Happy Valentown's Day

While the kids and I were out yesterday, we passed this old building and stopped to take a few pictures. The structure was erected in 1879 as a shopping mall and community center. Looking ahead, Levi Valentine built his mall where the railroad was scheduled to pass.
Sad for him the railroad company ran out of both tracks and money long before they reached the Valentown Mall. The building was abandoned until Sheldon Fisher purchased it in 1940 and turned it into a museum.

I have passed by this spot many times but have never been inside the building. I am curious though. Maybe the kids and I will have go back when the weather warms up and take a look around. Anyone care to join us?

Things Above

IF then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Colossians 3:1-4

It was a gray morning, soggy and overcast. Ben, Hannah and I decided to go out for a ride. I have been a little down lately, so I was encouraged when the Lord brought this verse to mind today, "Set your mind on things above". Sometimes I get a little too focused on the here and now. I take my eyes off the goal and set them on things that will soon pass away. It's too easy to get distracted when I am tired or discouraged, but God is still there, leading me along, nudging me when I come to a standstill and carrying me when I can't take another step. "I 've got a mansion, just over the hilltop". How could I not smile about that?

Meltdown

Last night we had a meltdown. It is not complete as ice takes much longer to melt than snow, but the difference some wind, rain, and higher temperatures can make is amazing. Almost all the grass is visible and Teal Lake is thriving. We are looking for colder temperatures the next few days, so you never know what it will look like outside tomorrow.

Caffeine Withdrawal

I have not had a cup of coffee in a little over a week. For the most part I haven't felt like having any, instead I have been drinking tea, juice, or water, but this evening a nice French vanilla coffee sounded especially good. I was tired, my eyes were achy, and it is still cold and snowy outside. Why didn't I give in? I suppose it was because the clock said almost 5 pm and I really want to have a good night's sleep. Instead I ended up taking 1/4 of an Excederin to stop the flashy, achy feeling in my eyes. It's not that I am giving up coffee forever, I'm just taking a "coffee break".

This and That

Last Wednesday night I did not have a craft for our church kids class. I thought I could just once get away with handing out paper and markers and letting them draw on their own. Since the class is typically made up of four active boys and one bouncy little girl, this did not produce positive results. This week I decided that a craft was necessary even if it didn't go along with the lesson. We made foam marshmallow puppy dogs, fun for the kids and therapudic for me. I found the idea online months ago and thought it was cute.

Several weeks ago, on a day off school, Kathie dropped off the girls and handed me an envelope. I tucked it under my arm as I tied Ellie out on her leash. "Don't lose it," Kathie said and I assured her I wouldn't. When I got back inside I opened the envelope to find a very nice thank you card and two fifty dollar bills. The money was totally unexpected and much appreciated. I placed it back inside the card, put the card into the envelope, and tucked it into my "spot" by the wall where I stick important stuff. That was on a Monday. I didn't look for it again until along about Friday and then the envelope wasn't there. James feared maybe he had accidentally thrown it out but I was certain he wouldn't toss a card with my name on the outside before looking in it or asking me. I decided not to fret and trust that somehow God was teaching me a lesson I couldn't clearly see. Three weeks went by and whenever I thought of the lost money, I gave it back to the Lord. Yesterday morning we set out for the grocery store but before leaving I had Nate run back into the house to grab the menu I had clipped to the fridge. After we returned home, the kids helped me unload the van while I quickly washed out the inside of my rather grungy refrigerator. I must have been looking for some lunch when I turned around and noticed an envelope with my name on it clipped to the refrigerator door. The card had been there the whole time, hidden behind my dinner menu. I have to smile as I realize the Lord's work in my life. There was a time (and likely still is) when I would have been frantic at losing that amount of cash, but somehow He is there teaching me to lean on Him and trust that He has everything in His hand. Will I pass the next test? I don't know, but I do know He is here taking care of me, growing me, and teaching me to trust Him.

Thursday Thirteen

I had already been thinking of doing a pet post when Wanda listed hers. Ironically, I came up with thirteen (not including fish, rabbits, or gerbils).

1 Shadow was our first cat. He was a little black stray that James brought home from work one day. A very friendly kitten who, even though we had him vaccinated, eventually died of feline leukemia.

2. Gracie was our first dog. Her momma was a poodle that belonged to my uncle. Being pregnant and dealing with a puppy didn't mix too well back than and one day I let Rachel take her home to Grandma's house where she lived out all her happy days.

