"Instant human, just add coffee"

The problem is that I've started feeling not so human--hot, racing heart, and more. Thankfully, it's not hot flashes. I'm drinking too much coffee. I didn't begin drinking coffee until about five years ago. Never a big fan of moderation, I worked my way up to almost two pots of coffee a day.

Given enough coffee, I could rule the world. ~Author Unknown

Until now, caffeine has never bothered me. But after having these weird feelings for more than a week, I realized it was time to cut back. On Thanksgiving, I drank just one cup. I was thrilled with my self, until Friday morning came, along with the caffeine withdrawal headache. I spent half the day in bed, and it took two cups to feel human again.

I'd stop drinking coffee, but I'm no quitter. ~Author Unknown

It was obvious that I needed to find a happy medium, so I'm settling on four cups a day. I'm a little bummed, I really like my coffee.

Way too much coffee. But if it weren't for the coffee,
I'd have no identifiable personality whatsoever.
~David Letterman

And that's what I'm most afraid of.

My pink orange morning

"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."
Isaiah 60:1

Around the house

"Tradition is the illusion of permanence." Woody Allen.

As much as I don't care for Woody Allen, the quote was perfect. This is our third house, and we've followed a few traditions at each one. In Littleton, within days of moving in, we cut down a giant pine tree alongside the driveway. It blocked our eating area window and it scratched the cars. We cut it down at dusk; we didn't want to risk freaking out the neighbors by cutting it down. But it was early summer; I'm sure the chainsaw could be heard a few blocks away.

In Colorado Springs, we quickly cut down "gardens" of junipers. I've never been a juniper fan. (It comes from having a front yard full of them growing up, and not having a front lawn. Sorry, Dad!) These junipers lined our driveway, and we reseeded with grass. It was in the middle of a drought, but we were quite anxious to hide any existence of the junipers. Shortly after that, we had to cut down a lovely tree in our backyard. It was rotting and at risk for damaging the house. When Robert cut it down, I watched as it missed our patio cover by inches. Robert, I'm sure, planned it that way.

At our new house, we have literally countless trees. We've cut a few down already, mostly thin or unhealthy ones close to the house. I didn't catch pictures of those. The one in this shot was sticking out a little too close to the driveway. Now I won't have to worry about hitting it anymore.

I think the "cut down" urge comes really from the desire to put our own imprint on any new house. We don't want to live in someone's old house. (Even if no one's ever lived in this one before.)

* * *

I stopped by the post office today. Our old post office was consistently the worst one I've ever been to, and I learned to avoid it at all costs. The new post office is consistently the best one I've ever been to, and I am glad for the opportunity to go.

For starters, when I got there today, I was the only car in the parking lot. Even though I had "valuables" in my car, I didn't lock the door. At the counter, Larry helped me. Larry always helps me, he's the only employee I've ever seen there. I love that I know his name.

When I left, I wasn't grumpy. (Because I didn't stand in line for 20 minutes.) Instead of jumping in my car and racing off to my next errand, I wandered through the parking lot and took pictures. I can say that I would never have done that before.

I'm still waiting for the "bad" weather here.

When I got home, I walked back to the start of my driveway just to take more pictures. I don't think I've ever done that too often before either.

And Holly makes dinner

Holly agreed to make our French Toast Casserole for dinner tonight. I've been wanting to get her in the kitchen more, and this was a great opportunity. While I would like to cook *with* her, I'm sure she appreciated that I was busy with Trevor and she was on her own.

It was a big hit with all of us. And we weren't just being nice. (Because we aren't that nice.)


FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

12 loaf of French bread, cut into 1" cubes
6-8 eggs (we used 8, I'd probably cut back next time)
2 c. orange juice
1 c. milk
4 t. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. nutmeg
3/4 t. salt

Topping:
2 T. butter
3 T. sugar
2 t. cinnamon

Place bread cubes into a 9x13 pan. Mix eggs, orange juice, milk, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Just before baking, dot with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over all. Bake at 350 for 50 mins. (Do not cover while baking.) Remove from oven and let stand 5 mins. before serving. Serve with maple syrup. (We forgot to use the syrup and we still loved it.)

Book Review - 'Shine by Rodger Doss

(Alternative title: Yet another book from off the beaten path)


Another "local" book lent to us by our neighbor, 'Shine places fictional characters into real locations of my town. (With a population of 2,000, I use the word "town" very loosely.) Our county holds the title of "Moonshine Capital of the World," and this is the story of Grady and his friends in the 1950s. Grady is a moonshine runner like his father; the father ends up dead, along with another of the father's friends. It's no surprise that Grady traces the murders to their involvement in illegal liquor, but Grady's not talking.

The author awkwardly attempts to tie in NASCAR origins with the bootleggers. Grady gives up his driving runs to race stock cars at Starkey Speedway, and the last few chapters of the book throw in a lot of famous racing names from the '50s.

I enjoyed recognizing roads, intersections and towns from 50 years ago that I am now familiar with. While everyone here wasn't directly involved in illegal liquor, it definitely permeated every corner of the county. While federal law enforcement has presently changed its focus to other contraband, I have no doubt that moonshine is still made in parts of the county today.

In 2000, following a two year investigation, ATF and ABC shut down a large moonshine operation here. Arrested were descendants of Prohibition-era moonshiners, now using as many as five to ten 800-gallon stills at once. While googling, I found an interesting NY Times article from March 2000, linked here.

Back to the book. Apparently anything, no matter how obscure, is worth reading if it causes me to find out more about the topic.

