Two weeks ago I sprained my left ankle while running a 5K race, a little over a mile into the 3.1-mile distance. Large rock in the trail = Ouch. Note to self: when you sprain an ankle during a race, you don't have to finish the race. I stupidly walked and ran the remaining 2 miles.
So, thoughts:
--RICE really does work. Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Air casts and crutches are great, too. My bruising is almost gone and I have good range of motion. I should be back to walking for exercise in another week, and running a few weeks after that.
--The bruising on an ankle can be quite terrifying and spectacular.
--Using the little drivable scooter shopping carts in Walmart so that you don't have to walk is a fascinating experience. I've done it three times now. The first time I went, there were no scooters available in the entrance to the store, and when I saw a lady leaving one out in the parking lot, and began limping toward it, a VERY LARGE woman sprinted past me, jumped on it, and smugly started driving it toward the store. Call me crazy but if you can run to beat somebody to the scooter, you shouldn't be on the scooter. When you are driving a scooter, the majority of the other shoppers act like they simply could not care less that you are currently disabled or in pain and need some sympathy and for them to GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! This past Saturday I went, and since it was my third time on a scooter I must say my scooter-driving-skills are impressive. I don't bump anybody, or hit their carts, or sideswipe them, but I was sure tempted to do some of that when person after person would just stand right in the middle of the aisle talking to their friend or family member, completely ignoring me on the scooter. They should really put a horn on those things. Or increase their top speed to multiply the ramming potential.
--Being in pain all the time, even if it's mild and not excruciating pain, is tiring. For the past two weeks I have found myself feeling exhausted at the end of each day, and I think it's from the constant mild pain in my ankle and having to compensate with my right leg, as well as from using the crutches. It might also be because I have not been able to go running, and running (contrary to what many people believe) energizes and refreshes the body.
--Final thought: I'm going to take good care of my ankles from now on. It turns out they are an important joint for pretty much all of everyday life. Who knew.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Thoughts on Hurricane Matthew
Last Friday night, October 7th, was quite possibly the most frightening night of my life. As Hurricane Matthew barreled up the coast, we hunkered down in our living room.We had been in the "cone of uncertainty" for several days, but all the weather forecasts predicted that the storm would turn east and be pretty much a big nothing here in Savannah. Just a tropical storm, they said. Toward the end of the week they began telling people they could evacuate voluntarily, just in case. Then on Thursday it became a mandatory evacuation for certain parts of the county. We decided to stay because all of the forecasts continued to be favorable for us.
They were wrong. The storm did not turn east. It continued inexorably northward as the evening wore on. What had begun as an almost-pleasant rain and some wind earlier in the day became a torrential downpour and strong gusts. We watched the weather reports, tooled around online, talked, and drank coffee, expecting the storm to turn at any time. Soon it became apparent that this wouldn't happen. We stayed up later, hearing the wind howl. Our neighbor came over, freaked out because the pond that is about 30 or 40 yards behind our house was rising rapidly as the storm surge came in ahead of the Matthew, at high tide. This led to Eric (and a couple of times, Bobby and me, too) going out multiple times during the storm to check the pond. We began praying that our house would not flood. I even went and moved some picture albums up higher, onto my dresser, from the lower shelf where they usually reside. My stomach felt sick. By about 2:00 a.m., just after high tide, the pond was only a couple of feet from spilling over its banks. Eric checked it again at 3:00 and it had stabilized. At this point the rain slackened some (we found out later that Hunter Army Airfield received 17 inches in about a 12-hour period!) and the wind speed increased. Gust after gust sounded like it would tear off our roof. Several times we heard thumps outside. I curled up on our loveseat, and Mary was on our couch. Eric went and got in our bed, but I couldn't sleep in there. Bobby had gone to bed at about 2:00 a.m. and slept through the worst part of the storm. I prayed, then prayed, and prayed some more, asking God if it was His will to please spare our house from major damage, and to protect our loved ones, neighbors, and friends. I finally fell asleep at about 4:00 or 4:30 in the morning.
I woke up at about 7:00 a.m. and realized that the wind had died down significantly. It was raining lightly, and the cloudy sky was getting lighter. We still had a few bands of wind and rain come through that morning, but by afternoon it was cool and sunny as everybody started to clean up their yards. Our neighborhood looked like a green leaf monster had regurgitated all over everything. Small limbs and twigs were everywhere. Our house was plastered with tiny bits of green on the two sides that had faced the wind. Across the street, our neighbor's pine tree's top had cracked off and fallen on his yard. Further down the street many trees were down on a house's roof and deck, destroying the deck. The main road out of our neighborhood was blocked by two gigantic trees that had fallen across it. It was this way all over the city.
Our power was out until Monday night, about 65 hours total. Many friends of ours were without power for 5, 6, and even 7 days. For us, it wasn't that big of a deal. We own a camp stove and an old-fashioned stove-top coffee percolator. We had plenty of food and water, lanterns, flashlights, and batteries. But for some of our friends this storm was a big deal. One family had to be rescued in a boat during the storm as their house flooded. Another family had more than a dozen trees fall on their property, several on their house and garage. One man (whom we did not know) was killed here in Savannah when a tree fell on him in his bedroom. This storm has changed life for many residents.
What did I learn?
1. The Lord is near to us in times of distress. I could feel His presence during the storm, and He kept bringing various verses to mind to comfort me.
2. My kids play the piano a lot more when electronics are not an option.
3. It is strangely fun to camp out in your own home, with solid walls and a roof. It brought our family together. I think this is also a side-effect of going through something traumatic.
4. Next time we are in the cone of uncertainly I will evacuate, and to a pretty good distance away. A lot of people only went 30-50 miles inland to friends' houses, and they got really high winds and tree damage, too.
We are praying that Savannah will not get hit again with a storm like this for very long time.
