I need to rest. Our week was crazy.
To recap the "highlights":
Both girls are ill - one had the virus move up into her head to cause sinus problems, the other had hers move down into a cough. Developing.
My favorite husband and son spent Wednesday evening (and early Thursday morning) in the emergency department with hubby tortured by what turned out to be kidney stones. Where was I? Well, I had been in town with the kids at a church youth group meeting when my favorite husband called me to say his symptoms (extreme pain) had worsened. He actually considered coming home (WHY?!). Instead he chose to take our now-driving son with him so that he could be driven home safely. I took the car full of groceries and two sick girls home (I didn't want the girls to wait in the germ-filled emergency room when already ill). My night was spent pacing, cleaning, folding clothes and all sorts of other mindless pursuits until the men arrived at 2AM. Symptoms gone on Thursday, apparently the stone(s) had passed.
Last night I was shopping for a few items for the kids in the small town nearby when I got the call from home that the dog had been run over and they (the remainder of the family) were bringing him into the vet. Fortune smiled upon Hank as he only needed stitches on his head where he was cut quite badly. He was covered in dust (rocks imbedded into his collar as well) and had many abrasions on his legs. We don't know what he tangled with, but it was something mechanical and he was able to get home. $170 and two hours later (pain pills, antibiotics, suturing fee, etc.) we brought our dog home, thankful that the event was not as bad as it could have been (understatement).
I need to rest, but school, home, family, church duties all clamor for attention. I must remember Thanksgiving is coming and I am so blessed.
11/10/2006
10/20/2006
Refocus
I spent yesterday watching, and participating in, a public auction sale of many items from my great-aunt's estate. The weather was crisp and clear, the sun even peeked out from behind the clouds occasionally. A virtual army of helpers began at 7AM to get the remaining items out onto trailers to allow potential bidders the opportunity to examine the items prior to the start of the event at 10AM. There were many unique items, but a lot of just "stuff" that we all seem to accumulate.
These auctions are typically community events, with some coming from far and many from near. Oddly enough, some small, very unique and old items never made it into the auctioneer's hands - having been taken by someone who took advantage of the trusting nature of the event. Knowing that I may have been standing close to someone who would do this troubles me.
The bidding began with a trailer full of tools and other miscellaneous garage items. Short work was made of that trailer and we moved on to the many household items which were to be sold. I purchased a few special things, but the budget did not allow for several things that went far too high. A very unique item sold was a baseball autographed by Satchel Paige. My great uncle and his brother belonged to a community baseball league and saw Satchel Paige play in a nearby town. While at the game, they each had a baseball autographed by Paige. It was fun to see someone take away that piece of history. I did purchase a few boxes of books, some from the late 1800's. I would enjoy keeping a few, but would consider selling some. I'm not quite sure how to go about that appropriately. Research project for another day.
I'm processing what could be considered the indignity of seeing someone's goods spread out for strangers to paw through OR I could examine this as a chance to share with others some of the wonderful things my family members had accumulated over their lifetime(s). Is this a glass half-empty or half-full question?
A related, but different subject....
I have been doing a lot of reading about preserving family histories. My father's family information is held by one of my uncles. My mom's family information is dispersed throughout many family members in the generation prior to mine. I'm not sure at what point my generation will be entrusted with photos (or copies thereof) and their accompanying stories or the family heirlooms that may not be valued monetarily, but rather in the memories that accompany them. Maybe when I turn 50?! I just hope that someday there isn't a box of old, old black and white photographs being auctioned for $5 to a complete stranger (as I saw yesterday) who only values them for the uniqueness of the pictures, not for the stories and memories that could, or should, accompany each of them.
One more....
Standing in line at Target last Sunday, I observed an elderly lady struggling to use her debit card for payment. I admired the patience of the young clerk who was very kind and assisted this woman with using a previously unused card. I also was overwhelmed by the courage shown by the elderly woman who had grown up probably purchasing items for mere pennies with the actual coin clutched in her childish hand to learning something completely new like using a debit card. It doesn't sound difficult to most of us, but she is someone, a stranger, I really admired.
These auctions are typically community events, with some coming from far and many from near. Oddly enough, some small, very unique and old items never made it into the auctioneer's hands - having been taken by someone who took advantage of the trusting nature of the event. Knowing that I may have been standing close to someone who would do this troubles me.
The bidding began with a trailer full of tools and other miscellaneous garage items. Short work was made of that trailer and we moved on to the many household items which were to be sold. I purchased a few special things, but the budget did not allow for several things that went far too high. A very unique item sold was a baseball autographed by Satchel Paige. My great uncle and his brother belonged to a community baseball league and saw Satchel Paige play in a nearby town. While at the game, they each had a baseball autographed by Paige. It was fun to see someone take away that piece of history. I did purchase a few boxes of books, some from the late 1800's. I would enjoy keeping a few, but would consider selling some. I'm not quite sure how to go about that appropriately. Research project for another day.
I'm processing what could be considered the indignity of seeing someone's goods spread out for strangers to paw through OR I could examine this as a chance to share with others some of the wonderful things my family members had accumulated over their lifetime(s). Is this a glass half-empty or half-full question?
A related, but different subject....
I have been doing a lot of reading about preserving family histories. My father's family information is held by one of my uncles. My mom's family information is dispersed throughout many family members in the generation prior to mine. I'm not sure at what point my generation will be entrusted with photos (or copies thereof) and their accompanying stories or the family heirlooms that may not be valued monetarily, but rather in the memories that accompany them. Maybe when I turn 50?! I just hope that someday there isn't a box of old, old black and white photographs being auctioned for $5 to a complete stranger (as I saw yesterday) who only values them for the uniqueness of the pictures, not for the stories and memories that could, or should, accompany each of them.
One more....