Weekly menu

McDonald's (what can I say, we promised the kids that we would the next time we were in town)

sausage, French toast, grapefruit

chile rellanos, guacamole, chips

crab cakes, scallops, broccoli, couscous -- Trevor's long-awaited seafood night!

pumpkin soup, cornbread, pretzel jello salad

ravioli, garlic bread, salad

Emily's Greek soup, rolls


Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J

On the back burner:
blts, cottage cheese, tortilla chips and salsa
reuben sandwiches, pasta salad, chips
grilled flank steak
fondue
taco salad
Chicken Divine, scalloped potatoes (box), Ginger's Spinach Salad
Dorothy's colcannon

Miscellany

A few months ago, I was pleased to see "Red Beet Eggs" at the local Walmart. It doesn't take much to please me. (Robert would absolutely die if he read that.) A few days ago, I pickled my own. I love pickled eggs, and I remember my dad making them for us when I was little. I don't know the "real" recipe, but here's how I make them:

Pickled Eggs

1 dozen hard boiled eggs, peeled
2 cans sliced pickled beets

Put the eggs in the bottom of a pitcher. Pour cans of beets with all the juice, being sure that the eggs are completely submerged. (Sometimes I toss in an extra 1/4 cup of white vinegar and a tablespoon of peppercorns.) Refrigerate for at least two days.


Trevor and I love these. Even Holly will eat them at two days. Robert stays faaaaaar, faaaaaar away.

Are you completely grossed out?

* * *

Trevor has always admired rubber band balls. He went looking for our rubber bands the other morning, asking how to start his own rubber band ball. While I'm oh-so-slowly trying to google it, he figured it out on his own. He used the whole package of rubber bands.


It was pretty cool! I'm glad I don't use rubber bands very often, because the ball seems to have disappeared and I have no idea where it is now.

Book Review - Genesis of a Virginia Frontier: The Origins of Franklin County, Virginia, 1740-1785 by T. Keister Greer

This is a pretty obscure book (understatement). Our neighbor lent this to us, along with a few other books detailing local history. I really enjoy reading these types of books in general; I love recognizing names and places and delving a little into the history of where I live.

Originally written in 1946 as a thesis for the University of Virginia, the book records the earliest known English settlers to the area, along with the formation of the county (which was eventually formed from parts of six adjoining counties). It's not the most engaging book, and I skimmed most of it. However, it remained of some interest to me, even if I won't remember 98% of it. (Oh well.)

There's no reason to recommend this book; it's of no importance to anyone outside of the area. But again, I'm glad I had the oppootunity.

Elf Yourself!

This is a riot. If you want to watch the whole show, click here. If it shows a blank screen, you might not have the latest version of Adobe Flash.

Book Review - Lemon Meringue Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

This is the fourth book in the Hannah Swensen Mystery series. As the past books, it's mildly entertaining, a quick and easy read. I like that Hannah has a bit more of a personality now. Looking back, it was a bit of a surprise that only one person was murdered in this story. And I like that these books are so tame that Holly can read them. I know people are murdered, but there's no gore, no detail, just happy Hannah baking cookies.

Some of the little details in this book really bugged me, but perhaps I'm being too picky. (Details really bug me.)

• If Norman bought a house and signed papers the next day, it wouldn't have taken forever to sign the paperwork (because there'd be no loan, and that's what's so time consuming). There was no reason behind making this last so long, other than taking up page space.
  

• They DO make blue jello, and this is a silly detail that was not pertinent to the book but was mentioned more than once.

• Also mentioned more than once was the increased likelihood of summer colds caused by getting wet in a summer storm. Shouldn't be that much of a problem, unless it's raining virus . . .

• And why was half a page devoted to Andrea's use of prepositions at the end of her sentences? This has not been brought up before, and it wasn't again in the book.

I can work with Hannah stumbling over dead body after dead body in her little town; it's integral to the story. But I obsess a little on the minute errata . . . can you tell?

I should have been a book editor.

* * *

If you like this series, I'd recommend this book.

And the reviews are in

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

So begins George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation of October 3, 1789. To see the remainder, click here.

* * * *

Of course, our Thanksgiving celebration began yesterday as I began cooking. We had hits and misses.

Our day began with Trevor finding what he thought was a wart on Lucky's head. Upon closer inspection, Robert discovered it was a tick. Yuck, yuck, yuck. We didn't have ticks or fleas in Colorado (too arid). Robert saved the day and took care of this disgusting thing. I don't care, I really never want to touch the dog again.

It was 60 degrees outside at 7:00 a.m. :)

Our friends arrived bearing pies and cranberry sauce at 2:30. Our menu:

Baked Brie with Kahlua Pecan Sauce. It was fun to serve this to people who've never had it before. As it's from a popular Colorado cookbook, it's not unusual in Colorado. HIT!

Turkey. I don't know if the brine made a difference. My thermometer registered 160 after just an hour. I want s.p.e.c.i.f.i.c. instructions on where to put the thermometer. "In the deepest part of the thigh," along with an internet photo is not enough. The auto popper popped 30 minutes before I expected, and Robert chatted another 10 mins. before taking the turkey out. It stood on the counter for a long time while I got everything else ready. It was dry. It could have been worse, because people expect turkey to be dry. I'll try the brine again though. FAIR

Mashed potatoes. Took a looong time to reheat in the microwave. I don't remember this from before. I added a bunch more milk to keep them soft. FINE (Mashed potatoes have never been that hard to make.)