They were wrong. The storm did not turn east. It continued inexorably northward as the evening wore on. What had begun as an almost-pleasant rain and some wind earlier in the day became a torrential downpour and strong gusts. We watched the weather reports, tooled around online, talked, and drank coffee, expecting the storm to turn at any time. Soon it became apparent that this wouldn't happen. We stayed up later, hearing the wind howl. Our neighbor came over, freaked out because the pond that is about 30 or 40 yards behind our house was rising rapidly as the storm surge came in ahead of the Matthew, at high tide. This led to Eric (and a couple of times, Bobby and me, too) going out multiple times during the storm to check the pond. We began praying that our house would not flood. I even went and moved some picture albums up higher, onto my dresser, from the lower shelf where they usually reside. My stomach felt sick. By about 2:00 a.m., just after high tide, the pond was only a couple of feet from spilling over its banks. Eric checked it again at 3:00 and it had stabilized. At this point the rain slackened some (we found out later that Hunter Army Airfield received 17 inches in about a 12-hour period!) and the wind speed increased. Gust after gust sounded like it would tear off our roof. Several times we heard thumps outside. I curled up on our loveseat, and Mary was on our couch. Eric went and got in our bed, but I couldn't sleep in there. Bobby had gone to bed at about 2:00 a.m. and slept through the worst part of the storm. I prayed, then prayed, and prayed some more, asking God if it was His will to please spare our house from major damage, and to protect our loved ones, neighbors, and friends. I finally fell asleep at about 4:00 or 4:30 in the morning.
I woke up at about 7:00 a.m. and realized that the wind had died down significantly. It was raining lightly, and the cloudy sky was getting lighter. We still had a few bands of wind and rain come through that morning, but by afternoon it was cool and sunny as everybody started to clean up their yards. Our neighborhood looked like a green leaf monster had regurgitated all over everything. Small limbs and twigs were everywhere. Our house was plastered with tiny bits of green on the two sides that had faced the wind. Across the street, our neighbor's pine tree's top had cracked off and fallen on his yard. Further down the street many trees were down on a house's roof and deck, destroying the deck. The main road out of our neighborhood was blocked by two gigantic trees that had fallen across it. It was this way all over the city.
Our power was out until Monday night, about 65 hours total. Many friends of ours were without power for 5, 6, and even 7 days. For us, it wasn't that big of a deal. We own a camp stove and an old-fashioned stove-top coffee percolator. We had plenty of food and water, lanterns, flashlights, and batteries. But for some of our friends this storm was a big deal. One family had to be rescued in a boat during the storm as their house flooded. Another family had more than a dozen trees fall on their property, several on their house and garage. One man (whom we did not know) was killed here in Savannah when a tree fell on him in his bedroom. This storm has changed life for many residents.
What did I learn?
1. The Lord is near to us in times of distress. I could feel His presence during the storm, and He kept bringing various verses to mind to comfort me.
2. My kids play the piano a lot more when electronics are not an option.
3. It is strangely fun to camp out in your own home, with solid walls and a roof. It brought our family together. I think this is also a side-effect of going through something traumatic.
4. Next time we are in the cone of uncertainly I will evacuate, and to a pretty good distance away. A lot of people only went 30-50 miles inland to friends' houses, and they got really high winds and tree damage, too.
We are praying that Savannah will not get hit again with a storm like this for very long time.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Life Changes Over the Last 1.5 Years
Last time I wrote on this blog was in January of 2015. Since then:
We completed our thirteenth year of homeschooling.
Mary graduated from high school.
Our daughter Caroline got married to Shane Farrar. (June 2015)
We completed our fourteenth and final year of homeschooling.
Caroline and Shane had a beautiful baby girl, Lisa Anne. (June 2016)
I lost about 30 more pounds.
Eric lost about 60 pounds.
I started running again.
I began teaching for a Christian college called Point University.
And many, many other life changes...
I don't know if anybody will even read this blog, but I'm going to start writing on it again, on a regular basis.
My biggest life changes in the last year or so have been becoming a grandma and being done with homeschooling. Our youngest, Bobby, is still a Senior in high school, but he is dual-enrolled in college for this year, so I no longer teach him any subjects at home. I have transitioned into working several part-time jobs that all add up to about 50 hours a week: teaching Spanish for Point University, keeping baby Lisa from 8:00-ish to 2:30 two days a week, teaching 14 piano and voice students out of my home, tutoring a few kids, teaching Chemistry at the homeschool co-op, and working a weekend or two a month for a catering company.
Being a grandma is pretty much the best thing, ever. It's so much fun playing with the baby and caring for her. She's a sweetheart! It's also nice to see what wonderful parents Caroline and Shane are. They are doing a wonderful job with the baby. It makes me proud.
Okay, so onward and upward....I have a few posts to write. I'll be staying away from politics, but otherwise I'll be giving my thoughts on a lot of different topics.
Let's see how this goes....
We completed our thirteenth year of homeschooling.
Mary graduated from high school.
Our daughter Caroline got married to Shane Farrar. (June 2015)
We completed our fourteenth and final year of homeschooling.
Caroline and Shane had a beautiful baby girl, Lisa Anne. (June 2016)
I lost about 30 more pounds.
Eric lost about 60 pounds.
I started running again.
I began teaching for a Christian college called Point University.
And many, many other life changes...
I don't know if anybody will even read this blog, but I'm going to start writing on it again, on a regular basis.
My biggest life changes in the last year or so have been becoming a grandma and being done with homeschooling. Our youngest, Bobby, is still a Senior in high school, but he is dual-enrolled in college for this year, so I no longer teach him any subjects at home. I have transitioned into working several part-time jobs that all add up to about 50 hours a week: teaching Spanish for Point University, keeping baby Lisa from 8:00-ish to 2:30 two days a week, teaching 14 piano and voice students out of my home, tutoring a few kids, teaching Chemistry at the homeschool co-op, and working a weekend or two a month for a catering company.
