Friday, February 4, 2011

February Friday, Whew...

    Finally it's Friday. Oh my, has it been a week of trying. Testing really could be said.

We had a different Monday, and then Tuesday I think was a blur,
 and Wednesday we had to get a birthday card ready for a Thursday evening dinner with daddy.


So today after tests and struggles of being with daddy last night and getting ready to get going to his house again for the weekend, OH MY......



WE made it with putting a Rain Forest puzzle together at almost the end of the day.





 And now I am relaxing and dreaming of the things I will possibly do this weekend.
Clean house, :(

Pull weeds, :(
 although it could be good to get out if it is not to cold.

Rearrange the spare apt, that was our original classroom, (before it got too cold).

Read, and read some more,

Do my woman's bible study, ; /

Sew....   :)

Lot's of options and everything really could use a touch, of something.
I guess I'll wait to see what the morning brings and decide then.

Until then, I think I'll continue to relax.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Why I live here

               I live where we do, because I do not like to be cold.





Because it almost always is sunny, at least part of the day,

Because I need sun shine,

because I like to have green plants almost all year around,

because I like to drive with out ice on the roads, and
because the mountains and the beach are about the same distance away and I can see the mountains with the snow on them without having to go there.


Because there are fewer bugs here, that fly around your head or crawl between your toes, or sneak in your bed.

Because I don't want toads on my porch swing, or snakes in my pool.

because I need Sunshine, and Because I do not like to be cold.

       Today, I had to go outside and sit in a lawn chair in the sunshine to be warm, cause my house was cooler than I wanted to be. 

But it was great outside and that is where we did better in school today.


Monday, January 31, 2011

No Bath Monday

                 It was a different kind of a Monday, not like most we experience here @everest ranch. We had are bible devotional time, with mom on the side listening. We didn't take our ever cleansing, over all rejuvenating, iniquity relieving, bath.(This is some of the most needed stuff on a Monday morning).

           We jumped right in and began even while mom was still here. But it was not the best day, just
different.
          Why you might ask. I was able to sew while the little one was doing Handwriting and Math. Yes, I was sewing on my never ending scrappy quilt that I have been working on for months.
Today I was able to sew strips together for four patches. Maybe, some day I will be able to do some more, while being a home school teacher again.

          Piano lesson two was today also and she was ready, Yeah!

  It was a good Monday, but I wonder what a refreshing bath would have done for her?

Friday, January 28, 2011

Sound of Music

            Today was one of the besets homeschool days yet.



    We went to see the play, "The Sound of Music". And it was delightful. Punkin enjoyed it very much. The singing was right up there with the original play. It was great.

     We did our spelling test and Bible memory verse test while standing in line. We talked of the circumstances of the plot of the play with the times of the war, so we touched on history.

In the play they quoted scripture from the bible, and the examples of Faith in the Lord was touched on.
     It showed how if you learn and then practice what you've learned, you become very good at it, and people admire you. There was a lot to see and experience in the play.


It made me want to sit down and watch the movie again.


 I have always enjoyed the movie anyway, but to many things to do keep from sitting that long to veg.

Anyway, Check it out this weekend or when you have the chance. It was excellent.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Kalanchoe

I was given a new plant today called Kalanchoe.
I was told to observe it and take notes on it. So I googled it and found out all kinds of stuff about this little guy. They say it is easy to take of and doesn't take much to keep it happy.
This is so kind of my friend to give me this science project to do. Some thing Punkin and I can do.
This is a succulent and it is pretty.





What do you think of it?

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Productive...

This was one of the better days of this year as far as productivity goes.

           Punkin stayed the night so she was on time for school.
   My youngest daughter had a successful job interview. Then came by to help me try to make Orange Marmalade. I say try because last year every batch I tried to make turned out to be syrup.
       She also showed a new dish that I had not had before.
And I made home-made Pumpernickel bread.

   Punkin was up and ready for oatmeal and toast by 7:30am and we were doing our daily bible reading by 8:30 and we even finished school by 2:30. Okay we did yesterday also,but two days in a row. I adjust stoked.

      My daughter came by right after her interview and we had lunch and then began the process of making the Orange Marmalade.
  Of course we read the recipe and still didn't do as it said. We added the sugar right away and we were supposed to wait about 40 minutes, whoops.

     But I think we may have actually succeeded this year. I believe it will be marmalade and not rock candy like my husband and I made several years ago. It is a little darker than my girl friends that used the same recipe from Food Network, Alton Brown's. But tomorrow I am going to open up one of the jars and try it.



   So after we finished making the jam, we made Tilapia with sweet potatoes and yams and steamed vegetables.
    The Tilapia, was fried with olive oil rubbed on it with herbs sprinkled on each one. The potatoes/ yams were pressured cooked with orange juice and brown sugar. And this became a syrup to pour over them in the end.


We had a very enjoyable meal with good company and it didn't take all day or night.


It was a very productive day and now I can relax.



Love It......

