Friends Along the Way

One thing I like about this time of year is how easy it is to make time to walk. My favorite form of exercise is walking. During the summer the kids sleep in, Dad heads out to work and I have time to walk while the world is still cool and quiet.

In the past couple of weeks I have been noticing that the few people I pass have noticed me. This week I have noticed that I am pushing myself out the door to make sure I am out on the road in time to see a few of them.

I have no clue who these people are, where they live, what they do, what they like. Yet, it brings me joy to smile and wave at them in the mornings and there are at least two who break into a grin and give a big wave.

There is the jogger friend. She is always heading down the road when I am heading up. I always want to say more, but I know that a smile and a "Good morning" are enough. I don't know where she starts or ends. I know that if I catch her after she had come up the steep hill, she is flushed and winded and her wave isn't quite as enthusiastic. Imagine that!

There is the motorcycle guy. He has a wife and little one that see him out the door in the morning. He seems to be kinda laid back until he gets on his motorcycle and then he sounds like he is late for work. :-D

There is Rick who works at a ranch down the road. He is also hired by our landlady to water and tend the yard at our house. He seems shy and reserved.

There is the guy that drives the black car. He is always taking a lady to work. He is cheerful. She never notices. I think they just car pool. He rode his bike to work one day, but I think these hills were more than he bargained for, but he was friendly that day, too.

There is the herd of cows down near where I turn around. They aren't all that friendly, but I enjoy seeing them and watching them while I walk.

These week we actually got some rain!! We got close to 1 inch. Lately that is a LOT. Now two more of my friends left me notes. A little cottontail rabbit, that I have seen many times, crossed the road during the night. His little, muddy foot prints went all the way across the road. So cool!

A little deer also crossed the road and left his tracks. I could tell it was little because the stride was short.

I don't always count the Guinea Hen as a friend. She just goes running off, yelling and shaking her head at me. :-D

Silent, quiet friends, but they make me smile as I start my day.

A Maniac

I am one of those people that begins thinking at the second the alarm clock goes off. It is quite strange. Well, in my head it is pretty normal.

We are beginning the three week count down of school! Woo Hoo! I need those 10 weeks off. I'm not sure if they do or not. Of course, the last 3 weeks of school isn't all that is going on. Orchestra and Co-op have finished, tap has dress rehearsal and recital still coming, three home school meetings, and then regular life in between. All of that happens in the next two weeks.

I should be concentrating on getting it all done, finishing those math books, wrapping up those research papers, getting to our places on time, and all those other good things. Instead, my brain went off on the maniac stream this morning.

I now have a list of the 9 rooms in this house, the six sections in each of the kids' rooms, and the 9 new subjects for school next year. Now I can plan out what parts can be cleaned and reviewed during my 10 weeks between school years. It made sense this morning. Now I am thinking that I must be obsessive or something.

But, if I don't plan it out, I will be half way through my time off and I will have twice as much that needs doing.

Because I obsessed over this early this morning, I can now be happy in knowing that our music/craft room will get a full week of attention in the near future. I can go off merrily today to get our schooling done for today and a violin lesson this afternoon.

Ah! Maybe being a maniac isn't so bad after all!

Mama of the Day Award

I won! For one day.

Little Girl has really been wanting to set up the tent in the backyard. I like the idea, but I am not willing to sleep out there most nights. I have to get up in the morning by 5:50 and get Daddy's breakfast. He could probably survive one morning, but don't tell her that.

I would have to be the one to sleep out there with her. Dad won't. My Boy won't stay out there after dark. So that leaves Mom. I will do it during the summer.... I think.

I came up with a satisfying compromise. We set it up this morning and it will come down on Wednesday or Thursday afternoon. In the meantime, they are doing school out there, can picnic out there, make it their EPF HQ, and whatever else they can devise. We did make sure we both have walkie talkies, too.



In the first hour I had to redo the two ends (at separate times, of course), Deliver water and popcorn, and install a fan. Nothing like roughing it!


Take a second look at these two pictures and try to tell me that boys and girls aren't all that different! And these were taken in the first 15 minutes outside!

She was still getting it all situated and he was settling in to his history reading.



I wonder what other adventures they will concoct out there in the next couple of days. It sure is fun winning every once in a while. The best part of winning is when all sides win at the same time!!

Knock, Knock

Hello!!! Any one home??

Thankfully, I am at home (my favorite of all places).

I will make excuses and say that I have not done any blogs since last OCTOBER because.... (fill in the blank).

The real excuse is I don't like getting caught back up on my blog. Or I don't always have cool pictures to put with my blog.

How about if I just pick up and say, "Hello!"

I am hoping to get back to the blogging. Really I am.

And tomorrow I get to help put a roof on our cabin at the ranch. That should be interesting.

My Little Secret

Well, actually, if you know me in real life, at all, then you know it isn't a secret ... I HATE shopping.

I don't mind grocery shopping because I have a list. My darling husband even found me a computer program that has my favorite grocery store all lined up. All I have to do is follow the list, grab and go! I love that!

I don't even really mind WalMarting, at least the way I do it, I go in, grab what I need and get out. Not bad. I don't even mind hunting for that color that I need.

What I HATE is shopping! I hate knowing that I need slacks and I will have to go to three stores, try some on, have no clue what I will spend (only what I have in my pocket). All of that ... I really hate it.

I hate making time for it. The idea of shopping makes me want to go have my car repaired, or scrub out my oven, or sweep the roof. Anything!

I also really dislike using the word "hate" so much that I don't allow my children to use it in everyday language. It's just a nasty word. But so is "shopping".

That said, I also don't like garage sales, for the most part. I can be prepared for a week in advance (so long as I have a purpose in mind), and I don't mind so much. Just to "hit the garage sales" is not my idea of fun.

So, why is it that I have having a garage sale this coming weekend. I am asking people to come and do something I do not enjoy doing myself. Okay, so there are people who like that kind of thing.

Maybe I should have the garage sale at my house, instead of my mother's, so that I can go inside and clean my oven....

Watching

This morning I had yet another opportunity to watch my daughter think. It is amazing to watch. I always come away flabbergasted, impressed, and humbled.

She had her violin lesson this morning. She is working on a new piece of music that is a bit difficult. Her instructor would play a phrase and then my girl would listen and finger along and then repeat it. For the most part it was cut and dry. No problems. Of course, I am sitting across the room and don't know what the music really looks like.

They reached a section that was a little harder. Some instruction was given. The instructor played first. It was difficult and she sweetly asked my girl if she wanted to hear it again first. My girl readily agreed. This time while she was fingering with the second playing, at the right spot for her, she glanced over to see how the instructor was fingering a certain note. I was blown away. That is a LOT of attention to detail! And we still mark her as an 8 year old! Of course, this is one of those instances where her sixth grade skills kicked in, but I am not even sure that most sixth graders care that much.

While she plays a section with her instructor, she is constantly matching tones and fixing any that she misses, and even changes bow direction without prompting. It is sweet to watch the instructor do those secret smiles, when my girl isn't looking, that mean she thought she would get tricked but she got it.

Of course, I get to see some of those times during a regular homeschool day, but in those outside classes where they are pushing her more than I might be willing to try, it really impresses me. I can watch the wheels spinning and the connections being made.

It is quite humbling to see. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to watch your creation in action. You are a good God!

Autumn

Mist dancing on the water
Fog clinging to the hills
Dew sparkling on the grass
Chill hovering in the air
Jacket cozy on my shoulders
Autumn settling in