Standing in line at Target last Sunday, I observed an elderly lady struggling to use her debit card for payment. I admired the patience of the young clerk who was very kind and assisted this woman with using a previously unused card. I also was overwhelmed by the courage shown by the elderly woman who had grown up probably purchasing items for mere pennies with the actual coin clutched in her childish hand to learning something completely new like using a debit card. It doesn't sound difficult to most of us, but she is someone, a stranger, I really admired.
10/10/2006
Here we are again
-The sheep and calves have left for their winter homes. The lack of rain this summer has left our pasture with less grass than previous years. We had hoped to allow a period of recovery for the grass during warmer weather, but snow/rain is predicted for Wednesday so the recovery will be a sum total of two days.
-The three kids enjoyed a great weekend with my aunt and uncle as tour guides in and around Bismarck. My parents also experienced two nights with three kids in their hotel room (all were in Bismarck for an event). Sights seen by the children included a personal tour of the capitol, the state historical museum, time at the Lewis and Clark interpretive center and much more. The kindness shown continues to be greatly appreciated.
-We mourn, with friends, the loss of a lovely 18 year old. While we did not know the young lady, we feel the anguish and deep grief of several of her family members.
-Enjoyed a brief visit from my favorite husband's brother and wife. We spent a delightful evening out to dinner in Fargo, celebrating the brother's 50th birthday. Our entire family was then honored to have them spend the night at our house.
-Speaking of students-School is going well. We have begun cat dissection in anatomy and physiology. Prior to calling the ASPCA, let me assure you that I did not supply the model; I am not at all comfortable with this event, but am pressing forward as this is a required part of my education - despite the smell of the preservative making me physically ill last week (note to self: eat lunch prior to lab today).
-SNOW, that 4-letter word, looms in the forecast for tomorrow. It was 80 degrees on Saturday.
-Spending time with friends in person or via e-mail continues to be a highlight of our week/day. Keep those cards, letters, e-mails, instant messages, etc. coming. This year we PLAN to send out Christmas/Holiday/End of December cards to you all (unless we have no idea where you live or have lost your address in the paper abyss or if we have been cut from your list because we have not sent such a greeting in x-can't recall-x number of years) in which we plan to include a...drumroll please....a family photo. The reason for the great excitement? In the last formal portrait of our family we had two children-the eldest was 4 and the youngest was still in diapers. Things have changed considerably since that time - gray hair, another child (not necessarily related), let's just say that time has marched on.
-Quilting. I just found a lady in church who excels in this art. Our #1 daughter hopes to pursue a 4H quilting project and I hope to tap this woman's expertise.
-Outsourcing is a hot topic in our house. We purchased a computer system from DELL, along with several YEARS of support. The printer has started to do some bizarre things - like splitting lines of text, skipping lines of text - basically making printing illegible. I telephoned DELL - and, of course, found myself talking to someone in INDIA who gave me his American name as "Sam." Sam spent an hour on the telephone with me, assuring himself that I was, indeed, presenting the problem accurately and had not reset any settings within a variety of programs which would somehow cause printing to suddenly go crazy. Sam then told me that he would consult with his supervisor and then call me back with the solution. We reviewed my time zone - CENTRAL - 7PM. Sam was advised that he could call up until 10:30PM. I made a point of staying off of our archaic dial-up connection wishing to have this resolved ASAP. No call. Off to bed. AT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING (OK, it was 12:58AM) the telephone rang. "Hello Mrs. XX, this is Sam from Dell, prepared to walk you through the solution to your printer issue." "WHAT?" "DO YOU REALIZE IT IS ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING?" "I am so sorry Mrs. XX. Enjoy your rest and I will call you this evening." Keep in mind that this is not verbatim as I had been SLEEPING prior to hearing from SAM. Also note that this evening it will be one week since I heard from Sam-and the printer saga continues. There won't be a Christmas letter unless we can get it out of our computer. Ahh, outsourcing at its finest.
-Reading about McDonaldization. Interesting.
-The three kids enjoyed a great weekend with my aunt and uncle as tour guides in and around Bismarck. My parents also experienced two nights with three kids in their hotel room (all were in Bismarck for an event). Sights seen by the children included a personal tour of the capitol, the state historical museum, time at the Lewis and Clark interpretive center and much more. The kindness shown continues to be greatly appreciated.
-We mourn, with friends, the loss of a lovely 18 year old. While we did not know the young lady, we feel the anguish and deep grief of several of her family members.
-Enjoyed a brief visit from my favorite husband's brother and wife. We spent a delightful evening out to dinner in Fargo, celebrating the brother's 50th birthday. Our entire family was then honored to have them spend the night at our house.
-Speaking of students-School is going well. We have begun cat dissection in anatomy and physiology. Prior to calling the ASPCA, let me assure you that I did not supply the model; I am not at all comfortable with this event, but am pressing forward as this is a required part of my education - despite the smell of the preservative making me physically ill last week (note to self: eat lunch prior to lab today).
-SNOW, that 4-letter word, looms in the forecast for tomorrow. It was 80 degrees on Saturday.
-Spending time with friends in person or via e-mail continues to be a highlight of our week/day. Keep those cards, letters, e-mails, instant messages, etc. coming. This year we PLAN to send out Christmas/Holiday/End of December cards to you all (unless we have no idea where you live or have lost your address in the paper abyss or if we have been cut from your list because we have not sent such a greeting in x-can't recall-x number of years) in which we plan to include a...drumroll please....a family photo. The reason for the great excitement? In the last formal portrait of our family we had two children-the eldest was 4 and the youngest was still in diapers. Things have changed considerably since that time - gray hair, another child (not necessarily related), let's just say that time has marched on.
-Quilting. I just found a lady in church who excels in this art. Our #1 daughter hopes to pursue a 4H quilting project and I hope to tap this woman's expertise.