Stuffing. This is the first time I've ever made it outside of the bird. I found a pretty good recipe at Food Network. Next time, I'd add juice from the turkey pan at the very end. I forgot today. FINE

Cranberry Nut Bread. Robert's old recipe. It was a good sign when one of our friends asked to take the rest home. HIT

Mandarin Salad. An old favorite. HIT

Spinach Madeline. Last but not least. This was terrific, getting positive comments from almost everyone. I could eat this by myself with crackers. It's definitely being added to our holiday menu. Thanks, Ginger! HIT HIT HIT

Spinach Madeline

2 10-oz. pkgs. frozen chopped spinach
4 T. butter
2 T. flour
2 T. finely chopped onion (I used dehydrated)
1/2 c. evaporated milk (I used half and half)
1/2 c. vegetable liquor (the liquid that cooks off the spinach)
1/2 t. black pepper
3/4 t. celery salt
3/4 t. garlic salt (I used two cloves of fresh garlic)
salt to taste (if you use celery salt AND garlic salt, you shouldn't need any)
6 oz. Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
1 t. Worcestershire sauce

Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain and reserve vegetable liquor. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring until blended and smooth, but not brown. Add onion and cook until soft, but not brown. Add liquid slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook until smooth and thick; continue stirring. Add seasonings and cheese. Stir until melted. Combine with cooked spinach.

This may be served immediately or put into a casserole, topped with buttered bread crumbs, and baked in a 350 oven for 20 minutes. The flavor is improved if the latter is done and kept in a refrigerator overnight. This may also be frozen. Serves 6.

* * *

Holly and Trevor are ready to eat.

I do not "do" hospitality well. Far too often, I am looking for everything to be (my version of) perfect, rather than at the needs of my guests. Several times I was able to catch myself, to remember to focus on people, not things. It wasn't always an easy transition. I need to remember to be grateful for the opportunities to work on this. It was a start. :)

* * *

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col. 3:17

* * *

An enjoyable dinner, an enjoyable day. What's not to be thankful for?!

H a p p y T h a n k s g i v i n g !

Rejoice always;
pray without ceasing;
in everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thess 5:16-18

.

Thanksgiving countdown

I haven't been looking very forward to Thanksgiving this year. We've had an absolutely amazing year, and I've been thankful every single day of it. I don't need a special day--all I could think was that I'd have to make a turkey, cook like a fiend, and it wouldn't count as a school day here. (Am I a little too focused on school?)

We brainstormed about other possibilities, coming up with a few great alternatives, but Robert really wanted a traditional day for the first year in our new house.

It wasn't feeling special to me. While we've not lived near family for five years, Robert and I look forward to holidays that we spend alone. As a kid, though, it stinks. And we've had a lot of alone time here--I treasure it, but one more day of it is not really so special.

Robert invited our neighbors to share Thanksgiving with us, along with their grown daughter who lives nearby. And I'm thankful about that.

I adjusted our menu to better suit more people and to eliminate any iffy recipes. Robert went to the store for me this morning. And I'm thankful!

I started cooking around noon. Today, I've made:

• mashed potatoes

• stuffing -- a new recipe, I'm cooking it outside of the bird for the first time. I even toasted and cubed the bread myself.
  

• spinach Madeline -- a new recipe that Ginger posted this morning. Trevor taste-tested it and declared it "only the best thing EVER!"
  

• pickled eggs -- don't know if I'll serve them tomorrow, but they're done.

• turkey brine

And I'm really thankful that I was able to get all of this done today.

My turkey's in the brine right now. I've never brined a turkey before. It's in a giant soup pot in my fridge, on a glass shelf. I'm quite convinced/praying it won't break the shelf and dump two gallons of turkey brine all over my floor, under the kitchen cabinets and down the bare wood basement steps. I'm nervous about going to bed. Silly, because I won't be able to do anything anyway, even if I'm awake. And if it holds, well, I'll be really thankful.


Meanwhile, one of my loopy friends mentioned the cold weather in Denver today. It was in the 20s--for the high, and it will be like this for a few days. We had low 70s here. We've had the windows open for two days; I even found two happy spring-like bugs in my house this morning. And even though it will be 25 degrees cooler this weekend, I'm definitely thankful for this gorgeous weather!

(And for being able to wear capris and a t-shirt, lol!)

It's here, it's here, it's here, it's here!

We have a lot less living space on our main floor here than in our old house. One of my big concerns was where in the world would I store our daily school supplies and books. I used to store everything in a deep kitchen cabinet with two shelves, plus I had a bookshelf right inside the door downstairs to the basement--and that was just for the stuff we used every day. Everything explodes during school. I'll never forget Robert's disbelief when he first spotted it several years ago, books strewn across the floor, papers on the counter, the kitchen table stacked. I don't think he's ever fully recovered.

So I was grateful for the little bit of cabinet space that I was able to get. And we had a lot of trips up and down the basement stairs. This is looking pretty good, it must have been at the end of school.


One of our early priorities was to buy some type of storage. It had to blend in, yet hold a lot, and be easily accessible. That was the reasons for our visits to Hades Furnitureland. The first trip was bad. The second trip was a nightmare. It was only a mild shock when we discovered our piece might not arrive until January. (I might point out that's halfway through the school year.)

When we received a delivery call last week, three months after ordering, we were elated. Funny how that works. But now I'm used to my set up. My furniture is arranged, my books fit, and the stairs haven't killed me yet. And I couldn't remember what it looked like.

