And let us not be
weary in well doing:
for in due season
we shall reap,
if we faint not.
Galatians 6:9
Recent Entries
Breaking News ... Just Seen in MY Front Yard!
A Little Bit of Brown ... with Bears!
Spring ... Yellow Snap Dragon
Spring ... Lemons
Spring ... Plum Blossoms
Spring ... Apple Blossoms
A Little Bit of Blue ...
28 Weeks and It's a ...
My Wonderful News
Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving.
Helpful & Encouraging Links
Keepers of the Faith
Ladies Against Feminism
Laine's Letters
Vision Forum
All content copyrighted by Rachelle.
All Rights Reserved. © 2005, 2006, 2007
|
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Positive or Negative?
Posted on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 6:40 PM by Dell - 0 Notes - Leave a Note - Link
|
This is an audience participation post. (Actually all my blog posts are!) I have a practical question at the end, but I can never simply and directly get to the point. I've got to ramble first and show pictures.
Speaking of pictures--have you ever noticed that photo negatives are rather disturbing? They have a disquieting way of turning familiar people and animalsinto freakish creatures with black cavernous mouths and spooky white eyes.
These particular shots were eerily fascinating to me in negative form:
The "positive" of these pictures are less otherworldly and marine. (I live in Wyoming; marine life is otherworldly.) In fact the photos are commonplace, flat and the lighting was awful. These pictures were taken in the loft of our barn, not because I think they'd be interesting photographic subjects, but because I'm hopeful that others can help me identify them.
We are cautious going up to the barn loft these days, choosing cool days when the wasps will be sluggish. Attached to the door of the loft are the following homes.
Ok, so here's my question: what inhabits these dwellings? I'm pretty sure at least on of the types is a wasp nest. We'd like to evict our unwelcome waspish tenants, but we don't want to mistakenly vanquish any little honey bee friends.
In short, are they positive or negative?
|
Home Spun strip #413
Posted on Nov. 11, 2009 at 10:12 AM by Cristina - 0 Notes - Leave a Note - Link
Sometimes it helps to have an older child who is very excited about learning games to balance the ambivalent child. Nothing makes an activity interesting as knowing your older sibling wants to play it.
Wordless Wednesday ~ Etch A Sketching
Posted on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 8:01 PM by Dell - 1 Notes - Leave a Note - Link
 (Click here to view collage larger)
~25 Days of Gratitude~
Posted on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 7:35 PM by FaithfulGrace - 0 Notes - Leave a Note - Link
Today I am giving thanks...
~for men and women who serve our country, to protect my family and sacrifice everything for us.
~for sweet friends
~for lessons learned and re-learned....the Lord is gracious to continually teach this stubborn brain
~for His precious Words that fill our hearts and minds...
~for this blog post and this one...
and then if that wasn't enough meat to get out the steak knife for ....
I am grateful for this sermon....
No exuses for complaining....I am blessed!!!
Fall soccer is over
Posted on Nov. 11, 2009 at 2:19 PM by Kim - 0 Notes - Leave a Note - Link
Our fall soccer season has come to an end. We had another wonderful season with some good life lessons along the way.
The girls had a great end to their season. They won the championship. It was even better because Brooks was their coach.
Here's the team giving high 5 after a goal:
We had an amazing goalie, Hannah.
Here's the whole team with their championship trophies:
And my girls --
Bekah was feeling really good and had asked Brooks if she could play. He told her that he would put her in toward the end of the game. She can run and play but she is supposed to avoid falling. Not too long into the game, one of our players got hurt so Bekah went in and played the whole game. She was out of shape from no activity since the end of August but she did a great job and the girls really enjoyed playing the final game of the season together.
Mark had a great last game. Here he is with his buddy, Jackson:
And Mark and Brooks:
Sam's team almost made it to the championship game. They lost in a shoot out in Friday night's game. Sam's coach said a small little something about each player as he gave the trophy. When the coach gave Sam his trophy he said "Sam I can play any position (last name)" Here is Sam receiving his trophy:
We have a couple of months of no soccer. Sam will play indoor winter soccer and that begins in January.
Wordless Wednesday: I Got You Baby!
Posted on November 11, 2009 at 9:00 AM by SuperAngel - Link
He leaves me wordless! So precious!
©AmandaDixon2009
Courtship in the 24/7 Era
Posted on Nov. 11, 2009 at 9:10 AM by Gena Suarez, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine - 1 Notes - Leave a Note - Link
My friend, Kim, has a saying on her Facebook, "A woman's heart should be so lost in God, that a man has to seek Him in order to find her." But this generation seems to be lost to Facebook and their cellphone making it way too easy not only to find her but everything about her too. The combination has made any rules of engagement (pun intended) obsolete.