Being a grandma is pretty much the best thing, ever. It's so much fun playing with the baby and caring for her. She's a sweetheart! It's also nice to see what wonderful parents Caroline and Shane are. They are doing a wonderful job with the baby. It makes me proud.
Okay, so onward and upward....I have a few posts to write. I'll be staying away from politics, but otherwise I'll be giving my thoughts on a lot of different topics.
Let's see how this goes....
Wednesday, January 07, 2015
Homeschooling, Year 13
This is our thirteenth year of homeschooling. We began when Caroline was in the 3rd grade and Mary was in Kindergarten. Now Caroline is a college graduate, as of December 13th, and Mary is a Senior in high school and taking college courses, too. Bobby is in the 10th grade, and will most likely take a college course or two next year. That makes this my last year of full-time homeschooling. It's a very strange feeling to look back at the years gone by and see just how fast they flew. Even weirder is the feeling I get as I look ahead, realizing that in about two and a half years I will no longer be a homeschooling mom.
Caroline graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Criminal Justice. She did it in three and ahalf years, and I'm so proud of her! She worked hard at her academics, and worked equally hard at her job at Chick-fil-A during the whole time she was in school. Now she has transitioned into working nearly-full-time at the restaurant while pondering whether or not to seek a job with her degree. She is planning her June 6th wedding to Shane Farrar. Or maybe I should say "we" are planning because I don't want her to have to do it all by herself!
Mary is taking three college courses each semester this year. There is a program in Georgia called Dual-Enrollment through the state university system. Since Armstrong State University is about ten minutes away from our house, it makes sense for her to go there. Student who score high enough on their SAT can take up to three courses each semester. She could have started doing this her junior year, but she really didn't want to. Last school year she just took one course, College Algebra. This year she took three courses first semester along with studying Advanced Biology: Human Anatomy and Physiology at home. At Armstrong she took Pre-Calculus, Civilization I, and Intro to Psychology. I'm happy to report she got As in all three! This coming semester she'll be taking Civ II, Intro to Sociology, and English 1101 (a required Freshman English course.) She wants to be a Physical Therapist, and Armstrong has a really good Rehabilitation Sciences major and then a doctoral program in PT, so she has set her sights high. Also, in addition to playing the piano, she has taken up the violin (as of summer 2013) and is progressing nicely with that.
Bobby is studying Teaching Textbooks Algebra 2, Bob Jones University Press World History, BJUP British Literature, my co-op class on Advanced Composition, Apologia Biology, Switched-on-Schoolhouse Health and S.O.S. Physical Fitness this year. He's doing very well in everything! He's also learning to play the piano now.
As the kids have gotten older homeschooling has gotten easier in a lot of ways and harder in others.
It's easier because they are much more self-motivated and do not require much assistance with the actual work. With Mary this year I have only had to help when she has asked me to assist her in studying for exams in her college classes or in reviewing her science with her before a test here at home. Bobby, too, does not need me to help him understand things very much any more, with the exception of the occasional math problem. It's also easier because we've been homeschooling for so long that many things are now habitual and ingrained, so we aren't having to reinvent the wheel.
It's harder because we have to keep track of all the requirements they need for graduation here in Georgia, and we have to be thinking ahead to their college years, to be sure we're not missing anything.
I praise God that things are going well academically for us this year, and pray that we will continue to enjoy our school year!
Caroline graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Criminal Justice. She did it in three and ahalf years, and I'm so proud of her! She worked hard at her academics, and worked equally hard at her job at Chick-fil-A during the whole time she was in school. Now she has transitioned into working nearly-full-time at the restaurant while pondering whether or not to seek a job with her degree. She is planning her June 6th wedding to Shane Farrar. Or maybe I should say "we" are planning because I don't want her to have to do it all by herself!
Mary is taking three college courses each semester this year. There is a program in Georgia called Dual-Enrollment through the state university system. Since Armstrong State University is about ten minutes away from our house, it makes sense for her to go there. Student who score high enough on their SAT can take up to three courses each semester. She could have started doing this her junior year, but she really didn't want to. Last school year she just took one course, College Algebra. This year she took three courses first semester along with studying Advanced Biology: Human Anatomy and Physiology at home. At Armstrong she took Pre-Calculus, Civilization I, and Intro to Psychology. I'm happy to report she got As in all three! This coming semester she'll be taking Civ II, Intro to Sociology, and English 1101 (a required Freshman English course.) She wants to be a Physical Therapist, and Armstrong has a really good Rehabilitation Sciences major and then a doctoral program in PT, so she has set her sights high. Also, in addition to playing the piano, she has taken up the violin (as of summer 2013) and is progressing nicely with that.
Bobby is studying Teaching Textbooks Algebra 2, Bob Jones University Press World History, BJUP British Literature, my co-op class on Advanced Composition, Apologia Biology, Switched-on-Schoolhouse Health and S.O.S. Physical Fitness this year. He's doing very well in everything! He's also learning to play the piano now.
As the kids have gotten older homeschooling has gotten easier in a lot of ways and harder in others.
It's easier because they are much more self-motivated and do not require much assistance with the actual work. With Mary this year I have only had to help when she has asked me to assist her in studying for exams in her college classes or in reviewing her science with her before a test here at home. Bobby, too, does not need me to help him understand things very much any more, with the exception of the occasional math problem. It's also easier because we've been homeschooling for so long that many things are now habitual and ingrained, so we aren't having to reinvent the wheel.
It's harder because we have to keep track of all the requirements they need for graduation here in Georgia, and we have to be thinking ahead to their college years, to be sure we're not missing anything.
