iAm What I Am

Outside my Window:  Bright skies but rain forecasted for later.  Ponds are the highest we've ever seen them since moving in, swamp pond has drifted halfway up the back lawn and the swimming pond edge is nearly 3 feet higher than normal.  Sun has been making more regular appearances lately though and it is supposed to be nice for most of the week.

What's on my Mind:  Just getting through all the end of the school year activities and our sports commitments.  Contemplating how different it is dealing with teenage boys than teenage girls (sons vs. daughter).  We had an emotional weekend, many tears, surprisingly not from me but from my men.  They too have their breaking point emotionally, it just seems to take more to crack them than it does women.  Fear not, all is well, life is unfolding as it should.

Thankful for: A wonderful day out with friends this past week.  First stop was the Flint Crepe Company for brunch, everything on their menu is organic and locally grown, made right there while you wait and tastes fantastic.  Love, love, love this concept - wish there were more establishments like it.  Next we popped into the Flint Public Library then over to the Flint Institute of Arts.  Unfortunately I can not post photos from the gallery since I signed an agreement but we all enjoyed the eclectic mix of exhibits, met a featured artist [David Maxim] that was on sight that day, and got a private tour of the ceramics area, from classrooms to kilm room, which was very cool.

Creative Endeavors:  Zippo.

Latest Project:  The pig pen is almost complete, just a few last things to secure.  We got a great deal on some used items (feeder, fencing, gate, water nipplers) which means the project will come in well under budget.   Working to get some press going for the spring choir concert but not having much success.....sent out press releases but some of the papers did not use them which is a drag.  Posters are going up all around town thanks to choir members, hoping we'll have a decent turnout this weekend.

My 3 Sons: Ethan ran the North Branch Area Schools Spring Fitness 5K with me yesterday. He and his buddy came through the shoot together, first in their age group with a time of 28:21 on a very challenging and extremely cross-country route.  I finished as well, running the whole squishy course in 39:18.  Baseball is going well, opener will be next weekend.  He also got out to collect sponsors for the Swine Department again visiting those that gave last year, nearly everyone gave again.  It would be cool if he won the incentive for a second year but he expressed he's just happy to help and it's not about winning so much this time.  First prize is $100 cash, second is a $50 gift certificate to Tractor Supply Company.

Benjamin is really enjoying being on a soccer team with all his school buddies.  At first he was giving me grief about not doing AYSO again but it all worked out for the best.  I like that he will have a couple years of rec play with the kids that he will eventually end up on the high school team with, first game will be this week.  Coach was very excited to have him and commented that he had some great skills and is a real 'team' player.  Cool.  Pigs have been saved at the breeders and will be picked up this coming weekend.

Fox is experiencing a definite sophomore slump.  Track season has not gone the way he hoped, for all his hard work he is not getting the results he aims for and it has him a bit discouraged.  I know it will all click in for him if he doesn't let it mess with him mentally, each meet, each race, is a fresh start and as long as he can not dwell on his 'bad' runs and keep a positive attitude for the next run he'll be fine.  Next month he will take the AP Psych and AP World History exam, here's hoping for a 3 or 4 score!  We've also been discussing the idea of him going to Cross Country camp at Grand Valley State University this summer to get another campus experience and some new running influences.

The first Born:  Car is all better, tires and brake line dealt with.  Haven't seen her much lately but we keep in text....miss her!

Employment News: Nothing new to report at this time just doing some substitute teaching when I can.  May be helping Rob with some administrative things for his company as they get the machine selling aspect in place.  Open House went well and they had a nibble on a machine purchase.  A fellow employee is out of the picture due to some personal issues so Rob is going to be doing quadruple duty .... praying all will work out for the best but it may be a bumpy go for a bit.

Hoping to Improve: Food sources.  Our brunch at Flint Crepe Company sparked my desire to scale down my grocery purchases at big chain stores and begin to focus again on growing my own and buying locally.  We are fortunate to live in a farming area so it is readily available, just have to purpose to buy that way and not just run to Meijer when we need things.  In this grabable, eat-on-the-go, world it can be very challenging but it is possible.  Planted some spinach and peas this week, looking forward to getting the rest of the garden planted soon.

Food for Thought: Savoring is an art that can enhance your entire life. The practice of slowing down, appreciating small things, and immersing yourself in the present increases your ability to derive satisfaction from every life experience, including the experience of eating.  ~Ten Habit of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

iDk

Outside my Window:  Rain again!  April showers are in full force this year, nearly every day last week it rained, there were a couple days of sun and now wetness once again.  Booo.   Hiss.

