Earthy Mother

I LOVE JANUARY!

2012-01-26T14:31:00.006-05:00

Not sure how long I have felt this way... I know that I used to always hate February until we moved to this house and discovered maple sugaring and now I love February too.. This January... it started off pretty rough... sickness and conflicts... but I have found such rest! In the midst of snow and the flu and so many suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorders, I find myself feeling renewed! I don't mean to lack compassion, come July you will likely find me with reverse SAD, so I do sympathize with those of you who have the winter blues. You won't often find me rolling in the snow, or often donning the ice skates, and never the skis! But the children love the snow, their excitement is contagious, and taking them to the ice skating rink is a pleasure, especially when I get to sit by the big fire with a friend and chat for a few hours! Jason will be taking our older daughters to the slopes soon and I am excited to hear all about it! Coffee takes on so much more life in the morning when the air is crisp and the sills are fluffy and white... The spiders are not peering at me from every basement rafter while I do laundry, though there are a few seeking refuge in cozier corners upstairs, but not nearly as many as the warmer months. Baking and blankets, hot baths and snuggling with my hot man, stocking the wood stove and even occasionally stacking the wood, all bring me immense satisfaction and pleasure. I have to confess that being beyond the past year's holidays is also part of the joy, they were really great this year, and I am so appreciative of the reason for the season and the friends and family that share the joy in so many ways... but having a less busy calendar, taking down the decorations and giving the house a thorough cleaning just adds to the current cozy feeling for me. Seed catalogs have started arriving and so have the baby bunnies, and any day we expect to find goat kids waiting for us in the barn. Our orchid is about to burst into bloom and so is our wonderfully retarded Christmas cactus! Our anniversary and Valentine's Day and sugaring season are all just around the corner, and life is sweet! God is so good, and my cup of thankfulness is overflowing...

A Season for Thanking and Thinking of You

2011-12-12T17:28:00.004-05:00

Thank you cutesy cookie makers! Especially those of you that come up with the adorable ideas all on your own!

Thank you to those of you who love simply and live fully...

Thank you to those of you who don't question difficulty, but have sincere compassion for the hurting....

Thank you, those of you who are blatantly passive aggressive for peace...

Thank you, kind souls who love celebrating the birth of our Christ with childlike zeal....

I want to be more like you....

Bless you! Merry Christmas! Happy Holy-days! Seasons Warmest Greetings!

Bit of a Holiday Tongue-Lashing

2011-12-09T21:34:00.005-05:00

Christmas means about as much to the secular world as Halloween means to the religious/Christian world. So many people have their panties in a bunch because of "holiday trees" or "Seasons Greetings", instead of "Christmas trees" and "Merry Christmas"... but isn't that exactly what many churches are doing these days with "Trunk or Treat?" Haven't millions of Christians tried to ignore the demons and darkness in October and then turn around in outrage when the world wants to ignore the Christ child and light in December? Maybe we should get our stories straight before we get all huffy... either holidays have real meaning, or they don't.

Just Wondering...

2011-12-08T14:32:00.009-05:00

It fascinates me that Lyme disease seems to be a domestic problem, although wild animals are carriers they don't seem to suffer from the symptoms of the disease. I have been looking and looking for, at the very least, a theoretical reason, today I found a possible connection...

"Wild animals generally make more vitamin C than domesticated animals"

(Levy, 2006).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interesting article: http://lymephotos.com/

The research in the above linked article points to a connection between vitamin C and Lyme disease... it also suggests the use of salt... which causes me to wonder... where do wild animals get their sodium in nature? I know that people put out salt licks, but those salt licks are not available for all wild animals. What are natural sources of sodium available to all wild animals?

Here is another article stating that wild animals have relatively high levels of vitamin c, generally...

"This automatic ability to adequately step up vitamin C production in the face of stress explains why so many wild animals tend to live healthy for their entire life spans until it is time to die. Conversely, generally vitamin C-depleted human beings will typically spend at least half of their lifetimes coping with one or more chronic diseases. Dogs and cats are generally somewhat healthier than people, but their limited vitamin C-synthesizing ability is eventually overwhelmed as they grow older and face greater cumulative toxic stresses, resulting in more disease than seen in wild animals. Even the rabbit, which can produce roughly five times as much vitamin C internally as the dog or cat, can be malnourished to the point of eventually dying from what appears to be a metabolic condition closely akin to scurvy" (Findlay, 1921). http://www.tomlevymd.com/book_preview/chapter1.html

The Best Neighbors

2011-12-05T12:29:00.003-05:00

There was an old lady in a wheelchair

She lived at the end of the lane

Day after day, on her back porch

She sat, mourning, in pain

Then in moved a man and his lady

Great with child, or children was she

Masses of morning glories they planted

Taking over the fence rows with glee

For a year the backyard was quiet

Except for the bark of a beast

Until a large fence was erected

Good fences, good neighbors, you see

Then out came the girl with her babies

Three little tow-headed bairns

They danced and they rolled and they giggled

The old lady was entranced with them

One day the young girl hung out laundry

Three loads, how industrious was she?

With no warning, the clothesline, it crashed down!

The old lady laughed until she cried, yes indeed!

Everyday she awaited the small show

The antics of young lovers and babes

Weeds to gardens and such stuff

She even chased off berry thieves!

She shared her newspapers and apples

Her old man was kind and sincere

Sharing lollipops gave her great pleasure

Warm hearts, kind friends, near and dear

The old lady soon met her maker

They buried her across the street

Her husband followed her shortly

Laid next to his wife, touchingly sweet

He had lived in that house his whole life

Except for a spell in the war

Blessings and kindness and caring

The best neighbors a young couple could ask for

Peace and Love and Family

2011-11-27T18:04:00.011-05:00

(a single click on the photo should enlarge it for better viewing)

She should have been resting.... in the hospital! Gram welcomed us with open arms and smiles and gifts, even though she is suffering from pneumonia! Her granddaughter, Savannah, is following in her footsteps of love. Somehow, sweet Savannah managed to get her face covered in poison ivy! Poor dear, but she arrived with smiles and good natured laughs, the round of comments were simply unavoidable, but all were made with much sympathy.

Getting together to share a meal, to share a hug, to share a memory. Little Hazel and her Uncle Rob certainly helped to create sweet memories. Why do babies prefer some over others? Hard to say, but little Hazel certainly adores that Uncle Rob of hers, and I'm pretty sure he has a special place in his heart for her also. Watching the sweetness is endearing and heartwarming.

In-laws, out-laws... the law of love... that is what binds. This picture, this day, these people, not a perfect one among us. We may not even know each other very well, but we love somebody in this group, perhaps we even love everybody in this group. My fondness continues to grow for the ones that hold love and kindness high, for the ones that don't pick and choose who is family and who is not, for the ones that welcome anyone that longs to be connected for better and for worse. It is so much easier to be tolerant and forgiving of the ones that are tolerant and forgiving of me, but tolerance and forgiveness also needs to be extended to the ones that aren't in the picture. I don't know all the reasons that the family photo lacks a family that should have been there, but I know that they were missed. And I am glad that they were invited. I've heard some say that invitations don't get extended when it is certain that they will be declined, but I say, "They're far more likely to not come if they aren't invited!" I know from personal experience that even though there are times, for various reasons, that I don't feel able to embrace reunions, it is nice to be invited and welcomed, even if it is a welcome from a distance...

"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." Luke 2:14

Full of Thanks and Pie!

2011-11-24T20:40:00.008-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Check Out Pinterest!

2011-11-07T11:19:00.003-05:00

(Thanks for mentioning this fun site, Marcy!)

I searched fall and autumn...

Hot drinks, beautiful colors, delicious food, animals with thickening fur, endless wardrobe options, cool weather.... love it!

Source: awelltraveledwoman.tumblr.com via J on Pinterest

Source: homestoriesatoz.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: womansday.com via Elle on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Dana on Pinterest

Source: browndresswithwhitedots.tumblr.com via Yulia on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Jana on Pinterest

Source: tulipsandflightsuits.squarespace.com via Kait on Pinterest

Source: eatliverun.com via Kait on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Chelsey on Pinterest

Source: blog.kanelstrand.com via Anna on Pinterest

Source: matissecolor.blogspot.com via Anna on Pinterest

Source: katearends.com via Trish on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Trish on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Dawn on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Kathe on Pinterest

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Christine on Pinterest

Source: blog.krisatomic.com via Mooki on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Jenny on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Katie on Pinterest

Source: hm.com via Brittany on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Trisha on Pinterest

Pottery and Susque

2011-11-04T08:50:00.007-04:00

Pottery 201 at Camp Susque....

While my school age children were hard at work learning fun pottery techniques (with lovely results!), Hazel and I were outside enjoying the gorgeous fall day....

And practicing how to go up and down steps...

Down...

Up...

And down...

And up...

And down...

She was very intent on mastering the skill of walking the stairs....

The Warm Heart of Autumn

2011-10-18T12:22:00.005-04:00

Oh, Autumn, I love you...

Thou some may see demise,

I see a nurturing giver of life.

The abundance of harvest,

Summertime's efforts in fruition.

What would be the point otherwise,

Of heat and sweat and labor?

A wild cacophony of rejoicing!

The leaves exploding with color

And dancing on every breeze!

Deer and turkey abound

Unwittingly advertising sustenance.

The coming winter moon

Flirting through baring branches.

Soon stars will shine

Unmatched in seasonal radiance.

The darker the neighborhood

The brighter the signs in the heavens.

Indoors, the quest begins

For cozy blankets and mittens.

The ice cream stands

Make way for pumpkin patch yields.

Cardinals appear

Beckoned by the roses hips.

Already, in the barn

There are expectations.

Preparations for milk,

As the flowers, the honey.

Springtime,

Regal Autumn's lady in waiting.

Rest for a season.

The reason of woodpiles.

Smokey homes prepared

With libraries and pie.

The announcements of crickets

Gives way to silence.

Now we can think....

The heart of Autumn is warm,

Evidenced by the chill of the hands.

Fare Thee Well!

2011-10-04T18:00:00.022-04:00

Up with the sun to go to Student Day at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire! Student Day basically means that the Faire is open for students and chaperones only with pre-registration and all the pubs and lethal weapon shops are closed for the day...

Elephant rides

Blacksmithing

Woodcarving

Hazel seems to be fond of kittens and pirates...

Very tall man in very little shoes

Falconry

Shopping....

"Hmmm.... is chain mail in the budget, or would this be an impulse purchase?"

The Herb Garden was my favorite part of the faire, I would love to use it as a prototype for my own backyard! And it was so nice to have Maam (Faith Sangree Windish, my mom) join us for our day of medieval fun!

Glassblowing

Musicians

Our school group

Hazel, just before she took a tumble and scraped up her little nose... poor baby...

Jousting

Growing Up, Destiny and Savannah

2011-10-03T15:49:00.010-04:00

Our precious twins just turned thirteen! I thought some flashback photos would be fun!

Their thirteenth birthday weekend consisted of having friends (the Keisters) over on Friday night, followed by a sleepover at Mimi and Poppy's house, followed by a Saturday out with Mimi, followed by getting their ears pierced (a gift from Mommy and Daddy), followed by an outing with their youth group. Sunday morning they received cards and a laptop for sharing between the two of them, followed by church, followed by a yummy taco salad lunch, followed by cake decorating, followed by having a birthday party (Mimi and Poppy and Dave and Sue Martino joined us)!

(below) the yummy taco salad lunch (we didn't get a picture of the delicious supper that Jason made, we were too busy eating! But they had requested steak, potatoes, peas, and pierogies, and Mimi also brought fruit salad)

(above) Twin birthday cakes courtesy of Country Cupboard, while out for breakfast with Mimi on Saturday.... (below) With Sue there beside her, Savannah gets ready for her turn at the candles, displaying her lovely manicure (also courtesy of Mimi).

