For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

I seem to be hitting this blog about the same time every month, and it is not intentional! Our nice weather is so short; my computer time is really limited now as I spend almost all my spare time outside working. I have been horse training and we have baseball until mid-June.

We got word on the trial and it will begin September 8, 2008 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It will be every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday for about 5 weeks.

My niece is getting married! It’s a June Wedding in New Jersey!! We will all be attending. She has asked my husband to read their vows for them and stand in the place of officiate.

Our grass is turning green but the tallest mountain still has snow on its peak.

After June we are planning on a week at Virginia Beach with my family at the end of August. Then it will be a short time until I head back to NJ for trial.

For now I am focused on the children and the horses and making the most out of spring. I still feel a piercing pain most of the time, but I think you learn to live with it rather than it just going away. I am definitely changed as a person: more assertive in many ways, and much more laid back in others. Priorities have changed.

My Mom, niece, nephew (18) and great-nephew! (20 mos.) visited last weekend. We had such fun before they even got here, pulling up toddler toys from storage! We all had a great time. I put a couple of horsey-fun pictures here.

I hope you all have a wonderful spring holiday, Resurrection Day!

  It's like Facebook for Homeschoolers!

                                 www.thehomeschoollounge.com

Here is the description from the founder, Tiany's blog:

• Create your own space
• Start or join discussions in our Forum
• Start or join a group
• Start a Blog or Promote an existing Blog
• Create a slide show widget of your pictures for your blog
• Photo Gallery
• Video Gallery
• Live Chat
• Invite other Homeschool Moms, friends and family
• Members only community ~ All members, all videos and pictures must be approved and only the front page of our site can be viewed by the public for the safety and comfort of our homeschool moms.

All homeschool parents can sign up to join the Lounge from the front page and from there they will be approved for full membership to view all pages of The Homeschool Lounge. As for invites, you can send anyone you want an invite by clicking on the tab that says "Invite" and also the people that join The Homeschool Lounge from your invite link will automatically be included in your list of "Friends" aka Lounge Sisters."


Let me know if you join; I'll go find you over there.

Thank you for the support! I see many of us have painting to catch up on. Of course-- it shows where our priorities are. We are homeschooling!

I want to share something that has to do with this blog: yesterday I read over my Noah Plan Principle Approach material from the Foundation for American Christian Education (www.face.net).

In the past, much of it was confusing to me. Yesterday, it was like a thunderclap to my brain. I wrote to Dana (Principled Discovery) that maybe I had to undergo pain and suffering to be able to get the gist of it! Perhaps my mind has been through a crucible.

I'm just a cowgirl, wrangling with and training horses and kids (and occasionally sending my husband out for a spin around the corral, too.) Scholarship in jeans, that works for me!

First I want to THANK YOU for your comments on the trial. I cannot tell you how supportive it is to get encouragement, feedback and requests for info so that prayer is possible. YOU ARE SO GREAT!!

Let me quickly say that I will post word when it comes; I feel the trials will not bring closure… I am learning closure comes from God, courage, and boldly moving forward while keeping your loved one(s) locked safely forever in your heart and memories. The trial will bring about justice, which is its prime purpose. It will change nothing for us, or for the assailant. But justice is important.

The trial will open up a lot of new information and forensics that I am sure we would rather be without…but, we will get through it. It may set back our healing some, but that is to be expected and can be planned on.

God Bless you ALL!

Hello! Just want to pop in and say our trial date was rescheduled, with no new date in sight, so I'm home. 

My days are a plan of: 1) Feeding horses, 2) Homeschool, and 3) Painting my downstairs, including my kitchen cabinets.    Fortunately, painting is a long family tradition, and I have all the support I need in getting questions answered.

I hope all is well with you and all your families!! 

Well, it is a year to the day that my sister died. This is the 24th post I've written since then: that averages to two per month...not bad, I guess, for the occasional blogger I have turned out to be since our losing Dawn and having new lives.

