A Different World - Part 2

Rimini is a beach town, a tourist destination. Although it was the beginning of the off season when we got there the water was still a pretty happening place when the sun was shining.  Contrary to what Americans perceive, not everyone goes topless.  You pretty much do whatever and wear whatever, from swimsuits to skives to business suits you see it all down at the beach.  Many locals come by after work for a walk, bike or run along the shore before heading home to make dinner.  The variety of shells is amazing and you find lots of pieces of stone and terra cotta that washes up as well probably from some ancient ruin or shipwreck.

Amongst my perusing of hotel tourist literature and a by chance sighting during a bus ride I was delighted to find the Ceramic House also know as Casa Ugolini, a private residence on the Via Flaminia owned by Cesare and Susanna Minelli Ugolini.  Cesare was an antique dealer and ceramics collector who created a masterpiece using tiles and ceramic pieces set to be discarded from local sites around Rimini.  Although this was not open to the public for tours it was quite the sight to behold from the street.  If you'd like to find out more click HERE for a great video tour and description plus some other photographs.

Another very cool find was an archaeological dig site.  Years ago when Rob was here for previous training this particular spot was a construction site with the usual orange net fencing surrounding it.  Apparently when they went to begin a new structure they discovered the ruin of the Surgeon's House, plus an even older development underneath that.  The Museo della Citta oversees the site now and it is part of the museum admission.  They've covered it and built walkways across so you can see everything quite well.  Unfortunately my photos do not do it justice in the least.  I did however find a couple videos on YouTube should you care to know more. 
Click and enjoy!  LONG VIDEO  -  SHORT VIDEO

My visit through the museum was quite interesting.  I went on Wednesday morning which was the free admission day only to find the place virtually deserted except for myself, two art students, and a couple museum lady guards.  They are quite particular about the order you go through the museum, or maybe they just want to make sure you see everything.  If I started to drift off course one of the ladies would come down and "scuzi" me into the section I should be at first.  They did not speak English other than "photo ok, no flash" again contrary to what I was told that "everyone pretty much speaks English".  Not the case my friends.

The exhibit about the Surgeon's House had descriptions in English and were excellent.  As I toured the upper floors I quickly discovered that was the only exhibit with English explanations.  There was an amazing display on the Crucifixion of Christ with art ranging from oil paintings to ceramics to wood carvings, paintings on wood, stone/marble, and metal work.  Then, bam, a retro advertising lithograph display!  Another area of marble and stone carvings and pieces, lots of mosaics, tapestry, furniture, all incredibly old then....hello....a contemporary photography exhibit, which was fascinating!   From there I headed over to the Piazza Cavour to check out the open air market, which is basically the Italian flea market where all the shops have someone out selling off overstock for cheap.  Not exactly the second-hand shops I was hoping to find and due to their crazy sizing I didn't purchase much.

One day I took an extensive bike ride that went along the canal and totally tripped on kitchen gardens.  I live in a rural area and people have all kids of gardens and crops but I was just so enamoured with these plots.  I watched in fascination as an elderly man came out of a his garden gate across the canal and trucked down a good 20 meter incline with a couple watering cans to fill in the canal.  They do not use heavy gardening equipment like we do in the states, at least not on a small scale. This guy had to be at least in his 70s if not older.  He probably jumped on his bike later that day and pedaled to his favorite local hangout to converse with friends as well.  Elderly people in Rimini are in great shape!  Loved seeing old ladies in their skirts and sensible shoes tooling around on their bicycles.  That's one thing I wish was more feasible to do in my little town, get around by bike.  There's plenty of places to go and bike ride but to conduct your day to day business that way just doesn't work.

One other thing I'll tell you about Italy.....it's got some great knockers!  From antique to modern, great style and designs.  Super fun.

That's all for now.  Next time I'll share a little about San Marino and of course a few more photos.

A Different World - Part 1

Ciao amici!  I have returned safely from Italy and had a wonderful time but it is good to be back home in the USA.  Life in Rimini has a very different pace than in my little Michigan town.  I thoroughly enjoyed going everywhere by bike and that there was so much to see so close to where we stayed.  Below is the Arco D'Augusto which used to be the entrance way through the wall that surrounded the city.  It was destroyed during an attack years ago but much of the wall still remains.

Seeing all the ruins around the city makes you realize how "young" a country America is.  There are buildings that have been there since 200 A.D. and others that pre-date Christ's arrival.  Instead of making everything a tourist attraction or tearing the structures down they instead just built new architecture around them.  I saw school buildings, apartments, malls, and playgrounds that had ruins as part of their structure.

While people do have cars, the vast majority travel by bicycle or motorscooter.  The main streets have dividing lines but the side streets do not, those on 2-wheels do not follow any set side or direction so it can get pretty hairy sometimes.  Everyone is out and about in the mornings taking care of their errands or going to work, then about 12:30p everything shuts down except for a few restaurants and cafes.  Most shops open up again around 3:30p or so but should the owner feel so inclind they may not return at all.  In the evenings everything comes alive again as families come out to socialize until 11p while the younger set stay out in the clubs.

There are three different section of Rimini, one as in the photo above is refered to as the historic section as you can tell by the old style row housing, one home may have very old brick, doors and shutters, while the next one may have been currently updated and modernized.  At the end of this particular street is a pretty amazning piece of a castle wall which I left some of my DNA on when a car came up as I was coming around the corner and I swerved to get out of the way!  Near the hotel there are larger houses and apartment buildings which is like the West Bloomfield sort of area and then going toward the outer rim of the city is the more middle class.