What's on my Mind: To many things that are negative and frustrating, working hard to move past, not dwell, and find ways to stay uplifted.  How am I doing with that?  Depends on the day.

Thankful for: Baby bunnies and my doggies.  They're soft and fuzzy and love you no matter what. 

Creative Endeavors: Finished my first read and mark edit of my NaNoWriMo novel.  Now to pull it into Scrivener and really get busy.  I realized there is much detail I'd like to add.  When getting the idea out originally I just worked to get the basic concept down now that it is out, time to go through and embelish.

Latest Project: Still working on the Pig Pen, hoping to pour cement this weekend and got a lead on some used equipment.

My 3 Sons:  Track  -  Baseball  -  Soccer  ....  and away we go!  My spring trifecta is in full swing.  Fox did well in his first track meet. He got a 2:29 on his split in the 4x800 relay, not sure of his times on the Mile and 2-Mile.  Ethan's buddy on the next street is on his baseball team which is fantastic since we can help each other with the driving.  Ben and I went to the Space Camp meeting yesterday and got all the details about the travel and what to expect on the trip.  It all sounds super, I wish I could go with him.

Fox and Ben have been working at a vineyard the past few weekends pruning.  Great opportunity and for them, good money.  While they're gone Ethan is working with me around the property.  All three of the boys also spent two and half days working down at the shop with their dad during spring break doing some inventory and organzing of parts. 

The first Born: The second job idea didn't work out but she has been working fill-in manager shifts at various locations.  Fun.  Working on her first grown-up purchase on her own of some new/used tires for her vehicle.  More fun.

Employment News: Due to scheduling issues I am no longer at the greenhouse.  It's a good/bad thing.  I've been picking up substitute teaching jobs again but still looking and hopeful to find something regular.  Found out about a position that I would really love to do but the reality of it is the schedule would not work with my life right now, as it would entail lots of late nights and crazy hours so I decided not to even apply for it.  As much as I want regular work it is really important to me to be available for my boys since the time I have with them is getting shorter and before I know it they will be graduated and off on their own so I want to do as much as I can with and for them now. 

Hoping to Improve:  Ah, my life in general..... and my training schedule, got another 5K race coming up in a couple weeks!

Food for Thought: Being picky about what you eat is a sign of self-respect. Not only is it OK to be picky about what you eat, but it is also essential to the process of becoming naturally slim.  ~Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

iNeed a Break

Outside my Window:  It has been rather dreary the past few weeks with the sun only making minor appearances.  Fortunately in the greenhouse you're in a weather-warp and only realize the chilliness when you're running from house to house.  Snow has melted and the driveway is finally beginning to get back to normal.  The muddy ruts were seriously getting old.

 What's on my Mind: Almost to much to put into words.  Fundraising for the 4H Feeds Families Committee, marketing for the Lapeer County Concert Choir spring concert "Cinema Sinfonia," trying to keep involved in the Wild Lapeer event, revising the animal barn, conducting a virtual schooling experiment with my middle school boys next year, and hoping that the sports schedules don't collide too much.

Thankful for: Hot baths, tequila shots, and Netflix on my Kindle Fire.

Creative Endeavors: Nothing lately, although I did lovingly caress my novel and read through a couple pages this past week.  Really need to get back to editing....... 

Latest Project: Benjamin and I are working on a plan to revise the animal barn.  We did some pricing at TSC to see what things costs retail, and are checking into buying some used equipment.  The goal is to have two areas set up, one for pigs, the other for lambs and we'd like to recycle/reuse materials we already have on the property as much as we can.  He has a budget of $300 to work within.  I'll keep you posted on the progress.

My 3 Sons: Benjamin was selected to go to Space Academy in Alabama this summer, all expenses paid!  One of the teachers has been taking kids to the space camp program, on scholarships collected from donations and fundraisers, for many years.  This year she expanded to include middle schoolers and have 6 students attend.  He, of course is beyond excited, the trip is the same week as 4H camp however so he will not be able to be a day camp counselor this year but worth the trade off.  :)   http://www.spacecamp.com/camp/sa

Ethan's report of 6th grade camp was not very favorable.  This kids acted terribly, there was a lot of quarreling among friends, the classes weren't that great, the food was awful, and nobody slept at night.  Total waste of my money in his opinion.  Got the call from his baseball coach, the first practice will be the second Tuesday in April.  No word on the game schedule or where we'll be playing yet.  This is a 'travel' team so it will all be new to me.

The younger two boys are also venturing into raising meat rabbits and plan to each have a pen of 3 in the auction this year.  We've got 12 on order, half of which will be ready next weekend.

