The Scoop on Granny

Name:
Cathi

Status:
Dreaming of the mountains...


Who is Granny?

I'm the incredibly blessed mother of 9, "Granny" to 16, and wife of "The Papa," the knight-in-shining-armor whose loving support has made it possible for me to stay home and give my life to mothering, homemaking, and 26 years of homeschooling. Life at Granny's House is full of laughter, friendship, books, music, lively debate, writing, and good things to eat. My days are made even more meaningful by coming alongside other moms, giving them the support and encouragement that I lacked as a young mother and helping them to network with each other in ways that strengthen homes and families. A few times a year I board a plane to visit my "away" kids, to attend the birth of a grandchild, or to enjoy some lazy days with my best friend, but I always love coming back to...Granny's House.

My Complete Profile

On Granny's Calendar
  • August 15 - SAC Day begins
  • August 16 - Sam is 7!
  • August 20 - Kristen's birthday
  • August 30 - THE WELTYS ARRIVE!
  • Sept 3 - FAMILY PICTURES
  • Sept 3 - Chris' birthday
  • Sept 5 - Henry is 9!
  • Sept 7 - Isaac is 10!
  • Sept 17 - The Papa's birthday
  • Sept 23-30 - Granny and Papa go to Hawaii
  • Sept 26 - PawPop is 88!
  • Sept 29 - Tim is 15!
  • Oct 2 - Cheyenne's birthday
  • Oct 4 - Liam is 5!
  • Oct 7 - John Caleb is 17!
  • Oct 18 - Tony's birthday



  • Email Granny!


    Get your own calendar



    Granny Cares
  • Care Calendar
  • Agape Pregnancy Help Center San Antonio
  • World Vision

  • Granny Cooks (and Eats)!

  • The Pioneer Woman Cooks
  • Once a Month Mom
  • $5 Dinners
  • Full Bellies, Happy Kids
  • A Year of Crockpotting


  • Granny's House (and yours!)

  • Simple Mom
  • The Nesting Place
  • Between Naps on the Porch
  • The Inspired Room



  • Granny gets around...
  • A Holy Experience
  • MommyLife
  • Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
  • Preschoolers and Peace
  • Breathing Grace
  • theMangoTimes



  • Granny stays informed...
  • Real Clear Politics
  • Fox News
  • Drudge Report

  • Granny Thinks...
  • Al Mohler
  • Between Two Worlds
  • Blog and Mablog
  • First Importance
  • Equipping the Saints
  • Desiring God

  • Granny says you may go to...
  • PowerLine Blog
  • Michelle Malkin
  • SteynOnline
  • WSJ Opinion Journal Best of the Web
  • GetHuman
  • Home School Legal Defense Association

  • Granny goes to the movies...
  • Netflix
  • Rotten Tomatoes
  • ScreenIt.com

  • Granny is watching!
  • Blue Pencil Editing
  • SPOGG
  • Mighty Red Pen
  • Conjugate Visits

  • Granny smiles at...
  • Purgatorio
  • ScrappleFace
  • LarkNews
  • Sacred Sandwich


  • Tuesday, April 27, 2010
    Dave's latest deck handiwork...




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    has spoken at 5:23 PM
    6 Backtalks to Granny



    Monday, April 26, 2010
    Last night, our beautiful daughter, CJ, became engaged to Tony Longenbaugh and will become his wife on October 9.

    CJ has been the model of a faithful young woman as she's waited for God to bring her future into focus. She's taken care of me through some pretty rough times, but she's also served her family, her church, and her friends in every way she could think of--making meals, teaching bread-baking classes, directing children's musicals, housesitting and babysitting, helping homeschooling families organize their homes...and dozens of other acts of service that have made her a blessing to all who know her.

    I have no doubt that all the things that make CJ such a beloved friend and family member will continue...but soon she'll be serving with a different name and in a different state (Oklahoma). In the meantime, we'll treasure our last five and a half months with her and thoroughly enjoy helping her plan her wedding.

    Pray for CJ and Tony as God leads them into a future of serving Him together!

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    has spoken at 11:50 PM
    11 Backtalks to Granny



    Sunday, April 25, 2010
    Sunday snippets...