I praise God that things are going well academically for us this year, and pray that we will continue to enjoy our school year!
Thursday, December 04, 2014
Life Marches Inexorably On...
I haven't written on here in a over a year and a half. I don't know if anybody will even read this, but I suddenly felt the urge to write again. The last year has been fairly normal for us, with a few exciting things happening:
Caroline got engaged and will be getting married next June. She's graduating from college in a little over a week.
Mary began dual-enrolling in college, taking one course last year during her junior year in high school, and now three courses a semester this year. She will graduate from high school next May. She also started learning how to play the violin a little over a year ago, and is doing well with it.
Bobby grew about five inches and is now taller than all three of us girls. He likes this.
Eric is still working at JCB, and I'm still homeschooling, teaching piano, tutoring, and teaching at the homeschool co-op.
Eric edited a book for which he wrote two chapters, and I wrote one, and it was published two days ago. We are excited about this.
Caroline got engaged and will be getting married next June. She's graduating from college in a little over a week.
Mary began dual-enrolling in college, taking one course last year during her junior year in high school, and now three courses a semester this year. She will graduate from high school next May. She also started learning how to play the violin a little over a year ago, and is doing well with it.
Bobby grew about five inches and is now taller than all three of us girls. He likes this.
Eric is still working at JCB, and I'm still homeschooling, teaching piano, tutoring, and teaching at the homeschool co-op.
Eric edited a book for which he wrote two chapters, and I wrote one, and it was published two days ago. We are excited about this.
Overall we are doing well, and I plan to get back into writing on here at least once a week. My next post will be about this school year and how our homeschooling is changing now that we are nearing the end.
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
She adopted us....
Finally, I took her back to her new owners' house and talked to the lady, Tranna. She told me that the other three cats there, including Tia's sister Kia, had ganged up on her in a fight, so Tia didn't like living there any more. That explains why, as I got about one house away from Tranna's, Tia started squirming, growling, and generally expressing her displeasure. I left her there anyway, figuring that it wasn't my problem.
Guess who showed up back at our house the next day? She apparently decided that we are, indeed, "her people." She won't go away. We have started feeding her. Now I have to go talk to Tranna again to find out her veterinary information and let her know we'll take over ownership.
We know Tia really loves us because she has brought us two dead lizards now as offerings. Um, yeah.
Friday, April 19, 2013
I failed at writing every day.
And that's okay. I just didn't have the time each day to sit down and write. Life is too busy right now as we approach the end of our school year.
More later.
More later.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
I haven't written in over a week...
...because I've just been too tired, and had nothing to write about. Well, that's not really totally true. The being-too-tired part is, but not the nothing-to-write-about thing. I have so many things that race through my mind each day, but finding time to sit down and actually address them in writing is nearly impossible. I would say I've had nothing to write about when I've had the five or ten minutes to sit down and stare at the "New Post" screen. There's honesty.
This week I'm going to try just writing a little bit each day.
Yesterday I was out of the house for most of the day, which I don't like to do on a Saturday. I really need to clean the house! From 8:30 to 12:30 Mary and I were gone to an American Heritage Girls event. We got home, ate lunch, and then I had to go get a few groceries to last until tomorrow afternoon when I can do a big grocery shopping trip. At 2:30 we had to leave to go down to the Historic District so Mary could participate in a scavenger hunt with our homeschool support group's high school group. The mom who organized it used a local company that sets up scavenger hunts in one area of the Historic District. There were about 16 kids there, and they all had a blast. Mary wound up on a team with 3 teens she didn't know, but that didn't phase her. She made three new friends, and their team won!
During the scavenger hunt my friend Cindy, (whose son Aaron is Mary's age and also went on the scavenger hunt) and I went to Panera and hung out having a cinnamon crunch bagel with honey-walnut cream cheese, chai tea, and excellent conversation. She's always so much fun to be around, and we talk about everything together. I usually talk to her on the phone every couple of days, anyway, but it was nice to have about an hour and a half to just sit, have a yummy snack, and discuss life. The weather was gorgeous, there were tourists everywhere, and I was impressed again with what a blessing it is to live in such a beautiful city.
Once Mary and I got home I had to make supper, clean up from supper, and then prepare to make food this morning for our fellowship.
Tonight I still have to write up Mary and Bobby's schedule of lessons for the week. So off I go.
This week I'm going to try just writing a little bit each day.
Yesterday I was out of the house for most of the day, which I don't like to do on a Saturday. I really need to clean the house! From 8:30 to 12:30 Mary and I were gone to an American Heritage Girls event. We got home, ate lunch, and then I had to go get a few groceries to last until tomorrow afternoon when I can do a big grocery shopping trip. At 2:30 we had to leave to go down to the Historic District so Mary could participate in a scavenger hunt with our homeschool support group's high school group. The mom who organized it used a local company that sets up scavenger hunts in one area of the Historic District. There were about 16 kids there, and they all had a blast. Mary wound up on a team with 3 teens she didn't know, but that didn't phase her. She made three new friends, and their team won!
During the scavenger hunt my friend Cindy, (whose son Aaron is Mary's age and also went on the scavenger hunt) and I went to Panera and hung out having a cinnamon crunch bagel with honey-walnut cream cheese, chai tea, and excellent conversation. She's always so much fun to be around, and we talk about everything together. I usually talk to her on the phone every couple of days, anyway, but it was nice to have about an hour and a half to just sit, have a yummy snack, and discuss life. The weather was gorgeous, there were tourists everywhere, and I was impressed again with what a blessing it is to live in such a beautiful city.
Once Mary and I got home I had to make supper, clean up from supper, and then prepare to make food this morning for our fellowship.
Tonight I still have to write up Mary and Bobby's schedule of lessons for the week. So off I go.