3. Misty was a German shepherd mix given to James by a friend at work. As a pup she was a stray on the streets of Rochester. She thought I was her mommy and followed me everywhere including the library where she would hang around outside until we came out. We had her for twelve years until her arthritis was so bad she couldn't get up anymore.

4. KC, short for Kitty Cat, came from Jim's fourth grade teacher. She was the stereotypical cat who would bite your backside when she wasn't happy with you.

5. Peaches was a big, fluffy orange tom cat who showed up at our house one spring when the kids were still little. He gradually worked his way into our hearts and became a family member. He eventually came down with feline HIV. He was a great cat!

6. Oreo came to our door one morning when a woman driving past saw him laying by the street. I took him in because I had a friend who I was sure would take him. He had a dislocated ankle and couldn't walk on his back legs. He was scared to death of us but took a liking to Peach. They became fast friends.

7. Ande was a Jack Russell terrier mix and belonged to my son, Dave. He was a wonderful puppy, full of mischief and life. I cried for weeks after James and I returned home to find he was hit by a car. It was my birthday. Not only did I miss the little guy but I hurt for my son who loved him too.

8. Dillon was just a baby when we brought him home, cocker spaniel and blue heeler. He trained easily and loved to play but as an adult dog growled and threatened to bite even my own children. Three years ago I took him to the local animal shelter.

9. Bo Cat was dropped off at the door of Bethany's friend, with five kittens. She needed a home and Beth fell in love with her. In September of 2000 she had another litter of kittens which we found to be a wonderful experience. We gave away all but one.

10. Little Cat is Bo's kitten, although she is twice Bo's size.

11. Jasmine came from the animal shelter seven years ago. She is a wonderful friend but isn't much for chasing balls and sticks. She does sommersauls and loves to have her belly rubbed, and is a great companion on orchard walks.

12. That takes me to Ellie and the fact that I cannot add small numbers correctly. Five dogs plus seven cats equals twelve animals not thirteen.

A Basket Case

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

Galatians 5:22-23

I feel like somewhat of a basket case. If only I can be a "Basket Case for Christ", full of His fruit rather than the selfishness of me.

Oooo, Baby!

My kids have been a little camera crazy lately. Sometimes it is a good thing and sometimes I'm not so sure. There are times when I've had to hide my camera and times when I give them permission to have some fun with it.

Bethany was here for supper tonight. Josh is looking very bright eyed these days. He is very interested in what is going on around him and is even beginning to be a little silly. He loves to talk, especially to Nate. He has been looking at his hands for the past week or so and is now beginning to grab hold of things. What fun he is!

Back to the camera issue... Ben is taking the photo here. Hannah is standing behind the chair, arms outstretched in case the baby moves. Not a good idea in my opinion, but I'm sure they thought he was perfectly safe. (We'll have to discuss this a little... ) Where was I while this was happening? Bad, bad Grandma!

Going Bananas

Last week I bought some bananas. The smaller bunch was just ripe, a nice yellow color, and second bunch was green. We ate up the yellow bananas and waited for the others to ripen. We waited and waited. They slowly turned from green to a sickly greenish brown color. I like bananas when they have just turned yellow and I prefer them without the brown spots. They are now past their prime. It looks like I may be making several batches of banana bread in the next few days. If the monkeys are hungry, send them over!

A Cold Winter Wind

Thank you to all who left comments on my last post. It's been a rough weekend but I am getting through it. I know there will sad moments yet, but I have so much to be thankful for. I know that if God's eye is on the sparrow and not one falls without his knowledge, then he also cares for little dogs and those who love them. I can't question why He let this happen, I just have to trust Him. Maybe someday He will give me another little friend.

It is a very cold and blustery day. We had some snow overnight which is now being whipped around by the wind and swirled through the air. Most of it seems to end up sticking to the roads making driving interesting. Our driveway had been stripped of its snow when we returned from church late this morning. The yard also looked like an ice rink. Old footprints, frozen in the ice, looked fresh but no one had been there. They were our own, left days ago when the snow was soft and slushy. It's possible those footprints will be around for a while. It's supposed to be a cold wintery week. I will have to think up some good inside activities. Maybe Troy and I will bake some more cookies.

A Sad Day

Well... I didn't want to write this yesterday so I distracted myself with writing other things instead. We lost our little dog to the road yesterday morning. I miss her and I think I will have a grand headache for the next couple of days, but God is still good and I will be okay eventually.