Fox's first track meet was canceled.  So we'll do a restart the Wednesday after the kids get back from Easter break, North Branch is hosting.  He tried for time in the 800m and made a good showing but I've been told the time is not bloggable yet until he gets it down a little more.  He's hoping to run the 800m and 2-mile this year.  I think it would be cool if he got on a relay too but we'll see.  They have a lot of guys to choose from right now but we'll see who makes it through the season.

The first Born:  Finally pain free and feeling much better after battling an infected wisdom tooth.  Investigating extraction options with her funky insurance plan.  Dropped out of choir for now.  Looking into a second job at a place her friend works at.

Employment News: Well, I didn't get the other job I interviewed for.  Still hanging in at the greenhouse but not sure if he'll keep me through retail because I can only work mornings.  There's no way with everything the boys and I do after school and evenings that I can pull it off without losing my ever-loving mind.  So I'm sort of on hold again at the moment.  I can try and pull some sub jobs again while I revamp and figure out what's next.  Honestly I've got enough "work" to do around the house and property and would really rather concentrate on that.  Hoping the new expansion into selling machines at Rob's work will turn into some extra commission checks soon!!

Hoping to Improve: My sustainability factor.  When we first got this property I was huge into gardening, preserving, raising chickens, we also had sheep for years and meat rabbits.  It got to a point where I bottomed out with everything I was doing so I closed down the gardens and haven't done vegetables or fruits in many years, the orchard has been severely neglected and we're not using the land as we should.  I'd really like to get back to the basics like we were when the kids were little.  The boys are all big enough to contribute more and Fox for certain appreciates the concept of healthy food not processed so hopefully this time around we can work more as a team and have an even bigger impact.  This is my dream.

Food for Thought: To feel pleasantly hungry and to satisfy that hunger is a gesture of self-love we can repeat over and over. Hunger is not the villain; it is ignorance and fear of our hunger that lead us astray.  ~Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

iSing for Joy

Outside my Window: The sun is shining, the snow is melting, everything is brown and dreary, but the anticipation of spring is in the air!

What's on my Mind: Getting my men (old and young) trained up to keep things rolling around the house and property since I am not always here to coordinate things while working full-time.

Thankful for:  A wonderful choral experience this weekend being part of the Flint Festival of Choirs hosted by the Carolyn Mawby Chorale with guest conductor Hugh Floyd from Furman University.  Ms. Mawby is an inspiration to so many people in so many ways.  She always has a smile on her face and encourages others even while going through some very challenging times in her life.  Being part of the Lapeer County Concert Choir has been such a blessing to me in a variety of ways, the music, the friends, the opportunity to grow administratively as Vice President, and the internal challenge of making time to have it in my life.  Very thankful.

Creative Endeavors: Nothing to much lately, other than putting together a quick display for the 4H Feeds Families Committee table for Spring Achievement.

Latest Project:  Committee and Board work mostly.  Getting marketing materials prepared for the choir's spring concert, moving forward with the new 4H committee, and getting ready to share some songs and games at the next Camp Counselor training meeting.

My 3 Sons:  Reports cards are in.  Everyone took a slight dip in their grades this trimester which seems to be typical.  Nothing terrible although I was I little bummed to see a C for Fox's AP Psychology class, other than that everyone pulled As and Bs.  Fox started track last week.  Got Ethan signed up for baseball and Ben for soccer.  Also, Benjamin applied for the third time to go to space camp and this time made it to the second step- an interview which will take place later this week.  All three boys also took a few projects to the 4H Spring Achievement event over the weekend.  Ben got an Honorable Mention for his wooden sword and Ethan took 2nd Place for his Science Project on electrical circuits.  Below is a snap of the boys walking up from the bus stop after school. 

The first Born:  Dealing with excruciating pain from her wisdom teeth coming in.  :(  Finally got an appointment with the dentist today, hopefully it will be remedied quickly.  She's also assisting me with the drama program and is going to take a part in '12 Angry Swine' for me.

Employment News:  I have been planting up a storm at the greenhouse and am dubbed the Geranium Goddess after potting up nearly 3000 of them.  Gotta love the trolley when you're hauling dirt and plants through the house.  Also had an interview for another position in a more "professional" setting which would extend past this seasonal work.  A decision needs to be made by April 1st but I checked in with them today and was told I'm still in the running.  Woot!

Hoping to Improve:  My training schedule.  Working such a physically taxing job has totally cut into my running routine.  I still fit in my yoga but have not been getting out for runs as often.  Did a 2-mile today and will meet up with the running group again Saturday morning but that's about all I'll be able to handle this week.  Hope I can still make a decent showing at the Spring Fitness 5K at the end of April.