Thursday, April 04, 2013
I Bought a Mango....
...in the grocery store today. I couldn't help it. It was overpriced and not very fresh, but when I picked it up and smelled it, it smelled like my childhood. In my mind I was in my backyard playing with the sun shining warm and bright, the lush tropical trees and flowers all around. I used to swing and sing on a swing someone, probably my dad, had set up right next to our neighbor's fence. To my right was a hibiscus bush. To my front and left a banana plant and other greenery, and further ahead to my right, and over the neighbor's fence, was a mango tree. It dropped huge mangoes in our yard, which we were free to enjoy.
It's funny how a smell can evoke a complex memory that way.
I had to buy the mango.
It's funny how a smell can evoke a complex memory that way.
I had to buy the mango.
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
The Prayers of a Righteous Man (or Woman)
Yesterday afternoon when my first piano student arrived I was feeling pretty stressed. I have been battling iron-deficiency anemia for several months now, and had an allergic reaction in February to the iron supplements my doctor prescribed, so I've been trying to concentrate on eating lots of iron-rich foods. Last month my hemoglobin was a 12.1, which is just above the low end of the normal range for a woman my age. I've been eating lean red meat, spinach, cream of wheat, and other iron-rich foods, but yesterday when I had my hemoglobin checked it was only 10.3. So, now I have an appointment next week to discuss this with my doctor. I'm feeling tired, stressed, and completely without energy. Exercising makes it worse.
On top of all of this, I got a call from Dustin at the automotive shop that has Caroline's car, saying that the head gasket is fixed ($1700) but that the car appears to have some sort of electrical problem, and could I please authorize some labor hours for them to find the source of the problem.
Me: "How many hours are you talking about here?" (labor is $80 an hour)
Dustin: "I don't know...we might find it in an hour, or it could be two or three."
Me: "Ummm......so maybe $80, and maybe $240?"
I called Eric at work to discuss it, and he said to give them the go-ahead. We don't really have a choice here; Caroline needs to have a car to go to college and her two part-time jobs. If she uses my van it leaves the rest of us at home with no way to drive anywhere if there is an emergency, or if we have a doctor or dentist or optical shop or any other sort of appointment.
Trusting God to provide for our needs, and that He has a plan in mind, is just so hard for me sometimes. Yesterday He provided me with two people who helped me put things in perspective.
First, Eric reminded me that he would be praying for me and for the whole situation as he worked. He also reminded me about Job and all he went through; we haven't experienced anything like that, and I pray the Lord will spare us from such great suffering. Eric also reminded me of just how amazingly God has provided for us in the past. I need to trust Him to do so again.
My other encouragement came from my first piano student's mom, Melissa. She is a sister in Christ, and when she asked me "How are you doing?" I decided to be honest instead of just saying "Fine." So I shared my struggles, doubts, and exhaustion with her, and she listened patiently. And then she went one step further. When I said "whoops, look at the time, I need to start teaching him!" she stopped me and said "First, I'm going to pray with you." I don't remember all her words, but I do know that she put her arms around me and talked to God on my behalf, asking for His intervention and grace in my life. What a blessing to have friends like her! She even texted me later in the evening to see how I was doing. Thank God for friends who love the Lord and who lift each other up to Him in times of trial.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 ESV)
On top of all of this, I got a call from Dustin at the automotive shop that has Caroline's car, saying that the head gasket is fixed ($1700) but that the car appears to have some sort of electrical problem, and could I please authorize some labor hours for them to find the source of the problem.
Me: "How many hours are you talking about here?" (labor is $80 an hour)
Dustin: "I don't know...we might find it in an hour, or it could be two or three."
Me: "Ummm......so maybe $80, and maybe $240?"
I called Eric at work to discuss it, and he said to give them the go-ahead. We don't really have a choice here; Caroline needs to have a car to go to college and her two part-time jobs. If she uses my van it leaves the rest of us at home with no way to drive anywhere if there is an emergency, or if we have a doctor or dentist or optical shop or any other sort of appointment.
Trusting God to provide for our needs, and that He has a plan in mind, is just so hard for me sometimes. Yesterday He provided me with two people who helped me put things in perspective.
First, Eric reminded me that he would be praying for me and for the whole situation as he worked. He also reminded me about Job and all he went through; we haven't experienced anything like that, and I pray the Lord will spare us from such great suffering. Eric also reminded me of just how amazingly God has provided for us in the past. I need to trust Him to do so again.
My other encouragement came from my first piano student's mom, Melissa. She is a sister in Christ, and when she asked me "How are you doing?" I decided to be honest instead of just saying "Fine." So I shared my struggles, doubts, and exhaustion with her, and she listened patiently. And then she went one step further. When I said "whoops, look at the time, I need to start teaching him!" she stopped me and said "First, I'm going to pray with you." I don't remember all her words, but I do know that she put her arms around me and talked to God on my behalf, asking for His intervention and grace in my life. What a blessing to have friends like her! She even texted me later in the evening to see how I was doing. Thank God for friends who love the Lord and who lift each other up to Him in times of trial.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 ESV)
Monday, April 01, 2013
Monday, Monday...
We are all back to work today after a nice relaxing weekend and a bit of a break all last week for Mary, Bobby, and me. Eric is at JCB working, Caroline is at the Chatham County Courthouse working, and Mary and Bobby and I are working at home. It's a dark-cloud-and-thunderstorms kind of day here, so here is a picture to cheer me up:
On the bright side of things, we're entering the home-stretch of our school year, with about seven or eight weeks left, depending on how motivated the kids are to finish up their various subjects. As they finish up one subject they can begin doubling up on others, which hastens the end of the school year. Did that make sense? For example, Mary has worked hard on her American Literature this year, and only has about two weeks more of work. Once she's done with that she can do twice as much of her American History every day, thus finishing it much sooner. We should be completely done with school by the middle of May, or at the end of May at the very latest. Bobby has already completed his history for the year, so he has more time to work on his other subjects, too.