(above) Destiny gets her turn at the candles (Pastor Dave on the right, and Savannah on the left), (below) a picture of the cake before the candles. It was inspired by Destiny and Savannah's love of farm life, a fruit tree, a pumpkin patch, bunnies, etc...

And here they are, beaming and bright. We love you two ladies so very much and I feel incredibly blessed to be your mom. May the Lord bless you and keep you forever.

The Natural Order of Things

2011-09-28T10:45:00.005-04:00

I'm really enjoying a book called Noah's Garden Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards...

Something in me has always revolted at the thought of a home yard that is too manicured (For example, I love dandelions...)... acres of 2 inch grass and wall to wall carpeting have about the same appeal to me... I do like area rugs and I do like small islands of grass.... something in me has long been desiring the marriage of cultivated plants and naturally wanton weeds... perhaps that desire is a reflection of my own romantic tendency... I think it can be safely said that when we met, my husband exhibited a more wild nature while I had trouble being anything but cultivated... the blend has been lovely for both of us. He now demurely smokes a tobacco pipe on his leather couch while I drink his wine made from wild grapes... I guess you could say that the wild oats he sowed were found to be quite usable by me for a hearty bread for life... we both rebel against society to a degree... the society that desires to imprison young children for much of their childhood in educational institutions... the society that has laws about the length of grass... the society that approves poisonous pesticides for human consumption but makes certain cottage food industries illegal or over-regulated... we don't tend toward breaking laws, generally, but we do prefer to live on the fringe...

Man was originally placed in a garden to tend it... what was meant by that is unknown to me, because the tending of gardens has become synonymous with weed pulling and there weren't weeds in Eden.... perhaps there aren't really weeds now... perhaps the problem has become that in Eden man was able to see God's perfect design and encourage it, but now we only see our own design and force it...

"If You're Happy It's Your Birthday, Then Say, 'Cheese!'"

2011-09-24T19:20:00.017-04:00

They said, "It's a boy!", and every year we celebrate him, and every day we feel blessed, and every moment with every breath we love him.

Today just happened to also be Jason's work picnic at Knoebels, and Chester was quick to decide that he would be happy to spend his birthday there!

We bought Chester a bag of dirt.... I was pretty sure that he would enjoy it, considering the specifications he had given for his birthday cake...

There are things Hazel has enjoyed more than watching other people have fun... like food... where's the part of the park with the grilled cheese sandwiches?

So glad they got the park cleaned up and opened again in time for our fun day! Thank you, Lord!

About the cake he said, "I don't care, just so long as it has rock candy on it, and I do like chocolate cake with mint icing... and we have silver BB decorations... " So, we agreed that it would be fun to make a diamond/silver mine birthday cake... chocolate, covered in mint "snow"...

Now this is more like it!

He also requested 5 rolls of duct tape... do you have any idea how many things you can make with duct tape? He also requested the used eMac we weren't sure what to do with... and he has an IOU for a day of XBox playing...

Happy Birthday, Chester! We love you to pieces! May you be richly blessed all your days, and may you always be near to the heart of God.

Watch Out, Cake Boss!

2011-09-17T18:10:00.011-04:00

Avé wanted a day of surprises for her birthday. Unbeknownst to her we planned to go to a breakfast with some awesome ladies... Mimi, Audrey, Cindy, Gerry, Avé and myself all had a great time at Country Cupboard, bright and early. Then, Avé, Mimi and I did some shopping. Avé bought an indoor ornamental cypress, some decorative flowers and some scrapbook items, and she still has some money left over to go clothes shopping, but we didn't really have time to do that yet this morning, we had to get home and eat cake!! Daddy was home, hard at work, while we were out having fun!

Jason's got skills!!

Can you spot the secret ingredient in the picture below?

hahahaha! Totally kidding...

The bouquet is a combination of a dozen white roses as a birthday gift to Avé from Mommy and Daddy, and flowers from her own garden! Isn't it gorgeous?

Happy Birthday, Dear Avé! Happy Birthday to You! And many, many, many, many, many, many more!!!!!! May you always delight yourself in the Lord, and may He always give you the desires of your heart!

A Tribute to Jason

2011-08-31T10:36:00.006-04:00

Because it is his birthday! And because he is the kind of Dad that is a weekend hero even when he doesn't have to be. K-9 Search and Rescue had a demo at the World's End State Park a few weeks ago. Jason and the older children decided to stay and camp out for a night. They had a great time, and I am so impressed with all of them. Here is a glimpse into that weekend and into the wonderful world of Jason...

Hazel and I stayed home and did stuff, like milked the goats and things...

Before and After

2011-08-31T10:24:00.006-04:00

Oh, what some paint and elbow grease can do... I really like that the white paint brought about more of a cottagy look...

We used milk paint. Mixed it up ourselves.

Recipe for Exterior Milk Paint:

~2 gallons skim milk (we mixed up dry milk that I had in the pantry for many moons...)

~3 quarts sifted hard wood ashes (or 2 quarts builders lime)(we used the ashes)

~2 quarts boiled linseed oil

~dye (we used a bit of ancient exterior white latex paint, the goop on the bottom of the can... )

~clove oil can be added as a preservative (I think that would smell really nice, but we didn't add any)

stir together the milk and ashes, then stir in the oil... then stir in the dye...

This paint gave really good coverage. We have yet to see how well it weathers...

Petite Provence... In My Mind's Eye

2011-08-26T13:23:00.005-04:00

I'm reading a book called, "French Women for All Seasons." What an inspiration! It is the sequel to the book, "French Women Don't Get Fat." Also an inspiration! I suppose I gravitated toward them a bit considering my own French heritage, and also falling in love with France through several movies, including "A Year in Provence." What I am particularly inspired by is the glimpse into my own roots, and the difference between the fast, furious, and often crass USA, and the romantic, restful, instinctively intelligent country regions of sophisticated countries. The good ole' US of A has many, many redeeming factors, but romantic lifestyles are few and far between. Sensual suppers of homegrown goodness are growing ever fewer and when they are served up they are often looked at with an upturned nose as if they are wildly odd. Where's the all-favorite delivery pizza? Between my Grandma Womer and my mother and myself, we cover most of the qualities mentioned in the aforementioned books. I never realized that these qualities were a traditional lifestyle for so many. My Grandma Womer lived by the seasons, even in her town homes, she always had a garden in her small yard, and pear trees, and berries, and mint tea, and flowers. Food was a lifestyle for her. My mother on the other hand, has a very particular style of eating. She revels in a few favorite flavors, eats small amounts in general, and often reminded us to never eat so much that we feel full, always stop short of that feeling of satiation. And I, I love flowers, I love vegetables, I love gardening, I love cooking, I love eating, I love walking in the country, I love the sensuality of wining and dining, and a table covered in crisp linens adorned with a loosely assembled bouquet of flowers that I watched grow... It seems that the ease of the American way of eating has robbed us of our health and even our soul, not perhaps the soul that gets you to heaven or hell, but the soul that is exhilarated by apple trees, steamed asparagus, crisp linens, and freshly cut bouquets of flowers from our own yards. Vineyards and orchards, chickens and eggs, fresh milk and cheese, crusty freshly baked bread from my own oven and milled in my own kitchen... I am pleased to have a picture in my minds eye of the someday, the goal, the grand idea... of simplicity. Somehow wine has become associated with sin. How so? Do we stop eating because there are those that get fat? Why do we stop drinking because there are those that cannot stop? Christ Himself... well, you know... or do you? Do you know that Christ was a winemaker and a wine drinker? "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard..." (from Luke)

Moderation and appreciation....

Who I Am

2011-08-16T17:29:00.006-04:00

(Inspired by an exercise from the book "Dark Side of the Light Chasers")

World Wrestling Wilma, Roller Derby Kay, and Mud Pit Prissy

all asked me out to play.

I answered, "You've got to be kidding, I'm far too busy today."

As I was walking my baby along the road,

Roller Kay came up, knocked me over, off she rolled.

Cackling and laughing, she said "Take that!"

Furious and ruffled I picked up my hat,

filed a harassment complaint, and despised her, "That cat!"

As I was buying my health food, out came Miss Priss,

she threw mud in my face after saying, "Take this!"

"How dare you!" I cried. "What a cheap shot!"

"You mud-slinging ninny! What you are I am not!"

And then, I was singing, so good, sweet and low,

with a church filled with singers, the ones "in the know."

Suddenly, in through the door does appear

World Wrestling Wilma dressed in full gear!

"I want you!" She hollered as she points in my face,

"Let's take it outside! You're a joke, a disgrace!"

I quivered, I panicked, I looked round for help.

Wide-eyed, embarrassed the witnesses felt.

"She obviously knows you. Maybe you should go.

We certainly didn't build this church for your kind of show."

There I sat, felt forsaken, hugging my knees,

begging God to help me, sure enough He answered, "If you please,

take a good long look at yourself, my child.

You've been mud-slinging, wrestling, and pushing for awhile.

The only real difference between you and them

is that you deny that you show the same wild skin.

Of course they see you as an opponent for sport....

now stop being afraid, Wild Grape Wonder Girl!"

The next time they came round and asked me to play,

I won't deny, there was some dismay.

But, sure enough, there sitting on my closet shelf

were skates, spandex, and a WW belt!

I sat down, I laughed at myself 'til I cried,

and what do you know? They laughed and cried by my side.

"Oh ladies, you've done it. You've shown me myself,

or at least an aspect I'd hidden in the dark, on the shelf.

I really do want to come out and play.

I really do want to enjoy the day.

Can we walk?

Can we talk?

Can we share a laugh?

Can we fight for a cause without wearing all that?

The cause of kinship, the cause of friends,

the cause of love, and of happy "the ends?"

A Little Secret

2011-08-15T16:10:00.003-04:00

Why analyze ourselves or others? Perhaps it is a bit like driving down the road. We watch for potholes, crazy drivers, wrong turns, etc... and we have blind spots. This journey of life calls for watchfulness. Watching our fuel gauge, checking our tires, traveling with passengers, or being a passenger... life isn't much different. So we assess ourselves, at least we should if we want to be road worthy. Sometimes we also assess others. I could care very little about the types of cars on the road, I'm not even much of a fan of the "punch buggy" game, but there are those that really enjoy the variety. I do, however, assess every logging truck and leave as much space as possible betwixt us. I do actually enjoy the variety of the houses we pass. I am quite a real estate gawker. Perhaps that is the direction I should take the rest of this particular blog... the real estate along the journey of life... any realtor will tell you that first impressions are huge. The front door and its surrounding environment are critical to maintain well. And yet, here at my house, my front door and its surrounding environment are not maintained all that well. I don't particularly mind, except when I think about the impression it makes on others. I step back and notice not only my front door, or is it the back door, is my whole house backward? And what's up with that shed? And the trash cans, and the garage door... why isn't it a barn door?... is that a garage or a barn? I can get so despondent about the impression that my house is making that I lose perspective of why I love my home. I love the sound of peepers and crickets. I love that owls visit the maple trees. I love the maple trees. I love heating the house primarily with wood. I love that it is old and has an interesting history that beckons research. I love the acreage and the creek and the variety of plants and animals. There is much that I love about my home, but I also realize that the impression it makes on others is quite variable. The impression my home makes on others is part of it, but the ability to create ones own habitat leaves a wide berth for analysis...

Here's the thing... I'm reading a book that has exercises. So far they have all been personal, but this one invites us to involve others... with courage and hopefully tact, you are invited to assess me. The purpose of this is to learn about the comparison of my own perspective in comparison to the perspective that others have of me. In doing so it is likely that in some respects I am harder on myself than others may be and in some respects I am quite blind to my own dark side.