Food for Thought:  You are not meant to live in fear of your own body. Know that your body, mind, and spirit are always working on your behalf. Even if you are deeply involved in emotional eating, it is not because your body is betraying you; it is because right now you know no other way to comfort yourself.  -from The Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

iLaughed Like Crazy

Outside my Window:  Evening is upon us now, the ground is still white with snow but the temperatures are again beginning to rise.

What's on my Mind:  How, when and where to process the four roosters I ended up with from the half dozen chicks that were purchased from the FFA tent at last summer's Fair.  Ugh.  All that time and feed only to end up with no eggs.

Thankful for:  A fantastic Recreational Leadership Workshop for 4H that I attended this weekend at the Kettunen Center with our county camp director and a 'seasoned' counselor.  It was very well organized, there was great energy and camaraderie, we sang, played games, did experiments, made crafts, plus gained valuable information and inspiration.  Seeing all the young people that were there to give their time and talents to be volunteer counselors at camps in various counties was extremely touching and motivating, not to mention several retirees that are a huge part of 4H in their areas.  A wonderfully refreshing experience.

Creative Endeavors:  The past couple weeks I went collage crazy and made several flat pieces, started a couple boxes and made a dream house board on a long piece of roll paper.  Basically I cut out all types of furniture, fabrics, tiles, lighting, and flooring that I would love to eventually use in my own home.  It was enjoyable and relaxing.

Latest Project:  We had the first initial meeting of the 4H Feeds Families Committee and officially elected officers.  Fundraisers and Task Forces were discussed as well as a game plan for this year's fair.  Also working on a grant for the community choir.

My 3 Sons:  Soccer sign-up is turned in for Ben, he is now working on his Space Camp application.  Next weekend is baseball sign-up for Ethan and he goes to 6th grade camp this month.  Fox is in the middle of 2nd Trimester exams and track practice starts in a matter of days.  We have had far to many "icy back road" no school days which means our school year will need to be extended although we haven't received any official word yet since winter is not finished.  Boo.

The first Born:  Had an utterly amazing time with her bf at the Rain concert which was a Christmas present from her grandparents and parents.

Employment News:  Tomorrow morning bright and early I begin a full-time position at a local greenhouse and berry farm.  Working outside in an 'active' position is something I am very much looking forward to.

Hoping to Improve:  Cutting out as much processed food as possible.

Food for Thought:  "Day after day we judge ourselves as good or bad based on what we are eating or how we look. If we release ourselves from the tyranny of judgment, guilt, and worry, we can free up enormous amounts of time and energy to be used in more positive ways."  ~Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

iRan it All

The Hot Chocolate 5K event was an overall success.  It was my first race ever, the goal was to try and not walk at all.  I didn't and finished in 39:39.  This was also Benjamin's first 5K race since middle school cross-country is usually 1.5 - 2.1 miles, however he struggled with a cramp and had been fighting some upper respiratory discomfort all week.  He still came in ahead of me.  Ethan came in 4th in his age group for his second 5K attempt with a time of 27:18 and Fox took first in his age group but had a hard time accepting congratulations since his time was 22:19 and he has been trying to get under 20 minutes.  Since running in the cold is no easy task I'd say everyone did well.  Those putting the race together did a fine job and thankfully the blizzard held off until just after the race ended as we drove home in a near white-out!  Fun times. 

Outside my Window:  A covering of fresh snow has made the world crisply white again and the sun is making an occasional appearance.

What's on my Mind:  Making a tough choice about how to handle after school choir.  I am going to be starting a new job in a couple weeks and may need to cancel choir due to a less flexible schedule.  Very torn.

Thankful for: Grace, Inspiration, and Namaste Yoga.  I recently took the plunge and purchased Season One of Kate Potter's series which I love, unfortunately I lost access to it when we changed television providers.  Now I have it any time I want and practice 4 to 5 days a week depending on my schedule.  It has such an organic flow to it and is very well constructed and instructed.  I highly recommended it, great for all levels.

Creative Endeavors: Started working on a new box collage which is sort of a Zen activity for me and I haven't indulged for some time.  The top photo is one I made years ago and the lower is from a Fair project a short time back.  Perhaps I'll post the new one if it's ever finish....

Latest Project: Saturday Drama class!  Amount of students keep changing and hence so do our script selections.  Hoping to get things finalized this week and pray everything sticks!