I would like to thank you ALL of my special blog friends again for your love and continued support and prayers throughout the year. Prayers DO make a difference! I have never seen that so real as I have this past year.

I have also realized how much this tragedy has increased my faith in God. He has been so real, right by our sides, continually-- when we need Him most and do not even ask: He is there.

The court trials will begin in January. I do not know if I will have computer access during that time. The trials are expected to be a MONTH long. "An exercise in survival," is how I was told to view it, by Rich Pompelio of the NJ Crime Victim's Law Center.

So come see the new portraits at my blog sidebar: I am doing alright. Do we get a choice? My sister would never have wanted me to roll over on this. I live for her. I know she is fine: it is ourselves we cry for, as her best friend said to me. Still, she is missed, everyday. The pain will never cease. But that is okay. It shows how much she is loved.

We have snow-- I am enjoying being inside, doing lessons; I still go out to the barn 2ce a day to take care of the horses and other animals. We are looking forward to crafty projects and of course, a LOT of cookie making! Last year my son at I luv to bake made ALL the Christmas cookies for our whole family (us and NJ). He is keeping me to it again this year, I think!

So I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed holiday season. I will try to check in again before the trials, but, if I don't: God Bless Everyone.

I am an embarrassment to a long line of impeccable, capable homemakers.
 

Then again, I don't think they homeschooled.

Ok, they had to churn their butter and milk a cow before getting certain items into their kitchen. They didn't have a washer or a dryer.

When we had 3 babies, I could see this coming. I told my husband if we are going to homeschool, this day would come. And it has. It is 11 years late, if you ask me:

I HAVE HIRED HOUSECLEANERS!!!

I can't take it anymore. I have humbled myself and learned to live with dust. I have trained my boys to sweep, vacuum, and do dishes. They take over their own laundry at age 12 1/2. Still, it is not enough...

Here is a proposition for any mother: how about you leave your house for an average of 6 hours a day, leaving your kids at home the whole time you are gone? Then when you return, you have that whole mess to deal with, as well as dinner, laundry, and quality time with your husband. You must wrap it all into the few hours left at the end of a day.

Of course no mother would take this up and few, if any, live it. That is because most children are away at the government institution all day while mom and dad are out or at home cleaning, etc. Nobody is home making a mess all day.

The scenario above is what we sign up for by homeschooling. We are home, but we are teaching. I am unavailable for anything else, on average, 6 hours a day.

I know other moms and other families have found other answers. We used to do the big Saturday cleaning, but my husband has his own projects (related to a family farm life) to do in the little time he gets on the weekend. My Saturdays are pretty devoted to interior painting our home, and Sundays are for training the horses. Nobody has time to clean.

I found a very affordable, flexible service. I figure if they help with my regular cleaning, I'll get to the project cleaning, like my oven. Or vice-versa: they will do any job with the time I pay for.

It felt good to get the unreal expectation off myself: homeschool, horses in training,  husband starting a company, and a house I can live in. I don't see dust as a blessed, temporary condition anymore. I'd rather be blessed in the tightening of a budget and pay for housecleaners. I don't have what it takes right now to get my sons dusting or vacuuming blinds, etc. Also, they're busy, too-- they are getting older, and they have lives. It is a blessing to free up my husband's time and worries about me and the house.

And I'm not too proud to get help in my home! After all, we are homeschoolers! Why live with the craziness anymore if we can do something about it and get some real help? Teacher + housekeeper = two careers. I have read the books: there are many of them telling homeschool moms how to do it. Well, you know what my answer is...an affordable cleaning service. They're out there!

And the money we save on gas by being home all the time will help pay for it.

Think about it, ladies!
Allison

POMC's National Day of Remembrance is an annual event to remember homicide victims in this country. Each year, thousands of Americans lose their lives due to violence.

September 25, 2007 is the National Day of Remembrance.

This murder wall will be displayed at the nation’s capital on that day.

