Can you stand another bit of singing?
Please forgive me!
This is one of my all-time favorite songs.

This is one that always makes me think of My Guy...

And this is also a video that makes me sniffle since it's the day that my baby girl got back from New York.

Poor kid!

She got up at 3:30 a.m. in New York.
Caught a plane to Atlanta.
Then a church bus for hours.
Then unloaded at G'Ma's and showered.
And then:

I buy books.
I buy LOTS of books.
Mostly used, sometimes new...
And I have way too many.
So I want to share.

And I'm starting with an awesome book that I found I have two copies of.
I really don't need two of the same book.

So if anyone would like to have my spare, just leave me a comment here or at Down A Red Dirt Lane before July 31st..
If more than one is interested, I'll draw a name on August 1st.

Oh! What book, you may wonder?
Sorry! I forgot to mention that....

It's not in perfect shape but the price is right!
And the stories are wonderful!

We've all had those moments in homeschooling where we've wondered if it's working.
If homeschooling is the best choice.
Or maybe days of frustration where we contemplate the ease of life if we put the kids in traditional schools.
Or simply moments of reflection where we wonder if someone else could better get through to our child.

Or is it just me??!!

Anyway, my youngest (12) has never embraced reading or any type of language arts. Yet, I could tell she's an intelligent child. Not through any parental prejudice but simply because it's obvious if you're around her for any length of time. She's very articulate and quick witted, along with being a tremendous worker with an amazing memory.

So I assumed the problem was with me. And I would back up and formulate a new "plan". Her mind doesn't work the way mine does. She doesn't learn the way I do. And she doesn't "see" things the way I do. My goal simply became to back things up to where she did "get it" and go from there. Which is a good theory but  it didn't take the uniqueness of my child into account.

So did anything finally "work"?
Well, yes.
And thank you for asking!

What finally worked was to simply buy her a book she wanted, that her older siblings had read, and leave her alone.

Huh?

Yup.

She finished:
*drumroll, please*
And has now started on:

And since then?
All those other books she has been reading in between don't seem too overwhelming.

Barnes and Noble is having a reading program for 1st through 6th graders where they fill out a "journal" listing 8 books they read and they turn it in to get a free book. Her journal is filling up quickly!

But the best part? She wanted to do it!

My oldest daughter has abandoned me.
Oh sure, she'll be back.
But the point is that she actually had the audacity to leave in the first place.

Forget that she's almost 19.
Forget that she used her own money for the trip.
Forget that she calls every day.
Just remember that she left me.

She's gone to New York for a week.
The Bronx, no less.

And she's loving the subway.....

So I told her; "You can't stay there!".

"Of course not!", she said.
"I only want to come back once a month and stay for a week."

Pardon me?

...you should never let your water go dry in the incubator.
But if it happens one time, just one time, you'll have problems with an egg.
Not that we would do something like forget to check it once,
but from what the "big boys" have told me it could be a problem..... *ahem*

So assuming that someone else forgot to check the water one time and let it go dry, it could possibly make the eggshell too dry for the chick to get out.

And if, hypothetically speaking, that happened, the chick wouldn't stand a chance without a Hero to rescue it:

And it might be a messy job. And it might look like one bedraggled chick:

But the chick might just make it:

My Aunt Fran is a busy woman.
Ever since my Uncle died (has it really been over to 10 years ago?) she's stayed busy.
Really busy.
She lives "in town" and I rarely see her. Unless I bump into her at the grocery store...

She works part time at the Senior Center. She's been "dating" a widowed gentleman. She meets with a group of ladies to play cards (Guy calls them "The Blue Hairs"). She goes to church Wednesday night and twice on Sundays. And she's often on trips out of town.

But she finally made time for us last night. She's been promising me my favorite treat for some time now.
Yes, there was whining and pleading involved.

But I have no shame when it comes to this:Fried green tomatoes!
It's a southern staple and mine just never taste the same.

So she told me I had to feed her supper and she'd make them for me us (I had to share).
Deal!
So forgive the mess, it was all cleaned up after both cooks were done:

We truly enjoyed the visit and she promised to come back SOON and do it again!

Yeah, I'm counting this as "Art"...

I looked out my kitchen window this morning and squealed like a girl.

Honestly!