The delivery guys came last night. Believe me, it's no simple task to back up a big truck up my long, narrow driveway in the dark (or in the light).

WOW! We liked it even more than we had remembered. Our "minor adjustments" included lifting and moving the curio and china cabinets, moving the area rug, and drilling a new hole in the ceiling to re-center the light once we moved the table. Little things, at least for my dh.



There is a ton of shelf space inside just for me (yay!), and I've even been able to give the kids each a small shelf in the side doors. (I'm terrified of putting any scratches on it.)

The only thing is that now it's become more glaringly apparent that we need a few more things on the walls . . . n-e-x-t project!

(And a giant THANK YOU, Mom and Mike!)

READ A THON!

It's a Read A Thon week at my house! What this truly means, of course, is that we have minimal school, but I want to have school. We're down to bare bones, math, Latin review, and a little history. Holly and Trevor read and get paid for it: Trevor's earning $1 per 100 pages; Holly's earning $1 per 150 pages. Books need to be approved by Mom, but my standards aren't that high.
Basically, books should be at an appropriate reading level.

We only do this once or twice a year. It's a nice break. For everyone.

Book Review - Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me by Pattie Boyd

I checked out both Wonderful Tonight and Beginner's Latin on the same day from my library. Is it sad to say that I finished this book first? It's been out for awhile, and my only attraction to it is that my library does not yet have the new Eric Clapton bio. I chose this while I wait. The amazon reviews were scathing, although the truth is that I tend to read only the negative reviews. It wasn't a bad book.

The oldest of five children, Pattie Boyd recalls her early childhood in Africa, later growing up in British convent schools, and avoiding her emotionally distant mother's new and abusive husband. Eventually stumbling into modeling work, Pattie meets George Harrison, they do a lot of drugs, get married, do more drugs, and George cheats on Pattie. Eric Clapton falls in love with her, so she leaves George for Eric. They do a lot of drugs, get married, do more drugs and Eric cheats on Pattie.

Now you don't have to read the book, because that's the gist of it.

I don't expect Pattie to be able to write a decent book; that's why she has a co-author. But Penny Junor did a lousy job cleaning this up. There's no depth, no emotion. The story had the potential to be well told, interesting. Instead, it's just a run on narrative of Pattie's life that gets tedious.

It was an easy, mindless read, but not particularly recommended, unless you have any interest in the parties involved.

Weekly menu

YOYO

bbq steak, Caesar salad, garlic french bread

ravioli, garlic bread, salad

Thanksgiving!

grilled cream cheese sandwiches, soup

Encore Presentation (a nice way of saying "leftovers"!)

chile rellanos



Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J

On the back burner:

breakfast: scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon
blts, cottage cheese, tortilla chips and salsa
reuben sandwiches, pasta salad, chips
Emily's Greek soup
grilled flank steak
fondue
taco salad
"seafood night" -- not sure what this is, but Robert promised Trevor
Chicken Divine, scalloped potatoes (box), Ginger's Spinach Salad
Dorothy's colcannon

Advent books

For the past several years, we've really enjoyed reading Arnold Ytreeide's Advent trilogy. Not surprisingly, I first heard about the books on my hs list. However, they are currently out of print, although I've heard secondhand from the author that they've been picked up by a new publisher and will be available next year. (Did you know there's a new book in the series, Mystery of the Temple Court?!)

We have all three books, and this year we'll be again reading Tabitha. Instead of the other two books, Jotham's Journey and Bartholomew's Passage, just sitting on my bookshelf unused, I'd prefer to lend them out. (If you look at those two links, I can't believe the asking price for these books. It could pay for our Christmas, lol.)

If you'd like to read either of the books to your children this year, send me an email at the link by my photo on the right. If you've never read the books, they are amazing--great for a family, although a little violent for young children. Trevor was 5 when we read the first one, and he was probably a little too young for it at the time. Each daily reading takes about 15-30 minutes, and we do it as a combination reading/Bible time each morning. Advent begins on December 2, so let me know, and I'll have time to get it out in the mail!

:)

* * * * * * * * * * *

UPDATE: The Jotham book has been loaned; Bartholomew is still available.

Friday/Saturday

Holly and I visited one of the possible riding academies yesterday. The instructor is really wonderfully qualified. Holly enjoyed meeting her and viewing a lesson. The horses were quite friendly.

Hey! HEY!!!

HEY NOW!!!

That's better. Let me get to KNOW you, at least. What did you say your name was?


Awwwwww.

We'll be your friend anytime, you are soooo sweet!


The horses acted like dogs. They'd come up and say hi, and then turn their rear ends right at you. They wanted to be scratched on their hindquarters. Meanwhile, the dog wore a horse coat.

It's different, being in what's considered "the south." Just one example: One of the cabins on the property was built in the 1700s. Growing up in California, living in Colorado for 20 years, I've never seen buildings this "old." (Dorothy in England is probably falling on the floor, laughing hysterically because I think something from the 1700s is old.)

It was a neat place, and we'll see what happens. We visit the other barn tomorrow.

Trevor had a chess tournament this morning. A lot more kids were competing in his division today, and he played well.

This pretty much sums up our day of chess (minus the actual chess playing). The kids hang out in between games. I have a bag of assorted food, games, and things to keep me occupied. I have my trusty cell phone. I have my reading material. Can it be more varied? Pattie Boyd's trash autobiography, and Beginner's Latin. And I didn't bring the Latin just to look good, I actually read some of each book. lol


And as I headed towards home, I took what pictures I could without actually pulling over.



