When you're two, eating Chinese can just wear you out.



(This pic of our dear little friend Addie was taken at lunch today. We looked over and the little thing was out COLD. )

Labels: Fun

It's been quite a week here in Lake Wobegon. We're in that twilight zone between summer and school where some classes and activities have begun (mainly for the college four) and I'm still paddling as fast as I can to get the rest underway. Scheduling, planning, collecting resources and supplies, tying up the last few ends of co-op...all have consumed hours and hours of time until my eyes have crossed by evening. We're not starting our school routine full-time until the 8th, so I still have a few days to prepare.

The Papa also emailed from work this week with some hard-to-believe scheme for getting him to Hawaii not once but TWICE this fall. He claims the government is paying for it. I don't know. I think I'll tag along...not because I want to, you understand, but just to make sure everything's on the up-and-up. I'm sacrificial that way.

I finished Don Quixote! Wow...is that ever a project! I would recommend it, but I think the number of people likely to take me up on it would probably be <1, so I'll just say that for something written in the early 1600s it's remarkably timely in how it speaks to human nature. I loved it.

I think the latest count for dinner here tomorrow is 40, give our take ten or so. The girls and I will be celebrating Labor Day by laboring (joyfully!) over marinated grilled pork chops, bratwurst, and whatever else strikes our fancy as we work...


grit noun (grĭt)

1. Firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck: She has a reputation for grit and common sense.
2. Firmness of mind; unyielding courage; fortitude.
3. Sarah Palin





It seems surreal to see Hurricane Gustav barreling toward New Orleans, doesn't it? I keep trying to remember whether the level of concern was this high BEFORE Katrina, and I don't think it was quite there. May God protect the Gulf coast.

Note to self: don't always believe Edu-Track when it tells you that everything is backed up, just before you upgrade to the latest version. Make hard copies.

CJ and Beth gave up their long holiday weekend, leaving just after classes on Thursday, to drive to west Texas and share their abilities and energy with our friends Jeremiah and Lora, cooking up a freezer full of meals for use after their new little one arrives. I miss them, but I'm so proud to have girls who live as servants to the household of faith and who do it with such joy and skill.

And now...I'm back to getting ready for our 24th school year! (Did I mention, btw, that my "baby" is in 7th grade? I'm so glad I have grandchildren to help with!)

Labels: Books, Holidays, Homeschooling, Kids, Political Observation, Sundays, The Papa

The Left is terrified. And they are reduced to petty, undignified belittling of Sarah Palin in order to give voice to that terror.

Vice in Go-Go Boots?

However, that said, I must also lament that what I read yesterday on the blogs of some conservative Christian women was just as sickening...there's a sentiment oozing from the hyper-patriarchal sector that's as good as pronouncing damnation on a mother who would dare to run for office, even with the blessing and support and hands-on help of her husband. I find their views and their language in expressing it just as objectionable as the the screams from the Left. I'm too embarrassed to even provide links; suffice it to say that the audacity of the governor of Alaska in accepting a spot on the GOP ticket has stirred up a category 5 hurricane in Christian circles and engendered some of the saddest dialogue I remember hearing in a long time...

What I try to remember is that many of the voices I'm reading have been looking for ways to connect McCain and the GOP with the devil anyway, and this was an easy mark.

Yes, I know I'm showing my opinionated side today...but you know, sometimes Granny gets mad.

Labels: Political Observation

A spectre is haunting the liberal elites of New York and Washington--the spectre of a young, attractive, unapologetic conservatism, rising out of the American countryside, free of the taint (fair or unfair) of the Bush administration and the recent Republican Congress, able to invigorate a McCain administration and to govern beyond it.

That spectre has a name--Sarah Palin, the 44-year-old governor of Alaska chosen by John McCain on Friday to be his running mate. There she is: a working woman who's a proud wife and mother; a traditionalist in important matters who's broken through all kinds of barriers; a reformer who's a Republican; a challenger of a corrupt good-old-boy establishment who's a conservative; a successful woman whose life is unapologetically grounded in religious belief; a lady who's a leader.