This is what I saw:

Eight little ducklings waddling around:

Busy, busy, busy! They don't sit still:

Following "Mama" wherever she goes:

And if that's not enough cuteness for one day, we also had this birth:

Freshly hatched:

And though he's way ahead of schedule, he's doing well so far:
His name is "Shel".
As in-

"Early Bird"
by Shel Silverstein

Oh, if you're a bird, be an early bird
And catch the worm for your breakfast plate.
If you're a bird, be an early early bird---
But if you're a worm, sleep late.

My oldest daughter has taken the summer off from college. She'll be going on a missions trip soon and she had to have her wisdom teeth removed, so taking off the summer seemed like a good idea.

But lately she's been really busy with singing and we all go as a family to support her.

So yesterday I said to the 12-yr old; "Do you ever feel like a tag-along? 'Cause I sure do these days."
"Oh yeah.", was her very dry response.
"But I'm usually stuck driving", I said.
She responded, "But at least you have rank. I'm just the backseat kid!".
I laughed so hard.
And when I told Guy about it, he said; "Tell her that's where the Generals ride."

So now I've lost all my rank.

Father's Day she sang at the opening of a cowboy church, so click if you want to tap your toes... (Hey! It IS a cowboy church!)

This is THE coolest science experiment in the world.
It's cheap and simple and has amazing results. 
That means it's my kind of science!

First, you put some cleaned up chicken bones in a container:

With me so far?

Then you pour vinegar over the bones:

We still good?

Then you put the lid on the jar:

See? Even I can do that!

Now you just put it aside for two weeks.

Ok, we had unexpected company so ours sat for two weeks and two days.
No problem! Just make sure it's at least two weeks...

I won't show you the results since it would ruin all the fun.
But it is amazing!

Knowing that the acid in vinegar dissolves calcium-
Ask the questions:
1. How have the chicken bones changed?
2. What would happen to our bodies without calcium?

And if you want to go further with it:
Bones and Calcium

One of the best things about homeschooling to me is the ability to take the time to notice things. We're able to slow down and really take a look. It may get us off track from our original plan of learning but it keeps us on track of the learning process itself. It keeps us able to enjoy learning....

Case in point is this gal:

When I went outside yesterday morning I saw her.

I have no idea where she came from or even where she was going.

But she was a welcome visitor!

Naturally, I had to run and get the camera. And naturally, I had to keep her around until the girls got up.

And even more naturally, since we homeschool, we had to learn more about this "box turtle"!

Since they're so common, you may see one. And if you do, here's a great site for imformation:
The Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)

Man, these guys are growing!
In just 4 weeks they've gone from this:

To this:

They stay outside during the day now.
Soon they'll be staying out all night.
Sheltered, of course.

It's been over a year now since we last had turkey poults.
And I had forgotten just how rapidly they grow.

Sorry Guy, they've been named!

The smallest one is "Colonel Mustard" (as in do you have a Clue what kind of messes a poult makes?) 
and the other is "Hardy" (as in Thomas, Tom for short)....

It's been a bit hectic around here lately. But then again, isn't that a common refrain for a homeschooling family?

Just to back up a few days....

Saturday we celebrabrated my youngest child's birthday. She turned 12. Do you have any idea how rough it is to know your baby is 12?
That means next year she'll be a teenager.
My baby.
*sigh*
Thankfully, she's not trying to grow up too fast:

And I never know what she'll want to do on her birthday:
*We've done parties with kids.
*Just family to see a movie. The interesting thing about living so far out in the woods is that going to a movie IS a big deal. We live an hour away from a theater....
*To the zoo in Panama City (Hey! She had broken her arm that year and that zoo is 2 hours away...).
*Chuck E. Cheese's (which I lovingly refer to as "Romper Room on Acid").

So this year?
She wanted family and friends that are like family to come and hang out.

I thought kebabs on the grill sounded great!

But it was a bit time consuming to get them ready, so I called in the Marines.
I love to call in the Marines!Look how good he is! And he grilled them, too!

We had a wonderful time but the very best moment for me was seeing this:Proof that they're not always fussing!

One word for you, Mr. Obama.
Just one:
Homeschool!

He's visited 57 states. And he still has one more to go? That would be 58?

But adding Alaska and Hawaii would make it 60?

The clip is only 25 seconds long.... 

We have been without television for 8 years. No cable (which doesn't exist out here) and no satellite (which does exist) and no regular local reception (which is just an amusing concept).

But stand back when we visit folks who do have tv.

Stopping by mom's, for instance, means that we're hollering "dibs" on the remote before we get there.