The exercise that you are invited to participate in, friend or foe, is to name what you see as some of my positive and negative qualities. Please be sincere, and keep it even, one positive for one negative. And if you do participate, publicly or privately, I will privately let you in on a little secret....

From, Your Sister

2011-07-27T12:22:00.009-04:00

I have 22 siblings. That would include full-blooded, steps, in-laws, exes if they have born children together, live-ins, and those in long-term relationships.... I am open-minded about such things. Marriage doesn't necessarily make people closer, it just makes them harder to separate. Family means nothing, and everything. Where would we be without mothers and fathers who... did the deed? That makes us family! Which means almost nothing... but somehow, sharing a life connects hearts, sometimes just enough so that we can effectively break them. I haven't given up entirely on idealism. I am amazed at the paths that have been taken and awed by the distance that has come between, but the connection remains... like it or not.... I am your sister.

Let's play...

To each of you, I am attributing a famous quote... but you get to decide which one I've identified with you.... if you don't want to guess, just ask me (publicly or privately), I'll be glad to send you an email with a name for each quote.....

~"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson

~"It is the mark of a great man that he puts to flight all ordinary calculations. He is at once sublime and touching, childlike and of the race of giants." Honore de Balzac

~"Critics are entitled to have an opinion, but how can they judge how comfortable a building is?" Helmut Jahn

~"Most of us become parents long before we have stopped being children." Mognon McLaughlin

~He was an embittered atheist (the sort of atheist who does not so much disbelieve in God as personally dislike Him). Orwell George

~"I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone." Henry Rollins

~"Even if society dictates that men and women should behave in certain ways, it is fathers and mothers who teach those ways to children not just in the words they say, but in the lives they lead." Augustus Y. Napier

~"The Public is merely a multiplied "me."" Mark Twain

~"A father may turn his back on his child, brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies, husbands may desert their wives, wives their husbands. But a mother's love endures through all." Washington Irving

~"The way you position yourself at the beginning of a relationship has a profound effect on where you end up." Ron Karr

~"And I highly recommend for all the women in the world, even if they're 71, you can never take for granted that he loves you. It's always good to flirt with him. It's a great sport." Salma Hayek

~"When you make a commitment to a relationship, you invest your attention and energy in it more profoundly because you now experience ownership of that relationship".- Barbara De Angelis

~"To be sure, a stepmother to a girl is a different thing than a second wife to a man! " Elizabeth Gaskell

~"To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others." Pope John Paul 2

~"My parents are my backbone. Still are. They're the only group that will support you if you score zero or you score 40. " Kobe Bryant

~"Love is being stupid together." Paul Valery

~"I've always taken 'The Wizard of Oz' very seriously, you know. I believe in the idea of the rainbow. And I've spent my entire life trying to get over it." Judy Garland

~"We are the people our parents warned us about. " Jimmy Buffett

~"When a woman is talking to you, listen to what she says with her eyes." Victor Hugo

~"People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character." Ralph Waldo Emerson

~"Everything that I've ever been able to accomplish... in life has come out of adversity and perseverance." Scott Hamilton

~"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." Sigmund Freud

Horses, People, Drama

2011-07-26T11:01:00.005-04:00

Not an expert on horses... I did have one once, a beautiful white (technically gray) Arabian gelding named Katchina. He was almost "bomb proof".... but once, when I was saddling him, the saddle slipped upside down while it was still strapped to him and off he ran, down the long lane, onto the road... fortunately we lived in an area that was saturated with "horse people" and a "Good Samaritan" jumped out of his pickup truck and rescued my frantic friend. There were two other instances of interesting interactions... once a friend brought over her young daughter, the little girl of course wanted to pet the gorgeous animal. This little girl was a hellion. Quite seriously, her mother had actually taken her for exorcisms, apparently unsuccessfully. Even though the girl was behaving perfectly calmly while she stroked Katchina, the horse apparently did not like her and attempted to bite her! That was the only time that horse ever was nippy! The other interesting interaction was with my sister. My sister and I have always had difficulties getting along, but honestly, the horse was her passion. When my parents left for weeks at a time while they went through the truck driving phase, I was left in charge, sort of. My siblings, only a few years younger than myself, of course had a hard time respecting me as an authority, and rightfully so, but I did try to keep the home fires burning, and part of that was keeping a peaceful balance with the relationships. So, I suggested riding lessons for my sister, since she had been passionate about horses for sometime. Our mom was quick to agree, but with the condition that I join my sister, since we weren't at all familiar with the horse trainers and there were possibilities of overnight trail rides. That was how we met Katchina, at riding lessons. For me, it was love at first sight. We had been training on a Quarter horse, and although he was well-trained horse, I was not a well-trained rider and the riding was less than smooth for the two of us, the Quarter horse and me. Then, one day, Katchina was saddled by the fence, ready for lessons, and I rode a horse for real! Cantering, jumping, bliss!!! I became a horse lover. Turns out Katchina was for sale, the owner wanted a horse with a little more spunk. (She later told me that she greatly regretted that decision.) With agreement from my sister, and finances from our parents, Katchina came home with us. Turns out that horses are a lot of work! My sister actually seemed to prefer cleaning the stables to saddling and riding, but I so very clearly remember that there was one day my sister wanted to ride, off she went on the back of Katchina... do horses have a sense of humor? Do they sense spirits? Why, in spite of my sister's best attempts, did that horse continually walk her under short branches? This was a horse that responded immediately to voice commands, audible clicks, and gentle nudges.... at least, for me he did...

Sometimes, some people are like some horses... There are horses trained for war, not that they are violent animals, quite the opposite really, when they are given a command they follow it, no matter what. Hell or high water, a war horse will obey until death. Then there are the horses that NEED blinders, afraid of their own shadow, or the lack of ground beneath a bridge, or a passing car they must be "blinded" in order to continue on, "blindness" gives them a sense of safety, their senses must be dulled or they become frantic. Even a perfectly calm, well-trained horse is capable of moments of drama, such as Katchina and my saddling fiasco. I was simply inept at saddling, but sometimes horses, and people, are the recipients of maliciousness. I believe Katchina could sense the untrustworthy nature of a wild child. Any horse with a burr under its saddle will act like bucking bronco. Someone knowledgeable in horses will know the difference between wild character, a victim of abuse, or the results of inept handling. Drama isn't always a result of what can be seen, and sometimes a dramatic display is not a sign of bad character, or a cry for attention, but for help. Watch long enough, without the blinders on, and the dramatic displays will make themselves clear... if you care to see.

The Goal is a Second Nature

2011-07-22T12:14:00.005-04:00

Now it is July. The garden is productive. Pickles and cucumbers are amassed in the kitchen. We have made a yummy batch of refrigerator pickles, but I hesitate to can any, because the previous batches of pickles have been a little less than could be desired. I do want to try making relish. Gram Showers gave me a yummy recipe for zucchini relish, and I do have some zucchini also, but a squash beetle ended the zucchini season prematurely. Hopefully the beetles won't terminate my actual squash as well! I need to get out there with some hard wood ashes or DE. I am really hoping for a bumper crop of squash so that I will have plenty to share with the goats. The herd needs a boost. The last kidding season was not all that could have been hoped for. We did get assistance from the local vet, but they don't know much about goats, I did get the name of a traveling vet that is far more knowledgeable about goats. I am grateful for that resource, but ideally we will be able to figure out what they need without the use of expensive vets or questionable chemicals. I have been reading that pumpkins and squash are wonderful for goats, and I found an herbal recipe for deworming, and also found much advice recommending the addition of molasses and apple cider vinegar to their water, as well as garlic. Also, and this is fun for me... we have a giant weed, it is actually called Giant Ragweed. It has been a source of yard and garden frustration since we moved here, at a whopping 8-12 feet high it looms over our summer vegetation... but it is great for goats! So we have been harvesting it daily as a dietary supplement for the herd. It looks so much more appetizing than the dry hay :-) The goats love it!!!

Back to garden talk... the cucumbers and pickles are doing well, the tomatoes look like they will be good producers also. The onions have been offering up a steady supply and there are still quite a few simmering in the garden until fall. If the beet greens are any indication of the beet harvest that should also be positive. The garlic has already been pulled. Our local organic farmer discussed the garlic with Jason, he said we should pull it now and save the largest bulbs for replanting in the fall, and if we continue to do that each season we will continue to get bigger and bigger bulbs :-) We didn't harvest any asparagus in the spring, even though it has been three years, there just wasn't enough ready at once for a meal for this clan, I think we need to plant more! The three watermelon plants only seem to be yielding one watermelon between them :-( I really wish they were more productive, besides how much we all enjoy fresh watermelon (especially Hazel), I would love for Jason to try his hand at watermelon wine!

And then there are The Three Sisters.... I am loving them. Taken from a Native American method of planting... corn (I planted colorful popcorn), squash, and pole beans are inter-planted. Each benefits the other and they are all doing so very well!

I am learning so much! Books, the internet, and old timers advice are helping this process of learning how to run a productive farmette. The more experienced we become, the easier we will make it look, that is the mark of an expert, the one that makes the skill look like it requires little effort... and honestly at that point, after a long life of practice and experience, the effort does often become second nature. Maybe someday...

Over the Years...

2011-07-14T12:17:00.004-04:00

I really appreciate the people that look at our family and say, "What a blessing!" We hear that phrase a lot! Even more now than we did before... I was always alarmed and appalled by the myriads of opinionated people that felt the need to spew negativity about our babies. I don't know if it was their own personal negative experiences, or the fact that we didn't appear to be loaded with cash, or that we seemed young, or that they just had diarrhea of the mouth, but I always was filled with a combination of feeling angry at them for sharing their misery, and feeling sorry for them that they couldn't share my joy. These days our children are starting to enter the teen years and a new set of warnings and pity comments threaten to roll off the tongues of the less optimistic, or perhaps the less blessed... but then they look twice... they can't hardly say what they were going to say, or they "back-peddle" and make an exception for our obviously pleasant children. God has been very kind to us, and He is so ready to extend that kindness to anyone with a heart of love for babies, toddlers, elementary children, teenagers, young adults, middle aged adults, golden years adults, and senior citizens... every stage, every person, what a treasure life is. What a shame that so many are still missing the point... we're here to love.

Recipes

2011-07-13T15:25:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to share some fun recipes that we've enjoyed recently... 'tis the season for milk, eggs, and zucchini!!

Crock Pot Yogurt
Ingredients
--8 cups (half-gallon) of whole milk--pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized. (Debbie recommends starting with whole milk until you get the hang of yogurt-making)
--1/2 cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt (you need to have a starter. Once you have made your own, you can use that as a starter)
--frozen/fresh fruit for flavoring
--thick bath towel

The Directions.
--This takes a while. Make your yogurt on a weekend day when you are home to monitor.
--I used a 4 quart crockpot. This is so exciting. My fingers are shaking!
--Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.
--Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.
--When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.
--Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation.
--Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.
--In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened---it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of low-fat plain yogurt.
--Blend in batches with your favorite fruit. I did mango, strawberry, and blueberry. When you blend in the fruit, bubbles will form and might bother you. They aren't a big deal, and will settle eventually.
--Chill in a plastic container(s) in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html

We've enjoyed turning the yogurt into frozen yogurt!