Below is photo from the Piazza tre Martiri. There are two main piazzas that are very busy, with music and open air markets and festivals going on several days a week, plus a few smaller ones intersperced among the neighborhoods.  I had a most fabulous lasagna from a little "fast food" place near here one day for lunch.  Whenever you order something you have the choice of getting it warm or cold.  Things we usually take warm in the US they eat cold and visa versa.  Ice is rarely used in drinks and there are no ice machines in the hotels.

There is no lack of churches and they are all stunning.  The Tempio Malatestiano below is one of the older structures. Off the streets of the piazza there are these little pocket prayer rooms with candles and such where people stop in and give honor to whatever saint that shine is set up for.  Church bells are constantly going during the day to announce a service starting.  I did go to mass at a church around the corner from the hotel. It was a very traditional service, I enjoyed following along with the readings and tried to say the reponses with them but they go really fast.  Their little 10 person choir was just wonderful.  People are very friendly and happy there, lots of laughter can be heard on the streets.

The Ponte di Tiberio was built in like 240 A.D. and they still use it which is incredible. I rode an extensive bike/walking path from the bridge through the Parco XXV Aprile which ran along the canal to the outskirts of the city.  I liked getting away from the touristy area and seeing how the "regular" people lived.  There isn't any regulation about where you can do business and I found many people had a mechanic shop, cafe, retail, or computer business out of the lower level of their home throughout the residential areas.

Kids get out of school at 1:30pm, I don't think they have lunch at school but rather meet their families at home for the noonday meal.  Grocery shopping is done in small increments, buying fresh items for the meals of the day, as much as you can carry in your bike basket or hang in bags off your handlebars.  There's no loading up the van with a "big shop" like we do in the US.  However, their food choices are much more limited, not as much chicken, I don't think I saw turkey there at all.  Lots of ham, salami, promescuitto, cheeses, breads, and veggies.  I'm not even sure if it was beef in the lasagna I had, it may have been ground pork.  That's it for my first installment, more to follow.

Square Pegs

So the school year started out with a bang.  Ethan and Fox had a half day at the public school on the first day and all went well there.  I dropped Ben off at Chatfield for his first day but when I picked him up afterward things did not go as anticipated.  I could tell it was a rough day when I saw him pass through the hall as I arrived.  Once we got out of the building and had a chance to talk he finally broke down.  He HATED it.  The open classroom was extremely distracting, the kids were pretty clicky, and he just didn't feel like he fit in.  I felt horrible, he is not a kid who takes to change easily and I appreciate his giving an effort to try. I suppose I could have forced him to stay and try it longer but somewhere in my heart I knew that wasn't the investment to make at this time, much as I had hoped it would be a great experience for him. The next morning we made a trip to the middle school office and reenrolled him, he had a schedule and was in class by 2nd hour.  I lost him in the crowd as the kids changed classes when he spotted one of his buddies.  He even stayed after for cross-country practice and was MUCH happier when he came home at the end of the day.  It certainly has made our life easier around here having eliminated a LOT of running around and I am enjoying having all the boys involved in the same sport for the fall.

Buyer pictures arrived, we got them delivered and the boys have deposited their checks.  We spent the weekend before school started getting the pig pen and barn area deconstructed so we can begin getting a better layout in before winter.  The boys also helped get the chicken pen and coop cleaned out and the chicks have been shifted over, still not sure how many hens and roosters we have.

Cross-country season had a good start, Fox had a tough run at the first meet in Cros-Lex but picked up his time at the second Brown City meet.  Both Ben and Fox ran at Bad Axe this year as well as the Caro TVC.  Our county meet was a bit of a disaster due to a change in the course and addition of an electronic timing system which did not meet expectations.  This week Ethan will run the Marlette Open Race and the older boys will travel to Garber with the school team.

It's funny how you can have a plan and an expectation for how your life is going to be and suddenly things just change but you know it's all ok.  I have been involved with helping a friend get her neice and grand nephew (who are currently homeless) into an apartment in town and get him enrolled in school.  The young man has been staying with us and going to the elementary school until they get settled in the apartment.  The mom lost her hearing due to a surgery not long ago and does not use sign language yet so communication is challenging plus she operates at a remedial level at best.  I purchased a copy of The Joy of Signing for her and have been encouraging her to learn plus I've been learning and using the signs myself.  I don't know why but I've been very compelled to help this young man get in a safe home situation and receive a good education.  In addition to helping his mother learn how to be a good parent.  I'm not saying or doing this out of judgement, fact is she had a pretty crappy upbringing and really just doesn't know or think about things the way "normal" people would.  She does love her little boy though and I'm hoping that she will understand the importance of making sure he is cared for and educated if they are to stay together, otherwise the choices may be taken out of her control, which would have nothing to do with me.

