refraction...

more brendan luck! i think i must be the luckiest person there ever was! truthfully, i don't believe in luck, but that's another story for another time. saturday, we went to pick up our new saltwater aquarium, which was such an amazing deal that it's hardly believable. one of the many extras that came with it was a refractometer, and what do you suppose our science lesson was about today? i'll tell you-the transmission of light and refraction. what do you need to demonstrate refraction in action? a refractometer, ofcourse, & guess what? i just so happen to have one. in addition, i think we will need someone to demonstrate for us b/c Mommy has no idea how to use this thing. it's a good thing that Daddy is home sick today. see, i knew there was a reason we are about four weeks behind in physics. if we would have covered this chapter way back when, then we wouldn't be here where we are today with a refractometer & what not. amazing!

fluffy...

... So Hannah comes up to me with a list. "Wanna hear the ten reasons not to wear fluffy?" "Sure, what are they?"

#1- itchy

#2- fleas

#3- look like mammoth

#4- very fluffy when wet

#5- funny looking

#6- fluffy + fire = (here she has drawn a picture of a skull)

#7- fluffy get caught on stuff

#8- fluffy very stinky & sweaty

#9- people will be scared

#10- fluffy might get shot

This is so funny to me! Hannah puts a lot of thought into what she wil &WILL NOT wear.  It cracks me up that she took the time to sit down & write a list of ten reasons not to wear anything fluffy. *smile* my favorite is #3

ex-vegan...

So it turns out, I'm a very bad vegan-not bad because I'm a failure, but bad because I botched the whole thing up. Really I got along just fine for the first couple of months, no cravings really, except for the very occasional fleeting cheese withdrawals, but really one can only eat so many potato chips, hashbrowns, french fries, & tater tots. I know that's not how it's supposed to be, which is why I supplemented with plenty of soy products (They mimicked the real thing pretty darn well.) That was meant to be funny. I don't think eating soy for breakfast, lunch, & dinner is really healthy. I've always eaten plenty of vegetables, so that wasn't really a change for me, but anyway... blah blah blah. And I really mean blah. I was really starting to feel pretty blah too, but I know that was my fault. There are good vegans out there who get along just fine. The thing is, once I started to doubt what I was doing, it was all over-gumption gone. Once you take your eyes off the goal & start looking around, it's all too easy to trip over your own feet and find yourself tumbling head over heals down down down the green slope & splat! right into an egg burrito. Then to top it off you get up & make your embarrassing confession to your very close friend & find her laughing out loud. Well it's to be expected. I'm famous for these types of things. I sort of remind myself of the toad in Wind in the Willows, which is very sad indeed. Why can't I be more like Ratty who is just content to live a normal life? Well, well, well, here we are in a brand new day, not feeling to be any less of an activist, only I'm not so hungry, a little confused about which way to go, but just taking a breather & loading up on a few neglected treats in the meantime.

dreamy...

"Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."
~Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

herbacious aprilious...

i just took a whole handful of herbs & i feel awesome! sick & tired of feeling sick & tired? the weak eateth herbs!

 

confessions of a cheesemonger...

sometimes i miss cheese in the morning; that's all, nothing else, just cheese, & only in the morning.

little people, big world...

There's sticky sweet honey dripping from the ceiling down onto the window ledge in Snow's room! When we first came out to look at this house, Ben & Snow noticed that there were honey bees hiving in the roof. (That's not a typo. I looked it up & hiving is a word. Love it =) makes me feel like Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. Every word after that comes out with a British accent.) How they knew that they were honey bees from that far away I do not know, & I have to say that I thought it was wishful thinking since we knew that once we got settled into a house with some property, we wanted to raise bees; but I've learned to believe these two when they say these things, b/c they're usually right. Anyway, as Ben & Snow dreamed of smokers & protective clothing, I , of course, took it as a sign that this must be the house for us if they were indeed honey bees as some supposed them to be. Well sure enough, I was right about the house & Ben & Snow were right about the little bee people. As soon as the weather warmed up, golden deliciousness started seeping into Snow's room- like a gift from heaven. Of course it's not edible unless you wash it first. I have it on good authority that you can use soap, but then there's always the problem of trying to rinse it after that. For now, we just like to look at it. Snow has a doll sized glass perched on the ledge & it's almost full of gooey goodness. Rich amber liquid jewel drops keep drip dropping from above & the pretty pool sits there reflecting the light pouring in the window & the world keeps turning. What new wonder will we encounter today? Life is full to the brim with surprises.

contraption...