Lemon Frozen Yogurt recipe....
Ingredients

Frozen Lemon Yogurt Recip10 10 Ingredients

4 cups (32 ounces) plain yogurt
1-2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel (optional)

Directions

In a bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, lemon juice and peel; mix well. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Allow to ripen in ice cream freezer or firm up in the refrigerator freezer for at least 2-4 hours before serving. Yield: 5 cups.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Frozen-Lemon-Yogurt

BACON AND EGG BAKE

1-2 lbs. bacon
1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1 dozen eggs
1 c. milk
Salt & pepper to taste
Bread without crust

Layer a 9"x13" cake pan with the bread slices. Fry and crumble the bacon and sprinkle over the bread. Top with cheese. Mix together eggs, milk and salt and pepper and pour over the bacon. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Variations: Add mushrooms, onions, ham or crushed red peppers.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1916,146176-231207,00.html

Zucchini Beef Bake

Time 40 minutes
Serves 8

Ingredients

2 large zucchini sliced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon chopped white onion
1/2 cup diced celery
8 once can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese

How to make it

Grease a rectangular baking pan.
Layer pan with sliced zucchini.
Brown ground beef with onion and celery then pour off grease.
Stir in tomato sauce, salt, pepper and basil then pour over zucchini.
Spread grated cheese on top and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/3653/zucchini-beef-bake.html/print

This and That

2011-06-22T11:58:00.010-04:00

Nature Journaling Workshop at the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art....

We rearranged and cleaned the library... sometimes, in a small house, with lots of children, when a room is clean and cozy you just need to take a picture....

In the above photo, I think my aura wanted its picture taken... (http://www.auniqueparanormalstore.com/myphotosofauras.htm)
(http://soulintegrity.org/node/32)

We spent a day at RB Winter for SummerFest because the Search and Rescue team was participating with a demonstration...

They are just soooo cute! Hazel is so happy to hang out with the VBS nursery kids :-)

Ramblings

2011-06-12T19:47:00.004-04:00

We have been busier than we have ever been as a family, as least socially busy. We have always been fairly busy simply living, but these days our calendar is busting at the seams with activity. I am learning to focus more on who we are, who we want to be, what we are called to do, and looking for admirable examples. Once in awhile I revert to former frustrations that result from relationships that have conflicting life priorities that unfortunately lead to irreconcilable differences, but if those differences had not surfaced so strongly we may still be living on auto-pilot, floating along with the current of other people's expectations. It feels blessed to blaze a trail of inspiration, guided by the loving Father of Lights....

The goal is not busy-ness, far from it! The goal is purpose. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31) This mindset troubles me a bit, I really don't think I achieve glorifying God in every aspect of my life, but that is my goal and my purpose and it requires living life wherever life is called to be lived for me, for my family. Resting in the promises (learning what the promises are!)....

“I will cause my people and their homes around my holy hill to BE a blessing. And I will send showers, showers of blessings, which will come just when they are needed.” Ezekiel 34:26 (NLT)

"The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Cor. 1:18)

"God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." (Eph. 3:20)

"Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." (1 Tim. 4:8)

"God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Tim. 1:7)

"When we come near to God, he will come near to us." (James 4:8)

"We can cast all our anxiety on God because he cares for us." (1 Peter 5:7)

"God has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Peter 1:3)

"As we grow in faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, we will make our calling and election sure and will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-11)

"We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13)

"With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:8-9)

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The man who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18)

“This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15)

"The Lord is able to keep us from falling and to present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy." (Jude 24)

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4)

So, please pray for us as we discover our place in the church and community, as we educate and are accountable for educating, as we homestead, as Chester plays baseball, and Avé participates in Art Camp, and Destiny and Savannah take violin lessons, and Shiloh makes new friends and spends time with all her friends near and far, as Jason provides for our finances, and maintains our home, and Jason and Coffee train with the Search and Rescue team, and Coffee learns to be mannerly and loyal, and Tia too, and Hazel learns new things about this life every day, and I ponder the paths we are all called to follow, and learn to be a keeper of our home, an encourager of hearts, a stimulator of minds, Spirit-led in all things... our time is short and each day is a gift.

Hoping to grow in love, wisdom, insight, knowledge, and ability....

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Prov. 22:6)

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Ps. 90:12)

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." (1 Thess. 4:11-12)

"Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out." (Prov. 17:14)

"But speak you the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becomes holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things showing yourself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing soundness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." (from Titus 2)

Happy Birthday, Shiloh! Let's go to the Shore!

2011-06-06T09:35:00.048-04:00

Partly in honor of Shiloh's birthday, and partly because it has been eight years since we were at the beach, we made the trek to the shore line to dip our toes in the Atlantic, cover ourselves in sand, and enjoy the ocean breezes.... Shiloh wanted an owl alarm clock for her birthday so that she could wake up with the sun and search for shells in the early morning with Mimi. Hazel was a marvelous traveler, she seemed to enjoy every minute of everything! She beached until she dropped (in Daddy's arms) several times :-) The older children particularly enjoyed the boardwalk, and Jason and I particularly enjoyed romantic walks on the beach in the early morning and late evenings... it was great to have Patti join us for our trip, she added much to the many blessings of the wonderful excursion! Even the weather was in a pleasant mood, cool in the mornings and evenings and mostly warm in the afternoons :-) The indoor waterpark at our hotel (with a dry play area for landlubbers like Chester, a jacuzzi, a tiki bar option), the bicycle built for 11! and the state park beach (with enormous horseshoe crabs, interesting sand and shells, and endangered birds and their protectors) were wonderful highlights, too :-) Faith and Heidi and Marcy deserve a BIG "thank you" for keeping the house running smoothly while we were off playing! Love you all! We had such an absolutely perfect vacation! (If you would like to see any of the photos enlarged, on this blog, or any of the photos on blogger, just click on the photo.)

Little League Parade

2011-06-06T09:14:00.009-04:00

"Take me out to the ball game..." In spite of the sweltering heat, we had a great time watching Chester in a parade! Of course he wasn't the only one in the parade :-) There were quite a few other baseball players and community supporters in the parade, including some family! What fun! There were several games after the parade, what a hot day it was at the ball park! "Play ball!" And stay hydrated!

Party at Maam and Poppy's

2011-06-06T08:47:00.006-04:00

Memorial Day holiday weekend and three birthdays (Grandma Sangree, Guenevere, and Shiloh) were a good excuse to gather together at the Windish "resort" for some fun, food, and fellowship.

Sheep Farm

2011-06-06T08:15:00.007-04:00

Our family took a tour of the Owen's Organic Sheep farm... (EcoMama group organized). It is a lovely place, very inspiring and possibly even life changing!

A Houseful of Children

2011-05-25T07:20:00.008-04:00

I need a houseful of children to walk along garden paths, to hold bunnies, to pick flowers, to discover mushrooms and to walk with puppies.

I need a houseful of children to treasure the discovery of a discarded robin's egg shell and forever consider its color among their favorites.

I need a houseful of children to find shapes in pancakes and clouds, to consider all food an adventure that at times requires sheer courage and other times is divine pleasure.

I need a houseful of children to climb trees, meander with the creek, collect smooth rocks, startle crayfish, and find ancient treasures.

I need a houseful of children to be in awe of thunder and lightening, to swerve to walk through puddles, to find umbrellas irresistible and to spend afternoons with bubbles.

I need a houseful of children to open my eyes to the true beauty of life, to remind me of where we came from and why we are here.

Perhaps my needs are selfish, perhaps children are better off tucked away with professionals, perhaps childhood should not be spent amongst the roses, but so long as my days are filled with these charming people I shall count myself truly blessed and among the luckiest.

I'm sorry, grownups, although you are welcome here too, your step has lost its bounce, you love nap times, your enthusiasm for snow is slightly lacking, and you are far too eager to trade in a pile of toys for a freshly dusted coffee table.... all signs that perhaps you too should spend time with a houseful of children...

Intro to Homeschooling in Pennsylvania

2011-05-23T12:05:00.010-04:00

I just want to share a few of my favorite links with anyone that is curious about homeschooling in Pennsylvania.

This one is full of beautiful, high-minded ideals and really helps define an at home education experience that is structured, but very different from an institutional school setting... It also includes links to some wonderful and free classic literature for children.

http://www.amblesideonline.org/

The next link is to legal counsel. For about $100 a year per family they will answer your legal questions and step in should there be any need for assistance with the governing authorities.

http://www.hslda.org/

This link lists many of the varied approaches to homeschooling.

http://www.homeschooldiner.com/guide/intro/main.html

Once you have a resolve to homeschool and have at least somewhat determined the style best suited to your family you may or may not want a curriculum or a variety of choices for subjects. This site has an extensive list with many reviews...

http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/reviews/curriculum/showall.aspx

The last link contains a wealth of practical information and links and advice and samples....

http://home.comcast.net/~askpauline/index.html

None of these links encompass everything there is to know about homeschooling, and even with many years of experience there is always something new to learn! If you are thinking of homeschooling and have questions I hope these links are helpful, but one of the best ways to have a successful home education experience is to find support. If you know a friend that homeschools they are probably more than willing to "talk your ear off" about education and children, etc... and once you start on the journey yourself you will sooner or later surely find an extensive network of families pioneering this old/new way of education, each with a stubborn resolve to primarily raise their own children and each with a uniform resolve to create a brighter world for their loved ones.

And if any homeschoolers want to share some advice or great links, please feel free to do so in the comment section... or if anyone has any questions that I might be able to answer, I'd be happy to try. I'm not an expert, but I do love homeschooling :-)

Hazel's Big Day

2011-05-22T19:18:00.008-04:00

Hazel had a birthday and she knew just what to do with it... enjoy herself!!!

"Happy Birthday, Dear Hazel...."

Dig in! (Choking hazards removed, of course.)

We all enjoy a birthday party spread :-)

I didn't get pics of all her gifts, but she did enjoy them all, not just the new red wagon :-)

We love you, Hazel <3

Picture Blog

2011-05-22T18:13:00.013-04:00

Our home through the eyes of my children... the children took turns with the camera over several days and here are some of those results....

A potato experiment....

One of our favorite recipes...

Orchids and ivy above the kitchen sink....

Methuselah....
Raindrops on iris greens....
My Mother's Day gift, a Tinkerbell Lilac...

My Easter gift, a solar powered owl garden lamp...

Jason and I all dressed up to go to a friend's wedding...

A beautiful bouquet that graced our table for a few days, filled with a combination of home grown and store bought flowers...

Our wheelbarrow, one of our first purchases after we were married! We've replaced the handles and the tire... I wonder how much mileage we've put on it over the years....

Do you see the owl outline on the brick?

No wonder children love to climb trees! I don't think they look quite like this through the eyes of most adults...

Coffee, a recent addition to our family. He is a rescued Chesapeake Retriever puppy. He and Jason are going to train with a Search and Rescue Team for a few years. Hope Coffee has what it takes to be a hero! I know that Jason does :-)

Herons and Young Fishermen

2011-05-10T10:38:00.007-04:00

There may have been a conversation with someone about herons being annoying... this person may have said that they spend hundreds of dollars every year stocking their fish pond and they aren't about to see a heron eat those fish! (They may or may not lose those fish every year anyway to drought or freezing winter conditions.) Although, a heron is a protected bird, this person may or may not shoot any heron they see in their fish pond! If this is a true story, I am greatly saddened. I love herons! To me, a heron in flight is a magical sight.

A creek ambles through our backyard. From time to time we see herons flying to or from the creek, especially the corner of the creek that runs slow and deep. There are many little fish in that corner and it has been found to be an ideal place for children to get a catch. We take our own children fishing there sometimes, and some of the neighborhood dads also enjoy taking their young children to the fishing hole for a sure catch :-) The other day I watched as three preteen boys rode their bikes through my yard, just as sure as you please, with their fishing poles and nets in stow. My first reaction was slight annoyance. They hadn't asked for permission, they weren't going to be eating them, and I am starting to notice that this a fairly common occurrence. What if they fish irresponsibly and deplete the fish in the fishing hole? And then I remembered the heron shooter.... How much more valuable are boys than even herons?!!! Should I not be thankful that the young boys in our neighborhood are spending their time fishing rather than engaging in whatever else is part of a long list of preteen trouble making? I felt humbled and hugely grateful for the pastoral scene of bike-riding youths with fishing poles hanging out at a creek.... May God bless them, and the many little fish in the fishing hole.

