6/28/07

Our Graduate






The food for the party on Saturday has been bought, the table display of photos of the graduate has been set up, the desserts have been baked, and the cap and gown pictures have all been taken. Now I just need to clean, decorate, and prepare the house for the guests. Maybe I should buy some more tissues too.
This morning I gave Julia the photo album I'd been working on . She loved it; I cried. She donned her cap and gown for photos. Earle snapped them; I cried. This growing up stuff is hard, and I don't mean hard for them, but us. We are so proud and yet as we reflect we become somehow empty inside. Not empty in a bad way necessarily, empty in the way that we no longer need to pour ourselves into them in the same ways anymore. It's funny that we feel empty when we can no longer empty ourselves for their sake. It is evident at times like these that love is a gift from God and it is only love when we give it away. It only blesses us when we give it away. I am so thankful today for being given the opportunity to give love to my daughter all these years. It has blessed me greatly. I am not the same person now that I was before Julia was in my life.

Thank you God for my blessed graduate, Julia.

6/27/07

The Truffle Saga Continues...

Yesterday, Earle and I took Truffle to the vet. He seemed to be at a standstill in his recovery and was lethargic and not eating properly. As it turns out, he had a fever from an infection. The hind leg he had been favoring was sore due to a cyst filled with puss inside his hip area. The vet kept him overnight in order to sedate him and drain the cyst. While shaving Truffle's hind leg/hip area for the procedure the vet found two puncture wounds. It looks like something bit him and that is what caused the infection. So, he stayed at the vet overnight. He was given pain meds and antibiotics and rested in the air-conditioning. Today he comes home at 11 and then we will be giving him more antibiotics in order to clear up the infection. Earle may need some antibiotics of his own by the time we are done. He will be risking personal injury giving Truffle medication! He does not take it well. We are going with a liquid this time instead of pills. Less risk of finger loss!

Keep praying for our baby, Truffle. He should be on the mend now.

6/26/07

Updates

Here are some updates since I have been a delinquent blogger! Actually, I've been very busy planning last minute details for Julia's graduation party (30th) and fighting off migraines (grrrr). When you make multiple batches of yummy fudge brownies and ridiculous amounts of yummy star-shaped sugar cookies that will later be frosted in school colors, you cannot blame yourself for slipping a few delectable tastes into your mouth; even if flour does give you headaches. I know, at 45 I should know better and have more self control than that. I agree. Oh well.
On to the updates.

1. Our baby Orioles have flown the nest. It sits dangling there empty as a sad reminder that they are gone. It happened so fast we didn't even see them leave. We did hear them though. They sat around the yard singing in the trees, constantly, for two days before heading off. It was actually rather annoying! So, Sunday Earle and I bought an oriole feeder and some oriole food in the hopes of keeping some of the family around. They haven't found it yet, but should soon. If you have never seen one, the feeders are bright orange like the belly of the birds and the liquid food smells of oranges.

2. Truffle isn't hobbling anymore, but he is very sluggish and not himself. He goes to the vet on Thursday. Keep praying for him. Earle is very concerned that this is serious. Truffle is Earle's baby. He has kept a constant watch on him and babied him with petting and Fancy Feast. I can tell this is weighing heavily on his heart.

3. The veggie and flower gardens are all doing well. The veggies just got a boost of miracle grow to help them push past the heat we are expected to have the next few days. Our soil is lacking in nutrients. It is great soil if you want to go dig some up to throw a ceramic pot on the wheel. The clay content is extremely high.

We added quite a few new flowers and bushes to the yard recently. Earle asked what took me so long to add more color to the back flower beds. It takes time when you move into a new place. You have to live with it "as is" for a while before you know what you want to do. I will have to take some pics for you all.

We harvested our first crop of veggies: radishes. They are lovely! Some peppers are almost ready and the cilantro is ready to go although it could stand to get taller. I'm afraid we were too late for the spinach. It likes cool weather and we planted it too late. Next year we will get thing in earlier now that the garden is established. My tomato plants Gretchen gave me are about to blossom. The buds are opening. Hers are probably way ahead of mine which needed adjustment time to my garden from her nice raised beds!

4. Finally, this is what has been consuming my time recently. I have had to turn this pile of album and papers into Julia's graduation photo album. It is all about her senior year. I am almost done with it. It, along with the party, is her gift from us. She knows about it, even though she shouldn't, and is very excited.