"A lady who's a leader." I love it. Read more of Bill Kristol's observations here.

hat tip: steph k.

Labels: Political Observation

Well...this turned out to be the single most interesting day of the presidential campaign so far, a campaign that's already easily the most interesting of my more than half-century lifetime. How the selection of Gov. Palin settles in will take some time to appraise, but for today it's created an energy that I wasn't sure anything on the Republican side could produce.

Reaction today is all over the map. Was it wise? Was it desperate? Was it contrived? I don't know all the answers, but I do know this: it was gutsy.

Labels: Political Observation

I've been saying for weeks that it would be a master stroke, a no-lose situation, for John McCain to pick a woman with a background either in economics (Carly Fiorina) or energy policy (Kay Bailey Hutchison, my personal favorite, or Sarah Palin). The reasons to do this are manifold, and it looks like McCain may have been thinking the same thing.


NOW I can get excited about this ticket!

Labels: Political Observation

So didja see Hillary's speech last night? She was as good as she's ever been, despite making it mostly about her. I'm no Hillary Clinton fan, but she sure did come across as having more substance than the presumptive nominee.

The whole effort to include the Clintons in a big way appears that it may be backfiring on Obama, though...one of the stunning things about last night was seeing delegates waving McCain signs! I'm not sure how many of these disappointed delegates are actually going to work for or vote for McCain, but the loud ones are getting a lot of press this morning. And if there are fireworks, they will come late this afternoon during the roll call vote so stay tuned.

For fireworks OUTside the convention hall, see how Alex "9/11 Was An Inside Job" Jones treated Michelle Malkin yesterday. Don't miss the last minute to see just what a whack job this guy is.

Think liberals attending the Republican convention will be treated this way?

Labels: Political Observation

I am not a mathematician by any stretch of the imagination, but I am a math lover. There's a difference. I have read entire books on mathematics that I understood .5% of (that's POINT 5, not 5) just because I'm so fascinated with all things related to numbers.

I cannot WAIT to download and watch this film. Here's the trailer:



Download and view the whole thing here.

Hat tip: Annie W.

Labels: Learning

I was out most of the day today and returned home looking forward to the Dem Convention tonight. Stopped at the mailbox on the way in and found a package containing this:



RIGHT ON TIME, PAM--THANK YOU!! I'll wear it proudly during the festivities tonight!

Labels: Political Humor, Political Observation

The rain that falls today is very welcome to me. Nathan has just left for another semester of college, and though I know it's part of his growing up and leaving the nest, it still makes a mother's heart feel cloudy. Too, it makes me really look forward to the fall even though I am under no illusion that our summer here is over. But it does help in putting me in the mood for the start of another school year, always hard when it's still 103 outside.

Everyone ready for the Democratic convention? I feel in my bones that there's going to be some surprise, some DemDrama in Denver that will make it worth watching. I hope so--I'm a political animal and I would love to see something other than a carefully choreographed pep rally. Let's have some real POLITICS, folks...the kind that made this country great!

Many in our family have spent the week counting, cropping, and cataloging thousands of photos from vacation. We have mused about how different it is than the days when we'd lug home thirty rolls of film and still have to face the developing charges, knowing that half of them would be throw aways after they were paid for. How NICE to have these cameras that hold hundreds of photos and then delete and doctor to our hearts content...and then with the click of a mouse share them with all the people who care (and probably many who don't). A very nice way to wind down a lovely vacation...

The Papa and I have both had physicals recently and have been delighted to find that our "numbers" are great, other than my persistently high fasting blood glucose number. My diabetes is under good control and getting better with increased attention to my diet, and John's cholesterol, hereditarily high, is responding well to changes in both diet and meds.

The three girls who still live at Granny's House all start their college classes tomorrow morning. Have I mentioned we have four in college this year? Is this a record? For us it is!

While away on vacation I did finish a couple of books: The Strangeness of Beauty by Lydia Minatoya, and Defining the World by Henry Hitchings. The first was lyrical and magical; the second was like an exquisite feast for a language lover, both in the subject material and in the writing style. I recommend both books.