I am reminded of a church I once attended. They had a small playground with swings and a basketball hoop. Children from the area would come to play. The pastor told the children to go away, they might damage the playground....

Festivities with Family and Friends

2011-04-29T15:01:00.013-04:00

Glimpses of celebrations of life and love..... As for me and my house, we are thanking you, JESUS!

Back at our place... there was a bit of a fire competition :-) and an egg toss. I'm afraid I didn't get pics of much else, perhaps you can check out some of the fun pics tagged by others of the events and enjoyments of the day on FB...

Eggs are not the reason for Easter, but they certainly are a fun way to celebrate :-) There are many that feel that Easter Eggs are disrespectful, but I personally feel that they are redeemed if we remember that the reason we celebrate is to rejoice in our hope of life because of Christ's resurrection.

The Heart of the Matter

2011-04-19T12:19:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder that I have two blogs, the content of my blogs are compatible with each other, but actually quite distinct in content. They both reflect my heart, my heart of earth and my eternal heart. If you love me, you will probably appreciate both blogs, if you don't love me, you probably won't appreciate either blog...

http://amy-thisistheday.blogspot.com/

And I just want to say to all my faithful blog readers... I care about you. I appreciate your comments. I love you. Yes, all of you, those of you that are easy to love, and those of you that are a bit more prickly... and I ask your forgiveness for my own prickles, and though I don't expect to ever be completely smoothed out, I do have a strong desire to do good to all, especially to those of the household of faith.

It's All Good

2011-03-28T14:05:00.004-04:00

Eggs in the basket
Goats in the barn
Clothesline o'er the garden
Peafowl sound alarms
Puppy on the front porch
Kitty in the lap
Bunnies in the waiting
Maples shared their sap
Cutting off the denims
Cleaning all the house
Shining up the windows
Shooing out a mouse
Pies in the oven
Flowers on display
Tho' a little chilly
Still a bright spring day~

Indoor Springtime at the Gardens

2011-03-27T12:26:00.010-04:00

Our anniversary was in February, but when we looked for a way to celebrate we came across the Orchid Extravaganza at Longwood Gardens in March, so that's what we planned. I was expecting lots of orchids and a beautiful day, but it really exceeded my expectations. The first step inside the door of the conservatory was like getting a hug and kiss from springtime. The fragrance of the air was a breath of heaven and the magnificence of each flower was divine.

(We forgot our camera, so all the pics were taken with our cell phones.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Longwood's Conservatory is one of the world's great greenhouse structures. It shelters 20 indoor gardens and 5,500 types of plants. The Conservatory was built in 1919 and has been periodically expanded and renovated. At present, there are 195,668 square feet—or 4.5 acres—of covered display, production, and research greenhouses.

A leisurely stroll through the display areas takes about 1½ hours and covers about ½ mile."

http://www.longwoodgardens.org/TheConservatories_1_3_2_4_1.html

The most magnificent flower at the garden <3

The most incredibly fragrant flowers, in my opinion....

The following photos are of the children's garden. We plan on taking our children with us next time we go :-)

The gardens outdoors are magnificent also. This time of year most of the plants were dormant, but we did enjoy a brisk walk to check out the tree houses and even in their dormant state the gardens were really spectacular.

What a blessed day! What a blessed life! So happy to be married to my best friend<3 I love you, Jason Pfleegor!!!!!!!!

A Yellow Lawn is a Golden Opportunity for Wellness

2011-03-19T18:35:00.010-04:00

The Dandelion

O DANDELION, rich and haughty,
King of village flowers!
Each day is coronation time,
You have no humble hours.
I like to see you bring a troop
To beat the blue-grass spears,
To scorn the lawn-mower that would be
Like fate's triumphant shears,
Your yellow heads are cut away,
It seems your reign is o'er.
By noon you raise a sea of stars
More golden than before.
(by Vachel Lindsay)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The whole plant is used as a medicinal herb internally and externally."

"Dandelion is also used for the treatment of the gall bladder, kidney and urinary disorders, gallstones, jaundice, cirrhosis, hypoglycemia, dyspepsia with constipation, edema associated with high blood pressure and heart weakness, chronic joint and skin complaints, gout, eczema and acne. As a tonic, Dandelion strengthens the kidneys. An infusion of the root encourages the steady elimination of toxins from the body. Dandelion is a powerful diuretic but does not deplete the body of potassium.

Research is revealing that the many constituents of Dandelion including Taraxacin, Taraxacoside, Inulin, Phenolic acids, Sesquiterpene lactones, Triterpenes, Coumarins, Catortenoids and Minerals, mainly Potassium and calcium, are very valuable in curing a number of disorders and illnesses. Dandelion is traditionally used as a tonic and blood purifier, for constipation, inflammatory skin conditions, joint pain, eczema and liver dysfunction, including liver conditions such as hepatitis and jaundice."

http://www.altnature.com/gallery/Dandelion.htm

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/dandelion-000236.htm

http://www.eclecticphysician.com/herbs/dandelion.shtml

Rain is the Best Lullaby

2011-03-10T12:29:00.005-05:00

My soul thanks a cloudy sky.

Rain is the best lullaby.

Nothing soothes this mother more

Than nap time and rain galore.

Others sit around and pout

When the sun has not come out.

So cozy, pitter patters,

Drip drop, upon my rafters.

Let the sun come out to play

On a picnic sort of day.

Happy Birthday to Mimi!!!

2011-02-27T17:28:00.007-05:00

We had a lovely afternoon celebrating the birth of Mimi with a slightly belated party :-) For lunch, we had rice dish (by special request), honey chicken and potatoes, Ceasar Salad, and pears. We also unanimously decided to make another one of those delicious chocolate cakes (yummm!), and had ice cream sundaes too! Several games of Mancala, using candy, were enjoyed by all, and the weather was lovely! We love you, Mimi!

Reflecting

2011-02-20T22:47:00.004-05:00

"Poets should ignore most criticism and get on with making poetry." Anne Stevenson

I care a lot what people think, except for days I don't.
I care a lot what people do, until I know they won't.
I care a lot where people go, until they're dead and gone.
I care a lot until I hear a heart that's hard as stone.

A stubborn mule will only go when it wants to move.
A faithful dog will sit and wait, stilled by years of love.
A nanny goat needs food for thought to get upon her stand.
A little child leads them, if blessed with gentle hand.

Don't quickly sit upon the seat of wisdom throwing stones.
Don't tread upon the serpent in a valley full of bones.
Don't point a finger at a storm, you know from whence it came.
Don't follow salmon up the stream thinking its a game.

Some will look at others and think they are so good.
Some will look at mirrors and lead the multitude.
Some will look beneath the glass and see the unseen war.
Some will look beyond the sky and be the needed cure.

Celebrating Us! Our Happy Anniversary!

2011-02-12T11:39:00.003-05:00

14 years ago today we said our vows. A simple ceremony to unite us forever. God has blessed us so much more than we could have imagined by bringing us together and filling our home with love and life. Our hearts are filled and overflowing with gratitude for each wonderful child entrusted to our care. May we be found faithful. Our most sincere desire is to bless the Lord, ourselves and our children also, for as many generations that are blessed with breath on this earth. He has been so very kind and merciful.

We celebrated today by enjoying some of the foods we ate on our wedding day. For brunch we had french toast with powdered sugar and our own maple syrup (the last of the syrup from 2010), and for supper we had weiner schnitzel (weiner is pronounced veiner, in case anyone isn't familiar with the term) and hot potato salad.

Jason bottled some wine that he has had fermenting. 18 bottles of beautiful wine! It is the most beautiful wine he has made yet, so clear, and such a lovely hue. Together we made a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing and chocolate glaze, from scratch! Here is a link to this fabulous recipe... http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/

We also enjoyed a refreshing walk in the winter wonderland we call our home, and went sledding too! 8 deer were startled by our presence, and we enjoyed seeing them, even if they were running off over the hill. We relaxed with the movies of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and added to our anticipation of the sugaring season by ordering sap buckets! We will be a few days late getting started, but the buckets will make it so nice!

A lifetime just doesn't seem long enough when it is spent with the ones you love. May we all enjoy eternity together!

Psalm 23 and Psalm 91 are my prayers of thanksgiving and request for this household....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Being Me

2011-02-04T10:06:00.004-05:00

Excitement is not for me
Unless its a cup of tea.
A book of plants
Is true romance.
Let's read of the birds and bees.

Glamor and glitz and noise
Is for other girls and boys,
Unless its the frog
And his friends in the bog,
Then I love every loud little voice.

Fast cars, high heels, and such,
Why live for hype and rush?
I'm thrilled by the gleam
Of a summertime stream.
Is that asking so very much?

F

2011-02-03T14:39:00.007-05:00

Around here F is for.... February, Freezing, Fun, Family, Frolic, and Fantastic!!!

Science, Art, and Sunshine.... (window painting of a luna moth and crescent moon)

2011-02-03T14:30:00.005-05:00

The painted moon is barely visible during the day... as is the custom of the moon, but...

Outside at night....

Owls, Aliens, Fairies, Dishcloths, and a Bunny

2011-02-03T14:03:00.011-05:00

The dishcloths are my handiwork, everything else was instigated and created by the children......

OWLS......

ALIENS....

FAIRIES.....

DISHCLOTHS.....

A BUNNY.....

Rainbow Hearts

2011-01-21T17:43:00.004-05:00

I have been wanting to do this craft for over a year. Family Fun shared this great idea, and we finally did it! Truly fun!

Many hours of coloring have yielded a large supply of itty bitty broken crayons. We sorted through the drawer of colors and separated the broken bits from the unbroken bits. Awhile ago I had found a cast iron pan with heart shapes, and it has been hanging on my wall in anticipation of a crafty sort of day :-) We generously filled up each crevice with a variety of colors, placed the cast iron pan on an aluminum sheet, in case of spillage, and placed them in the toaster oven for 15-20 minutes at 250 degrees. (Just until there were some completely melted and all were mostly melted.) They were then placed into the freezer for about an hour, and voila! Much to our delight, out popped an assortment of rainbow colored heart crayons!!!

Happy Birthday, Kacie!

2011-01-16T14:54:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday, Kacie!
I do remember when,
We rocked on the porch swing
In merry, old Milton.
You, a little baby
As sweet as anything
Not even your aunt yet
You pulled on my heartstrings.

Here we are much later
With many miles between
I wish the best for you,
With journeys through your teens.
Blessings on your kind heart.
May God guard all your days,
With love, laughter, and peace.
His light to guide your ways.

Oh, Yum!

2011-01-04T19:22:00.009-05:00

What to do with stale saltine or oyster crackers, old slightly wrinkly apples, and yucky dry champagne? Make an incredibly delicious supper!

To the 3 cups of crumbled stale crackers I added a can of salmon, and six eggs. Mixed it well. Melted 2 tablespoons of butter in my cast iron frying pan over low heat. Then, I scooped the salmon mixture, by about 1/4 cup spoonfuls, and browned the patties well.

Meanwhile, I had peeled and quartered those wrinkly apples (they weren't rotten, but they weren't fresh for good eating), and added about 2 cups of dry champagne. It was left over from New Year's. Leftover, because it was yucky! And sprinkled the apples with about half of a cup of raw sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. That simmered until the apples were warm and softened, but not mushy. I stirred them twice.

All this was served over couscous. I mixed a cup of a plain variety with two different flavors of Near East brand couscous. Follow the package directions :-)

Served the salmon over the couscous with apples to the side, but not in a separate dish, and sprinkled everything (including the apples) with salt and pepper.