6/23/07

Truffle's Troubles


Two days ago our little Truffle was gone all day and didn't come home until the next morning. Not one to miss meal times, we knew something must be wrong. When he did come home he was hobbling, holding up his right, hind foot. His thin, drawn appearance left no doubt that he was injured and in pain.

After spending a full day hiding in the corners of the living room, having food and water brought to him, and trying to rest through the pain; he is feeling some better today. There is no sign of apparent injury like a broken bone or a bite mark. He is still favoring his hind leg but is putting more weight on it all the time.

We will never know what happened to him, but I sure am glad he made it home to be babied back to health. Earle and I used to joke about fitting the cats with little helmet cams so we could see where they went and what they did. This would have been an ideal opportunity to do just that. Did he fall out of a tree? Get chased by a dog? Get caught in a fence? Fight off a ferocious tom cat? Only he knows, and he isn't telling.

Poor kitty. Time to go baby the little ruffian some more. Say some prayers for Truffle that he will continue his recovery and will have learned his lesson!

6/22/07

Crazy Kid

This is my son, Shawn. He is a 16 year old boy.
Enough said.

This is Shawn's garter snake he found in the grass. Isn't it cute?! What did a 16 year old boy want to do with a garter snake he found in the grass? Why tame it, of course. Hold it, and pet it, and stroke it, until it calms down and acts civilized.


Notice the blood. The snake wanted no part of being "tamed". After said boy was bitten on the hands at least ten times, he decided the snake was a lost cause and was better off back in the grass. Sheesh.

6/21/07

Bountiful Bliss








Yesterday afternoon Earle, Shawn, and I spent three blissful hours touring around a local monastery with a friend and her daughter. As it turns out, the monastery is right over the hill from us and we never knew it was there. Tucked away up a side road the monks lead a life of raising sheep and keeping bees while devoting their days to God's service: body, mind, and spirit. We trekked up a long drive to the women's guest quarters. Leaving the men folk under a tree outside, Gretchen, Deborah, and I toured the guest rooms and common areas of the house. It is truly lovely with its antique furniture, soft floral wallpaper and bedding, and simplicity of decor. Out every window are vistas of long-grassed meadows rimmed with wildflowers and a-buzz with bees and butterflies. It was like therapy being in that house. I could envision spending a quiet weekend retreat there reading and drawing the local scenery.

After strolling through a cemetery on the premises we encountered a small flock of sheep grazing in a field, so consumed with devouring grass they were almost oblivious to our presence. The tall, rectangular boxes of bee hives shared a corner of the grazing field with the sheep. As we descended the hill we could see the larger flocks of sheep and the barns on the opposite hill ahead of us. The views were breathtaking. My gaze constantly went from looking down at a plant or butterfly to looking up admiring the view. But, it wasn't too much to take in. It was serene, not overwhelming; the kind of place that makes cell phones unnecessary and televisions obsolete.

Next we wandered through the book store selecting a jar of homemade quince jam, a beeswax candle crafted by the monks, and a lovely little brass and enamel sign to screw to my door frame which says: Peace to all who enter here.

Leaving our bags of goodies on the sidewalk, we ventured into the circular chapel for the three o'clock singing of the psalms. The male voices of the monks in their work clothes fresh from the fields blended beautifully with the single peaceful guitar. The rhythmic, monotonous melody paid tribute to the true star of the show, the words. On our way out one of the older gentlemen suggested we descend the stairs into the crypt. There, under the chapel, stood a beautiful marble statue of Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms. Several lit candles encircled the pair in the darkness of the space. Around them stood small altars in cubbyholes, each with its own set of stained glass windows. A time-worn book placed on the candle table described in detail the meaning of the symbols in the stained glass. It surely was a place one could spend and hour or so matching up meanings with sunlit windows.

Now that I know the monastery is there I will be back to visit and perhaps to stay for a day or two. The peacefulness I carried home with me lingers into today.

6/20/07

End of the School Year

Our school year is all but done. Shawn has one more paper to finish writing for health and then summer is here! We finished up Biology with some dissections. Here are some pics of Shawn with two good friends dissecting a perch one day and then a frog another. We dissected the worm and crayfish at home by ourselves. I was glad the perch and frog were done at our friends' home! The smell of two large specimens each day was not pleasant!



