I just saw this on Facebook from The Old Schoolhouse. It was so cute I wanted my friends to read it!

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Usually I'm pretty organized. Usually I don't forget EVERYTHING. But not this week, not today. Let me start by shamelessly plugging and thanking the good folks at SMHEA for a really nice curriculum fair this year in Knoxville.

We were tired to start with today. Dad has been staying with me through the week since his cancer surgery.  We were told by a nurse to go to the ER last night. It was a wasted trip. The ER doctor told us so. He said when he spoke with the nurse who referred us to come that she misunderstood Dad's problem and we needed to go home and continue as we had been. He's fine now.

Then of course we've had other family issues to deal with that I won't go into, but suffice it to say that we have enough, um--how to put this diplomatically?---activities going on in our family to start our own TV show. Ahh, never a dull moment.....:-)

My clock didn't go off this morning, which I'm officially blaming on a possible power surge.  My plan was to accomplish errands early  in order to meet hubby for lunch.  ALL I had to do was get tag renewals, mail some bills, handle a couple of calls and meet hubby for lunch before going to the fair.

It took longer to handle the calls and fill out the bills than I expected. The baby started teething again today with all the usual symptoms. By the time we left the house it was too late to meet hubby for lunch. When I arrived at the county clerk's office, I realized I didn't have the checkbook. They only take cash or checks. I asked where the nearest ATM was, and was informed, "It's just across the square."

Someone had their directions wrong. The particular ATM in reference wasn't there anymore. We'd already walked that far so we continued on foot to the next one.  We hiked three blocks to the nearest ATM without a baby stroller. It was in the back of handsome hubby's truck. He met me at the hospital to take the kids so I could go on in with my Dad and we just didn't move the stroller back. Did I mention that I have a heel spur?

It had to be comical to watch.  Here I am, strolling the streets with two kids behind me, a baby on my hip, and a limp in my leg.  The girls and I wear skirts most of the time and today was no exception. We must have looked like some sort of traveling religion, to borrow Andy Griffith's phrase. We sure covered a lot of ground today. At least Loudon is pretty and beside the Tennessee River. In true homeschool Mom fashion, we hiked by all the historical road markers so we could "count" today.  The kids learned that Loudon County was once part of Blount County. Okay, we covered geography, history, and  [huff, huff, ouch my foot!]  physical education....

As we were walking, my son's shoes started to fall apart. So we had to make another stop to buy shoes after leaving the county clerk.  But thank the Lord, we just happened to find a store that carries wide width shoes at reasonable prices. Now we know where to shoe shop for him from now on! Can I count that as economics? :-)

Before leaving Loudon, we tried to find the post office.As youv'e guessed by now, I'm not familiar with that town.  Directions [why do I even ask?] said that it was a few blocks down the main street. After going the wrong way down a one way street, making two wrong turns, we get to this post office and see that the back road to the post office is only a block from the county clerk's office.  (Cheryl, we saw Halburt in town too, but since we were running behind didn't stop to say hello. If he saw us, please explain and offer my apologies!)

Next stop Knoxville and hubby's office. He had the checkbook in his truck, as well as the stroller. But I forgot and left it after getting the stroller loaded. But we did manage to fax off an insurance claim for Dad for a bill that topped $108,000. No, that's not a misprint.

When we got to the Fair, finally, I didn't have enough cash to purchase my membership for the SMHEA, just the general admission.  Do I try to find another atm or go on in and browse? Go back to hubby's office or browse? We browsed.  I assumed that the larger retailers would take a card. Well, they did, but some of the vendors only accepted cash or checks. The baby was getting fussy again, not crying, just not happy.  I decided to drive over to hubby's office, get the checkbook, and give her a chance to fall asleep.

We get the checkbook, the baby still isn't asleep, but we proceed BACK to the fair to buy our books. Once we get there, I took my  little girl in my arms and rocked her to sleep. All she needed was Mama Love!  She slept all cuddled in a blanket in the stroller  while we paid for our SMHEA membership, bought our books, and finally were done.  But by the time I returned to the fair some of the books I needed were sold out. 