Boy, oh boy, we did enjoy!

Now, I have made all these foods before, but not in this particular combination. The couscous was always a hit, but the salmon patties and steamed apples, not so much. Tonight everyone finished their plates and quite a few had seconds.

If there had been leftover apples, as in the past, I'll tell ya what I would have done with them. I keep pound cake mix on hand for just such occasions. It mixes well with fruit, sometimes I add frozen raspberries (and dark chocolate chips or chunks), sometimes I add leftover mulled apples... for apples I would have spooned the apples into the bottom of prepared baking dish, probably a loaf pan, and I would have used the leftover pan liquids for the liquid called for in the mix. I also add 1 tsp of almond extract to pound cake mixes... they need it in order to taste really good :-) And then bake according to package instructions. Sometimes I add raspberries, with or without the apples. When adding frozen raspberries, just follow pound cake package instructions, plus the teaspoon of almond extract and then gently stir in the raspberries (and dark chocolate chips or chunks) into the batter before pouring it into the chosen prepared baking dish.

Hello, Jung!

2010-12-30T14:06:00.002-05:00

Nothing like getting seed catalogs in the mail in December! I love that :-) Thinking spring in the midst of winter. It's not that I don't like winter, I actually do. I love the holiday season, and firing up the wood stove, and getting cozy under covers with my sweetie, and wearing fun boots and sweaters and scarves, and knitting and crotcheting. I love that people wear more clothes during the colder months, and that there aren't bugs, especially spiders. I know that spiders are God's little creatures too, and that they even have a wonderful purpose, but I can't help but cringe when I find one lurking on the basement wall, staring at me. Or worse yet, above the shower! Or in a laundry basket, be still my heart! Winter, definitely has its advantages. The seed catalogs bring to mind other things, like flowers, and warm breezes, and laundry on the line, and fresh produce from the garden. In July, I will be fondly recalling my flannels, and the smell of woodsmoke, and baking lots of yummy things, and the children often being close in the house, and hot drinks... but as I am currently enjoying all the benefits of December now, the fond recollections are of spring...

Good for the Soul

2010-12-22T06:52:00.007-05:00

Sometimes I can say mean things and act in immature ways. Sometimes I get really angry and petty. Sometimes it takes the pains of experience to help a person learn who they really want to be. Hopefully I am gaining some of that insight, about who I want to be. I have spent some time on a high horse and when it bucked me off, it hurt! The one thing that I am grateful for in all of it, is that it showed me a bit more about my own character and and also the characters of others. It has hurt to know so many painful realities, but in the end I would rather have ugly truths than pretty lies. Hopefully with maturity and prayer and time the lies will be what is ugly and the truth will be what is pretty.

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16)

More Fun with Picnik

2010-12-17T15:29:00.009-05:00

A few of me from before baby six :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At our house, Hazel and Daddy reading Dr. Seuss, and our Christmas tree :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over the past few weeks, the children have had several lovely days spreading Christmas cheer with Mimi :-) They painted a window at her house too! And baked cookies and wrapped gifts and made wonderful memories.

Having Fun with Picnik

2010-12-15T15:11:00.012-05:00

You can have fun too!
www.picnik.com

Our Education Philosophy ~ Becoming Civilized

2010-12-11T11:23:00.012-05:00

~definition of civilized from dictionary.com....in sharp n sharp
–adjective

1.having an advanced or humane culture, society, etc.

2.polite; well-bred; refined.

3.of or pertaining to civilized people: The civilized world must fight ignorance.

4.easy to manage or control; well organized or ordered: The car is quiet and civilized, even in sharp turns.

personal note: The word civilized seems to be most often used to describe people and nations, but that is not entirely the way that I am meaning it to be used. Advanced, humane, polite, refined, these words are the ones that jump out at me as I read the definition. Words such as well-bred, organized, ordered, easy to manage or control, are not necessarily contradictory to my desired use of the word, but they are subject to further definition in how they are applied to our personal life, e.g. easy to manage or control; certainly, if the management and/or control is directed at politeness, being humane, and other such noble pursuits, if it is directed at the opposite type of pursuits I think any truly civilized person or nation should be the opposite of easy to manage.... another example would be "well-bred"; I do not see in that aspect of the definition a justification for prejudice of race or class, but rather an obliteration of ignorance. Children should be thought of before they are even conceived at the very best, and at the very least should be given respect even in the womb...

Americans have been taught that their nation is civilized and humane. But, too often, U.S. actions have been uncivilized and inhumane.
Howard Zinn

When man learns to understand and control his own behavior as well as he is learning to understand and control the behavior of crop plants and domestic animals, he may be justified in believing that he has become civilized.
Ayn Rand

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com

Realizing that I don't actually have a crystal ball with a view into the future, how can I best prepare my children for the future?

The "apple" may or may not fall far from the "tree", but the tree isn't a bad starting point in assessing the possible potential of the fruit it bears. So, I look at myself, and I look at my husband, and I ask the questions: What do we need to succeed? What do we need to feel secure? What education did we get that has been helpful and what education did we not get that could have been helpful? How do we measure success? And this is how I answer myself (smile)....

What do we need to succeed? We need stable relationships. Our relationship with our Creator is fundamental. Our relationship as spouses is pivotal. Our relationships with our children are primary. Our relationship with an employer is based on commitment and mutual benefit. Our relationship with the larger community is delicate. One of the most misunderstood aspects of home schooling is the concept of socialization. Jason and I were both schooled in a more institutional school type of traditional way for the most part (private and public), and the concept of socialization for us is one of jaded mistrust. In our opinion, institutional school socialization is primitive and quite often fleeting. Very few of the relationships that were somewhat established over the course of our institutional school years carried over into our adult lives as close relationships, (thanks to FB we have maintained a large gathering of pleasant acquaintances), but even the most disagreeable and even distant family relationships have the potential of affecting our adult lives for positive and for negative on a regular and sometimes even daily basis. Some people perhaps do maintain more of a fluid contact with school mates, but more so than family? Even the ever popular dating rituals and all they esconce are impossible to separate completely from familial relationships, though many try. Perhaps friends are regarded most affectionately by some, but friends are friends, and the better for it, if you share idiosyncrasies. Workplace peers are not all of a close age. I would venture to say that a workplace is more like extended family than 4th grade. It is unlikely to expect that the time invested in institutional school relationships will prepare our children for the complexities involved with relationships of all natures. So, I do not feel that being raised with a balanced childhood socialization, primarily with immediate family, and secondarily with neighbors, extended family, church, volunteer groups, friends (hopefully the aforementioned groups also may qualify as friends), etc. is in any way a lack of socialization, or a second best option, especially when the immediate family is a large one.

What do we need to feel secure? We need our daily needs met. We need shelter and food and clothing and, not least, love. A job helps in securing these needs, and the previously mentioned stable relationships also play a part. So a certain amount of discipline is required, since all jobs require the doing of them, and a certain amount of respect of each other is required, since we are not hermits, though solitude is sometimes necessary for focus, ( I am speaking mostly for myself in regard to the solitude, but I do find that the children benefit from a little quiet time as well on occasion, although they are much less jaded about relationships than I am.)

What education did we get that has been helpful and what education did we not get that could have been helpful? I think that Jason and I both have a very strong respect for all aspects of education. A self-taught person is a pleasure to converse with and can learn things in a way that can be revelatory. On the other hand, a teacher aided education can give the benefit of a wealth of experience gained by generations of experts in the chosen field of study. If a person has wisdom, they will glean information from wherever it can be gleaned. For myself, I am living a life pretty much exactly as I wish to be living it, but there are many things I still wish to learn, and some of them I wish I had learned and mastered already. I am sure that my children will feel the same way. As their mother, the best I can do is make knowing them a priority and help them to know themselves and encourage them in their heart's desires and their development of good character.

How do we measure success? This question, for me, is perhaps most easily answered by focusing on the many ways I don't measure success. One of the most popular ways of measuring success is money, and money certainly has its value, but wealth alone is a poor measure of success and many a person without material possessions has received high praise from multitudes... so, is it fame? Fame alone is also a poor measure of success considering that it can be acquired by being famous for dreadful deeds or by accident... so is it character? Is success able to measured by a persons good character... and how is that measured, and how perfect must one be? Should the measure of success even be among our education questions? How can it not? I suppose the most balanced answer I can come up with for this question would be.... success is being a person that is more beneficial than unbeneficial.... and being a benefit to oneself and others is open for discussion, no doubt...

To sum up: each day we are desiring to raise our children to know and respect themselves and others, to observe their environment and use those observations to gain a better understanding of life, to pursue their good interests with fervor and optimism, to explore new horizons, and exercise discipline in certain aspects of daily life (such as health and hygiene), we entertain certain obsessions as they present themselves (such as art, writing, and building snow huts), and try to distinguish healthy obsessions from unhealthy addictions....

Some may call this an eclectic education, I don't feel that quite adequately describes us. Some may call it relaxed schooling, I definitely think that is an extremely inaccurate description, we may have relaxed moments, but nothing about our lifestyle is appropriately termed "relaxed". Some just simply call it homeschooling, again... it is neither entirely at home, and it is definitely not school ( by definition school is an institution, formal learning, confined to sessions of specific time, etc...) We learn through life at all times, everything is applicable to education, every person teaches something, every thing that has life is a complete curriculum waiting to studied, everything past and everything future is a mystery tempting us to unravel its complexities. As parents, we accept primary responsibility for the education of the formative years, but even now we encourage our children to realize that they are also responsible for their own education, and habits that they develop now voluntarily are worth far more than habits forced upon them by anyone. Is there a good phrase that sums all this up? A brief way of expressing what we do 24/7?

The best word I have yet found to describe our lifestyle goals is "civilized". We are not homeschooled, or unschooled, or exactly eclectic (we learn from a single source, life), and we can't best be described by any single label of any popular educator. By our own knowledge of ourselves, and by the constant barrage of opinions we receive, positive and negative, that come from those who observe us.... we are well on our way to becoming civilized.

My Weakness, His Strength, Happy Christmas

2010-12-03T16:11:00.006-05:00

Today was such a low energy day for me. I haven't been sleeping terribly well, so I am a bit sleep deprived and that translates into feeling a bit moody. We bought our Christmas tree last night and I told the children that we would finish the Christmas decorating today, they were ready this morning to begin the decorating, but I was soooo tired I kept putting it off, and putting it off, and putting it off, until it was about 2:30 p.m. They were so patient, but I felt like such a huge letdown of a mother to them. Finally we started, I decided to let them try tackling most of the trimming, and they were more than eager to do so. I basically supervised while holding Hazel and they cheerfully hung lights, and balls, and candy canes, etc... Then, it began to snow, just flurries, but it continued for the duration of the tree trimming, and then it stopped... the kids were delighted. Snow belongs with Christmas festivities in the minds of these Pennsylvania children, and today they got it, as if a grand stage director said, "Cue the snow". They kept saying, "This day is perfect!", and all they asked of me was to play some Christmas music. (Pandora helped with that.) I might be a lousy mom sometimes, but they have a really wonderful Creator that cares about lilies and sparrows and children celebrating Him (I know Christmas festivities are questionable for some, but around here it is all redeemed). His strength is made perfect in my weakness! What a blessed relief!

Whooo's Ready for Christmas?

2010-11-30T19:36:00.004-05:00

Seasonal cooperative art

Inside

Outside

Pleasantries

2010-11-29T12:49:00.007-05:00

Hazel loves taking walks! And so do we :-) She fits into this household so perfectly!
Daddy and Hazel enjoying story time on the "new/old", antique, wool rug that we brought down into the living room. It was in the girls' room, but they wanted a change and Hazel will need a softer surface on the hard wood floors as she begins to crawl. I love how she is holding his hand :-)
My children, looking rather "Sangree" in my opinion (my maternal name) :-) Thanksgiving Eve we had a family pie baking session. The children are learning to make deliciously healthy pies... perhaps I'll post some recipes. We are partial to our pies :-)
Hazel's first Thanksgiving Day and first snow fall, all in the same blissful morning.