    It's nice to know, via several email inquiries, that my presence has been missed, but I do have a really good excuse that doesn't involve a dog eating my blog posts. Three weeks ago in the Snippets I looked forward to having my hip replaced, and that seemed to go "without a hitch"--I had the surgery on the 7th and was home by the 12th, sitting here thinking about updating and thanking everyone for their prayers. But alas, before the next Sunday rolled around, I developed a fairly serious complication that provided me with yet another setback. My 72-hour wound check uncovered a "seroma" deep below the surface, and after it literally exploded in the exam room (I'm not kidding...we had to throw part of my clothes away right there!) I was taken upstairs to surgery once again. Another five hours in the OR and another five days in the hospital was added to my recent adventures, but I'm now home again, in the beginning stages of therapy and glad to be allowed out of my room!

    This week, Dave's been working on the latest phase of our deck construction, a triangular pergola in one corner. It's been great to be able to walk out there (with my walker, of course) to check on progress. Hopefully, by next week I'll be able to post pictures!

    As we approach the end of another academic year, one I've not had nearly the hand in that I've had in other years, I have been contemplating what our lives will be like in the fall. We could have three fewer kids in the house by then due to a variety of reasons, and only two students, both in high school. Of course there's a joyful procession of grandkids in and out, but even those will be fewer due to Dave and Kris' upcoming move to north Texas. This house, that has at times held 15 or more inhabitants, will be down to a mere five! Yes, there have been times when I've looked forward to not having so many shoes to pick up or dishes to load, but deep down I've always known that there would be a lot of melancholy to go along with the reduced workload and messiness. I thank God that I've had the privilege of "enduring" these for so long!

    This week I read a fun and valuable book, The Little Book of Bulletproof Investing: Do's and Don'ts to Protect Your Financial Life by Ben Stein. Not only did I gain some insight into long-term finances, but I am always amused that the same man who can write a serious book on finances and economics is the same one who pretty much played himself in the 1986 teen coming-of-age comedy, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It's a wild world.

    It'll be interesting to watch what happens with the newly-signed legislation on illegal immigrants in Arizona. While I firmly believe states must have the right to address their own problems, I don't think that in the current "progressive" legal climate the legislation will stand. And it appears that it may also cause some violence in the state, further complicating the underlying issues. No good answers, at least not while so many Americans think that "illegal" just means "undocumented" or some other euphemism for being here in violation of our sovereign laws.

    Looks like this will be the week we'll trade in one of our two gas-guzzling Suburbans for a more moderate used Pontiac Montana. We still need vehicles that hold several people, but we no longer have to have one that seats eight, and we REALLY don't need anything that has such a drinking problem! Gas prices, even before the $.15 (or more) a gallon tax that will probably be tacked on with the new energy bill, are downright scary!

    One of my projects for this summer: use my new scanner to get 37 years' worth of old and fading photos stored in digital format. Then I will get rid of about 9/10 of the hard copies and just save the gems. Sometimes I wonder what I would have thought in 1973 if someone had told me how we'd be storing and editing and transmitting photos within the next thirty years. I'm sure I'd have given them a blank stare :-)

    Enjoy your last week of April!

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    has spoken at 12:15 PM
    2 Backtalks to Granny



    Wednesday, April 14, 2010

    “Just as the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, as carbon is converted into diamond, as the grain of wheat upon dying in the ground produces other grains of wheat, as all of nature revives in the spring and dresses up in celebrative clothing, as the believing community is formed out of Adam’s fallen race, as the resurrection body is raised from the body that is dead and buried in the earth, so too, by the re-creating power of Christ, the new heaven and the new earth will one day emerge from the fire-purged elements of this world, radiant in enduring glory and forever set free from the ‘bondage to decay.’”

    —Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics (Grand Rapids, MI: 2008), 4:720


    via Of First Importance

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    has spoken at 3:50 PM
    2 Backtalks to Granny



    Monday, April 05, 2010
    Get ready for the new healthcare....

    The Doctor Will See ALL of You Now.

    hat tip: Pam Y.

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    has spoken at 8:15 PM
    1 Backtalks to Granny



    Sunday, April 04, 2010
    Sunday snippets, Empty tomb edition...
    He is Risen! Were there ever words that proclaimed so much hope to humanity?

    "...if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep!"
    (1 Cor. 15:17-20)

    I love winter and I'm sorry to see it go, but I must admit that it's sweet to taste the strawberries and asparagus and see the tiny, spring green leaves on the trees outside my window. Sad that we've already had to close the house and turn the air on...early April seems just too...well, early.

