November 29, 2010 11:02 a.m.

….. it is Christmas time again.  How did we get here again so quickly?
Wasn’t it just summer?
There are no flies lighting upon Chips and Sweet Girl when it comes to getting the house decorated for Christmas.  Only the lighting of hundreds of small multi-colored bulbs!
It all begins in the garage, where Self-Reliant Man lets down many boxes, bins, and bags.

Our Christmas tree, a plastic one (yes) is in its 16th Christmas this year.  It is large, nine feet tall, and to distribute its weight in the attic, we long ago began the habit of sorting its branches by alphabet letter in several trash bags that get reused year after year after year.

Then begins the process of decorating the tree (after Self-Reliant Man and I artfully place the lights). 

It is interesting how I remember exactly who gave me ornaments that we received 25-35 years ago, but I cannot seem to remember where we got ornaments within the last five years.  For example, this ornament was given to me 33 years ago by a frequent reader of this blog in New Hampshire.  Do you remember giving me this?  It still looks like new, by the way!





And of course, our sweet lab, Beau, is wondering to himself why we do this every year just when the weather starts getting cooler.

The job is mostly done inside the house, except for a few things.

And Chips is seeing to it that adequate outdoor lighting is being installed.  Pictures will be posted later.
If you are interested, I have written in this post tips for using your digital camera to take pictures of Christmas lights.   Have fun with this!

November 25, 2010 6:53 a.m.
Thanksgiving Day

Taken from today's New York Times.  This proclamation was given by the governor of Connecticut in 1936.  A lot of good things all contained in one sentence.  Happy Thanksgiving, friends.


State of Connecticut
By His Excellency WILBUR L. CROSS, Governor
Proclamation
Time out of mind at this turn of the seasons when the hardy oak leaves rustle in the wind and the frost gives a tang to the air and the dusk falls early and the friendly evenings lengthen under the heel of Orion, it has seemed good to our people to join together in praising the Creator and Preserver, who has brought us by a way that we did not know to the end of another year. In observance of this custom, I appoint Thursday, the twenty-sixth of November, as a day of
for the blessings that have been our common lot and have placed our beloved State with the favored regions of earth -- for all the creature comforts: the yield of the soil that has fed us and the richer yield from labor of every kind that has sustained our lives -- and for all those things, as dear as breath to the body, that quicken man's faith in his manhood, that nourish and strengthen his spirit to do the great work still before him: for the brotherly word and act; for honor held above price; for steadfast courage and zeal in the long, long search after truth; for liberty and for justice freely granted by each to his fellow and so as freely enjoyed; and for the crowning glory and mercy of peace upon our land; -- that we may humbly take heart of these blessings as we gather once again with solemn and festive rites to keep our Harvest Home.

Given under my hand and seal of the State at the Capitol, in Hartford, this twelfth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirty six and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and sixty-first.
Wilbur L. Cross
By His Excellency's Command:
C. John Satti Secretary

November 22, 2010 8:41 p.m.

The van we camp in is a Sprinter, so Self-Reliant Man occasionally checks the Web for websites and information pertaining to Sprinter vans, accessories, parts, and maintenance.  So it was in this way that back in May he stumbled on the website of a couple who was touring the U.S.A. in a Sprinter van that had been made over into a Class B motorhome by Airstream; the Airstream Interstate 3500 housed in a Mercedes Benz Sprinter van.  The couple’s names are Rob and Jan.  They had sold their home in Colorado and hit the road.  Their trip was to cover 50 National Parks in 20,000 to 30,000 miles.

This couple managed to market themselves in such a way that Mercedes Benz was willing to sponsor their once-in-a-lifetime tour of North America’s National Parks, even providing them with the motorhome for the trip.  So Self-Reliant Man was Googling “Sprinter Van” and came upon their website back in early May, on Day 19 of their seven month tour.  This couple now has over 1100 followers on Facebook as they are now wrapping up their adventure.  So I guess it is safe to say that they are somewhat famous.

Since we were one of their earliest followers on Facebook, and since we were also planning a cross country camping trip, we were very interested in their travels, their experiences, their photos, and their itinerary.  It turned out that they and we were scheduled to be in Yellowstone National Park on the same day, so we decided to make tentative plans to meet one another for lunch on that day in September.