The wood stove is keeping the house toasty and the big windows are keeping the living room sunny, Hazel was enjoying the coziness.

"They" say that the first child gets the most photos taken and each child after is photographed less and less, it is obviously not true around here! We always took lots of pics of our little children, and now that they have gotten older they are often the ones behind the camera!

We are having a fantastic autumn, and had a perfect Thanksgiving Day and blessed weekend. Thanksgiving Day was spent at home, creating memories and traditions and wonderful food! For the weekend, starting Friday afternoon, Mimi wanted some time with the children, so they spent a few days at her house baking cookies, doing crafts, decorating for Christmas, and then going flea marketing. I think that was such a lovely thing to do, maybe miracles can happen by next year and she could have all her grandchildren together while they are still young! Something to pray about. While the children were enjoying their time with Mimi, Jason and I and Hazel had a few days to do whatever. We decided to hit the local thrift stores, I call it treasure hunting. Found a bunch of wonderful additions to add to my Pfaltzgraff Heritage collection, a wooden rocking horse for Hazel, an owl spoon holder, and a few other nifty things (one thing in particular is going to make an awesome Christmas present for Destiny!). We also browsed some antique stores and did some regular store shopping, that was nice too. I was looking forward to riding around in our new/used Subaru, but it was in for a complimentary detailing and inspection. Since we just bought it, the new tires and brakes that it needed were also complimentary, which was great! Unfortunately that meant driving a loaner all weekend... without cup holders! What? Ah well... we survived :-) Each evening we would unwind from our shopping excursions with "Wild China" on Netflix Instant. I highly recommend it. My favorite bits were about the cottage silk making workers, the tea growers were awesome (they use goats for weed control and live in a huge 800 year old community home), and I also loved the seaweed/oyster farming village with the "winter angels". Sunday afternoon we brought all our children home, safe and sound and happy and healthy, ready for the Christmas season to bring its cheer! Wishing Happy Holidays to everyone!

Humbly Thankful

2010-11-25T14:48:00.006-05:00

The Native Americans had some really sweet tribes, and some really vicious tribes. Europeans had been fighting territorials wars since, well, always... the arrival of a stronger more aggressive people to the "New World" was unfortunate for the Native Americans, but really, what do people expect of history? It is ludicrous to have expected desperate people to arrive and say, "Oh, we are so sorry to have found your massive, fertile, and abundantly beautiful land, wild people of this new world. We will leave now and swim our way back across the ocean to our own people's variety of religious persecution. So sorry for bothering you..." I hate war, it is always very unfortunate. I love reading about the some of the beautiful ways of the Native Americans, but I don't feel any more sorry for them than the persecuted Europeans. It would have been lovely if coming to the New World meant Heaven on earth, but territorial wars are ugly and it has always been the way of settling a country and establishing the sure to follow government. Unfortunately life has always been about survival of the fittest. I don't think apologies are necessary, but I also don't think the settling of our country is without great sadness.

As I sit here, completely full after a fabulous meal, surrounded by my beautiful, healthy children and handsome, adoring, intelligent husband, I am humbled. There are so many in the world with so much sorrow. As I type this there are people starving to death in various parts of the world, there are people that are homeless, there are parents with deathly ill children, there are lonely hearts longing for a soul mate, there are jobless families, and families separated by war... my heart aches for the many, many, many in need of comfort, mercy, and blessings. So, should I apologize? I really don't think so, but I do pray, for miracles and for guidance. I really don't know how to save North Korea. I don't even personally know a single starving person, but I don't wish to live my life in ignorance or self-absorbed comfort.

I am thankful. I am thankful to God, my God, Jehovah, Creator of Heaven and Earth for every good thing, and for every lesson learned, and for every trial that refines. I beg Him for His continued mercy on this household, and for direction, for direction to be His hands and feet and answer to the cry of the suffering, at least in some way, small or big or seed planted or crop harvested...

At the risk of doing the opposite of this passage, I still want to share it, I think it is perfectly appropriate for this holiday. My favorite holiday, by the way.

¹ “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ³ But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
⁵ “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ⁶ But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. ⁷ And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
⁸ “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. ⁹ In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
¹³ And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

¹⁴ “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
¹⁶ “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
²² “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
²⁴ “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
²⁵ “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
²⁸ “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; ²⁹ and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
(Matthew 6, New King James Version)

Just A Thought...

2010-11-24T12:23:00.000-05:00

I wish public school gave the option of a once a week creative arts day, the kids would get picked up and have age inclusive group classes about painting, singing, pottery, musical instruments, dance, weaving, knitting, crocheting, quilting, theatre, etc... there would be no homework. Love being with my kids a lot, love homeschooling, but getting them to that many classes would be impossible and I am so much more sociably energetic after a little solitude. Don't want the whole gamut of school, but one day a week might be tempting.

Pennsylvania Pride

2010-11-12T11:18:00.005-05:00

Hunting is a big thing around Pennsylvania these days... "First Day of Buck" is fast approaching... My children spied the above beauty this morning and semi-quietly ran about the house hollering, "there's a buck in our yard!!!" I noticed some rustling in the bushes and mentioned that I thought there were also does in the yard, I continued to explain that part of the purpose of antlers was for the bucks to compete with each other for mating rights with the does... just as I was saying that... "second buck, enter stage right"... a second smaller buck comes wandering into the yard. The first buck raises his majestic head and saunters in the direction of the intimidated younger buck. The younger buck retraces his steps as the larger buck begins to charge.... AWESOME start to a day for this household!!!! Homeschooling is great :-)

The bigger buck (above). The younger buck (below). I took this shot as he was trying his luck for a second time, without success on his part...

P.S. Note to hunters... these pics were taken in a residential safety zone, only the homeowners hunt on the properties surrounding here... and some of them are old with bad eyesight, and some of them are young with bad tempers...

Redeeming Wabi-Sabi

2010-11-09T11:32:00.007-05:00

As a believer in Christianity my perspective of all other religions is that they are falsehoods. It wouldn't be much of a belief if I accepted all beliefs as truth, so from where I am standing and perceiving life all beliefs just can't all be personally accepted, BUT I also believe that at the root of all great falsehoods is a great deal of truth, the more truth mixed in, the more believable the falsehood... thus my emphasis on not lumping things together as guilty by association, but relying on the Spirit of Truth to guide us into a greater understanding of truth. Like a mountain climber, my quest for truth is best had with a safety harness, and that safety harness is the Word of God, the Bible. Anything that contradicts the Spirit compiled and traditionally acceptable Bible is not to be considered safe, a long hard fall could ensue without the safety of the Holy Scriptures holding us firmly and securely to the higher calling...

that said.... let's talk Wabi-Sabi.... the core concepts of this lifestyle goal are rooted in humility.

Why do I bring it up? The prevailing mindset of North American society has a lot to do with materialism. There are a lot of fringe mindsets that find materialism to be counter to their values. Wabi-Sabi is a more popular mindset in the Asian cultures and I find it to be very refreshing. It is somewhat difficult to separate it from a belief system, and I really don't see any real reason to do that entirely, but realizing that some core concepts of some religions do have some similarities can be a painful stretch for some, not usually for me. I see tidbits such as this as treasures hiding, waiting to be found and redeemed.

What is Wabi-Sabi? "Wabi-sabi is the quintessential Japanese aesthetic. It is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional... It is also two separate words, with related but different meanings. "Wabi" is the kind of perfect beauty that is seemingly-paradoxically caused by just the right kind of imperfection, such as an asymmetry in a ceramic bowl which reflects the handmade craftsmanship, as opposed to another bowl which is perfect, but soul-less and machine-made. "Sabi" is the kind of beauty that can come only with age, such as the patina on a very old bronze statue." (excerpt from http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WabiSabi)

"The term wabi-sabi suggests such qualities as impermanence, humility, asymmetry, and imperfection. These underlying principles are diametrically opposed to those of their Western counterparts, whose values are rooted in the Hellenic worldview that values permanence, grandeur, symmetry, and perfection. ...

Wabi-sabi is an intuitive appreciation of a transient beauty in the physical world that reflects the irreversible flow of life in the spiritual world. It is an understated beauty that exists in the modest, rustic, imperfect, or even decayed, an aesthetic sensibility that finds a melancholic beauty in the impermanence of all things." (excerpt from http://www.hermitary.com/solitude/wabisabi.html)

For me I see these pictures:

A very old couple, sitting on the porch of a very old home, on a porch swing with faded paint, the husband and wife having grown to look similar, and smiling semi-toothless smiles in their wrinkled, aged faces, wearing clothing that has seen many days of gardening and barn chores... a strong knowledge that each precious day may hold a physical separation from their soul's mate, leading to a clear understanding of what is most valuable in life.

Compared to, an airbrushed, semi-starved, flawless, young, runway model in designer clothing never before worn and possibly never to be worn again... lights flashing, a crowd clapping, a proud twinkle in the eye of a woman at the pinnacle of her modeling career...

I am not saying that every old couple has figured out what is truly valuable, or that every runway model hasn't, it is just a comparison of what I picture is Wabi-Sabi and what isn't.

I also see Wabi-Sabi as the exposed breast of a nursing mother, and the bitter sweet days of fleeting infancy reflected in the manner of the mother's peaceful repose, in comparison to the exposed breasts of teeny weeny bikini clad beach bodies and only the devil knows what being reflected in their manner...

Or a clothesline filled with faded linens blowing with the wind and drying with the sun, compared to a shiny, new washer and dryer...

Perhaps my minds-eye visuals aren't entirely on the spot with Wabi-Sabi concepts, I was not raised Japanese and the ideas are fairly new to me, but that is how I am seeing it.

Three core concepts surround this mindset:

Anicca: impermanence, and nothing really ceases to exist entirely... e.g. rotting leaves nourish the ground that again nourishes the tree...

In the Bible we are exhorted not to love our lives, but to realize that we are as fleeting as the grass, but we are also exhorted to realize that we also have eternity woven into our being...

"He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure." (Job 14:2) “ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS,
AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS.
THE GRASS WITHERS,
AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.” (from 1 Peter 1:24-25)

"He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Dukkha: dis- ease, dissatisfaction... nothing in the material world gives lasting satisfaction...

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Matt. 16:24-28

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also"... Matt. 6:19-21

Anatta: Non-self... the way I understand this one is that seeking a solidified self-image makes as much sense as a wave trying to find a solid identity... life is changeable and connected.

"And Jehovah Elohim formed Man, dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and Man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7

...."It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." from Gal. 2:20

"So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit." (1 Cor. 15:45)

Heroes of My Story

2010-11-08T10:59:00.009-05:00

A question I have been pondering for awhile... who are my heroes? There are so many great examples of heroic deeds in history, but who am I to claim their acts as my personal salvation? My life has been improved by many, many wonderful men and women and I have many, many good examples to learn from, but heroes, my heroes? They have walked through hell for me and with me and they see the same Heaven that I see...

My God
My Husband
My Mother

My God loves me with unabashed bias as He does with all of His children, my husband loves me truly and steadfastly as He does no other, my mother loves me as her own heart which she cares for increasingly well as this life becomes increasingly fleeting.

As I learn more about my own heart and my own compelling thoughts on this life I find myself drawn to the pages of the mystics, the Christian mystics most specifically, I feel a kindred calling with them, a longing to know their thoughts more, and I receive encouragement in my own journey as I read about theirs, because they have walked under a similar sun... lives fraught with controversy, yet drawn ever closer to the truths they passionately sought.... they were not perfect people, but they passionately sought for and became the light in the ever present darkness.