My 3 Sons: Fox completed what he needed to for his next year's schedule AP English Prep 11, Pre-Calc, Physics, AP Chemistry, AP US Government, Economics, Drafting and 3D Design are his preferred classes.  Hopefully they won't use any of his alternates.  Track season will begin in a couple weeks.

Benjamin and Ethan are gearing up for their spring sports.  Just got the sign up information for baseball (travel this year) and soccer.  The plan was to return to North Branch Rec Soccer but Ben keeps whining to me he wants to go back to AYSO.  It just not going to be feasible with me working more.  I need to keep everything as local as possible.

The first Born:  Ecstatic over the amount she is getting back in taxes!  I was floored to see her even text the word 'Savings' when I sent her the news.  Use it wisely grasshopper.

Employment News:  Just so as not to jinx it, no official announcement yet but here's a hint.

Hoping to Improve:  General office organization and house declutter.  The declutter has been a work in progress for quite some time and has been greatly improving, so much so my son even made a comment about it recently to the effect, "it's definitely lookin' a lot better around here."  But for some reason I can never keep my office together and end up with piles.  I get caught up moving from one project to another and never close things down properly, mind you I know what is in every pile if I need to retrieve something.  Little by slowly I shall make amends.

Food for Thought: Love is the most powerful resource we have. We were all born with an unlimited supply of unconditional self-love within us. Yet many people spend their entire lives searching for that love somewhere else.  From Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

iMade it

Outside my Window:

What's on my Mind: Keeping it all together. Staying on an even keel but being ready to ride out the waves when life brings about rough waters.

Thankful for:  A fine youth production and decent audiences.  It's always a challenge in our Michigan winters to have a performance Jan. to March.  We got a nice write up in the newspaper as well.  Click HERE to view.

Creative Endeavors:  Trying out new healthy recipies.

Avocado/smashed white beans/cucumber/sprouts on multigrain bread.

Payaya/Mango/Banana/fresh Orange Juice smoothies

Kale/Garlic/Mushroom/Wheatberry Soup

Latest Project:  Getting things ready for the first 4H Feeds Families meeting at the end of the month.  Being in the Radio Western Show at the Pix.

My 3 Sons:  Fox is currently working on getting signatures and getting his schedule ready for next year.  He's decided against Ed-Tech and Dual Enrollment, instead concentrating on taking as many AP classes as he can possibly cram in.

Benjamin needs a change of environment and a new activity to get his energies into.

Ethan was part of the Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr. cast and did a wonderful job as 'Bill' for his solo plus a great part of the ensemble pieces as well.  He may do a part in the Radio Westerns also.  Cast list isn't out yet.  Below is a photo that appeared on the front page of our local paper.

The first Born:  Had a rude awakening.  Electric bill - over $300 for a one-bedroom apt.  Investigation showed it to be a meter reader error.  Whew.

Employment News: Pending.

Hoping to Improve:  Yes.  One way is my first 5K this weekend!

Food for Thought: When you step out of the process of dieting and into the process of health, the number of pounds you weigh takes a backseat to making moment-by-moment choices in favor of life.  ~from The Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

Peace be with you.

iHave a Dream

Halfway through the month and all is well.  Just logged a bit over 40 miles running which I feel is a pretty notable accomplishment for someone who flatly stated they "couldn't" and "would never" run.  Just made an investment in a pair of proper running shoes, figure if I'm going to do it I should do it right.  Rehearsals for my Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr. production are going well however I have yet to get all players there, seems there's always been one or two missing for some reason or another.  Next week begins crunch time and all hands MUST be on deck!

Outside my Window:  After a brief warm spell we are back to a light covering of white and below freezing temperatures and it doesn't look pretty.

What's on my Mind: Keeping all my volunteer projects moving in a forward motion plus earning money as well.  I am on the board of the Lapeer County Concert Choir and will be putting together a grant proposal to help extend our audience base for our spring concert.  Working on how to word things to make the endeavor seem even more amazing than it truely is.

Thankful for: All the ladies that I've come to know and consider friends since I've moved into the area.  Women who are smart, faithful, funny, encouraging, interesting, motivated, and inspirational to me.  They come from a variety of areas: church, choir, 4H, homeschool, public school, the community at large.  Their down-to-earth, unpretentious nature, and ecclectic interests are very important to me.

Creative Endeavors: Choreographing and making props for the SHR production.  Preparing for the fourth year of After School Choir, getting music chosen and ordered.

Latest Project: Just got the preliminary paperwork filled out for the 4H Feeds Families Committee which I will be the Leader/President of.  I did not come up with the original idea mind you.  Our 4H club did entrepreneurship as their educational focus last year using the Project Clover idea from another county.  The kids raised funds and got donations from various organizations to purchase several animals at the auction, get them processed then donate the food to area soup kitchens.  I volunteered to keep the concept going and broaden it to involve all the livestock areas.  It's a really cool thing.

