go to plan B. Which doesn't look all that different from plan A. Just two people instead of one, and perhaps a little more background noise as he watches Veggie Tales or Superfriends. We'll have time to sit on the couch together under the weight of one of Nanny's afghans, and he'll get the rest he needs. We'll watch the birds and squirrels battle it out at the feeder and enjoy the in-between-ness of a February day bright with snowshine.

Saturday at Home

2012-02-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

We have a Saturday at home.

As I explained to the kiddos, when you are a kid and have a Saturday at home, it's blissful and filled with television and books, games and pretend. As an adult, a Saturday at home often includes thinking about all the things you want to do that didn't get done during the week. Not always as much fun, but pretty rewarding.

I cleaned the bathrooms this morning for three hours.

(I know, it doesn't seem like it should take that long.)

I use Flylady's method of cleaning the sink and toilet each morning.

The shower gets cleaned on the weekend.

So it's functionally clean.

But it's not deep-down, take-everything-out-of-the-medicine-cabinet, wipe-down-all-the-shelves clean.

That was today.

And it took forever.

But as soon as I hang the shower curtain back up, I am done.

: )

The bathrooms really, really needed to be cleaned and disinfected after the amount of sickness that passed through these halls since last Saturday. Kids' rooms are getting tackled after lunch, much to their dismay.

Today's lunch was a reward. It was supposed to be dinner for date night last night, but my stomach still wasn't 100%. I went to bed around 6:00 and skipped dinner.

So today for lunch, we had this:

It's hard to tell, but that's actually a spinach-cheese pizza in our bake oven!

Here's a better picture. I popped it under the broiler in the oven to brown the cheese.

(In my opinion, cheese is always better when it's browned.)

Only we cheated.

Because we don't truly know how to use the bake oven.

So this was a frozen Amy's pizza that we just took out of the box and put in my Pampered Chef deep-dish baker.

There are all sorts of things I have to learn about using the bake oven, such as, how long you have to wait after building a fire before baking in your oven.

I used my last Christmas gift card on Barnes and Noble's website and ordered The Art of Wood-Fired Cooking, by Andrea Mugnaini and John Thess. While I was there, I also found The Wood-Fired Oven Cookbook: 70 recipes for incredible stone-baked pizzas and breads, roasts, cakes and desserts, all specially devised for the outdoor oven and illustrated in over 400 photographs. It seemed like a steal at just under $10.

I also ordered an Indigo Girls cd that was on sale for $4.99, but don't tell Todd. He thinks I picked something really awful. There are all sorts of wonderfully terrible titles on the $4.99 sale.

Here's hoping that you're enjoying a peaceful Saturday.

A Boring Sunday

2012-02-05T11:28:00.002-08:00

The tire tracks in the middle of my herb lawn are the only physical reminders of a very crazy night.

What's that? You don't see any herbs?
Oh, that's right.
The chickens ate all the little green shoots down to the soil.

Last night Micah had a very bad reaction to the fish we had for dinner---even though he only chewed one piece and promptly spit it out.

Thanks to Facebook, I was able to go back in my timeline from three weeks ago and see that he was having the same reaction that he had the very first time he tried fish. What I had assumed was a random stomach virus on January 16th occurred again last night, but with more strength. In addition to his stomach being sick, it triggered an asthma attack. The nurse from Children's Hospital was concerned about an anaphylactic reaction, so she had us call an ambulance.

From there everything happened very quickly. I'm so very grateful for Debbie, the nurse who stayed on the phone and talked me through until the paramedics arrived. For the young men who came as quickly as they could and got us to the hospital in the blink of an eye. For the fact that we live ten minutes from a major hospital. For all of you who saw the message on Facebook and started praying for my boy.

I'm so thankful that the reaction wasn't as bad as it could have been.
I am amazed by the biologic principles that were created inside each human---the ability for a person to innately know by sight, smell, and taste that something should not be consumed.
And I remain in awe of the sixth sense parents feel when they know something terrible is happening to their child.

Today is marked by quiet.
Listening to Narnia on cd.
Building with Legos.
Being "bored"---(that's from Micah...)

I don't know about you, but I'll take a boring Sunday afternoon anytime.

* * * * * * *

#31...for Debbie, Patrick, and Dustin...and for all the other volunteers who make it their business to bring peace in the midst of pain

#32...for Carl Reisig, who was a friend to so many, and who knew it was time to go home

#33...for community, and the support it gives in the middle of the crazy

Ready to Ask

2012-02-04T17:45:00.000-08:00

The other day my friend Courtney wrote about the moment when we decide to ask God for help. When we remember again (for what, the 500th time?) that He is standing by, ready at a moment's notice to help us through the details. Her words ring with truth.

The asking?
Well, it can be just plain uncomfortable, admitting that you aren't able to do something on your own.

That moment when you have to swallow your pride and put yourself out there.
Asking for employment.
Facing a cancer diagnosis, placing your life in the hands of your surgeon.
Dealing with the pain of infertility.
Making the call to family members to ask to borrow emergency money.

The precise moment when the control leaves your hands and lands in someone else's lap.
Asking makes us feel vulnerable.
It also makes us real.

So---the asking. That's our first (and most important) step---remembering to continually invite the One who created us to join us on our journey. And if we go a step further, I think the next step is to put ourselves out there to our friends and families.

See, God created us to need community.
To need families, and to be real and authentic in our everyday selves.

To share the promotions and the layoffs.
The dinners that are happily consumed, and the broccoli that makes your child gag.
The happy family reunions and the moment that your husband leaves on a tour of duty.
The days of sunshine---and the moments we're snowed under.

It's so much easier to share the good stuff, isn't it? In our Facebook/Twittery/bloggy world, there's that temptation to only publish the positive. And in doing so, we cheat our friends and family out of truly knowing who---and whose---we are. When we fail to make ourselves real to others, we deny them the opportunity of allowing God to work through them.

Last week was tough around here. One of those scary financial crises that comes from someone telling you that the engine will need to be replaced in your Honda. Where your waking thought becomes, "How on earth are we going to find $2000?"

There was part of me that just wanted to work those details on my own, frantically charting out options. The what-ifs crept inside at the very thought of asking for prayers on Facebook.
What about my friends who don't have prayer as part of their life. What will they think?
What about the people who know I only teach part time? Will they judge?
What if---heaven forbid---someone misconstrues asking for prayer as asking for a handout?
What if, what if, what if...

But life isn't about what ifs.
It's not about shoulds.
It's about being real and present in every moment---with the One who sustains us, and with the ones he sent us to live among.

He's in the details---in all the ways we never imagine.
In a coworker offering the use of her van, in case the car dies and we need a quick option.
In a cousin's empathy and kind words.
In the courage to ask for---and receive---an increase in salary.
In the offer of an extra hour of work a week, just when we need it.

And in a second opinion---and a slightly lower quote---from a mechanic who is willing to think outside the box.

* * * * * * *

#28...for friends who have walked this road and modeled the way for us

#29...for employment

#30...for options

Lump of Clay

2012-01-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

She has been wanting a pottery wheel for the past few Christmases.

And it seemed like this might be just the perfect year for a pottery wheel.

Juli turned nine in December.

Nine is special.

The last remnants of little girl are wearing away. Last bits of toddler chubbiness melt away and reform as the strong appendages of a determined girl.

I like this girl stage. It's a time I remember very clearly from my own childhood, the time when I can most clearly remember being happy as a child.

I relish the way she hovers between love of home and independence.

And it is a joy to watch her grow and learn more about who she was created to be.

For now she's nine, but she's getting ready to make her mark on the world.

Juli's Prayer

2012-01-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

Juliana's third grade class was responsible for helping at chapel on Friday. Each child had written a prayer, which they shared with the school. Here is hers.

Dear God,
I'm sorry for sinning.
Help me to stop fighting.
Please bring an end to war.
Give people hope where there is war so people can feel better.
Put peace where it's needed.
Help countries agree and solve problems so war doesn't break out among countries.
Please help friendships to grow stronger and people to forgive each other.
If people are sad, give others the courage to cheer them up.
Thanks a lot for sending Jesus to die for us and rise again.
Amen.

* * * * * * *

#23...a husband who plays with his children

#24...time to finish a grant proposal

#25...a daughter in tune to the hurt in our world

#26...black beans and rice on a cold day

#27...wood cut five years ago, that burns so clean

In-Between Time

2012-01-13T12:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas vacation almost always throws me for a loop---that time in-between Christmas and back-to-school that is undefined.
.
I envision two blissful unscheduled weeks with my kids. Day after day at home to work on a project or clean or sit and read a book.

Truthfully, I did do all those things. It's just that they were mixed in with a whole lot of other things too.
Very busy.
I was actually pleased to go back to school this week. A predictable routine makes me a happy woman.

It didn't last long though. Micah was diagnosed with a sinus infection this morning. Thus, I've traded a "whole day to myself" for driving one child to school, another to the doctor's office, and a trip to WalMart for medicine. Since we've gotten home, he's put in Toy Story 3. A funny choice, because parts still scare him. So he'll run to find me wherever I am and get a hug of reassurance, which makes me smile.

There are two projects we were able to complete over vacation. The first is one I've wanted to try since last Christmas, when I received this book from my grandmother:

Written by Betz White, this book is full of fun, easy ideas for projects made with repurposed and organic materials.

I've mentioned before that I love cashmere sweaters. So when I opened up to page 34 and saw the idea for the cashmere lap throw, I knew I wanted to make it. I'll make one for my living room someday. Right now, however, we have friends who are bringing new little babies into our world. And I cannot think of many better ways to welcome a snuggly little baby than by wrapping him/her in a cashmere blanket!

The cashmere is upcycled---meaning you take something destined for the trash and use it to create something new. The sweaters I purchased for this project were from Salvation Army. To be honest, I could have worn the cream-colored one. However, the green and the brown sweaters both had holes in them. (That's something you have to really watch for if you want to purchase secondhand cashmere, because moth holes can be very tiny. In this case, I was able to use them to make an awesome baby blanket for a brand-new baby boy.)

The full directions are found in Betz's book, but it's a pretty simple process. You wash the cashmere on hot and dry it in the dryer. It shrinks it down---called felting---and makes it incredibly fluffy. Once it's been felted, you take the sweater apart at the seams to give yourself the largest pieces possible.

You use a rotary cutter for straight edges, and then piece it together like you would a quilt.

Velour is used as a backing.

Smaller rectangles are appliqued on top.

Fun and easy. From the time I started to wash the sweaters until I finished the appliques, this blanket only took five hours total to make. That's my kind of project.

* * * * * * *

Our other project was much bigger.
It took more time, and required precision and patience.
That's why it was Todd's project!

The final pieces of stone are still being cut and placed, but that did not faze the building inspector, since they're just decoration.
He was happy to give us the go-ahead to use our masonry heater!

Which led to a flurry of, "We get to build a fire!"

So much of a flurry, that I had to ask them to stop and smile for me.

As he went to light the fire, Todd said something quiet to the effect of, "Now we'll see if there are any cracks where smoke will come out." That thought hadn't really occurred to me. Then again, I'm not the one who placed the block, stacked the bricks, and cut and mortared the stone. Luckily, there was just a tiny bit of smoke that came out of the bake oven door. Todd reinforced the seal on that door this morning, and no smoke came out when I lit the fire at lunchtime today.

Like many other things, a masonry heater needs to be broken in slowly. We'll build small fires this first week, to allow the mass of stone to warm up bit by bit.

Within a few weeks, the stone will be very warm to the touch. We'll be able to dramatically reduce our dependence on propane, which will allow our pocketbook to breathe a sigh of relief.

When we lived at Terra Dei, we kept the entire home warm with just two fires a day. It will be a time of trial and error before we learn the ins and outs of how this heater will fit into our life here at Haven. I have a feeling that we'll be able to put a big dent in all the brush around the house as we gather kindling---which will open the woods up a bit and make hiking/playing around the house a bit easier.

* * * * * * *

It's always interesting to finish a project. Big or small, there's a feeling of accomplishment.

Especially with house projects, I think Todd and I often have a sigh of relief. I think that might be because we moved in as soon as possible, which left so many things undone.
This heater was a huge endeavor and took most of his free time for the better part of seven months. I can't even begin to imagine a project of this scale, translating written directions into cutting and assembling pieces of stone. He amazes me.

He hasn't mentioned it yet, but I'm sure he's eyed the list---the list of things to work on next.
And soon enough, it will be time to tackle the next project. But I think for now, we need a breather---some in-between time.
Just a weekend, even.
Time for movie night with the kids.
For being together with a cozy fire.

The Perfect Christmas

2011-12-25T05:47:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Glad I caught you. I know it will be a busy day.
I wasn't sure I had anything for you this Christmas, but it appears I just might.

