Hello to all. I have been too busy with home and work to even think straight lately. So, sorry to have not written anything too exciting - it hasn't been too exciting. Until today. I...actually...plucked feathers on chickens today and cut them up (this is not new). I did not gut them, DH did that. Nor did I do the deed. Never. Nor do I have any pictures. Not of that. But here are some pictures of the yummy chicken cooking on the grill.
I must tell everyone that this isn't a Titwad Tuesday sort of a project. Just in materials they cost us the value of the meat. Not to mention the value of our labor. I'm exhausted. But there was something satisfying in the process and even more satisfying to know where this chicken came from.
You all have a great week. I hope you are having some great summers.
Well, this has been a challenging week for me in many regards. One, I've been having trouble sleeping and also some trouble with anxiety during the daytime. I think there are multiple dimensions to that whole issue.
One, it was the girls recital this week - which was totally wonderful. But, I tend to get anxious leading up to big events like that even if I don't have a huge role in them.
Two, my husband puts in a lot of time on his farm projects this time of year - mowing fields, digging things up, stacking hay, spraying weeds, making ponds, moving cattle, tracking the weather, planting grass, watering grass. He did these kinds of projects when he was a kid even. It is hard when he gets going at high speed. Part of it - is it is just the most effective time for him to do all this. But, I also think he just gets going this time of year - really intensely. Maybe it's the long daylight hours. I'm not sure. But, hey, he's not down this time of year though.
Three, I think the summer solstice really effects me. Actually, I know it does. To the point that we have daylight blinds in our bedroom to block out the light. I was having horrible, horrible insomnia before we got those. I deal with that and with anxiety anyhow. It's just accentuated this time of year. I thought today, you know, they tell you during the winter that you should turn of the lights and not get so much artificial light. Well, how about in the summer, close the blinds early to make it darker and get to bed early. That might help.
School
Well, I think we will still do a couple more weeks of mellow school, but we are definitely headed towards a summer schedule. In July, my step-daughter will be with us most of a month and we'll totally just go and play, as long as I'm not working. I'm intending on working two to three days a week during the summer at our business (which is web related). My husband shares home duty with me and we use a little babysitting of a really trusted babysitter.
I may be a little more hit and miss on my weekly summaries as I won't be doing formal school over the summer. I really enjoy hearing from all of you and reading about your lives. I can't tell you all - especially when it comes to a couple of you I've really connected with - how much corresponding with you all does to encourage me.
You've been hearing all year about us going to dance. Last night was the recital. Oh, the girls were on cloud nine. Natalie wants to save her dance dress in plastic for posterity (like a wedding dress?). You know when things happen in your life where you just sense, there is no way I deserve this, God is just good to look out for us. This ballet studio is something like that. It's a Christian ballet studio where they teach classical dance. I knew "about" it for several years. But, I never knew how excellent their instruction was, nor how they teach the girls to give their hearts and minds and beings to serve Jesus. This school has a lower and a upper school. There were two different performances at the recital. I'm including pictures of both.
My Natalie
This is from Natalie's Ballet 1A class. This little girl in the back plays soccer with Rachel.
This is Natalie's little friend in Ballet 1A. I hope it works out for these girls to take the same class together next year.
Here is Ballet 1A (Natalie's class) taking a bow.
Here is Rachel's Pre-Ballet class doing some skips. Rachel is on the left.
This is Rachel's class coming out to take a bow. Rachel is on the left.
Happy 8th Birthday Natalie Grace! I love you so. You are growing into quite the young lady. It is my prayer that you will continue to blossom in God's love. I pray that you will learn to serve others with a humble heart. I pray that God's joy will be your strength. Time has gone so quickly. You were little, like Abigail, and now you are getting so mature. I am so thankful that God has so abundantly graced our family with the gift of you. You are beautiful and smart and inquisitive and thoughtful. You are growing in God's love and growing in your sisterly love - in being patient and kind and thoughtful with your sisters. I can't wait to see what God does with the rest of your life. May you be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and be steadfast to follow Him always.
Hi Everyone! I had a good week. We did homeschool four out of five days. Well Daddy did most of the fourth, so I could put in some time at our business. That fifth day, which was actually Thursday, if you follow me, we cleaned. Doesn't sound very fun, does it. But, we REALLY needed to do it. The weather changed this week and got rainy (well mostly sprinkly) and even a little stormy (thunderstorms), so that was fun. My husband was praying for rain so he could plant his field.