Winter Trees

I took my camera with me when I went out to pick up Troy yesterday. The trees looked so pretty that I wanted to capture a picture while the snow was still stuck on all the branches. The pine trees have been especially attractive. I love how the ice and snow outline each individual branch. Some snowfalls leave little mounds of snow piled on the needles but this snow was wet and sticky. All the ice that built up on Wednesday merged into a layer of snow.

The street signs were wearing fringes made of icycles. I found that rather amusing. I don't usually see fringed street signs.

And the little bench by my back garden is slightly shivery too. It isn't where I want to sit and relax right now although it does look quite fancy all dressed up like that.

He Ain't Heavy?

Troy loves Josh. At least that's what he says. He likes to look at him, touch him, and hold him. Troy looks just about buried in baby when Josh is on his lap, but holding is a good way for a little boy to make friends with a baby. Now that Josh can smile and coo, he is much more fun, even for me.

He comes to visit once or twice a week so Bethany can help out at the restaurant and so he can get to know his grandparents, aunt, and uncles. He's a good boy and only hollers if his diaper is dirty, he's hungry, or tired, or he wants to be held... He'll be here soon cause its busy at the resaturant during candy seasons.

Living Dangerously

An icy rain fell most of yesterday. Our back porch, which is a slab of concrete covered by a roof, became a sheet of ice. Even the wooden steps up to the sliding glass door were slippery. When Bethany came to get the baby, I had her come in the basement door. When Bryan came to get Troy, I had him come in that way too. And, when Alysa got off the bus, she also came in the seldom used basement door. I was so afraid someone would slip on the steps like I did last year. (It is not much fun bouncing down ice covered steps even if there are only four of them.) Bethany was kind enough to bring me a bag of rock salt and we eventually scattered it on the slippery spots. By the time Kathie came to get the girls, it was looking much better out there. After supper I decided Ellie should go out for a potty break, so I scooped her up and headed out the door. I had let down my guard and was not prepared for the once again iced top step and down I went. (I suppose Ellie went up before going down?) Do you recall the helpless, humbling feeling as you tumble hopelessly out of control? My hands skidded across the icy concrete as I came to an abrupt halt at the bottom of the steps. Bruised, but not broken or bleeding, I headed back into the house and flopped into a chair to catch up with myself. (At least I didn't feel nauseous this time...) Later, as we headed out to church, I realized my glasses were missing. Could I have been "wearing" them on the front of my shirt when I bounced down the back steps? Ah yes, there they were, frozen to the back porch when we got home.

PS. Ben has made a list of "Ben things" below.

Bens "Tagged!" list

Ben's list of "weird" things.



Oh dear, I've been tagged. Why do these things always happen to me? So anyway, here's a couple of things about me.

1. I'm 14.
2. I hate those "Everybody wins" games.
3. I'm a homeschooler from Williamson, which basically makes me the weirdest of the weird.
4. I couldn't find any good pictures @ Beths house.
5. I like cars. my favorites are theEvolution, (mitsubishi) and Impreza .(Subaru).
6. Ich spreche Deutsch sehr tomatoe nicht
7. I like rally racing better than NASCAR (more entertaining)
8. I like spinich.
9. I like sunsets better than sunrises. (more orange, less pink).
10. I have 1 fish and an algae eater.
11. If I could vote I'd vote for Huckabee.
12. I just spent like 30 minutes looking for a good picture.
13. My favorite car maker is Lotus.
14. I like skateboarding but not skateboarders.
15. I like Albuquerque, N.M.

I decided to take uncle Daves advice and write 15 things instead of a measly old 7.

THE END

Ice Fishing

Once the lake freezes over, I'm thinking about doing a little ice fishing. Winter sports usually aren't my thing, but I've heard that with ice fishing you can actually set up a little shack out on the ice. Not only does a small structure break the northern wind, but it serves as a great place to put an old reclining chair and relax for a bit. I think it may even be permissible to have the shack heated. If this is true, I may take up a winter hobby afterall. I'm not really so concerned about catching anything as keeping a positve attitude and making use of that body of water in the backyard. When it warms up, maybe I'll set up a blind and go duck hunting.

A Very Gray Kind of Day

It is a drippy, soggy, wet and dreary day. Although it is somewhat warm, it is not a good day to play outside or go for a walk. As the snow continues to melt, our backyard is turning into a lake. If it gets very cold in the next day or so, our driveway will be treacherously slippery.

(I couldn't stand to see that yucky outhouse any longer, so I deleted the photo.)