I'm looking forward to summer break.
On the bright side of things, we're entering the home-stretch of our school year, with about seven or eight weeks left, depending on how motivated the kids are to finish up their various subjects. As they finish up one subject they can begin doubling up on others, which hastens the end of the school year. Did that make sense? For example, Mary has worked hard on her American Literature this year, and only has about two weeks more of work. Once she's done with that she can do twice as much of her American History every day, thus finishing it much sooner. We should be completely done with school by the middle of May, or at the end of May at the very latest. Bobby has already completed his history for the year, so he has more time to work on his other subjects, too.
I'm looking forward to summer break.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Christians on Social Media
Easter is one of the two times of the year when most Christians post overtly Christian things on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media; the other time is, of course, Christmastime. I'm not even sure how to put my thoughts into words about this topic, but I'm going to try.
I don't think there is anything wrong with posting pictures of the cross, verses, hymn lyrics, words of praise and thanks for Christ's death and resurrection now at Easter time, or all of the relevant things at Christmas: mangers, angels, baby Jesus, wise men, shepherds, and all the pertinent Scripture. I'm not bothered by anybody posting those things; it's nice to be edified by seeing other believers share their thoughts. What I wonder is: Why do Christians post all of those things for about two weeks, or less, out of the year, but then seem to ignore them the rest of the year? Sure, there are a few people who post Scripture verses on a regular basis, or who reference the Lord in their status updates, but the emphasis on Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection only happens twice a year. The rest of the time it seems that most Christians on various social media don't refer to their beliefs much, if at all. The impression the rest of the world gets is that Christianity only matters at these two major holidays.
Shouldn't we be celebrating Christ's death and resurrection on a daily basis? Isn't that the gospel? That Jesus Christ died for our sins, was laid in a tomb, and on the third day ROSE FROM THE DEAD? This is what we are to be preaching to the world on a regular basis, not just once a year. I am resolving to post something about the resurrection on a weekly basis on Facebook this year. Maybe somebody will ask why I'm posting about it, since it won't be at Easter, and I'll have the opportunity to share the gospel with them, the gospel that is for all days, not just one weekend a year.
I don't think there is anything wrong with posting pictures of the cross, verses, hymn lyrics, words of praise and thanks for Christ's death and resurrection now at Easter time, or all of the relevant things at Christmas: mangers, angels, baby Jesus, wise men, shepherds, and all the pertinent Scripture. I'm not bothered by anybody posting those things; it's nice to be edified by seeing other believers share their thoughts. What I wonder is: Why do Christians post all of those things for about two weeks, or less, out of the year, but then seem to ignore them the rest of the year? Sure, there are a few people who post Scripture verses on a regular basis, or who reference the Lord in their status updates, but the emphasis on Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection only happens twice a year. The rest of the time it seems that most Christians on various social media don't refer to their beliefs much, if at all. The impression the rest of the world gets is that Christianity only matters at these two major holidays.
Shouldn't we be celebrating Christ's death and resurrection on a daily basis? Isn't that the gospel? That Jesus Christ died for our sins, was laid in a tomb, and on the third day ROSE FROM THE DEAD? This is what we are to be preaching to the world on a regular basis, not just once a year. I am resolving to post something about the resurrection on a weekly basis on Facebook this year. Maybe somebody will ask why I'm posting about it, since it won't be at Easter, and I'll have the opportunity to share the gospel with them, the gospel that is for all days, not just one weekend a year.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Sometimes Things Happen....
Caroline's car blew its head gasket. This is an example of the things that happen in life that just really smack you up-side the head. Sometimes I want to say "Okay, Lord, I get it. We have to trust You and only You." But it must be that I haven't really arrived yet spiritually, because He keeps testing and then showing His faithfulness. We have all stayed calm with this one and are in the process of figuring out how to pay for the repair. The Lord has always provided for our family, so I know He will provide now.
On a positive note, the two younger kids and I are taking a bit of a break this week, since we don't have co-op on Friday. I'm having them do math every day, but nothing else. I spent most of Monday dealing with Caroline's car, but today I was able to do some house cleaning and organizing. I'm still teaching piano this week, so it's not really a total break.
Next week I'm starting a brand new piano student, a little girl whose older brother has been my student for two and a half years. That should be fun.
More from the still-cold-and-wintry South, later.
On a positive note, the two younger kids and I are taking a bit of a break this week, since we don't have co-op on Friday. I'm having them do math every day, but nothing else. I spent most of Monday dealing with Caroline's car, but today I was able to do some house cleaning and organizing. I'm still teaching piano this week, so it's not really a total break.
Next week I'm starting a brand new piano student, a little girl whose older brother has been my student for two and a half years. That should be fun.
More from the still-cold-and-wintry South, later.
Friday, March 22, 2013
On Being a Grammar Cop...
Today in my Spanish 2 class I heard a student say "Me and Jordan....." It really bugs me when people use incorrect grammar. I try not to let it, but it does. As a former English teacher I have to bite my tongue and just let it go when people abuse our beautiful, wonderful, versatile language. I think I need the T-shirt I saw once online with this printed on it: Warning: I'm mentally correcting your grammar as you speak. Or.....maybe I just need to stop worrying about it.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Still Recovering
In my last post, We Survived Camping, I touched briefly on the subject of my difficulty actually sleeping in a sleeping bag on the ground. Even with two foam pads and an extra sleeping bag under me, I had a lot of trouble getting sleep. Two nights of tossing and turning cramped up in a sleeping bag left me with a considerable sleep deficit and an aching lower back and hips. I'm still recovering from that. Even though the last three nights I've been in my own comfy bed, sleeping seven or eight hours a night, I still feel tired and achy. The older I get the longer it takes me to bounce back from losing sleep. I really need to figure out something different for our next camping trip.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
We Survived Camping!