It was busy last night at 6:30. Micah had appointed himself "Chief Candle-Bearer"---and then grabbed his friend Brady---and the two of them busily supplied each member of the congregation with a candle.

Our church follows the same tradition that many others do.
Our last hymn of the evening is always Silent Night, played by our bell choir.
Which pained me a few weeks ago as I realized that Todd and Juli would be with the bells up front, instead of in the pew with me.
(Isn't that the human tendency? To want to hold onto the "tradition" we've had for nine whole years of sitting together? Anyway, I digress...)

I have to tell you that it almost took my breath away to see my daughter ring bells last night. Not only does Juli know how to ring bells, she sang Silent Night the whole time she rang, and hummed an extra verse at the end.
She looked like an angel.
Juli gave her whole heart in worship, and it was a beautiful sight.
You could tell the whole congregation was caught up in the moment---that beautiful candlelight.
The beauty was close and gorgeous.
In that one moment, it felt so close to...dare I say it...perfect.

I've watched it unfold in increasing fervor for the past month---from the moment we washed the dishes at Thanksgiving.
The whole, "wanting to make this the BEST Christmas ever."
And we do it in the limited ways that humans can---thinking that if we bake just one more kind of cookie, or buy the present they are hoping for, or manage to get the whole family together for Christmas Day, we'll be able to do it.
It will be perfect.
All the messy rest of us will somehow melt away, and it will be perfect.

We reach for the perfection.
We want what only God can give.
And ironically, He chose to do it in the smallest of ways.

While we strain for the beauty and perfection, He did the opposite.
He left perfection, and came to us.

As you go about your day, I sincerely hope that you have a wonderful Christmas with people you care about.
And I hope that the little imperfections melt away in the face of what is most important.
Love came down to be with us.
Messy us.
That's where the beauty truly lies.

December 6-22

2011-12-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Wow---December 6th to the 22nd---and not a word from me.
Sorry when I do that.
Usually, that means it's fair for you to assume that a bit of craziness has erupted at our home.

Or, we could just say that it's December.
And things kick into extra-high gear with rehearsals, performances, and worship services---just like at your home.
Oh, and add two birthdays.
And a sinus infection for Juli.
And walking pneumonia for Micah.
Thank heaven for antibiotics!

Juli's birthday came on December 11th.

Her best gift to me was when she told me that night how she loved the dresses for her American Girl dolls more than anything.

After the cake and ice cream we headed outside to cut down our Christmas tree.
From our driveway.

We planted over 200 trees when Juli was wee little and looked something like this:

Now that she is nine the trees are perfect to use for Christmas.

And they're free.

We brought it in, and I put the lights on that night.
It's a job I don't really mind, especially since we usually have a pine tree.
Which is different from a spruce in that it won't gouge you to death.

I have a thing for Charlie Brown trees, and I don't have the 20 recommended strands of lights. (Seriously?)
So our trees usually have a very soft, homey look.
And they usually end up being much bigger than anticiapated, which is why this year's tree looks Clark Griswold-ish as it threatens to swallow my curio cabinet.
So be it.
It's beautiful.

Every night, my husband brings in a bucket of mortar and stares into space trying to envision where the next stone will fit in the fireplace puzzle.

I haven't asked him if he's tired of it yet, for I know the answer.

But the really great thing is that he keeps plugging away.

Which is great because if he gives up, there's no way I could ever finish it.

This next set of photos is fuzzy, because it involves my point-and-shoot and Christmas tree lighting.

It doesn't even faze me anymore how bad my shots are around Christmas.

Two nights ago, we decided to be Christmas elves and go over to finish decorating Grandma's tree.

They just got their tree this past weekend, and it was driving my mom crazy that the ornaments were slow to go on. So we took pity on her and went and finished it.

And spent time with Aunt Paula, who flew halfway around the world to celebrate Christmas with us.

We're a big fan of Aunt Paula.

Can you see the sleep threatening to take Micah over as he sits and tries to decide where to hang the fuchsia bulb?

I love decorating my mom's tree, because my children do things like group ornaments according to type.

Which makes me laugh, because I was pretty sure it would make my mom twitch.

She says that she loves it because her wonderful grandchildren did it.

Hmm.

Yesterday was my birthday.
I'm 39.
That used to scare me to death, until I finally realized that I seem to like myself more as each year passes.
So it's okay.
My family sang to me in the morning before school.
My mom and dad had me over for dinner.
And we skipped the cake because I'm not doing sugar right now.
Which made me sad, but it's for the best.
Really.
Is it hard being born so close to Christmas?
A little.
(Mom, you are not responsible for that. It's a no-guilt thing.)
It's just so busy and crazy that birthdays get swallowed up.
Which is why we never crack the Christmas decoration box until Juliana has had her fill of birthday on the 11th.
Mine's too close to get away with that.
So I ate it up last night when Todd told me we'll celebrate my birthday on June 21st this year.

Lastly?
A box came from Amazon today.
It contained four presents I had ordered.

And a box cutter that I had not.
Some poor employee at Amazon is now out one yellow Tape Splitter.
Perhaps he or she somehow knew that I open my boxes with a knife?

Which brings us to tonight.
Todd is upstairs, where he has been confined all day with a stomach bug.
I've disinfected the entire downstairs, and he will stay in our room until he's feeling better.
I'll bring him anything he wants, you know.
I just can't have Juli and Micah picking up something else.
Poor guy.
He never gets sick.
Which leaves me feeling a little scared, because if this bug was strong enough to take Todd out, it could wipe through the rest of our home pretty quickly. Kind of like the Bubonic Plague.

Sorry for the random nature of tonight's writing, and for so many sentence fragments.
It's hard to catch up on so many days of living all at once.
I had that great stretch going (as my friend M said)---and then life happened and writing didn't.
Thanks for understanding.
:)

Through the Ceiling

2011-12-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

Exciting stuff happening around here!

As of Saturday morning, we approached going through the second story with the chimney pipe.

Which meant a hole needed to be cut from the attic above.

Eventually this stainless pipe needs to be finished off on the outside with brick or stone for aesthetic reasons. (We chose stone.) However, you can't mortar stone to a stainless pipe and have it turn out well. (At least we can't.) Todd's brainstorm was to put terracotta chimney liners around the pipe, an easier surface to cover with stone.

The only thing was, the pipe was already in place inside one liner, which meant three liners had to be dropped into place from above. We don't have any pictures of that adventure. It required three people, two ladders, and a length of climbing webbing. Todd was in the attic; my father and I were down under the hole.

The webbing was my idea.
It made me nervous to have my husband hand these down through the hole in the second-story ceiling, because each liner weighs about eight million pounds. (Todd's estimate is 60-70 pounds apiece.)
So I asked him to thread a length of webbing down around the bottom of each liner so he could lower each one down. That would slow its progress as it descended towards my head.
He acquiesced, and I felt a bit safer while we worked.
My dad was the one to bear most of the weight as each liner came down.
I was there to handle a tiny bit of weight and say very helpful things.
Half an hour and three tiles later, we were done.

Stone, stone, and more stone.

I had to include this last picture, even though it's not great. It's just so rare for anyone to take a picture of me. So when Todd said, "Hold that there. Do you want me to take a picture of you so it looks like you were helping?"

I said, "Absolutely! Thanks!!!"

Just the Thing

2011-12-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

As I wind a bobbin for the umpteenth time, I'm aware that I have done more sewing in the past week than in the past six months, when I finished sewing a headdress for Pharoah.

Last week I was completing costumes for children portraying Bosnian dancers.
Friday's finishing touch included two-inch bits of gold fringe.
The music teacher at school learned that I can somewhat sew, and the rest is history.
It's a great way for me to give what talent I have to a community that does so much for my family.

But don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those people who exudes craftiness. I would sooner die than open an Etsy store, and I don't often sew for my own enjoyment. But I do possess the rudimentary skills to put a number of seams into fabric and call it a costume.

I needed thread and bias tape, which necessitated a foray into the Rubbermaid sewing tote---also known as the Bin of Projects Yet to Be Completed.
Pieces of fabric lay, already cut, just waiting to be stitched into an apron.
Flannel cloth in a pattern of blue rested next to directions for a nightgown.
An American Girl pattern sat atop a pile of remnants salvaged from Grandma's basement.

I took the opportunity this weekend to wrap up some of those loose ends. I made a flannel nightgown for Juli and finished Micah's pajama top. The killer purple-and-cream apron is done, and I love it!

That brought me to the American Girl doll pattern. See, I mentally have something against sewing doll clothes, mostly because they are teeny tiny and require a ~~smidge~~ lot of precision, which I don't own (and don't really care to develop) in sewing.

Teeny, tiny pieces of fabric.
A seam allowance of 1/4 of an inch.
Yikes.

But Juli's birthday is next week.
Remember how I mentioned finances are tight around November and December?
Suddenly, my lack of spirit in whipping doll clothes out this summer looks like a golden opportunity.
The pattern was a gift from a friend, the remnants from Grandma are free.
Just the thing for a girl about to turn nine.

What looked like procrastination is another gift in disguise.

(Shhh! Don't tell---Juli's birthday isn't until Sunday!)

* * * * * * *

#18...warm jammies for little bodies

#19...children who delight in setting up the Nativity

#20...for strong arms, hands, and backs that can labor

#21...for the thoughtfulness of a friend

#22...for always having what we need

The View from a Chair

2011-12-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

I need to tell you that I almost didn't write this. I've hovered on the fence all week. But I went ahead, because I believe bloggers have a calling to write about the glorious and the mundane.
The times when our kids are cute and when we want to put them in solitary.
When we get the unexpected refund and when the budget is tight.
Because it's all part of the same package. Without struggles, moments of ease have less meaning. And it robs our work when we only write about the pretty parts of life.

* * * * * * *

It's been one of those weeks. Not with my kids---they're great. And not with work, some of my kiddos are making great progress.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. However, it comes on the tail end of property-tax time, which makes for a very tight season. So tight that it can make a girl's smile a wee bit worn. It's that age-old money demon, coming to taunt once again. We've always been able to make it work, and I trust that this month will be the same.

Some days, it brings me dangerously close to thinking, "Did we make the wrong choices?"
I chose to stay home with my kids.
I choose daily to teach in Christian schools, and Todd chooses to teach at a Christian camp.
The What-Ifs creep in close and fierce, and I push away at their grubby fingers.

I received a letter in the mail yesterday from our Compassion daughter, who lives in a rural region in India. We've been writing to one another for about two years. I love the picture she sent, showing me the things she bought with the money we sent for her birthday. She purchased a new midi (dress), a backpack to help carry her books to school, and a chair. She writes, "a chair will be useful to me while studying at home."

I set the letter down on my dining room table, still extended from Thanksgiving.
I count the chairs...1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...and the spot on the end where we put the piano bench because there "weren't enough seats."

It's not a guilt thing. I don't feel guilty for the pure chance that I was born in this country while she was born in hers.

But it is conviction---and a reminder of all that I take for granted every day.
That taxes are a blessing because it means we own property.
Leftovers are carefully incorporated into future meals, and we have nourishing food to eat.
Bargains are found at thrift shops, and we always have enough clean clothing to wear.

And in this season especially, that Christmas is not measured by the things you can purchase, but in the love and service you are able to give to others.

* * * * * * *

#14...for a hole in the ceiling through which a chimney rises

#15...for R, who reminds me of the gifts I'm given

#16...for water that washes us clean

#17...for the sunshine that streams through the windows and warms the space inside

Thanksgiving, Then and Now

2011-11-24T18:13:00.000-08:00

I guess today is as good a day as any to confess that once upon a time, I hated Thanksgiving.

I just didn't really see the point.

We would get up in the morning and turn on the parade, but I only watched for a short time.

The focus was on cooking.

All. Blessed. Day.

I remember feeling so bored, because there was nothing to do.

Not to mention, I used to be a super-picky eater.

Stuffing? No way.

Sweet potatoes. No thank you.

Pumpkin pie? Why would you ruin a pie by adding a vegetable?

I had always known a family holiday, and I didn't know to appreciate it.

Fast forward to my mid-20s.

Our first few Thanksgivings, Todd and I traveled back and forth to our mothers' homes and ate their wonderful meals, each with unique traditions. Homemade noodles cut by hand at the Garcia house, a tradition hailing my Pennsylvania roots. A wonderful creation Barbara called Applesauce Jello, bright-red and beautiful on the table.

And then things started to change. Todd's mom became ill with Alzheimer's Disease. Slowly, Barbara became a shell of her former self. And eventually, the hands that once served meals so graciously to others were not capable of carrying on the family traditions.

For a few years, Todd and I would meet his family at an expensive hotel buffet for holiday meals. All the requisite holiday foods were there---turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce---but things did not quite taste the same. My eyes missed the cross-stitched tablecloths and flowered china.. We were lost in a sea of strangers, brought together by a variety of circumstances that required us to gather away from our homes.

