Fresh Start and False Start

Ah yes, another year to conquer, so many possibilities, such high hopes we have, such anticipation of the good things to come.  Well we had quite the end of 2013 when an ice storm came through our little part of Michigan and knocked out power, in our small town, in the closest 'city' to us, and beyond.  We were out for nearly 5 days right through Christmas.  Yep, no power on Christmas and you know what, we survived.

The boys were awesome and really never complained.  They have always played well together since during our homeschooling days that's what they did.  Immediately when the lights went out they pulled out some board games and came up with their own super game using RISK, Monopoly, High Bid, Masterpiece and money from several others.  Every time I would work through the room I'd overhear negotiations for stocks, shares, trades, and auctions.  It was hilarious.  After a couple days of this elaborate super game they moved into Lego mode and created a city on the coffee table and beyond.  In between they would go out and help bring in wood for the wood burning heater and snow to melt for various uses.

Christmas morning there was no present opening.  For their combined gift Rob and I decided to get them a gaming computer that they had been asking for.  It was my intention to purchase a few small gifts the Monday before Christmas as well, but when the world came to a halt on Sunday, that was no longer an option or a concern.  The computer did get delivered on the Eve by a dedicated UPS delivery person who marched up our driveway since they couldn't drive through due to tree branches over the driveway and power line but it was not put to use for days later.  The boys were happy just knowing they had one coming.  They also made some great choices in their gifts they bought for me and Rob which we opened a little early since they got a super flashlight for their Dad that was very handy in the power outage. 

My favorite gift was a pair of new frying pans that got some great use quite quickly.  Thankfully I had just gotten the propane stove hooked up in the "extra" kitchen so we were able to cook even without electricity, we strategically made our way through all leftovers in the fridge then worked on the items in the regular freezer.  The items in the stock freezer we left snuggled together as long as possible then when it was cold enough we transferred things to outside receptacles and packed ziplock bags filled with ice around stuff.  In the end we didn't lose much food but note to self, next year do more canning than freezing!

The entire experience was also an awakening for the hubby and I to get back on track with our preparedness but being self sufficient in desperate times such as these.  The list has begun on what to upgrade for next year, if not before, definitely need a new kerosene heater, fix the generator,  make sure there is always a supply of batteries, flashlights, candles and matches readily available, keep jugs of water around (we usually have a couple milk jugs full and on top of the kitchen cabinets), and work on the wood supply.  That surely shouldn't be a problem since we will be cleaning up branches until September!

I must say I sort of enjoyed the cooking during the power out, I used all the good stuff from our garden that I put in the freezer, we had locally raised meat, lots of herbs to work with, and plenty of baking supplies.  After the power came back on we got out into the world for a spell, did some grocery shopping and grabbed mostly fruits and veggies to cook with.  None to soon because 2014 began with a good snow storm that had everybody holed up again.  During the blizzard that followed the ice storm I got creative with a can of Hershey's Special Dark cocoa and made chocolate cake from scratch, gourmet hot cocoa, and fudgy brownies, all were fabulous.  When you have the time and there is no option to go anywhere it is amazing how creative and resourceful you can be.  Thankfully power stayed on when the temperatures dropped to nearly 15 below zero!

Holiday break was extended by three days and the kids finally got on the bus this morning although it was negative nine degrees while we shivered in my van that just didn't want to warm up, waiting for the bus to arrive.  The whole experience of the past couple weeks has brought back the original inspiration for moving out here in the first place, to live more sustainably and at some point off the grid.  As with so many things some times life gets in the way and since Rob was gone so much for work and I was involved with kid and community activities those goals seemed to fall by the wayside.  Hopefully this year we can start moving back toward that direction.

Who knows what the future holds, I'm happy to take each day as it comes and be grateful to have another day to be surprised.  I can tell you a few things on the horizon.  Winter activities for the boys include Robotics (Fox is on FRC Team 3535 and Ben on rookie Team 5201), Fox is also continuing with Model U.N., Ethan will be doing some more Forensic tournaments and is auditioning for a youth rock band tomorrow called 3rd Degree Burns (he's auditioning for singer and will be learning bass).  All the boys will soon begin counselor training as well and work at the 4H camp in July.  Rob began getting calls and emails from clients yesterday which is a good sign life is beginning again in his industry.  Me, I will continue my role as Vice President and Acting President for the Lapeer County Concert Choir, Chair of the 4H Camp Committee focusing the next couple months on recruiting counselors by doing presentations at NHS meetings in various area high schools, and also working to get a resurge of volunteers for the 4H Feeds Families Committee which the boys have agreed to help with as well.  Rob and I are also registered as mentors for the robotics teams and will be at as many build sessions as possible.

Here's wishing you a peaceful and prosperous 2014.  Remember don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff. 

