Starry Sky Ranch

Simple Woman's Daybook

 

More Daybook entries at Peggy's

FOR TODAY...   November 8th (evening)

Outside my window... Dark, expecting rain.  It's actually Sunday evening and I am here uploading a senior photo shoot.  I know that getting on the computer first thing in the morning will derail the day. Motto - start the day before the children, with bible not keyboard.

I am thinking... that many things which just overwhelmed me while trying to learn in my twenties and early thirties seem within my reach now.  This is amazing to me because I don't always feel that I am capable of particularly lucid thought these days. ; o  But I guess a perk of age and exposure is that as fewer things are new and foreign you are able to process new things more easily.  

I am thankful for... celebrating ten years with the young man at the post's end.  Isn't he handsome?  Go ahead and tell him how mature he looks. ; D  

I am wearing... a brown velour tired skirt, paisley rust and brown peasant top, brown boots.  I managed to leave the house without earrings today. (Reference that lucid thought comment above.) 

I am hearing...  family noises - Allen and the kids are right next to me in the family room watching Amazing Race with the globe in hand searching for Dubai. 

I am remembering... our early married days in a very far away place. 

I am working on this habit....  inside voices.  

I am reading...   Everyone's Guide to Homeopathy, which has been sitting on my shelves for years and years and suddenly not making me fuzzy headed trying to figure out.  Also wanting to read more of The Art of the Incredibles.  Did you ever look closely at the set?  Did you realize it  meticulously reproduces a mid-century neighborhood? Fascinating.  

I am enjoying these sites...

Parenting Passageway  Her post about discovering new things about oneself and merging new interests with old strikes a chord right now

Waldorf Baby  this is a subpage of Donna Simmons' Christopherus site.  Especially agree with her thoughts about little baby limbs.  I am not an athroposophist but do feel very much as Donna does about these things and readily admit to cringing over barefooted babies in cool weather. This may be a generational 'thing' since I come from a time and place where babies were never thought to be warm enough <g>  Seriously though, I recall Dr Raymond Moore in Home Made Health saying similar things about keeping the extremities the same temp as the trunk of the body.  I am not a Dr. and I don't play one on the internet.  Just sayin'.  

From the learning rooms...  digging up early reading instruction materials for Tess and Brendan, both showing some interest.  Christmas music practice beginning. 

A few plans for the week...  The father/son group is meeting here to make a 'poor box' for Advent, St Martin's Bonfire at The Dog and Duck, and Allen is off for Veteran's Day : )  

From the kitchen... boy scout popcorn, turkey soup in the works from Sunday dinner

Around the house... serious purging and discernment.  Just because we have room, should we fill it all up?  Would Kindle readers be better than storing paperback of classics which look ragged after one read?  Are these antiques, lovely as they are, worth the maintenance and care they require? Feeling a little smothered by things that are breakable and full of nooks and crannies that catch dust. 

Abbie this week... Standing from a sitting position with no help at all! 

One of my favorite things... Macintosh apples.  Oh my.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to find these anymore??? Why?? 

Pondering these words... 

"Thou Who of old didst love they hand to lay

on the dull, vacant eyes that craved for light,

Behold I come to thee and crying pray:

"A faith scarce clouded by the mists of earth,

a faith that pierceth heaven I ask of Thee,

Faith to prize all things by their lasting worth,

Thou canst, Thous wilt - Oh Lord that I  may see."

-Before the Most Holy , Mother Mary Loyola

From my picture journal...

Teach me, O Lord

TEACH ME, O LORD

Teach me, my Lord, to be kind and gentle in all the events of life, in disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of others, in the insincerity of those I trusted, in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied.

Let me put myself aside, to think of the happiness of others, to hide my pains and heartaches, so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.

Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path. Let me so use it that it may mellow me, not harden or embitter me; that it may make me patient, not irritable; that it may make me broad in my forgiveness, not narrow, proud and overbearing.

May no one be less good for having come within my influence. No one less pure, less true, less kind, less noble for having been a fellow traveler in our journey toward eternal life.

As I go my rounds from one task to another, let me say, from time to time, a word of love to You.