An Explanation

In a previous post I listed a few things about my self and thought I would take this opportunity to explain # 3 I prefer privacy in the restroom. (Shelly will understand.)

In May of 2002 I drove to Pensacola, Florida to pick up my oldest son from college. My good friend, Shelly, did not think it wise for me to travel the distance alone and kindly asked her dear husband if she could go along with me. I was greatful for the company and one sunny morning we set off on our grand adventure. The longer we drove, the sillier we became. Somewhere in Ohio it was decided that we should send a postcard home from every state we passed through. (Finding a place to mail them was quite the challange.) We had just crossed into Kentucky after driving many hours, and it was past midnight when we pulled into one of those little stores along the highway for a potty stop. We had to ask where the ladies room was. When we found the little back room and opened the door, we were both surprised to find two working toilets sitting side by side, no divider. We are good friends and have been for quite some time, but this kind of sharing was something neither of us had planned on. I looked at her, she looked at me and we both started laughing. "You go first" I said.

Hannah's List

I've been tagged. I can't be tagged I don't even have a blog. Oh-well.

1. I like going to the dentist

2. I have an aunt who is younger than I am

3. I have never been to Florida or New York City and all my friends make fun of me for it

4. I absoloutly HATE chocholate cake

5. I would rather live in a village or town than in the country

6. Ich spreche deutsch

7. I'm the youngest of seven kids but so much smarter than all the rest

Tag! You're It!

I have been tagged by Christine to write seven strange/weird things about myself. (Sounds more like a job for my sisters...) I'm not sure I can think of seven more things that I haven't already written at one time or another, but I'll be a good sport and give it a whirl...

1. I don't like having wet feet.

2. I don't like mud.

3. I prefer privacy in the restroom. (Shelly will understand.)

4. I can stand on my head. (At least I used to be able. I haven't tried it in a while.)

5. I don't like winter and the cold doesn't like me, but I have no plans to move south and I still think winter is beautiful.

6. I don't care to watch TV but will sit at the computer, listen to whatever my family is watching, and then ask them questions about what is happening in the movie.

7. And... Shelly will tell you that on very long road trips, I count road-kill. (I must have been too tired to remember.)

There, now I am supposed to tag how many people? Seven?! Hmmmm... How about Michelle, Heather, Shelly, Uncle Dave, Allen, Hannah, and... Priscilla.

Oh, by the way, the snow stuck on the trees all day long today. It was as beautiful when I came home late this afternoon as it was when I left home around 10 am. I took these shots this morning. See how different things look from when "The Claw" was sitting out there? It's a whole new world!

Friday Flashback!

Having seven kids has brought many moments of surprise laughter. One night my three year-old daughter came downstairs with her nightgown on... upside down. I had seen clothing put on both backward and inside out, shoes on the wrong feet, but upside down was something new. Her little feet were through the arm holes right where her hands should have been. Her hands were busy trying to hold the nightie up over her body. She thought it was a great joke and so did I.

I asked both Hannah and Bethany about this last night. Hannah said she knew exactly what she was doing and Beth said Hannah thought it was hilarious. Bethany remembers taking the pictures of her silly little sister. Hannah also mentioned having two Little Mermaid nightgowns and talking Ben into putting one on so that they matched. She said they got in trouble when they came downstairs. I guess Daddy wasn't impressed with Ben's evening attire that night. Too funny!

The Claw

This fancy little piece of equipment spent the last couple of days sitting in the orchard road just to the east of our house. Previously it was further down the road and best I can tell "The Claw" is used to rip old apple trees up by the roots, but I never really witnessed it in action. I don't know what mission it was sent here to accomplish or whether it ever finished the job. Everything I can see in the orchard looks the same and this afternoon "The Claw" was loaded back onto this trailer and hauled away, maybe to another unfortunate old orchard. Maybe its purpose is simply to pile up the already uprooted trees so they can be burned. That appears what happened down the road. Maybe I will never know, and then again, maybe it will return to finish the job. In any case, its a pretty impressive looking machine.

This morning I left for town earlier than usual and gave myself enough time to walk around the block before it was time to pick up Troy from preschool. Hannah and I took a twenty minute walk down and around past Shelly's house and back up to Main Street. It was cold and I had to pull my hood up onto my head, but at least the wind wasn't blowing too hard. I need about a gazillion more walks like that to get me back in shape. One down, ... (I had to look up how much a gazillion was. I don't think I could ever walk that far in a lifetime!)