A few of the chess moms were talking about living in the country, how they could never go back to living in the city. I've been here for three months and have not considered that comparison before. I'm definitely a "city girl," but only in the sense that I love the conveniences. I don't think I could go back to living in suburbia. I certainly wouldn't want to.

I. love. Stickville. I don't care that I have to drive far to get everywhere; I don't care that my library doesn't have an amazing book collection. I love this place.

Curriculum (Part 4A)!

It's taken me for ever to write my science curriculum post. After all, we've been working on it for the past six years. It was too overwhelming for me to write in just one part, so I've finally broken down and, well, broken it down.

Science has never been one of my favorite subjects to teach. When we began hsing Holly in first grade, we tried Sonlight's science. It was too structured for me; I didn't care for the jumping around from book to book, and the experiments had no connection to what was otherwise being taught.

We quickly began loosely following Core Knowledge science. Trevor was almost four and followed along when it interested him. CK was fun. I could pick and choose between free online lesson plans within a few different grade levels, and we could go at our own pace. I would pick up extra library books, and the kids would eagerly devour them without any encouragement from me.

We were at a baseball game when Trevor was five, and the man behind us told my kids, "Hey, there's a cricket here, if you want to pick him up." Trevor took one look at the cricket and informed the man, "It's a girl." I knew exactly where he'd learned that--CK was definitely engaging!

Curriculum junkie that I am, it was during this time that was also tried Considering God's Creation and Nebel's, and surely one or two more, but we always fell back on CK.

As CK advanced, it began to promote an agenda with which we did not agree. We wanted a Biblically-based science curriculum. Apologia had just picked up Jeannie Fulbright's Science for Jesus books, with the Astronomy book just becoming available. I chose it from a pre-publication draft that I saw at the CHEC homeschool conference.

This was a terrific book with so many advantages. It was just one book, just one thing to buy. It used a Charlotte Mason approach, reading on the couch, discussing, with oral and written narration prompts, and lots of hands on activities to further cement the concepts. Although it seemed a little odd at the time, we embraced the idea of learning one topic in depth over the course of the year. Jeannie believes that it's better to truly learn about a subject, instead of superficially covering several each year.

At some point, though, we burned out a little. It might have been me, not being such a big science person. It might have been that science wasn't such a priority, as I scheduled it in the afternoons, usually twice a week. The book was originally written as, and can easily be completed as, a semester long program. However, Dr. Wile determined it was better to spread it out over a year. We took about a year and a half.

I bought the Botany book, and while the kids enjoyed looking through it, we've never used it formally for school. Last year, they both wanted to use the Zoology I book, Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. I was able to keep a better schedule and move through the book more timely. We didn't finish is completely last year, but we came close.

This year, I separated the kids in science. It was time to move Holly up to something appropriate for jr. high. For several months, I've considered different options for Trevor. He really enjoys science, and I knew this was a great opportunity for him to pursue whatever subject appealed to him. My only consideration was to keep the cost down. He commented several times that he was interested in rocks, volcanoes . . . earth science. I wasn't finding a curriculum that I felt would work for him, and I continued to put off any decision.

Hah. Current science choices will be in the next Curriculum! post.

Book Review - Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke

This third book in the Hannah Swensen mystery series follows the first two books. It's not particularly exciting, but it's a quick pleasure read that doesn't require much thought. While the series has not grown on me as I've continued to read, it's a fair choice. My preference would be The Yada Yada or The Potluck Club series, but those are not carried by my library. I wouldn't blog this book, except for that this is also my only book log. :)

Book Review - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver is a talented fiction author, and I was expecting a story to completely grab me. Instead, this book details the author and her family's real life journey--as they move from the desert of Tucson to the mountains of Appalachia; as they begin their new life in a 100 year old farmhouse on old family land; and as they attempt to live for a year eating only food that is locally produced.

But this is a book that is about much more, finding its way through a wide variety of loosely connected topics: tobacco growers, home canning, heirloom seeds, poultry breeding, obesity, family occasions, public school cafeteria food, food transportation costs, and more, yet Kingsolver always successfully manages to come back to her point. Interspersed throughout the book are brief, investigate reports by the author's husband, and recipe narratives by her eldest daughter. Many of the recipes, all of which centered around seasonal foods, looked very intriguing. For more info (and recipes), see www.animalvegetablemiracle.com.

There are some parts with which I was not so thrilled, but I don't think I need to be 100% in agreement with the author to really appreciate her book.

I had no idea when I began reading that this takes place just 200 miles from us. It made the descriptions of the land, the food, the people much more real to me, as I could easily envision it all here. I don't think I could ever begin to live like this, but it sure gives me pause to think about food origins as I grocery shop. I want to learn more about various local farmers markets, and I wish that I had some -- any -- desire to grow any of my own food.

A fun read, I loved this book, and it's going on my Christmas list. I want one for my very own!

Tuesday/Wednesday

As I am writing this, it's 11 p.m. and 58 degrees outside. Unfortunately, that's warmer than it will be tomorrow. We are under a high wind advisory that will last through tomorrow. That's really unusual; one more thing I like about the weather is how little wind we really have.

But we've taken advantage of the temps and sunshine as much as possible! Trevor and I took a walk yesterday.


As the leaves have been falling, we are seeing more houses that have been tucked behind the trees all summer. (Well, you can't see the house here, but they have a great fence!)


Trevor had chess club last night.