Hannah wakes up to find me desperately searching the internet for deliverance. mo-squi-to-trap... She asks, "What's a mosquito trap, a piece of skin in a trap?" Then, calling out to any takers, she says, "Who'd like to donate? This might hurt a bit."

con-trap-tion... n. a machine or device that appears strange or unnecessarily complicated, and often badly made or unsafe!

gloomy...

just hold on. we'll make it. you'll see. the sun will come out, then all the pretty rainbows. the clouds will part, the birds will sing, & again all will be right in the world. this dewy, drippy weather can't hold out forever..... can it?

champion...

"believing it is enough; in fact to believe yourself brave is to be brave; it is the one only essential thing." ~Joan of Arc, Mark Twain

emmeli was with me when i picked out this picture. i was choosing b/w this lady & a lady with big hair about to wrestle an alligator. emmeli preferred the lady with big hair, but i decided to save that picture for another occasion. this is my brave heroine, but emmeli says, "she doesn't look very brave, she's only walking out her door." =)

a beautiful mind...

quickly, because i don't have much time, i must tell of sweet Hannah's artful mind & mine own maladroitness. so, merry little Hannah likes to illustrate her final answers in math. it may be a turtle or a hippo, but it perfectly encloses the answer & makes a frolicsome display of an otherwise plain set of numbers. sometimes, however, practicable someones might discourage this practice, as it wastes valuable resources in the like of time allotted for finding sums. therefore, some answers are illuminated while others remain encircled in the usual fashion. today, as we set about to do-over misadventures & aright wrongs in the world of arithmetic, i was in the process of erasing what was assumed to be a conventional orb, though a bit lopsided, when a distraught voice cried out, "THAT IS MY BEST DRAWING EVER OF A TOOTH ATTACHED TO THE GUM!!!" ...well, if i had only known it was a tooth attached to the gum! i never detach teeth. i am a steadfast believer of leaving teeth firmly attached at at all cost. "sorry, hannah, i didn't know." hannah~ "i'd like to tell you... if it's not an ordinary circle, DON'T ERASE IT!"

wishful thinking...

"and i knew that they were all praying-as i was....that she would be enabled to word her message well, and with little stumbling, and so make a favorable impression here, where it would be so valuable and so important."
~Joan of Arc, Mark Twain

downy softness...

everything looks so different now. my clothesline looks dingy. it's sagging under the weight of wet blue jeans & littered with dark clothes which complement the grays & blues everywhere. my sunny dandelions recently switched to downy & they, too, look dim & wilted. their new bleached complexions, which looked so complementary to the bright loads of yesterday, have found their place in this ghostly scene. before long, i shall fold as well. a tisket, a tasket, a heavy laundry basket, muddy shoes, & a soggy dog.

lugubriousness...

the voices, colors, odors, and forms of summer were gone. the very face of things had changed...

~The Lay of the Land, Dallas Lore Sharp

bless my sole...

falling back into our old routine of drinking hot cocoa & burning wood flooring in the fireplace. gotta love Michigan this time of year. on a positive note- i don't feel so bad that i'm a little late sowing some of my seeds since it feels like March. also, i guess i can be happy that i'm not spending half the day mowing when i should be catching up on school. ah yes! a blessing in disguise, that's what it is! hope everyone else is having a bright sunshiny day. cheers. =) Wow! that is one big foot!

out to dry...

can someone please tell me why i'm so excited about putting up a clothesline? yesterday our dryer broke & i went right out & bought bamboo clothes pins & a cotton clothesline from the hardware store. today the repair man came & it may be a week before the dryer is fixed! =) this is gonna be great! heading out right now to hang the laundry. =)

cat bird...

have you ever heard of a cat bird? i love these guys. they sound just like kittens stuck up in a tree. adorable!

i'm OK-you're OK...

dandelions aren't so bad. why do they get such a bad rap? they're bright & cute; & they're great natural indicator lights that let you know when it's time to mow. it's fun to watch their wee heads pop off when you're cutting the grass. i don't know why i like that- seems morbid, but i don't look at it that way. it's like popping the bubbles on bubble wrap. anyway, i'm at peace with the outsiders, even if they keep their dandy little lion heads on. lawns & life would be boring without them. they're edible you know. so if you ever lose your job & get really really hungry. you might see them in a different light.

blowin' in the wind...