Well, this lunch meeting never occurred, as they had to accelerate their schedule and they ended up having to leave Yellowstone the day before we arrived there.  However, we knew that their trip would eventually take them to Florida, so we thought we would get another chance to see them.

The really providential thing, however, was after we returned from our trip.  That week, we had a Kickball P. E. gathering of our homeschool fellowship at a nearby town.  Several moms were interested to hear about our trip, and the lady who leads the group (who I had just recently gotten to know) mentioned that she had good friends who were currently touring the National Parks in a motorhome that they were getting to use for free.  At mention of this, my eyes grew wide and I asked “Are they still traveling?” and she said “Yes.”

“What are their names?” I asked.

She replied “Rob and Jan”.

What are the chances?!?!?  In God’s providence, the chances are excellent.  So, after contacting them, and letting them know about our newly discovered mutual friend, we made plans to get together when they passed through our area. 

This past Saturday evening was that opportunity.  Like I said, they had just concluded their tour of National Parks and were just about to head north to drop off their Sprinter.  They had logged nearly 35,000 miles. 

We got together for dinner at a local Pan*ra Bread (W*nter Spgs): Rob and Jan, our family, and the  lady who leads our homeschool group and her husband.  We got to share about our trips and our lives, and best of all, we got a tour of their motorhome which was parked outside.  (did anybody here see it there that night?  You couldn’t miss it!)  This is the neatest motorhome around.

It was surreal, getting to see this vehicle and meet this couple in person who we had been following online for so many months.  Turns out we have a lot in common with this couple, besides camping across America.  And to top it off, after they take care of some family responsibilities up north, they will return to our area and settle nearby, and are even considering coming to our church to worship.  How amazing is that?

Coincidence?  We don’t believe in coincidences.

Here are some of the pictures we took that evening. 

November 19, 2010 5:00 p.m.

We are nearing the end of our academic year.  Chips has six more days of Fifth Grade and we will be done until January.  I have to admit, I am so ready for it to end.

It has been a year of much learning, but it has been long.  We have worked really hard in 2010.  I have spent so much time on academics, leaving very little time for much else.  I do love Calvert, but it has been very time consuming this year.

Anybody who has read my blog for awhile has surely noticed a dearth of posts this year.  It couldn’t be helped.  I have had very little spare time.  But….when I look back over this past year, I am sure of a few things. 

• I am sure that there have been very solid academics accomplished in our home. 
• I am sure that our kids have learned much in our scripture and catechism studies.
• I am sure that they have been diligent in their music practice. 
• I am sure that they (and my husband and I) had a great time traveling out West this year. 

Don’t get me wrong; I am thankful for those things.

But when I look around, I am dismayed at all the other things that have gone undone.  I have often looked around the house in frustration over its state of disarray.   I have noticed the stacks of papers piling up on my desk, begging for a little attention (and/or a circular file).  I have seen the weeds in the yard, many more than I could ever pull.  I have seen the piles of books going unread.  I have seen the emails I have not replied to and the stacks of unfolded laundry.  I have bought ingredients to make meals for a lady with cancer, but it has been two weeks and I haven’t been able to get to it.

At times like this, it is impossible for me to not get on a guilt trip.  I see other mothers who have more children than I do, who homeschool them, and who seem to be always serving at church, so much more than I do.  I see other homeschool mothers who are baking more, crafting more, gardening more, reading more, blogging more, socializing more, and I wonder how they can do it all.  Either I am very, very, very inefficient, or surely they are not doing the academics that I am doing (?)    I do not mean to say this in a prideful way, although it probably sounds like I am.  I am just mystified, I guess.  Either I lack the energy, the brainpower, the computer / technological/ digital prowess, the help of extended family, or something else, because by the time I get done with all my have-tos, I have scant pockets of time left to do anything else.  My actual reading of printed material (not blogs and websites) has consisted of about two books for me this year, some read-alouds for the family (although I admit I haven’t even had much time for these), and reading the Calvert Fifth Grade reading books. 

Which leads me to ask a question.  I don’t know what other Calvert moms are doing about literature, but I find that if I don’t actually read the books that Chips is reading for his lessons, then I cannot fully draw out his thoughts and get proper answers from him for the discussion questions.  The answer key provides answers, but I am not equipped to evaluate the answers he does give unless I have actually read the chapters myself.  Does that make sense?  The same thing for American History.  It isn’t always easy for me to keep up with the reading, either.  I am often still trying to read the chapters of the day after dinner.

