Spring Break: Week 1

This morning was the official start of our four-week spring break. By 8:00 we were at the post office, picking up 21 broilers and 10 layers. By 10:00 we were ready to go back to bed.


The light ones won't be cute for long, but will be delicious in 6-8 weeks.

We (and by "we" I mean the kids, mostly) picked up trash from the yard, raked up the hay that insulated our underground pipes and provided traction for our otherwise icy and later muddy paths, and began the daunting task of bicycle maintenance. We also figured out the answer to an actual question typed into my Spring Break To-Do List: What's the deal with the staple gun? The deal was, it was jammed. Should be good to go now.

Tomorrow we will go shopping for all kinds of fun stuff -- a tub and sand for sharpened tools, a new garden cart, chicken feed, and probably a bunch of other stuff we need but I haven't remembered to put on the list. I'm also in the market for an exterior door, a shower enclosure, and a toilet. Doesn't that sound fun??

Jon gets to visit the orthodontist, too. That should be interesting; he's pulled out three teeth since his last visit.

The rest of our week will likely be rainy, but I think we'll still get a lot done. I'm hoping it will clear up after that, though, so we can enjoy more afternoons like this:

and this:

The Gulag Archipelago

God was there, too:

Nikolai Aleksandrovich Kozyrev, whose brilliant career in astronomy was interrupted by his arrest, saved himself only by thinking of the eternal and infinite: of the order of the Universe -- and of its Supreme Spirit; of the stars; of their internal state; and what Time and the passing of Time really are.

And in this way he began to discover a new field in physics. And only in this way did he succeed in surviving in the Dmitrovsk Prison. But his line of mental exploration was blocked by forgotten figures. He could not build any further -- he had to have a lot of figures. Now just where could he get them in his solitary-confinement cell with its overnight kerosene lamp, a cell into which not even a little bird could enter? And the scientist prayed: "Please, God! I have done everything I could. Please help me! Please help me continue!"

At this time he was entitled to receive one book every ten days (by then he was alone in the cell). In the meager prison library were several different editions of Demyan Bedny's Red Concert, which kept coming around to each cell again and again. Half an hour passed after his prayer; they came to exchange his book; and as usual, without asking anything at all, they pushed a book at him. It was entitled A Course in Astrophysics! Where had it come from? He simply could not imagine such a book in the prison library. Aware of the brief duration of this coincidence, Kozyrev threw himself on it and began to memorize everything he needed immediately, and everything he might need later on. In all, just two days had passed, and he had eight days left in which to keep the book, when there was an unscheduled inspection by the chief of the prison. His eagle eye noticed immediately. "But you are an astronomer?" "Yes." "Take this book away from him!" But its mystical arrival had opened the way for his further work, which he then continued in the camp in Norilsk.

Coincidence, or Providence?

Mud season

It's no longer February. And that is a very good thing. In my world, February is the longest month of the year. So long and difficult, in fact, that it takes me well into March to recover. By the time I come to my senses, well, here we are in mud season.

Mud season is serious business here. Much of the outdoor activity is on hold and I, for one, am trying hard not to get stuck in the driveway. (I'm also hoping my guys keep the truck out of rain-drenched fields.) Lynae was right; we're surrounded by puddles. And many of them seem to be headed straight for our basement.

The return of the birds is one nice thing about this time of year. I heard a sandhill crane a couple mornings ago. Toby noticed a robin this week, too. Soon we'll see the bluebirds, the swallows, the warblers, maybe the waxwings. The frogs will come out, and the mosquitoes, the first brave and colorful flowers... and then we'll be well into Spring. Very nice, indeed. And remembering that will get me through mud season, I'm sure.

Hope

Hope: The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.


You know, right now I am living in a swamp, and so right now we're surrounded by puddles. Not only that, but it's hard to find a decent place to park. It is also kinda hard to stay cheerful about the good weather when you're surrounded by water.

During times like these, it is important to stay hopeful. If we are pessimists about it, then of course it's going to suck! But if we just look forward to the drier months, then we won't even be thinking about the water, and the time will fly.

Keep in mind that no matter what situation you're going through, that things are in God's hands, and things will turn out for the better in the long run, if we let Him take care of them.

Wonderful!

As some of you may already know, we are planning on taking a vacation. I am really excited about that, because it will really be a double vacation. You see, we're going to New York (State) to see some relatives, and then stopping in Kentucky to see some friends before coming home.

