Tuesday, April 6, 2010

It's fun to finally be able to post pictures. Rebekah helped me tonight, and hopefully I'll be able to do it on my own next time. If not, there are enough tech geeks in my family to help me. I remember when computers first came into my life. I was a page at the Frayser Public library in Memphis, TN. For those of you who don't know, a page is the lowest one on the totem pole. It was my job to check books in and out, put them back on the shelves, and purge the card catalog. Does anyone even remember card catalogs? In my senior year of high school, the city had computers put into every library. We used them at first to check books in and out. Once I learned how to do it, it made the process so much quicker, and I'm sure it kept better records. The next real memory I have of computers comes after my marriage. Jesse was a baby, and my husband came home one day with his very own Commodore 64. He loved that computer. I don't think I was sufficiently impressed with it, and for many years I resisted learning much about them. Why? I don't know. So here I am, thirty years later, and just learning how to transfer pictures from my camera to the computer, then upload them onto this blog.

Baking Bread

Bread making is an art that I have toyed with for many years. I am not an accomplished bread maker, mostly because I do it in fits and starts. Years ago I was introduced to grinding wheat at home. I bought this grinder while we still lived in Virginia. It works very well, but sounds a lot like a jet engine when running. I think they have quieter ones now, but this will have to do until it wears out. The wheat I am using is golden white from Montana. I have used this exclusively for my whole wheat breads since I began grinding my own flour. I order it from a local family who arranges a yearly shipment. This is some grain left over from last year's shipment. I am waiting for another shipment. This year I am being adventuresome, having ordered a bucket of prairie gold and regular red wheat as well as my regular white wheat.This is what the flour looks like after it has gone through the grinder.For years I have wanted to buy a Bosch kitchen machine for my breadmaking. I never have, mostly because it is costly. This is the bread dough after being mixed in my Kitchen Aid. Not bad.
This is what the dough looked like shortly before baking. It came out very good, but was cut into before I was able to take a picture of the finished product. I don't think there is anything better than hot, fresh bread and butter. The best part of this is that with the white wheat we get the benefits of whole wheat without the robust flavor of red wheat.

Green Mountain Pictures

Guess what I'm learning how to do - post pictures. It will take a little while for me to master this (I know, I know, I'm a dinosaur when it comes to "technology" as Ben calls it.) These pictures were taken last week on our trip to Green Mountain.
Ben and Sara enjoyed being able to sit by the water. There is a little pier on the lake and they dangled their feet in the water. Sara was amused by the fish in the lake and wanted to catch some.
Here's my crew: Ben, Rebekah and Khy (in the baby sling), Sara, Kathy, and Rachel. I'm the one taking the picture.
We loved the covered bridge. We just sat on the benches inside and stared at the water for the longest time. This was one of the most fun outings I've had in a little while.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Just Another Day

Today is a normal day, not especially bad, not especially good. It's a Monday, so we began our week with our homeschool co-op. I have homeschooled for many years, and have belonged to a number of c0-ops. This one is a pretty decent one, as co-ops go, but I am getting tired of it. I guess we have so many things going on, and this is just one more thing to do. We'll finish the year (only 5 weeks to go), and I'm not sure what to do about next year.
At the co-op we gave away our guinea pig (O HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!!!!) It was only last spring and in a different co-op that we acquired this "pet". I'd never had one before, and it looked so cute. In fact, to begin with there were two, but one succumbed to who knows what relatively soon after we brought them home. They reminded me a dwarf bunnies that we had to give away when we moved away from Md. and I had always intended to get more for Rachel. I did not know that guinea pigs squeak. Alot. And their primary purpose is to eat and poop (I think this is the purpose of most animals). It didn't take long for the romance my younger kids had with the pig to sour, and I was left with a stinky cage and a pet no one wanted. But we don't dump our animals easily. I would complain about it, but I never would put up a flyer at the local grocery store - Guinea Pig - Free to a Good Home. So how did we find our pig's new home? Ben was in one of his classes and they were talking about pets when one of his class mates expressed her desire for one. He gave her our phone number, and within two days I had talked to the mom and arranged to bring it to them today. Eric was elated at the news, and frankly he told me that he didn't care what might come up today, someone had better have that pig at the co-op ready for pick-up. The only hitch is that Sara was really upset with us. She is another "Ellie May" when it comes to animals, and has a tender heart for them. I felt absolutely like a monster this morning while she cried. I might have given in and kept it, but Eric was strong for me, and I was able to give it away. Sara finally accepted that this was the best thing to do, but she won't "get over it" - anytime she has another disappointment with pets, this will be recalled and talked about. Before you are tempted to disagree with me, you just don't know her history with animals. But at least I have one less animal to worry about.