Oh, well, we laughed all day, believe it or not and couldn't help but get tickled at my misadventures. The good part is that we have stayed UNDER our budget [good considering all the extra gas mileage and shoe leather spent today], and finally bought a Jonathon Park cd album . I am hooked already!   And I met Charlene Notgrass today and she was so helpful!  I can't wait to go back and purchase the Record of the Learning Lifestyle. 

After today, though, perhaps I'd better shop online from the comfort--and safety--of my recliner!!

I think I've mentioned that I'm an East Tennessee native. If you come to East Tennessee, to visit or settle, perhaps you should know a thing or two about us.

1. We love geneology. Great Uncle Max could discuss history, literature,  Bible history and doctrine, and the bloodlines of every family in Blount County while sitting in a rusted chair under his sour-cherry tree in the front yard wearing his trademark sleeveless t-shirt, faded green work pants, and dirty unlaced work boots. Grandmother viewed geneology as an explanation for current events. She described   why someone behaved as they do because "....don't you remember that his Granddaddy was a bootlegging, cardplaying, no-account scoundrel?" Of course, she was overlooking the fact the we had an equal number of preachers and bootleggers in our own family tree...

2. We love food, plain food, and lots of it. Daddy always bragged the Momma "...could make a meal out of nothing."  And often we had to. Momma used to say that the key to Southern cooking wasn't how fancy it was, but the time and love you put into it.  Ah, Momma's cooking. That's just something we all love no matter where we're from, isn't it?

3.  There are MANY, MANY Baptists in the here. I once heard a lady complain about how "Baptist" East Tennessee was. Being one myself, and a descendant of man whose first name was Baptist , and married to a Baptist preacher, I just have one piece of advice. Learn to love us. We may be as plentiful as common cold germs, but we're much nicer to have around and you don't need lysol when we depart the vicinity.

4. We are actually 3 states in one, sleek, pencil-like outline. East, Middle, and West Tennessee.  No native of Tennessee simply says, "I'm from Tennessee." You will be given one of the 3 grand divisions to clarify matters.

5. East Tennesseans have a special dialect. It's different slightly than even Middle Tennesseeans and North Gerogians. Western North Carolinians are our closest drawling-relatives. When some people think "Southern accent" they don't realize that there isn't just one. We also love words. We like the sound of them as they roll off the tongue. A well-turned phrase is as dear as a well-bred hunting dog.

6. Two inches of  snow is a reason to push the panic button.  At the mere mention of the white stuff, we clear out stores of bread, milk, and bologna---in that order.  We can't drive in snow, either. Years ago, many in the generation before mine "went North" to find work. The ones who came back generally said, "It's just too cold up there!"   I think the over-reaction to bad winter weather here is a type of post-traumatic stress flashback to howling blizzards during their time in the Northland.

7. We give directions by landmarks, not roadnames. My husband is an exception because he grew up in town.  He knows the names of roads. Now I'll give you directions that sound like, "Well, you go down this here road until you pass that house where that feller jumped out the upper window  because his fiance ran off with the preacher's son that road motorcycles and raced and smoked and THEN you turn left at the house with green shutters and red geraniums--not the one with red cannas--and go for about one chorus of Rocky Top until you get to this lonely stretch of road that looks like that scene in North by Northwest...."

8.  We take deer seriously. That's why we have a state law that says you can claim fresh roadkill.

9. We like potluck. See number 8.

10. We like to laugh--and can take a lot of good-natured ribbing at our own expense. Just be sure it's good-natured.

Most casual readers of this blog know that I use Andy Griffith Show "codenames" for my kids instead of their real ones. In honor of baby #3---"Charlene Darling", the kids wanted to put their favorite Charlene song from the show on here.  But be forewarned, this one might "...make you cry"----Brisco's response to every song.