May my life be lived in the supernatural, full of power for good, and strong in its purpose of sanctity. Amen.

(Father John A. Hardon Catholic Prayer Book with Meditations p.49)

fall in Wisconsin

On our way back to the hotel after visiting my grandfather we stumbled upon a beautiful park that was completely empty.  

I didn't want to miss sharing midwestern autumn with the kids no matter what the circumstances.  Fall on the Colorado prairie arrives without this colorful fanfare. It slips in unannounced.  The changing of the leaves is virtually absent.

 

from there we drove a few miles over to the Lake Michigan shore. To landlocked kids the great lakes look for all the world like the ocean. This visit was even colder than our last great lake opportunity.

The clouds were already thick and threatening but we braved the wind so they would at least get a glimpse. 

Then the rain settled in and I was too distracted to think of the camera again that week.  It was a little window of respite for which I was so grateful. Breathtaking.  

Window Star Tutorial

Lovey-land has a detailed tutorial here.

I'm a Guinness ; )

I knew it.  What else would an Irish mom to many be?  Actually this isn't the result of an internet quiz.  It was a note slipped to me by a grateful child on our trip last week telling me I was a 'genius' - hence the doodle-y lightbulbs.  

I do my best <g>

Simple Woman's Daybook

 

More Daybook entries at Peggy's

FOR TODAY...October 26th 

Outside my window... sunny and cold, which I have decided is much nicer than cloudy/rainy and cold.  I forgot about fall in the midwest. 

I am thinking... that somewhere along the line "home" stopped being where I grew up and became where I live. 

I am thankful for... my husband who says just the right things, video recording so I didn't miss piano festival, kids who rally together as a team, memories.  

I am wearing... a-line denim skirt, pink floral 3/4 length sleeve blouse, burgundy leather mary janes. 

I am hearing... kids preparing for lunch and planning a football break, the baby's tap-tapping as she crawls with a toy in one hand, piano practice.  This past week we have listened to everything from Ella Fitzgerald to Guns and Roses to Marie Bellet as we trekked across the country. 

I am remembering... Gramma. Oh I am remembering. I have done little more than remember. Warm pie, sleeping in the summer porch, racing over country hills so your stomach leaps a bit and roaring when it does, knitting needles clicking, Saltine crackers with margarine. I miss you. I wasn't ready.

I am going... to catch up around the house and prepare for All Saints Day

I am reading... Nothing but snippets of magazines this past week.  I want to track down this book after being fascinated by an excerpt I saw. Photo-journalism rocks.

From the learning rooms...  doing our best to stay on track. 

I am creating.... a special project with Colin's help.  Thank you! 

Pondering these words... "Kim Marie, YES you can!" 

...last words from Gram.  Pondered amid much internal protest right now.  I am taking it on faith. 

From the kitchen... lots of hamburgers and easy food this past week. Sitting down to make a shopping list. It will include fancy birthday cake for Aidan. Oh and cheese curds.  You don't leave Wisconsin without cheese curds for your husband. It would just be wrong. <g>

Around the house... The kids who stayed home were well cared for while I was gone. That's all I'm gonna say LOL. 

One of my favorite things.  Baby Abbie who bounces high on her knees and tries to stretch upright.  Very soon baby girl, very soon

From my picture journal...

 

"...in every moment there's a reason to carry on."  Kenny Loggins

light and rest

I want to thank those who have sent words of comfort these past couple weeks.  My grandmother died at hospice last night. By all accounts it was peaceful at the end, as we prayed it would be.  It will be quiet here for the next week or so while some of the children and I go back to say goodbye.

"Lord, have mercy,

Jesus blest,

grant them all Your Light and Rest.

Amen."

from Dies Irae

Ask the Dad

A woman posed a question to me yesterday which got me thinking.  She wanted to know my stance on textbook learning.  I answered her question in comments (which apparently disallows paragraph formatting - yikes!) but felt another word was in order. So here goes. 

Do I have a 'stance'?  I guess so.  The stance would be there are lots of ways to succeed and very often,  maybe most often in my life anyway, it ends up being the way we had scarcely considered.  In my life, when I am seeking success in a given area my first instinct has been to seek out advice from those I admire.  I say that, but that translates into, "I seek out the advice of those I envy," or "I seek to emulate those who appear to have it all together," or any number of other motives which may or more likely may not bring me closer to success.  Those giants I sought tended to dwell on the internet or in print which makes for a few major problems. 