Growing Pains

Pig Weigh-In was this past Saturday.  Needless to say things didn't go exactly as I had planned.  The thought was that we would coax the swine with feed to walk up a ramp of a couple boards into the back of the pick-up truck.  One was willing enough to do so but halfway up it started to slip and we couldn't keep it on the board to continue the journey.  So, I ended up picking up all the hogs, one of them twice because the gatekeepers failed me, and lifted them onto the truck.  Got them down to the Fairgrounds, timed it at a lull so we were in and out being that we just had them tagged but did not put them on the scale.  Getting them back off the truck was another adventure with poop and puke added into the fun.  In hindsight we should have used the long trailer but it's all over now.  I estimate them to be in the 80-90 pound range.

Also on Saturday was the Wild Lapeer event on the Chatfield School/Willows campus and the Ponds and Prairies of Oakdale.  We had a respectable turnout overall considering there was much going on that weekend, with a festival at Mott College and a carnival at the American Legion Hall which were on either side of us.  The boys helped with the 4H Project Clover booth and got considerable donations althought we haven't gotten the final tally yet, it was enough that made it worth doing and helped get the word out about it.  The Flint Crepe Company had some wonderful selections on their cart, offering crepes made with organic and locally bought ingredients, there were many things about the Flint River, and I made a contact with some ladies from the Lapeer Conservation District to set up some workshops and classes with the Academic Enrichment Company.

The Funny Face Alpaca exhibit was a huge hit as people clamored around to get a good look at the animals and have a pet.  The Organization for Bat Conservation from the Cranbrook Science Center did a wonderful presentation although I only heard if from a far as I helped at the dock doing pond dipping but I did mange to come over at the end and get a quick pic.  I was excited to get a close up shot of an owl they brought for the falconry presentation before they got started.  What a gorgeous creature.  The surprise discovery was when I went to get a photo of the fly fishing demonstration.  By the time I got there he was packed up and gone but a beautiful blue heron was hanging out on the side of the river right in front of the pavillion.  Observed it for a bit until Ethan came running up behind me yelling which scared it up into a tree which we then stayed and watched it from there for a while.  I've seen herons many times around my ponds on our property but never got to see them high up.

I got shifted from disc golf duty to pond dipping last minute after someone bailed.  I've seen this activity at several ecology and nature centers so it was no touble for me to take it over.  My first "customers" were kids from North Branch, one of which was my friend Faith whom I had the pleasure of canoeing with at the Camp Lael field trip last year and also saw recently at the Willows outing.  She and her sisters spent quite a while with me looking at things under the field scope.  I had another young man come over later in the day that was a very determined "critter finder" and his efforts were rewarded greatly as he discovered many pond creatures others hadn't.  We pulled lots of frogs eggs, had a few sightings, but no one was successful in capturing one.

Chatfield School 5th and 6th graders ruled the workshop as they hosted Bluebird House building made possible by a Toyota Tapestry grant for Habitat Restoration.  All the materials were free and the students put together some great materials to explain which birds were 'good' and which needed to be discouraged from the area.

Other demonstrations included Barb Barton, an endangered species biologist with the Native Wild Rice Coalition who demonstrated the steps for processing native wild rice: parching it over an open fire, dancing or jigging to remove the hull, winnowing the chaff and cleaning.  Quite the process however I don't know if this was as big a draw as the organizers thought it would be.  There was also an interactive story put on by The Superhero Training Academy which was relatively engaging from the boys' report, and of course hand-churned ice cream!

The best part of my day however was getting out in the canoe with my boys.  I love canoeing and really need to start doing more of it, especially now that the boys are old enough to really help handle the boat.  There's something about just floating along the water, it's quiet, it's peaceful, and you never know what you'll discover along the way.  I am going to make it a point to explore the Oakdale property more this summer both on foot and with my bike to get to know it more.  What a wonderful natural resource right in the heart of Lapeer.

Friday and Sunday were also the Lapeer County Concert Choir performances.  My dad and his wife came out to the evening concert which I greatly appreciated seeing as no one else I invited made it.  Most never even acknowledged the invite which I find a bit rude and disconcerting but whatever.  I had a 'solo' in the gospel number "Be Thou Faithful", really liked how it went on Friday but the Sunday version not so much, that one oddly enough got a standing ovation, go figure.  Ethan, Ben and I also snuck in a showing of The Avengers, straight up version, which was very entertaining.  I don't think I could have handled that much action in 3D, seriously!  Love, love, love Robert Downey Jr., he is the man!  Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner was also notable, and although I'm not a previously professed ScarJo fan, she definately brought it!

What's up for the Partons?  Baseball games start this week for Ethan.  Finishing up soccer games and sponsorship sales.  I'll be subbing three days for the middle school special ed teacher as she makes the trip to Washington DC with the 8th graders.  Marketing is out for the AEC Summer Program and hopefully registrations will start streaming in.  Click HERE to see the schedule.  Also planning a day trip to Lansing with the boys, helping with the LVLC Open House, and TREK trip with Ethan's class.  Rock On!