Wondering about preschool? President Obama will decide for you.

Have questions about public schools becoming social service centers? President Obama's biggest supporters, the teachers' unions, will decide for you.

UPDATE: The addition of XM radio to our car trip arsenal was WONDERFUL. Technology-wise, it didn't quite make up for the fact that my iPhone crashed, AGAIN, but it did make the hours between cities much nicer and gave us more choices than we knew what to do with.

Not meaning to gush, of course, but I have in the past two weeks been reminded afresh of what a blessing I have in my husband and my children--those still at home and those with their own homes. They and their children have populated my life with sweet treasure that I don't deserve and cannot repay. God created this remarkable tapestry with no more raw materials than a couple of poor, naive kids in the early seventies... and this reminds me of His larger creative power and His infinite ability to sustain even the seemingly unsustainable. He is good. And yes, if it all falls apart tomorrow, He is still good.

Well, the rain has stopped for now and I need to work on some chore charts and schedules for the new semester. Real life has come 'round again and I must participate. And for me, there's no substitute for seeing it all on a spreadsheet :-)

Snip, snip, that's all folks!

Labels: Books, Education, Family, Health, Homeschooling, Political Observation, Vacations

Uh...was anyone else creeped out by this?

Labels: Political Observation

For Dee Dee and all those of you who are so curious you just can't stand it. If you can get past how odd this sounds, it's ALMOST guaranteed to be a hit with the whole family, other than those who just can't stand the smell or taste of tuna.

NOTE: This photo portrays real-life vacation food. This is no fancy cooking blog and I took no pains to make this look anything other than how yummy it really was :-)

WARREN FAVORITE TUNA-STUFFED POTATOES

4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed
1 can tuna, 6 1/2 oz.
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup mayonnaise (no cheating with the low-fat stuff here--this is important)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Bake potatoes until tender. (Please don't take a shortcut and microwave these unless you're desperate, like after soccer practice or something. When they're baked in the oven the shells end up just as delicious as the filling.) Cut a slice off top of each. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4 in. thick shell; reserve shells. Mash potato pulp. Stir in drained tuna, 1/2 c. cheese, mayonnaise, onions, salt and pepper. Stuff potato shells with mixture. If you're lucky you'll have too much mixture to pile back into the shells and you can have yourself a nice little meal of the extra 3/4 cup in the kitchen with no one looking. The part eaten in the kitchen contains no carbs.

Bake in preheated 350 oven 30 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining cheese and bake until bubbly.

I use the tops for Potato-Skin appetizers or late-night snacks, or I just bake them with cheese along with the big ones.

Serve with a veggie tray and applesauce. It has to be applesauce for some reason.

Multiplied by 6 for our dinner together last week :-)

Guard leftovers with firearms.

Labels: Food

So...many of you are just waking up to Obama's choice of Joe Biden. Some of us who are insomniacs were up when the announcement went out (no, I didn't get the text but was alerted within seconds after it happened, thank you Lyric) are now waking up with the hangover.

It will be interesting to see all the reaction today. Fascinating that Obama partners himself with a guy who voted for the war before he voted against it (and Obama slams McCain for his pro-war votes) but can't manage to share the ticket with anyone but a pro-abortion candidate. I guess you can compromise on the war but not on killing babies. These guys do have standards.

I love one pundit's description of Biden as "a guy with no off-button." If you've observed politics for very long you're familiar with Sen. Shoot-from-the-Lip, and while this may look like a smart pick right now, it's only a matter of time until Biden sticks his foot (or his whole leg) in his mouth. Just watch. He could be the first vice-presidential nominee to ever be fired from the ticket. (Don't think so? Remember his condescending comment about finally having a black man running for president who's "articulate and clean"? Yeah. That's what I mean.)

Oh, and I'm trying to avoid commenting on the possibility of having a VP named Robinette. I'd stick with the initials. But that's just me.