My sister’s name appears as Dawn Renee’ Katzman.

http://www.pomc.com/

Since racehorses make me cry, and I have been crying anyway, we did the only logical thing and got me a racehorse.

An ex-racehorse, really.

Here we are unloading Dreamer on the date of his delivery (my husband is the smiling guy with the cowboy hat on). The Jockey Club name is Dreamport, and he is a dream come true. I will be using him as a riding horse.

There are a number of Thoroughbred rescue organizations. Ours came through Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Many racehorses are done with their career by age 4, and since a large horse can live at least 20 more years after that, their life has just begun. The adoptions are extremely affordable.

Unfortunately, some owners opt to send their racehorses for slaughter. Thoroughbred rescues hope to give the animals a second chance.

Our horse is a six year old grandson of Seattle Slew (1977 Triple Crown Winner) and is a direct descendant of Man O’ War (my favorite racehorse) 5x in his pedigree.

He is a sweet, quiet gentleman, especially for one so young.

He is definitely a rescue animal because he is rescuing me.

Soon we will begin work on adding bedrooms into our upstairs loft. We need to knock down a wall in the house and put rooms in on the other side. First, the foundation has to be strengthened. This room I’m sitting in will be torn apart, and the ceiling lowered.

I’ll be spending most of my spare time on photos and scrapbooks.

Have a blessed day!

**Update: No need to drop the ceiling over my computer! Yippee yeaa! 

Well our guests are all back home again; we had a wonderful time!

I had to write a Victim Impact Statement for the prosecution and judge.

In 2 weeks or so we have to write the Commissioner of Education- again.

I am thankful for times sitting at the table with the children.

We have guests from NC, happily snowed in. Scott’s brother & family including a little boy who’s never seen snow before, plus a friend from NJ are visiting. The kids (big and small) are all having a blast. It is such a blessing.

We expect “ a very significant winter storm…of historic proportion;” we are under a blizzard warning. I expect to lose electric for a while later today into tomorrow morning.

Today I asked our legal counsel to advise us as to what the best choice is for us in his/their opinion for 2007, 2008, and the rest of our years homeschooling in VT. We have some good ideas but obvioulsy need to consult with our lawyers first.

This whole can of worms is something I would studiously avoid if I could. Especailly now. I don't know if I can handle the stress, but we really don't have a choice in the timing. I was supposed to be making this phone call 2 months ago (but) the world changed before that.

It is a rollercoaster ride: some days are more up than others. I've learned to turn from the phone (Prosecutor's office, etc. ) to my children's lessons. Being with them is so much more accentuated now- their kind innocence and goodness.

They have nightmares and are in counseling. I can do nothing but pray and have faith that this will be used somwhow to shape them for the better.

God Bless everyone- A.

Now there will be no living with me.

I called to check on my husband today and he said, "Channel 5 just left, and I did an interview with the Associated Press. They may send photographers..."

Our precocious 6 year old is at work with him today, so that is really funny. His brothers all wanted to know if they 'aimed' the TV cameras at him.

The segment is supposed to be on here Monday at 6pm. Since we don't use television, I asked our local reporter (age 86-94 or so) if we could come over and watch the news at her home. She is a wonderful lady and said, "Of course!"

I found the Associated Press article at WCAX Channel 3.

This feels good because my husband is happy (he deserves it) and it is something happy that's new, post post-trauma.

God Bless everyone, I hope you have a good weekend.

OK everyone forget what we learned so far about geting paragraph spacing on this new HSB interface- for the real answers, go here, courtesy of good friends at this here 'ol blog.

Thank you to all who wished a Happy Blogiversary!

My good friend Pomee  answered my question about getting paragraph spacing on this new HSB right here. Obviously, I don't get the point yet, but will have to pursue this when I return from New Jersey this weekend.

I also can't get the link to her blog to stick properly, so it's

www.homeschoolblogger.com/Pomaleedon

God Bless everyone, and I hope you have a nice day!