A link to many examples of Christian mystics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Christian_mystics

(following excerpts from~ http://christianmystics.com/basics/whatis.html)

"What Is A Christian Mystic:
So, what is a Christian Mystic? A person concerned not with knowing the letter of the Word, or religious dogmas, but with knowing the Spirit of the Word, which is to say living from within the experience of God’s word at the very core of being. A mystic, quite simply, is a lover of God who pursues the beloved from a deep realization that life as a Christian is evolving as the soul moves toward its fullness and destiny in relationship to God.

To travel into the world of the Christian mystic, one must discard concepts such as ego, pride and spiritual materialism in favor of adopting a sense of humility and hopeful expectation. It is to begin a great and stirring adventure that moves the soul from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God.

Indeed, one begins to experience the Bible as the living Word of God, which guides the reader from an ego-centric point of view to a mature and deeper sense of God's presence. Jesus' message that the kingdom of God is not out there somewhere, but rather here, within, available to humble through faith, is a personal realization that reaches across time to every human soul willing to follow.

What A Christian Mystic Is Not:
As you begin to discover the depths of your soul through the tradition and beauty of Christian mysticism, you will also quickly learn that there are people who feel the very term "Christian Mystic" to be highly improper, an oxymoron.

For these people, the word "mystic" summons up images of the occult, heathenism, and otherworldly spiritual attitudes or, more specifically, of concepts such as those found in "New Age" philosophies... Nothing could be further from the truth"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Discovering spirituality is like discovering you are in a boat. Mysticism is like pushing off from the dock. Since many leave safe mooring and perish in the waves, this is not to be done in a cavalier fashion - even though it can be exciting to push off into the deep.

The issue is not of whether we should push off, for Christians must do so as well if they intend to get anywhere (and that is what boats are for), but rather of where you are going...The Christian casts off from this world as well, but with clear intent to where he is headed, with the best of maps, circumspectly, deliberately.

The Christian Mystic arrives, against all dangers and odds. Thus we launch out with fear and trembling, but trust that He who commanded us to do so can calm the waves, and see us through to His real, safe port."

- C.S. Lewis

Communication

2010-11-04T13:26:00.011-04:00

(The above picture is of Aunt Dottie and Uncle Paul... that would have been a very good conversation they were having! I am just sure of it! Miss them both dreadfully... til' we meet again....)

During my upbringing a lot of emphasis was placed on communication. There are better and worse ways of communicating, but even bad communication was preferable to no communication, unless the person is as good as dead to you. There were few get-togethers, but when someone asked, "How are you?" they expected a real answer, and it was a question that was asked often, and being accustomed to being truly heard caused many to simply say how they really were without even being asked, that was generally perfectly acceptable as well. My husband's upbringing was much different when it came to communicating. Joking was the primary method of discourse, especially about things that were viewed as unpleasant, and the alternative was to ignore anything that was disagreeable, actually having confrontational communication in any kind of serious way qualified you to be shunned. Niceties were not to be entirely trusted and could possibly mask disgust, but were sometimes completely sincere. His family has many, many gatherings, but they are about seeing each other, not really about hearing each other. This is at least how I am understanding the communication techniques of our families. Needless to say, there has been some clashing of communication, not so much between Jason and I, we seem to have come together understanding that our "baggage" was definitely less important than our love, but our extended relatives have been the source of much frustration and we have a long, long way to go until we find a common language with many of them. I say that with optimism, but part of me has given up on the extra difficult relationships.

My goal increasingly is to raise children that have strength and heart, I tend to lean towards the heart side and Jason tends to lean towards the strength side, not that I am devoid of strength or that he is devoid of heart, but we tend to react towards pressure with our primary outlooks. He is the strong silent type, and I get myself into trouble by caring excessively, there needs to be balance and we are increasingly good for each other as we realize that we are the balance for each other. Life is not for the faint of heart. Our children are already showing an admirably balanced mixture of strength and heart. I hope that they learn early what is worthy of their strength, where to place their best intentions, how to guard their hearts, and how to use their time wisely.

My prayer for them....

Proverbs 4:23-27

"Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Put away from you a fraudulent mouth, and perverse lips put far from you.

Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.

Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove your foot from evil."

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-11-04T11:20:00.005-04:00

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... the day is blissfully rainy and cool.

I am thinking... about pleasant family traditions around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I am thankful for... my husband and children and all that has led us to where we are, God is faithful and merciful.

From the learning rooms... the children are giving each other practice spelling quizzes voluntarily because I am allowing them to retake their spelling quiz once a day until they get a 100% at which time they will get a prize :-)

From the kitchen... there are a lot of dishes that need done...

I am wearing... a comfy outfit that I wouldn't want to be caught wearing if someone popped in :-)

I am creating... peaceful thoughts leading to a peaceful home leading to a peaceful life leading to a little bit more world peace :-)

I am going... to the dentist later today for a regular checkup :-(

I am reading... spelling lists to the children

I am hoping... that the children are receiving an education that will serve them well throughout their lives

I am hearing... random spelling words

Around the house... there is a lot of potential for wonderfulness

One of my favorite things... is being at home with the ones that are so easy to love

A few plans for the rest of the week: hopefully figuring out what the truck needs and getting new tires on the van.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...
Writing exercise from:
http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

The Cremation of Sam McGee

2010-10-28T23:08:00.002-04:00

Some family nostalgia has led to the sharing of a memory of this poem being memorized and shared for several generations... it is the first that I have heard it, but I just love it.....

The Cremation of Sam McGee

By Robert W. Service

There are strange things done in the midnight sun

By the men who moil for gold;

The Arctic trails have their secret tales

That would make your blood run cold;

The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,

But the queerest they ever did see

Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge

I cremated Sam McGee.

Now Sam McGee was from Tennessee, where the cotton blooms and blows.
Why he left his home in the South to roam ‘round the Pole, God only knows.
He was always cold, but the land of gold seemed to hold him like a spell;
Though he’d often say in his homely way that “he’d sooner live in hell.”

On a Christmas Day we were mushing our way over the Dawson trail.
Talk of your cold! through the parka’s fold it stabbed like a driven nail.
If our eyes we’d close, then the lashes froze till sometimes we couldn’t see;
It wasn’t much fun, but the only one to whimper was Sam McGee.

And that very night, as we lay packed tight in our robes beneath the snow,
And the dogs were fed, and the stars o’erhead were dancing heel and toe,
He turned to me, and “Cap,” says he, “I’ll cash in this trip, I guess;
And if I do, I’m asking that you won’t refuse my last request.”

Well, he seemed so low that I couldn’t say no; then he says with a sort of moan:
“It’s the cursed cold, and it’s got right hold till I’m chilled clean through to the bone.
Yet ‘taint being dead—it’s my awful dread of the icy grave that pains;
So I want you to swear that, foul or fair, you’ll cremate my last remains.”

A pal’s last need is a thing to heed, so I swore I would not fail;
And we started on at the streak of dawn; but God! he looked ghastly pale.
He crouched on the sleigh, and he raved all day of his home in Tennessee;
And before nightfall a corpse was all that was left of Sam McGee.

There wasn’t a breath in that land of death, and I hurried, horror-driven,
With a corpse half hid that I couldn’t get rid, because of a promise given;
It was lashed to the sleigh, and it seemed to say: “You may tax your brawn and brains,
But you promised true, and it’s up to you to cremate those last remains.”

Now a promise made is a debt unpaid, and the trail has its own stern code.
In the days to come, though my lips were dumb, in my heart how I cursed that load.
In the long, long night, by the lone firelight, while the huskies, round in a ring,
Howled out their woes to the homeless snows—O God! how I loathed the thing.

And every day that quiet clay seemed to heavy and heavier grow;
And on I went, though the dogs were spent and the grub was getting low;
The trail was bad, and I felt half mad, but I swore I would not give in;
And I’d often sing to the hateful thing, and it hearkened with a grin.

Till I came to the marge of Lake Lebarge, and a derelict there lay;
It was jammed in the ice, but I saw in a trice it was called the “Alice May.”
And I looked at it, and I thought a bit, and I looked at my frozen chum;
Then “Here,” said I, with a sudden cry, “is my cre-ma-tor-eum.”

Some planks I tore from the cabin floor, and I lit the boiler fire;
Some coal I found that was lying around, and I heaped the fuel higher;
The flames just soared and the furnace roared—such a blaze you seldom see;

Then I burrowed a hole in the glowing coal, and I stuffed in Sam McGee.

Then I made a hike, for I didn’t like to hear him sizzle so;
And the heavens scowled, and the huskies howled, and the wind began to blow.
It was icy cold, but the hot sweat rolled down my cheeks, and I don’t know why;
And the greasy smoke in an inky cloak went streaking down the sky.

I do not know how long in the snow I wrestled with grisly fear;
But the stars came out and they danced about ere again I ventured near;
I was sick with dread, but I bravely said: “I’ll just take a peep inside.
I guess he’s cooked, and it’s time I looked;” . . . then the door I opened wide.

And there sat Sam, looking cool and calm, in the heart of the furnace roar;
And he wore a smile you could see a mile, and he said: “Please close that door.
It’s fine in here, but I greatly fear you’ll let in the cold and storm—
Since I left Plumtree, down in Tennessee, it’s the first time I’ve been warm.”

There are strange things done in the midnight sun

By the men who moil for gold;

The Arctic trails have their secret tales

That would make your blood run cold;

The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,

But the queerest they ever did see

Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge

I cremated Sam McGee.

Earthy Mother

I LOVE JANUARY!

A Season for Thanking and Thinking of You

Bit of a Holiday Tongue-Lashing

Just Wondering...

The Best Neighbors

Peace and Love and Family

Full of Thanks and Pie!

Check Out Pinterest!

Pottery and Susque

The Warm Heart of Autumn

Fare Thee Well!

Growing Up, Destiny and Savannah

The Natural Order of Things

"If You're Happy It's Your Birthday, Then Say, 'Cheese!'"

Watch Out, Cake Boss!

A Tribute to Jason

Before and After

Petite Provence... In My Mind's Eye

Who I Am

A Little Secret

From, Your Sister

Horses, People, Drama

The Goal is a Second Nature

Over the Years...

Recipes

Directions

Zucchini Beef Bake

Ingredients

How to make it

This and That

Ramblings

Happy Birthday, Shiloh! Let's go to the Shore!

Little League Parade

Party at Maam and Poppy's

Sheep Farm

A Houseful of Children

Intro to Homeschooling in Pennsylvania

Hazel's Big Day

Picture Blog

Herons and Young Fishermen

Festivities with Family and Friends

The Heart of the Matter

It's All Good

Indoor Springtime at the Gardens

A Yellow Lawn is a Golden Opportunity for Wellness

The Dandelion

"The whole plant is used as a medicinal herb internally and externally."

Rain is the Best Lullaby

Happy Birthday to Mimi!!!

Reflecting

Celebrating Us! Our Happy Anniversary!

Being Me

F

Science, Art, and Sunshine.... (window painting of a luna moth and crescent moon)

Owls, Aliens, Fairies, Dishcloths, and a Bunny

Rainbow Hearts

Happy Birthday, Kacie!

Oh, Yum!

Hello, Jung!

Good for the Soul

More Fun with Picnik

Having Fun with Picnik

Our Education Philosophy ~ Becoming Civilized

civ·i·lized

My Weakness, His Strength, Happy Christmas

Whooo's Ready for Christmas?

Pleasantries

Humbly Thankful

Just A Thought...

Pennsylvania Pride

Redeeming Wabi-Sabi

Heroes of My Story

Communication

The Simple Woman's Daybook

The Cremation of Sam McGee

The Cremation of Sam McGee