Robert had an appointment this morning in Roanoke, so we drove up with him. I oohed and aahed the entire way, admiring the hills covered in spectacular red, gold and green trees. It about killed me to not take any pictures (but I was trying to drive). I continue my fantasy of going out all by myself one afternoon, stopping along the roads, spending as much time as I need to take a zillion lovely shots. But the reality seems to be that there are no good spots where I can stop; many of the roads don't have much of a "shoulder." One of these days, I'll be brave enough!

After we dropped Robert off, we flew to our first important destination. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts closed in Colorado Springs a year and a half ago. But there's one here, and Trevor's been soooo anxious to check it out! It's definitely an older store, built in 1959.


How in the world can you choose just one? (Uh, one dozen, I'm talking.)


Three for me so far today. I haven't embarrassed myself. Yet. Those little doughnuts are sitting across the kitchen from me, whispering my name. Monsters.

We also stopped at the bagel store. Someone needs to open up a bagel shop closer to me. We bought two dozen, and I'm thinking those might last a whole ten days. We'll see.

By the time we got back home, it was after lunch, not the best time to start school. But I hadn't planned for a day off today! We finished quite late, poor things. But it was still light out and nicely warm!

The ladybugs have increased like crazy. Apparently, they swarm at this time of year. Every time we open our door to throw one out, I think three more fly in. There were some new black buggy looking things today, and they've also been both outside and inside in droves. They're not so cute, so I squash 'em. But the ladybugs--well, we'll keep saving them, they haven't lost their appeal yet.

I am finally making headway finding a riding instructor for Holly. We'll be meeting with two different women later this week, with the opportunity to view a lesson. They both look promising: one told me all the things I've been wanting to hear; the other has fabulous credentials. I have complete faith in Holly's ability to make the final decision.

Robert finished off the night by bbqing. It's almost like summer around here.

Robert's multi-talented. He can talk and grill simultaneously.

But this will be the last night of sleeping with our windows open. At least for a few days.

And to counter any genius rating . . .

Click HERE for a fun turkey trivia quiz. This big turkey only got 50%. Gobble, gobble!

This is a riot!

At least I have someone fooled!

Thank you, Dorothy, fun "test," LOL.

Quote of the week

I know it's only Monday, but it won't get any better than this:

"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."

~Mark Twain

Weekly menu

big burritos

pizza

manicotti, garlic bread, salad

bbq hot dogs, baked beans, _______

bratwurst with peppers and onions, pasta salad

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Indian butter chicken, rice, canned pineapple




Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J

On the back burner:
breakfast
blts, cottage cheese, tortilla chips and salsa
reuben sandwiches, pasta salad, chips
Emily's Greek soup
ravioli, garlic bread, salad
grilled flank steak
fondue
taco salad
"seafood night" -- not sure what this is, but Robert promised Trevor
chile rellanos

Book Review - Waiting by Ha Jin

This fictional book takes place in China during the 1970s. Lin is a doctor in the Chinese army and agrees to his parents' choice of a wife. His new wife is several years older than he, and she tends to his elderly parents in their home village while he pursues his career in a distant city. He returns every summer to visit, and early on, he and his wife have a daughter.

Embarrassed by his wife's simple background and bound feet, he longs for an educated, modern wife, such as the female army comrades he meets at work. He eventually falls in love with Manna, an army nurse, and they vow to maintain "just" a friendship until he is free to marry.

While he no longer has any relationship with or use for his wife (his parents have long since died), she remains true and faithful to him and to their marriage. Lin continues to return to his rural village every summer, each year asking his wife to agree to a divorce. Each year, she agrees but changes her mind when they go before the judge.

Through a series of circumstances, he is eventually granted a divorce, free to finally marry Manna. Not surprisingly, the marriage does not turn out to be what they'd individually dreamed. Lin remains remote and distant, making no effort to take on the role of husband. Manna continues to be frustrated by his lack of ambition and passion.

This was an unremarkable book. Although the author grew up in China and is now an English professor in the U.S., the story is not particularly well written. There was certainly no attraction to Lin or Manna. They both were selfish and boring, uninspiring, and none of the other characters were well developed. It was an easy, mindless read but not something I would recommend.

Oh, deer!

I can easily remember the things we'd find in the yard when we lived in the city, such as:

• worms

• a really old rusted horseshoe

• cantaloupe rinds (the squirrels would bring them from the neighbors' compost pile)

• a dead bird

But nothing like this. Robert found the upper half of a deer skull.


That little white blob at the tip of the deer's nose? That's just a sock on my floor, a dirty one. Those are all too common inside my house. And I'll take socks over bones any time.

Shredded Beef Tacos

This is one of those fluke recipes from the newspaper eight years ago--I tried it, and it instantly became a family favorite. I like it because it goes in the crockpot and I don't have to do much to it. Everyone else likes it because they can add their own choice of toppings.

Shredded Beef Tacos

5 lb. chuck roast
2 t. pepper
2 t. salt
2 t. cumin
5 cloves of garlic, minced

Put meat and spices in the crockpot. Fill halfway with water. Turn on low heat and cook at least 8 hours.

When done, strain 1-2 c. of the cooking liquid and reserve. Shred or dice the beef; return it to the crockpot, along with the reserved liquid.

Serve with homemade tortillas and salsa.

Trevor likes his with cheese and sour cream.

I usually use the smallest piece of meat, about half the size, and halve the recipe accordingly. It fills 12-15 small tortillas.