Tuesday

This morning I left Jasmine home to watch Ellie while I took my three youngest kids to the eye doctor. Not much has changed with Nate or Hannah, but Ben will be getting a new pair of glasses soon. His old ones are pretty beat up and he wears them mostly when he watches TV. Troy had a nice visit at Bethany's house while we were reading eye charts.

It was a good afternoon to catch up on some lost sleep, dark and somewhat overcast. While Troy took his nap on one couch, I took a nap on the other. Hopefully we will get something of value accomplished tomorrow, like school. On Friday Nate, Ben and Hannah get to visit the dentist. Oh, happy day!

A Noisy Day

There is no school today. At 8:20 am two little boys showed up at my door. At 9:05 am two little girls showed up at my door. The three year-old, who is here every week, seemed a noisy, boisterous stranger. The six and seven year-olds ran around, bounced off walls, and laughed at everything, funny or not. Only the nine year-old was quiet. It was not a bad morning, just noisy. I did laundry, swept floors, washed dishes, and made lunches. The girls went home about ten minutes ago. The three year-old is taking a nap. The six year-old is playing Legos with Ben. The house seems quiet.

I have a renewed appreciation for my mom and her loving patience with children. For many, many years my mom operated a daycare out of her home. She often had anywhere from six to ten children in her care for the day. Her house was noisy and there wasn't anyplace to escape the presence of little people, but she loved them. She let them sit on her lap. She hugged them and kissed them. She gave them apples and crackers in the morning and she made them wonderful kid lunches every noon. They took naps in her living room, played with her toys, and ran around in her yard. When my dad was home he drew with them, playfully turned them upside-down, and played his banjo for them. It was a wonderful place for moms and dads to leave ther children. I don't know how Mom kept it up day after day, week after week, year after year, but she did. And she never stopped loving those kids. That is the love of Jesus shining through.

Keeping the Books

I finished reading a book! I know that may not seem a huge accomplishment to some of you, but to me it is a wonderful thing. A few years back I did quite a bit of reading, mostly to my kids. It was a great way to spend some quality time together. We read books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Caddie Woodlawn, and Mrs. Piggle-wiggle. We laughed at the escapades of Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Otis Spofford. We laughed at Hannah when she asked, "A boy named Homework?" (Homer Price) More recently we read about the missionary George Mueller and his orphanages in Bristol, England.

I read on my own too, but not near as often. About three years ago I read Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage but it was getting harder and harder to see the lines on the page. I read with one eye closed most of the time, had lots of headaches, and felt pretty much cross-eyed half the time.

Reading glasses have helped and this month I went in search of some good reading material. At the local library I found a copy of Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado. Seeing as I have been running into walls and gaping at seeming unconquerable mountains, this seemed just the book for me. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I have some great thoughts to meditate on and some wonderful words to encourage me on my way. Now I'm looking forward to reading 1 & 2 Samuel.

Beating the Air

We had two unplanned visitors this morning, Josh and Molly. I knew Bethany had to work but the plan called for Adam's mom to come out and watch the baby today. Sometimes our plans get rearranged. Beth called around 8 am and asked if Josh could come and stay here for a few hours. Of course we said yes. Beth called around 8:45 am and asked if Molly could come too. The poor puppy was home alone too much this week, so we let her come to Grandma's house too.

Ben thought Josh could use some fighting lessons, just in case he should run into any meanies out there in the world. I think he's looking pretty good, don't you?

My Cake Runneth Over

I have a renewed interest in my Red Plaid Cookbook. This afternoon I decided to make Kaffee Kuchen. The recipe called for a 9 x 9 x 2" pan. I didn't have one. The best I could do was an 8" round. Knowing I was short on baking room, I greased two pans, but decided there wasn't enough to fill both. I put it into one pan and set it on a tray, "just incase". The good news is that it tastes yummy and didn't end up all over the bottom of my oven, even if it was slightly volcanic. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow, increase the recipe by half, and bake it in a 9 x 13" pan.

Whiteout

Troy's dad has gone back to his teaching job at a local college, so Troy was here yesterday and I had to pick him up at preschool this noon. I drove off in whiteout conditions to retrieve the small child and bring him back home for lunch. Nothing like a whiteout to add some excitement to winter driving. Add slick roads to near zero visabilty and you can have more excitement that you bargained for. Thankfully, I was able to navigate both to the village and home again with "little" difficulty.