Being such Andy Griffith Show fans, Dear Son [aka Earnest T. Bass] wanted me to put a clip with Doug's tune up, too. He asked, "Is that how Dad courted you, Mom?"  Um, no.

My husband has been dealing with a stubborn kidney stone since MONDAY. He's been in so much pain and so sick with this. It's been a very rough week on him. 

Yesterday, when I asked how he felt, he said, "I have a headache."

Our 6 year old  daughter gasped, "OH, no!  He's got a kidney stone in his BRAIN!!!!!!!"

Time to cover biology, ya think?

Last year while waiting in a REALLY LONG line at the curriculum fair, I spied one of Todd Wilson's  homeschool cartoon books. Because I was trying to stifle laughter,  I was in tears by the time I reached the register and I know EVERYONE in line thought I was sick, or something worse!

I couldn't wait to share this with my friends, and--being conservative Baptists with KJV pre-millenial tendencies [golly, kinda makes it sound like a neurosis!]--we all got a huge kick out of the Rapture cartoon. 

Fast forward from last summer to this week. My pal Rebecca calls me and tells me between choking laughs,"I've found jean jumper Heaven! This store has denim jumpers everywhere!"

So guess where I'm shopping tomorrow? After all, I've got to get my denim trail Rapture-ready! 

I am so blessed to have great friends who love the Lord Jesus. Cindy is the sweetest, most humble woman I know. Rebekah is so kind, so Christ-honoring in all her ways, and such a wonderful refreshing person to be around. Jennifer is the smartest gal I know. And there's only one word for Kasey---awesome! These women challenge me to keep focused on Christ, to look to Scripture for my answers---they are speed-dial support group that   "...I thank  my God upon every remembrance of...." (Philippians 1:3). 

My pal Kasey over at her brand new blog Southern Fried has a great post---"The Drama Demon".  Great read!  My guess is we all know someone like that--or we've been that! YIKES!

Jennifer sent me a very interesting article yesterday called  "Homeschoolers Threaten Our Cultural Comfort."

Rebekah sent me a link to a blog that looks like one with which I could spend some quality and quantity time---- www.moneysavingmom.com .

ENJOY!

It's been difficult finding maternity fashions that are modest---in coverage, price, and style. Let's just say I'm not a gal that can wear bell-bottom maternity pants.  So last week I pulled out my sewing patterns to make some more clothes. My daughter is interested in all things crafty, so she came to where I was working and offered some comments.

"Mom, are these the patterns for your ETERNITY clothes?"  My son had to leave the room so he wouldn't laugh in his sister's face.

As calmly as possible I answered, "I sure hope not, honey. "

My dear friend Gail celebrated a birthday yesterday and as a celebration of our unique friendship, I threw her a birthday wake!  We had black armbands, funeral flowers, sang funeral songs instead of happy brithday, and mourned over a black beach towel with a chalk body outline. Yeah, I know it's tacky, but by now readers of Doehill ought to expect that from me!

We had presents of prunes, baby blankets [for her second childhood], depends, and humorous "over-the-hill" cards. It was so funny because no one is lesss "over the hill" than Gail. She is a woman of many surprises--she loves trips, snorkeling, antique shopping, catering, and rummage sales. She is one of the smartest and funniest and most gracious people I know--and the first friend I made at our church many years ago.

Here's to you Gail---you are one in a million!

Here's something I found from Eva over at One Room Schoolhouse. I just want to know one thing--did the person who wrote this interview my friends and family?  She's posting some really good stuff, there, too about politics and having the mind of Christ. 

What Gin Means

You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life. You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone. Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don't appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

That paranoia and jealous part hit way too close to home.......and if my friends leave comments I'll suspect ulterior motives [just kidding!] That wise part made me grin too....

When you have company over, do you "go that extra little mile"  to clean and and get ready? Well, I have. Here's some of the things I do to make my guests feel special.

I arrange the plants so that the sample paint swatches on the dining room wall aren't as obvious in the room known to friends as my "Joseph-coat-of-many-colors-dining-room".