My appreciation of family and holiday tradition, in a sense, was born out of that loss.

And though we felt woefully inadequate to do so, Todd and I realized that it was time for us to try to host a holiday meal or two.

Those first few meals, they weren't perfect. There was the Christmas turkey on Whitestown Rd. that simply Would. Not. Cook. There was the stress of a too-small table with not enough chairs. But it was a beginning. And the holidays when we traveled to my parents', I watched my mother a little more closely and tried to absorb all the things that she innately did so well.

I really have the perfect setup now. My mom lives next door. We trade off hosting holiday meals, bringing side dishes and giving an extra helping hand when we are the guests. Todd's dad always offers to bring pies from Soergel's. Tim has learned how to make his mom's Applesauce Jello. Everyone helps out, even Juli and Micah.

* * * * * * *

#10...growing up in homes where tradition was important

#11...Micah, who asked if I would wake him up early so he could help with the turkey

#12...Juli, who loves to help make a pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin

#13...Todd, who helps in any way he can

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, that you were able to celebrate with people who make a difference in your life. Hugs to my family members who are far away!

Time to Shine

2011-11-22T18:50:00.000-08:00

"Mom, every one who comes will get to come back to our room. Guess what the snack will be? We made pumpkin muffins!"

Excitement has been building for days.
There is going to be a puppet show.
And snacks to follow.

"Mom, you're going to be able to come, right?"
And I acknowledge, of course I will be there. That I wouldn't miss it. And truly, I wouldn't miss it for anything. (I'm so glad that the other elementary school I teach at has a vacation day, and that there is no conflict.)

"What about you Dad? Are you coming? There are muffins for everyone who comes!"
Todd assures him that yes, he will be there.

We will all be there. It's during chapel, so Juli will get to see the play too.

He's watched and waited for so long, this second-born child.
Waited for his turn to have a friend over, for his turn to ride the bus both ways to school, for his turn to have a new backpack.
He's more than ready.

Tomorrow is Micah's day to shine.
His class is in charge of chapel, of presenting their puppet show of Thanksgiving to the entire school.

He gets to be the Pilgrim minister, the one who gets to say (loudly), "Praise the Lord!"
(As I remember the Pilgrim Ministers from years gone by, it's not the shy violet of the class who is chosen to be the minister. It's always someone who can project their voice, who wants to be heard.)

He will do a lovely job.

(Micah's portrait of a Thanksgiving turkey, under a blue roof.)

The Next Right Thing

2011-11-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

He comes home from work. In the few minutes we have before dinner is on the table, he's out there with the stone and the saw, making just. one. more. cut.

His determination is what has seen us through on so many projects.

He simply never gives up.

Tonight, that means the top stone on the left side and the piece at the top left of the oven door.

In a much bigger sense, it's what holds us together.
Steady, unchanging, dependable.
Doing the next right thing. Every time.

* * * * * * *

#5...two part-time jobs that I love, neither of which require me to work on Monday
#6...the pleasure of getting to know a new friend
#7...wild turkey grazing through the woods
#8...a child eager to study and work on projects
#9...Micah's still-small boy frame leaning on mine to watch Veggie Tales

1,000 Gifts

2011-11-20T18:59:00.000-08:00

Posts on thankfulness have abounded on Facebook for the past few weeks---a yearly tradition for some, building up to The Day of Being Thankful---this Thursday.

Think it's hard writing 22 or 23 days of things for which you are thankful?
How about 1,000?

Meet Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts.
What began as small list of counting daily blessings grew to change her life as she counted the hundreds and hundreds of things to be thankful for. Gifts that God gave her---gives to her, on a daily basis.
She continues her daily journey on her blog, A Holy Experience.

* * * * * * *

We cleaned the house today.
At some point, I remember Juli walking around with wet tissues because she wanted to clean off her chalkboard.

I went to get the vacuum cleaner out of her room, and found this.

Pretty good way to start off Thanksgiving week, don't you think?

I have to say, Juli is pretty serious about her faith. A lot of that comes from attending a Christian school. I would hope that some of it comes from our home life. But some of it is hers, and hers alone. She loves Jesus with her whole heart, in the way that only children can.

Did you notice, she also got it in the right order?

God first, family and friends next.

Sounds like the right way to start off a list of thankfulness:

1. for God: the author and creator, my Savior, my help through all my days

2. my family, for the way we love each other day to day

3. for friends, who cherish me for who I am and encourage me in who I want to be

and I'll add #4---

4. for my daughter Juliana, who reminds me to be thankful

And yet more stone!

2011-11-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Two more pictures, to show what Todd accomplished in the afternoon:

Set in Stone

2011-11-19T09:21:00.000-08:00

We have Todd's brother, Tim, to thank for the outer stone for our fireplace.

A few years back, Tim replaced a stone walkway with poured concrete. He and Todd loaded up the giant pathway stones with the intent of using them as the outer stone layer on our masonry heater. (It was another one of those times when I was glad I was the girl, and no one would expect me to try and lift any of those monstrous pieces.)

The yellow rope is just a temporary safeguard, should the mortar decide to let go while drying. (I'm not actually sure it would have any chance of holding the stone in place should it decide to let go, but it makes us feel better.)

We've been surprised how relatively easy these stones are to cut.
I've said it before, but it bears repeating: it amazes me that Todd is able to visually plan all of this and have it turn out just the way it needs to. It's a good thing that it's not my job.

We're getting closer and closer to that first fire. It's time to start learning how to use the stone oven. I can smell the pizza baking already!

In Addition,

2011-11-18T14:23:00.000-08:00

So in addition to fluffy sweaters, here's my other "new-to-me" find:

I have wanted a wool pea coat for what seems like forever, and now I've found one!

Today was a lovely mixture of 29 degrees Fahrenheit, my coral cashmere sweater, and my wool coat. It was a cozy, happy day.

Fluffy Stuff

2011-11-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

It's official---I adore cashmere sweaters. Which is funny, because I wouldn't know what cashmere feels like if it weren't for my sister, who left two sweaters in my possession when she went to live on her tropical island.

It's not just that they are incredibly soft and fluffy.

It's that in the middle of the deepest winter, I can put on a thin cashmere sweater and be warm.

Warm = Happy

The only problem with loving cashmere sweaters is that they cost a lot of money.

But you know what? Other people get rid of cashmere sweaters before they have lived a full life.

Who knows why? Maybe they didn't like the color anymore. Maybe they didn't know that you can handwash cashmere at home.

Regardless, my new favorite place to shop for cashmere sweaters is our local Salvation Army.
I know a few of you just cringed. It's okay.

Shopping secondhand isn't for everybody. It took me a long time to get past the social idea of wearing something that someone else has worn. Somehow, it seemed different than when I would receive hand-me-downs from friends. Now I think of it as a sweater from a friend that I haven't yet met, that has the same taste in clothing I do.

Over the past year and a half, I have purchased eight cashmere sweaters.

In total, I have spent under $40.

Tomorrow I'll be leaving before dawn for a science conference in Pittsburgh. It will be below freezing, but I will be warm. I just need to decide which sweater to wear!

I'll be back tomorrow to post pictures of the other great deal I found secondhand today.
:)

When It Isn't Easy to Celebrate

2011-11-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

I wrote this last week, just after my Great-Aunt Helen passed away. I had written on death for several days in a row and decided not to post this. I also didn't delete it.

This afternoon, I learned of a young boy who died last week. He had suffered severe brain injury almost a year ago. According to the reporter, his injury was due to abuse by his stepmother.

I went to check my email, and I caught the story of 18 Kindergarten children who won't be coming come to their parents. They were involved in a horrific bus accident. Sixty-four people were crowded onto a bus with nine seats---exceeding the passenger limit seven times over.

I grab my Kindergarten boy and hug him to my heart, so thankful for today's safety.

So more death---and the post I wrote last week: "When It Isn't Easy to Celebrate".

* * * * * * *

Be forewarned---this post talks about God and death. If the notions offend you, feel free to click away to Facebook or something else that doesn't challenge what you believe.

Are we good?

Great, because today's post is one that I'm not sure how to write without relying on what I know about God. (And the pictures? I know, Hawaii again! It's just that I feel closest to God when I see the amazing world that He created. Hawaii comes closest to that for me.)

Here's the question: How do we celebrate a person's life in the event of (what we consider to be) an untimely death?

See, it was easy for me to celebrate my Aunt Helen last week. She just celebrated her ninetieth birthday this summer, complete with a huge party, surrounded by her family. For years now, she hasn't been feeling well. At the news of her death earlier this week, it was easy to feel relief that the pain she felt in this life was over. We celebrated her long life, filled with family and love.

But what do we do when life isn't long?
When life is filled with disease and pain?
When we feel cheated by death?

We celebrate anyway.

It is entirely possible to miss someone with your whole heart, while still celebrating that person's life and the love they gave to others.

I think that would be the case with my husband's brother Eric, who was killed in a random shooting. He was living and working as a researcher in NC, and it happened that he was in the post office at the wrong time. As a result of someone else's free will and poor choices, Eric died.

And well-meaning people, who didn't know what else to say at the funeral home, spoke phrases like, "God must have needed him in Heaven." Are you kidding me? When we say such things, we bring God down to the level of Greek mythology, taking lives willy-nilly for his pleasure.

The reason such non-Biblical nonsense is spoken is that we want an answer. We want to be able to explain why someone we love so much has cancer, or never gets a chance to be born, or is killed at an early age.

We want an answer for pain, for starvation, for tsunamis and for earthquakes.
We want to know why a God whose message is love allows death to occur.
The question we ask comes down to, "God, if you are omnipotent and can do everything, why do you allow suffering?"

I love the response that Tony Campolo has written to this question:

"When tragedies and sufferings enter our lives, we should not be asking how a loving God could let them happen. We should be ready to recognize that such things are happening because God is loving and in that love God has given us freedom—with all of its potentialities for good and evil. We should be asking what we, as maturing children of God gifted with freedom, can do to bring good out of all that has gone wrong through the misuse of human freedom."

(Visit his entire blog post, "It's All About Freedom".)

In the face of tragedy, we as Christians become Christ's hands and feet.
And the world is ready and waiting for our reaction.

I would suggest that it is entirely possible to live through tragedy, to mourn what we view as loss, while celebrating the lives and love that surround us---a crazy mish-mash of smiles and tears put together.

In the case of my brother-in-law, that means we tell the stories. At Christmastime, we tell how Uncle Eric (who worked in strawberry research) would bring huge flats of ripe strawberries home to Pennsylvania. Stuffed strawberry ornaments are hung on our Christmas tree. We tell the kids how ornery Uncle Eric was, and how he loved to tease. How he complained about being the middle child with a smile in his eyes.

When we continue to tell the stories, people live on through us.

In the case of young Colton, who suffered (and eventually died from) physical abuse, it's enough to make your heart break. But at 10:30 tomorrow morning, his friends and family with be gathered in Illinois for a balloon release. Shirts of red and blue will be worn in Colton's honor, recognizing that Superman was his favorite hero.

They will celebrate in the midst of sorrow.

And where is God? Right in the sorrow with them.
His Spirit brings peace in the midst of the largest catastrophe.
He is among us---and as broken as we are---he speaks through us.

I think Mr. Campolo's question bears repeating: What can we do to bring good out of all that has gone wrong through the misuse of human freedom?

Where today can you make a difference?
Where can you help to bring peace to a hurting world?

Do It Now

2011-11-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, I do have ~~better~~ other things to do...

But that's exactly the point. When's the last time you decided to do something that others might consider frivolous or a waste of time? Just because you wanted to?

Because here's the truth---laundry is always waiting to be folded/put away, the bathroom sink could use a bit of scrubbing, and the living room will need to be straightened. All. The. Blessed. Time.

So do it, whatever IT is for you.
Sit down at the dusty piano.
Open that new package of scrapbooking paper that's been gathering dust for three years, waiting for your "me time".

Go for a hike and enjoy the late-fall-almost-winter-day.

Or, organize your cupboard into a rainbow.
But do it now when the urge strikes. The other stuff can always wait.
You can't.

A Ray of Sunshine

2011-11-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

So we went to celebrate. Eight hours round trip, every minute of it worthwhile to be surrounded by family.

First stop, across Grand Island, for (literally!) five minutes by the Falls. It was gray and rainy, but we never tire of seeing how beautiful Niagara Falls is in every season.

Next stop, dinner at the Como and time at the Fun Home.

If it weren't so absolutely inappropriate, I would have snagged a picture of my surroundings. There were photo albums and giant posters with pictures that spanned the last 90 years. The casket (which my Micah keeps referring to as a sarcophagus, God love him!) was covered with a handmade double-wedding-ring quilt. I had forgotten to tell you about her quilts. Aunt Helen was the queen of all things quilt and afghan!