-Outsourcing is a hot topic in our house. We purchased a computer system from DELL, along with several YEARS of support. The printer has started to do some bizarre things - like splitting lines of text, skipping lines of text - basically making printing illegible. I telephoned DELL - and, of course, found myself talking to someone in INDIA who gave me his American name as "Sam." Sam spent an hour on the telephone with me, assuring himself that I was, indeed, presenting the problem accurately and had not reset any settings within a variety of programs which would somehow cause printing to suddenly go crazy. Sam then told me that he would consult with his supervisor and then call me back with the solution. We reviewed my time zone - CENTRAL - 7PM. Sam was advised that he could call up until 10:30PM. I made a point of staying off of our archaic dial-up connection wishing to have this resolved ASAP. No call. Off to bed. AT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING (OK, it was 12:58AM) the telephone rang. "Hello Mrs. XX, this is Sam from Dell, prepared to walk you through the solution to your printer issue." "WHAT?" "DO YOU REALIZE IT IS ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING?" "I am so sorry Mrs. XX. Enjoy your rest and I will call you this evening." Keep in mind that this is not verbatim as I had been SLEEPING prior to hearing from SAM. Also note that this evening it will be one week since I heard from Sam-and the printer saga continues. There won't be a Christmas letter unless we can get it out of our computer. Ahh, outsourcing at its finest.
-Reading about McDonaldization. Interesting.
9/12/2006
Trying Again
Oh, to have put together a lovely post, detailin g our activities only to have it lost when our dial-up connection is severed. To recap:
The kids are great. School is underway - and all are excited about new books and activities. We found a piano teacher that seems to have great possibilities. She pointed out some deficiencies in our #1 daughter's piano education - the absence of scale practice is one. Easily corrected. #2 daughter had her first lesson and is quite excited. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet program has been very good. #1 son was taken up flying - a front seat ride. He loved it and now has aspirations of a pilot's license.
17 lambs took a ride to "go away" somewhere. It is time - prices are up, we need the pasture to recover from having 50+ sheep on it.
My favorite husband and I are well. He continues to enjoy his position at work and is enjoying the crisp, late summer days. I am a bit weary after a controversy resulting in a long, late meeting last night with frustrating results. Too bad we can't just walk away, but the organization is our church. It is intriguing to me as to how some interpret Christianity - and apply the interpretation selectively. Moving is a possibility (what would I call the update at that point? Hmm, I have my pick of states). What are nurses being paid in your state? How does the cost of living look? Meanwhile, we plan to scale back our involvement to reduce frustration. We have missed traveling due to weekend commitments and hope to take that back up again. I hear the Badlands calling my name. School, however, is great. Thus far A&P's "A" is holding. Tests abound this week. One in speech on Friday, another in Cultural Anthropology on Thursday. A quiz on the pectoral girdle, upper appendages and spinal column today - 19/18 - missed one and got two extra points. Fun, fun.
The kids are great. School is underway - and all are excited about new books and activities. We found a piano teacher that seems to have great possibilities. She pointed out some deficiencies in our #1 daughter's piano education - the absence of scale practice is one. Easily corrected. #2 daughter had her first lesson and is quite excited. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet program has been very good. #1 son was taken up flying - a front seat ride. He loved it and now has aspirations of a pilot's license.
17 lambs took a ride to "go away" somewhere. It is time - prices are up, we need the pasture to recover from having 50+ sheep on it.
My favorite husband and I are well. He continues to enjoy his position at work and is enjoying the crisp, late summer days. I am a bit weary after a controversy resulting in a long, late meeting last night with frustrating results. Too bad we can't just walk away, but the organization is our church. It is intriguing to me as to how some interpret Christianity - and apply the interpretation selectively. Moving is a possibility (what would I call the update at that point? Hmm, I have my pick of states). What are nurses being paid in your state? How does the cost of living look? Meanwhile, we plan to scale back our involvement to reduce frustration. We have missed traveling due to weekend commitments and hope to take that back up again. I hear the Badlands calling my name. School, however, is great. Thus far A&P's "A" is holding. Tests abound this week. One in speech on Friday, another in Cultural Anthropology on Thursday. A quiz on the pectoral girdle, upper appendages and spinal column today - 19/18 - missed one and got two extra points. Fun, fun.
9/01/2006
Happy Birthday - "Little" One
Today we celebrate our youngest daughter's 9th birthday. Nine years ago, I labored on Labor Day. She was a scheduled induction and my doctor showed up in the morning wearing shorts and sandals heading out to a party. He checked in on me every two hours or so and was in frequent contact with the nurse. We were blessed that all of my brothers and their significant others were available to care for our oldest two children as we had commuted from North Dakota back to Illinois to have the baby (can you tell I LOVED my OB-and had to COBRA insurance and had to stay "in the plan?"). Following her birth (with my physician approporiately attired and present), we were surrounded by family members - all of us awed by yet another miracle.
I celebrate her birthdays with great joy, but a tinge of sadness as the little girl is rapidly disappearing, replaced by a delightful adolescent.
I celebrate her birthdays with great joy, but a tinge of sadness as the little girl is rapidly disappearing, replaced by a delightful adolescent.
8/24/2006
Animals, animals
Animal update:
1. Baby chicks everywhere. Hens are not offering eggs to people, but rather hoarding them in nests in the grass, in a corner of a shed, under piles of wood. Lots of babies.
2. Dog-sitting my parent's dog, Moco. She is a good dog, but loves to sleep on the couch. She has no shame or embarrassment about it.
3. One calf died (three left) despite the best efforts of all involved (especially the kids). They were quite sad. Lots of digging to do after that one. #1 son measured the dead and then measured the hole - 5'x4'. We took turns using the shovel. Took the good part of an afternoon.