I honestly can't decide which I'm more excited about; seeing my relatives, or seeing my friends and my old home. I'm really glad though that we get to do both.

There is one tough part though, and that is finding someone to take care of our animals while we are gone. You see, around here, if people aren't busy all the time, it's usually because they are old. All the kids go to public school, almost all their parents have jobs, and all the older folks that aren't still in the work force are too frail to come over 2 or 3 times a day to feed the chickens and walk the dogs. But I know that the Lord will provide, and that we won't have to worry, because He's good like that.

I won the weasel contest!

There was a contest on Trapperman.com recently to see who could catch the largest weasel. They had a separate division for children, and there were 6 other competitors in the children's division. I had the largest weasel and won the contest, which proved to the trappers on Trapperman that I am a devoted disciple of the Timber Midget, which is code name for Mr. Van Driel.

So I went to the Post Office the other day, and I opened the door and I quickly detected the fragrance of skunk essence. I wondered, "why does it smell like skunk, I haven't ordered anything lately have I?" No I hadn't ordered anything, but I had won the weasel contest. I had a large box, and when I went to get my box from the postmaster, he freaked out, as per usual. Don't tell him I said that, because he's getting better at that. Anyway, I had a large package that smelled like skunk juice, and I carried it all the way home. When I got it in the door, my own mother sent me away with it because of the aroma. I had to open it outside. When I did, I saw I had 3 weasel boxes, an F&T hat, some beaver lure, and some weasel lure. The latter of them was the offending odor which ruined the postmaster's day and freshened the scent on the brand new cap. The hat still smells like skunk, but I keep it where Mom doesn't go too often. The weasel lure was in a sealed jar, taped shut, in a Ziploc bag, wrapped in newspaper, in its own box which was taped shut, and inside the big box, and it still stunk up the post office.

In the adult's division, the two top contestants were Jack Pine Savage (Arnie Peterson), and 2poor AKA Timber Midget (Mr. Van Driel). I forgot who got third place, but I know these other guys personally, and they know me personally.

Armor of God

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Ephesians 6:11

Mom and Dad recently discussed a rather sensitive subject with Toby and I. It was about some things that we need to be aware of as young adults, but don't want to learn about the hard way. It was at that time that I realized how important it is to my parents that we remain pure, and how much they would rather we learn from other peoples mistakes rather than by making our own.

That got me thinking about how very blessed I am to have parents who are willing to spend time teaching me and informing me about the world, so that when I am living without them to guide me, I will be able to live as a godly young woman. That they want so much for me to succeed, that they have worked so hard to be a big part of my life, so that during my trying teen years, we will maintain a healthy relationship, and I won't end up looking for affection elsewhere.

With this in mind, I leave you this evening with this Bible verse.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

What do you think?

I am not one for political arguments or anything like that, but when something collides with my religious beliefs, I won't stand back and let the government do as it pleases without stating my thoughts on the matter. Now if you are really smart, you have probably figured out that this is about my thoughts on a certain matter that has something to do with the government.

You may have heard of a treaty called U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (the CRC). This is a treaty that the U.N has come up with. And guess what? If it passes here, the United States will be voluntarily ceding its sovereignty to the U.N. Isn't that something? You can read a very interesting article on this here.

Here are a few eye catching excerpts as well:

The treaty clearly bans all corporal punishment, including spanking by parents. Congress would have both the duty as well as the power to implement legislation which directly imposes legal sanctions against parents to spank their children. Spanking could be a federal crime if the CRC is ratified...

The biggest areas of potential conflict, understandably, are the issues of education and religious instruction. If your child decides he no longer wants to be homeschooled and wants to attend the local public school, the decision will likely come down in his favor...

Children will have a legally enforceable right to complain about anything they wish...

So what does this mean? Basically it means that parents will not be allowed to train up their children in the way they should go. It means that parents will have little or no control over what they have birthed, and kids will be allowed to twist people's arms to get what they want.

I don't know about you, but that makes me furious. Sure, I will still be allowed to do my chores and help in the kitchen, but when I have children of my own, they will be able to turn me in for disciplining them. I won't have control in my own home, and my children will, in a way, have more rights than me.

So what do you think? Should we let this stinker of a bill pass, or should we speak up for what we believe? Whatever you think, please be praying for our country. It needs all the prayer we can give.