There were hugs from aunts and uncles and cousins. Stories were told---some new to me. And it felt so good to be able to laugh and enjoy who she was all over again.

Before I left last night, my cousin Deb sought me out. She made sure that I knew we were invited for dinner the next day.

To Deb's kitchen---Aunt Helen's kitchen.

And it would involve a turkey.

Another ray of sunshine through the clouds---through a simple, thoughtful invitation to share time and food with family. Aunt Helen may have moved on to the next leg of her journey, but she lives on through her family when we remember to share kindness and hospitality to others.

The Fun Home

2011-11-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

I woke early yesterday, determined to double-check the bags I had packed for science labs later in the day. While I waited for the iron to heat, I came into the office and sleepily eyed notes from the night before. (Todd and I both have a habit of writing notes so as not to forget important things.)

This one in particular said,

"Fun Home

2-4 6-8"

Because I had left off the abbreviation period, I actually read the first line as "Fun Home"---thinking, what on earth? By the time I reached the second line, however, I was reminded that Aunt Helen's funeral home visitation was scheduled for later this week.

It brought to mind the conversation I had with Juli the night before, which sounded something like this:
Juli: "I don't want to go to the funeral home. It's going to be so boring."
Me: "Well, it's a funeral home. It's not supposed to be fun!"
Juli: "Well, it should be!"

---whereupon we had a conversation about how we go about marking the end of a person's life. And she's right. Despite what we say we believe as Christians about eternal life with Christ, sometimes we don't act as if we believe it. It's not a fun visit to the funeral home. It's a sad place, where grief is raw and tangible.

Todd and I discuss this every time a funeral rears its head---how our society handles death, and how when the time comes for us to die, there won't be traditional viewings. There will be giant parties.

Everyone grieves differently, and I would never try to tell anyone how to plan their funeral. That's their business.
But I know how I'm planning mine.

There will be food---lots of food. And not just practical food, but the good stuff that you don't have around all the time. Like strawberry-Jello-pretzel salad.

Live music in the background, performed by a variety of talented friends.

My photo albums will all be out---so people can see the places I've been and the things I've seen.

I want people to remember things about me---both my strengths and my weaknesses---because they were a part of me. And because I'm a wonderful person, I'm sure there will be tears. But I also want people to know that it's okay to laugh. To remember silly stories and share them with those too young to remember.

Above all, I want my friends and family to know that I've loved my life, every single minute. That I've tried to live intentionally and without regret. That my family is nearest and dearest to my heart. And that while we'll be separated for a little while, it's not the end.

If you've read the entire Narnia series to the very end, you know that C.S. Lewis sums it up perfectly:

"All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

(And in which there are giant Hawaiian rainbows. Of that I am certain.)

Her Kitchen

2011-11-08T16:58:00.000-08:00

Her home was modest and filled with the things she loved best.

Entering through the back door, you couldn't help but pass through Aunt Helen's kitchen. And really, you didn't pass through the kitchen. You came in and found a seat at the table. Regardless of the time of day, home cooked food appeared with little effort. Whether a pot roast or vegetable beef soup, there was always a sliced loaf of DiCamillo Italian bread accompanied by a pound of real butter. If you visited near Christmas, Valentine's Day, or Easter, Tupperware containers of homemade peanut brittle and fudge would appear after dinner---magic to small children---and to grownups too, I suspect.

Her meals were whipped up in a small corner occupied by stove, sink and counter space, her culinary talent not bound by the size of her kitchen.

Her kitchen wasn't fancy, but it was full---filled with food, with life, and with love.

There was always a calendar on the wall, next to a phone with a curliqued cord that seemed to have no end. The refrigerator was adorned with homemade magnets of felt and sequins. My nine-year-old eyes recall a cow, with macaroni letters glued on that spelled, "Holy cow, are you eating again?!"

A small radio continually brought music into the room. Usually a country station, heralding her roots from central Pennsylvania. (Although I also have memories of hearing Toto's Africa in that kitchen, right when we had come home from living in Nigeria.)

There was Uncle Fred's cozy rocking chair and a small cabinet of china.

An enormous dining table occupied most of the room. I can't remember how many chairs there were, because there were always enough to go around, no matter the size of the family present.

Nothing fancy, yet somehow more than enough.
Her kitchen was a source of sustainance, both physical and emotional.

It was Aunt Helen's kitchen we came to when my Grandma Belle, her sister, passed away.

And I imagine that her kitchen is the place where at least some of my family will gather this weekend.

Aunt Helen passed away this morning. And though we've known for a few days that we would be saying goodbye, it doesn't make the parting any easier.

Love you and miss you, Aunt Helen.

Fuchsia

2011-11-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason, my Christmas cactus bloomed in October this year.

Personally, I think it thrives on neglect.
I kicked it outdoors in June and brought it inside a month ago.
It actually got sunburned.

(How does a cactus get sunburned? I guess if it stays indoors 9 months of the year, it hasn't built up a tolerance to our blazing PA sun!)

From what I've read online, Christmas cacti need a period of 12 hours of daylight followed by 12 hours of darkness to bloom. So my going theory is, since fall comes earlier here than in Central and South America (their native home), ours bloom at Halloween. (For more information about how to care for a Christmas cactus, visit this page at Ed Hume Seeds.)

What a gift for it to bloom when it did!
Blazing fuchsia blossoms certainly brightened up those beginning darker days of fall.

Christmas has so many decorations of its own, the beauty of the cactus can get a little lost among all the red and green.

Not to mention, it clashes quite a bit with the red of the holiday.
Fuchsia and red are not a pretty combination.

(Did I tell you I learned how to spell fuchsia today? It's named after a German botanist, Leonard Fuchs, who died in 1566. You learn something new every day...)

This girl likes flowers, so it may bloom whenever it pleases. : )

Wirlwhind

2011-11-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

We've been caught in a whirlwind of culture the past two weeks.

Last weekend, we joined a friend from graduate school for Peter Pan at the Benedum Center.

Juli loved the ballet.

Micah decided there was too much dancing. :)

The kids had Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off school, hence the circus on Thursday night.

(That's a culture in its own right, yes?)

But the very best of my jaunts to the city occurred at the Byham Theatre last night, when the Indigo Girls came to town as part of their Beauty Queen Sister tour. My friend Tanya and I took a night off from our families and immersed ourselves in amazing harmonies. Here are a few favorites that they shared last night.

* * * * * * *

My wonderful husband let me sleep in this morning while he got up with earlybird Micah.

After breakfast, the real fun started.

We went through the ceiling today with the fireplace!

(And by "we", of course, I mean Todd. He did the hard work. I vacuumed up a little dust, uploaded pictures to the computer, and struggled through a maze of information online to choose a new cell phone plan.)

Micah was right there (in his Batman jammies) to hold the shop-vac hose and suck up little bits of drywall dust.

An oddly-placed bench in the upstairs hall, to keep small children from falling into the chimney flue tile.

I can feel the heat from the fireplace already. Not too much longer!

Night of Fun

2011-11-04T05:06:00.000-07:00

It was a night for many smiles.

(And many different lighting settings, so be warned, many grainy photos...)

This picture is for my mom, who ~~loves~~ really dislikes motorcycles in a cage.
They had seven bikes going at a time in there!

These next few are so funny to me. We were watching the trapeze artists attempt a quadruple somersault, and Juli's expressions changed so quickly from scared to relieved.

By this time, Micah was getting so, so sleepy.

Good thing they had a nice long act with his favorite, the elephants.

I've decided that my kids are the perfect ages for hitting the circus scene. (Aside from how late it was for Micah.) They were amazed by the strength, skill, and balance of the performers. Juli thanked me about twenty times for bringing them to see the show.

It was the perfect night of family fun together.
The icing on the cake was that everyone enjoyed themselves, and no one argued.
(And also? No one asked me to buy them the $14 cotton candy.)

The Greatest Show on Earth

2011-11-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

The year was somewhere right around 1980, and I believe I was in third grade.
For our class field trip we headed to the circus.
(How's that for a "just for the fun of it" kind of field trip?!)

My mother attended as a chaperone, which is a hoot because she hates the circus!
The motorcycles in the cage of death didn't impress her.
Neither did the ladies who tied themselves to really tall poles and swayed back & forth.
She must have loved me a whole lot to volunteer to go.
(Either that, or all the other moms wanted to stay home...)

At the beginning of the show, a man who worked for the circus came around to choose a boy and a girl to ride in the parade that would signal the end of the circus. Much to my delight, I was chosen. I think the other lucky party was Jason Oswald, but I may have that wrong.

I looked forward to that parade for the entire performance. Towards the end, of course, I needed to use the restroom. My mother warned me, "If you aren't here, you won't get to be in the parade." Didn't matter. I had to get to the restroom.

You know the rest, right?
Of course, I missed the parade.
I believe that Jennifer Yates was chosen in my place.
So, so sad.

Purpose to the story?
We're going to the circus tonight!

Elephants are Micah's favorite, and we are expecting to enjoy quite a few elephants tonight.

(Elephants at the Pittsburgh Zoo. The elephant habitat is one of our favorite spots.)

The history of circuses is really interesting. I imagine what it would be like to be a child 100 years ago, the excitement of getting to see an elephant or a gorilla for the first time. So foreign to American soil and everyday life, those creatures must have been quite a mystery.

Our children, in contrast, have picture books and internet sites at their fingertips. In the blink of an eye they can investigate facts about animals from around the world.

Yet, for all the possibilities of familiarity, I don't think today's children love exotic animals any less. My two are having a little rest time on their beds in anticipation for the big night. (Thank goodness they don't have school tomorrow!) They are so excited to see all the acts up close, in person.

I am too. :)

Saturday Stuff

2011-10-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a beautiful day.
Bright weather, crunchy leaves, and a big blue sky---the best kind of fall day in my book.

This morning I spoke with a ladies' retreat group at Lutherlyn.
We talked about voluntary simplicity and laughed at the CHAOS in our lives.
More about that later, I promise.

This afternoon was plain fun.
Playing games with the kids, making large quantities of applesauce, eating good homemade food.
My heart is happy with the quiet everyday-ness of it.

I promised the ladies that I would update my blog to include the books I mentioned this morning. They're down on the lower left sidebar, in an Amazon-generated slideshow. In the interest of disclosure, when I adapted that widget from Amazon, I was offered the chance to sign up as an Amazon affiliate. What that means, is that if you decide to purchase a book through Amazon and you click on the link in my sidebar, they give me a tiny fraction of the selling price of that book. I wasn't sure that I wanted to set it up that way, but then I felt stupid saying no. After all---Amazon is where I purchase a good number of my books. Anyway, it's not there to make money---but disclosure etiquette deems that I tell you it might produce a few pennies.

I popped a few more changes into my sidebar.
There's a Facebook link, which is something I check daily.
There's also a Twitter link.
I don't remember the last time I checked my Twitter account.
It hasn't yet won my heart.

There's also a link to sign up for blog updates through email, in case social media isn't your thing.

It's quiet, which means that Micah finally fell asleep.
He's been needing extra love lately, and the only way I know for sure he's asleep is that it's totally quiet.

I think we're up for watching a few episodes of Big Bang Theory---which is our new favorite tv show.
It's also ice cream night, and Breyer's was on sale, which means there are four new flavors in the freezer. Yum!

Merry Christmas!

2011-10-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

I know it's not truly the Christmas season...

...but my cactus says otherwise.

So does my new Schwinn recumbent exercise bike!

Now to find the required wrenches for assembly...

The Heat is On!

2011-10-17T05:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, not really. Our house is staying a comfortable 67 degrees, even with recent cooler days. No need to turn the heat on yet!

With winter weather approaching Todd has been spending every spare moment on the fireplace. But true to form, he's not so busy that he can't take a few moments to let Micah help.

We're so close! The interior masonry is done. Todd has put a felt-like layer between the yellow fire brick and the outer red brick to allow for thermal expansion and contraction. Once he brings the common red brick all the way up, it will be time to haul the stone in for the outermost layer.

One of the things I admire so much is Todd's ability to read written instructions and turn them into something tangible. It is a true gift---one that that will pay off in dividends of heat this winter!

Fiesta in the Rain

2011-10-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

I left early this morning, making sure I had the two pages of directions that would be my guide to to the Fiesta Tent Sale in Newell, WV. Of the many gifts God gave me, a sense of direction is not among them.

I also took The List with me. Todd helped me go through our cupboards last night and make a list of the Fiesta colors and styles we already have. When you're faced with pallets of color, it's easy to glaze over and forget what you own.