My 3 Sons:  XBox 360 obssession.  They got one for Christmas, it's been a bit ridiculous, but this two shall pass.  We've also been discussing how to proceed in regards to purchasing animals to raise for the 4H Fair, last year we raised three hogs, two got auctioned and one went into our freezer.  I'm not feeling like I want to have another one for us yet, we just don't eat that much pork.  Ben would like to raise one again though and Fox was interested in giving it a go as well.  Ethan can take it or leave it.  Whatever we decide it needs to be soon so we can put in our order with the breeder.  Ben also wants to raise some sheep however we'd just do it for freezer meat not for 4H.

The first Born: Feeling the shock of having insurance premiums deducted from her paycheck but happy to have coverage so she can go to the doctor and dentist again.  Ah, the joys of being a grown-up.

Employment News: Nothing new.  But I've been asked to be in on some brainstorming sessions for activities that could lead to something in the future.  Story of my life.

Hoping to Improve:  Staying positive even around naysayers.  Not trying to prove anything to other people that may judge my life choices and just be secure in the work that I do whether it's paid or not.

Food for Thought: All of us were born to be healthy and naturally slim. The fact that you are not slim and healthy now merely means you have walked, perhaps for many years, away from your natural instincts.  ~from Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People

Last Words: Well every person you can know and any place that you can go and any thing that you can show, you know they're nouns. A noun's a special kind of word, it's any name you've every heard. I find it quite interesting a noun's a person, place, or thing.  Yes, I am obssessed and will be until the production goes up February 1, 2, and 3.  

iLove Change

Happy New Year Everyone!  Another 365 days to conquer. What will they hold?  I am a huge fan of change and the turn of the calendar can be a time of great hope and challenges.  Everything that came before is already done and you can't go back but now there is a new beginning.  This year I am going to change the format of my blog slightly and use a Daybook style instead of my normal journal style, hope it is still as entertaining and informative.

Outside my Window:  A crisp winter day, slight foggy, with a good covering of snow.

What's on my Mind:  A discouraging interaction with a family member.  Breaking bad family legacy is always a challenge and what I've realized is the only person I can change is myself even if others don't see it or acknowledge it.  I can not alter the functionality of generations past but I can do my best to make ammendments in my future generations.

Thankful for:  My health.  Many people I know were dealing with illness over the holiday and reading all the prayer requests on the weekly church program makes me realize how lucky I am.

Creative Endeavors:  Rewriting some parts for the Schoolhouse Rocks Live production since I did not have anyone come forward that could do the roll of Tom the new teacher so I'm working it out as if the kids are lamenting about going back to school and wishing teachers could make learning more interesting like in the Saturday shorts.  Also planning for sets and costumes.

Latest Project:  Just walked my first 5K in Flint and was so inspired by the age and variety of runners and walkers I'm considering moving up my 5K run goal to participate in the Hot Chocolate 5K Run in February, depends how training goes.  I am currently up to running 2 miles.  Ran into some North Branch ladies at the run and was invited to join them Saturday mornings to run/walk with them.  Sweet!

My 3 Sons:  Fox participated with me in the New Year's Resolution event doing his first 8K and coming in 3rd in his age class with a time of 36:44.  Ethan is in the Schoolhouse Rock production and will be featured as Bill.  Ben is planning to try for the Space Camp trip again this year. 

The first Born: Alex has decided to continue her college hiatus and has been working many hours at the BK lounge.  She is still trying to figure out what she truely wants to pursue and helps me out with various dramatic endeavors.  I'm enjoying this new stage of our relationship.

Employment News: Unfortunately I did not even get an interview for the non-profit job I applied for which was a bummer but I have been subbing quite a bit lately.  Put a few other applications in online however don't know if they made their way through cyberspace and into the right hands. The search continues.

Hoping to Improve: My reactions to negative situations and not letting other people's choices effect me adversely.

Food for Thought:  "The state of your mind is more important to reaching a state of health than diet or exercise. It is your subconscious and conscious mind working in unison that will either support you or sabotage you on your journey."  from Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People by Jill H. Podjasek, M.S., R.N.

Last Words:  Run happy - Live happy!