David Brooks examines how cell phones have changed the dating game.
Once upon a time — in what we might think of as the “Happy Days” era — courtship was governed by a set of guardrails. Potential partners generally met within the context of larger social institutions: neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and families. There were certain accepted social scripts. The purpose of these scripts — dating, going steady, delaying sex — was to guide young people on the path from short-term desire to long-term commitment.
Over the past few decades, these social scripts became obsolete. They didn’t fit the post-feminist era. So the search was on for more enlightened courtship rules. You would expect a dynamic society to come up with appropriate scripts. But technology has made this extremely difficult. Etiquette is all about obstacles and restraint. But technology, especially cellphone and texting technology, dissolves obstacles. Suitors now contact each other in an instantaneous, frictionless sphere separated from larger social institutions and commitments. As a parent, we've encouraged our young adults to establish appropriate guardrails which will help them navigate the temptations that are ever before their eyes. But it isn't easy for them or us. We understand the traps that lay before them that could derail their hopes and dreams, but frequently our young people only see another "friend" to add to their growing list.
In the "Happy Day's era as Brooks identifies it, a young man thought longer before he reached for a phone and called a girl. More importantly, the ring of the phone and one-side of the conversation were heard throughout the household. Now, the instantaneous access to a new friend through cell phones makes it easy, very private, and speeds up the courtship process. Add in social networking sites like Facebook and young adults quickly learn what their new friend's favorite food, music, song, and a whole lot more before the first date. They become emotionally bonded and "in a relationship" before parents and others in their social sphere know they even exist.
Even parents like us, who have encouraged our children not to commit to a long-term relationship until they are ready for marriage are struggling how to navigate these waters. The only "script" seems to be written by the next generation as they go along, eliminating many safeguards that prevented heart break or at least softened the blow.
God said it was not good for man to be alone, so He created woman and said it was very good. We created technology that has become our constant companion and what is happening to our generation because of it isn't so good.
-Spunky
Cross-posted, with permission, from SpunkyHomeSchool
Happy Veterans Day
Posted on Nov. 11, 2009 at 7:13 AM by Homeschool Nations - Arizona - 0 Notes - Leave a Note - Link
Most people probably know someone - a grandfather, uncle, father, brother, friend - who fought in a war or otherwise served in the armed forces in order to defend the freedoms that we so often take for granted. Be sure to take a few minutes out of your day to personally thank them for keeping your country and your family safe. In addition, the modern patriots actively serving in our armed services today surely deserve our appreciation, support, and recognition. We can best pay tribute by recognizing what they have achieved and joining them in their resolve to keep America strong and free.
For Veterans Day activity ideas, and to learn about the history and traditions of this holiday, see: http://www.knowledgehouse.info/njfkveterans.html
Ode to the Mattress Maker
Posted on Nov. 10, 2009 at 7:24 PM by Sagerats - 1 Notes - Leave a Note - Link
The greatest man-made invention, in my opinion, isn't the steam or gasoline engine, or the computer, or even airplanes. I think it's the mattress. The kind the would make Goldilocks very happy, not too hard, not too soft, but just right.
I'm incredibly fond of my bed, made up of a mattress. If I no longer had a computer I wouldn't cry. If flight became a thing of the past I wouldn't worry. If I had to start walking everywhere I would probably grumble and whine, but I would get used to it. However, if I lost the use of a good mattress, I don't think I'd ever get over that.
You may think that I'm a hard-core blogger, but I put more time and effort into being a napper. Sleeping at night is only intensive training for my napping, and like a runner after a good, long run, I find it to have been hard work but well worth it--it gives me a rush. It can be exhilarating and then my body is ready for a good nap to recuperate.
Before the modern bed was invented, people had to sleep on poky straw or feathers. Quite a problem for those with allergies and deadly for those with asthma. Before that it was soft dirt or hard dirt, but I doubt there was ever any "just right" dirt. That's why the bears lived in a house and slept in beds. It wouldn't have been the same story if Goldilocks had wandered into a cave and tested three different bear wallows.
I completely and totally love my bed and all of the cozy comfort that it has to offer. It's just fills my heart with joy to crawl under the covers and snuggle down. Waking up in the morning is most painful. At least I have naps to look forward to.
To whoever invented the modern mattress, I am truly grateful. I wouldn't be half the napper I am now without it.