Mary and I got back about an hour and a half ago from our camping trip. It was a great weekend, but I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own comfortable bed tonight instead of in a sleeping bag on a tent floor. I've been unpacking and putting things away ever since we got home, and still have a few loads of laundry to do, but I decided to take a break and write. Here is how the weekend went:
We left immediately after our homeschool co-op on Friday, which gets out at 2:30, and came home to finish packing the van. Our goal was to leave the house at 4:00, and we pulled out at 4:03. Yay.
We had Mary's friend Kylynn with us, who is also part of the AHG troop. Another young lady was supposed to be with us, but she was sick. We stopped for gasoline and snacks, then hit the road. At about 5:45 we arrived at Black Creek Scout Reservation, the local Boy Scout council's camping area. It's a beautiful facility that is still under development and construction. It has a small lake, tent camping areas, and a swimming area that is still not finished (and in any case, it wasn't warm enough to swim yet.) It even has an excellent bathroom building with 12 individual bathrooms with toilet, sink, and shower! All the comforts of home, which we don't always get on AHG campouts. (Sometimes we have to use pit toilet/outhouse things...)
We set up our tents and kitchen gear, and got acquainted with the campsite. By the way, scout rules are that a parent cannot sleep in a tent with a child who is not related to them, so we had to take two tents. Mary, Kylynn, and a couple of other girls who had come with their dads all slept in our family's big tent, and I slept in our little tent by myself. A perfect setup, in my opinion! The girls were a huge help setting up the tents since by now they are old hands at it.
We went on to have a wonderful time. The weather was perfect; it was in the 70s during the day and down into the 50s at night. It didn't rain at all, there was a nice breeze, and it was sunny and warm enough that some of us got pink on our noses and cheeks! We did a lot of walking around the lake, exploring, cooking yummy meals, hanging out with friends (I had several homeschool-mom-friends who were there) and sitting around campfires. The girls made s'mores each night; well, actually, Mary doesn't eat s'mores but she hung out with all the girls while they made them. She and her friends also spent hours playing games and laughing. I got to meet several homeschool moms I had never met before because along with our American Heritage troop, the Boy Scout troop and Cub Scout pack were camping, too, and I didn't know some of the moms. There were about 75 people, total, so it was a large group!
I love everything about camping except the sleeping bag part. And before you ask, yes, we own an air mattress, but #1) it's a double-bed size and won't fit in our little tent, and #2) it has a leak and you wind up on the ground anyway. This time I took two foam mats and an extra sleeping bag, but still had trouble with back and hip pain each morning. Also, I tend to sleep on my stomach with one knee up, or on my side, rolling back and forth during the night; both are nearly impossible in a sleeping bag.
Sleeping difficulties aside, I love being out in the fresh air (as long as I've taken my allergy meds,) cooking on a camp stove or over a fire, sitting around with friends talking and laughing, walking in the woods or around a lake, playing games, singing, and everything else that goes along with camping. This morning our Pioneer/Patriot unit (the girls I help lead) assisted in leading the whole group in "Holy, Holy, Holy," "Amazing Grace," and "And, Can it Be?" during the worship time.
So we had a nice weekend, although we missed Eric, Caroline, and Bobby. We're glad to be home!
We left immediately after our homeschool co-op on Friday, which gets out at 2:30, and came home to finish packing the van. Our goal was to leave the house at 4:00, and we pulled out at 4:03. Yay.
We had Mary's friend Kylynn with us, who is also part of the AHG troop. Another young lady was supposed to be with us, but she was sick. We stopped for gasoline and snacks, then hit the road. At about 5:45 we arrived at Black Creek Scout Reservation, the local Boy Scout council's camping area. It's a beautiful facility that is still under development and construction. It has a small lake, tent camping areas, and a swimming area that is still not finished (and in any case, it wasn't warm enough to swim yet.) It even has an excellent bathroom building with 12 individual bathrooms with toilet, sink, and shower! All the comforts of home, which we don't always get on AHG campouts. (Sometimes we have to use pit toilet/outhouse things...)
We set up our tents and kitchen gear, and got acquainted with the campsite. By the way, scout rules are that a parent cannot sleep in a tent with a child who is not related to them, so we had to take two tents. Mary, Kylynn, and a couple of other girls who had come with their dads all slept in our family's big tent, and I slept in our little tent by myself. A perfect setup, in my opinion! The girls were a huge help setting up the tents since by now they are old hands at it.
We went on to have a wonderful time. The weather was perfect; it was in the 70s during the day and down into the 50s at night. It didn't rain at all, there was a nice breeze, and it was sunny and warm enough that some of us got pink on our noses and cheeks! We did a lot of walking around the lake, exploring, cooking yummy meals, hanging out with friends (I had several homeschool-mom-friends who were there) and sitting around campfires. The girls made s'mores each night; well, actually, Mary doesn't eat s'mores but she hung out with all the girls while they made them. She and her friends also spent hours playing games and laughing. I got to meet several homeschool moms I had never met before because along with our American Heritage troop, the Boy Scout troop and Cub Scout pack were camping, too, and I didn't know some of the moms. There were about 75 people, total, so it was a large group!
I love everything about camping except the sleeping bag part. And before you ask, yes, we own an air mattress, but #1) it's a double-bed size and won't fit in our little tent, and #2) it has a leak and you wind up on the ground anyway. This time I took two foam mats and an extra sleeping bag, but still had trouble with back and hip pain each morning. Also, I tend to sleep on my stomach with one knee up, or on my side, rolling back and forth during the night; both are nearly impossible in a sleeping bag.