Fame

It has been a jam-packed, fun-filled, spiritually-challenging few weeks. Rob, myself, the boys, Alex, plus main squeeze, and Ethan's buddy got to see the Mythbusters Live show a couple weeks ago. It was a well done production, (sorry about the picture from my phone) and just like concerts, there's nothing like a Detroit audience! The focus of the show was to promote scientific thinking, share some behind-the-scenes stories, and give people a chance to come up on stage to try out concepts while giving Adam and Jamie an opportunity to "mess with them." Adam is a naturally hilarious fellow and could totally work the stand-up circuit if the show doesn't work out. :) Thanks Dad and June for the tickets! Definite "Like"

After a fantastic show Friday night, the next day was a full day of rehearsals for the Flint Festival of Choirs with guest conductor Dr. Paul Rardin from Temple University. He worked with the Lapeer County Concert Choir, the U of M-Flint Chorale and Chamber Singers, plus the Carolyn Mawby Chorale on five songs. The groups were so well prepared he focused mainly on stylizing and musical nuances, even fitting in time to teach us two South African melodies by rote WITH harmonies. Wow. Arriving for warm-up and final practice on Sunday the "ticket lady" was a little concerned that there were so many unsold tickets still. No need to worry because the place was SOLD OUT with standing room only. Ms. Mawby was over-the-moon delighted with the whole event and it was a joy to see her face from the platform as she enjoyed everyone's performances. More info is on the LCCC website, just click.

Ben, Ethan and I have also started getting the piggie pen prepared for our arrivals, trimming back trees, clearing brush, and resetting part of the fencing. Still need to create a couple gate doors then get the waterers and feeders. The aspect is getting a little daunting as we close in on our pick up date and I begin to calculate feed costs. Hoping for the best with the entire situation. Benjamin has decided he does not want to do 4H Camp this year which will be good since then he can stay at the homestead and make sure piggies are taken care of while Ethan and I are at camp.

Fox has been participating in the 4H counselor meetings to be a junior counselor for the day camp this year. The theme picked is Zoo Animals which should be pretty fun. He also just turned in his paperwork to take the AP US History Exam next month and is in full track training mode. Yesterday was their first meet at Cheasaning, Broncos got creamed but the competition was so fierce it pushed him to get his best times yet in the 1-mile he finished with 5:52 and in the 2-mile a 12:35. Next meet will be at Alma after spring break.

We are very proud of Ethan who was selected as student of the week. I've written out his interview questions because they are a bit difficult to see in the photo.

1. Why do you think you were nominated? "I haven't gotten in trouble and I have good grades."

2.How does it feel to do Student of the Week? "It feels nice but scary; I hope no one uses me or something!"

3.Do you like coming to school? "Yes I do."

4. What sports do you play? "Baseball, soccer, cross-country running,, football, basketball."

5. What is you favorite subject in school? "Math"

6. Do you participate in any after school activities? "Choir."

7. What is one thing you would do to change the school? "I would like to have a safety patrol here, because bullying happens a lot more in Ruth Fox than in the elementary."

The school counselor asked to meet with him regarding his answer to #7 but they have not connected as of yet. He believes it is to talk about starting a safety patrol which I hope it is that and not to questions him about bullying. They recently hosted the Rachel's Challenge program in our schools and I've had mixed reaction to it. None of my kids seemed very moved or motivated by it.

Last weekend was the opening of the Hunger Games movie. Rob took the boys to the Saturday 12:15p show as a guys outing, they've all read the book except Ethan. I went later in the evening with my Rollicking Readers group. I had literally just finished the book that morning so the whole ordeal was extremely fresh in my head which was a different type of movie-going experience for me. It was a good production overall but some of their choices confused and disappointed me, as with most literature/screen adaptions, the book is always best. Glad I staved off my resistance and finally read the book. Our next selection is Vanity Fair by William Thackery. I'll have to look for the audiobook because I know I will never get it read by the meeting date.

Yesterday was the program for the after school choirs I've been working with. We had a great turn out and my dear friend and several parents assured me it was a wonderful presentation. I'm trying to accept that however I was very frustrated by the technical challenges of the space. Although things did get changed around (the sound equipment used to be behind the stage with no way to see to the stage!) no one who uses the facility for performance was consulted and the company contracted to do the switch channeled things in a totally inappropriate manner, hence the opportunity for spiritual growth.

Academic Enrichment Company is off and running with 17 classes slated to run June 18-21 and 25-28. Marketing materials are in the works and the initial response to the endeavor has been very encouraging. Gotta love it when an area principal says "I'm so glad you're doing that, there really is a need. I have parents already asking me about things to do with their kids this summer. You will have no problem filling the classes." I've had several meetings over the past couple weeks with new contacts in various areas and will soon be putting out classifieds to recruit more. Plus class ideas keep coming to me in my own mind and through other people's suggestions which is really awesome. I'm also still involved, as a volunteer, with the efforts to launch the Lapeer Virtual Learning Center, helping to coordinate an open house and present another public presentation beyond the homeschool realm. Being involved with these people in upper management of a school district makes me realize what a challenging task they have to "keep everyone happy," and make me look at my efforts with a new perspective.

