Fall Festival

What says "welcome fall" like a good ol'small town parade and festival? Well, Bushnell did not disappoint. The parade was well attended and participated in. The girls rode on the 4-H float and threw out candy to the spectators. They are both Cloverbuds in 4-H this year. It was a early morning rise, which we were late for, but who's counting. We all went slick headed and a little wrinkly. We spent our budget on carni-food...cotton candy, snowcones, funnel cakes,gyros and bottled water. Yeehaw!

We do love this small town life. Booths that hold the latest knitted tissue holder and harvested local honey. More independent small businesses represented than the big companies. It is nice to know more people than you realized, and wish I had woke up that 20 minutes earlier to do my hair. Friends and locals. Every church and allegiance flew their flag, and it was nice. Politics did not leave us alone, but we can make it a few more days.

GO Mustangs!

This ain't Texas, but there are some folks around these here parts that still like a good ol' highschool football game. JV, even. We were some of those people last night. Conrad our nephew, #51, plays football, and we went to cheer him on.


He is a great joy in our lives, and he makes us very proud. The girls love him so much and smother him, to say the least when he is around. Steve and Conrad have a special bond, it is so amazing and at times annoying to watch; mostly because I am completely ignored. But, it is one of my little treasures.

So, back to football. Only two games left, down we drove to Bradenton. They won! Good ball playin'.Good concession eatin', just call us athletic supporters. Good company. Good cowbell ringin'. Good burgers by Five Guys. Nice pics!


And then there were tears. Oh, Tampa Rays! Steadfast. Hold on. Maybe so.

change?

What change? I could use some loose change...it adds up and leaves me with dollars. Change in my wants and needs? I always want to be better and want those that love me to be the best...whatever it takes. Changes to the mound of dishes in the sink...oh yeah, bring on the change. Change to my little girls that always leaves me in awe? Yeah, that happened yesterday when Olivia woke up and told me of this.

"Last night when everyone was asleep, I woke up and thought about that man in the wheelchair who needs our help to clean his house. I prayed for him. Then I went back to sleep."

It just made me gush with tenderness at the thoughts of a little one.

Changes. I will take them. Daily. My attiutde. My heart. My mind. So thanks Obama and McCain for spurring me towards "change".

Recess homeschool style and an itchy story

Bike riding, swimming in the pool, climbing trees, and now a new one, jumping on the tampoline with the hose attached to it is the new way to get some exercise in. Yes, with this blasted summertime heat, the girls are still wary of going outdoors. Some days are cooler than others, and it is always promising when the local weather man says we are due to get a cold front and then the seven day forcast is in the low eighties maybe even the seventies.

But, things could be worse. In fact, things were this past weekend. Not to bore any of you tens of people who read this blog, but it has been an itchy time. I never had poison ivy. "What?" You said, I am sure. How can someone "THINK" they have poison ivy and not!? I in my overachieving way of doing things, got a fungus amoung us, and badly reacted with it. After two trips to the doctors, countless applications of every fungual creme there is, and over the counter antihistamines, I got the good ones from the doc. A shot, some steroids, and some strong anti-inflammatories, and I am a woman on the mend. So, thanks for listening. Be glad you weren't itching and scratching. and scratching. and scratching.

Tea Party

Wednesdays are usually our marathon day around here. We leave the house around nine, and go to sewing lessons. Then we head off to dance lessons. Errands. Library. Finally gymnastics. We get home around 7:15 and sometimes there is a great dinner waiting in the crock pot. Today was the exception.

We headed home after dance. I was dopey from too much anti-itch meds and I needed to talk to a dear friend about her mother's dreadful news. The girls were dear little ones and let me have some phone time to talk to Faith. If you are a believer in miracles, please pray for Bonnie. She is an example of a woman who serves the Lord with fervor and grace. She has cancer. All over. It seems bleak. It looks dark. Her family feels hopeless. Two and a half years ago Bonnie buried her 34y/o daughter who died from cancer. It is a wound for them. I walked in on little girls who can only see life in the moment.

They were set up for a tea party. Gowns and all. They needed tea and treats. They needed attention. Daddy walked in at the moment when the tea was being poured and got the invite. They put on their english accents, manners and had a blast.
If I know something of Bonnie and her view on things, she would laugh and be thrilled that joy can be found in the moment. It made me smile. Again God showed me His ways. Who knew that 23 years ago, I would love this family as part of my own? He did. Please pray for the family for favor and good news.

Grasshoppers

Is this how the Israelites felt during the plagues? I believe we are experiencing a modern day act of God. The grasshoppers or locusts, not sure what they really are, but they are everywhere. Let me try and get the idea across.

Open the front door, and the change in air flow causes the grass to take flight. Walk to the car, and they try to dodge your body, head, hair only to fly right into you! Sit on the back porch and they cover the screens. In the mornings, you can watch them jump/fly out of the trees as they head back down to the grasses. They don't photograph well, due to their rapid flight, but if you click on these photos, you can see them better.

Walk across the yard and it's like rain falling in reverse. Clouds of them. The pool has a collection of them floating. Our cat has an unending supply of appetizers. They hop in the car. Fences, houses, cars they are all covered with them.

Our neighbor boy is scared of them, unlike my girls. He wears a beehood screen to keep them away. Unfortunately he has to ride a bike to school, so we see him coming and going with his arms flailing about. Click on this pic to see them in action.

They will die off soon. Maybe later. But, just imagining all the eggs that have been laid in the grass for next springs hatchings, scares the ba-geebers out of me.

Lovin' school

Friday we had our homeschool day with the co-op groups, and it was a success. Again.

Olivia was a complete kindergartner expert on eagles. She read her book of facts, showed the wingspan of an eagle and spoke with such ease. She was so proud of herself. The group also did fingerprint fall tree paintings, and they were beautiful. Thanks Ms. Dawn. Their treat of bear scat (aka no-bake cookies)was a fun way to have a snack that related to mountain animal habitats.

Stephanie's group gave oral reports on books they had read and historical people from the colonial time period. Pocahontas is who Steph studied and read about. She also read the book called Sarah from the Sisters in Time series. The book really gave her a look at what it would have been like to travel across the Atlantic in the early 1600's. The group made their own coifs to wear, practiced writing with quill pens and ink,and had a true-life tea party served by a young colonial maiden, Taylor. They all became fans of hot tea.You just gotta love this younger sister, coif and crocheting, maybe she was transported back in time.

It is nice to be able to add some extras into our school lessons while still pushing the essentials of math, reading and writing. We are blessed to be a part of this community.