We've had our first tasting of spinach from the late season garden, bean plants are flowering, and the tomatoes have recently shot up.  Since zucchini is coming in full force the farm market I buy from has huge ones for $.75 each! We've been grating, bagging and freezing some for the winter.  I pulled out mom's old recipie box to find the zucchini bread but stumbled instead upon Zucchini Chocolate Cake to try instead.....yummo!  It was funny to see all the old cards and papers she had in the box, some were made on the old ditto machines from school, you know the ones you'd crank and they had purple ink.  Maybe I should do a Julie & Julia thing and bake my way through mother's recipie box.  But that will have to wait because this week I will be traveling to Italy with my husband.  Oddly, I have absolutely no "plans" for when I get there.  The hotel we are staying in is along the water and they provide free bicycles so I'm just going to take each day as it comes, hanging on the beach, riding through the town, maybe explore a cathedral or two.  I'd really like to find a vintage or resale shop in hopes of discovering some authentic gems for cheap.  Who knows what the future holds in store.

You can't always get what you what.

But if you try sometimes, you just might find...

you get what you need.

Planet of the Apes

The summer is quickly wrapping up, as the boys spent a relaxed week in Port Austin with their grandparents soaking in the final days of freedom before they return to their school routine.  Even Alex and the BF made it up to spend a night camping with the crew.  These are the weeks that bring a multitude of emotion for me as a former homeschool mom while I read posts from friends about their preparations for homeschool and their choices for curriculum.  Those choices are now out of my control and although part of me wishes I had that power again it is very clear that the boys need to be in charge of their own destiny when it comes to performing in the academic arena. 

Being a creature who enjoys and requires regular change I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn and experience being a charter school parent and add that to my extending list of educational endeavors.  Benjamin and I went out to Chatfield last week so he could take his math assessment test but the school was still in disaray as teachers were getting their classrooms prepared for the year so we did not get to see his teacher or classroom yet.  While he was at the Tiger game with his grandpa and uncle I attend the new parent/student orientation and was happy to meet a go-getter mom rounding up people from our area to car pool with.  I am not the only one who has been concerned about the time and gas required for transport to Chatfield.  So with four of us sharing the duties it will be a relief to us all.

Fox had the first cross-country meet of his sophmore season at Croswell-Lexington this past week.  He had a legitimate run but did not reach his time goal.  The course was seriously cross-country, most of it was through the woods which was full of rugged, rooty terrain, and lots of hills once they came out of the woods and through the meadow then into the final straight-away.  He commented that his quads and the top of his knees began to hurt about a third of the way through the course causing him to losing significant positioning but he pressed on and finished strong with a 21:23. 

Sophmore orientation was also this past week.  Fox has a pretty intense schedule for next year with AP Prep English, AP Ancient History, AP Psychology, Algebra II, one trimester of Biology, Chemistry, and Accounting.  Yowza!

Friday we fit in one last field trip to the Detroit Zoo before our membership expired.  It was an incredibly busy day, so much so that we had to park on the very roof of the parking structure!  Inside wasn't so terrible as we got on the second train heading toward the back of the zoo and held a brief conference to determine which animals were a "must-see".  Fox has been intrigued by the monkeys and apes so we spent a good deal of time there and had some great sightings.  Ben wanted to go through the Outback area to check on the baby joeys.  Ethan was all about the prairie dogs.  My only requirement was our traditional photo by the bear fountain.

The Arctic Circle is always big time fun as the boys got silly by the ice wall, this time trying to leave a mark with their rear ends, the imprint did not work after quite some time all they ended up with were frozen a**es which showed up in blue on the heat sensor in the polar shack!  Certain places will always remind me of my mother: zoos, gardens, and choir concerts in particular. As we walked around the boys shared several memories they had of gramma when they were really little and we used to get together with her for field trips when we homeschooled.  I was amazed at some of the things that came to their minds.  My emotions are not so much sad now as they are grateful that they have good memories and can share them freely. 

Coming up: Ethan's Open House, Brown City HS Cross-Country Meet, and learning Italian!

Final thoughts: No plant can live if the root is cut away.....where are you rooted and grounded in your life?  Are you in a place where you can thrive and grow or do you need to cut the roots of resentment, bitterness, doubt, or self-loathing in order to be refreshed and renewed?

To deep to dig....I think not.

Be well my friends.

Green Acres

What a week we had at the Eastern Michigan STATE Fair!  Our first time raising and showing pigs turned out to be a satisfying and successful endeavor and although we talked about taking the next summer off the boys are gung-ho to get at it again with a new strategy to improve on what they've already accomplished.  While I knew that the chance of winning in the market categories was pretty slim I put out an incentive to the boys that if they both placed in Showmanship I would purchase their ride tickets for them.  They both had money saved to buy their own ride bands.  Benjamin placed 6th for Showmanship in the Pre-Junior class up against some very good showman who already had a few years under their belt.  His barrow (Rocky) took 5th in his market class and his pair came in 3rd, he also got 2nd Place for his Record Book.

Ethan really surprised me by receiving the Champion Beginner Showman award.  He had great energy in the ring, stayed by his pig and kept her off the fence, and what the judge like most when he spoke with him in the holding pen was his confidence.  Great job, buddy!  His gilt did not receive any recognition in market class but she was great to work with for showmanship and the friendliest of all three hogs.  Ethan also won an iPod Touch for getting the most trophy sponsors and ads for the program book, which probably meant more to him than any other ribbons he could have won.  Auction was the other unknown going into this adventure.  The day was rainy and they started earlier than they had in past years so the buyers trickled in.  Ben went up 11th and was lucky to get $2 a pound, more buyers came in by the time Ethan, who was 68th, got up there and his went for $2.40 a pound.  These are both legit prices and from what I'm told our county is very blessed by the support of families, farms, and businesses in the area; at many other fair auctions the kids are lucky to get $1 per pound for their animals.