Before we went to bed, Todd reminded me that Mothman resides in Point Pleasant, WV, not too far from my destination. (Which is inaccurate---I just checked on Google Maps, and Point Pleasant is way far away from Newell. But the bridge leading across the river to Newell does make one think back to the scene at the end of the movie...) We've watched Mothman Prophecies twice, more for the fact that it was filmed in a small town about 20 minutes from where we live, where Todd spent his high school years. It's hard to reconcile the paranormal nature of the movie with the streets and bridge that we have driven many, many times.

MothMan aside, it was dark and gloomy as I left my home at 5:00 this morning. The entrance tickets for the Semi-Annual Tent Sale were to be distributed as early as 7:00 a.m., with first entrance into the tent at 8:00 a.m..

I arrived at 6:47 and took my place in the pre-dawn drizzle. Despite the rain, there was the same weird, happy atmosphere that most people associate with Black Friday. We were bound together by a love of Fiesta, hopeful of getting a bargain or two.

Sadly, I have no photos of my time in the drizzly rain, or of the line that stretched forever from behind the factory. It rained, and rained, and rained. I stashed my camera and cell phone on the inside of the two jackets I was wearing, and said a prayer of thanks that I had thought to wear a huge wool sweater and winter shoes. That poor girl behind me in the sweats and flip-flops...

I made a friend in line named Jenna. She and I shared our stories of how we started collecting Fiesta and how we sort our collections. She does something I've never seen before---she collects pieces according to color. Her dinner plates are lemongrass, salad plates are all chocolate, small bowls are all ivory, and so on. Her table therefore, when set, has a uniting theme to it. It also means that Micah (a.k.a. "May I please have the red bowl, Momma?") could not live in her house.

It is the antithesis of my "choose your favorite color and choose a place to sit" style. That's one of my favorite things about Fiesta. Fiesta in my house does not look like Jenna's. Nor does it look like my friend Steph's, who has a gorgeous collection of pastels. Fiesta is what you want it to be.

It's nice to have a friend when you choose to stand in line for hours. There's the feeling of camaraderie that comes from a shared interest and mission. It also gives you someone to hold your place in line should you need to use the restroom...

One of the best parts of having a friend with you, is that you can be a lookout for pieces that you know the other person wants. I may not have known Jenna for very long, but she checked in with me before she left to see if I had found my shamrock bowl. (I had!)

She also wandered over to see if I would like a lemongrass deviled egg plate to the tune of $4.45. (Regular price is $34.95, mind you.) Now to learn how to make deviled eggs!

Altogether, a fun, peaceful day. I was able to check off four more pieces that I had been looking for since last fall, which brought a small feeling of accomplishment.

There's also something to be said for being in the moment---whether that's hearing the steady drip of rain on your hood or absorbing the clink of dishes in the tent. Being present.

Those of you who expressed interest in the sale, look me up next June or August. I'm always up for an adventure!

I'll even save your spot in line if you need to grab coffee at the concession stand. :)

Does It Matter?

2011-10-11T04:16:00.000-07:00

Of course it does.

I'm talking about what you're going to do today. This morning, this afternoon---whenever. See, I woke up feeling particularly uninspired to face the day. 6:00 a.m. came earlier than it seemed it should, and it was difficult for me to even drag my feet to the shower. I had trouble picking out something to wear, and I had time to think while I was waiting for my on-my-way-to-being broken iron to heat up. Three times. (There's a loose cord. I have it on good authority that the man will fix it. Soon.)

So yeah...an uninspiring start to today. But you know what? I'm doing big things today. This morning, I will see four children who have difficulty discriminating the sounds they hear. And each one will move a tiny bit closer to being an independent reader and writer. And this afternoon? First graders get to use tools to measure the weather around them. Something useful that they can tuck in their pocket and pull out years from now when they want to know how to dress for work. Those things matter.

But it's also the little things that matter. Like the red bowl that I chose specifically for Micah this morning, because I know it will help his day start off just a tiny bit happier. Or the fact that I've already poured Juli's cereal, because she only truly loves one brand of cereal and I bought it this past week.

The truth is, all of us have big things to do today. For ourselves or others, around our homes or in the lives of those in our communities. And while that's sometimes hard to swallow at 6 a.m., it's waiting for us.

Do me a favor---tell me one thing you'll be doing today to make a difference in someone's life. Big or little, at home or not. Because I know you. You matter in the lives you touch.

The Balancing Act

2011-10-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

It's 9:53 on a Monday morning, and I have today off. (Okay, quite a few people do, because it's Columbus Day.) But for me, this is all part of that part-time work thing I have going.

It's good today.

But to be honest, adjusting to the new part-time schedule in September was like trying to walk on a moving train. You take one or two tentative steps, thinking, "This isn't so bad. I can do this!" And just then, the train car lurches to the side and you grab the seat back in an effort to avoid falling and looking like a total fool.

My very distinct lack of posting last month is directly related to the fact that this momma was trying to keep it all together. And silly, silly me, I just didn't anticipate that it would be that much of a big deal. But looking back, how on earth do you add three work days into the week without something else falling off the plate? It's just not possible. (For a while, I considered letting the laundry slide. But then I realized just how bad that could get.)

October? Well, October's different. October is more like trying to walk in the aisle of an airplane. You still feel the slight movement under your feet. Your balance isn't quite as good as the flight attendant's, but there's a good chance you'll make it down the aisle without falling into someone's lap.

We've adjusted pretty well. I've learned that being the first one up gives me an edge. Todd's been a super help with packing lunches and getting the kids on the bus three days out of five. What did I end up pushing out of my schedule? I'm still not quite sure. I think what has helped most is simply pushing away unrealistic expectations. Simply doing what I can, when I have time.

But today? Today is a day to work and play.

I need to mow around the garden, but I'll balance that with playing my dulcimer.
The chickens will be fed, but I'll take time to write.
I'll plan science lessons for the weeks to come, but I'll also tuck garlic and onions into the ground.

And the nasturtiums?
These bright blossoms have taken over my garden.
A bit of beauty among the everyday.

A Day to Play

2011-10-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

If there's a theme of my adult life, I would say it would be circling back towards balance.

Equilibrium.

Learning what my body physically can and cannot handle.

Finding the harmony between work and play.

Discovering the joy of serving others, balanced with a need for peace and quiet.

That work and play one is always tricky. Children know instinctively that play is inherent to life. Indeed, they are masters of incorporating their work and play so that they are no longer separate entities, but seamless.

Last week, I reveled in a day to play. My friend Kelly and I visited a Pittsburgh landmark, Phipps Conservatory. If you are at all a lover of flora and visiting western PA, it's worth a trip. (And you must plan to stay for lunch, for their cafe is heavenly!)

My favorites are the orchids. By their very nature, they cast timidity aside, exploding in color and amazing detail.

It is sunny and beautiful here today.

I'm going to tackle the work before me, but I'm going to find time to play outside.

Hope you have time to play too!

A Last Glimpse of Summer

2011-09-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

(Please forgive the blurry photos. I wasn't expecting Micah to move the way he did.)

* * * * * * *

For the past two years, my son has tried to grow watermelon in our garden. Last year, we grew one melon, but it was not ripe at all. It's a little tough, because our season is just long enough to get a mature melon. If you factor in any extreme heat, or early cool nights, or too much rain, or a blue moon on a Wednesday, there's a good chance that your melons just aren't going to happen.

However, we had all of the above this summer, and it happened anyway! We had a ripe (if small) watermelon.

Micah wanted the pleasure of using the watermelon baller to get the melon ready for dinner.

And decided that he should really taste it before putting it on the table.

He flung his head back, declaring, "This is the best watermelon EVER!"

And proceeded to offer his momma the next bite. Love that kid!

So, what are you doing with your last little bit of summer?

Yesterday, we indulged on one of our family traditions, our fall visit to Penn's Colony.

Today is about church and being with family.

Some of us are playing Batman, and some are canning tomato soup and making applesauce..

I'll let you guess as to who is doing what.

Enjoy your day. :)

Beauty and Mystery

2011-09-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

We've been working with Monarch caterpillars in school. The second and third graders have been observing their growth for a few weeks. At the beginning of September, all the caterpillars headed in the right direction, making their "J", getting ready to pupate.

My friend Karin takes amazing pictures.
Just a little over a week ago, she captured this Monarch in his "J".
(For more of her amazing work, take a peek at The World Through Blue Eyes.)

Working with children and Monarchs is a wonderful experience. There's so much that can be taught---the different stages of insect metamorphosis, habitat and food supply, geography---and my favorite piece, environmental stewardship. Learning that our actions as humans affect these creatures, their habitat, and their ability to migrate hundreds of miles. Amazing stuff!

After what seems like eternity, the first Monarchs are beginning to emerge from their chrysalides. I happened to be lucky enough to have my camera at school the other day, and we found this guy in Juli's classroom:

This morning I went to check their progress, and found that three more emerged since yesterday. Our tally so far is three boy butterflies, one girl butterfly. I'm wondering what our final count will be. I believe there are nine more to emerge, which will happen early this week. It's an amazing process, and such a privilege to be able to study it up close.

"Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth, are never alone or weary of life."

-Rachel Carson

2011-09-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...Labor Day...

So glad that Todd is in charge of the fireplace!

My labor this afternoon was a spice cake with cream cheese frosting. : )

Hope you get to do something you want to do today---whether that's a project you've been wanting to tackle for some time, or getting to read and take a nap.

:)

Hungry?

2011-09-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

I have a hot date tonight...with the pressure canner.

Truth be told, Todd visited the Redbox on the way home from work this afternoon. So the cutting board and I will move to the dining room table and take in a movie while I remove the ends from these beans and get them ready for the canner.

It's been an interesting season for canning. I haven't had weeks yet where all I do is run the canner. Rather, the garden is giving up its goods in fits and spurts. So I make five pints of pickles here, six pints of beans there. Small batches of goodness, tucked away against the promise of a cold winter that will be here all too soon.

I find it ironic that I visit the grocery store in the middle of summer, when we're harvesting beans, carrots and kale for dinner. But it's the things that I can't or won't make for myself---milk, orange juice, cheese---that find me making a weekly trek to the store. That was the way I spent this morning.

And when I got home from Giant Eagle, I did not want to put those groceries away.

Mostly, that was because my cupboards and refrigerator were in desperate need of decluttering and organization. After ten minutes of moving things around and combining packages of things, I had all sorts of room, and the groceries were put away.

* * * * * * *

This afternoon I thought about food.

With my garden, I'm often surprised and happy with whatever I can coax out of the ground. The thing is, even when the weather stinks or when bugs devour something, I always have the option of going to the store and buying food. There's always been enough food on the table. More than enough. Enough of an abundance that I can afford to be picky about what I like and what I leave.

Todd and I recently read a book called The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. Growing up in Malawi, Kamkwamba was no stranger to drought-induced crop failure and consequent hunger. He chronicles a season of starvation in his village, of living on just two or three mouthfuls of food each day.

He knows something about food that I will (hopefully) never know.

Each night as my boy and I pray, we thank God for our sturdy home, for our family, and for the food we have to eat. And I believe we are earnest in our thanks. But I can't help but think that my gratitude pales in comparison to the fervent thanks that rises from someone who is truly hungry who receives food to sustain them for one more day.

Knowing that others don't have food is different from experiencing hunger yourself.

* * * * * * *

At this moment, people in East Africa are facing a severe drought. This is an image of a refugee camp near Kenya's border with Somalia.

(Borrowed from Lutheran World Relief's website---Reuters/Thomas Mukoya.)

This is their worst drought in 60 years.
I think about what it would be like to live in conditions like these.
To try to raise my children in poverty, daily struggling to find enough food, to find clean water.
And I fail.
I try not to go to "that place"---you know, the "I'm going to feel guilty because I have so much more than they do." Self-induced guilt is not helpful. But action is.

We can't all travel to Africa to help with the drought---any more than we were able to fly to Japan to help with the aftermath of the tsunami. Nor would that be helpful. Frankly, the most effective help we can give is our money. Even those of us who think we don't have money to spare are so very wealthy compared to the rest of the world.

There are many fantastic organizations out there who help in developing countries. One of our favorites is Lutheran World Relief, both for the integrity of the organization and the wide variety of aid they provide to those in need around the world.

Lord God of all justice, from the countries which have had the scales of the world’s wealth tilted for so

long in their favor, we cry out to you.

Forgive us for the complacency we have about our comfort.

Stir us into action and prayer for those who do without.

Change the world until the hungry and poor have all

they need and, gracious God, use us to bring about the change. Amen.

(LWR/Christian Aid)

KinderGardens, Week 18

2011-09-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

There are no kinder left in this garden.

This was our family shot before the bus came on Monday.
Micah was so terrifically excited about that bus!

So Momma was left to begin packing up the garden on her own.