Guy likes The History Channel and all things war related or anything educational.
The 11-yr old wants cartoons.
The 18-yr old wants music videos.
The 26-yr old just likes to watch moving pictures.

Me? I only want to watch...

I know Guy understands and I hope Mel will.

But since we can't always visit when the show is on, my 26-yr old has been good at providing me in-home viewing with the purchase of these:

He'll continue to be fed.

My computer died.

I'm on a borrowed laptop.

I'm grieving.

It has no mouse.

Just a stOOpid touchpad.

Aargh!

Until this problem is fixed or replaced, I'll be offline.

I already miss reading about your daily happenings.

But I'll catch up as soon as I can...

*sniff*

Until then, I'll re-read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.

Maybe twice.

School in R Home is having a "mommy giveaway". 
"This giveaway is for any mother. Leave a comment telling me something about your children or how you feel blessed as a mom!"
Head over there to enter!

And I got a sweet surprise from blessedwith2angels:

(Insert 5 people to pass it on to in this space)

And finally, here's a neat link (free, of course) for languages, some of which I've never even heard of...
FSI Language Courses 

When I went to the feed store last week (which involves driving an hour and crossing a state line) they happened to have some cute little critters in the store. Honestly, I didn't even notice. But the 11-yr old was with me and strangely enough, she did notice.

And then it began... "Mom, look! Aren't they so cute? Mom, don't we need some?".

And being the rock that I am, I said with a sigh, "Yes. They are cute. And no, we don't need any. We have enough mouths to feed. Just get two.".

I hang tough.

So here they are:

And they're already spoiled.

But the funny thing is, they actually like to burrow....

And apparently it tickles when they do.

Courtesy of Arby and clan...

These swaps with Arby are fun! You never know what's going to be in there....

This time, Arby and Family have put us in prison!
Ft. Leavenworth, to be exact.

There's a book about the prison (we LOVE books!), some *coughcoughArmy* souvenirs, fabulous photos of local historical interest, maps showing some interesting topographical changes, postcards (to remind me of my child's neglected education, she hadn't heard of "Buffalo Soldiers") complete with personal notes throughout.

A fun, interesting and educational package from the Arby's! Thank you all so much!
And a special thanks to The Boss! Guy was only damaged a little....
You all are great sports!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I've been meaning to share a neat link for those who like Mad Libs.
You can play online at:
It's a Mad Libs World

And if you look on the left, you'll even see:
Mad Libs Junior

My husband will not wear a pink shirt.
He doesn't care if another man wears pink, but he won't.
Not to give the wrong idea here, though, he's definitely not afraid of pink.

As a matter of fact, he sees benefits to pink.

If he's taking his own personal tools to a job, he can recognize them.
They all have a tip of fluorescent pink on them.
And strangely enough, no other man ever tries to take them.

And he's secure enough to wear pink on say, a hat.
Which is what he did almost 14 years ago for our oldest daughter's fifth birthday party.
A Barbie birthday party, no less.I say only a real man can wear a Barbie hat and look this dignified!

We've had an onslaught of "must do's" that have kept us on the road during much of the day.

Things like a consulation with the oral surgeon to find out what it will cost to have the 18-yr old's wisdom teeth removed ($1373.00) and what our part of that will be (*gulp* $580.00) and other kinds of high-stress, non-fun, anti-schooling activities.

So here's what school has looked like lately...

For Home Skills, we covered decorating and recycling:

For Art, there's the "if life gives you an ant pile make a dragon" lesson:

For Science, since it's spring we're finding caterpillars:

For P.E. there's always hiking:

And Music is important:

Sometimes life gets in the way of school.
Sometimes life IS school.

Spring! Glorious Spring!

My bottlebrush plant looks like it will finally have flowers, after three years of waiting!

The Weigela is blooming:

We'll have fresh blueberries in June:

Pooh (26) got me this for Mother's Day, a few years ago.
So I call it my JaPOOHnese Maple:

We may never get apples, but we have the scented blossoms:

And this baby crape myrtle is less than a year old:

But these petunias are my favorite:
For a few years now, they've bloomed.
They were never planted there.
They were planted in the barrel to the right.
Apparently, some fell down and decided to stay.
And since our winters are mild, they've been blooming every year since....

I just love spring!

(Warning: The link is appropriate for married couples. I'd call it PG-18. )

I am a disgustingly happily married woman.
I say "disgustingly" since most people just get disgusted at how happy we are.
We do have the occassional spat (which, of course, is always his fault) but they are rare.

But I'm always open for improvement.