There was a bit of disorientation in the indoor open project area this year due to new people being in charge of various categories.  I honestly think my paper articles and plastic articles didn't even get judged.  They didn't get ribbons and yet I saw no other projects in those categories.  One of my photos from the capitol building got 2nd Place and a wildflower arangement got 3rd.  Besides watching my own boys show I always enjoy watching some of the dairy and beef showmanship, this year I watched the Cloverbuds who are all kids under 9 years old that work with mostly dairy calves.  The woman who oversees this program deserves super kudos for her time, patience, expertise, and the fact that all the kids did great.  Happy, confident and so proud to be in the show ring was the vibe they exuded.  Silly to some, but my other Fair week highlight is always watching the elephants get washed.  This year I chatted with some tough, burly guys that help run the fairgrounds, who were just as fascinated with the task as I was.  Ethan enjoyed watching the Super 8 race Wednesday evening too.  Four calves were born in the FFA tent and a very uncomfortable sow finally began to deliver on the last day, two piglets were out this morning but more were still to come as they carefully relocated her in the farrowing crate back to the Ed-Tech Center.

It is so fun to see everyone at load up time heading out with new animals, we came home with 6 chicks, another family from our club brought home a goat to be a buddy for their mini-horse, I saw lots of chickens, geeseand rabbits being put into trailers and they didn't even have enough quails for all the people who wanted some.  We were hoping to add another rabbit to our menagerie but I didn't win one in the silent auction, however, in selling off some of our rabbit cages I hit it off with a family that is breeding Holland Lops and will stay in touch to purchase a baby when they're ready.  Ethan wants to show rabbits next year in addition to swine and we found a club to join for that.  Benjamin is VERY interested in working with cows so we're seriously discussing him getting involved with FFA (Future Farmers of America) to learn about them at their facilities without having to have them on our property yet.  I told him if he continues to raise hogs and sell them he can have a beef steer when he has enough money to purchase it himself and gets a set-up on our property that is adequate to take care of it properly.  We'll see how it goes.

As soon as the pigs were trailered off to Fair I got busy and rototilled the field area. My three sons helped me get it raked out and put down boards for paths and I planted a late season garden on Monday.  Just went back to check things out once I got the van unloaded and chicks settled in.  After several days of rain followed by warmth I already have beans, peas, rutabaga, spinach, and lettuce popping up!

So Robert is still in Chile for work, the boys are off for a week of camping in Port Crescent State Park with their grandparents, and I am going to tackle some more house projects and enjoy the quiet.

Hope you're enjoying your August days as much as we are!

On the Road

Last week I got a few days out with some lady friends for a little fun and adventure.  First up was a trip to Midland, Michigan to tour the Alden B. Dow House and Studios.  Alden built his unique house in 1935 after studying under Frank Lloyd Wright, there is definately an influence in style although Alden branched out in creating an original cinder block shape that was only used in 11 structures, all of which are found in the mitten.  The patent for the design was sold twice but oddly the idea never took off.  The house has been inpeccably cared for and when Mrs. Dow passed away in 1991 the three children took little from the property and it has been a wonderful historical site since.

We also had a chance to walk through the 110 acre Dow Gardens designed by Alden's father Herbert Dow owner of the Dow Chemical Plant.  It took years to create and was inspired greatly by Japanese horticultural design.  The home Herbert and his wife Grace lived in is also on the property and open for tours however we did not fit that in on this trip.  The color garden was absolutely amazing and I loved the various red metal bridges throughout the grounds.

The Children's Garden had lots of things to get young people involved in daily up keep of the grounds, from watering troughs to brooms for keeping walkways tidy, a huge bubble pool, an army of scarecrows, and the hit for me was by far the massive bronze hog statue!  It was incredible to see the work of both father and son, all of which took extreme care and consideration of children as they developed their ideas.  This was a time long before television and Gameboys, cell phones and iPods.  A time when imagination was cherished and being outside and active was a normal and expected part of everyday.  I was truely inspired by the visit in more ways than I can express.  Just placed my Burpee seed order for late start veggies that will go in as soon as the pigs go to fair this weekend, so excited to have fresh food growing on my own property again.  From 1999 to 2009 I always had a pretty extensive garden but eventually lost time and energy for it, looking forward to a renewed spirit in celebrating the simple things.

Another surprise trip was a chance to travel to Stratford with a friend, her son, and granddaughter to see a matinee performance of "Pirates of Penzance" which I haven't seen probably since high school.  It was a stellar performance and I was amazed that many of the cast were also leads in the 42nd Street production.  On the way home we stopped at a great cafe/coffee house in Port Huron, The Raven which was soooo cute, the live music was excellent as well as the lobster bisque!  Great way to end a great day, even got home in time to watch the opening ceremony for the XXX Olympics in London.

Is this photo gorgeous?  Many of the farms around our area grow sunflower crops, this one is just down the street from our house and we drive by many times during the week on the way to activities and errands, always makes me smile.  Alexandra and the BF got approval for a one bedroom apartment and got moved in earlier this week.  They were a little stressed about it but very excited at the same time.  I'm glad to have her finally settled in somewhere and not living such a nomadic lifestyle. 

Next week is the Eastern Michigan State Fair so the Partons will be busy showing pigs, auctioning, doing barn duty, riding rides, and having a downhome good time with some folks who truly know how to keep it real. 