Tech/dress rehearsal for my Drama classes is tomorrow with performances on Saturday. Break a leg!

What's up for April? Ethan and I go to Chicago this Sunday for 4 days, getting out PR for the LCCC concert and AEC summer program, track meets, soccer practices, assisting with the Ruth Fox 5th Graders' field trip to the Willows, helping with Wild Lapeer planning, Lapeer River Clean-Up, final rehearsals for the LCCC spring concert getting John Rutter's Requiem perfected, and maybe throw in a few sub jobs here and there. Yee Haw! Happy Spring Everyone.....keep smiling (it makes people wonder what you're up to!)

One Day at a Time

First off a Happy Birthday to our Benny boy who turned 12 yesterday. We celebrated with a soccer ball cake and homemade lasagna, one meat, and one veggie for the girl child who is now officially moved back in. Woot! Ben is most excited to use his b-day loot to purchase a Kindle Fire which we will pick up tomorrow after school. Yes this is the year of technological upgrades for the Parton children. Alex is loving her laptop she got for Christmas and Fox is enjoying his new 'puter, now Ben is jumping on the band wagon to have tons of books, movies, and games at his fingertips. Hope he'll let me borrow it sometime..... :)

Since I am actively taking measures to shift into regular full-time employment I've been stepping up the boys' domestic training and have taught them all to do their own laundry, from washer to dryer to folding and putting away. It's been several weeks now and they've all done pretty well with it. I just remind them when it's their day. My original intent was they do their loads after school when they get home but Benny was so determined to keep up with his that he started his last load at 5:20am when he got up in the morning. The laundry room is on the other side of the wall from my bedroom and my alarm doesn't go off until 6am .... thanks for the abrupt wake up, dude. He'll now be returning to the afternoon schedule.

Due to an icy morning last Thursday we had school called off because of the road conditions which gave them a 5-day weekend. Friday, after a rather harrowing morning (I'll get to that in a minute) we headed down for a visit to the Detroit Zoo and everyone agreed it was the best trip we've had in some time. The day was gorgeous and sunny, cool but not freezing and many of the animals were out and active. We finally saw the Arctic Fox in The Arctic Circle exhibit, and the polars bears were up and moving around which was really neat to watch. Fox and Ben had a blast trying to make their hand prints in the ice wall. Can you see Ethan inside the bubble? And I got a sneaky shot of Fox actually smiling with his braces! He's had them long enough now he doesn't really think about them so much.
We also caught a keeper at the Snow Monkey area talking about the species and their ranking system which was very interesting. She explained that when they take a monkey out for medical attention or what not they make sure not to have them out for more than two hours or else they will lose their rank. I also found it intriguing that because the species is well maintained they have their females on birth control, the deprovera shot, hmmm.

Checked in on the 'baby' giraffe that is now three years old. We all enjoyed watching them inside and up close as they ate and played with their mobile toys hanging from the ceiling. One of the three kept going to the open door and staring outside like it really wanted to go out but thought it just a bit to chilly.

Inside the kangaroo area there are two that have joeys in their pouches. If you look closely at the photo you can see a leg and an ear starting to peek out. The docent explained that they don't even know if they are boys or girls yet since they don't come out of the pouch until about 6 months old so they must be close to that now since they are just starting to appear. The tiger was a delight, laying there growling at everyone as if trying to have a conversation, too cool. And in the prairie dog exhibit a couple of rouge peacocks got in and were having a riot tormenting the little rodents. Ethan was bummed because the tubes were closed but we still had a laugh watching the antics.

After the zoo we used a gift card from Christmas and had dinner at the Macaroni Grill, my eggplant parmesan was delish! From there we went to visit Aunt Julie at Troy Lanes and do a little bowling!

Saturday night was a fun night of rollicking with the book club ladies. This month's read was Henry James' "Turn of the Screw" which brought about many opinions about what in the world he was really getting at in his text. As one of the club founders commented "even though many said they didn't really like it, it was a success nonetheless because of the discussion is created." Definately true. The movie actually stayed true to the book and was very well done. We also watched "The Tempest" with Chris Cooper, Helen Mirrin, Russell Brand, Alan Cummings and many more talented actors. It was a first for me. Bizarre to say the least, but I liked it. Next month...."The Hunger Games."