What is it about homeschoolers and animals anyway? We have two inside cats, one bird, one kinda indoor dog, two permanent outdoor cats with one that used to belong to us who drops by on occasion. We also have three outside dogs (at least two are up for adoption). As if that isn't enough, last Saturday I bought 12 chicks. Yes, twelve. Why twelve, when I only wanted six? Well, there is no way easy way to tell whether you have hens or roosters at such a young age, so I bought extra in case I picked up more than one rooster, and some may die before they reach egg laying age. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that I bought twelve roosters. But for now, we have high hopes of having at least six laying hens, and maybe more. And this is the year we buy goats for the back field. What is it about homeschoolers and animals anyway?

It was nice when I came home. Sara had stayed home today with Rebekah, and they had really cleaned up the house - even the rooms that had been "neglected" in our run up to Easter. It was really nice. Eric came home early today to work in the yard. He has it looking nice. He mowed all the yard, and mowed a walking path in the back field for me. I don't like to walk on the roads because we live on a back road and cars like to speed. I can't complain. Often I am tempted to drive over the speed limit myself back here. We have a long drive way, but I feel stupid walking up and down it enough times to amount to a exercise. So now I can walk out back where witnesses will be few. I don't know if I'll still want to walk there after we get the goats.

Ben had baseball practice today. Last year I took both kids to almost all their practices. This is the first practice I attended this year. Eric has been real good about getting home in time to take them. We love spring ball, but it does pretty much take precedence for just about three months. The season opens this week-end, and we will have no life other than ball and church for the next two months. I guess that's why I am tiring of the co-op. Just one more thing to do.

My life is a good one. Today was just another day, neither especially good, or especially bad. But it's my life, and even on the ordinary days, the "just another days" , I still wouldn't trade it for anyone else's.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Green Mountain

Yesterday I went with my family to Green Mountain. How is it that we have lived in this area for so long, and never knew about this jewel? Such a pretty park!!!! There is only one problem - it's on top of a mountain, and I don't do mountains very well. It's really very sad, because as a 13 year old, I had decided that I would marry John Denver and move to Colorado with him. I hadn't figured out just what to do about Annie, or how we would meet, or what would persuade him to fall in love with a young teen-ager. It just wasn't a very well thought out goal, but it was mine and I dreamed about it for hours as I listened to Sunshine on my Shoulders and Rocky Mountain High. Mountains were not a common thing in Memphis, and although we would go to the Ozarks on vacations as a child, it wasn't until I became an adult that I realized just how frightening the prospect of running off the road and down the side of a mountain could be. So I guess it's just as well that I never met John Denver, much less married him. The more immediate concern is, How will I ever be able to get back to this lovely park without falling to pieces?

On the way to the park, we were behind a car that had those advertising magnets on the back. They were advertising rabbits for sell, and since I promised Rachel years ago that I would buy her more bunnies after we moved, I thought it would be good to get the phone number off the back of the car. I used to be able to read things like this from a distance, but those days are long gone. Rebekah was driving the car, and doing a fine job of it as we relentlessly pursued this car, trying to get close enough to write down the number, without getting close enough not to meet under less than ideal circumstances. I think one of the younger kids was able to finally write the number down, and we have not called it yet. But I can't imagine what this person thought as they had probably forgotten about the magnets on the back of the car, and were afraid of the crazy people trying to run them off the road.

Today promises to be a good day. I will be off to the stores shortly to buy black plastic to put down on the garden area. Eric did a second tilling of the area yesterday, and added an extra strip of area for green peas. So I will put the plastic down while I can, and begin laying out the blocks and rows as I have planned.

Today is also a much anticipated day - I have my husband's blessing to buy baby chicks. I want to buy the Rhode Island Reds if possible. I had them in Maryland, and loved them. My first experience with chickens was broiler hens. These are large and sedate birds, whose only mission in life is to eat and poop (and to be butchered around 8 weeks old - but we didn't tell them that was their final destination.). When we later bought our layers, they were reds, and my, how those birds would jump around and move! I have read that the white feathered birds are more high stung than reds, so I think reds it will be. We don't have a coop for them yet, but last weekend I bought a book with ideas for how to build one. I have a little corner of the yard picked out for a chicken coop and run, while Eric wants to build a portable chicken house. I'll let you know how this all works out.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Non-fiction Books With Boring Titles

When I put down on my profile that I read alot of non-fiction books with boring titles, I meant it. And I'm not sure that any of the books I read really profit me (not that they do not have valuable information, but that I am so inept at applying what I have learned). I read alot of books on communication skills, and business skills (primarily social skills). There are books on how to be a good teacher, how to be a good speaker, how to write well, how to publish, how to lead, how to manage,how to build chicken coops, how to grow gardens, how to make soap, how to bake bread, how to homeschool for brilliant children, how to be a good wife, how to be a good mom. I should be the most accomplished person in the world if book learning was all there is to it. But, alas, there is more.