Remember to always broaden your horizons

and stay inspired!

7th Heaven

Zoomania Day Camp turned out to be a big hit. Fox did a nice job with the young kids and had one boy who was a huge Fox fan.  The second day we had Thumb Reptile in for a presentation and I was lucky enough to go down and see it.  I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to see how comfortable Fox was with the large Burmese Python they had brought in.  He held it and carried it around for the kids to see.  I even held a few snakes myself, the presenters made everyone feel very at ease around the animals and were glad to let the kids hold them, pet them and pass them around.  Another highlight was storytime, I chose Animal Action ABC by Karen Pandell and Art Wolfe, however as opposed to having the kids sit down and me reading it, I used it more as a creative movement exercise and we got active!  From arching, to growling, to pouncing, and kicking, they had a blast!  Great way to end our time together.

Next up was overnight camp. Although Benjamin didn't attend as a camper he did come with me Wednesday evening when I dropped Ethan off and got clearance to stay for the Whispering Pines presentation which included bullfrogs, hedgehog, sloth, a ferrel fox, and a huge lizard to name a few.  My first day in science we made plaster casts of animal prints which went better than I could have expected. We then discussed five groups of vertebrates (mammal, reptile, amphibian, birds, and fish) and played animal scategories where they had to come with an animal for each category that started with a particular letter that was chosen by rolling the alphabet die from my Scategories game.  It was quite a challenge at first, then I let them use some animal books that I had brought for reference and the game really picked up from there.  My second day of Science didn't go as well as I had hoped, my idea to use some multimedia ie: websites sort of backfired so I went with plan B which was making part of a lapbook that focused on four invertebrate groups.  This was not so well received but they muddled through.  Wish I would have gone with something more active.  Live and learn.  Ethan had a great time although I sort of regret putting him in a cabin with two of his buddies because he didn't really branch out and make new friends like he did the year before, but no biggie, just mental note to self.

The Sunday before 4H camp week was our second weigh-in for the piggies. Rob, Fox and I rattled up the road in my new beater truck to pick up the scale then Ben and Ethan helped me hustle them on and off.  Happily we are back on track for making weight at Fair.  The smallest was Chew-porka at 190lbs, next was Rocky Hogowa at an even 200, then 50 Cent still livin' the largest at 210lb.  We're hoping to enter Rocky and 50 Cent as a pair so they need to be within 10 pounds of each other, which it looks like they will be.  We put about 50 pounds on each one in 3 weeks so if we can do a repeat of that gain we will be looking good!  Since it has been unusually hot in Michigan this summer it has been very time consuming to make sure the hogs are watered down regularly, have plenty of mud holes, and still continue to eat.  They are more social than one would expect and like to have someone come back and visit often which always prompts them to get up and take a turn at the feeder.  We've had a few crazy escapes too, when they start to feel neglected they take it upon themselves to find some way to occupy their time, which usually means, scooching under a fence and heading down to the pond for a dip.  One night they got out and really went exploring, ending up in the neighbors yard.  Thankfully Fox was still at home and noticed they got out or our investments may have been long gone by the time the younger boys and I had returned.

We had our final Pig Club meeting before Fair this past weekend which was the annual showmanship clinic.  They had a great presenter in from MSU that was raised on a pig farm and has been very successful in showing and judging.  The kids really learned a lot, hopefully they can put it all together come show time.  Just 11 more days to go and the three not-so-little pigs will be moving along to Fair.  Hoping Ben and Ethan both get a decent price at auction plus looking forward to having a freezer full of good meats to eat ourselves and share with friends and family.

Tomorrow is a day out with some choir friends. We're heading to Midland to tour the Dow house and gardens.  Then I'll spend the next week getting my indoor projects together for Fair.  Ben and Ethan will be finishing up their swimming lessons.  AND I just found out I am going to be going to ITALY!!!  Rob has a business trip coming up and I get to tag along.  More details to follow......

May life always continue to amaze you.  It pretty much blows my mind everyday!  :D

Clue Club

This past week Fox was on the Michigan State University campus for 4H Discovery Camp. The main focus was biodiesel technology but they also visited the Invision House and learned about a variety of sustainable and energy efficient technology, Wind Turbines, the MBI Lab, and the MSU Test Fields where they grow switch grass, poppy trees, and mycanthis for experimentation. During the recreational outings they went on a private tour of the Basketball Stadium and explored the bird sanctuary.  He reported it was a great camp and everyone he met was very cool.  There was a diverse representation of kids that were selected from all over the state.  Unlike the LSSU Engineering camp where everyone was what would probably be catagorized as "geeky" (high academic acheivers), this group was from a range of "acheivement" levels but they were a very fun group, that came up with unique ways to solve problems and think outside box. Through the magic of Facebook he will more than likely keep in touch with many of them.  When I inquired if he thought MSU was the type of campus situation he could see himself in, he thought.....possibly.  Kudos to Jake DeDekker and staff for organizing a fabulous program.

Monday after we got Fox situated Ben, Ethan, and I headed over to the Potter Park Zoo again, this time heading directly back to the tiger house to see the now-rather-large baby tigers which were sooooo cool to watch.  Also inside were two female lions that I don't remember from last time.  There was a group of young ladies in the Feline House when we were, one of them had a toddler, as we were all watching, one of the female tigers jumped up when it saw the baby and came right up to the glass to check it out.  Wherever the kid moved the lion moved with it, watching intently.  It was very bizarre and we commented back and forth whether the feline was in protection mode or had vicious intent.  It's rare that you see zoo animals really react to observers, usually they could care less.  Very interesting.