First, since they don't live next door they don't know me.  They don't know my kids.  Their well-intended advice may be completely inappropriate for our family in these circumstances. 

Second, the reverse holds true.  Because they are not next door I have no idea how much of the life they portray is accurate and honest. I don't know what their home looks like, how their children behave, what success they enjoy.  I can't ascertain whether their methods are contributing to or jeopardizing peace and balance.  The hard truth is, many times we don't see the whole picture and it is unwise to base major life decisions on such a foundation.

Most importantly however, they are not the ones God put in charge of this family. My family.  They were not given a vision for these children.  As impressive as their vision may be, I have no guarantee that it at all matches up to that which God intended for this bunch. There is one person who does however.  Their daddy. 

Over the yrs I immersed myself in homeschool books, internet gurus, and pretty much every other possible source of information one could lay hands upon.  I was well-versed in methodology and could tsk and sigh with the best of them at the poor folks who didn't know any better than to have "school at home" or who I assumed thought "inside the box."  Those of us who struggled with housework or fatigue were assured that burnout was normal and expectations had to be lowered.  I convinced myself that my husband had delegated education to me and that I had his blanket approval for pretty much whatever I planned. Surely he appreciated all my research and deferred to me in this area right? All this combined to keep me strolling along with the status quo for a lot of years. 

Lorrie Flem's Teach mailing shared advice to bring Dad into the homeschool.  Not by making him teach classes after work or whatnot but by truly basing our schools on HIS vision for his kids.  She insisted that if you ask, reeeeally ask sincerely, that you may be surprised to discover that yes, he has opinions.  He may have strong opinions which he has opted not to share in light of your apparent expertise. She also warned that you should prepare your homeschool to be shaken up if you ask such questions and intend to act upon them. 

I did that. She was right. : )   Friends of mine did the same. We discovered that despite all the convincing articles to the contrary, our husbands did want our kids to take tests and study and memorize.  They wanted them to be well-read for sure, but they also wanted them to possess skills necessary to succeed in traditional school settings.  They supported our lifestyle but they did not want our academic choices to dictate and define all of our life together.  

We adjusted.   We tried new things.  More accurately, we tried some OLD things that we were told would never work.  They worked.  And I would never have had this experience if my head was stuck in the screen instead of here in my family.  

My 'stance' is that my stance is irrelevant.  It really doesn't matter a bit in your family.  You don't know me and my opinion isn't worth beans to you.  If you are married and have children there is one person who does have an opinion - their Daddy.  Ask him.  Sincerely ask him and vow not to roll your eyes (even interiorly) at what he may tell you. Step out in faith if need be and be willing to follow his lead. Realize that if you have been out in front of this parade for any length of time he may not appear interested in leading it or may direct hesitantly.  That's ok too.   Your heavenly father and your children's earthly father can and will work it all out and get your family on a good steady path if you let them. 

It can be scary to let go of all the 'truths' you have clutched tightly.  But you come out in a good place.  There is a Christian song which always makes me smile because it describes so well the journey I have been on:

"I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go

This is a giant leap of faith
Trusting and trying to embrace

The fear of the unknown
Beyond my comfort zone

Giving in to your gravity

Knowing You are holding me
I’m not afraid

Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
Feels like I’m falling and this is the life for me"  

-Francesca Battistelli 

Simple Woman's Daybook

 

More Daybook entries at Peggy's

FOR TODAY...October 12th 

Outside my window... bright sun spilling over snow-dusted fields. Cold. 

I am thinking... that sometimes less is also more with words

I am thankful for... a three day weekend. The nice Fed Ex man who just happened to be called into work last night when I had slid off the road in the middle of just about nowhere with no cell coverage and just happened to have a brand new-still-in-the-package tow cable in his car.   thankyouthankyouthankyou  (note to self: never go wandering around the prairie to take pics without telling your husband which direction you are headed. Very scary.) 