So when I saw an article called "What Keeps a Man Crazy in Love", I thought I'd check it out.
Better safe than sorry, right?
I mean, he seems really happy.
He says he's really happy.
But I'm always open to learning...

So I start reading...

Play Poker
Hmmmm. Already we have a problem. I'm a better poker player than he is. And I know more types of poker than he does. Ok, skip that and moving on....

Give the Perfect Backrub
Uh-oh. I've tried that and it doesn't work. It would take a jackhammer for him to feel it. I'll have to stick with a back scratch. THAT one I can do.

Tie His Tie for Him
Not looking good here. He doesn't wear a tie. Ever. And if I put one on him, he'd be most unhappy.

Make A Mean Steak
That one's easier. If it's beef, he's happy.

Quote At Least Three Lines from The Godfather
I tried this.
Really.
With my best mafia voice, even.
He looked at me like I was nuts.
I got a better response with,
"This is where we fight. This is where they die..."
in my very best macho, Spartan, voice.
Not a great response mind you, but a better one.

I gave up.

I said; "But I want you to be 'crazy in love' with me."

"I already am", he said.

*swoon*

USMC Pistol and Rifle Expert Qualification Badges

Authorized to US Marine Corps personnel who by personal skill demonstrate an ability and agility to operate USMC firearms under challenging and stressful conditions as measured by simulated combat exercises and testing. These personnel shall be relied upon by their comrades to perform with a high degree of accuracy at considerably distant range under real combat conditions.

My husband has a kajillion of these; both pistol and rifle.
He's an "Expert" shot.
He proved it annually while he was active duty.
And the man can still shoot even now that he's retired.

So I can't help but get tickled when I see this:
I mean, seriously, this is how close he gets:
It must be a "man" thing.... 

Forget "Where's Waldo?".
How about "Where's Guy?"!
Can you see him?

Wherever he flops down, he becomes a beanbag.
Couch, floor, doesn't matter.
He's just comfy.

Well, he may not be comortable.
But if you use him for a beanbag, you'll be comfortable.

(from my journal: Tuesday, August 14, 2007)

Peeved or Persecuted?

I got to thinkin' the other day about all the religious people who have come to accept a certain "thing" as "the "right thing", or even "the only thing".

You know, somehow they've gone through a step-by-step process to arrive at a conclusion and it becomes another commandment.

Thou Shalt....
or Thou Shalt Not....

Of course, it's not what Scripture says.
But they can tell you the whole logical process they arrived at to get to that conclusion.
It's flawed.
But they don't want to know.
They know what they know and that's just that.

And as soon as someone disagrees with them,
they pull out a "persecution card".
Like:
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9

It always seemed so.... I don't know, silly? maybe.
To call it persecution if someone simply disagrees with your interpretation is a bit much.

And it's sad that their next step is to gather all their buddies and gang up on the supposed offender.
Hateful things are said.
Shunning begins.
And so it goes.....
All the while claiming Christ and persecution.
Ironic.

Then I read about those who are tortured, or even murdered, for their faith and it makes all the petty stuff seem so much more petty.

"Why on earth would men and women leave the comfort of their homes and the safety of their homeland to put their lives at risk in order to aid strangers in a foreign country? For many it's hard to fathom. But for Christian missionaries throughout the ages, it can be summed up in two words: "Love" and "Obedience." Love for Christ and for their fellow man. Obedience to the Great Commission." (Fools for Christ's Sake)

Which reminded me of this:

You know you're old AND homeschoolers when-
You have to head to the city to get one of these:
And:
1. You count it as a date since it's just the two of you.
2. It becomes a science lesson and a unit study for the whole family.

Seriously.

While California is trying to decide whether or not a parent really needs to be certified to teach their own children,

there's a teacher in Florida working with other people's children who isn't.

He has a temporary teaching certificate. He's trying to get his permanent certification.

"Machacyk, 49, has dyscalculia, a type of dyslexia that involves numbers. His learning disability puts him at a fifth-grade math level. The state certification test asks questions on a 10th-grade level."

"Machacyk, at one point, lost count of how many times he has taken the state's General Knowledge Math test. (The answer, he later recalled, is five.)

He does know this: He has failed every one of them."

It takes a score of 200 to pass the math test. Machacyk came close once, with a 181. But it might've been a fluke, he said. "I sweated through that and guessed on most of them," he said."