4. The sheep are good, very good. We loaned three out to a friend who wants them to mow down grass and play with her kids. We sent our three bottle lambs to her house. I think we could make some $ this way! :).
5. Hank, our dog, failed 4H dog class. This makes the third time he has failed the basic class. Everytime we see progress, but not enough to pass. Developing.
6. Barn cats, barn cats available. Choose your color. 25# of food disappears weekly.
1. Baby chicks everywhere. Hens are not offering eggs to people, but rather hoarding them in nests in the grass, in a corner of a shed, under piles of wood. Lots of babies.
2. Dog-sitting my parent's dog, Moco. She is a good dog, but loves to sleep on the couch. She has no shame or embarrassment about it.
3. One calf died (three left) despite the best efforts of all involved (especially the kids). They were quite sad. Lots of digging to do after that one. #1 son measured the dead and then measured the hole - 5'x4'. We took turns using the shovel. Took the good part of an afternoon.
4. The sheep are good, very good. We loaned three out to a friend who wants them to mow down grass and play with her kids. We sent our three bottle lambs to her house. I think we could make some $ this way! :).
5. Hank, our dog, failed 4H dog class. This makes the third time he has failed the basic class. Everytime we see progress, but not enough to pass. Developing.
6. Barn cats, barn cats available. Choose your color. 25# of food disappears weekly.
8/23/2006
Car 54 Where Are You?
Are you old enough to remember that one? The yearly list, put out by some helpful university, that details what the incoming college freshman have never heard of always depresses me. I used to laugh at what I knew that they didn't, but now....
What's up with us?
August has been crazy. I took a summer class - comp 2, complete with a full-blown research paper in one month. Loads of fun, incredibly intense. And, drumroll please - YES, an A! I am jazzed. After taking one, count it one, day of summer vacation on Monday (8/21), I rolled into fall classes. Human Anatomy and Physiology, Fundamentals of Public Speaking, Cultural Anthropology and Mental Health. Loads of fun to be had out there for sure. 13 credits. I would actually like to take more, but the university charges by the credit hour rather than a flat rate for full-time/part-time students. Must remember to call to complain about that. I called my congressmen last week to complain about fuel prices and the lack of alternatives. Maybe another call is due there. Lined up piano lessons for the girls on Tuesday afternoons. Son is in Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program - got to fly in the front seat of a Cessna two weeks ago with another flight scheduled for Sunday morning.
The kids have been going, going too. My favorite husband and #1 son just returned from a weekend event in the Boundary Waters on a canoe trip. They saw lots of wildlife, bathed infrequently (not at all), carried all of their belongings on their back and had a great male bonding time. This was with a church youth group.
The previous weekend I took the kids on a church campout - a significantly more sedate event compared to the one hubby and son took on. This consisted of tent camping Friday and Saturday nights. All went well until my camping comfort was tested - severely tested. Saturday evening the wind picked up and it started sprinkling. Someone drove by our camping spot and said there was a tornado watch along with damaging hail, high winds and torrential rain (a hurricane?). Well, that's all it took for me to pack EVERYTHING except the tents into my car and hustle the kids (5 - I had a few extras along) into the nearest building basement, which happened to be a boys dorm. No mind - off the laundry room where we spent the night on the floor. No complaints here. Nearly all campers headed back to their soggy digs, but not me (nor my charges). The line was drawn in the sand and I wasn't going to go back outside at the point. Again, a good time was had by all (as I was in the hallway that night trying to work on my research paper!). The kids had fun with others jamming on various stringed instruments and playing Pit in the hallway (next to me trying to read government reports re: avian flu).
Another cool family outing was to the Science Museum of Minnesota to view the Bodyworlds display (check www.bodyworlds.com). WOWIE, ZOWIE. The kids thought it was too cool as well. If it comes within 250 miles (that is how far we drove that day - one way), pack up the truck and go to see it. I highly recommend renting the little handsets for additional tour info. Absolutely incredible. Hubby, who is a nurse, thought it was really cool. 16 year old son said it was amazing. 12 year old daugher loved it. Even 8 year old daughter found it to be intriuging. PLUS, I got a project credit for A&P. It was an expensive day (we went with a homeschool field trip group), but so worth it.
Upcoming plans? Well, one of Favorite Husband's brothers and wife are visiting in September - can't wait! School for the kids starts at the beginning of September - yes we are still homeschooling. Some of my classes meet on-line, I'm in classroom from 11-2 three days a week, hs early and late along with hubby doing it. It can be done. I'm learning the bones in the skull for a quiz on 8/29 (so is everyone else in the house!). Let's see, frontal, zygomatic, temporal, lactimal, mandible, maxillary, mastoid process, stylus process, occipital, coronal suture, etc. You get the idea.
Back into the fray. If you are still out there reading - drop me an e-mail.
What's up with us?
August has been crazy. I took a summer class - comp 2, complete with a full-blown research paper in one month. Loads of fun, incredibly intense. And, drumroll please - YES, an A! I am jazzed. After taking one, count it one, day of summer vacation on Monday (8/21), I rolled into fall classes. Human Anatomy and Physiology, Fundamentals of Public Speaking, Cultural Anthropology and Mental Health. Loads of fun to be had out there for sure. 13 credits. I would actually like to take more, but the university charges by the credit hour rather than a flat rate for full-time/part-time students. Must remember to call to complain about that. I called my congressmen last week to complain about fuel prices and the lack of alternatives. Maybe another call is due there. Lined up piano lessons for the girls on Tuesday afternoons. Son is in Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program - got to fly in the front seat of a Cessna two weeks ago with another flight scheduled for Sunday morning.
The kids have been going, going too. My favorite husband and #1 son just returned from a weekend event in the Boundary Waters on a canoe trip. They saw lots of wildlife, bathed infrequently (not at all), carried all of their belongings on their back and had a great male bonding time. This was with a church youth group.