Another thing is, I try hard to uphold a high standard, not accepting any written work unless I feel it is up to par.  I have even had to reject two or three compositions this year that I felt were not Fifth Grade work (or a reasonable effort).  This is aside from the work that we send in to the ATS teacher.  If we have an outside activity in the afternoon, like chorus, or violin, then we return just in time for me to prepare dinner, and I don’t wrap up the school day until 7 or 8 in the evening (from checking work, evaluating work, having Chips correct and return the work, and in most cases having to go through a second iteration of this before accepting it and calling it quits for the day).   So, there have been days when I have felt resentful – feeling that I am “doing homework in the evening” like a public school  mom, but without having the benefit of the free time in the early part of the day – because I am teaching then, too.  Just being honest, here. 

So, I know there is a greater need for balance in my life right now.  January brings 3rd and 6th grade, and I don’t know if things will become better, or worse.  I know my younger student will still require a lot of supervision and one on one time.  But what about my 6th grader?  Will he get more independent of me this year?  Here’s hoping.  Any feedback I can get from other Calvert Moms would be most appreciated.

Anyway, six more lessons days.  Six more.  Then we will be free until January 4th.  Hopefully it will be a time of refreshment and recharging, as well as a time to regroup and think about what will work for us in 2011.

November 19, 2010 4:08 p.m.
The weather is glorious here in our state, and a local homeschool group to which I belong held their annual Thanksgiving Feast and Fellowship in a county park yesterday.  It was a beautiful day! 
We prepared for the day by bringing along a side dish, and cutting up vegetables for the group stew pot.  Both children got in the act or preparing carrots, onions, and celery to bring and add to the beef stew.


We also brought folding chairs, and pumpkins to decorate.  Once we arrived at the park, we happily added our veggies to the stew, which would need to cook for an additional 3 hours.  It was a huge pot!  Our group rented the pot from the county park.  What a neat idea!


The stew pot was monitored and tended to carefully.  It smelled terrific!

While we were waiting for the stew to cook, the children played organized games like Capture the Flag, a Three-Legged Race, and a Scavenger Hunt.

In addition, some of us toured the historical buildings on the park property, including a replica of a fort from the Seminole Indian War. 

Finally, it was time to dig in to that beautiful Beef Stew.  By this time, everybody had worked up a fine appetite.  We thanked our Lord for his numerous blessings on our group in 2010, and then formed a very long food line.  (after all, besides stew, there were numerous other dishes and desserts to be thankful for!)

We spent just about the entire “school day” on this field trip.  It was a wonderful time to build friendships.

November 16, 2010 9:55 p.m.

Yes, by the way, be sure to …

…take time out

…to read some poetry

to your mommy.

