More Pictures

These pictures were taken in June, when we went tubing to celebrate the June birthdays (and Father's Day).

A rare picture of me!

Jon, Lynae, Toby

Lynae and Grace

Michael and Dad

Catching up

Loren has made it safely "home". He starts work tomorrow, and I'm sure he'll be thrilled!

Speaking of thrilled, I've found a software replacement for Kodak NotSoEasyShare. I can use Picasa to get pictures off my camera. Here are a few that waited patiently on memory cards while I figured that out:

Toby teaching Grace to play Battleship

Michael's first fish, mounted and hand painted
by Toby for Michael's 6th birthday

Michael and Grace studying together

Going for a walk at Trail of Tears Park

Mummy wrapping Grace as we study Ancient Egypt

Jon mummy wrapping his pound puppy

Two beautiful people

The fam at Nashville's Centennial Park in early October

Winter cometh

I suppose that after a post like my previous one, a two-week absence might make it look like I've been licking my wounds. LOL Actually, I've been pretty busy.

I had a friend over last week, and she showed Lynae and me how to make soap. The house still smells like almond, and the kids started using the soap yesterday. It's a huge hit, and everyone is hoping we can make another batch on our own soon.

Last week also brought us the first two offers on our house. Both came on the same day, one by email and one by phone. Both couples had only seen the listing on the internet. We spent that day and night on an emotional rollercoaster, and promptly jumped off the following day when the better of the two offers fell through. As timing was awkward (the remaining offer was from overseas), we had to wait until this morning to find out if we had a signed contract. We did! So Loren and I signed the contract this morning. It looks like we'll be moving just after Thanksgiving, but the exact timing is in God's hands.

It also looks like Loren has found someone in Minnesota who will rent to him short-term until we move up with him. Woo-hoo!

So our next priority is getting Loren ready to leave later this week. Then he'll be scoping out houses and getting his restaurant team hired and trained, and I'll be packing. Ain't no turnin' back now!

I'd Like to Thank the Public School System

Your Social Anxiety Level: 60%

You have moderate social anxiety. It's possible that you have a serious social anxiety problem. But it's also likely that you can help yourself, by getting out more and trying new, scary activities. No one's secretly judging you. So be yourself, and if you screw up, just laugh.

Are You Socially Anxious?

(Planting tongue firmly in cheek...) I'd like to thank the public school system for its role in my socialization skills. The guidance and supervision they provided when I was in school were priceless. And you get what you pay for.

Honestly, being picked up by the sides of my head on a regular basis may have been a wonderful show of S. B.'s strength, but did nothing to help me understand proper boundaries. Being stabbed in the knee with a pencil for asking a boy why he was doing his homework on the way to school taught me not to ask questions. Having my hat and books kicked and tossed around on the bus and muddied and spat upon taught me not to feel safe in a crowd. Being insulted and rejected daily by "friends" taught me not to reach out or speak up, and to consider carefully who I call "friend." Being told repeatedly by my best friend that I look like a bug when I wear sunglasses made me very cautious about trusting my sense of style. Trying and failing in front of my peers and being mercilessly ridiculed year after year taught me that sometimes it really is better not to try.

Thanks to the socialization I received in public school, I know now that being smart can be a curse. (I have since given it up.) And being short is a horrible thing. I still feel self-conscious around tall people, and breathe a sigh of relief when I'm around someone shorter than I am. I even secretly (until announcing it on the www) worry that my own children will treat me differently when they are taller than me.

I know now that no one is secretly judging me. Their judgment has never been a secret.

You ask of my homeschooled children, "What about socialization?" Yes, I wonder, too. How different will their lives be for not having learned those lessons in public school? How will their lives be affected by interacting so often with adults who discuss relevant topics or conduct transactions without insulting or tormenting them? How will they understand life if they spend time with other children, most of whom are also denied daily age-segregated socialization? And what does it say of their character if they respond to the occasional bully either by being kind in return or walking away? How will they form relationships with people who are different from them if they don't see prejudice every day? How will they stand up for what's right if they don't spend their days surrounded and bombarded by what's wrong?