Smart people wear boots when the snow is accumulating, just in case they for some unforseen reason may have to get out of the vehicle, but I am not one of them. I go out in sneakers and then have cold wet feet for the remainder of the day. At least I was wearing my winter jacket and had gloves on... I'm happy to say I did not need to get out of the van for any reason other than going into preschool. But... my feet are feeling rather wet and cold. I think I may need a dry pair of socks and a warm pair of slippers. Good thing for a woodstove to dry out my shoes.

Midwinter Blues

I'm not really feeling blue but I'm not always quite sure what to do with my days. Neither are my kids. The boys practiced taking photos the other day. (I thought picture was cute but wish they had taken the time to wash the mirror.)

Lately I feel like I am expanding at an alarming rate. A slowing metabolism and long winters are catching up with me. I now wish I still had that treadmill my husband bought about 12 years ago. It was only two years old when we sold it. Back then I scarcely had time to sit down much less exercise. I did so much running around I didn't need a treadmill. By the end of the day I already felt as though I had been on one. I fell into bed exausted every night. Now I am exausted in the morning and my muscles ache from little to no exercise. I am very much looking forward to spring and the ability to walk outdoors again.

A Cold Day

It's cold outside. It feels cold inside too. My feet are cold, my hands are cold. Being cold makes me thankful for things that make me warm; a hot drink, a roaring fire, layers of blankets, a warm husband... I'm also thankful that it won't be winter forever even though it often seems long and unending. And, when I see the temperatures in Minnesota, I am thankful to live in Upstate NY.

It has been a contemplative weekend. Yesterday afternoon we returned to our previous church fellowship to attend a funeral service. The friend who passed on touched many lives. He was known for his leadership and for his love, for his faith and generosity. He left behind a beautiful wife, three wonderful grown children and a host of friends. At the service we saw many old friends, some of them also former church members. Some are attending other churches like us, some have moved out of the area, and some remain members of the fellowsip we all attended. We all have people in our lives who have been an incredible influence and example of faith. During the 12 years we attended BBCS, we had an abundance of such people. God has moved many of us on to new places and in time, those of us who were once young and in need of encouragement will be doing the influencing. A sobering thought... Can we ever be the shining example to others that some of these dear friends have been to us? Only as we grow in Christ and allow His love to flow through us.

Friday Flashback

My favorite cowpoke. He wanted a gun for Christmas and being the "bad" mother that I am, I obliged. No fear, he didn't kill anyone, but he did take a few shots at his brothers.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirten things I'm looking forward to...

1. warm weather and melting snow

2. little sprouts poking up in my gardens

3. baby giggles

4. going for long orchard walks

5. wading in the lake

6. taking outside photographs

7. backyard cookouts

8. lettuce and spinach from my garden

9. quiet summer evenings on the back porch

10. spring peepers

11. no school

12. birds singing outside my bedroom window

13. ...

A Real Treasure

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 6:20-21

It is Wednesday once again and I am scrambling to finish up craft preparations for tonight's kid's class. We are starting a new book that teaches how we got the Bible. The first lesson is about King Josiah and how a treasure was found when his men cleaned out the Lord's temple. After the reign of two wicked kings, they had found the scrolls of the Holy Scriptures, long forgotten and ignored, stored away in a back room. To Josiah, who longed to follow God, this was a real treasure. So tonight we are making treasure boxes for the kids to keep their Bibles in. Shoe boxes were free at the local K Mart. All I had to purchase aside from glue, is brass fasteners to make the boxes fancy. I already had the foam letters tucked away in my craft collection.

Don't Look Back!

Yesterday I decided to sit down and write out a two week menu plan so that the pressure of deciding what to make for supper each night will be lessened. This is a routine that has me helped in the past so I thought it might be a good step toward relieving some of the stress I have been feeling.

I also decided to make it a priority to go the Ladies' prayer at church on Tuesday morning. Not only is it good for me to pray with the other women, but it will get me up and moving a little earlier in the morning. Once I am in Webster I will likely take the time to either go to the grocery store or do some visiting.

Neither of these two activities has anything to do with home schooling. That is an area I will probably continue to struggle with. (January always seems to be the hardest time...) We did make a visit to the library this morning, which may become a regular routine, and I found a CD-ROM with some math games on it. I haven't checked it out yet, maybe tomorrow...

Friday Flashback!

(Yes, I know it's Saturday...)

I must be about six years old here, maybe seven. I only wore glasses for about a year, mostly during the end of kindergarten and through first grade. Priscilla wanted to wear glasses too.