On the move

One thing that did not thrill me about our new house was that my laundry was on the main floor. In my kitchen. This does not at all fit with how I do laundry. I avoid it at all costs, finally caving in when Robert threatens to leave the house naked. (Okay, really when he casually mentions that he might run out of socks.)

When I try to do laundry in my kitchen, my kitchen turns into my laundry room. It's not pretty, and no one wants to step on piles of various wash loads piled on the kitchen floor. And there's no where to leave baskets full of clean, unfolded laundry, which is pretty much my trademark.

It might sound odd, but I've been dreaming of the washer and dryer in the basement. Besides, I've also been dreaming about turning the laundry closet into a computer closet / pantry.

In my old house, an apparent "selling point" was the laundry room upstairs with the bedrooms. I never liked that. I worried for five years that the washer would overflow, causing my family room ceiling below to come crashing down. Carting laundry up and down stairs seems like a small price to pay for my peace of mind.

So we called a plumber out a few weeks ago and got the estimate to move the plumbing to the basement. $600. Believe me, my mind isn't worth that much.

It was really helpful when the original plumber on the house came out earlier this week, as he gladly told Robert where everything was in the basement. So woo-hoo!!!! Robert is moving the washer and dryer downstairs!

* * *

For I know the plans I have for you! Plans to prosper you and not to warm you, plans to give you Coke and a 'puter!


Or something like that.


I'll post follow up pics later.

Friday

Trevor and I took a trip to Blacksburg today. It was our first time there, and we took several roads we've never driven before.



After checking the route briefly on google maps, I figured my GPS could handle it. In my never-ending optimism, I forgot that GPS really stands for Get Possibly Somewhere.

We got to Blacksburg, but I later discovered that GPS took us 20 miles and 30 minutes out of our way. (eyes rolling)

I really wanted to check my map, but while I had my county map, AND a Roanoke map, AND a Blacksburg/Christiansburg map, AND a US map in my car, the one thing I did not have was a Virginia state map showing me the back roads. It was in Robert's car. I didn't think I'd need it--I had my trusty Get Possibly Somewhere technology.


Anyway, with scenery like this, I wasn't complaining.

Catch up #4

Robert loves Christmas. I think he spends half the year thinking about it. He's been thinking about decorating this house since before we moved in. I panicked a bit last month, asking him, "Where are we going to put the Christmas tree?" I couldn't see any possibilities, other than smack in the middle of my big bathroom floor (or the tub). But he'd already had that planned out too, and fortunately, the tree will be out in the great room for all of us to enjoy.

He's started working on a wreath for the outside second story window too. He's worked on it bit by bit, and I'm so oblivious that I didn't even know about it until it was almost done. It's 8 feet tall and a bit hard to miss.


It's currently in our basement. The only thing he didn't plan ahead for was getting it out of the 7 foot high door . . .

Catch up #3

I am so glad that DeEtta mentioned Operation Christmas Child on her blog! Last year, I think the dates flew by and we missed the deadline to pack shoeboxes.

Trevor and I went shopping on Tuesday. We were pleasantly surprised by what our local dollar store had to offer, and we finished up our shopping at WalMart. We packed and prayed over the boxes, and we'll drop them off next week.


A program of the Christian charity Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child expects this year to deliver 8 million donated shoeboxes to needy children around the world. Samaritan's Purse is among Charity Navigator's highest rated charities.

It's so easy to get caught up in our own lives, and I am grateful that my kids have the opportunity to participate in this.

Catch up #2

Little things are big in a small town.

On Tuesday, the kids were happily doing their schoolwork when the power went out. Normally, this would be somewhat exciting. It was the middle of the day, we didn't need light. But we're not living a "normal" life anymore. We have a well, and the pump is run by electricity. When the power goes out, we have no water. It makes for a different kind of excitement (eyes rolling).

By some fluke, Robert had just hooked up our only landline phone that doesn't use electricity–in the laundry room. I was almost happy to hear that a power pole had caught fire in the next town over–it meant that the widespread outage was a priority.

Meanwhile, Robert and I went to go vote. The machines were still up, using a backup generator. (And yes, they have electronic machines here, we're not that rural.) I didn't care so much about the voting, but I had been wanting to check out the local elementary school.

As we drove down our street, a small number of neighbors were gathering to discuss the lack of power. No one else knew what was going on, so we got to share what we'd heard from the power company. (Yay, maybe we can win some friends!) Hmm. On second thought, they did all disburse once we brought the news. I hope it wasn't something we said.

Colorado has a buffer law for voters. That doesn't exist here, and as we walked into the school, we had to wade through a throng of people begging us to vote for their candidate. It was kind of creepy. A little wizened woman approached me, peering up into my face, smiling and croaking, "You will vote for _____________, won't you, dear?" I turned and fled into the building.

As we walked in the hall toward the gym, we passed an elderly man who had just finished voting. He stopped and warmly greeted us, shaking our hands. We've never seen him before. Did he think he knew us? Was he just friendly? Was he crazy? (I'm thinking yes, yes, and yes.)

Maybe I need to rethink this "winning friends" strategy.

* * *

At the same time our power went back on at home, the plumber showed up. We've been experiencing a horrible sewer smell periodically, and it was bad enough over the weekend that I checked on the kids Sunday morning to make sure they hadn't died overnight of methane poisoning. (Because it about killed me.)

Robert had talked to the original plumber on the house. He'd made plans to come by, and then remembered something that had broken off during construction but that they'd forgotten to repair! It took about two minutes, and the problem is fixed. Hallelujah!!!

Now we can breathe easy at night. If I could only stop my nightmares about alienating the whole town . . .