Today was the second week working with both my choir groups together, we did everything acapella and the songs are all coming together nicely. We're also getting time to work on the stage with risers and choreograph our entrances and exits which is a luxury I haven't had in past years. I've started going to a weekly women's bible study, something that has been out of my routine for a long time. We're studying Phillipians and it has been engaging and informative, I've also just finished Nehemiah again on my own. This week I will begin a series of counseling sessions as well, while I feel like I have gotten over the hump of grief there are some things that I would like to have better spiritual artillery to deal with.

Oh, I almost forgot about our harrowing Saturday morning. My precious little puppy took off on us. I usually put her and Jake out for a few minutes to frolick before they have to be cooped up during the day if we're out. Told the boys "don't let me forget the dogs are out" and went to check some emails. Well, we all forgot and when I looked back outside neither dog was around. We spent hours yelling and searching, I drove around in the van, to no avail. Alex went by the house after work and Jake had returned and was waiting on the porch to be let back in but no Sunny. It was a snowy night, still no sign of her in the morning. She did have a collar on with her name and our phone number and I just kept praying she would show up at someone's house and they'd call. When I got home from book club late Saturday night Rob said "you've got a friend waiting for you." My Sunny girl! Someone called from a half a mile up the road and said she had been hanging around there all day. I was sooooo glad to have my sweet girl back and she won't be out of my sight for a good long time at least not without a leash or chain. Never took her for a runner but now I know better.

Click HERE to see what will be coming up in my next post. Hope all is well in your world.

Ultimate Outing

Wow, finally got through all my pictures and selected a few to post but it was really tough. The boys had a great time both camping in Port Austin and at 4H Mystery Clue Camp which I will post about later but for now I'll just share about my adventure out west. For years Rob has been trying to get a business trip together that I could tag along on but for one reason or another it never came together, the stars finally aligned and two clients committed and got their deposits in for work in northern California AND it just happened to come together during the same week the kids would all be gone so that made making arrangements for them all the easier.
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We headed out early on a Sunday morning, me not having flown in close to 15 years, was a little apprehensive about all the new security in place. I fit everything into a carry-on bag and had another large purse with my in-flight essentials, iPod, new Yoga mag, gum, journal, etc.


We got through check-in with no problems, at the gate we heard over the loud speaker Rob Parton to the counter please. Thinking it was about all the tools in his suitcase we were a little nervous but we get up there and the attendant says "we need to change your seats, we're going to bump you up to first class." What!? Apparently there was gum on the seat and since we were traveling together and there was room we got bumped....cool!


Flew into Houston first, made a very easy connection and then made our way to San Jose unfortunately back in coach which felt veerrrryy cramp after our roomy accommodations on the first leg. Arrived early and safely, got the rental car, checked into the hotel, he showed me where the shop was, we picked up a few supplies, had some food and chilled out for the night.
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Monday morning I dropped Rob at the shop, found a Starbucks had my peppermint mocha and spinach/egg/feta wrap then drove a few minutes away to the cute little town of Campbell. Rented a 3-speed bike from Treads and pedaled across the street to a park where I caught the Los Gatos Trail, spent a couple hours riding it to both ends, one just stopped in the middle of the city, the other direction went into a state park, probably did a little over 20 miles total. The weather was perfect, sunny but not to hot with a little breeze. I was amazed to see man-eating sized dill along the sides of the trail, dill is a weed in the true sense of the word in this area. The trail at one point runs behind an industrial area and during their break employees would come out and get some exercise in.

After I was done riding I turned in the bike and explored the artsy downtown area, there was a kaleidoscope shop that was incredible, a retro second-hand store, soda pop/candy shop where I found some wacky packages for the boys (remember those?), and neat mystic type place where I couldn't resist purchasing some new incense and 'healing' stones. Picked up Rob at the shop and had a fantastic dinner of middle eastern food at Dish-n-Dash just a stones throw from the hotel.
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Tuesday after dropping Rob I headed to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. There is a ton of stuff to do there and I planned to check out several of their gardens but the weather was cold and drizzly so after perusing the Japanese Tea Garden (incredible) and the Botanical Garden (Free that day!) I decided to take the adventure inside at the deYoung Museum of Art enjoying Masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso, Paris exhibit. Being by myself I splurged and did the audio tour which was quite interesting, providing background and commentary from fellow artists and family members. Picasso was a bit of a scoundrel in his personal life and his very early work was extremely 'normal' and beautifully done. There was a painting of his first wife Olga that was stunning which made me wonder if it was more challenging or easier to present his subjects in such a grotesque state ie: cubism. There was quite a bit of sculpture by Pablo as well, elementary but interesting. Some men were practicing their Tai Chi and some women their fan dancing in the park. The tea garden was inspirational and calming, I loved all the stone pieces and was in awe of the amount of bonsai. In one of the pictures below a gardener works carefully on a shrub, and I thought my gardens were a lot of work!