Now, I'm not saying he isn't a fabulous art teacher. He may well be and it sounds like he has quite a fan base. I'm not even saying that I wouldn't let my kids take art from him. And I'm definitely not saying that his disability is laughable because it isn't.

But honestly.... he's teaching children with state approval without meeting all the requirements that California would require of me?

I'm sorry but that just makes me laugh.

So many folks are coming up with pithy titles for days of the week.
I'm not.
I can't.
I can't even seem to keep up with theirs.
But in appreciation for their timeliness and an apology for my lack thereof, I give you:
Wacky Wednesday.
This is where (for this particular Wednesday only) I try to catch up.

First, I missed Flashback Fridays with Kellieann:
So I'm flashing back to when this beautiful-hearted young lady
(who also happens to be my 18-yr old daughter):

Was a bit younger:

*sniff* Where did the time go?
(and no, the Chinese calendar isn't an indication of beliefs. It's a gift from a friend.)

Then, I missed Messy Monday with Mommyyyyyyy!!!:
And I was going to do a fresh picture of a new mess but the old one is still bugging me:
It looks a little different now.
But it's just as messy.
Only the papers have changed, to condemn the guilty....
(One more week of this mess just may prompt me to deal with it.
Till then, I'm staying in denial!)

And even before all that, I didn't share our most recent swap with Arby.
(Yes, I did thank him and let him know it arrived. Sheesh! I'm not THAT bad!)

This particular package was really interesting!
It had real life nature stuff!
I'm talking the kind of stuff that you have to wipe up after you look at it!
And this package caught Guy's interest, too.
There was information on the Osage tree.
The tree limb (ok, just a piece of one) has an orange hue that I've never seen but Guy remembers from his time in Illinois.

And cool, lethal-looking thorns from a tree that we don't have.

And seeds to plant our own bit of Kansas right here in Georgia!
And information on wildflowers and grasses from their area.
And the one thing both states have in common is the Eastern Red Cedar. I had no idea that they had them, too!

And, for dessert, a CD of the markers of famous Kansas.
(I say "dessert" since we're still working on the main meal!) 

Thank you so much, Arby!
Don't let the fact that I'm a slacker fool you into thinking we haven't been enjoying the package!

And last but not least:
(Hey! it was only day before yesterday! Something I'm not way behind on....)
Pam tagged me for What's On Your Fridge.
So here it is, in all it's glory:
(Does anyone else feel really vulnerable doing this?)

And since you can't tell too much from the picture, the stuff on the bottom is safe stuff for visting children.

My favorite is the little school bus at the very bottom.
When you push the bus, it plays "The Wheels on the Bus" and the lights blink.
I, uh I mean, they haven't worn it out, yet.

And the side has this:

Yes, I like refrigerator magnets. A lot.
And this is after I took it all off about a month ago, to clean the outside of the frig.
But so many are ones my kids made (see those mini tiles?).
And there's some from England and Scotland. Nona went. I didn't.
And then there's Maxine.
She says; "The kitchen just stays a lot cleaner if you eat out all the time.".
And that's my kind of logic!
And I'm supposed to tag 5 people.
But honestly, I'm really curious about all of you!

Please! Show me your frig!

Previously, I said:

SPOILER ALERT!

We finally saw I AM LEGEND.
It opens with Will Smith and his dog, Sam.
They both die.
The End.
Oh, and it was really scary.....

After we watched I Am Legend I was not happy. I had waited a loooong time for it to come out on DVD. The story drew me in and I was having a good ole time. The suspense was building and it kept me on the edge of my seat (Ok, so I was flopped on the floor but you know what I mean). And I love a good scary movie with suspense. I don't like slasher flicks, and gory stuff, but a good story? Oh yeah!

But by the end of the movie I was fussing!
"How could they...?"
"I can't believe....!"

And my 18-yr old said, "You didn't like it?"

"NO!"
I was mad.

"But it was so hope-filled."

"Yeah, whatever", I maturely responded.
"They killed off the two main characters."

So in the interest of fairness, I give you her views:

I just love that word! It was the name of my high school yearbook....

Anywaaaay,

I've never read Don Quixote (a translation of). And that's always bugged me.
Then I stumbled across a really cool site that e-mails it to me in installments:
http://www.dailylit.com

Some you buy, some are free. I stay in the "Classics" section (I think they're all free). 
There's enough in there to keep me busy for..., say..., the rest of my life!

And speaking of books...
Earthling has a "Prince Caspian Challenge" over at her blog.
She says:
"I thought it would be fun to get some people to read Prince Caspian together and discuss it before the movie comes out."