    My talented son-in-law Dave has spent the past week enclosing our deck with rails and balusters and solar lighting. For several years it's been just a flat 1400 sq. ft. expanse of deck with no adornments. No longer...it's becoming the Cinderella I always wanted. Next phase, later this month: a lovely pergola in one corner, ten feet on each side. It will be a great place to sit and eat and enjoy our few nice days in the summer...or to highlight special occasions ;-) [If you live in San Antonio or the Hill Country and need a great remodeler/renovator/carpenter, you need to get in touch with Dave!]

    Despite the MSM's attempts to marginalize and demonize the Tea Party movement, they are going to have trouble explaining the increasing number of independents and Dems who are, shall we say, dipping their bread in the tea.... Disgruntled Dems Join Tea Party

    I think it's about time they rename it and make it official: FOX News is now CNN. Cleavage News Network. I simply cannot take the news seriously when it's delivered by a girl in a prom dress or a negligee. There are just some things I don't need to see. I'm wondering if when FOX says they're "fair and balanced" they mean they're balancing their conservative viewpoint with a licentious and many times silly atmosphere. And please...don't even get me started on Shepard Smith.

    PLEASE read Son of Hamas. I finished it this week and highly recommend it, even for your kids, say, 12 and up. Especially boys. It's a quick read, a very inspirational true story about the son of the co-founder of Hamas who is convinced to work for Shin Bet (Israeli intelligence) and then becomes a Christian. His account of all sides is very balanced and compassionate, but he doesn't hesitate to show the darker side of all sides in the Middle East.

    Well, it's totally appropriate in my mind that my next surgery, the one that I'm praying will give me a new life, will fall on Easter week. I will go in early Wednesday morning for what's expected to be nearly an all-day surgery, followed by a week in the hospital and perhaps a couple of weeks of inpatient rehab after that. It will be a difficult road, perhaps more so than any of my other hip replacements and revisions, but I am looking forward to this one like no other. By Wednesday I will have been sitting/reclining for three full months, and I haven't walked since December 22. So this is really going to be a new beginning, very fitting for the week of Easter! Praise God for His faithfulness!

    "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all..."

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    has spoken at 4:15 PM
    5 Backtalks to Granny



    Saturday, April 03, 2010
    This video, coming via Kevin DeYoung today, was a touch from God that I needed during this time of waiting...



    It’s enough to drive a man crazy; it’ll break a man’s faith
    It’s enough to make him wonder if he’s ever been sane
    When he’s bleating for comfort from Thy staff and Thy rod
    And the heaven’s only answer is the silence of God

    It’ll shake a man’s timbers when he loses his heart
    When he has to remember what broke him apart
    This yoke may be easy, but this burden is not
    When the crying fields are frozen by the silence of God

    And if a man has got to listen to the voices of the mob
    Who are reeling in the throes of all the happiness they’ve got
    When they tell you all their troubles have been nailed up to that cross
    Then what about the times when even followers get lost?
    ‘Cause we all get lost sometimes…

    There’s a statue of Jesus on a monastery knoll
    In the hills of Kentucky, all quiet and cold
    And He’s kneeling in the garden, as silent as a Stone
    All His friends are sleeping and He’s weeping all alone

    And the man of all sorrows, he never forgot
    What sorrow is carried by the hearts that he bought
    So when the questions dissolve into the silence of God
    The aching may remain, but the breaking does not
    The aching may remain, but the breaking does not
    In the holy, lonesome echo of the silence of God

    Labels:


    has spoken at 10:03 AM
    1 Backtalks to Granny



    Thursday, April 01, 2010
    Not too far off...

    WASHINGTON—According to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Education, an increasing number of American parents are choosing to have their children raised at school rather than at home.

    Deputy Education Secretary Anthony W. Miller said that many parents who school-home find U.S. households to be frightening, overwhelming environments for their children, and feel that they are just not conducive to producing well-rounded members of society.

    Thousands of mothers and fathers polled in the study also believe that those running American homes cannot be trusted to keep their kids safe.

    "Every year more parents are finding that their homes are not equipped to instill the right values in their children," Miller said. "When it comes to important life skills such as proper nutrition, safe sex, and even basic socialization, a growing number of mothers and fathers think it's better to rely on educators to guide and nurture their kids."

    You MUST read the whole thing, down to the last line :-)


    Increasing Number Of Parents Opting To Have Children School-Homed

    hat tip: Dr. P

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    has spoken at 8:14 PM
    2 Backtalks to Granny



    It's getting cold out here.