Today, while helping me in the yard, Emmeli saw a perfect little puffball standing tall in a field of yellow proudly, patiently, waiting to be plucked; but it was wishful thinking for this wishholder as Emmeli casually observed, "Looks like King Dandelion's putting out more of his minions." =( Oh sweet innocence where have you gone!?!!!

klingon...

i admit it. i'm a klingon. i hold onto things and can't let go. i do not change with ease from one thing to another. i cling to past times, old friends, special moments, familiar places... a tree, a face, a flavor. i may be predictable & over-familiar. in actuality these attachments make me needy & greedy, but i love you & i love this place. i can't, i won't let go. just a quick peek, then back you go, right into my heart, where you belong.

shroom bloom...

edible fungi! yum! yum!

when all else fails...

therapeutic picture blogging- the way to a happier healthier you

a message for you...

i have news for you... today is this day, not that other day. it's not to be dreaded nor anticipated with any amount of anxiety. we're at now now & it's going fast, so climb on in & get comfy.

there once was a thing most grievous to behold. it was unfriendly & unlovely, so i killed it (not really- i didn't have it in me). i let it go. well...not actually. i rolled it up, put it in a box without locks and wrote a song about it. so there, that's it. now it is gone & all will know to beware. shield your eyes and your heart & don't free the monster unless you know what to do with it.

key, kid, kite...

i found myself. where did i go? not sure, but somehow i've learned not to wander too far. you know, you simply can't always know if you know yourself, but it turns out i was right this time. sometimes i get a little distracted, but i'm o.k. with that. anywho, i'm right here where i left me- content & waiting patiently. patience is the key.

the new you...

ever feel like you just don't fit in? it's o.k. to be different, but sometimes you might just want to be the same. this may require a little leg work. certainly i don't mean that you should work on those awkward feeble attempts to be something you're not. sometimes you just have to break away & seek out your own kind. you may not know what you're looking for, but be free & follow your toes. you'll know when you've found it. you'll settle right in. no more awkward steps, just dancing. freedom & fresh air. joy & joviality. confidence & creativity. newness & no more weak ankles. you're beautiful & you're exactly who you were meant to be.

the battle rages on...

those evil-natured robots, they're programmed to destroy us, she's gotta be strong to fight them, so she's takin' lots of vitamins, cause she knows that it'd be tragic, if those evil robots win, i know she can beat them...

good girl...

...the sweetest thing i have to offer. i've been saving this most sacchariferous picture for a very special day. happy birthday to my tenderhearted friend. you are good-natured & good-humored, surely goodness & mercy shall follow you all the days of your life.

silver lining...

It's amazing how much appreciation springs from a little deprivation. I think I will always try to joy in doing without, b/c the getting back of a thing is so sweet. Remember when we went without an oven for over a year & how when I was finally able to bake, I was little Suzy Homemaker for some time? Also, once upon a time, my little living room was crowded with moss green cabinets for months, but finally we weeded them out & it was amazing how that space seemed so much bigger than before. There have been plenty of times that I've forgotten about my melodious ipod, only to be reunited by a chance meeting, thus having life unexpectedly, joyously, & ever so harmoniously gladdened. And now, after sleeping on a twin mattress for 5 months, I can tell you it is so lovely to sleep back in my own bed. Today I am most thankful for a ginormous oven, more space than I know what to do with, a beautiful night's rest, & my friend ipod to cheer me on. This is a glorious day & I'm so happy to be a part of it.

fugacious sagacious...

