Checking In

I saw my sister yesterday, and she said it was high time I updated my blog. It's been nearly a month since my last entry!

So what have I been doing all this time?

* traveling to speech & debate tournaments. My posting really slowed down once tournament season started. We traveled to Acworth GA, Raleigh NC, and Fayetteville GA within about 5 weeks of each other, missing 4 days of school with each tournament. Of course, those days *counted* as school, but subjects like math, writing, and science suffered. So we've been trying to catch up in those areas while trying to just keep up with our TOG reading schedule. We love speech & debate here, and I will go to my dying days believing in the huge positives of the activity, but there's no denying it's tough finding the balance. We need to do a better job planning ahead for the busy-ness of the early spring.

* traveling to Brosnan Forest. My dear brother-in-law works for Norfolk Southern Railway, and that company owns a huge forested resort in SC near Charleston called Brosnan Forest. During the winter months it is used as a hunting preserve for company meetings and entertaining clients; during the spring & summer months it is available to employees to vacation there. Wesley reserves the largest cabin (sleeps 24!) every other spring for a large family vacation time. Word "cabin" is used very loosly here -- don't picture camping or hardship! It is more like a log hotel, with every amenity except room service. Satellite tv, free wifi, all linens provided. Then in the resort itself, there is a pool, lots of stocked fishing ponds, skeet shooting, tennis, badminton, golf, and unbelievable wildlife. We watched a family of bald eagles all week. It was amazing! Even though we were so behind in school from all the debate travel, do you think I would turn down this opportunity? No way! Of course I took all the school books with us. How much schooling do you think got done? You're right -- not much. So that was another week out of school.

* Curriculum selling & shopping. Yes, that's right -- it's that time of year again. Time for plowing through catalogs & sell/swap boards online looking for school books for next year. And writing up ads for books I have that I need to sell in order to have money to buy books for next year. And packaging up books I sold. And driving to and from the post office to ship them out. And standing in line at said post offices. (I've already bought one book twice. Ug. Now I have another one I need to sell!)

* Neatening up my flower beds. When I got home from one of my trips out of town (can't remember which one) I found dh had left me a surprise of 21 bales of pine needles stacked neatly in the carport. The stack is down to about 6 bales now; I'm slowly but surely making my way through it. The yard looks so much better with neat beds and fresh pine needles, but goodness I'm sore! My back and leg muscles are groaning.

I know there's more, but for now I've got to go get ready for church! I'll post again soon, I promise!

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY (May 4, 2009)...

Outside my window... It looks to be a beautiful day. Bright blue sky, wispy white clouds, gentle breeze fluttering through the leaves. I can see the mamma house finch busy going back and forth from the hanging fern on my back porch.

I am thinking... that I hope we recover from these allergies or respiratory gunk or whatever it is. My Man, My Girl, and I have been coughing non-stop for a couple of weeks now. A good night's sleep would be heavenly.

I am thankful for... the beauty of springtime. I just love it when all is green. My mom planted the azaleas and iris and forsythia here 30 years ago, and they are just lovely this time of year.

From the learning rooms... today is the last day of My Boy's biology co-op. They're finishing their dissections -- a frog and some fertilized chicken eggs. Ick. I'm thankful we have a homeschool mom in our group who is a nurse, and is working on her teaching degree. She does a terrific job teaching this class.

From the kitchen... I smell coffee brewing.

I am wearing... blue & white pj pants with a pink t-shirt my sister brought me years ago from the Cayman Islands. It's getting just about perfect in worn-out softness.

I am creating... plans for our TOG co-op next year. We have 19 families who have signed on to be a part of it.

I am going... to the local high school today or tomorrow to sign My Boy up for driver's ed. Unbelievable.

I am reading... Tom Sawyer. My Girl just finished it, and was surprised I'd never read it. "You really should read it, Mom! It's really good!" So I'm reading it on her recommendation :-)

I am hearing... Princess gnawing on her chewbone.

Around the house... I spent Saturday constructing a landing at the bottom of our deck stairs. My Man was busy at work most of the day, so he was only around for part of it. He got out the chain saw and started it for me so I could cut the timbers the right length. Then he drove me to Lowe's and helped me load the sand and gravel into the truck. And he helped me dig out the dirt. The rest I did on my own. And I'm sore to prove it!

One of my favorite things... is roast beef cooked the way Aunt Doris cooks it. I fixed some last night, and it was yummy (though not quite as good as Doris' :-) The only other thing I can cook like Aunt Doris is macaroni and cheese. It's delish but incredibly fattening. Aunt Doris is a fabulous southern cook, and I really really need to go spend some time with her so I can learn to do her biscuits and corn.

A few plans for the rest of the week... we might drive down to SC to spend some time in a (huge) cabin with my brother-in-law and other members of My Man's family. They rent it out every-other-year, but not many folks are going down there this year. My Man can't even go -- but it's a fun, relaxing place to be so maybe I'll take My Boy and My Girl down for a few days.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... These are some shots of the landing I made on Saturday. I had to build a frame with timbers, dig out the dirt and level it about 3", then put a layer of sand, place my stones, and then fill in with gravel. I'm pleased with how it turned out.











Now I just need to continue by making steps go up the hill!



If you'd like to participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook, visit this link.

Back Home

Oh, I'm glad to be home!

Don't get me wrong, the tournament was lots-o-fun. My Boy & My Girl got to make some new friends and spend time with some old ones, and they learned so much from observing so many good speakers and debaters. My Boy competed in the Open Interpretation event, with his interpretation of William Stieg's Yellow & Pink. He didn't advance to the semi-finals this time, but he was just thankful to have made it to the Regional Invitational tournament.

It began with registration on Sunday night, competition Monday through Thursday, a pizza party Thursday night, and the drive home on Friday. Whew. I need a rest!

I took a few pictures of my flowers before I left, because I could tell that they were going to peak the week I was away. I'm so glad I did, because they're starting to fade now.

Here are the azaleas that line the edge of our property:



I took these in the morning, and they are in the shade so they're really too dark. I'm sorry for that; they were stunning this year after looking not-so-great last year.



This is another poorly-lit shot of the clematis vine that is growing on an antique ladder beside my house.



Hopefully my photography skills will improve!

I spent my day today on an outdoor project. I did take pictures, but I'm too tired to post about it now. Hopefully tomorrow :-)