I have posts sitting in my draft file waiting for me to come across my picture-downloading-USB-thingie so I can upload our recent pics. Until then, someone sent me this list of quotes this morning and I deemed them worth remembering. 'Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.' - Ronald Reagan 'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.' - Ronald Reagan 'Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.' - Ronald Reagan 'I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.' - Ronald Reagan 'The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination. '- Ronald Reagan 'Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.'- Ronald Reagan 'The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.' - Ronald Reagan 'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.' - Ronald Reagan 'Government' s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.' - Ronald Reagan 'Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.'- Ronald Reagan 'No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.'- Ronald Reagan 'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.'- Ronald Reagan |
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I need to remember to get the KitchenAid Mixer out of the storage shed BEFORE I bake the next cake! |
We have these little guys all over our yard...well...under our yard. I will definitely be posting about them soon because they are really neat little creatures (not to mention on the endangered species list). |
Well, we are all finally reunited and have relocated to West Virginia. Dh picked us up last Saturday. We packed the remaining items in the car and on the bed of the truck and then trailered my car. The trip took about ELEVEN hours. It was horrible and "drove" us all to wits end. During the trip, I've decided that I have two of the best cats in the world. They were so well behaved in the truck. Originally, we were going to crate them both, but then I decided we would try harnessing and leashing them. They laid in the back seat of the truck with Ginger and we heard barely a meow out of them. They started to get a little uptight around the tenth hour, but really, who could blame them. Anyhow, my first 1/2 week here was uneventful. My computer was not together so I was suffering withdrawal symptoms  . We painted Ginger's room. She now has chocolate brown walls and we painted the ceiling and closet doors lime green. We are still going to pick two different color pinks and paint some different sized circles "falling" from the ceiling to the floor in one the corners. She picked the colors and so far it looks pretty nice. Funky and edgy...just like I would expect from her. She is very happy with it, so that is really all that matters.On Thursday, I brought her to a homeschooling co-op we joined. It was nice and she had a blast. The co-op is actually a Waldorf inspired co-op. It was difficult for Ginger to get into the circle time mood, but eventually she came around. On this particular day, they were dying with natural dyes. I bought Ginger some socks to bring because they were 80% cotton. I tried to get her to bring 100% cotton underwear, but she didn't go for it. When it was time to dye, some girls were dying underpants!  Here is a selection of some of the dyes. Here is a larger selection of dyes. They could choose to dye using grass, berries, strawberry, coffee, organic wine, turmeric spice, yellow onion skins, red cabbage, and beets. It is possible there were more, but I can not recall them. Some of the kids are just starting to dye. Ginger is dying a pair of socks in the yellow onion skin dye. She also chose berries, strawberries, grass, red cabbage, and turmeric.  During free time, the kids found this Tomato Horn Worm. It died before the end of the day since each kid "adopted" it for a time being. It died in the name of science, I guess. Here's my favorite picture. Notice it is her turn with the Horn Worm. Go figure, a housefly is not ok but a moth larva is. |
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For the past two weeks, I have been quite busy getting my stuff together. DH will be here one week from today to officially move us to West Virginia. He took off on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so he can help paint. I was a little particular regarding paint colors, so he figured he should just wait. It was probably the right decision. So, recently, I have been trying to plan out the first quarter of our year, as much as I can. There are still some sketchy parts. There are still some parts that need to be ordered. But, it will all get done. At least I know the general flow to our day and what we will be using. Here is what I have so far. I am writing this from memory. I will change anything that needs correction when I check my planning pages.
That's our list of roughly the first 9 weeks. I think it is a lot. There is also a possibility of a Waldorf style group co-op that we will be attending once a week. I'm intrigued and looking into it. Tell me what you think. |
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So, I took Ginger early this morning to do some more fact finding about the American Revolution, the Battle of Monmouth, and Molly Pitcher. Today, we went to Monmouth Battlefield State Park. When we got to the visitor center, we went into the little museum. We were greeted by one of the nicest park rangers I have ever met. He talked to us for at least an hour about the battle, and about Mary Hays. He gave us our own little private tour of their museum. Wonderful! I wish I would have thought to get his name. Then, we went outside and looked around. Here is Ginger with the monument that greets you as you come into the visitor center.
It is General Friedrich von Steuben. He was one of the two "miracles" which changed the direction of the war. (The other "miracle" was France's decision to join us in our fight against England.) General von Steuben trained and drilled the Continental Army during the winter in Valley Forge. Before his service, the new troops were not trained in maneuvers or tactical drills. They just joined the fight. The Continental Army was fighting a "professional" army, so they were losing miserably. They needed von Steuben to teach them the "art" of war. Here is another memorial we found behind the visitor center.
It reads, In honor of the Battle of Monmouth heroine, Molly Pitcher, June 28, 1778 Gift of the Historical Societies of Monmouth County N.J.D.A.R Monmouth County Heritage Committee And Friends Dedicated October 28, 1978 After we saw this memorial, I wanted to go to Perrine Hill, the actual site where Mary Hays helped her husband load the cannons. But, it was overgrown with grass and CORN, and Ginger had a recurring fear from that snake the other day. So, we ended up not taking the trail. Instead, we went to Battleview Orchards. We were going to go peach picking for a little while. Instead, I had to wait for this.
I discovered a puddle of fuel under my car and all over my engine. I'm pretty sure it was the fuel line. Since we had to drive about an hour home, I figured it was best to call the tow truck and not risk a car fire on the side of the road. With my mechanic husband being in WV right now, this is definitely not what I needed.
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So, last night we went to see an interpretive storyteller portray Mary Hays, better known as Molly Pitcher. Fantastic. The presentation also focused on the women "who belonged to the army" by following their husbands during the American Revolution. Through her "memories" she revisited the winter in Valley Forge, the "march", and then the Battle of Monmouth. She debunked some of the myth and the legend. Did you know that her husband neither died nor was wounded at the Battle of Monmouth? Did you know that eventually she received a military pension for HER service...NOT her husband's service. It was a wonderful portrayal. Later this week, I am going to take Ginger to Monmouth Battlefield to see the ridge where she ran the ammunition and the stream where she collected water. "Living" history...I love it. Here is a picture of Molly Pitcher as Ginger holds her ramrod. (I just wish I would have thought to ask Molly to put on her hat and pack again.)
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