The previous weekend I took the kids on a church campout - a significantly more sedate event compared to the one hubby and son took on. This consisted of tent camping Friday and Saturday nights. All went well until my camping comfort was tested - severely tested. Saturday evening the wind picked up and it started sprinkling. Someone drove by our camping spot and said there was a tornado watch along with damaging hail, high winds and torrential rain (a hurricane?). Well, that's all it took for me to pack EVERYTHING except the tents into my car and hustle the kids (5 - I had a few extras along) into the nearest building basement, which happened to be a boys dorm. No mind - off the laundry room where we spent the night on the floor. No complaints here. Nearly all campers headed back to their soggy digs, but not me (nor my charges). The line was drawn in the sand and I wasn't going to go back outside at the point. Again, a good time was had by all (as I was in the hallway that night trying to work on my research paper!). The kids had fun with others jamming on various stringed instruments and playing Pit in the hallway (next to me trying to read government reports re: avian flu).
Another cool family outing was to the Science Museum of Minnesota to view the Bodyworlds display (check www.bodyworlds.com). WOWIE, ZOWIE. The kids thought it was too cool as well. If it comes within 250 miles (that is how far we drove that day - one way), pack up the truck and go to see it. I highly recommend renting the little handsets for additional tour info. Absolutely incredible. Hubby, who is a nurse, thought it was really cool. 16 year old son said it was amazing. 12 year old daugher loved it. Even 8 year old daughter found it to be intriuging. PLUS, I got a project credit for A&P. It was an expensive day (we went with a homeschool field trip group), but so worth it.
Upcoming plans? Well, one of Favorite Husband's brothers and wife are visiting in September - can't wait! School for the kids starts at the beginning of September - yes we are still homeschooling. Some of my classes meet on-line, I'm in classroom from 11-2 three days a week, hs early and late along with hubby doing it. It can be done. I'm learning the bones in the skull for a quiz on 8/29 (so is everyone else in the house!). Let's see, frontal, zygomatic, temporal, lactimal, mandible, maxillary, mastoid process, stylus process, occipital, coronal suture, etc. You get the idea.
Back into the fray. If you are still out there reading - drop me an e-mail.
7/31/2006
Baked, Fried, Overdone
I CAN complain about the hot and the cold. The thermometers I passed yesterday had triple digit temps displayed. 110 was the highest. No air-conditioning at our house. I also spent the afternoon retrieving our #1 son from where he was assisting with the horse program at a summer camp 3 hours away. Enough said.
A very bright spot - I spent the evening with two friends seeing a local summer production of Fiddler on The Roof at an outdoor venue. We had a lovely time (although quite warm).
Meanwhile, we are soaking up the heat for this winter.
A very bright spot - I spent the evening with two friends seeing a local summer production of Fiddler on The Roof at an outdoor venue. We had a lovely time (although quite warm).
Meanwhile, we are soaking up the heat for this winter.
7/14/2006
Sweet? 16 and more
1. #1 son turns 16 today. Driver's license is in hand - eek!
2. First summer class completed for me. A, thank you. GPA is at 3.714 and dean's list spring semester. In Comp II right now, until 8/17 - fall classes begin 8/22. Not much of a break.
3. Homeschool seminar went great. Planning next year.
4. #73 (sickly little lamb) died. Very sad.
5. 5 chicks added to the menagarie.
6. We are breaking heat records in ND. There is a "burning ban" right now which means that our paper garbage waits for rain.
7. That's all for now - forming an essay that isn't in shorthand.
2. First summer class completed for me. A, thank you. GPA is at 3.714 and dean's list spring semester. In Comp II right now, until 8/17 - fall classes begin 8/22. Not much of a break.
3. Homeschool seminar went great. Planning next year.
4. #73 (sickly little lamb) died. Very sad.
5. 5 chicks added to the menagarie.
6. We are breaking heat records in ND. There is a "burning ban" right now which means that our paper garbage waits for rain.
7. That's all for now - forming an essay that isn't in shorthand.
5/24/2006
Here is what is happening
Again, in 'shorthand'
-3 guinea keets hatched in an incubator in the living room (28 days). Now residing in a habitat created for them in a refurbished fish tank, again, in the living room. Why? Why Not? Actually, the preferred food for adult birds is wood ticks. Need I say more? It was/is a great biology lesson for all 3 kids. They researched the ideal living conditions/food and put it all together.
-grades in for me - 2 a's, 2 b's. Disappointed, but not discouraged. Summer classes to follow - developmental psychology and comp II. Yippee.
-Son starting driver's education this week. Blessings to those who are willing (and have the control) to teach young men this skill.
-Son joining the civil air patrol cadet program. Great kids involved. We are always watching for good social opportunities because, you know (dripping w sarcasm) those homeschooled kids don't know how to socialize.
-All 3 children signed up for 4-H. Developing.
-Two of my brothers (w families) coming to ND at the beginning of June. Always a great time. Wish all 3 brothers could be here at the same time.
-To do: sign kids up for swimming, find a piano teacher for the girls, develop sophomore curriculum for son, schedule a brief vacation (have you seen the fuel prices?), fence more of the pasture in woven wire - 52 sheep eat a lot of grass - very quickly.
-Wanted: small diesel vehicle for husband to convert to veg oil fuel.
-Sheep are all OK. #19 acting a bit odd - dosed with wormer and penicillin. Improvements seen.
-Reading: consuming anything and everything that doesn't have to do with school. Some 'bubblegum' reading too. Developing a summer reading list for all 3 kids to be distributed at the beginning of June.
-Homeschool: Done for the year. Ahhhhhh.
-Developing: 3 seminars on homeschooling and a 4 day retreat schedule. Frightened.