She also said it; "is not a hard or long read, and we have not quite two months before the movie comes out."
That was the clincher for me!

We (ok, my 18-yr old has/) have a copy on hand. I'm thinking we'll take turns reading it aloud....
If you're interested, head on over to take the "Prince Caspian Challenge"!


Moving on to movies....

SPOILER ALERT!

We finally saw I AM LEGEND.
It opens with Will Smith and his dog, Sam.
They both die.
The End.
Oh, and it was really scary.....

And I was shocked and amused to see that my words were taken and used as someone else's.
Shocked, because I stumbled across it and did a double-take because it was unexpected.
Amused, because, well, who knew I was quotable?
Not to mention my bad (ok, lazy) punctuation was also used.

From my profile:
About Me:
We homeschool because we know that: "Parents give up their rights when they drop the children off at public school." (Federal District Judge Melinda Harmon) and we're just too selfish to give up our rights- and our children- to strangers.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/profiles/CrossView/

What I stumbled on:
"You have been hoodwinked.

As Texas Federal District Judge Melinda Harmon succinctly put it: "Parents give up their rights when they drop the children off at public school." (quoted in _Schooling for a Global Age_, James Becker ed., p.xiii)

That is why we homeschool. And we're just too selfish to give up our rights- and our children- to strangers."

Amanda
http://superangelsblog.com
6th comment down...

Ain't that a hoot??!!

And to end on a good great note:
Maybe I could read Don Quixote in Spanish??!!

Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE! 

This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.

This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program.  Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking.  Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included!  For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports. 

To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these (blue) paragraphs and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JenIG/501132/  and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it.  And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it.  And good luck!  The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg.   And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win.   Yay for free stuff!

Genesis 2:18:

"The LORD God said,
"It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a helper suitable for him."

When The Lord God said that, it was in reference to Adam.
Adam, who was alone.
Literally.
There were no other people.
The population was 1.

Today, none of us are "alone". 

1 Corinthians 7 says:

"Now to the unmarried and the widows I say:
It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.
But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry,
for it is better to marry than to burn with passion."

"Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife."

"An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs:
Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.
But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—
how she can please her husband."

So is marriage wrong? Absolutely not.
But it also not "required".

"But if you do marry, you have not sinned;
and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.
But those who marry will face many troubles in this life,
and I want to spare you this."

Whether or not the Lord has planned for my 18-yr old to marry remains to be seen.

Forget Hardy, Dickinson, and the others.
I'm here to fill in your poetic needs!

Homeschooling

The neatest thing about homeschooling is-
you can do whatever works best for your kids.
 
If you like traditional schooling, they can sit at a desk.
Or if you're more a relaxed type, they can bypass a test.
 
The reason it works is simple to see,
you simply gear school to the child's capacity.
 
As they learn, you move on from there.
But if they don't catch it you stay where you are.
 
As the foundation is set, it's strong and it's pure.
The learning will grow and the children are secure.
 
They've got the knowledge, and the tests still prove
that learning is best when it's done out of love.

There's No Place Like Home...
There's No Place Like Home...
There's No Place Like Home...

I'm staying home today!
Last week was one road trip after another.
I hate road trips.

Every day had a far driving "have to" on it.

Tu: Take the Harley in for regular maintenance- 2 hr. round trip.
W: Pick the Harley up from regular maintenance- 2 hr. round trip.
Th: Doctor's appointment for regular maintenace- 2 hr. round trip.
F: Have taxes done- 3.5 hr. round trip.
Sa: Everything I put off all week and chauffering child (1 hr. round trip)
Su: Church- 2hr. round trip.

By the end of the week I was feeling:

But I'm on strike now and I'm staying home today.
All day.
Just knowing this makes me feel:

All images:
www.allposters.com/

Wanna go?
Come on!

Let's follow Guy as he heads to the woods:Ok, so you don't know him and he has an axe and a rifle...
Don't worry!
The rifle is for protection. There are snakes in the woods.
And the axe is needed for this trip!

Ah! There it is:

It's an old stump.
Woo Hoo!

So what's so special about this old stump?
Well, it's full of pine resin.
And that makes it fatwood.
Only Guy calls it "fat lighter", but it's the same thing.

So he gets out his handy-dandy axe...

And he gets some of this:
No, he hasn't lost his mind!
Not even after being married to me....

It's a "non-toxic, environmentally friendly, easy to use, hot burning" quick and easy way to start this:

Hanging out with Guy is always educational!