The botanical garden was phenomenally done and there was so much that I took photos of I couldn't even choose, a few I'll post along the side bar because I just loved to colors, absolutely dazzling, my camera can't even do them justice. After Rob got done we drove 'inland' toward Fresno, to a not-so-small rodeo town called Clovis. Here it was HOT! but lucky for us they were having a cool spell.....
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Wednesday after getting Rob to work I drove northward to enjoy Yosemite National Park. My timing was perfect as I pulled up right as the entrance gates were opening. I'd been told you can wait hours in line just to enter the park. Once you pay the toll it's 34 miles into the valley at 25 miles an hour an a gorgeous and winding road. I rented a bike and off to the trails I went marveling at the waterfall, rocks, river, and stone bridges. The weather down in the of the park was perfect.

I had to stop when I went by the stables so I could pet some horses. There are such wonderful animals, I miss having them around the property, there hasn't been I horse I've met yet that doesn't love a good nose rub or jowl scratch. On my way I went around the loop one more time but by now the trail was getting very congested with more and more visitors and between you and me their trail etiquette was crap. So I turned my bike in, picked up a few items at the gift shop and started the long and glorious drive out of the park noting to self that I must return with the whole family sometime. When I got back to the shop I almost passed out from the heat. I don't know how Rob survives working in that type of heat all day. Although he really didn't want to do anything I coerced him into going out to dinner at Tahoe Joe's a local steakhouse and it was fantastic, I was satisfied with the appetizers and salad let alone the dinner!

Thursday I did an adventure closer to 'home'...the Chaffee Zoo and the Fresno Art Museum. The zoo was small but very well run, they had educational talks and feedings going on nearly every half hour. I caught part of the bird show and was impressed to see several teens working as volunteers, pet a stingray and had a great chat with one of the keepers about their care and breeding, fed a giraffe, and smiled like a dork for 20 minutes watching a chimp swing back and forth and a mother orangutan maneuver around with her little baby.

The art museum was rather small but had a nice variety of pieces. In the lobby as you first enter was a huge sculpture orchestrated by two high school teachers and put together by their students that brought attention to the homeless issues in Fresno. Another gallery had renderings for an eco-village intended to be built from reused materials and provide shelter for the homeless. There was also a gallery of woodblock prints, some modern paintings, and an eclectic mix of sculptures. This was my last day on my own since Rob finished his work successfully we then headed back to the coast and stayed in Pismo Beach for the night.

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Friday we got our belongings together, had a big breakfast at Denny's and jumped on Highway 1 for a beautiful drive up the coast. Our first stop was to check out the elephant seals, laying on the beach, barking, molting, flipping sand, flopping to new spaces, and some floating in the water, very interesting to watch.

Next we pulled off at Ragged Point to stretch our legs and fill the tank with some $5.44/gal. gas, the only place to fill up for quite a ways. The overlook was outstanding and I went crazy over all their flowers and plants.

Moving on our next respite was in Big Sur an artists' community that Rob knew I would go nuts over, which I did. I snuck a few pictures of the artwork but I didn't want to take to many for fear they would find it intrusive. There was a cool stage area where they have concerts and dance performances and one artist made several 'spirit nests' out of tree branches. If we didn't have to travel home by plane I would have bought some art but interested I took several business cards to maybe purchase by internet in the future and splurged on a gorgeous silver and amethyst ring. Rob found the real estate listings for the area intriguing from a couple acres of land for $3 mil. to a fully built, off-the-grid compound for $17 million. Yea, no problem....

We finally came off the road in Salinas, to rest up for our return home which was long, cramped, and hot. Flying all night long is tough, I didn't sleep at all, so I was pretty trashed the next day. I'll spare you all the gory details but let me just say, Phoenix Airport -- BOO! Our last jump from Chicago to Detroit I sat by a woman with a newborn who was bringing him to meet her husband's parents in Dearborn. She was so worried about him crying, but he settled down quickly and slept the entire short flight, we started talking near the end of the trip and I even ended up holding him while she got her belonging together at the end of the flight. Her husband hasn't even seen the baby in person yet, only by Skype because is in Dubai taking care of family business and she is staying in San Francisco (better medical and safer). I can totally relate to that phase and am grateful I had family to help me when the kids were babies.

Although it was a fantastic adventure, there's no place like home. I'll write more about what we've been up to later. Hope everyone is having a fabulous July.

Summertime Frenzy

Ben and Ethan enjoyed the basketball day camp very much, they both knew different kids at the camp and picked up some new skills. Fox has been spending his time working for me around the yard, mowing, trimming, raking, schlepping, etc. and also found time to check out an economics class online. This week he has been at an idTech Camp on the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus, Video Game Design-RPG. Monday the younger boys and I spent the day on campus, Starbucks to start us off, then the comic book store, Hands-On Museum, lunch at a Greek restaurant (they both loved the Mousaka), wandered around Borders, spun the big cube by the Student Union, then they scootered around the West Quad while we waited for Fox to finish.