-Musing: Interpersonal communications class highlighted the need for different levels of relationships. Missing - I/Thou friends. Relocating to an interwoven farm community does not allow relationships to easily develop, especially when you live in the middle of nowhere. Not whining, just musing.
-Sigh: 40 is fast approaching. Now I'm whining.
-Enjoying: beautiful weather. We have horrifying winters, but spring/summer/autumn can't be beat. The clear blue sky makes every day amazing.
-Planning/Equipping: Husband and son taking a canoe trip to Boundary Waters (Canada/MN) with the church youth group in August. Need to equip with backpacks, etc. Due to the lack of sanitary facilities (or any facilities at all) I'm passing on the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery, this time.
-Camping: The weekend prior to the big canoe event, I'm camping with the kids at yet another youth group event (lest you think I'm getting soft!).
-Gardening: Giving it yet another try. The wind and my lack of experience really keeps me challenged in this area, but the thought of garden fresh tomatoes keeps me going.
That's all folks! I'm mulling over more for later.
5/12/2006
AHHH
Second semester is over. As promised (predicted, warned, forecast) grades won't be as stellar. Comparative Lit was a bear - more like a book club with not a lot of instruction and papers due with ambiguous requirements. The final day of class consisted of power point presentations. It was apparent that the expectations were not clearly laid out as no two were alike in either content or presentation.
Today has been a bit of lazy day - with moments of intense activity as I attempt to locate the floors of the various rooms in our home. I warned the children and small animals to get out of the way. I have 3 weeks off and then begin summer classes. No rest for the weary/behind schedule (like 20+ years). I also want to exercise more - that gets shoved way, way down on the list when the list is long.
I did meet with my advisor re: transferring out at the end of next year. She laid out a very ambitious and stupid plan that included taking 20 credits a semester including chemistry, microbiology and anatomy and physiology - while dabbling in economics, speech and some other humanities class - oh yes, and college algebra. Since I value my marriage and family, a lesser load will be taken. It will take longer, but I won't be living alone at the end of the year.
The children are all signed up for 4H. It seems to be a great program - I never participated as a child, not sure why - but it will be fun for the kids. Son #1 is looking at the Civil Air Patrol Cadet program. I have had a terrible time reaching the organization to glean information. This doesn't bode well.
The animals are all good. Favorite husband has been collecting fencing from various sources. We need to fence another section of our land in woven wire (the big squares) as 52 sheep consume a lot of grass. Despite the fact that we have 35 acres, it needs to be fenced prior to sheep use (or I put the kids on horseback out there to watch them all day).
#1 son is also planning to take drivers ed class at the end of this month, IF he completes all of his freshman work. Motivation at its finest.
Hopefully I'll be back a little more often.
Today has been a bit of lazy day - with moments of intense activity as I attempt to locate the floors of the various rooms in our home. I warned the children and small animals to get out of the way. I have 3 weeks off and then begin summer classes. No rest for the weary/behind schedule (like 20+ years). I also want to exercise more - that gets shoved way, way down on the list when the list is long.
I did meet with my advisor re: transferring out at the end of next year. She laid out a very ambitious and stupid plan that included taking 20 credits a semester including chemistry, microbiology and anatomy and physiology - while dabbling in economics, speech and some other humanities class - oh yes, and college algebra. Since I value my marriage and family, a lesser load will be taken. It will take longer, but I won't be living alone at the end of the year.
The children are all signed up for 4H. It seems to be a great program - I never participated as a child, not sure why - but it will be fun for the kids. Son #1 is looking at the Civil Air Patrol Cadet program. I have had a terrible time reaching the organization to glean information. This doesn't bode well.
The animals are all good. Favorite husband has been collecting fencing from various sources. We need to fence another section of our land in woven wire (the big squares) as 52 sheep consume a lot of grass. Despite the fact that we have 35 acres, it needs to be fenced prior to sheep use (or I put the kids on horseback out there to watch them all day).
#1 son is also planning to take drivers ed class at the end of this month, IF he completes all of his freshman work. Motivation at its finest.
Hopefully I'll be back a little more often.
4/26/2006
One Month Later....
Head count - 26 sheep; 25 lambs; 1-2 pregnant ewes left to birth; one pony; 6 chickens; one dog; three children; two parents; multiple barn cats, far too many to count, but enough to give away.
3 weeks left in my school; math books nearly finished for the kids (a major milestone)
Laundry on the clothesline - wow!
3 weeks left in my school; math books nearly finished for the kids (a major milestone)
Laundry on the clothesline - wow!
3/27/2006
Here we are
Arrived yesterday - 20 pregnant sheep, one pony. Sheep shorn last week, due to lamb beginning 4/7.
Spotted this morning - one coyote running along the road less than one mile east of our house (considering a mutton meal?).
Car - it was a fuse! (read: easy fix)
Confusion - comparative lit class, certainly evolving and not as presented by the professor. Promise - this will not be an "A" class, much to my disappointment, although interpersonal communication class instructor would say that I am not projecting the correct vision for the future. Let's just call it reality. Plans have not been made to have a working knowledge of Heidinger, Socrates, Plato, Sofres, Freud, Jung, etc., (spelling? much less...) despite the assignment received at 10PM last night via e-mail to have prepared for Tuesday at 9AM. Is this lit or psych?
Outside - two kids Saturday night, sleeping. YES, voluntarily - working on an honor for winter camping. I'm supposed to do it too - auggh.
Strep throat? - youngest child ill since Weds. evening w 103+ fever, sore throat Saturday night w white spots. Off to have a swab, rapid results - negative. Ahh. Sleep for me for Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat? Minimal and not uninterrupted.
Sleep needed - not happening until Thursday night.
smm
Spotted this morning - one coyote running along the road less than one mile east of our house (considering a mutton meal?).