I have heard my pastor say on many occasions that wisdom is knowing the right thing to do at the right time and in the right way. There is a close relationship between knowledge and wisdom, the primary difference being the ability to apply what you know in the right way. Knowledge alone satisfies the mind, and makes you feel smart, but what does it really profit if you cannot apply it. Knowledge puffs up.

One major thing that I have noticed is that all the social skills books say about the same things, and it is something that can be learned by a careful reading of the Bible. In fact, the secret to positive thinking, to winning friends and influencing people etc., all falls into a very definite "formula". Do you want to know what it is? It is to 1.) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and 2.) to love your neighbor as you love yourself. It's also stated as
"do unto others as you would have them to do unto you."

Of course, even the New Testament elaborates on how to do these things. I never knew before we came to Alabama how many times the Bible says to encourage others, to receive others, to greet others, to accept others, to love others, to do for others. These are the "one another" passages, and my pastor often preaches on them (he is not liberal in his views by any means, and does take a conservative stand - he is, however, one of the greatest examples of being a friend to others that I have ever seen - he has influence because he has love).

This morning, after my bible reading, I finished up my latest book on social skills, and here is a sampling of suggestions I gleaned from that book:
-be supportive
- be able to teach
-be able to delegate well
-be able to communicate well
-give rewards and praise
-take care of others
-go to bat for others
-criticize privately

More ideas are to be constantly developing new skills, be willing to use these skills to help the organization rather than for personal advancement, have a good sense of humor, don't take yourself too seriously, but do all you can to improve yourself. But all these tips can be tied to biblical principles, and if I were not so lazy (or desiring to move on to other things today), I could tie the principles in the book to a bible principles and do no harm to either.

The reason for today's rant is that yesterday I blew it. With all my "superior wisdom from a diligent study of the scriptures" and a "righteous indignation over being misunderstood", I simply blew it. I was nothing more than a self-righteous know-it-all. And all the reading of "how to be a wonderful person" books can not make a self-righteous know-it-all someone who is respected and listened to. No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care. I failed to show that I really do care. I failed.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Downhearted

I think one of the better rules to have for oneself is not to blog when you are feeling downhearted. It seems that it would be easy to say things you do not mean - sitting at the computer it's easy to forget that what you write is available for all to read. You cannot explain later "that's not what I really feel; or I felt that way then, but after I thought about it I realized that I was over-dramatizing it." A wise person knows when to remain silent.

But today I am downhearted. I know why, but I will at least be wise enough not to enumerate reasons 1 - 10 for feeling as if "all these things are against me." It is enough to say that sometimes things do not turn out the way you want them to, and some things you can do nothing about. And it makes you want to cry.

Over the past year, I have searched out the scriptures. I just needed to know "why" to so many things. Last fall, a favorite study was in the book of Job. I learned several things about God in that book, such as that there are scenes played out in heaven that I know nothing about, that God is over all and answers to no one, and that even though Job was just in God's sight, He still allowed almost unbelievable tragedy to come into Job's life (by the way, Job was rewarded in the end, but he never received an explanation from God).

I came out of that study with a favorite passage - one that I will quote:

"Look, God shows Himself exalted by His power.
Who is a teacher like Him?
Who has appointed His way for Him, and who has declared, "You have done wrong"?
Remember that you should praise His work, which people have sung about.
All mankind has seen it;
people have looked at it from a distance.
Look, God is exalted beyond our knowledge; the number of His years cannot be counted."
Job 36:22-26 HCSV

The idea of God as a teacher was new to me - I suppose I had heard it taught many times, but when I read it last fall it opened up a new line of thought for me. God is teaching us. A good teacher knows what needs to be taught and will craft the lesson to both involve and lead the student to the desired outcome. God's ultimate goal is to conform us to the image of Christ. Over the course of our life (a course that is individualized rather than universal), He presents us with lessons on how to live in accordance to His will (that Christ be formed in us), gives us examples of both successes and failures in the lives of others, and then tests our understanding by putting us through various trials. The trials test our understanding - they show what is in our heart, and if we are wise, they drive us to the feet of the Master Teacher. My desire is to do well in these tests, and to truly learn the lessons as they are presented to me the first time. But even if I fail a test, there is comfort in knowing that no matter what, there is a rhyme and reason behind the bewildering circumstances of life.

There's so much more I want to write about this topic, but I really don't want to be so serious minded in all my posts. If I knew how, I'd post photos of my garden spot with glowing reports of what I've already done in preparation for the new season; the new ideas I want to try; what my plans are for fruit production and the laments I have about the pitiful state of my orchard. But I'm home all alone at the moment without anyone to show me how to do it. So maybe by next time, I'll have some fun stuff posted. Until then, just know that I know that the down feeling I have is just that - a feeling, and it is already passing.

As a side note, I did quote the passage from a version other than the KJV. My final standard and authority is the KJV. Do not make assumptions about why I used this version today, or why I have it in the first place. Someday I might explain, but not today.