Things are up in the garden. I hope to get time to weed in the garden and in the flower beds. I never seem to get things weeded and amended in time to plant flowers. I hope to this year. Besides the weeds, our ground is like almost straight clay. It's awful. I mean you throw compost in it and it still forms clods and the thing that seems to like to grow in it best is crab grass. Crab grass loves clay! Well, I'm going to keep trying to amend it. But...my husband isn't as motivated when it comes to flower beds as he is when it comes to something that produces a tangible result (like a garden). So the flower beds are up to me to turn and amend.
You may notice when I show you pictures of my flowers, I usually show an individual plant (that somehow I've nursed to life). The exception would be my strip of shade plants. The previous owners of this place amended that soil quite well. I think because they had Hostas in there and they require composty soil. Ahhhhh. My house is the same. One my asked me if I was very organized. No, I am not very organized. What I am is a tremendous thinker...extremely analytical. So you get to hear all about the projects I get started here At Home On Basketflat. I have to try and reign myself in though and not do everything, because as Charlotte Mason said is (loosely paraphrased) that it is not the things we do that tire out our brain, but it is the things we leave undone.
Anyhow, it is Natalie's birthday this weekend and I may not get to gardening, but it would be nice if I could spend some time gardening as the weather is supposed to be nice and cool.
Here is something I want to share with you - a polkadot collage I made.
Hey, surprisingly I'm down 2 pounds this week for a total of 12 pounds lost. I'm not sure how exactly, other than cutting portions and desserts (minus the indescretion of some Haggen Daas today). My husband has helped with that. He hasn't asked me to make a dessert after dinner in several weeks. Yeah, for him. I was tempted last night. (Don't tell him. :)) Good thing he didn't ask me.
I get more activity this time of year gardening and such - but I wouldn't really categorize it as exercise. I want to HIKE~! And this plantar fasciitis is still dogging me. I really just need to stretch like ten times a day - because like three or four just doesn't cut it. And, I love hiking, and it's summer. I don't want to do without. That's my goal this week - stretch my calf and foot ten times a day.
Anyone else just love hiking? Summer is a great time of year to get in shape and enjoy the outdoors.
I found a new fun blog of a homeschooler and she has some pictures of her boys when they went to this children's museum. The particular children's museum looks very educationa. Here is her blog entry:
Some weeks I can remember everything that happened and other weeks are just a blur. This was a challenging week, brain wise it was a more cluttered week.
Faith
I feel challenged this week for some reason with the state of affairs in our nation and therefore in our economy. Some weeks, I feel full of faith and see things from more of an eternal perspective. At other times I feel challenged moving ahead.
Our Farm
We planted our garden last weekend. The automatic watering has been going every other day and we look forward to seeing starts. Jon moved both sets of cows this week to new pastures. He also spent a day picking up hay and reorganizing the barn.
At Home And About
The girls signed up for a new soccer program and they really seem to like it. It is very structured and they keep them busy. Also, they tell them when they aren't paying attention, also when they need to move faster. This is Rachel's first time in a soccer program, but she's been wanting to do one for a long time. Natalie really loves soccer, but hasn't been doing that great on her team. I think her team just sort of wrote her off because she tends to space out. In this program they don't LET her do that. And she loves it.
We went to dance on Tuesday. I was pleased to hear that they are planning on keeping the studio open next year. It is a Christian studio that teaches Classical ballet and my girls just love it, so I am very pleased. The director of the studio is moving away, so we were concerned about the future of the program.
We also went to violin this week, which Natalie goes to every other week.
We went to see one of the waterfall near our house this week and were able to see the salmon jumping up the falls.
I started out the week with the house being behind because of the all the gardening and outdoors activities from the long weekend and I just kept falling behind all week. But, last night and this morning, I and the girls put the house in order. They kept asking if they could play and I kept telling them that the house wasn't all the way clean yet. I think sometimes I end up doing everything because I feel guilty about asking them to help much. I'm not sure why.
In The Schoolroom
I can't really remember much about school, other than to say we continued with what we have been doing. The Burgess Bird Book, Parables Of Nature, Discovery Of New Worlds, Free Reading, Copywork, Saxon Math, God's Design For Plants. Rachel worked on Abeka worksheets and read some.
Our Business
I didn't make it into work during the week this week. But, Jon and the girls and I headed there for a bit today. I didn't get actual tasks done, so that is hard for me. I am trying to learn more Photoshop and move ahead with some marketing things I haven't done before and new things are hard to wrap my brain around sometimes, especially when all the girls are with me.
I homeschool my three sweet daughters on our little farm, plus live along side my sweet step-daughter, my husband, our cat, our dog, some cows, and some chickens... God has done a work in me bringing my heart closer and closer to my family. And I feel so blessed.