Scaling the Wall

For by You I can run against a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.
2 Samuel 22:30

I am a wall builder, at least that is what I have been told. When faced with a problem or dilemma, my brain throws up a wall. For the most part I do not welcome a challenge, instead I want life to run along smoothly and not dish out any mountains to climb, unless they are in my plan. Some people thrive on competition. Not me. Rather than climb over, I would prefer to find a way around.

For the past few years my biggest challenge has been home schooling. What started out as an adventure 15 years ago, has become an increasingly stressful task. It has lost its luster, especially when it comes to teaching math and keeping records. This fall I joined (or should I say rejoined) the local support group. I missed the first meeting, had a conflict with the second, and totally forgot the last one. Truthfully, I'm not sure whether I can handle being part of the group as it involves a lot of running around and paying for group activities. Wall #1.

Working my life into a schedule is desperately needed too. As Priscilla said "If you aim at nothing, you will hit it 100% of the time" and sometimes I feel as though I am aiming at nothing. Here is my biggest challenge. I naturally work best when I have a routine, but for quite a long time my routine has been so relaxed that it is all but nonexistent. Without regularly scheduled activities, how do I establish a routine? Wall#2.

While thinking on this, the above verse came to mind. Life is full of obstacles. Everyone has them and there is no getting around it. So I guess, that with God's help I can face the challenges set before me. Either He will help me run against them or give me the boost I need to climb over. Now I just need to back up and see if I can get a running start...

A Lake or Not a Lake?

Last year at this time we were resigned to the fact that our back yard had become a lake, or should I say a "swamp". We even met with the town drainage committee to see what needed to be done to correct the problem. The answer: dig up the backyard and clean out the drainage tile. The cost: about two grand. Well, when the weather warmed up we pumped the water into the drainage ditch and waited. We didn't have an extra two thousand dollars laying around so we tried to find an option with the farmer who owns the orchards and used to own the house next door. He had said he could help us but must have been too busy with apple trees to call us back.
Do you think God cares about little things like water in a backyard? Thanks to our pump and a very dry summer our lawn has pretty much recovered from a rather lengthy submersion. Some water collected back there around Christmas and I feared Teal Lake was making a comeback, but the water drained off and the yard appears to be dry. No ducks, no geese, and no stagnant water. I'm just hoping it stays that way. Oh, me of little faith.

Learning the Hard Way

Have you ever had God whisper in your ear and brushed off that still small voice? Did you kind of know deep inside it was Him but somehow told yourself it wasn't? Sometimes I think it would be easier if God spoke as a clanging symbol, and I'm sure He does once in a while, but more often He speaks softly.
I was so relieved to see Jasmine home and safe Sunday afternoon that I decided to give her a treat, a couple of venison bones. Being part pit bull or something, she does a pretty good job of chomping up what would take most dogs hours and had hers literally eaten up rather quickly. By Tuesday evening it became evident that Jazz was not feeling well. When she stood on her feet, she kept her back all curled up and moved with great difficulty. She had a pained look in her eyes and later would cry when we tried to move her.
Here my mind started to spin backward, back to that little thought that ran through my mind when I gave her the bone. "Maybe this isn't a good idea. That bone has some sharp spots. It could be bad for the dog." I brushed them off. "She's had bones before. Sometimes I don't even know where she got them. She'll be fine." And so I had given her the bone anyway. Now my dog was in pain and it was my fault. I didn't sleep very good that night.
Yesterday we took Jasmine to the vet. They did an x ray. The bad news: she does have a piece of bone in her small intestine and it definitely has been causing her pain. The good news: it looks small enough that she should be able to pass it in a couple of days. Dr. B said to keep her calm and make sure she is eating. As long as she eats, the bone fragment will keep moving along. The other good news: she is acting much better today.

Playing Catch Up

I think I am actually beginning to recover from all the stress and busyness of the holidays. Behind me are Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping, Christmas day, a birthday celebration, New Year's, and a New Jersey wedding. Ahead of me... well, maybe I'll just not think too much about it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the trip down to South Jersey and back with my daughter. I loved seeing our friends and totally loved the wedding too. I also found out that South Jersey is a rather nice place with lots of old farms and open space. Maybe some day I will go back again, when things aren't quite so rushed, and take a look around. I'm sure there is a ton of history and a bunch of great places to see. I wish we had more time to roam about taking pictures, but we had a long drive ahead of us and didn't want to worry our men. We did take an hour or so to stop in Binghamton, NY and say hello to Bethany's friends, Stephanie and Stephen, and then grab a quick bite to eat before continuing home. We were blessed with good weather along the way.