On Monday our local homeschool group had our first curriculum sale. There were many sellers, but few buyers. I ended up unloading a few items and making around $100, far short of what I had hoped. I'm sure it will be much better next year once the word is out! There were about 40 tables of people selling. I'm sure we will attract quite a crowd once it catches on. It was a lot of work for those who organized it. They did a wonderful job!

Today we are off for a last minute field trip to a local monastery. They raise sheep there and keep bees. I am hoping to come away from the gift shop with some goodies! The monastery is right over the hill and I never knew it was there. My friend Gretchen told me about it. We are going there this afternoon with Gretchen and her daughter. I am really looking forward to it!

Then, on Thursday night we have our end of the year homeschool picnic. After that is over I will finally feel as though we are done for the year. I will be planning the last minute details of Julia's graduation party. After the party it will be summer vacation! Time for art work and long days of crickets chirping and buzzing in the heat. If you need me you can find me here, in my sanctuary:



6/14/07

New Family in the Neighborhood


I'm so excited! I posted earlier about our new friend in our yard, the Baltimore oriole. Well, there are actually two orioles, a male and a female. We caught our first glimpse of her today as she emerged from their nest in order to sit next to the male on an overlooking branch! She is less colorful than the male and slightly smaller. The most thrilling part is the position of the nest, about 10 feet directly above the corner of our deck. I am hopeful we will see the fledglings as they emerge from the nest.


I was also rewarded with yet another new friend in the neighborhood today. As I was in my bathroom, near the window, I heard the unmistakable call of a bobwhite proclaiming his presence in the brush behind the house. They aren't even supposed to be in our area. We are a little too far north. I hope I will have a chance to see him. Quail-type birds are so interesting to watch!

6/12/07

Rhubarb: It's Just Good Stuff

My lovely friend Gretchen has a treasure trove of rhubarb growing in her backyard so she brought me some stalks a few days ago in order to share the rhubarb wealth. This odd fruit brings back memories of childhood days swinging on old metal swing sets with the neighborhood gang; breaking off stalks of rhubarb to chew, our mouths puckering as we giggled our way back to the swings again. There is something about that red and green, sour taste that draws me back even today.

The memories of my childhood have been sustained over the years by the sweet-sour taste of my wonderful mother-in-law's strawberry-rhubarb pies. In the summer when we'd make the long trek to Maine her kitchen would simply ooze the fragrance of cooked rhubarb and freshly made cookies. She was always prepared for the onslaught of hungry children and grandchildren. My son would gobble down masses of rhubarb freezer jelly. Sometimes Grammie and he would have to make up another batch together.

Over the years I have baked my fair share of strawberry-rhubarb pies. They are always a delight served warm with melting-too-quickly vanilla ice cream.

Alas, at the moment I am trying to avoid foods containing flour in order to control my migraine headaches. But, what is summer without strawberry-rhubarb. Here is a recipe I devised in order to have the flavor of the pie without the agony of the headache. It met with rave reviews from several rapidly growing teens as well as my husband. Enjoy:

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce

About 7 stalks of rhubarb, chopped
1 large bag frozen strawberries, unsweetened
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch dissolved in 1 cup water

Chop the rhubarb and place in a large saucepan with enough water so that all the rhubarb floats. Add the sugar and cook over medium heat until the rhubarb dissolves into threads. Add the strawberries. Cover and cook until the strawberries begin to break down. You want the sauce to have some texture but not contain whole berries. Turn the heat to low and add the cornstarch/water mixture. Stir and cook until thickened. Cool slightly and serve over vanilla ice cream. You'd swear you were eating pie a-la-mode!

Chop and bag up your rhubarb for the freezer while it is in season, then you can have this awesome flavor memory throughout the year.

6/11/07

Irises

These Japanese irises with their long, slender leaves and petite, purple blossoms are my favorite flower in my gardens. They are in perfect bloom right now. I hope you enjoy them as well. May they brighten your day!

The following iris poem is from an old catalog of "Green Gate Gardens 1931" :


The garden with its little gate of green,
Invites you to enter, and view mysteries unseen,
Its vine laden bowers and overhanging trees,
The air filled with sweetness, the hum of the bees,
The flagged walks with Iris galore,
Of most beautiful coloring, unknown before,
Pink, white, purple, yellow, azure blue,
Mixed and mingled of every hue,
You come away wondering, can more beauty be seen
Than in the garden with its little gate of green.