I'm feeling so unclever this morning. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Taking a break from being clever is perhaps a necessity. I can't find a picture & I have nothing to say, but I'm going out on a limb here & I'm not sure why. I honestly feel as though I could just write blah, blah, blah over & over & be content to post as long as I'm entering something onto my blog. I'm so ready for spring/summer. I really need to get out of this house. O.k.- I got it- list form of all that's exciting in my life: We switched dog food for our dogs, We have a woodpecker who likes to knock on our chimney (i don't know why he does that, ouch!), we started burning the field where we plan to start our garden, Daniel actually gets his braces on this week (for real this time)(I mean it), we're starting a homeschool group this week, I like potatoes, yesterday I realized our canning room is a great place to hide in case we're ever attacked by a tornado, oh, & I think I've lost about 1/3 of a pound since I turned vegan! (although I probably just gained it back, b/c I had tater tots for breakfast) What else? I don't know, my life is too exciting & I don't have enough room here. I just wanted to pop in & say hi.

inconceivable...

"If he already knows what he's going to do once he gets a brain, why doesn't he just do it without a brain." ~Emmeli

beastie...

Last night I found a grey hair on mine own head. Let it be known to all, though I like it not, I am not afraid.

toothless the ruthless...

today we said goodbye to our little salamander, toothless. we called him ruthless because he ate his only friend & i never really forgave him for that. i forgive you now, toothless, albeit a little late for that. you were a beautiful thing to behold & it is a sad farewell. =(

poultry girl kicks the bird...

So, I've converted to a vegan diet. Don't waste your time puzzling over this oddity. This idea's been fluttering about my head for years, & now that I've finally settled it, I won't be going all fuzzy again anytime soon. I know the rest of my family, along with the rest of the world, will still eat meat & eggs & drink milk etc...etc...etc... & I'll have to prepare this stuff forevermore, but finally, I've decided I'm going to do this thing & it doesn't matter if it's fitting or no. I feel great! I'm so happy with myself for making this big girl decision & I'm on my way!

"God gave [her] the instinct, and knew what He was doing when He did it, therefore it must have its course; it would be no sound prudence to meddle with His affairs when no invitation had been extended."

~Joan of Arc, Mark Twain (the wisdom of Joan's mother when Joan's fondness for animals had brought them one too many pets which caused her father to "swear a good deal.")

tough on turkey...

wow! six magnificent turkeys just flew into our backyard. wishing we had a turkey call, so we could try to trick them into coming closer, I suggested to the kids that we get one. when daniel pointed out (jokingly) that that might come in handy at thanksgiving, hannah said, "we'd never kill a real turkey! "

"hannah, the turkey you eat at thanksgiving is a real turkey."

"yah, but we can't help it, somebody already killed it."

sensibility...

Emmeli- "That book's a great book- even though I haven't even read it- I'm guessing by the cover."

That's what I'm sayin'. I never fell for that 'can't judge a book by it's cover' business either.

the end...

I hate the end of a story. Even if it ends well, it still ends. This girl's paralyzed expression says it all. This is exactly how I feel -like I've been sucked right out of a beautiful reality & the next thing you know I'm Christopher Reeves lying on the floor in an old hotel room holding a penny.

baby...

i'm just a big baby. that's all...

little imp...

Emmeli~ Can I have a cookie?...Can I have a cookie?...Can I have a cookie?...

Me~ No. You're hyper enough as it is.

Emmeli~ Oh, I'm gonna get more hyper if you don't give me a cookie.

it's a cruel cruel world...

I'm very happy for my dog that he was born in the 21st century.

an even pair...

~Snow "It just seems right to have a pair of dogs."

prayer...

I thank you, Lord that I have been so blessed with the opportunity to stay home every day with my children- that we can learn together- that I can spend my days educating myself and them. It is my greatest delight to enhance my existence with so much information. I don't know what I have to gain here, but my empty head is forever hungry and if my time should be occupied by anything else, I think I would wander about this lonely planet in utter bewilderment- never knowing what was missed.

Now, Lord, I pray that you would fill me with your love that my life might not be wasted, for no matter what knowledge or fulfilment I gain from this life, there can never be joy without love and this love is in you. Please continue to work in my heart and turn all that I know into understanding and wisdom, for without you, all is meaningless. Amen

...

How will you dream if you don't sleep? How will you hear yourself?

~Morning Girl, Michael Dorris

the feast...