And really, this was mostly Momma's garden to begin with.

So this time 'round, we will not update on the giant sunflowers or the apple tree.

These pictures are all mine.

So, so pleased with the spaghetti squash. Even though I lost two vines to wilt, I still harvested 14 squash, which I'm in the middle of roasting and freezing.

(And the sunflowers did pop in there, despite my intent to leave them out.)

And the raspberries have really taken hold. Even though we did not pick many in June and July, the canes are filled with ripening fruit.

Warning---if you don't like insects, skip the next photo.

Don't say I didn't warn you...

This is what I found today:

These gross little buggers have haunted my squash vines all summer. I pulled all the squash last week, leaving this one to ripen just a little more. And though I believe all life is precious, I will admit to rolling this squash over and stomping every single one of those guys.

Many tomatoes. This may be the focus of date night tonight.

Small, red pablanos, waiting to be incorporated into salsa.

Purple peppers, courtesy of The Seed Savers Exchange at the Mother Earth News Fair last fall.

Very happy with the swiss chard! We have chard plants sprinkled throughout the front (shade) garden. Love that they are food and easy on the eyes.

Nasturtiums---another favorite. Easy to grow, prolific by summer's end, full of color.

Giant asparagus.
Next year, I'm sure it will look much smaller, because we will finally be able to cut and eat it!

And I know I shared similar zinnia blooms earlier in the season, but really---they have got to be my favorite.

The world is simply better because they're here.

* * * * * *

It's been a good summer for a garden. You can find the other KinderGardens over at The Inadvertent Farmer.

KinderGardens 2011, Week 16

2011-08-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

It's so funny how June seems so slow, waiting for those seedlings to take root and start growing.
July is medium-speed, tending to insect damage and watering when necessary.
The third week of August hits, and it feels like the garden is going at the rate of a freight train! Exciting, but very hard to slow down enough to get things picked and processed.

This week we had our potato harvest.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the potatoes we grew this year. I kept the method the same---growing above-ground in containers---but I changed out two key variables: the soil I used and the depth of material around the plants.

Todd has access to free aged horse manure at camp, so he brought bucket after bucket home. We mixed that in with aged chicken manure and straw. Apparently, the potatoes loved it. We also did a better job this year of hilling the potatoes (by adding more material vertically inside the bins). It did the trick. We easily tripled our potato harvest from last year. Altogether, we brought 32 pounds of potatoes in the other night.

While I harvested potatoes (and created another raised lasagna bed with newspaper and the material from around the potatoes), Juliana read comics from the paper. That was her contribution. Meanwhile, Micah grabbed my camera and did a little tour of the garden.

This is his shot of Juli's only apple on her tree. Deer came and munched the other four, but this one's hanging in there. It's a MacIntosh, so it should be ready pretty soon.

One of our many spaghetti squash, which are a deep yellow and more than ready to be picked. I haven't decided yet how to store these. We don't have an appropriate cellar space, humidity-wise. I've considered baking them, scraping out the squash, and freezing it, but I'm not sure how that would work. Any ideas?

One of Micah's many pictures of the sunflowers. They're so, so tall, and I think they must seem like they reach the sky from his perspective.

His final stop is always to check on his watermelon. We're guarding it closely to keep the groundhog from decimating it. Hope it ripens enough for little guy to enjoy it.

Have you stopped by The Inadvertent Farmer to check on the other KinderGardens? There are some amazing things growing out there!

Metamorphosis

2011-08-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

On the edge of my random "in the sun" garden I am growing field corn for the chickens.

It tops out around ten feet, reaching for the sky.

Milkweed inadvertently grows among the corn plants.
If I can avoid mowing down or pulling out milkweed, I do.
Milkweed provides a great reward---being able to study the Monarch caterpillars who use it for food.

Juli, Micah and I were excited to find this guy:

He's actually attached to the underside of a corn stalk leaf.

We had seen him the day before, as long and as thick as my pinky finger.

Now he's made his "J".

Today or tomorrow, his skin will split and move toward his feet, and a shiny green chrysalis will remain around his body for two weeks during metamorphosis.

With any luck, he will emerge as an adult monarch and begin his migration journey.

(Only around 2-3% of monarch eggs will successfully hatch, grow and pupate into an adult.)

Once we saw him, we began examining the surrounding milkweed. We found an array of tiny caterpilars---some just slightly bigger than an eyelash---that have found a home in my kitchen until I can take them in to live in the second and third grade classrooms next week.

(Note: Raising monarchs can be a very exciting activity---but it is not for the fainthearted. Monarch cats need daily attention---cleaning out their environment, providing fresh milkweed on a daily basis, spritzing them with water if the environment is dry. Children also need to be made aware that caterpillars can (and do) die for a number of different reasons. For excellent information on raising monarchs in a home or school environment, visit Monarch Watch. A fantastic picture book on Monarchs is Monarch Butterfly, by Gail Gibbons.)

* * * * * * *

I love reliving the story of the Monarch butterfly each summer and fall---from egg, to larva, to pupa, to adult.

None of us are meant to stay where we are forever. I was reminded of that last week as I attended a funeral for my friend's mom. Each of us is on a journey---of growing up, learning new things, morphing into who we are intended to become. In her case, returning home to where the journey began.

School starts one week from today, and Micah will be heading off to Kindergarten. Boy, is he ready---and excited! But at the same time, he is the boy who wraps his arms around me tightly and says, "Momma, I'll miss you when I'm gone." He is poised on the edge of a brand new journey, and he feels it keenly.

Today I go into school for the first time. This is a week of bringing in supplies and carving a tiny niche in a school where I've been previously known as "Juli's mom" and a substitute teacher. Very exciting, and my heart beats a little quicker when I think of this new part of my life. Change can be a little nerve-wracking.

But change is good. And it's always a good measure to take a moment and ask: Am I allowing my family members the freedom they need to morph into their newest selves? Am I willing to welcome the uncertainly of the future and explore who I am meant to be?

The Ups and Downs of Pittsburgh

2011-08-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been?

If you ever get to visit Pittsburgh, it's a "must do". It said so in my cousin's book, 1,000 Things to Do Before You Die. We were very excited that she and her family came to visit, and it was a great reason to ride the incline.

Juli had been before, but this was Micah's first time. He was so excited!

So basically, the incline is a cable car on a track that is inclined up the hill to the top of Mount Washington. It was originally built in 1877 as a conveyance for the people that were starting to build homes at the top of this steep hill, to make for easy access to work in the city.

For some in Pittsburgh, the incline is part of their daily commute to work.
For us, it's just plain fun.

Juli and Micah led the way to choose seats.
I'm really glad there were only about ten of us in the car. Apparently, 23 people can fit inside!

The view from the bottom:

The giant freight train that roared underneath us as we ascended the steep terrain:

And a beautiful (if a bit foggy) view from the top of Mount Washington:

(For future visitors, current tourist information can be found at the Duquesne Incline website. Of special note---you must bring cash. There is a change machine in the lobby with which to make exact change. One of my favorite things? There is a free parking lot at the bottom.)

Life is always better with free parking.

One Man's Trash...

2011-08-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

is maybe just another man's trash? Really, I sometimes wonder about this.

I am a huge fan of Salvation Army / Goodwill / St. Vincent dePaul stores. When I am ready for things to leave my home, they take my bags full of "treasures" with open arms, knowing that someone else will happily pay for the items inside.

Today was a "clean the bedrooms" day. (Except for mine, because I cleaned mine from top to bottom last week. Including washing off the ceiling fan blades, thank you very much.)

No, today was the day to excavate the kids' rooms.
And I don't so much mean excavate in terms of "Look at all the toys they left on the floor."
No, I'm talking about "the stuff".

(Seriously, could it get more random? I see a ton of plastic jewelry, a Pirate bobblehead, a stuffed animal, a plastic blowup fish, a US flag from a parade, binoculars...)

I think if there's ever a sign of middle-class affluenza in America, it's not so much the BMW in the garage; it's the itsy-bitsy souvenirs we give our kids at each and every function they attend. I'm not going to go on about it, because I don't even want to hear myself complain. Suffice it to say, I'm pleased that the kids were able to eliminate the items in their rooms that they weren't using or weren't in love with. May that be a skill that carries with them into adulthood.

I can now walk in Juli and Micah's rooms with a greater sense of peace, which is worth its weight in gold. (I tried to convey to them the peace that comes with clear surfaces, but I'm pretty sure they just heard, "Once you go through and clean your rooms, you can go play Wii at Grandma's house.")

I feel like I'm nesting. Not because a newborn is coming to live with us, but because change is on the horizon and I'm feeling a need for order. Juli and Micah begin a new school year on the 29th, I start going in to school on the 22nd. And while I am grateful for these part-time opportunities that are perfect for me in every way, I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn't nervous about the changes that this schedule will bring for us.

Juli and Micah's teachers come tomorrow for their home visits, and Juli is having friends over to swim on Saturday. For now I'll focus on getting ready for those visits, making our home a welcome place for visitors.

On Sunday we'll lose ourselves in worship and celebrate a birthday with close friends.

Monday, I'll tackle you when you arrive.

(In the meantime, would anyone like a random rainbow? This one was given to us on the way home from Maryland this past weekend...)

Long Day

2011-08-10T19:39:00.001-07:00

Another day, another hero.

I know all the words to the Spider Man theme song, so it fell to me to sing the song over and over while the webbed wonder ran about, flinging webs as he went. At one point, he asked for the tape dispenser, so he could pull off large pieces of tape for use as his webs.

He is one serious superhero pretender.

* * * * * * *

It was a crazy-busy day.

Juli had a piano lesson while I talked science with a colleague.
Grandma watched the kids while I met with my tutoring supervisor.

We had a friend over for lunch.

I took Micah to the dentist to have two cavities filled. (Need to remember the fluoride at night!)

And I had trouble staying awake for the drive home. Darn narcolepsy...

All stuff that needed to be done, but it made for a busy day.

I came home to this in my mailbox:

And no lie, my first thought was, "What did I order? Todd's going to kill me!"

(We have entered the "property taxes are due next month...no unnecessary expenditures" season.)

Curiosity got the better of me, and the packing tape was ripped off in the car.

Lo and behold...wrapping paper!

Presents from my sister, the most thoughtful girl in the Marshall Islands!

I'll show you the books she sent another day.
For today, let's admire the beautiful paper and ribbon.

I love gifts.

Absolutely adore presents.

Gift giving (and receiving) is one of my top two love languages.

These were a fantastic surprise!

There was dinner---stuffed peppers that my mom made and shared.

There was an easy bedtime for kids.

And there were beans.

Which necessitated the canning equipment.

(For those of you who grew up with canned beans and still love them, let me tell you why.

Canned green beans require 1/2 tsp. of salt per pint of beans.

And yes, I imagine that can be changed. But it won't be, at least until one of us needs a low-sodium diet.)

The ancient pressure cooker, which scares the daylights out of me every time I use it.

I always fear that this will be the time that the relief valve explodes open, hitting the ceiling in a burst of steam.

It's why I'm typing in the other room.

The beans are done.

Todd's made popcorn.

We're watching reruns of Star Trek.

A good reward for a long day.

: )

Rite of Passage

2011-08-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

There's very little in life that can hold you back, if you have but an ounce of determination.

Juli is filled with determination; has been from the day she was born.

(Actually, when I was 39 weeks pregnant with a baby who would not turn and a cesarean scheduled for the following week, the only thing that could make me smile was the joke I heard about c-section babies: "They just know what's in store for them, and they're determined to find another way out!")

Regardless, she's a girl who knows what she wants.

And what she wanted yesterday was to get her ears pierced.

Which is really very funny, because when Juli was four, she asked me how earrings stayed in my ears. When I took one out to show her, she declared that she would never, ever put holes in her ears.

What I've learned during eight years of loving Juli, is that she is very determined.

And if she says she does not want to do something, it is very, very difficult to get her to change her mind.

Often (if you have the luxury of dropping the issue), she will come around in her own sweet time.

Such was the case with going to Kindergarten.

And such was the case with earrings.

I dropped the issue. Low-and-behold, four and a half years passed, and she asked me if she could get her ears pierced.

For whatever reason, it was incredibly important for her to have them done.

And even though my daughter hates anything that hurts, she sat as still as a statue and didn't flinch once.

Not one tear.

Determination carried her through.

* * * * * * *

The before picture:

(Pandy attended for moral support.)

The hours-later picture, after swimming:

And she's been grinning that way ever since.

She feels beautiful.

: )

KinderGardens 2011, Week Fourteen

2011-08-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hooray! The beans are ready to be picked!

The beans are Juli's favorite edible in the garden, hands-down. She's more than happy to help pick them, looking forward to seeing them on the table that evening.