6/10/07

Welcome to the Studio

Now for a tour of my art studio which until a week ago used to be our home office/guest room. It is still a make-shift guest room for those travellers that venture our way. I figure I can start charging them now. It costs big bucks to stay in an artist's studio! 'Tis a very trendy resort get-away.

The studio was in the basement and that location worked fine for keeping the mess contained, but now that I am starting to take on art students and clients again this locale will work much better.
My studio has its own outside entrance while at the same time being in the quieter section of the house. The best bonus of all is the air-conditioner. It is our only air-conditioned room.
My poor husband gave up his office space to accommodate my studio, but don't feel too bad for him just yet. Here he is enjoying his new space in the greatroom. He can enjoy the view, watch tv as he works, and play basketball on breaks!

On to the studio pics:





Ah, I shall enjoy! Happy painting to me!!

6/5/07

On the Homeschool Front

I have been in the process of making decisions about our son's courses for next year, his junior year. So far this is what he will be doing:

Core classes:

Chalkdust Math (still deciding which course, maybe a geometry review, maybe pre-calc)
Exploring America (for history and Bible, not literature)
A Beka DVD program for English (including American literature) Also, Vocabulary for the High School Student
Apologia Chemistry


Electives:

A Beka Consumer Math
Artistic Pursuits, senior high book I

I was hoping he could take German I and II at the community college with his sister this coming year, but they are not offering it right now. Perhaps it will be available his senior year. Most likely he will take some other classes there his senior year too like his sister did this year. We studied German here for a year and a half on our own and may pick it up again this summer to keep the flow going. I would, personally, like to study Greek someday also, but that will have to wait for another season of my life.

As always, I will add in and subtract from the courses as they are laid out. I just can't help myself. Some of our most worthwhile ventures over the years have been literature selections and curriculum materials we have added in after reading about them in my favorite homeschooling resource: The Well Trained Mind. We do not follow a classical approach to our education at the high school level, although we did more so at the middle school level. I have found the author's literature recommendations and English recommendations invaluable. We fall into the eclectic homeschool category I would say, picking and choosing to suit our students' needs and abilities.

This will be our most expensive year ever for curriculum purchases because of the DVD math and English programs. You'd think we would be saving money since we only have the one student now! We are still paying for most of our daughter's education too at the community college. She is contributing some and buying her books. It is a help.

It always feels good to have decisions made. Now I can enjoy finishing up this year and look forward to next year.

6/4/07

Graduation Planning

This week is being devoted to preparing for our daughter's graduation. Since we homeschool we will be having our own private ceremony right here at home with just the four of us. It will be taped so we can send a DVD to all the family to share in the event. Then, in a few weeks we will host a graduation open house. Around seventy people will be invited to attend. There is so much planning involved in these events. I think the busyness is important though. This is a milestone in our lives. We don't want to tread this path too lightly as if we are afraid mark up the trail or bend a few stray branches. This is our life and we need to live it to the fullest. Our daughter has a wonderful spirit and the path ahead of her is filled with promise. I suspect she will take "the road less travelled" through life, and that will make all the difference.

I'm sure there will be more graduation updates to follow in the weeks to come. We had copies made today of two of her senior pictures. These will go in the announcements I will be addressing tomorrow.




6/1/07

New Friend

We have been hearing a new song in our yard lately. The singer has a lovely voice, so melodic and clear; but he has been elusive. After waiting weeks to catch a glimpse of our shy vocalist, I spotted him today perched in one of our silver maple trees singing his heart out as he preened the raindrops from his feathers after a summer rain shower. Do you recognize him? He is a Baltimore Oriole. They are really not very rare according to the Audubon guide. We have quite a few different birds in our yard on a regular basis, but he is new. Late winter this year we even had the phantom Blue Bird pay us a visit. I wonder what will be next? The Oriole is very pretty with his bright orange breast and his song is pleasing to hear. My favorite remains the Mourning Dove though. There is just something about that melancholy tune and the way their tiny heads bob around on their plump bodies as they peck the fallen seeds on the ground under the feeder. Perhaps I feel kinship to the Doves because they are pear-shaped like me. Poor sweet little things!

The Ornithology Lab at Cornell University has a bank of bird songs you can listen to. There are 138 selections of just the Oriole alone. Have a listen to your favorite bird.