Love this photo from The Cancun Marine Park

designed to encourage coral growth to keep the oceans biological flourishing,

an amazing fusion of public art and environmental conservation. 

design-dautore.com

So Long, Farewell 2012

This will more than likely be my last post of the year.  I hope it finds everyone grateful for what has transpired this past year and looking forward to the opportunities in store for the next.  Alexandra and I sang together with the Lapeer County Concert Choir for the Christmas concert the first weekend of the month.  It has been nice to have her be a part of it and for her to be singing with a group once again.  We had a decent size audience on Friday and a packed house at the Sunday performance.  She is planning to sing with us again for the spring concert as well.  Sweet!

I met the challenge and completed 50,206 words of a novel in November but continued to work on it adding about another 3,000 since the end of the month.  In fact I'm so geeked about it I'd like to continue to edit it and possibly format it to sell as an ebook.  Alex has agreed to be my editing partner, reading it when I'm ready and giving me some feedback for tweaking.

Fox has continued to train with the North Branch Community Run Club twice a week that is organized by the cross country coach plus runs 6 miles on Kings Mill, which is filled with several killer hills, twice a week.  He has noticed a marked improvement in his 5K times due to this.  Ethan has been staying after once a week for the Ruth Fox Run Club and does 4 or 5 miles there.  Last week he ran his first 5K at the Santa Shuffle in Lapeer.  Below is our Bronco group that participated in the Shuffle, picture is a bit blurry but it doesn't lessen the fun.  I have also begun a running regimen, going out every other day, started the weekend after Thanksgiving, going twice around the loop on the property, six times around is a mile, and adding on in small increments.  This week I am now at 1.5 miles.  Benjamin usually comes out and runs with me when he's home.  My goal is to run the North Branch Spring Fitness 5K in April.

Got Fox's first trimester report card: Accounting I - A-, Algebra II - A-, AP Prep English - A, AP Psychology - B, AP World History - A-, Seasonal Activities - A.  Nice job.  We had a meeting with the principal about amending a couple bummer grades from last year to help keep his GPA in check plus inquired about dual enrollment and some virtual classes for his Junior and Senior year.  Mr. H was most accommodating and encouraging and I very much appreciate that.

Had auditions for a production I am directing at the Pix Theater for Schoolhouse Rock Live!  The group I had is made up of many kids I've worked with before in either the schools or drama classes but with a few new faces thrown in.  Still need to recruit a young adult to play the teacher but have a couple prospects in mind.  Ethan is going to be in the show and I'm trying to get Ben to be in it too since he is such a good singer and memorizes things easily but he is not budging at this point.  Ugh.

Saturday Ben, Ethan and I helped with other folks from our 4H Swine Club at the Holiday Depot pick-up in our community.  This is a great service project and it is always a good time to be a part of it.  When we homeschooled we would go and help them get the boxes of food items packed up for the families but now the process is streamlined and the boxes are prepared elsewhere so we just help carrying things out to people's car for them.

I've also been making final preparations for the fourth year of After School Choir which will start when we come back from the Christmas break.  I'm doing two groups again, 2nd to 4th graders in one, and 5th to 8th in the other, hopefully we'll have a good turnout and the kids will like the songs I've got planned.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. 

Mine will begin with a New Year's Resolution 5K Walk while Fox does his first 8K Run. 

Giddyup Broncos!

Three's Company

November has been enrichment month for the boys and I, since ending our homeschooling one of the things I miss most is our field trips.  Then it hit me, we can still do field trips whenever we want!  So I decided to schedule an outing each week of the month to broaden our horizons, explore some landmarks in Michigan and just spend time together learning. The boys have been very appreciative of my efforts and most of them were a big hit.  First we went to a Friday evening performance by the Oxford Community Theater of "Who Remembered My Soul" a fabulously written play about the stories of Holocaust survivors.  It was done in a Reader's Theater format but all the actors did a great job of memorizing their script and relaying it as if it were their own.  This sparked some great discussion on the way home.

Our next outing was to Midland, the boys had a Friday off of school so I made reservations for tours of the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio plus the Herbert H. Dow Home.  We went through Alden's home first and were the only ones on the tour other than a gentleman from the Bay City area who shared with the docent that his father had been on the planning commission for a church in Dearborn that the architect designed.  This caused much giddiness from the various employees at the landmark and when we went into the archives they pulled out the files on the project and found the man's father's name on some documents and showed us some Polaroids of a craftsman making the huge wooden cross that hangs in the sanctuary of the church.  While all the cupboards were open the boys and I were reading all the labels fascinated by the projects Mr. Dow designed.  Much conversation was had about how cool the house would be to play hide-n-seek and have Nerf wars in.  The Dow legacy was also of interest.  Fox wished he could see some of the movies that Mr. Dow had taken.