Ethan and I also took a camel ride, first ever for us both.  It was similar to riding a horse but with much more up and down motion.  Ben declined the adventure and opted to act as photographer only. While we were in line Ethan commented about the price to ride and I explained that this money helps them cover expenses to take care of the animals, you have to look at it like a fundraiser.  The gal from the zoo heard me explain this and said "you're the only one who realizes that, most people just complain about the cost. It is expensive to care for a lot of these animals."

I get it, and can't even imagine what it must cost to run a zoo.  Just the expense of raising three pigs for a few months is blowing my mind!  Speaking of pigs, we were fortunate to be offered the use of an outdoor feeder with four doors so we could put the trio on free feed and they are really starting to look big now.  This weekend I'm going to pick up the scale and get them weighed again.  While Fox was gone I worked with the boys on their buyer letters and we got our first batch delivered.  It's challenging coming up with different businesses for them to invite although they did both give a letter to the bank where they have their accounts.  Ethan has had a bit of an advantage because he already broke the ice with a lot of people when he went out getting sponsors.  I would send the boys in on their own to talk with people and a few places it took 10-15 minutes before he came back out because he was chatting it up with people.  Several made a point to come out, give me a wave in the van and say "he did a really good job!"  Awesome.  Although Ben is not the social butterfly type that his younger brother is, he did his best to speak up, state his business, look people in the eye, and not be shy.  The more he does it, the easier it will get I keep telling him.  We're planning to do another round in a couple weeks, they both need to come up with three more people to invite.

Well, I haven't relayed any information about my oldest lately, maybe because I've been trying to block it out.  You know when you think about having kids you have these romantic notions of babies, baby stuff, baby cuddles, and cute cuddly feelings, but you never consider the teenage, young adult phase of that cute little baby's life.  Well think about it folks and beware!  Let me try and phrase this as kindly as I can.  After a series of financial missteps, mainly stemming from not paying a balance owed to the community college (even though she kept insisting to me that she did), her idea to transfer to a university in the fall is now on hold. She wants to take a semester off because she dosen't really know what she wants to do.

**edit gory details**

But in the meantime she plans on moving into an apartment with her boyfriend and continuing to work as an assistant manager at BK.  (Please picture me throwing up my hands and pulling my hair out.)  Love you, be safe, be happy, give me a call and let me know what's up.  Good luck.  Honestly, it's fine whatever you decide to do, just don't BS me.  I honestly don't know what to think and keep fighting the impulse to beat myself up about it.  She made her choices and she'll have to live with them, but as a parent the whole situation really sucks however, it's out of my control.

Moving on to more pleasant topics.  Next week is 4H Zoomania Camp which I am very excited to be a part of.  We have lots of great guests coming in with a variety of animals and tons of fun activities planned.  I will be presenting the science section, storytime, and some games for daycamp and working on an Animal Classification lapbook with the overnight group.  The younger boys are also finishing up their swim lessons and even got promoted up a class after the third lesson.  Woot!

Hope all is well in your part of the world and remember "don't sweat the small stuff."

What's My Line?

Wow. I really had intended to do one more post in June but time just slipped away from me.  The week after school got out Fox started his Segment 1 Driver's Training which lasted three weeks. Every morning we were up to town at 8am, then off an running from there.  He still has 3 driving sessions this week then we're done until Winter when he'll do Segment 2.  Finally received his last report card. Intro Business, Intro Macrobiology, and Geometry he got an A- in, AP US History a solid B, and sadly Intro Chemistry ended with a C+. Ew. That was his last class of the day and they had to leave early many times to get to track meets so it became difficult to keep up at times.  Interestingly he did better in the 10th grade science class but I think it was more the circumstances, although he did comment that chem just wasn't really "his thing."  Still waiting for the results of his AP US History Exam, hoping for a 4 at least so it can count as college credit.  Fingers crossed.  If he's not playing Age of Empire on the computer or checking his investments, you can usually find him walking or running the trails.  Yesterday he participated in the Freedom Run 5K in North Branch, finishing 5th overall and 3rd for his age group with a time of 18:55, his best yet.  We've had a couple meetings with the new cross country coach and they have been getting together for group runs two mornings a week but because of DT he couldn't run with them yet.  The coach and several XC members and hopefuls ran yesterday too which was a pleasant surprise to see the comraderie beginning already before the season has begun.  Coach took 1st in his age class and one of our freshmen girls placed 2nd as well. 

Ben and Ethan have also been running a bit themselves in preparation for a few open races.  Ethan really looks up to Fox and his exercise dedication and even does a weight workout with big brother from time to time.  B & E also tried the Pedal Pull yesterday for the first time, since Ben was the only 12 y.o. he got a trophy but it was very challenging to pedal the semi because his legs were too short.

All Ben's paperwork is turned in for Chatfield so he is officially transfered. He will hopefully play soccer for the school team if they have a parent volunteer to manage it but if not I ran into the gentleman who runs the North Branch Rec Soccer at the Freedom Run and found out there is a 7th and 8th grade team through that program that does some traveling but the games are much closer than the AYSO games which would make things easier.  Benny is now an all-out roller-coaster fanatic and got to go to Cedar Point with his aunt last week much to his delight.  They practically shut the place done cuz Ben just didn't want to leave, by the end he was riding by himself because his aunt and cousin where exhausted and didn't want to ride any more!  I'm glad he enjoyed himself, next on his list.....Six Flags-Chicago!