Labels: Political Observation

I've rearranged the four following vacation posts so you can read top to bottom instead of bottom up, so keep scrolling to see all the way to the end :-)

Labels: Vacations

Ha! I thought it would be easy to come back and write a nice summary of our week in Tennessee and post a few pics and let you see what the vacation was like.

Alas, it's not as easy as it sounds. For truly, this was perhaps the vacation of a lifetime, and at least the most memorable since 17 of us gathered in Hawaii in 2000. There are almost no words for how wonderful it was or how blessed we are, but I'm going to try to give you a taste of the week.

First, The Papa really hit the jackpot when he found the place we stayed. It was a rustic stand-alone house in the woods with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a great kitchen, two living areas, a hot tub, a balcony overlooking the woods, a large front porch with rockers, a HUGE TV on which to watch wall-to-wall Olympics, and plenty of places for everyone to sit. I wish we could take that house with us everywhere we vacation, because although there are other geographic settings I'd enjoy, that house suited our group perfectly.

Second, the week was a lovely mixture of activity and rest, chaos and quiet, laughter and tears, serious discussion and silliness. More than anything, it was a time to drink in the joy of being together with those we love, some of whom we don't get to see nearly as often as we'd like. And there were constant reminders of God's goodness and faithfulness to all of us as He has pieced us together in this colorful crazy-quilt we call family.

Third, pictures. And pictures. And more pictures. And pictures of people taking pictures. Let me say right now that I don't intend to compete with my daughters in this area...if you're up for OD'ing on great vacation photos, see their sites and their Facebooks. We figure that collectively we took close to 2000 pictures during the week, and mine are only a sliver. And mine certainly aren't as artistic as some of theirs. But I had fun catching some of the "back" moments and trying for a lot of the ordinary parts of our days.

For example...

We did nails...

We worked a lot of puzzles, most of which were actually finished...


Some of us napped...

We doctored poison ivy...


We had a Webkinz convention...


We did makeup...

Liam whisked something in a bowl...


Judah put away pounds of sweet potatoes...


See? We finished puzzles...


Aubrey and I worked on co-op and school plans...

And yes, folks, the Warrens don't even go on vacation without making homemade bread. Kristen made a batch on our first full day there, and CJ jumped in when it was gone and made more. YUM... (please ignore the liquid ingredients in the background...we also had Margaritas after the little ones went down ;-) )


We did floor puzzles...

We visited while we ate...

And we took occasional breaks from working puzzles to eat...only short breaks.

Stay tuned, I'm starting a new post.

Labels: Family, Fun, Memories, Vacations

There was a whole lot of Speed-Scrabble-in-Training goin' on!


Always, in the background, wall-to-wall Olympics...


Sam, middle left, wants you to know we're celebrating his FOURTH birthday!

Several are taking pictures of the Sam4/KristenXX birthday party...

And some of us are enjoying it more than others...


And some of us enjoy things so much that we have to stop for a breathing treatment, even on vacation...

And then there was horseback riding. Here's #1 Grandson...


Could there be a prettier setting?

Tim...


John Caleb...


Bethany...

Labels: Family, Fun, Memories, Vacations

After horseback riding, a LOOOONG hike...


Stopping for pictures...


Despite the warnings...


We braved on...


and on...


Always at the end of the day, a great "home" cooked meal. Here, a family favorite that not everyone appreciates, Tuna-Stuffed Potatoes. This is a recipe I found back in the 70's and I'm not sure there's a single member of our tribe who doesn't love these. As a matter of fact, there were people in the kitchen casting lots for a quarter share of the last potato!


Then, BETWEEN meals, there was Sonic. Someone made a Sonic run every day, taking orders and collecting money for milkshakes, cherry limeades, etc. etc.




And now. Indulge me while I treat you to my lovely family...
CJ and Annie...

My six silly daughters...

Our little nuclear family...


Six of the seven men in my life...


Four of the grandkids, not as dangerous as it looks...


Granny and Papa with ALL the grandkids...


And of course, the obligatory SillyPic...(this is how we get them to stand still for the others!)

Labels: Family, Fun, Memories, Vacations