My dad has been working at scanning all our family slides into the computer. He gave me some of what he has done so far on disc. Here is one circa 1967 of my mom the day of her graduation for a Masters in Education from Wayne State University. I am not quite two, to young to remember who attended the ceremony or any other whoopla.

Since school ended we've also had our VBS at church. I used the Agents in Action program, but adapted it to three days, to view click here. I also wrote dramas for the open and close of the day that introduced campers to the Armor of God. Around 40 kids participated and things went well overall. It was interesting working with a 'tween-age' drama/music team but things worked out and I certainly learned a lot as I always do everytime I plan something. Games seemed to be the biggest hit, running, throwing and shooting things you just can't go wrong with! But my boys also commented that all the storytellers were very good. We fed them some healthy snacks and they enjoyed the crafts as well.

"Train Me Up"
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Last Saturday we ventured down to Monroe, Michigan for the annual "Blessing of the Land" ceremony/celebration. Mother had asked that a tree be given to the IHM gardens in her memory, when my brother called to inquire the director voiced a need for garden benches so one was donated in her memory, since she was cremated there is no head stone, now this is at least a place to go and commemorate. It is a very fitting place for her memorial to be since there are many people there helping take care of the place and her bench will be taken care of as well. She always wanted to be taken care of. The ceremony was short and sweet, we sang a rather timid rendition of 'Holy Ground', the prayer interestingly enough was an ancient, wordless Native American blessing, then a time for open prayers, "thanks for the sunshine, the workers, the garden, etc." Ethan helped hand out the worms, everyone got one to go place in the garden somewhere. My aunt found a beautiful and most appropriate garden sculpture to sit along side the bench. Benjamin has suggested we go visit each year on gramma's birthday. That would be nice.

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Next week I will be preparing for 4H Mystery Clue Camp, I'll be doing science activities and experiments with the 2nd-6th grade participants. Ben and Ethan will be attending the 3-night camp. But before then I'll be heading off on a business trip with Rob to northern California. I haven't been on a plane in years! Going to try and just take a carry-on......

Lovely Staycation

Greetings. It's been a while again, just haven't been as motivated to blog lately. Last week the kids were on their spring break from school and Rob took a few days off also so we were all home together (except for the 18 y.o. who is always on the go). The decision to not go to Florida was a good one, it was nice to just be home and work on stupid little decluttering tasks that never get your attention. There are a lot of projects around the house to do but before we begin we have to be able to get to those areas so that is the current focus. Every time I take a load to the thrift shop I am elated. The beginning of June we have a "dumpster day" at the township hall so a lot of junk will go there and also our church hosts Care & Share Days which is basically a huge free rummage sale (or swap) where people bring things in good condition they don't need and others take what they do need. We always make a considerable donation and I really try not to bring a new batch of junk home with me.

I've also been working on my VP of publicity duties for the Lapeer County Concert Choir, getting contacts at newspapers, filling out forms to use public marquees, and preparing to start procuring ad space. Click HERE to see an article from the LAView. This from a press release I sent out, they only changed one sentence but unfortunately didn't use the photos I sent.

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The boys, Rob and I also took advantage of the time together to have a marathon game of RISK that started on Monday and didn't end until Saturday! It was an interesting adventure but it will be some time before we'll have the luxury of doing that for a while. Ben's soccer coach called, practices start this week. Ethan's baseball coach called, practices will start probably next week. Fox is already practicing for track, first meet is at the end of the month....so it is gonna get crazy!

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Finished John Grisham's "Testament" over the break too, one of the few books I've read in a long time that I didn't want to end and was surprised at the way it did end. For several days after I began writing the continued story in my mind, what I would like to have happen to the characters and their situation. I'm also still reading about and minutely applying Feng Shui principles, there's a lot to it not sure how serious I'll get about it but I do know I need to get the mirror out of my bedroom so I don't keep "looking back at old emotions." Still plugging away at "The Creative Call" and doing some assignments from the book in order to get a fresh shot of inspiration for future endeavors.

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When the weather broke on Saturday we were all outside working, my favorite work outside weather, sunny and cool but not hot. Made the rounds on the property and picked up runaway trash, cleaned out some perennial areas, pruned the spireas and started putting wood chips down, got the Gramma Garden done first and laid it on thick just like gramma used to. Ben and I had fun sharing 'gramma-isms' about gardening as we worked. The boys would go down during spring break every year and help her with her gardens so they knew the drill when it came to the wood chip procedure, Ben said when they were finished working gramma would always exclaim 'whose beautiful garden is that? isn't that beautiful? is that the most gorgeous garden you've every seen!?' It's weird as soon as he said it I could totally hear my moms voice in my head saying it and I could see her decked out for working in her gardens (gloves, sunglasses, big hat). I really hope the rose bush makes it, I pulled it on my last trip down to the house and it was still blooming. When I first replanted it, it looked pretty grim but I'm hoping it will bounce back....I'll let you know.