James came to pick me up at Beth's house and on the way home said he had "potentially bad news". Seems the boys had let Jasmine out of the house around 9:30 am and she hadn't returned. They went out looking around the yard and called for her but she was nowhere to be found. Gunshots from hunters or target practice pretty much keep us out of the apple trees at this time of year. Somewhere around 9:30 pm James and I went out to look in the orchard. It was dark, rainy and the snow was melting fast making it hard to tell which tracks were which or how old they were. We came back disappointed and somewhat worried. My biggest fear was that she was injured and unable to get home. How does a three-legged dog get about if she hurts a leg? We wondered if she had been shot or hit by a car but had no way to know. Of course I was already tired from our trip and spent a restless night thinking about our dog. We went to church Sunday morning still unsure of her whereabouts but were relieved to find her home when we returned a few hours later. She was dry, trembly, and smelled of cigarette smoke but refused to tell us where she had been.

The Place of Honor

Luke 14:8-10

What an honor and what a blessing.

I hardly know what to say...

Alan and Heather, thank you. "Thank you" just doesn't cover all you have been to our family. You have shown so much love to my children through the years. I wish you could have bought the house next door, but God had other plans... Thank you for sharing in my Bethany's special day (I still have many of our emails stored away in a folder), and thank you for inviting us to share in Ashleigh's. We love you, we miss you.

In My Absence

I am taking a little vacation. Bethany and I are heading out tomorrow morning to a wedding in New Jersey. I'll be back sometime Saturday. In the meantime, enjoy Nathan's entry below...

The Case of the Exploding Pop Cans - A Sherlock Holmes Mystery

Here's how it happened...

Several days ago, sometime around Christmas or New Years, we pulled a twelve pack of what I believe to be Aldi's Diet Cola - a mimic of Coca Cola - out of the basement and placed it on the steps outside our back door. It had been sitting in the basement for a year or two from when our Grandma wanted some diet soft drinks instead of the regular. But the time had come to trash it or else give it to someone who would drink dead coke. We had someone who would take it but they will remain anonymous.

Anyhow, yesterday the temperatures dropped well below freezing, into the low single-digits. But our day proceeded as normal, Dad went to work, came home and we went to church. And then of course we came home. But there, on our back steps waiting for us, was pop cans strewn about. "Hmm..." said someone, "One of the dogs" they continued, "must have gotten into the cokes." "But wait," said I, stooping down to view the evidence, "look at this." I picked up a can of coke and showed it to my family. It was split all the way down the side with soda, frozen solid, protruding from its wound. "This is no ordinary pop foraging. This can exploded." I turned around again to examine the crime scene. To my dismay, not one but many of the cans had simply burst. So the caution tape went up and the scene went undisturbed for the rest of the night.

This morning I got up (on time) and went about my day as usual. But as I washed my hands after breakfast I heard, *POP*. I looked outside to see another can wobbling to and fro. So I bundled myself up and went out into the cold to take care of the mess. There was cola all over the steps still frozen. Some of it was frozen in place and had to be chipped away at. I found two cans that had been unharmed but they were going through such shock that it was obvious that they would never make it.So they too were put into a garbage bag.

The verdict? I remember once watching a documentary on creation. It was part of a series and I think that this particular video dealt with water or something like that. It explained that the only reason that ice could float is because when water freezes it actually expands. If it condensed it would sink. I recall finding it peculiar because I thought hot air expands and cold air contracts. But cold air I guess is generally less moist than warm air and has more of a tendency to withdraw moisture from objects. The video showed a time-lapse clip of a bottle of milk. As the milk froze its level raised and eventually removed the cork and crawled outside. The same thing happened with the cola except that it had no easy way out of the can so it eventually just burst the can. The force was apparently enough to open the box and throw the cans all over the back steps.

I know I exaggerated the situation somewhat but I found the whole thing pretty amusing and the basic story is true. Thank you for your time.

- Nathan Teal

Group Shot

I am copying Bethany by putting my family photo here. I feel yucky today and think its almost time for me to go to bed. Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow, but first I have to give my oldest son a hug and wish him well as he is leaving tomorrow morning. I'm not sure whether he likes Minnesota or not. I think he mostly misses his friends and family when he's away.