Gosh. I don't know. But somehow I think they'll be very well adjusted compared to their mother.

The State of Education

Quite often, when my husband is interviewing a high school student for a position in his restaurant, he will ask about school. A recent conversation went like this:

"What's your favorite subject in school?"
"I like History."
"Great! What period are you studying?"
"Third."
"No, I mean what period in history?"
"The Civil War."
"So I guess you're learning about the President during that time. Do you know who that was?"
"We haven't got that far."

Just a few weeks later, he interviewed a young man:

"So what's your least favorite subject in school?"
"History."
"Sure... but I bet you know quite a bit about history."
"Oh, yeah."
"Like the President during the Civil War. Who was that?"
"I don't know that one."
"How about the first President of the U.S.?"
"No, I don't know that one either."
"George Washington."
"Oh yeah, that sounds about right."

Now granted, one can make sandwiches without knowing the names of previous rulers of one's country. But this is "Kentucky, where education pays!" Makes ya wonder.

Seriously, as an educator, I feel compelled to give these students the benefit of the doubt. Surely they are learning something. It just isn't what he asked them about. I wonder what it is.

It's Treacherous Under the Oaks

One night last month, we lost a tree in a storm. It landed on our power line and took out our whole meter assembly. The tree hovered precariously over our garage. I believe it was held up by a limb... or more likely, angels. The next morning, the tree fell the rest of the way. Rather than crashing through our garage roof, it slid off the back. The only damage to the garage is on the outside of the three corner panels.

A few days ago, we had another storm. We lost a large oak halfway up the driveway. It took down a second tree completely. The limbs shaved off about half of a third, small tree across the driveway. And a fourth tree, another oak, is arched to the ground, pinned under the huge tree that fell. I will be interested to see if it springs back up when cleanup commences. I hope it does, and safely.

I had just turned my concerns from the tree situation when the water meter readers paid me a visit. They noticed a jump in our usage. I had no explanation for that, but knew it meant a whole lot more stress and likely a whole lot more money flowing from our bank account. After testing inside the house and finding no leaks, I sent Toby to investigate under the house. We had a river flowing up from the dirt under the house, and a pond in the yard several feet away. (sigh)

We've had a VERY hard time getting repair people to come out in a timely manner. Now I'm trying to get a plumber who's willing to work under our trailer AND someone to remove trees.

Have I mentioned lately that Loren will be moving to the Duluth/Cloquet area in mid-October? At this point, I don't know how. It'll have to be orchestrated by God. Homeowner's insurance is great, but there is that deductible.

In other news, my jaw is out of whack. My bite is messed up. The up side to this is that I cannot clench my teeth as I usually do when I'm working under stress. The down side is that it's very difficult to eat. I suppose some of my readership might be wondering if that's truly a down side, considering.

I should probably get that checked out, but can't imagine finding the time to do it this week. And anyway, sometimes it provides a distraction from the rest of the devastation.

I can't wait to see how God works all this stuff out!

Ten on Tuesday

Inspired by Nancy...

Ten Favorite Characters From Your Childhood

1. Grover
2. Ernie
3. Laura Ingalls
4. Mary Jemison
5. Goat Peter
6. Heidi's grandfather
   
7. Dickon
8. Mary Lennox
   
9. Marty Davis
10. Matthew Kneeland (not fictional, but definitely one of my favorite characters)

Can you tell I spent many years without a TV?

Downer post with a silver lining

I'm deeply saddened by the news of Steve Irwin's death. He will be sorely missed.

I'm disturbed, but not surprised, by the position of Focus On the Family in Carmon's pro-choice post. James Dobson's psychological worldview is showing. Again.

I find it very interesting that the obesity pandemic "is not about gluttony." Gee, I think my self-esteem just increased.