She took this picture, to show how many beans she picked Wednesday morning:

Todd took the kids out tonight to measure their sunflowers, since they were tall enough to need Daddy's tape measure.

One hundred and twenty-eight inches---ten and a half feet of sunflower glory!

Check out the other KinderGarden sunflowers---as well as lots of other garden goodies---over at The Inadvertent Farmer.

Happy gardening!
: )

Out to Save the World

2011-08-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

There's a phenomena that's slowly permeated our household over the past few ~~months~~ years.
I'm talking about superheroes.

I'm not sure which superhero they were exposed to first, but I have a sneaking suspicion it was SuperGrover.

It was imperative that our early superhero costumes included capes...

(Juli, age 4---Micah, 9 months)

...which evolved to include a narrow mask:

(Micah, age 3---Juli, age 7)

This winter was the great awakening of all things superhero in our humble abode. Micah received the Imaginext Batcave set for Christmas from Uncle Tim, and for a time Todd was required to play Superheroes every blessed evening.

Batman was only the beginning. Soon, Todd and the kids were on the computer daily, researching a new superhero/villain combination for the evening's play.

Superman, Spiderman, The Flash, Green Lantern, etc....each with their own origins, special abilities, and inevitable weaknesses.

We were in for a special treat at the Rochester Children's Museum this summer, which had a fantastic superhero exhibit. Juli and her new cousin tried their hand at climbing the city walls just like Spiderman!

And I think the museum said it pretty well:

* * * * * * *

That brings us to yesterday and today. The boy walks in to where I am working in the office, carrying a shoebox, tape, and string.

"Mom, could you help me build an IronMan mask?"

"Can't you just pretend you're IronMan?"

"No! I need to have a costume. Please? Like Andrew's?"

Andrew is a friend of mine from childhood days in Michigan, where we spent many fun times playing Star Wars and Superheroes at each other's homes and on the playground. And unlike most "grownup" people I know, who get older and forget what they really like to do, Andrew's taken his love for creativity and superheroes to the next level. Here's his IronMan costume, the one Micah is in love with:

And I get it. As fantastic as it is to pretend that you are IronMan saving mankind from one another and random villains, it's so much better with the costume. So we made it work as well as one can with cardboard, markers, and elastic. Micah thought to wear his red t-shirt and use his sister's shinguards as part of his body armor.

Love this boy!

I'm glad he's out to save the world. : )

* * * * * * *

And just for fun?

Check out this podcast from This American Life.

KinderGardens 2011, Week Thirteen

2011-07-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

Our job for this week was to see how many colors of the rainbow we could capture. It would appear that we have mostly warm colors in our garden!

Zinnias are one of our staple garden flowers. They come in so many different colors and are so very cheerful!

Cosmos are my other favorite---both for their color and their delicate, lacy foliage.

This is Juli's shot of her portulaca. She loves the variegated pink the best.

Micah's shot of the marigold he gave me for Mother's Day:

My spaghetti squash, getting more and more yellow each day! (Fingers crossed...)

Our favorite green---the stripey yellow and green of a watermelon!

I don't know if this qualifies for black, white and grey in my garden, since she's on the other side of the fence, but Silver really wanted to be included.

And that made Sweetie want to get in on the fun, even though the best picture we have of her is this one from the winter.

I hope you're having a wonderful week in your garden. We've had the perfect mix of rain and sun this past week, so we're feeling very blessed. (As well as joyful that we don't have the daily watering chore!)

Wonder what colors are growing in the other KinderGardens? Visit The Inadvertent Farmer to check them out!

KinderGardens 2011, Week Twelve

2011-07-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

Week twelve, and lots is happening in the garden.

We picked our first cucumber today, and added it to the pile from Grandma. Right now it's in brine, waiting to be turned into a pickle.

Right next to it, our first sizable watermelon. It's almost as big as a size 3 soccer ball.

Praying for our spaghetti squash. I lost a plant this week due to some weird wilt/fungus, and I'm really hoping the other three plants make it until these squash ripen and turn yellow.

Hooray for cheerful sunflowers!

And for orange nasturtiums too. I'm not sure why, but I just adore these flowers. It could be the shape of the leaf, since it's unique. It could be because you can eat the flowers (even though I don't). I just think they're really pretty.

We had a monsoon-like rain the other day, which flattened this row of onions to nothing. I'm thinking I'll go ahead and pull them, since their stalks are smashed.

Baby green beans are surely among the cutest things in the universe. So, so tiny!

The best for last, a purple beebalm, my favorite color. What's really great about this plant is that it is a descendant of the beebalm I planted at our first straw bale home. I transplanted a chunk of it this spring. My garden usually ends up being an amalgamation of my favorite plants from our previous homes, which I love.

For those who are dry, I wish you rain.
For those in the heat, I pray it will cool to bearable temps.
For those of you with incessant rain, I'm hoping to send this sunshine and too-hot weather.

If you get a chance, hop over to The Inadvertent Farmer to visit the other KinderGardens. They're all looking great!

Sunday Dinner

2011-07-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

We went to dinner with my grandmother tonight---her invitation, and her treat, which was very kind of her.

Her choice is Applebee's, because it has something called Double Crispy Shrimp that she absolutely adores.

It was a win for everyone. She got her shrimp, Micah and Juli feasted on hamburgers and chicken fingers, and I didn't have to cook a blessed thing on this warm day.

The other fun thing was that our waitress picked up on the fact that it's Nanny's birthday later in the week, and decided to bring her a hot fudge dessert shooter to celebrate!

Shortly after we ordered, Nanny leaned in with an observation:

Nanny: "Did you see that black man go into the kitchen?"
Me: "No..."
Nanny: "Do you remember Mr. S. from when we lived in Baltimore? If he saw a black man going in the kitchen, he'd leave the restaurant."
Me: "You're kidding..."
Nanny: "No. When we went in a restaurant, he would ask if he could look in the kitchen first, to see if there were any black people working there. It was so embarrassing!"

It just got me thinking about my soon-to-be 84-year-old grandmother (84? 83?), and the changes that have taken place during her lifetime.

If I look to the year 2056, when I am 84, what will our world look like? If as much can change during our lifetime as has changed during hers, then I think we're in for an exciting time in many ways.

(This is the static cling I purchased for my car last year. Like it? You can order one here.)

Happy Saturday

2011-07-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

Things from this week that are making me happy:

---Just like last year, Juli had a fantastic time at camp. She didn't want to come home, which is a great sign that parts of Lutherlyn touched her heart in those three days.

---Camp visits with friends. Lutherlyn always draws former campers and counselors back for visits, sometimes bringing their own children. Last night, we had five different families together for a bit of a visit, which included seven former staff members and our kids. Whether it's a quick "I've missed you!" or a catch-up visit over dinner, it always makes me smile. These are the kind of friends with which time has little meaning, where you can pick up where you left off. Love that!

---It rained last night! And by rain, apparently I mean monsoon. We came home from our camp visit to find an additional eleven inches in our cistern tanks, which means we picked up 1100 gallons of water in one fell swoop. We also came home to no electricity, which was fairly exciting for Juli and Micah.

---It is only 71 degrees outside right now, which is a temperature straight from heaven itself.

---I am alone in my house, looking forward to a day with girlfriends in Smicksburg. Todd took the kids to camp for breakfast (cinnamon rolls!) and a morning of bike riding. I am meeting my friends just before 10:00, which means I have an hour and a half to be in my garden and get things done around the house. Hard to put a price on that one, but it's worth a lot.

Hope you are having a wonderful Saturday, whatever that might look like!
:)

Authors, Artists and Actors

2011-07-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of a fabulous week. My friend Angie and I are teaching a daycamp called Authors, Artists and Actors. We have a small group of incredibly creative kiddos. (All girls, purely by chance.) Each day, we focus on a different author and picture book. There have been crafts, snacks, songs, and activities that all revolve around our chosen stories.

Inspired by literature, the kiddos had an opportunity to write their own spinoff adventures.

We've been practicing lines and making scenery. On Friday, the girls will get to present their Reader's Theater rendition of Jan Brett's book, The Umbrella.

It's been a great time, with the girls getting to do the creative things they enjoy most. We couldn't be more pleased with how all the activities are going.

Not only do they love the activites, but there is a really neat dynamic that has sprung up. In the middle of each morning, we have a theme-related snack. Instead of rushing through their snack and jumping to the next activity, this group of girls has used this time each day to have real conversation---talking back and forth on a variety of topics. This was unexpected, but totally delightful. In a world where we so often rush from one activity to another, cell phone in hand, this small group of 6-8 year olds has discovered the joy in being truly present with one another.

I think one of the reasons I'm enjoying this week so much is that these are girls after my own heart. As a child, I spent many summers buried in a pile of books. I would have loved to get together with other kids for a smattering of literature-based activities, so I'm really pleased that it worked for us to put this program together for the kiddos in our area.

Tomorrow? Stories based on Cinderella.

Next summer? Who knows! We've already had a request for a group for older readers, so we'll see.
We'll take it as it comes.

Need to Know

2011-07-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

It's obvious, but I'm going to state it anyway: this summer is flying by! We're packing as much as possible into each and every day, which translates into a lot of activity in the month that we've been home from school. Even so, it's going quickly.

We walked into Target the other day, and Juli nearly burst into tears.
"Look Mom," she said, pointing at the ceiling.
Hung by invisible thread, the cheerful poster announced the arrival of the "Back-to-School" display.

* * * * * * *

For eight years I've wondered about my life and career direction. I think about sermons where pastors talk about answered prayer, how sometimes God says "Yes," sometimes God says "No," and sometimes the answer is, "Not yet." To be honest, I've never really liked that last one. Because it makes it sound like God is holding out on you, as if He just doesn't feel like sharing at the moment.

Instead of thinking of it as "Not yet," I've been thinking of it this way: God and I simply work on a "need to know" basis. Here's a sample conversation:

Shayne: "God, please show me where I'm headed. I'll work at Target if that's where you want me. Just tell me."

God: "Shayne, you simply need to trust that you're where you need to be now. Later, we'll talk. You just don't need to know yet."

For the past eight years, I didn't need to know what was ahead.
What I needed to do was focus on the task at hand---whether that was taking care of my children, working within my MOPS group, or volunteering at church or school.

See, here's what I've begun to realize---

Eight years ago, I was cringing from my teaching experience. Even thinking about going back to my chosen career brought tears to my eyes. I had no idea what I would do, but it wasn't going to be teaching.

Even three years ago, if God had suggested that I would be returning to teaching, I would have laughed nervously and changed the subject.

But in the past two years, He has helped me to see my heart again. The bitterness is gone. The desire to help is back. And while time does mend wounds, it's my opinion that only God can bring about this kind of healing in one's heart.

So this whole time that I was praying for Him to show me what lay ahead, He knew better. He knew I wasn't ready to hear about the possibilities.
So we worked on a need to know basis.
I didn't need to know, so He didn't tell me.
Only when my heart was ready to hear, did He show me what the plan could look like.

(Image from www.craft33.com.)

Within the past few months, I have been presented with two perfectly compatible part-time teaching opportunities for the upcoming school year.

Two and a half days a week, I will be working one-on-one with students who struggle with dyslexia.

The other half day, I will be teaching a science lab for K-5 students.
Mondays and Fridays will be spent at home.

Absolutely tied to my areas of certification and interest, definitely perfect for my family's schedule.
It couldn't fit better, and for that I am oh-so-grateful.

So lots going on, and many changes down the road.
Trying to make the most of these summer days with my kids before they step on the bus on August 29th.

Here is a glimpse of what we've been doing.
: )

Trying out Grandma & Granddad's new Spider! (Not riding, just pictures.) : )

Exploring at the Amphitheater with friends.

Celebrating a most special graduate!

Hiking for Father's Day.

Visiting Childrens' Museums in Pittsburgh...

...and Rochester, NY.

Holding Lorikeets at Oglebay.

Summer days spent swimming.

Conquering the climb up the mound in Moundsville, WV.

Making memories with our family.

Supervising the construction scene.

Working on the deck for Granddad's pool.

Enjoying the beauty that life has to offer.

: )

KinderGardens 2011: Week Ten

2011-07-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

We had a great week of garden growth!

(Thanks to Grandma and the kids, that is, who watered while we were away for a few days.)

Micah is very impressed with the sunflower growth.

So much that he...umm...shall we say "altered" the sunflower growth chart?

Yeah.

Thankfully, Juli took it all in stride. We turned it over and replicated her chart on the back.

Meanwhile, I'm thankful they're still excited to get out there and measure.

The sunflowers are taller than all of us now, and flower buds are forming!

Look at the droopy leaves! It would be to our advantage to have rain. Thankfully, my dad has a deep well and is amenable to sharing his water with our garden.