November 16, 2010 9:51 p.m.
Another thing took place this week. 
I had to get a root canal today.  Last Thursday, I was innocently eating a bagel with jelly and half of my tooth came off.  It cracked down the middle so that the front was intact but the back side of it came off.  There was a big hole in the back of my tooth, and it felt like a razor edge on my tongue.  I called our dental office, and they said they could take a look at it that afternoon.  I was so thankful that something like this could happen and I could be in a dentist chair the same day working on a resolution.
That afternoon, after an evaluation, it was decided that the tooth needed a root canal and a crown.  They didn’t fill it in, instead opting to leave it open in case of an abscess.  Fortunately for me, I have a dental retainer, so I wore that 24/7 all weekend to protect my tongue. 
This morning I went in for the root canal, complete with two children all set up with Calvert books to do some independent work, and library books for when their academics were over.  I was of the impression that this appointment would last between 1-1/2 and 2 hours. 
In the past, my previous dentist would have sent me to an endodontic specialist in a larger city nearby.  You know the type: does a dozen root canals every day, comes to work at 10, goes home at 3, takes off half of Friday, and still makes tons of money.  But he was good at what he did.  With him, a root canal took between 20 and 30 minutes and you were out the door starting your car.  No kidding.  Well, two years ago (before this blog) was my last root canal, with that specialist, and I unfortunately experienced a flare-up afterwards.  Beginning two days after the procedure, my tooth started to ache and the pain built in intensity until I wanted to just slam my head into the wall to give myself something else to think about.  I am talking five full days of intense pain that barely budged when mixed with pain killers.  That kind of pain.  I certainly hope not to repeat that experience.
Well, this new dentist who worked on me today (he looks like he is 20, but I know he has to be about 30) insisted that he could do the root canal himself and that there was no need to go elsewhere.  My root canals would be in good hands with him.  He did beautiful root canals, just look at these X-rays, yada yada, so he said.
This morning I sat in the dental chair for over 3 hours.  He said that my canals (there were two) had “shrunk away” before his very eyes – disappeared – and he couldn’t find them again.  Kept poking around with an “endo explore” trying to find them.  Kept spraying “EDTA”, whatever that is, probably  an antiseptic.  Eventually found them both and finished the job.  Reported two-thirds of the way through the procedure that my tooth was among his top three most difficult root canal teeth ever.  Wow, was I ever proud!  Wrote me a strong painkiller prescription and told me to expect some soreness for a few days. 
So here I am, hoping and praying with all my might that I don’t get another flare-up, and feeling that if ever there were an occasion to have one, this would be it.  Please pray for me, bloggy friends.  Lesson learned: insist on going to the endodontic specialist next time.
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, though, the children were total angels.  For three hours (and I had told them it would be two hours tops) they sat in their own private waiting room, did their lesson work, read their library books, quietly pretended they were camping on the floor, got toys from the toy drawer and played with them, and enjoyed cookie snacks provided for them by my hygienist.  All the while, everybody commented on how well-behaved they were for such a long wait time.  I was pleased with this, and very proud of them, and I told them so, and I took them to Mickey-D’s for lunch (because they consider that a reward). 
But I will not relax this week for a couple of days until I know that I am out of the woods with this root canal.  Don’t forget those prayers, friends.  And thanks!

November 16, 2010  9:12 p.m.

It has been an eventful week for me so far, and it is only Tuesday.

First off, on Sunday we bought a new computer, after using our prior computer for nine years.  We felt it was time, and we didn’t want to have to endure the crisis of a failing computer before getting a new one.  So we got an Acer with a pretty fast processor and we are very satisfied right now.

This was not an event that I looked forward to, much, as I don’t know enough about computers to feel confident about transferring to a new one.  In fact, part of me was dreading the task.  As it turned out, we picked it up before heading to church for the Sunday evening service, so I didn’t get a chance to open the box until some time after 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.  Well, we got the basics plugged in, and turned it on around 8:00 or so, and were relieved to find out that functions such as an Internet connection were established rather quickly.  I was taking nothing for granted.  So I managed to get that going, and the first thing I did was to make the factory config backup (recovery) DVDs.  Apparently, computer manufacturers no longer include these; customers have to make them on their own.  A sign of our times.  So after doing this, I set about downloading an email client (Windows 7 does not include this – go figure!)  Next I worked on adding Virus software – Vipre, which I had on my old computer and I liked how it worked.  And finally, I added our printer into the mix, and our scanner.  Here was an “oops” because there is no driver available for our 7 year old scanner with Windows 7.  So while I was trying to do research to find if there would be a work-around for this, I grew very tired and went to bed.  This was about 2:00 a.m. Monday morning, by the way.

On Monday morning, I awoke to find the computer acting very poorly.  Apparently something had gotten to it, maybe a virus.  It would not respond to the simplest request, nor would it behave after a reboot.  It was hosed.  Completely hosed, and I was one frustrated lady.  Believe, nothing in life frustrates me more than computer problems!!!

So, after realizing that our brand new computer was completely beyond hope, out came the brand new recovery DVDs that I had just created the evening before.  I installed them, and allowed them to do their thing.  Basically, everything was wiped clean off the hard drive, and the factory default installation was created afresh.  So that, when all was done, it was as if I had turned back the clock to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday night again.

In effect, I got a second chance.  This time, I would not attempt to install my own choice of virus software; I decided to go along with the recommendation of Acer and install the McAfee internet security software it included.

Lesson learned: Make those recovery disks immediately!  And be very careful about installed a second virus program.  I really think, in retrospect, that I created my own problem.

Fast forward to today.  We love the computer.   It is lightning fast, and the new software has great features!  Just look at the picture above.  The old computer is on the left, and the new one is the tiny black tower on the right.  So much smaller than the old one, yet it can store so much more and can run many, many circles around the old computer.  It is remarkable.