I move the Christmas tree box out of the way so that my company won't trip over it. 

And, last but not least, I get out James' big old C-clamp and attach it to the cabinet panel under the sink  hoping that THIS time the Liquid Nails works....

Gee, isn't that how everyone gets ready for company?

Last year I was shopping the curriculum fair using my list, my method, and my budget. And then I found it. THE SPLURGE ITEM...

.The Official Book of Homeschooling Cartoons Volume 1.  Some smart cookie placed these in a stack near his register so Moms in line could peruse them. After that I took the kids to McDonald's for lunch and we sat in the car, kids eating, mom belly laughing.

This book tickled me so much that I took it to church with me to share with homeschool mom friends there. My non-homeschool mom friends didn't get it.   I'm still chuckling about the denim jumper/Rapture cartoon. And the Defcon 4 Homeschool alert. Oh, and the Dueling Homeschoolers....Needless to say, I'm a fan now.

The books are too funny and so's the author's website.  Scoot on over to read the article, "Top 10 Things Not To Say To your Wife in The Last Week Of Pregnancy".  Spit-on-The-Screen Funny.

I just got this from the Jan Brett email list--click title for more info:

Jan Brett's Friends Free School or LibraryVisit Contest

      Everyone may enter!   ....   Prizes will be drawn at random from all of the correct entries and will be announced on May 12th, 2008.  There will be a Grand Prize school or library visit, 2nd to 50th prizes of a copy of THE THREE SNOW BEARS and 51th to100th prizes of an autographed Jan Brett poster.
      Home school students are welcome to enter, but please use your local library for the address for your entry so that all students may share in the free prizes.
      Please limit your total entries to 1,000 per school or library.  Thanks.

I've already emailed our local librarian about this! Just visit the link above, participate in the "matching quiz" and you can enter.

This ought to finish up my 100 things list. It's been fun. What a great idea! Thanks, Angela for the challenge.  These are more on the line of "favorite things" than things I'm grateful for. I kinda hate to say I'm thankful to the Lord for some of the silly things on here. But it's the tail end of the list, it's late, and I'm bound and determined to finish this tonight.

76. francis the talking Mule movies

77. Sherlock Holmes stories

78. Agatha Christie mysteries

79. Shakespeare

80.  Maria Callas operas--well, these last three things really shouldn't be under a "I'm thankful" list, but more like a "favorite things" list

81. Yankee candles \

82. a house wired for electricity and that has indoor plumbing

83.  missionaries who devote their lives to spreading the Gospel

84. Gene Autry westerns

85. Mitford books

86. unifix cubes--what a handyhomeschool manipulative!

87. email

88. blog comments

89. my cell phone

90. To Kill a Mockingbird--movie and book

91. scrapbooks

92. the Lottie Moon Christmas collection

93. the Annie Armstrong Easter collection

94. Martha Peace books

95. Elizabeth George books

96. Anne Ortlund books

97. Answers In Genesis

98.  Sally Clarkson books

99. chicken and dumplins

100. playing bumble bee tag with my Dad [see my sidebar for the favorite post called "great Bumblebee Showdown}

So there it is. I'm sure if I were to do it all over again next week, I'd have different entries, some serious, some very silly like these. But the point is there are so many things for which to be thankful. delightful pleasures, places, books, sounds to enjoy, times to remember. 100 limit lists aren't nearly enough to tell them all. Thank you Lord, most of all, for loving and saving a silly creature like me.

I'm continuing the list of my 100 things I'm grateful for.  Part one is here.

26. my husband's family, esepcially his Mom, Shelby, and some special sisters-in-law.

27.  my husband's extended family. His Granny and Grandpa were two of the funniest human beings I've ever met. And his Aunts and Uncles are like my own. If I ever leave Tennessee, I hope it's for South Alabama near hubby's family.

28. my washing machine. Yeah, I know, it sounds silly. But we didn't have one when I was little.  'Nuff said.