While I was taking this photo, Juli was exclaiming that the spaghetti squash were going to take over her strawberry patch.

Here's the first spaghetti squash baby. May there be many more!

Fuzzy picture, but Micah was excited nonetheless to see his watermelon flowering.

I just adore the way the light is shining through this bit of Swiss chard. Very cool!

Our first nasturtium flower of the year!

Beans plants finally doing what they're supposed to do! Climb...climb!

On a sadder note...I noticed two spotted cucmber beetles having a makeout session on a sunflower.

I promptly squished them.

Cucumber beetles are not my friends.

* * * * * * *

I hope you're having a marvelous gardening season. If you'd like to jump in on the KinderGarden fun, check out the other week 10 posts here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Our Finnish Fireplace...that will soon be finished!

2011-07-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

For a few months, Todd has been quite busy with the beginnings of our masonry heater. (If you remember, we have heated our home for two winters with radiant floor heat fueled by propane.) That is actually our backup system; it has always been our intent to construct a wood-fueled heater in the center of our home.

If you visited Terra Dei at Lutherlyn, you'll remember the masonry heater constructed between the living and bedroom spaces. Haven's new heater will be based on the same Finnish Fireplace design, described by Albie Barden of Maine Wood Heat in his construction manual from 1984.

(Terra Dei living space circa 1998, featuring our beautiful masonry heater.)

So...why a masonry heater? Why not a plain old "woodburner"?

If you picture a typical woodburning stove or traditional fireplace/chimney, you build your fire in the firebox. It burns---giving off some heat to the room---but quite a bit of the energy goes straight up the chimney and is lost.

In the design history section of his book, Albie describes the Finnish contraflow design that was invented in 1850 by a Swedish engineer by the name of Wimanin.

At the risk of oversimplifying, here's the gist of the design:

1. You build the fire in the firebox and close the doors. The fire burns in the main chamber.

2. Instead of going straight up and out the chimney, the superheated gas travels through a maze-like tunnel built out of firebrick inside the heater.

3. The firebrick absorbs the heat and radiates it outward over the next 12-24 hours.

When Todd and I lived at Terra Dei, that translated into two fires a day---one before leaving for work, one upon return---to heat our entire home. You're talking about an incredibly efficient system, which saves precious resources and translates into huge cost savings for the homeowner.

I'll share our final cost once we've completed construction.

(If you have technical questions, leave them in a comment. I'll have Todd address any details.)

In the meantime, here we go!

(Lutherlyn friends---this heater base is comprised of block salvaged at camp. I have remnants of Cabin 19 and the old Dining Hall in my basement!) So far, our cost has been minimal---about $18 for a chimney cleanout door and another $20 for mortar.

Remember where we had the craft table? (Right above the purple tempera splotch on the floor!)

Once you lift up the concrete board, we had many pieces of plywood and subfloor.

Juli and Micah were both excited about revealing the hole in the floor, so they were anxious to help Daddy with his tools.

And at my request, Todd kid-proofed the hole in the floor to keep kids safe during this point in construction.
(Note, the cat did disappear beneath the floor for a few minutes the other night. Lucky for all of us, she decided to resurface quickly.)

To be continued!

Lights, Camera, Action!

2011-07-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

Twenty-five pieces of plywood, painted white.

Concrete-block building circa 1958, housing restrooms and a wide array of snack food.
Kids running back and forth, throwing baseballs and footballs while they wait.

A summer evening without a bedtime, perfect for a viewing of Cars 2.
Did I mention it was carload night?
As many people as you can fit in your car for $14, which came to $2.80 a person.
Grandma came too!

Waiting for it to get dark.

Now? Is it dark enough now?

Showing how tired they are of waiting.
(Micah asked, "Does my face look sad enough?")

Now?

NOW!

* * * * * * *

I don't know the number of times we went to the drive-in when I was a child, but the memory sticks with me.

Putting on our pajamas so we'd be ready for bed upon return.

Packing a number of yummy snacks.

I absolutely loved going to the drive-in.

It was a lot of fun to introduce Micah and Juli to the drive-in this week.

The movie itself was only part of the fun.

There was the whole drive-in atmosphere---the mobs of people from all walks of life, the smell of grease eminating from the concession stand, the kids running around before the show actually started.

There was the popcorn Grandma brought, and the special chocolate-dipped, car-shaped marshmallows from our friend Priscilla.

A perfect evening to a summer day full of fun.

Do you have a drive-in in your neck of the woods?

Not sure? Check here. Drive-ins.com allows you to search by zip code and lists all the drive-ins within a few hours of your home.

Happy movie-going!

KinderGardens 2011, Week Nine

2011-07-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Our assignment for week nine?

To hand our cameras over to our children.

Here is our garden, through Juliana's eyes:

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes,
but in having new eyes."
-Marcel Proust

KinderGardens 2011, Week Eight

2011-06-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Really, if he were any cuter, I'd be tempted to give him a name and put out food for him.
Oh wait...I'm already doing that.
Because he's helped himself to many tasty sprouts in the garden over the past few weeks.

We've been in and out of the picture with three-day trips.
I leave, there are bean plants. I come back, there are fewer bean plants.

(Can't you hear the First grade math book now? "Shayne had five bean plants in her garden. Mr. Bunny came and ate three bean plants. How many bean plants are left?")

Something had to be done, short of building a proper fence, which is not in the budget at this time.

Hence...the creation of my chicken wire bean towers!

We had the chicken wire and stakes in the garage.
My thought is that by the time the beans are tall enough to climb up and onto the sunflowers, they will be safe from pests.

All in all, I'm pleased with how things are going.
The potatoes are blossoming, and I have yet to see Colorado potato beetles. (*Fingers crossed*)

Elsewhere in the realm of pest control, our plants in the shadier garden are sporting a little new bling in the form of copper bracelets. Something in the copper is uncomfortable for slugs to crawl over---a chemical reaction of sorts.

Ahh...you noticed that there were no children in the garden photos?

We're in vacation mode---off for little visits with the ones we love. This past week, that took us to Rochester, where the kids were thrilled to see the Strong Children's Museum.

(I don't care how old I am, it's still fun to take your picture on the front stoop at Sesame Street!)

(Very cool fairy tale/wizarding section. Not to be missed!)

Today we're off to West Virginia---different family members, new adventures.
Hope you are enjoying all that summer has to offer.
See you when we're home. :)

KinderGardens 2011, Week Seven

2011-06-18T16:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week around our home. Aside from watering, we've only done two jobs in the garden.

First on the list this week was helping our potatoes. We planted them in bins like last year.

Last week, my mom came across some research that talked about container gardening with potatoes. The most interesting bit she told me was that if you keep layering soil as the potatoes grow vertically, then new potatoes will start growing horizontally out of the original stem of the plant---the end result being a larger harvest.

Which I found interesting, because I always thought you hilled potatoes & mulched with straw purely to keep potatoes from turning green. However, it appears that it makes your potato plant more productive. (We'll take any increase in productivity that we can get!)

So the project this week was taking a decomposing bale of straw, stuffing it in around the stems of the potato plant, then layering decomposed horse manure on top.

The second job came at the tail end of a rainy day...

It was time to get the yardstick and measure the sunflowers!

We're calling it 21" tall at week seven.

Micah and Dad were reading, so Juli and I set up the graph.

We'll be measuring the height of the sunflowers each week, from week 4 of KinderGardens (when the seeds sprouted) through week 18 (when the kids go back to school).

I know, it's summer vacation. But I'm a teacher. We do all kinds of learning things whenever we can!

If this is your first visit, be sure to stop over and visit T he Inadvertent Farmer to see what all the other KinderGardeners are up to.

Happy Gardening!

Summer Days

2011-06-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was the last day of school. To celebrate, there was a campfire!

I just about can't get over how backwoods this looks. The ripped jeans, the chickens in the yard, the tipped-over composter in the garden, the yellow rope on the sledding hill...I could go on, but you get the point.

Because when I look at that picture, all the imperfect stuff melts away, and I see this.
The smiles.

There was guitar music and a rendition of "Little Bunny Foo Foo". (We thought of you, Aunt Paula.)

There were s'mores.
There was a late bedtime.

* * * * * * *

The next day, I was checking our calendar, and it hit me that this summer is going to fly by at a tremendous rate. One of my fears is that we'll get to the day before school starts and someone will begin a sentence like, "Why didn't we..."

Or "I wish we could have..."

Fill in the blanks. We've all had summers like those, especially as a kid. You spend day after day, bored out of your skull. And then it comes---the day before school is to start, and you're thinking of all the things you still want to do before your time runs out.

Regret and I are not friends, so we've planned ahead.
Here is our giant list of all the things we want to do this summer.
Ready?

Swimming
Gardening
Campfires
Idlewild
Library (once a week)
Rollerskating
Camping
Circus
Muskrat Cove
Blue Sox Game (local minor league baseball)
Playground
Picking berries
Picnics
Farm Show
Fishing
Family Reunion in MD
Drive-In to see Cars II

And Juli had her own little list on the side:
Cooking lessons
Sewing lessons
Piano lessons

Todd and I would also like to escape during the week of the 4th of July. Grandma and Granddad have agreed to keep the kiddos. We'll be thinking out of the box to plan an inexpensive getaway. Maybe camping...

I also have a baby up in New York (born in April) that I am dying to see, so the kids and Grandma will accompany me on that drive.

All told, lots to do.
It will require planning and fortitude to make a good-sized dent in that list.
We're up for it.
:)

Here's to the beginning of a wonderful summer!

KinderGardens 2011, Week Six

2011-06-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

As noted last week, we needed to thin the sunflowers.

(When I garden with kids my strategy is to plant as many seeds as we have, since they don't always come up where you think they will.)

(Did you notice that Micah is sporting a brand-new Lightning McQueen digger? Courtesy of Grandma, who wanted to buy garden tools for Micah too.)

Thinning was much less traumatic for the kids than for me. I just feel so bad pulling something after it has sprouted and grown. It doesn't really feel fair.

So...I made it a little easier by transplanting the thinned plants to Granddad's garden. They hadn't yet planted spaghetti squash, so we thinned and moved those too.

I hope they make it. They wilted very quickly while we moved them.

Granddad's new watering wand to the rescue!

Anyone else watering this week? I have a feeling that quite a few of us made the jump to summer weather...finally! (To check up on the other KinderGardeners, hop on over to The Inadvertent Farmer.)

KinderGardens 2011, Week Five

2011-06-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

This is the week that we've been waiting for! The rain clouds have vanished, leaving us with beautiful, sunshiny days.

Can I tell you that we are growing one prolific oregano plant?

So prolific, that it is in the way of where I walk.
We whacked off a good third of it, and got the dehydrator out for the first time this summer.
Nothing like the present to put away some oregano for late summer spagehetti and pizza sauce.

Micah was my first helper.

"Why the sad face, guy?"

"This stuff smells, Momma!"

He helped take the leaves off one stem of oregano. It counts. He helped.

Another day, another helper.

I think Juli's starting to "get" more of the food preservation thing.

She helped fill the dehydrator with a second batch of oregano.

There will be no pricey $5.00 jars of spices purchased this coming winter!

I can't remember if I've told you about my jar sealer. Last year, my friends Jake and Julie borrowed my vacuum sealer to see if they'd like their own. In return, they bought me one of my favorite kitchen toys: an attachment that allows you to seal a canning lid on a jar---which is perfect for those things that you'd like to seal but aren't actually going to can---like herbs.

* * * * * * *

Juli's grandma (who lives next door, btw) helped further her excitement about working in the garden.
Her gift?
A perfectly kid-sized, perfectly girly implement set in a carrying case!
Have you ever?

Juli and I spent about half an hour out front yesterday morning, and our reward was getting to see a portulaca bud in her butterfly planter go from closed to all-the-way open.

During our worktime, Juli chose a spot for her mostly-dead perennial that she picked up at Lowe's for $1.50. (She shares my love for mostly-dead plants!)

* * * * * * *

Our mammoth sunflowers are doing well. They were three inches tall when Micah and I measured them on Thursday. This week, we'll have our first lesson on thinning...

Spaghetti squash plants are up and showing their first true leaves.

It's that time---the strawberries are beginning to ripen. Although I hated to surround them with all that black plastic, they have really thrived. Now begins the nightly task of pulling the row cover over the rosy-colored berries, in an effort to keep opportunistic bunnies and groundhogs at bay.

They've also started to send their runners, so this week's job will be cutting another row of holes and "encouraging" the runners to land in those precise spots. (I seem to remember a magazine article about using hairpins to get runners to root where you want them to. We'll try it.)

* * * * * * *

If you're not a regular over at The Inadvertent Farmer, you'll want to check out the links to the KinderGarden posts. There are more small gardeners linking up every week!

In the meantime, have fun playing in the dirt. :)