Pigs are doing well but when we weighed them last week they were significantly under where they should be by now.  200lbs would be ideal but ours were 140, 140 and 160.  However we still have time to push them, feed is now doubled, and we're adding eggs, milk, and extra scraps to their diet.  The heat is a challenge and we need to go out several times a day to water them down and make sure they have mud holes to lay in and keep cool.  They really are hilarious to watch, like three big, stocky, dogs.  I kid you not, they even have a bark.  Was fortunate to purchase an old pick-up truck from a farmer up the road that still has plenty of get-up-and-go left in it and got it for a great price.  Now I don't have to borrow a truck to go scrap or pick up mulch, or even building supplies.  yeehaw.  I'm a true North Branchian now!

Ethan has been quite the animal hunter as he's been the past few summers.  He's always out by the pond with a net catching things. Mostly frogs and turtles.  He even discovered a turtle laying eggs and took a picture.  In another couple weeks we'll probably see the little shells popping up.  Snakes are always a good find too.  After requesting one for nearly a year he finally got his wish as I responded to a email for a rabbit relocation.  Ethan is now the proud owner of a very sweet Netherland Dwarf bunny who is very lucky to have an inside 'apartment' especially in this heat!

With all the discombobulation Alexandra has been having with her higher education choices Fox and I have been having many conversations about education in general, both from the aspect of what he'd like to have under his belt at the end of high school, what he'd like to pursure as a career, and where he wants to attend college.  He's open to making sure he has a well rounded experience that will result in a strong college application, ie: good grades, athletics, volunteer work, involvement in some type of school club, as many AP classes as he can achieve, and hopefully some type of work experience or internship.  After having his Intro Business class last trimester he is very disappointed in the teacher who unfortunately is the only faculty that teaches the business classes and there aren't many of them that our District high school offers.  I sent him the link of online classes available and he is looking for some that might fit into his plans.  If he finds any that are worthwhile I told him I go to bat with the principal and superintendent to see that he can work it into his high school credits.

My thoughts on education have been in an upheaval lately. I see the benefits of homeschool and public school but neither are the perfect fit.  This new experience with the charter school will be an interesting addition to my sociological experiment.....but will it be the absolute answer?  Time will tell.

On the agenda for the near future..... swimming lessons for Ben and Ethan, Discovery Camp for Fox, 4H Day Camp for Fox and I (he a counselor, me a teacher), 4H Overnight Camp for Ethan and I (he a camper, me a teacher), initial meeting to begin setting up the Lapeer County 4H Citizenship Academy (a paid gig!), and hopefully getting more work done on my stagnating kitchen project. 

Kicking up the AC....they're talking 100 degrees for the 4th of July.  What!?

Electric Company

Another school year has ended and we're all glad of it.  I got to go on the 5th grade TREK field trip, a "team building" adventure.  Ethan and I both took a go on the zip line.  The climb up was a bit hairy, but the zip is a blast!  It was fun and all but not my favorite field trip by any means.  The Art & History school day got cancelled due to rain unfortunately.

The boys and I did get out there for the reenactment on Saturday however and had a chance to look around then.  It was pretty quiet in the afternoon, the weather was perfect.  We all had fun wandering around looking for things that looked interesting to us.

Fox finished the year on an up note receiving Rookie of the Year again for Track (he also got it for CC) and this time got a Scholar Athlete certificate as well.  Haven't got his final grades yet but he assures me all will be fine.  This week he started driver's training which will go until the end of the month.  Then I'll have to get the guts to let him drive me around, not sure how I feel about that yet.  :)   He is also shocked and somewhat excited to have a new cross-country coach for next year but expecting the change to be a good one.  Nutrition and diet are a focus for him lately as he continues to run, lift weights, walk, and bike regularly.  Looking forward to seeing all his dedication and hard work pay off.

 

 Ben and Ethan did get their final report cards on the last day of school.  Ben got two As, four A-s, and a B.  Ethan brought in satisfactories in all electives, two Bs, three B+s, and an A-.  Excellent job, although I'm concered that I am seeing less and less of Ethan's completed work come home during the school year.  Ben is pretty good about showing me things regularly.  Ethan, not so much.  I realized how not-so-much when he brought home all his stuff after desk and locker clean-out.  Hmm.

The pigs are doing well.  I take them out for walks around the trail a few times a week now.  This is recommended to help them build up stamina for show day so they don't poop out on you and refuse to do anything.  They know their route now and with a little help from Sunny puppy they move right along.  You can see in the photo what good rototillers they are, the area between the barn and wood fence was all thick grass like in the foreground, now it is all turned over.  Currently they are working on the new field area, and occasionally making their escape to go plunk in the pond! 