29.  Diana Waring's  Christmas study--especially since I can't talk today!

30.  home-grown tomatoes

31. Daddy's Cornbread--it's even better than (dare I say?) my mother's! Oh, and his coffee is always perfect, too.

32.  the red-back Church Hymnal.

33. Melaleucca cleaning supplies

34.  cassettes from the last 12 years of church services from Friendship.  As librarian I have the enjoyable task of cataloging them.  I just love listening to those dear old sermons and songs over again!

35.  the cookbook my Mamaw wrote for me when i was eightteen with her standby recipes.

36. the bedspread my great-Grandma crocheted for her son Roy when he was in World War 2. Several people told her she probably shouldn't "do that right now", worrying in case he didn't come back. She continued making it--a sign of faith that her God would bring her boy home.

37.  classical music

38. Earl Grey tea

39.  homeschooling and homeschoolers--I LOVE IT!! It's really the best Christ-centered option to bring up a generation with a Biblical worldview.  I love the immediate sense of fellowship that Christian homeschoolers have--regardless of denominational affiliation. We are teaching our children for HIM. There's just something special about families that take the Scripture so seriously, that they are willing to sacrifice time, materials, and cultural expectations to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

40.  I'm thankful for my computer. My husband may not be so grateful for the time i spend on it. But I'm working to cut that WAY DOWN!

41.  Charles Colson's books

42.  the health of my family

43.  old photographs

44. sweet tea (on ice, of course.) I once read that sweet iced tea was the  "house wine" of the South. So true!

45.  Adventures in Odyssey cd's from Focus on the Family

46. Adrian Rogers' sermons on cd--priceless

47.  blogging--it's cheaper than therapy

48.  C.S. Lewis books--The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters, especially

49.  avocados [[Hmmmm--are you detecting a theme here? People, books, food....]

50.  taking trips. Doesn't matter where I just like to go.

My friend Angela over at Trusting Daily has issued a challenge. List 100 things we are grateful for!  because our lunch break is almost over, I'm going to break my 100 list in to smaller increments. The kids will be ready to finish school soon!

I'm thankful for:

1. Jesus, my savior who died for me and has given me eternal salvation! Galatians 2;20 is my "life verse".

2. My Godly husband who is my dearest friend after the Lord.

3. My son--who is precious

4. My daughter--who is precious

5. My parents--both Christians. My mother is at home with the Lord now and Dad is just at the house. No kid ever had better parents than me! 

6. My Godly grandparents. Especially Papaw Roy who taught me how to pray at his humble altar in the woods behind the house near the muscadine vines. I have to say, though, i did more snacking than praying then. And my sweet little country Mamaw who taught me about so much and was like a mother to me when My own little Mom went to Heaven.

7. All the rest of my family.

8. Being raised in Tennessee. I'm a 10 th generation Tennesseean [some of my ancestors settled here in the early Watauga days--it's no wonder my inlaws laugh at how many cousins I have! WE GOT HERE AND NEVER LEFT FOR NEARLY TWO HUNDRED FIFTY YEARS!!!!!!]

9.  Being a Baptist. I love all Christians no matter their denomination, but i have a special place in my heart for baptists--esepcially little Baptist grannies that talk with a twang and punctuate their sentences with "child" and "honey".

10. Voice of the Martyrs--what a dear ministry this is!

11. To have a Bible of my own, especially when so many of my Christian family aroudn the world don't have one.

12. Miz Ruby's fried okra--heavenly!!!!!!

13.  Love  notes from my children.

14.  A car--especially one that doesn't smell too bad. If you've read Doehill very long, you probably can guess there's a story behind that one.....I won't share it online though!