I am wearing... pink 3/4 sleeve striped blouse, jeans, brown clogs, diamond stud earrings 

(fake ; )) 

I am remembering... how much I love music. I have no ipod or whatnot and it sorta slipped out of my life til the boys and I began assembling a playlist on Pandora. 

I am going... to begin a major fall cleaning project.  Fall decor isnt really happening.  Going to aim for being really ready for Advent. 

I am reading...Teri Maxwell Mom's Corner articles, particularly this one on textbook learning. I have reread it a couple times this week nodding in agreement. (note this disclaimer which applies here too:
 
"It is not our desire to put down other homeschooling methods, but to see families successful"

I am hoping... God makes a way for a big family intention which we can't quite figure out

On my mind... foul language. We have watched several movies this weekend that would otherwise have been outstanding.  The crude language is off putting however and makes me sad that this is so pervasive. 

From the learning rooms... Confirmation prep, polishing piano festival pieces and binder page updating for Brendan. Dh and the boys learning to make cord rosaries for their guy club meeting. 

Noticing that... our girls speak much sooner and much more articulately than our little boys. 

Pondering these words... "We were also told that our children would be bored with textbooks, and that they would dislike learning if we used texts. We were encouraged to try out other methods of homeschooling—ones that would entice our children to learn, be more fun, and be more exciting...

(the children) had become accustomed to learning only if Mom made it entertaining, exciting, appealing, and enticing. The reality of that type of homeschooling is that it is quite exhausting for Mom. You would think children would be sad about leaving that fun style of homeschooling. However, after one year of using textbooks, these children themselves didn't want to return to their old method. They were happy with the change and have requested to continue homeschooling as they have been the past year." - Teri Maxwell

...what she said. Someone should have told me how much fun we would be having, how proud the kids would be, and how darned much we would accomplish. Maybe someone did.  Maybe those voices were so scorned and discredited I ignored them. Who knows. Semi-homemade is plenty good enough here these days. There is room for lots of real life.  Which is good.  There certainly is lots of it in a family of 12! : )  

From the kitchen... coffee for a husband who is home today.  Groceries the big kids are bringing home.  Gluten free baking. Abbie likes gf muffins and bananas and learned to take tylenol off a spoon last week versus spitting it with gusto raspberry style.  Progress <g>

Around the house... bit of catch up since the kids were sick last week. Kitchen cabinets to be fixed with dh.  Moved bedrooms around last week. Need more clothes storage. 

One of my favorite things~ photoshop.  Even more favorite thing - learning something new and 'getting' it. 

From my picture journal...

Seven Quick Takes

1.)  Snow.   Who's idea was this?  It is October.  Hello?  

No last fall camping trip this weekend.  Which is ok because....

2.)  Fevers.  Several of them.  Fortunately most everyone (who has had one) has had one bad day and then it's much better.  

3.) Cake! Yes, still.  The level one course was a rousing success and the girls have begun the second course. Alannah came home from the first level two course all smiles.  The instructor was sure she had previous experience.  We have been telling her she has a knack with food. Somehow the instructor telling her same made an impact.  

4.) Boys to Men.  Allen and the boys kicked off their first 'guy thing' group outing with the church men.  They hiked Seven Bridges and had lunch at the top.  Big hit. 

5.) Mars and Venus?  Or... it sounded better than calling this one "Elk Chili in the Crockpot."  Allen had two potluck luncheons this week.  He suggested we have a date night in the kitchen and we made up a vat of chili together.  Way fun.  In our 28 years together I am not sure we have ever cooked as a couple.  Not indoors anyway.  We are going to try this again.  Jambalaya on the menu. 

6.) Picture, picture.  There have been a lot of them lately.  Working on the images from a senior portrait shoot this week.  Fun, fun, FUN I tell you!  Having the time of my life with this and the kids have been so much help.  Little kids lugging tripods to big kids emailing encouragement and ideas. I love my life. I love these kids. : ) 

7.) As a result of all of the above there has been next to no blogging of late. No Bloglines.  We are working on school assignments together, preparing for piano festival, preparing for confirmation, and having a blast.  I hope you are too! 

 

(...taken before the snow.  Did I mention it snowed??)