New developments include a job change for Rob.  He went back to the company he was working for and is much happier for it.  There have been new business opportunities that have allowed his old boss to bring him back on doing what he used to do and also a few new tasks, some of which will entail commission which could be cool.  Unfortunately the academic enrichment classes I put together did not go due to lack of pre-enrollment.  I did get some but not enough to meet my minimums, sort of a bummer but I can definately use that time to work on other projects around the house.  A never ending work-in-progress.  The gramma garden extension is coming along nicely, need to get another batch of mulch to finish it off.  Enrichment classes will be part of my upcoming future for sure but things are coming together a little differently than I expected, but it will all be fine.  Plus, we got a call from Chatfield.....Ben got in for 7th grade.  Picked up the packet today and his summer reading assignment.  I also spoke with the Director about substitute teaching there and got the forms I need to fill out for that.  He was happy to have me on the "call list."  So, this will completely change the dynamic of our next academic year but I am truely looking forward to the adventure!

Columbo

It was a beautiful morning as we headed to the station.  A brief train ride to Lansing for a day of adventure.  Grandpa Q met us at the station, I turned in Fox's tickets and off to our first stop, the Capitol Building, which was a buzz with activities for the Memorial weekend.  Since business does not stop for the tour we forged ahead through the building trying to hear what our tour guide was explaining. Inside the House it was quiet since they were in between sessions but still there was distraction as a few soldiers practiced their flag maneuvers on the floor below.  Amazing to think that all the walls are painted even though they look like marble or expensive woods, it's all plain pine that's been painstakingly painted.

Next we grabbed a quick breakfast then headed over the Impression 5 Hands-On Museum.  This is a very cool stop.  Since all the exhibits are set up through one huge open floor the boys were old enough to just let go to explore.  They could read directions and execute all of the experiments on their own so Dad and I wandered ourselves and got snap happy.  The drawers of leaf, seed, bug, and insect collections kept me occupied for quite a while along with the oil and iron mix contraption.  Ethan had fun at the pitching machine, checking his speed.  Ben spent his time building with Legos.  Giant bubble machines are always enjoyed by all. Grandpa Q I believe did a thorough investigation of it all.  Bought a couple books about wildflowers in the Gift Shop, a geyser top for the mentos and coke experiment, astronaut ice cream, and some erasers for our collection.

Although satisfactorily explored, the hands-in didn't take as much time as I thought it would so we were able to add an extra stop to the MSU Gardens to check out the 4H Children's Garden in particular.  There were about a half dozen employees out working diligently to get things ready for the busy season.  The ponds in particular were in great need of TLC.

We drifted on into the main gardens and into the green house that housed the indoor 4H garden.  That was unfortunately closed for a renovation but what before my wandering eyes should appear, the Curiosity Classroom was there. With everyone out working I had minute to peek in and drool.  What a fantastic resource at MSU, with learning extended through models, microscopes, mini collections, and marvels of nature all about.  I believe some of the 4H Discovery Days classes take place here, Ben is just old enough to be eligible.  Ethan will be next year.

From there we google mapped our way over to the Potter Park Zoo. First in, Granpda was jonesin' for a hot dog and the boys wanted one too, plus pops all around.  The food shack was just closing up and the kid gave us all a free hot dog that would have been thrown out. Woot! Bellies and thirst being satisfied we made our way through the zoo. There was an ostrich with eggs, an excellent bald eagle set up and a nest on display, caught the lion being fed jumping up like a big dog to catch the meat, but the owl wouldn't open its eyes for nothin. The tiger was pretty active, saw the penguins being fed, and one of the ostriches gave us a full open! It was an interesting little zoo although the dark metal bars are sort of a drag, especially when it comes to picture taking.  Overall they had a nice collection of animals.  We were going to take a camel ride but it was closed that day and we missed the baby tigers, by the time we made our way to the back where their habitat was they had already been "put to bed" for the night. :(  We'll have to stop back when we take Fox up for camp.

Another favorite discovery of the day for me was these fabulous recycled art pieces that were displayed throughout the zoo, made from bottle caps and tops!  Gorgeous!  Totally going to replicate this idea, kudos!!

For dinner we ate at Clara's Lansing Station in the train car, of course!  I had the Seafood Quiche, very tasty!  Wasn't so impressed with the Bruchetta.  Ben scraped away at a Nachos while dad and Ethan shared a Rueben.  Dessert took us to Anthony Hall for some famous MSU Dairy Store ice cream!  Ben and I had a fantastic mint sensation, Ethan went cookie dough, dad did chocolate I think.....?  It's all a blur I was in a yummy ice crean haze.  Dad dropped us at the train station and headed home.  The boys occupied themselves with soccer game with a pebble while I read some more of "Barnhart."  I crashed out on the ride back but I don't think the boys totally did.  Asked the conductor when we exited about bringing my bike on the train.  He said they do allow it but you have to make special arrangments and there may be an extra fee.  Everything we did on our adventure would have been totally bikable, we stayed within a 7 miles radius for all the activities.  That could be some fun.  I'd love to have my bike around Chicago too!

Before I headed to Lansing I hung out at the Lapeer Virtual Learning Center open house.  They had representatives from a few of the providers that are available for online classes there to explain how their programs work.  Plus you could test out some of the courses.  I liked aspects of both Aventa and Lincoln Interactive.  Curious if the middle school would consider doing the Spanish program for an elective.  A presentation overviewing the virtual options was given, streamlining the information that had been researched over the past few months. They've had a few families enroll already and several inquired about further conversation. We're hoping there is a slow and steady progress so that participants get the assistance they need to succeed. I've also had a couple opportunties arise to coordinate enrichment activities through several non-profit organizations in the area.  Very exciting, meetings coming up, will update as things are finalized.