15.  My Sunday School class at Friendship Baptist church--they are the best group of kids I've ever taught.

16. My freedom & living in America

17. My dear church---surely some of the best people in the Kingdom go to Friendship. I love them dearly.

18. Creation Science

19. My Granny's recipe book she wrote for me when i was eightteen.

20. my great Grandparents--oops! I should have put them earlier on. My little Granny was blind when I knew her but she used to love to brush my long hair and tell me about Jesus. My Grandpa was one of the last real Mountain Men  that i know of---this modern world is too neat for the likes of him. He had a heart bigger than the handle-bar mustache he wore and the big Stetson he never left home without. OH THE STORIES HE COULD TELL!

21.  cold springwater

22. homeschooling

23. picking blackberries

24. singing in church

25. Gutenburg. Without him, I couldn't be the corner-stuffing biblio-hog that I am today. My husband, however, has placed a moratorium on my book acquisitions. He suggests I try to buy some clothes for a while.  No wonder he's #2 on the list.

Friends, Dedicated Readers [for lack of a real life, I suppose], and casual passers by of this blog---may I direct you to the link below to read one of the funniest homeschool items I've had the pleasure to read EVER.

Think the tune of "Twelve Days of Christmas" and then read the "Fourteen Days of Homeschooling" here:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SurvivingTheTestosterone/441517/?#c873897

A dear friend of mine gave me link to a neat online quiz that helps you determine your learning style. Her are my results:

40% auditory

35% visual

25% tactile

Doesn't that qualify as a statistical dead heat?  Hope your scores aren't as muddled as mine!

JoJo over at Communications FUNdamentals hosted the neatest contest about "family words" --little sayings unique to one's family. SURPRISE!  I won!  That's hard to believe because the entries were all so good. I enjoyed reading them a lot.  WHOO-HOO! I win a free ebook!

And what, pray tell, carried the day? When I saw JoJo's comment in my blog telling me that I won, I was sure it was about Great-Grandpa's "Ho-Bud" car. But no, it was for the traditional Doehill birthday song, "Ba-Bobby-Tu-Tu".  One of my cousins couldn't sing "Happy Birthday to You" and it came out the other way.

Wouldn't Mother be surprised? All our silliness actually won a prize!  What's really fun is that my uncle--whose sense of humor is zanier than mine--got a bunch of Ba-Bobby-Tu-Tu's today. I had just called him to sing his birthday song before reading the blog. LOL! Thanks, JoJo, and happy birthday Ba Bobby TuTu, unc.

It seems like I've spent most of the last four years without my voice than with it. We are in a "Mom can't talk" phase right now. We miss read-alouds, but thankfully we can find Bible readings online.

Yeah, right.

First, my children can't understand Alexander Scourby. "What'd he say,Mom?"  "Where's that guy from, anyway?"  My daughter asked, "Did he say the word for poot that we're not supposed to say?" with big eyes.  So, while big brother was collapsing in laughter, I looked for another online audio Bible.

The next one we found had static. The guy would be reading and then a small burst of static would play. "Did he blow his nose? He sounds like you when you blow your nose, Mom!"

I think we'll just wait until Dad gets home so he can read the Bible aloud for our lessons today.

Where oh where did I go wrong?

We are HUGE Adventures in Odyssey fans at Doehill!  We have almost collected all of the cd albums and they have been worth every penny! THey have some great Christmas episodes airing free online over the next few days.

Wednesday, 28th-----The Visitors

Thursday, 29th-----Where's Your Daddy?

Friday, 30th----BTV: Redeeming the Season

Over the weekend we went to the mountains. We got to see SNOW!  We traveled the Cherohala Skyway to Robbinsville, and then to Cherokee to see the Cherokee Museum. We came home by way of Gatlinburg.  ON TO THE PICS!

My husband got more than a chuckle--he just sent me this:

 I traced your lineage back further than that, near as I can tell you descended from a crooked farmer and a drunken sailor.  Please see below:

 

Gen 3:17-19:

[17] And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
[18] Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
[19] In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

 

Gen 7:1;7;23

[1] And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

[7] And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

[23] And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

 

Gen 9:20-21

 

 

And Noah begat ......................................................YOU.

[20] And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
[21] And he drank of the wine, and was drunken