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Sorry there's not more excitement going on at the moment, things have been pretty laid back and that's just fine with me. I leave you with a Sonnet from which the text is used in one of the pieces the LCCC is working on called "I Am In Need of Music." Such a beautiful arrangment to these words. --

I am in need of music that would flow

Over my fretful, feeling finger-tips,

Over my bitter-tainted, trembling lips,

With melody, deep, clear, and liquid-slow.

Oh, for the healing swaying, old and low,

Of some song, sung to rest the tired dead,

A song to fall like water on my head,

And over quiviering limbs, dream flushed to glow!

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There is a magic made by melody:

A spell of rest, and quiet breath, and cool

heart, that sinks through fading colors deep

To the subaqueous stillness of the sea,

And floats forever in a moon-green pool,

Held in the arms of rhythm and of sleep.

~Elizabeth Bishop (1911-79)

Killin' Clutter

The days have slipped away quickly and I didn't realize how much time had passed since I blogged last. Having less stuff has been my main focus lately as I've decluttered several areas of the house and taken a couple loads to the Thrift Shop and a lucative trip to the dump with truckful of scrap metal. But the end unfortunately is not as near as I'd like, there is much more to go through and donate, sell, or scrap as we prepare to dive into some massive house projects. Along with the decluttering I've begun to slowly implement some of the Feng Shui concepts into arrangements of some rooms. The entire process has been very refreshing and I'm looking forward to having even less!

The boys and I checked out Farmology, an educational program about agriculture which is funded by The 100 Mile Meal, a fantastic concept that entailed collecting donations of food, herbs, and cooking materials from within 100 miles of Lapeer county. Our 4H club donated the pork, and there was a collection of winter veggies (rutabaga, parsnips, carrots and potatoes), a fantastic coleslaw, squash, biscuits, apple cobbler and blueberry cobbler for dessert! Delish. After we ate we made our way through the exhibits that were hosted by local farms and kids from FFA (Future Farmers of America). I would have joined FFA just to get one of their awesome blue corduroy jackets. The best part was when we got home and I tried on my new, cozy, alpaca wool socks.....aaaahhhh.

In between days of decluttering I also did some subbing in the middle school (science & math) and the elementary (begindergarten, art and special ed.). I don't know which is more challenging the youngest kids or 8th graders, probably the older kids because they know better but they don't really care. This past Saturday the Lapeer County Concert Choir had a retreat at the Chatfield School to prepare for our Spring Concert, it was a fun time and we got a lot accomplished. During our break I had a moment to wander around the school which now goes up to 8th grade and I was really impressed with some of the projects they were working on in the upper grades. I'm seriously considering putting Ben and Ethan in for the lottery draw to attend there for middle school. I know North Branch is doing the best they can with what they have to work with but I'm really concerned about some of the things I've seen in the middle school and think Ben may do better in a different atomosphere. We'll see if they get drawn and then decide from there. For the 2011-12 year we'll stick with where we're at cause they'll both be in the upper elementary together and Fox will shift to the high school so I won't really have to deal with middle school.

As I was be-bopping through the house the other day I noticed this sign on an empty cupboard, not sure exactly what the game was the boys were playing but it must have been pretty intense to need a 'panic room.' This made me chuckle. The cabin fever has been pretty severe this year and their imaginations seem to be a bit foggy as they more and more opt for tv, computer, or 'battling' (fake fighting) which drives me crazy! Since the weather has eased up I've been kicking them outside more but they never seem to stay out for long, although Ethan has been heading out on his own with his BB gun to shoot birds, which I'm a little torn about.

Yesterday's pig club meeting was the most informative yet, we learned about what to look for in selecting a pig, how to set up their housing, and the proper way to feed them. We've decided not to buy a pig this year but work on getting an adequate set-up in place first and participate in fair as observers so we'll know better what to expect. The leader said this is fine to do. Update on the Space Camp contest, Ben did not make it to the interview round but will definately try for it again next year.

Fox participated in his first forensics meet at Anchor Bay High School this past Saturday, he scored better than I thought he would have since he was extremely unprepared in my eyes but he seemed to pull it together enough to get some positive feedback. He was pretty resistant to doing it in the first place but when Rob picked him up at the end of the day Fox's first comment was "well, I didn't hate it as much as I thought I was going to." His next chance will be after the break at our North Branch home meet, hopefully he can step it up a notch for that one. He's also starting track this week.

Next week the boys will be on their spring break, originally we planned to go down to Florida to visit Rob's parents but then decided against it because of the gas and distance. Instead Rob and I will continue the 'have less stuff' movement and a few small projects, hoping to even get started on some outside tasks if the weather cooperates. Plus Rob was in Idaho for far longer than he had anticipated on a work project and is happy just to be home, thankfully he did figure things out with some help from the techs in Italy and left Idaho with everyone at the shop much happier.

Less is more......