A Walk in the Woods This Time
Posted on Nov. 10, 2009 at 6:55 PM by Sombra - 2 Notes - Leave a Note - Link
Trent and Myles got a call from the apiary asking them to come help load the barrels onto the rig - the last step in getting their harvest to market. I decided to go too to take the littles for a walk, as they have such a lovely piece of property with lots of trees.
I bundled Elias up on my back, and we headed out of the yard.
We stopped at the chicken coop to say hello to the hens.
We walked along the back fence and through the gate next to their big pile of fire wood for the winter. As we walked, we saw all kinds of old buildings and pens that had been used in the last 50-60-100 years for animals and equipment. Collette was born and raised here, as was her dad. We came to a beehive that was all wrapped up for winter.
Janney noticed some dead bees on a board outside the hive. We didn't see any coming and going. Later I asked Collette about how the bees survive, given that they have a short life span. She said that the queen bee would have stopped laying eggs about a month or so ago, and the last of the eggs would have hatched recently.. so all the bees that are in the hive right now, will survive the winter in a semi-hibernation... but they'll live longer too, because they're not spending such energy going out and harvesting and tending to baby bees inside the hive.. less work means a longer life for these winter bees.
We headed into the woods, not following the path cut by the truck, or farm equipment, nor the path of freshly cultivated soil which I suspect is there as a fire break, it seem to be in a semi circle around the whole home yard. Rather, we followed what was either a deer trail or a horse trail. We found scat suggesting both used these paths, but there were areas where I knew for sure the horses couldn't pass, as there was fallen trees I had to move or climb under.
Asher had a melt down at this point.. just as we were heading into the exciting woodsy part of our walk. He wanted to go home. For me, I was only just starting, and the boys had about another 50 minutes of work, I didn't want to just sit in the van and wait. He sat in the middle of the path with his back to me. I couldn't leave him there, but I had to make him want to follow me. I kept walking, and eventually he came and held my hand, and kept up his whining for at least half the walk.. sigh.
Deciding which trail to take was sometimes difficult.. not that we would get lost, but there were intersections everywhere, and no street signs..lol Sometimes we'd choose a path, and two steps later there was another choice to make, another intersection. Sometimes the kids would make a choice that was easy for them, but would mean lots of bending over for me, and risking Elias getting twigs in the face, we had to make different choices.
Can you see the path? - see it there, right beside my shadow, where all the leaves are sort of in a line..
Eventually Janney and Asher began to notice their surroundings.. less consumed with themselves, and more open to where they were. We saw a Blue Jay, and Deer scat and dog poop and horse poop, and these white berries, and wasp galls on golden rod, and then this mushroom on a rotting stump.
 
Unfortunately, it took 45 minutes of walking before they started to open their eyes to nature, but I think if we go more often, the whining will deminish and the opening of the eyes will increase.
Susan, you said, if you lived out here, you'd just go walking out your yard and enjoy.. but you know, just as you get bored with your city surroundings, we get bored with our country surroundings. We've been through the pasture many times.. there's not much there. Walking through a crop field is not so exciting, there's no diversity, - wheat stubble is wheat stubble. You can't walk through the fields in spring, the mud sucks you in -you end up with "KISS" elevator boots .. gumbo sticks to the boots and you end up with 6 inches of mud stuck to the bottom of your boots, which is heavy. In summer the crop is growing, not "neighbourly" to walk through a growing crop... and the fall has the stubble. I do go out for a walk or a run, which I've sent you pictures.. so still, going somewhere else is fun, exciting.. and not so familiar. But I thank you for inspiring me, and encouraging me to go.
Oh, I forgot, When Myles went back this morning, I went with him and took some books for reading and study while he was loading the second half of the honey into the rig. Rick loaded the barrels into the rig, and Myles move them to where they were placed for best balance in the rig, and Collette kept track of the barrel numbers.
« Last Page :: Next Page »
|
About Me
Hello and Welcome to my blog.
My name is Rachelle and I am a Christian homeschool mom to my four precious daughters -
Rebekah(18), Bethany(16), D(9), H(7) and sweet baby boy(J). We have homeschooled from the beginning.
My sweet husband and I have been married for 20 years. :)
My Homesteadblogger Blog
Do Not Grow Weary - In My Garden and My Kitchen
My Daughters' Blogs
Rebekah
Bethany
Cooking With Two Sisters
Sewing With Two Sisters
Categories
A Little Bit of Blue
Arizona Sunsets
Blogger Friend School
Books and Magazines
Holidays and Celebrations
Homeschooling
In the Kitchen
In the Garden
Kid Quotes
Pets
Rambling Thoughts
Technology
Things That Make Me Smile
Page 1 of 5
Last Page | Next Page
|