Car - it was a fuse! (read: easy fix)
Confusion - comparative lit class, certainly evolving and not as presented by the professor. Promise - this will not be an "A" class, much to my disappointment, although interpersonal communication class instructor would say that I am not projecting the correct vision for the future. Let's just call it reality. Plans have not been made to have a working knowledge of Heidinger, Socrates, Plato, Sofres, Freud, Jung, etc., (spelling? much less...) despite the assignment received at 10PM last night via e-mail to have prepared for Tuesday at 9AM. Is this lit or psych?
Outside - two kids Saturday night, sleeping. YES, voluntarily - working on an honor for winter camping. I'm supposed to do it too - auggh.
Strep throat? - youngest child ill since Weds. evening w 103+ fever, sore throat Saturday night w white spots. Off to have a swab, rapid results - negative. Ahh. Sleep for me for Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat? Minimal and not uninterrupted.
Sleep needed - not happening until Thursday night.
smm
3/17/2006
Two more things
1. Lest you be concerned that the children are being neglected (I may have left you with that impression!) - my schoolwork is done at 5AM and 9PM. Why did I spend so much time sleeping before this semester??
2. I am an aunt again - my brother and his wife became parents to a second lovely little girl. No name yet, but a girl born on St. Patrick's Day should be Bridget or something like that?? Probably not.
2. I am an aunt again - my brother and his wife became parents to a second lovely little girl. No name yet, but a girl born on St. Patrick's Day should be Bridget or something like that?? Probably not.
Out of the Loop
Yes, I've been out of "it" - full time school, full time kids, full time house, full time, full time, full time (hit the record player, there's a skip).
Brief update:
Car - back up and going - ball joints, tie rod ends replaced. #1 son learned a lot about front end work. Amazing former mechanic husband. Now to fix that pesky problem that showed up this week - headlights go on and won't turn off, the dash lights are out. Obviously electrical - replaced the headlamp switch - didn't work. Small repairs such as these sure beat a monthly car payment.
Husband - Recovering from a bout of mild flu-like symptoms. Enjoying his new position at work as house-wide float, PIC nurse and something else that I don't recall. Looking forward to fishing with #1 son. His family - Mom had heart rhythm problems; hospitalized and sent home w incident monitor..more to follow on this.
#1 son - Braces removed; height measured 6'1.5". Found out that his sister's jeans fit around the waist, but certainly don't have the length needed; doing incredibly well in math (absorbing concepts I must have slept through in algebra); becoming quite handy around the house/farm.
#1 daughter - Headgear on (the same day brother's braces were removed - fortunately the ortho's office takes payments and has up to date magazines because I'm going to be going there forever); 5'7" tall at 12 years old - recently celebrated a birthday; very capable in the kitchen; looking forward to lambing time which is scheduled to start 4/7; enjoys "Wednesday school" as there are two very nice girls her age who are good friends.
#2 daughter - Keeping with her brother and sister; recently talked Grandma into roller-blading in my kitchen(!): Loves Wednesday school (would now be a good time to say THANK YOU to those who have sponsored the kids? - I guess every day would be that time); also looking forward to lambing; lives in superlatives so she LOVES her babydolls, her cat and doing everyting everyone else is doing.
Dog - "fixed" after Christmas - don't worry, we can't even tell that anything ever happened.
Farm animals - #7 sheep died this week, don't know why; considering getting rid of all chickens or possibly keeping 1-2 in a small cage due to avian flu issues; sheep to be shorn before start of lambing - perhaps when they come to their summer home which isn't feeling very summer-like right now at a chilly 30 degrees.
Me? - see above. No, really I'm taking 4 classes which could be overwhelming if I allowed it to be, but I breathe into a paper bag and am just fine. Taking 400 level comparative literature; 300 level elements of health; 200 level interpersonal communications and 100 level fundamentals of music. Three are on-line, one in classroom two hours a week. Finals are the first week of May so don't expect me back here before that time. I am trying to figure out a way to get a small desk into the main part of our very small house so I can have my school work in an single place rather than spread out from living room to kitchen to family room - I need to find a desk for this too. School will be out before I get this project done. I'm trying to figure out if summer school is on the docket.
That's all for now folks.......
Brief update:
Car - back up and going - ball joints, tie rod ends replaced. #1 son learned a lot about front end work. Amazing former mechanic husband. Now to fix that pesky problem that showed up this week - headlights go on and won't turn off, the dash lights are out. Obviously electrical - replaced the headlamp switch - didn't work. Small repairs such as these sure beat a monthly car payment.
Husband - Recovering from a bout of mild flu-like symptoms. Enjoying his new position at work as house-wide float, PIC nurse and something else that I don't recall. Looking forward to fishing with #1 son. His family - Mom had heart rhythm problems; hospitalized and sent home w incident monitor..more to follow on this.
#1 son - Braces removed; height measured 6'1.5". Found out that his sister's jeans fit around the waist, but certainly don't have the length needed; doing incredibly well in math (absorbing concepts I must have slept through in algebra); becoming quite handy around the house/farm.
#1 daughter - Headgear on (the same day brother's braces were removed - fortunately the ortho's office takes payments and has up to date magazines because I'm going to be going there forever); 5'7" tall at 12 years old - recently celebrated a birthday; very capable in the kitchen; looking forward to lambing time which is scheduled to start 4/7; enjoys "Wednesday school" as there are two very nice girls her age who are good friends.
#2 daughter - Keeping with her brother and sister; recently talked Grandma into roller-blading in my kitchen(!): Loves Wednesday school (would now be a good time to say THANK YOU to those who have sponsored the kids? - I guess every day would be that time); also looking forward to lambing; lives in superlatives so she LOVES her babydolls, her cat and doing everyting everyone else is doing.