Flashing back to 2 years ago....

My youngest, the homebody, agreed to go to a basketball camp.
That meant that I got to drive her
an hour each way,
every day,
for a week.

And I was thrilled!

Not because she agreed to try it, though that was great!
Not because she'd learn more about basketball, though that was a bonus.
Not because she'd be "socialized" with a whole lot of kids her own age, though that was, well, never mind...
Not because we had to get up early and get on the road, though that was interesting.
Not because I got to sit on a cement floor for most of a day, though I met some great moms.

I was thrilled because it was a Meadowlark Lemon Basketball Camp.
I remember Meadowlark (can I call him that?) from his Harlem Globetrotter days. I saw them when I was young, and they were amazing!
The man is 76 and he still got game. He was gentle and elegant, even. The man is a legend! Forgive me, but I was all giddy and I just don't do giddy.

And he touched my shoulder. *swoon* 

Woo Hoo!
We got our swap package from Hilltop Academy!
What fun this is!
We're learning a lot about other states and really enjoying seeing the personalities shine through!

Disclaimer: 
My 18-yr old has a *ahem* slight addiction to all things chocolate.
So when you see the photo you may notice a partially eaten Moon Pie.
That is NOT the condition it arrived in.

Ok, moving on....

The 11-yr old made a cookbook with the state flag. Great job!
We''ll be trying some of the recipes (starting with the Candied Apples?)! LOL!
The 7-yr old gave us an overview of their football team. Another great job! I've only heard of the Vols....
(Those two are our favorites!)

There is a historical timeline which is a great idea!
A cute coloring book that covers the state symbols and facts.
Magazine articles from around the state.
Flashcards of their interesting famous folk with photos. (Toby Mac is our favorite!)
A Johnny Cash CD. And we love Johnny Cash!
Pamphlets on historical attractions. I'm currently reading "The Battle of Franklin".
And did I mention Moon Pies? Those are from Cracker Barrel which first opened in TN and the Moon Pies are still manufactured in TN.

Thank you so much Hilltop Academy for "swapping" with us!
We have thoroughly enjoyed your package!

We've begun reading biographies. I'm planning on one a month, at least. We've discussed the difference between a biography and an autobigraphy. I've made up a print-out to go along with it. The 11-yr old fills in the title, the subject, what the subject is famous for, and the author, along with any interesting facts as she reads.

So I pick up a book on Louis Braille. Our library had two; one was too easy and one was a little difficult. 
I got the latter.

After reading through it, I decided we'd count it as history and geography, too. The book is phenomenal!

The squawking began.

"Why do I need to read about a dead guy?"
"Because he made a huge impact."
"But he's dead."
"Yes, but what he did has far outlasted his life."
"But he'd dead."
"But there are millions of people who have been helped by him."
"But he's dead."
"It'll be good for you. And you'll get to read Davy Crockett next." *add "the look" here*

So she's had to read 20 (sometimes 30) minutes a day in this book.
It has a lot of French names and places so it can be tough to read.

And then a funny thing happened.
She started telling me some interesting things about Mr. Braille.
And conversations ensued.
How the blind were treated in the 1800's.
Why they were treated the way they were.
How one priest made an eternal difference in a life.
And on and on....

And just to be sure that she has the compassion needed, she had to be blind for an hour. Now don't get me wrong, she has a huge heart for the living. Even for the cranky people that we run in to... You know, the ones you just want to smack for being so rude? She's quick to defend them. "Maybe they just got some bad news. Or maybe they're not feeling well. Or maybe...." 

But after our starting discussion I wanted to be sure.
To begin with, pick up all your stuff and put it away.

No, I won't tell you what it is.

She got it done. And we went for a walk. And she "met" the 18-yr old to learn how and why to be introduced and shake hands. And she learned why the blind use a walking stick ("ouch"). And how a trained dog gives them freedom. And how boring it would be to sit in a dark space with nothing to read...

Arby tagged me with an interesting tag.
jsgay97 has started Messy Mondays.
And luckily for me they tie-in.

I'm calling it "multi-tasking" since the more honest description would be "lazy" and that just doesn't have the same ring to it.

The mess:
I propose starting Messy Mondays where we post pictures of whatever our biggest mess is at the moment. Who wants to join me?

The tag:
What's on your desk?