Monday, January 24, 2011

lila tueller designs: It's Giveaway Time again!

lila tueller designs: It's Giveaway Time again!
This is sweet stuff.
Go to her site and check it out.

Learn to Play...

Today is the first day of Piano Lessons (keyboard will work says teacher).



This was a great day and we did well for a Monday.



Back some time ago, My girl friend invited us to dinner. She said "Bring Punkin". So we went to dinner and had a wonderful meal.



But while we were there, Punkin sat down in front of the piano and began to stroke the keys. Not pound, but gently fingering them. That was when I thought ,' This may be the ticket '. To what I don't know as of today but, whatever.
Anyway, after rolling it around and then talking about it to my husband, we decided to purchase a key board for her for Christmas. We did and she was shocked. So was her mommy.


Any way my friend was /is a music teach also. Today the lessons began.
  I can only imagine where this may lead, but I will trust it to the Lord. It could be nothing if it is up to me, cause I could botch it up, but the wonder of the Lord could bring about some glorious surprises.

 We will see. Of course it won't be today, but time can tell and then that is when I will.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Playing Hard

This weekend I was at a Quilt Show called "Road to California". It was great to see so many faces and try to place where I have seen or know them from. So many were doing the same . "Oh Hi", with the look in their eyes of 'where do I know you from'.

 Quilters are some of the sweetest people I have ever met. But you get them all together in a place like this and some can be done right rude.

Although, I thank the Lord for the calm disposition He gave me this weekend. I just smiled and said 'Thank you'  when the transaction for their purchase was complete. We did good though. Man can women spend money. They whip their money and cards out like a cowboy with his six shooter. Some count every penny and wonder why it cost so much, while others never blink an eye at the total. Wow!!!
There were times where all I did was ring purchases and take cards and money for hours, never seeing an end to the line. At the end of the first day , I was wondering if maybe I was slow, but almost ten thousand dollars at the end told me "NO". On the second day which was Friday, I didn't move for fours hours except for the upper part of the body. No I was not sitting, but I was stuck to the place where people pay. And over ten thousand told me I wasn't to bad that day either.
Yes women can spend. And this stuff is for their therapy. It keeps the home happy.
I had a really good time and was so glad at the end of each day. knowing that I was sleeping in my own bed.


 There were a few times the last day
where we were able to take a breather and a potty break with out having to rush.

These are a few that I liked as I was able to walk through the show before the doors opened to the crowds.


 Eleven bus loads on Thursday, nine on Friday and eleven more on Saturday. Yes we ran out of stuff. But that did not stop them from making their final purchases up until the end of the show on Sunday.





 The Birds are still on the road for yet another show in Phoenix and then on their way home. But this is how they survive and make a living, I just did it for the weekend. Whew, don't think I could do that all the time. But I was glad to be able to play, it was fun.


close up shot of just a really cute quilt pattern
love this .


Over all I had fun and am glad to go back to the home life. 

Yes I found something  to buy myself. A Flannel quilt kit in green. Maywood Studios flannels are the best in my book. This kit has everything to finish a 62"x77" lap size, everything, except the batting. I am ready. I haven't bought fabric to make a quilt in over two years. I have been using my stash. So I gave in. It was a great deal. And my best friend told me that I earned it,  so buy it.  
  I love my best friend.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Semester Vocab. test

We started out this year doing vocabulary words on 3x5 cards. My youngest daughter came up with this idea and I love it. It has worked.

 Every week we would do three to four words. At the end of the week the student had to match the meaning to the definition. Almost every week she did very well. Some weeks went into two. But the meaning was beginning to stick in the mind. At the end of the first quarter we took the words and did a small test with all of them.

This week we are ending our second quarter and we are doing all of them. We have been going over them for two weeks now. I really hope that she holds the understanding of these words forever. They are not really second grade words but okay so we stretched her a bit. They all came out of her reading text, somewhere. Any way I will be away the next few days and hope that when I get back to school I see an A+ on the test score.
Mom will give the test.




 Good Luck    Punkin,   you go girl....

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

January Days

It was a great day.

                        The weather was in the low eighties and the skies were blue and we were in shorts. Love being in the sun in January. It isn't really hot and it just warms me up inside. Love it!
bright natural lighting



   We were able to be outside doing our school work.

    Reading about fairies and hide and seek, imagining playing it ourselves.


   The joy of freedom from the four
walls of a class room, is so relaxing.





     Having lunch in the great out doors with the animals on the ranch.
     Even if they only get the left-overs.

 Then to top off the day with a sewing project. Oh my favorite subject, SEWING. We made a cell phone -over the shoulder- bag and a hide in purse-snack bag.
 
This is great. We had a good time.
 I tried a new to be released pattern and Punkin designed and made me a snack bag. So this weekend while I am at 'Road to California Quilt Show', I can take some snacks in my purse where they won't be seen by the security.
  I will be working for one of the vendors and won't be able to get away for lunch. Besides it will be pricy.  So now I won't be hungry and PECKISH.
        
All things work together for those who love the Lord and are called for His purpose.