Catch up #1

Ever since Holly was little, she's asked for a "candy day," a day where she could eat nothing but candy, and as much as she wanted. Back then, it was easy to put her off. "How about when you're thirteen?!" I'd said. The problem with that, of course, is that it was like a promise--one that she's never forgotten. She's looked forward to "Candy Day" for years.

In a brilliant strategic move, Holly suggested that her Candy Day be the Saturday after Halloween. After all, Trevor would have all of his Halloween candy, and she wasn't trick-or-treating. Realizing that I was stuck, and anxious to get it over with, I agreed.

The deal pretty much was that she had less than $20 to spend at the grocery store on whatever junk food her heart desired. She could eat whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.


Popcorn. Ice cream. Candy. Chips. I'm sure there was more, but I've forgotten, and she's not talking!

I think she enjoyed herself. I tried to ignore most of what she ate all day, but it was hard to forget seeing her face light up each time she remembered that she could have as MUCH as she wanted.

For as long as she's waited for Candy Day, I've been kind of hoping that she'd end up with a horrible stomach ache, deciding then and there to never eat candy again, realizing that her mom IS right, that she should listen to me always.

Do I need to say that didn't happen?

I think she's banking on a Candy Day again next year.

This morning

I took my camera with me this morning to get the paper at the end of the driveway.


I never tire of looking at this.


The sun was just coming up.



I don't think I've ever lived through a more beautiful fall.

:)

Weekly menu

Dinner:

BLTs, cottage cheese, chips

chicken souvlaki, couscous, pita bread, hummus

shredded beef tacos, guacamole

sloppy joes, ???

sausage, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, yellow squash

giant burritos

manicotti, ???


Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J

On the back burner:
grilled flank steak
fondue
Indian butter chicken, rice, canned pineapple
"seafood night" -- not sure what this is, but Robert promised Trevor

Sunday

In our (continuing) quest to find a riding instructor for Holly, we stumbled upon the local 4H Horse and Pony Club. We were invited to attend the monthly meeting today. It was a beautiful day (have I mentioned this?) and it was a gorgeous drive (and I have mentioned this?)

The meeting was good, we liked what we saw, and Holly's considering joining the group. When possible, the club has some sort of educational demonstration follow the meeting. Today, the hands on activity was "sheath cleaning."

Let me be as clear--or as vague--as I'm going to get: imagine what "sheath cleaning" possibly would mean, and you would be correct. And it's not done on female horses. (We almost skipped the meeting.)

Here's sweet Apache. He had no idea what he was in for. Yet.


Don't worry. There aren't any more pictures.

The funny thing (to me anyway) is that Holly's seen this done before. Lucky girl.



We headed straight home afterwards, thinking we could make it before sunset. Just like everything else, this was a 40 minute drive. I was soooo close to home, and then I saw this in my rearview mirror:


While the speed limit is typically unmarked and I drive 50mph, there are occasional 35mph spots. Funny how I miss those signs. Sort of funny.

But, lucky for me, I didn't get pulled over for speeding. I realized two weeks ago that my Colorado license plates had expired 50 days before. I got the new plates, but I still don't have my inspection or county stickers. And lucky for me, the policeman that pulled me over loves Colorado and has been there to ski a few times. And lucky for me, he didn't check my new VA license for warrants. (Well, he wouldn't have found anything, but still . . . ) And lucky for me, he decided to give me a warning. That's really lucky for me, because the fine for not having the stickers is about $100.

Guess I'll be getting the rest of the stickers tomorrow. Lucky me!

Friday

I continued to be awed by the weather. It's been cooler, but clear blue skies, no drastic changes between hot and cold, so comfortable. Colorado weather is tumultuous; this is calm and steady.

We noticed dozens of ladybugs yesterday. I didn't check into it too much, but I think they are migrating.

We have a flurry of new birds at the feeders.

* * *

I've always thought one of the toughest things about moving is finding new doctors. I had a dr. appt. today. I found this practice on the internet, googling a few key phrases, randomly choosing whatever dr. could see me first. Especially considering Roanoke is a pretty small metro area, I was pleasantly surprised. The size of the practice rivaled anything I'd seen in Colorado Springs (which is 3-4 times larger), and the building was nice, newer, roomy. The staff was great, the dr. just fine, and I was in and out within a very reasonable amount of time. One stressor out of the way.

I also picked up a part for my car--the door roller had broken, and I've not been able to drive it all week. We even parked it on a hill to make sure the door wouldn't fall off. (Eyes rolling.) See, I'm fittin' in just fine heah.

I headed home.

• Trip drive time: 2 hours; 70 miles.

I had plans with Holly to check out the nearest Kohl's. "Near" is relative. Of course, Kohl's is in North Carolina. We chose one in Lynchburg, which is just ten minutes closer. I'd not been out this way at all yet, and it was a nice drive. Looooong but nice. It was much flatter than our end of our county, and it was a strange feeling to see the mountains in the distance once again! We shopped for two hours, not finding as much as we'd have liked, but on the positive side, we didn't spend too much money either.

We left just in time, as I wanted to get home before it was too dark.


Of course, we found time to stop at Dairy Queen, and we picked up Dominos to take home for dinner.

• Trip drive time: 3 hours, 130 miles

Total drive time: 5 hours, 200 miles. Ugh. That's not a very good average, 40 mph. But it was a pleasant day, I feel like I accomplished a lot, I enjoyed spending uninterrupted time with Holly, and I'm ready to stay home tomorrow. :)