Dog - "fixed" after Christmas - don't worry, we can't even tell that anything ever happened.
Farm animals - #7 sheep died this week, don't know why; considering getting rid of all chickens or possibly keeping 1-2 in a small cage due to avian flu issues; sheep to be shorn before start of lambing - perhaps when they come to their summer home which isn't feeling very summer-like right now at a chilly 30 degrees.
Me? - see above. No, really I'm taking 4 classes which could be overwhelming if I allowed it to be, but I breathe into a paper bag and am just fine. Taking 400 level comparative literature; 300 level elements of health; 200 level interpersonal communications and 100 level fundamentals of music. Three are on-line, one in classroom two hours a week. Finals are the first week of May so don't expect me back here before that time. I am trying to figure out a way to get a small desk into the main part of our very small house so I can have my school work in an single place rather than spread out from living room to kitchen to family room - I need to find a desk for this too. School will be out before I get this project done. I'm trying to figure out if summer school is on the docket.
That's all for now folks.......
1/06/2006
Incredible Husband
My husband is raising my car from the ashes - think a phoenix - today. There is a lot of front end work going on which will also include new front tires. I am thankful that he can do the work because the price would more than double if we sent the car out to be repaired, but I sure wish this could have waited for a little longer, especially since it is so close to the "extra" holiday spending that went on at our house.
Books
I went book shopping yesterday - not for "fun" books, but for next semester's books. I am taking four classes - 1)comparative literature; 2)elements of health; 3)fundamentals of music; and 4)interpersonal communication. The book for health was used at $45; the CD for music was $92.75; the communication book was $78.25. I didn't purchase the books for literature from the bookstore because there isn't a text but several novels that I intend to purchase, used, on Amazon or some other on-line service. I can get all but one (still searching) for less than $3.00/each. Wasn't there discussion some time ago about why text books are so very expensive???
I Gotta Wear Shades
To borrow a line from the song...can't recall the title, that is my husband's dept....I gotta wear shades. That may not sound like a big deal to many of you, but it has been cloudy here for several weeks. We did see the sun briefly last Saturday afternoon, however, until yesterday there weren't any other sightings. Yesterday the sun not only peeked, but came completely out from behind the clouds - it was amazing. Hank immediately moved from his spot in front of the woodstove to a spot of sunshine. I transferred to a chair that allowed the sun to shine directly on my face, where I promptly fell asleep. It was wonderful!
1/05/2006
Field Trip
Last night the kids and I joined the church youth group for a field trip through a Fargo Fire Station. The station is quite new (on 15th St. N for the locals) and is quite amazing. The facilities are spacious and up to date, the fire fighters friendly and informative. Incredibly, they managed to keep the interest of the children from age 4 through 15. There wasn't a single highlight to note, in fact, there were several - the model of Fargo that is used to work with other agencies on disaster drills to assure that responses are coordinated between each agency (the kids just saw a really neat model that looked like a model railroad); of course, the cool fire truck-lights and sirens- and equipment; and watching several firemen slide down the fire pole! Thanks guys!
1/03/2006
Weather, etc.
Yes, we talk about the weather a lot in ND. For the past few weeks it has been quite foggy in the morning. It is very pretty with the snow on the ground (did I mention that we received approx. 10" of snow last Thursday?), but makes for interesting driving. Temps have been above normal (the average normal low in January is -1) for which we have been thankful.
My favorite husband celebrated his 40 something birthday last week. He enjoyed hearing from several of his siblings. The same day we celebrated our family Christmas. I might be willing to make this a tradition as shopping after the official day made for less expensive wrapping paper, bows, and gifts.
We (the children and I - husband was working) enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Day with friends. Great friends, wonderful food, fun sledding, a delightful day. Christmas Eve was not quite as pleasant. The children and I found ourselves watching traffic zoom by on 94 while waiting for a tow truck. The tow truck driver was efficient, but not very talkative.
Classes started for the children yesterday. I begin classes next week. I plan to purchase books today. "Wednesday school" for the kids is canceled for this week leaving us with an extra day to catch-up.
We enjoyed the cards and letters we received from each of you. We appreciate seeing photos of children that can't be that big (because that means that I am growing older) and reading about what each family has been doing.
My favorite husband celebrated his 40 something birthday last week. He enjoyed hearing from several of his siblings. The same day we celebrated our family Christmas. I might be willing to make this a tradition as shopping after the official day made for less expensive wrapping paper, bows, and gifts.
We (the children and I - husband was working) enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Day with friends. Great friends, wonderful food, fun sledding, a delightful day. Christmas Eve was not quite as pleasant. The children and I found ourselves watching traffic zoom by on 94 while waiting for a tow truck. The tow truck driver was efficient, but not very talkative.
Classes started for the children yesterday. I begin classes next week. I plan to purchase books today. "Wednesday school" for the kids is canceled for this week leaving us with an extra day to catch-up.
We enjoyed the cards and letters we received from each of you. We appreciate seeing photos of children that can't be that big (because that means that I am growing older) and reading about what each family has been doing.
Growing
On each birthday in our home we measure the children's height. Our son is pleased to have passed the six foot mark (6' 1/2" to be precise). Daughter #1 is quickly heading toward passing me at 5'6". Daughter #2 is exactly 12" shorter than her sister, measuring in at 4'6".
Again, there was a query
To celebrate a variety of recent events (favorite husband's birthday, end of a semester, $1.99 gasoline-although that is a thing of the past here) we enjoyed a meal out. We went to Saffron an Indian restaurant in Fargo. The kids weren't sure about heading into the unknown, but all enjoyed the experience.
Someone Asked
One of you out there (I think it was only one individual) asked how I did in my two classes. As the results were favorable I am pleased to share that I enter my 2nd semester of college with a 4.0 GPA.
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