After a satisfying lunch we then went over to house Alden grew up in. The Herbert H. Dow home, built 1899, is a beautiful structure in general but the most surprising tidbit to me was that Herbert and Grace Dow had the forethought to plumb and wire the house for electricity even though these advancements were not being used yet.  The coat bench in the entry foyer was an heirloom that had been in Grace's family beginning with her grandmother, knowing she would inherit it, the space was specifically designed for the piece.  However it is not the oldest piece of furniture in the home, this is instead a lovely Asian tea cabinet with intricate carvings and all sorts of hidden doors and drawers.  It was nice being the only ones on the tour that day because the docent let the boys and I ask questions all the way through the home and was very forthcoming about the Dow family and her experiences working with the organization.  She was interestingly an entomologist by trade employed by the Dow Gardens but loved the home so much she eventually began doing tours as well.  I highly recommend a trip to Midland to see these marvelous landmarks as well as the full garden.  We've also made a mental note to return and visit the Alden B Dow Museum of Science and Art plus the Herbert H Dow History Museum.

The next week we headed out in the evening after school to Saginaw for their Heart of the Holidays event.  In the literature I found it said that the Children's Zoo was open for free and lighted, plus they were lighting several other buildings that evening. There were to be horse drawn carriage rides and a gingerbread house contest also.  Well, the zoo was not lighted much, it was a very dark night and you could not see the animals at all, the paths weren't even lit very well.  It was quite pointless, we never did find the building that had the gingerbread contest, the wait for the carriage ride was ridiculous, and there really wasn't that much going on over all.  We did stop at the living nativity display in front of the church to pet the sheep, goats, and donkey, admired the Clydesdales from the sidewalk and quickly took our leave.  That evening was truly a bust other than giving Fox some driving time taking us out there.  Oh well, can't win them all.

There was no school for us the Wednesday before Thanksgiving so we took the opportunity to head over to Farmington Hills for some adventure.  As luck would have it my daughter Alex and her boyfriend were able to join us after they got off work which was a real treat.  Our first stop was the Holocaust Memorial Center. I had read about this some time ago when we homeschooled but the kids were to young at the time to make it a field trip, then Alex went into school and things got crazy from there so we never visited.  This was good timing since Fox has been studying the time period in history and the younger boys have touched on World War II as well.  Being that we are coming into the holiday "gimme gimme" season it was also a wonderful sense of perspective as to how good we have it.  Even in tough times I can say we have never known true suffering to the extent that Jewish families did during this horrendous effort.  They really did a wonderful job planning the museum. I liked the display of three quilts, each square designed by a survivor and an audio story accompanies their square.  Also the interactive stations at the end of the tour that give you scenarios regarding tolerance and humanity asking what would you do, was quite poignant as well. 

After such a hard hitting excursion we needed to follow it up with some fun.  Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum just two miles up the road was definately the ticket.  The place is packed with coin-op machines, from quirky to tricky, antique to modern, funny to frustrating.  Alex and Paul had fun in the photo booth and got "married" via coin-op license.  Fox tried every fortune telling machine there was.  Ben and Ethan pretty much did a little of everything but mainly stuck with the pinball machines.  I took a trip in the wayback machine having a go at PacMac and Asteroids, then finished out the night at my old standard - skee ball.  There was so much crammed into the little space, from things hanging on the ceiling, pictures of celebrity visitors, old signs, and the machines themselves.  Marvin should really consider upsizing to a larger space!  Good times, could have easily gone through $20 in quarters a piece!!  Consensus was this stop was the best of the all.

Not sure exactly what we'll do for next week, I've got a couple options.  One is the attendance of my community choir concert but I feel bad counting that as enrichment since they are pretty much subjected to it twice a year no matter what.  I'll come up with something though. 

Trimester One ended before the Thanksgiving break, Ethan already got his report card, all As and one B.  Ben hasn't received his report card yet but I know from the school website he has all As (pretty much has all year).  Fox's grades are the ones still outstanding since Finals had to be scored before the grades were compiled.  

At the Fall Sports Banquet the Cross Country team was recognized for having 100% Athletic Scholars which means everyone on team maintained a 3.2 grade point average or above.  That's nothing to be sneezed at!  Keep up the good work Broncos!

In between (an sometimes during) my substitute teaching days I am still working on my novel for National Novel Writing Month coming round the bend to 40,000 words out of a total 50,000 to win the challenge.  My concept has been one in the hopper for many years and although it came into print a little different than I anticipated the result is still pleasing to me.  That's about what's been going on in our neck of the woods.  The little white snow flakes have been starting to blow but I am by no means ready for winter.  Hope all is well in your world.