November 12, 2010 11:11 p.m.

My life is full.  I want to blog, but often I cannot.  Every minute of the day is accounted for.  I long for days when I don't have to drive anywhere.  Haven't had any of those for awhile, now.  I shudder to think of what is yet to come in the next 6 weeks, as Christmas is notoriously busier than other times.  I don't know what happened to October.

We have been plugging away at our lives, doing lessons, and doing violin lessons, homeschool support group activities, church chorus, and then those things that come along in between like a dead car battery, laborious yard work, and unexpected root canal.  Oh, and any spare time that I might have had were taken away by those last three items.

Now occasionally, late at night, I do snatch a few minutes to practice the piano with headphones.  And I have been getting up before six a.m. to snatch some time to read, study the Bible, and walk the dog.

And another thing: we have been doing a little research for pricing for a new computer.   Although the prospect of a faster machine sounds nice, I am quite intimidated by the unknowns associated with getting another computer.  I have never switched computers before.  The one we have is nine years old and it is the first one we ever owned.  I am not sure how to switch over, and I don't look forward to the task.

But amidst the clamor of the unending details of daily life, there is great beauty.  For on the brighter side, Chips has really taken to playing the piano, since we acquired a digital piano in August.  He has learned to play The Entertainer and he is learning to play The Well-Tempered Clavier I, Prelude No. 1 in C major by J. S. Bach.  This is the kind of music that, to me, is unspeakably beautiful in its simplicity. The kind of music that can bring tears to my eyes.  I think this music will be playing in heaven when I arrive.



Soli Deo gloria - To God Alone be the glory!  I learned recently that J. S. Bach signed the initials "S.D.G." to the bottom of several of his musical compositions because he wrote them to the glory of God.  It is quite obvious to me that so many of his compositions are God-given.  This Prelude is most certainly one of them, and Chips is taking to it like a duck to water.

We are blessed to have music fill our home every day.  My life is full.

My heart is fuller.

Soli Deo gloria.

November 5, 2010 11:51 a.m.

I am happy and proud to announce that yesterday, Sweet Girl completed her Second Grade course of Calvert School.  One way we celebrated was to go out to lunch at a local fast food restaurant of her choice.  The other way we are celebrating is to exhibit all of her art work from Second Grade on the hallway wall, and inviting friends over to see it.

Sweet Girl's Second Grade Art Exhibit

 We completed the year by finishing test lesson 160, and then put it into the mail for her teacher to see.  Sweet Girl also included a thank you and good bye letter to her teacher, and some photos of herself and Chips.  This ATS teacher has been very thorough and very detail-oriented, and provided the challenge that Sweet Girl needed this year.  The Lord has gifted our daughter with a love for writing and literature; Calvert provides plenty of practice with both, and she rose to the task quite well.  Her Calvert teacher had much to say about her compositions and her read-aloud skills this year (Calvert ATS teachers listen to recorded read-aloud messages as part of every test).  We are also blessed because Sweet Girl enjoys, and does well with, mathematics.  I don't suppose it is often that a student enjoys and thrives in both hemispheres: verbal and mathematical, but Sweet Girl seems to.

Having said all that, I am looking ahead to Calvert's Third Grade course, and there will definitely be new challenges there for our daughter.  For me, it takes much physical and spiritual energy to keep an attitude of hard work and diligence alive in our home.  That goes for all of us, and I can see that the upcoming year will demand a lot from us.  I have rearranged all the books Sweet Girl will need for Third Grade, and she is very excited to look through them today.  Although there is excitement at the thought of beginning a new grade, there is also a tinge of sadness within me.  I no longer have a second grader.  Now she is in Third Grade.  That seems so much older to me.  Second Grade is a little girl in my mind, Third Grade is not so little.

Sweet Girls' Third Grade Calvert books . . . .

. . . .all organized and read to go next week!

So, today there is a lull in my workload because Sweet Girl has a day off.  That's why I had time to blog today!!  Chips still has sixteen lesson days remaining this year, and beginning next week, I will be easing our daughter into a few Third Grade lessons to keep her occupied until Chips is finished up, around the first week of December.  She really is happier when she has lessons to do, as long as her brother is doing lessons anyway.

Then it will be "party time" around here until after the New Year rings in.  Another reason why Christmas is the "most wonderful time of the year" at Breezy Point.