Yesterday was Daniel's birthday and we had a medieval feast. We had lentils, peas, asparagus, herb salad, sweet potatoes, dill new potatoes, baked pears, homemade applesauce, a medieval dish called makerouns (tasted like very yummy homemade macaroni & cheese), a medieval dish called mushrooms & leeks (so yummy. we added zucchini. it tasted like green bean casserole with zucchini instead of grn. bns.), rotisserie chickens aplenty, an abundance of bread & butter, a fruit tart, a chocolate coffee cake, blackberry ice cream, & sparkling grape juice. Daniel said it was his best birthday. He said, "For once in my life, I'm actually full." =) He had a whole chicken all to himself. (no, he didn't eat the whole thing, but it's in the fridge w/ his name on it. he actually had some of it for breakfast this morning) I can't believe we didn't take a picture of the spread-actually I can. Can you imagine making all of that food with four kids & 2 dogs running around in the same room? There were people here installing new carpet upstairs, so we were all sticking together. It was a bit crazy. I bought some gold brocade fabric that I used as a table runner & we had lots of big candles, & a fire etc... etc... etc... medieval lute music etc... etc... etc... It sort of turned into a bday/school project since we're learning about medieval times this year. It was beautiful & it was fun. Isn't it funny how, once things work out, you turn around & say how fun they were? In actuality, I was totally stressing out trying to make all of that food. Daniel invisioned a true feast & I was trying to capture abracadabra. I was sure I was going to set the kitchen on fire & destroy the whole thing, but of course the kids helped me with all of the cooking. It really was fun to work together, even though the scene probably mirrored a recent episode of Hell's Kitchen. Well, all's well that ends well. =) When I was filling out Daniel's birthday card I told him that he makes me smile every day, but in all honesty he doesn't just make me smile, he also makes me laugh every day. Who could ask for anything more?

likeness...

i love this picture. i just happened to come across it & i wanted it on my blog. i don't generally like pictures of Jesus, b/c I think that maybe the artist didn't peg him right. & i think maybe they don't see him the way i see him. & i feel that probably the artist doesn't have any idea what Jesus really looked like. but i love this picture. i'm sure Jesus didn't look like this, b/c the Bible says that he was not particularly handsome. nevertheless, to me, the features & the look in his eye are just right. beautiful.

saboteur...

"mom-emmeli's doing some sort of experiment with the green stool, peanut butter, jelly, & some string. you might want to go check it out."

waking...

at first he only dipped below the surface of sleep, and skimmed along like a salmon in shallow water, so close to the surface that he fancied himself in air. he thought himself awake when he was already asleep. he saw the stars above his face, whirling on their silent and sleepless axis, and the leaves of the trees rustling against them......... the sun came early, causing him to turn over in protest, but in going to sleep he had learned to vanquish light, and now the light could not rewake him. ~taken from Once & Future King/T.H. White

waaaa...

what goes up... must come down. in the downy dumps for no particular reason whatsoever.

dear little friend...

today ben & i worked the whole day at the condo. for the first time since we've moved i really sort of felt like i missed the place. i've been so excited about the big new house & distracted by the move that i haven't really thought about it, but i miss my house. it felt so cozy there tonight-like home. ben & i both felt like we were visiting an old friend. i love this picture. it sort of looks like the condo with the dental molding, white trim, & hardwood floors. & this is kind of how i felt toward the end of our stay there- like a baby bird ready to break out of its shell. but i do wish we could keep our dear little friend in the family. we have so many memories there & i really am quite attached to the place. it's going to be so sad to see her go. =(

snow storm...

We have so much snow! It's 1:23 a.m. & Ben is outside shoveling the driveway just for fun. =) It's so beautiful here.

bluebirds abounding...

i know- i'm overflowing with muchness today. but you have to catch the happy thoughts when they come and tuck them away lest they should wander off. did you know my house is surrounded by bluebirds? they love my house. we don't have bird feeders or boxes or fountains, but they like us just the way we are. i didn't know bluebirds stuck around during the winter, but they do. did you know they are cousins to the robin? they are. so when i see them, i think it must be spring, especially on a beautifully sunny day like today. bluebirds amassed outside my window... they fortify the magic of this place.