    Barring an about face by nature or adjustments, it appears that for the first time since 2001, Arctic Sea ice will hit the “normal” line as defined by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) for this time of year.

    Climate change, happening before your eyes

    Our kids and grandkids might not be safe from Obamunism, but they may be safe from the cataclysmic global hot tub.

    Labels:


    has spoken at 1:19 PM
    0 Backtalks to Granny



    Granny's Mission Statement
    "...Tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done....that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children."
    ~Psalm 78:4-6

    My Focal Passage for 2011...
    Philippians 2:5-11

    5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

    6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

    7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

    8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

    9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

    10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

    11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

    ~Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV)


    Oxymoronica...

    "The vanity of being known to be trusted with a secret is generally one of the chief motives to disclose it."

    ~Samuel Johnson


    [Oxymoronica, n., A compilation of self-contradictory terms, phrases, or quotations; examples of oxymoronica appear illogical or nonsensical at first, but upon reflection, make a good deal of sense and are often profoundly true.]


    Books on the iPhone, the Kindle, or on the nightstand...


  • The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, Alexander Mccall Smith
  • The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, Arthur G. Bennett, editor



  • Books finished in 2011...

  • Oxymoronica, Mardy Grothe
  • Some Sing, Some Cry, Ntozake Shange, Ifa Bayeza
  • English Society in the Eighteenth Century, Roy Porter
  • One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, Ann Voskamp
  • His Word in My Heart, Janet Pope
  • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
  • Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
  • Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi
  • Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God, John Piper
  • Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, Joshua Foer
  • Blue Shoes and Happiness, Alexander McCall Smith
  • The Red Queen, Philippa Gregory
  • Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, Eric Metaxas
  • The Confessions of Saint Augustine, St. Augustine
  • Complete Poems and Selected Letters of John Keats, John Keats
  • Unfamiliar Fishes, Sarah Vowell
  • Words That Work, Frank Luntz
  • NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children, Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
  • Poke the Box, Seth Godin
  • Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It, Gary Taubes
  • A Patriot's History of the United States, Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen
  • Song of Saigon: One Woman's Journey to Freedom, Anh Vu Sawyer
  • The Artistic Mother: A Practical Guide for Fitting Creativity into Your Life, Shona Cole
  • The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature, Elizabeth Kantor
  • The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, David McCullough


  • Oh, the thinks you
    can think...
  • Tapestry of Grace
  • Anatomical Charts
  • America's Library
  • George Washington's Mount Vernon - Virtual Mansion Tour
  • Thomas Jefferson's Monticello - Virtual Mansion Tour
  • Hurricane Demo

  • Oh, the places we'll go...
  • The Alamo
  • Majestic Theater
  • The MAiZE
  • Magik Theatre
  • Sheldon Vexler Children's Theatre

  • Granny always says...
    Saying goodbye...
    Sunday snippets...
    Summer.
    Sunday snippets...
    Coming soon to a country near you...
    Making (a) room...
    Just in case this might make an impact on your spe...
    Midweek snippets...
    What's up?
    She said YES!

    Granny used to say...
    October 2005
    November 2005
    December 2005
    January 2006
    February 2006
    March 2006
    April 2006
    May 2006
    June 2006
    July 2006
    August 2006
    September 2006
    October 2006
    November 2006
    December 2006
    January 2007
    February 2007
    March 2007
    April 2007
    May 2007
    June 2007
    July 2007
    August 2007
    September 2007
    October 2007
    November 2007
    December 2007
    January 2008
    February 2008
    March 2008
    April 2008
    May 2008
    June 2008
    July 2008
    August 2008
    September 2008
    October 2008
    November 2008
    December 2008
    January 2009
    February 2009
    March 2009
    April 2009
    May 2009
    June 2009
    July 2009
    August 2009
    September 2009
    October 2009
    November 2009
    December 2009
    January 2010
    February 2010
    March 2010
    April 2010
    May 2010
    June 2010
    July 2010
    August 2010
    September 2010
    October 2010
    November 2010
    December 2010
    January 2011
    February 2011
    March 2011
    April 2011
    May 2011
    June 2011
    July 2011
    August 2011


    Grace Notes

    "Were the whole realm of nature mine
    That were a present far too small...
    Love so amazing, so divine
    Demands my soul, my life,
    my all!"