You can tell a lot about a person by the state of their desk and what they keep on it. So, share what's on your desk. You can take pictures, take an inventory, or do both. Don't have a desk? That's okay, just give us a glimpse into the space where you pay bills, write letters, grade papers, study, or work on the computer.

When you've finished your photos or inventory, post it on your blog and tag five more people to do the same. Don't forget to share the rules with those you tag and ask them to share their posts with you when they are done.

Yesterday, I dropped "My Precious"  so today I had to use the old stand-by camera with no flash. The picture is really bad and I apologize but I didn't want a little thing like a bad picture to prevent me from playing along.

So without further ado, I give you- my mess of the moment and the closest thing I have to a desk:

This is an ongoing mess. I'll clean it up and within days it's a mess again.
This is my forever Messy Mondays.

The far right is my stack of books I'm presently reading. My mood of the moment dictates which book I pick up to continue in.
The basket with a handle holds blank note cards and an ink pad and some stamps.
The basket to the right it has mail that I've organized.
The pile in the center are the new bills and some junk mail that I need to go through and maybe even pay.
The phone is a leash phone (corded) since every storm brings a loss of electricity.
There's also some loose change that one of my kids has apparently straightened out. Probably to count it...

There's a lollipop in the pencil holder that does not belong to me.
Behind the pencil holder is a pile of "gotta have on hand" stuff  like dentist appointments and the veterinarian's business card.
The pile to the left of the pencil holder actually contains folders that are organized for paid bills.
Oh, and on the far right is a candle that I need to toss. Maybe I'll do that today. The trash can is three feet from it.
The frames each have artwork done by friends and family.
Ok, that was just ugly.
So I'm tagging:

Prodoceo is one of those people that just make you smile because of her kindness. So I was honored to be given an award by her. 

THEN, I was also given thisaward by Nikowa who's another smile-maker that's a new friend.

How awesome is that??!! *doing the happy dance here*

Now I had my moments of wondering "Why in the world...?"
but I decided to ignore that and just say, "Thank you!"
So thank you both so very much!

 
And I don't have a very competitive nature so I get my kicks out of toying with those who do. My husband is one that's more competitive. He's one of those who is always working on doing his best. Not so much trying to be better than anyone else but always trying to excel against his own best. A man of integrity, even. I love that about him.

So to relax he plays Spider Solitaire. I don't find it relaxing. I find it annoying. But, I like to leave a good score open just because I know he'll keep at it till he beats it.

Yes, it's deliberate.
Yes, I toy with him.
Yes, I laugh about it.
Yes, he's aware of it.
But his competitive nature takes over, anyway.

But I got him this time.
His best was an 89. And now, he's got this to contend with:

Just one move less than his best. Just one move. Mwahahaha!

So do I have a big head now? Nah:

I saw this at Huber Hoff Academy and had to try! 

You Are Bare Feet

You are a true free spirit, and you can't be tied down. Even wearing shoes can be a little too constraining for you at times! You are very comfortable in your own skin. You are one of the most real people around. You don't have anything to hide. Open and accepting, you are willing to discuss or entertain almost any topic. You are a very tolerant person. You are accepting and not judgmental. You should live: Somewhere warm You should work: At your own business, where you can set the rules

It's Friday and I'm having a "flashback".

After the break (just home from the ER):

After the permanent cast:

And a month later, a revised birthday party to the zoo (instead of the Moonwalk in the yard):

I started a grocery list the other night so I wouldn't forget the necessities when I ran to town the next morning.

And when I stumbled in to make coffee I found this:

Over in the left-hand margin it says:

"I love you more than all of the cacao beans in all of the tropical and temperate climates in all of the world! and more than what comes from them! *gasp!*  K"

Ok, I admit it took me a minute to decipher the meaning.
It was early and I hadn't even made coffee, yet.
But when I realized that my 18-yr old loves me more than chocolate I was a very happy mom!
And then I got tickled at how far behind those homeschoolers are....

Living in the country means that we spend a lot of time outdoors.

And being outdoors in the country means that we see a lot of cool stuff that we never did get to see in the city.

Let me show you...

We see deer tracks:

And raccoon tracks:

And deer and rabbit "droppings":

And, of course:

We find:

That ever elusive:

Pond scum:

My husband requested strawberry pancakes.
So while I was getting the batter ready for those, I realized I wasn't in the mood for fruit pancakes.

I was in the mood for the other food group.

I'm all about feeding my family nutritious meals.

So I added these:
CHOCOLATE! The Other Food Group:

And yes, I made him strawberry pancakes.