Sleeping difficulties aside, I love being out in the fresh air (as long as I've taken my allergy meds,) cooking on a camp stove or over a fire, sitting around with friends talking and laughing, walking in the woods or around a lake, playing games, singing, and everything else that goes along with camping. This morning our Pioneer/Patriot unit (the girls I help lead) assisted in leading the whole group in "Holy, Holy, Holy," "Amazing Grace," and "And, Can it Be?" during the worship time.
So we had a nice weekend, although we missed Eric, Caroline, and Bobby. We're glad to be home!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Time for Bed
I got almost everything done today. Things actually went very well all day long, thanks to the Lord's wonderful grace and mercy, and the blessings He has given me in my husband and kids. The only thing I didn't manage to do yet is pack my clothing; I can do that in the morning before co-op. Cooking, cleaning, schooling, teaching lessons, grocery shopping, loading up the van with camping gear, packing food and cooking gear, and even the laundry are all completed. Eric and the kids helped a lot. Oh, and I prepared to teach tomorrow, too.
I just remembered another thing I didn't have time to do: write up next week's lesson plans. Not a big deal; I got all of their lessons from today graded, so I'll just do the plans Sunday evening or better yet, early Monday morning.
Please pray for me, if you read this, as I drive to the camping area tomorrow and set up two tents. It's not my favorite thing to do.
If any of you prayed for Caroline, thank you. She is starting to feel better.
Off to bed.
I just remembered another thing I didn't have time to do: write up next week's lesson plans. Not a big deal; I got all of their lessons from today graded, so I'll just do the plans Sunday evening or better yet, early Monday morning.
Please pray for me, if you read this, as I drive to the camping area tomorrow and set up two tents. It's not my favorite thing to do.
If any of you prayed for Caroline, thank you. She is starting to feel better.
Off to bed.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Too Many Things to Do
Yesterday was a much better day weather-wise here in Savannah. It was sunny and breezy, and fairly warm. Last night it went down into the 30s and today is supposed to be cooler, but still sunny. I can handle this sort of weather!
I really want to make a habit of writing something every day, but it doesn't seem like a realistic goal. I simply have too many things to do each day to be able to carve out the time to sit down and write. Even now, I should be doing other things which I am neglecting to be able to write this. I need to figure out how to have guilt-free blogging time.
Today my to-do list is extensive since Mary and I are going camping this weekend with her American Heritage Girls troop. Here's my list:
1. Homeschool Mary and Bobby, making sure they are prepared for all their co-op classes tomorrow. Grade all of their daily work today, and write lesson plans for next week. I could put off the lesson-planning until Sunday night, but I'll probably be too tired.
2. Prepare to teach my two classes at the co-op tomorrow. This one is mostly done already!
3. Keep the house clean.
4. Cook meals. Assign clean-up duties in the kitchen.
5. Teach piano for two and a half hours.
6. Go shopping for the all the food for the campout, as well as easy-to-fix food for the rest of the family to eat while we are gone.
7. Laundry. (that's an every-day thing!)
8. Get all the camping gear out of the shed and load it in the van.
9. Pack up the food and all other needed items for camping in big Rubbermaid containers.
10. Pack my own clothing, etc. for camping; be sure Mary packs hers.
I hope I haven't forgotten anything. Also, let me admit that my children will help with a lot of these, and Eric will help with the camping gear when he gets home from work. I'm not a one-woman show; my family is wonderfully willing to assist in all these duties. But I'm the organizer and director, so I have to keep the list in mind.
One other thing: my oldest is suffering with a bad head cold. If you read this please pray for her. She's pretty miserable.
Off I go. I'll write later about how it all worked out.
I really want to make a habit of writing something every day, but it doesn't seem like a realistic goal. I simply have too many things to do each day to be able to carve out the time to sit down and write. Even now, I should be doing other things which I am neglecting to be able to write this. I need to figure out how to have guilt-free blogging time.
Today my to-do list is extensive since Mary and I are going camping this weekend with her American Heritage Girls troop. Here's my list:
1. Homeschool Mary and Bobby, making sure they are prepared for all their co-op classes tomorrow. Grade all of their daily work today, and write lesson plans for next week. I could put off the lesson-planning until Sunday night, but I'll probably be too tired.
2. Prepare to teach my two classes at the co-op tomorrow. This one is mostly done already!
3. Keep the house clean.
4. Cook meals. Assign clean-up duties in the kitchen.
5. Teach piano for two and a half hours.
6. Go shopping for the all the food for the campout, as well as easy-to-fix food for the rest of the family to eat while we are gone.
7. Laundry. (that's an every-day thing!)
8. Get all the camping gear out of the shed and load it in the van.
9. Pack up the food and all other needed items for camping in big Rubbermaid containers.
10. Pack my own clothing, etc. for camping; be sure Mary packs hers.
I hope I haven't forgotten anything. Also, let me admit that my children will help with a lot of these, and Eric will help with the camping gear when he gets home from work. I'm not a one-woman show; my family is wonderfully willing to assist in all these duties. But I'm the organizer and director, so I have to keep the list in mind.
One other thing: my oldest is suffering with a bad head cold. If you read this please pray for her. She's pretty miserable.
Off I go. I'll write later about how it all worked out.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Gray Day
My solution? Open up the front door. We have azaleas blooming by our front door...
...and our neighbor across the street has more:
Even on such a dreary day these promises of Spring can cheer the heart and lighten the mood.
Now I just need to play some nice music on either my CD player or on Pandora...
Monday, March 11, 2013
Fighting something off...
Yesterday my husband felt sick all day (stomach issues) and now today both girls and I have been fighting something off. Not fun.
I'll be back on here tomorrow. Time to get some sleep.
I'll be back on here tomorrow. Time to get some sleep.
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