Big doin's around Granny's House...by this time next week we'll have a really full house with the Slaughters, Weltys, and Longenbaughs pouring in for our Fun Family Week, complete with family portraits and the inevitable 9 siblings pics and games and good food and drink and cool weather and lots of laughter and chaos. Bring it on! 

Labels: Books, Family, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Kids, Language, Movies, Music, Sundays

Labels: Books, Church, Food, Grandparenting, Homeschooling, Music, Political Humor, Sundays, Technology, TV

Labels: Books, Church, Music, Sanctity of Life, Sundays, Vacations

Labels: Books, Family, goo, Good Stuff, Memories, Music, Political Observation, Technology

Second, I've resolved to give my best shot to re-learning to play the cello. I mentioned that I have a friend who has graciously loaned me her beautiful instrument to use while she travels (cellos are notoriously hard to travel with) and I am taking this opportunity seriously. I've purchased some materials to help me and I'm hoping that before time to return this beauty, I'll know whether it will be worth it for me to make the investment in buying my own cello. At my age I know that it will be hard work and will require a disciplined schedule, but something in me says it's time. Or rather, that it's now or never  :-)

I love YNAB. You will too. And this is a great month to try it.

No, my decorations are not put away. But other New Year's Eve rituals were accomplished: putting up six new calendars (I'm a calendar freak, and if it weren't for what other people think I'd probably have twice as many); donating half a closet of clothes to charity; throwing away two large bags of stuff from our room that we don't want or need; changing the checkbook to a fresh book of checks to start the new year (though nowadays it takes half a year to go through one pad!); sharpening several new pencils and taking stock of other office supplies; setting up new schedules for work, school, household responsibilities, etc. I'm ready for 2011!

May you have a beautiful and blessed New Year, building on the foundation laid for you in God's excellent Word:

Labels: Books, Family, Food, Holidays, Music, ObamaNation, Political Observation, Sports, Weather

Labels: Devotional, Family, Holidays, Memories, Music, Social Observation, TV

Labels: Holidays, Music

So the wedding week is finally here! By this time next week, CJ and Tony will be Mr. and Mrs. Longenbaugh! There's a lot left to do but it's under as much control as it can be and we're all enjoying the preparations. Lots of sisters make for fun times!

The last sister will arrive, along with her sweet family, on Thursday, at which time our entire family will be present and accounted for. The groom arrives on Wednesday evening, along with his parents...and other extended family and friends will trickle in in the following two days.  

We will, of course, be taking advantage of having all of our tribe in town to get family pictures done--the big group of 29 and then the individual families: Warrens, Russells, Slaughters, Weltys, and LONGENBAUGHS. Look to be inundated on Facebook  ;-)


The Papa got only slightly choked up this morning as he thanked CJ for playing the piano and reminded everyone that this would be her last Sunday with us. *Gulp*


If you ever get married, you must have Cori Kyle as your wedding coordinator. I wasn't sure we'd all be sane by this week, but she's made it pure pleasure...I wake up thanking God for her about three times a week.

In the middle of the the increased pace of last week, my 3-year-old Dell laptop with the nasty Windows Vista entered death throes, and in the same 24 hours I realized my nearly 3-year-old iPhone was also giving up the ghost. So I replaced both in the same day. Rid of Dell forever, I hope, in favor of an HP and Windows 7...and I upgraded my iPhone to a 4 and wish I'd done it a lot sooner.  I didn't want the stress or the expense of making these switches right now, but too much of my life is on these two machines to risk the mega-stress it would be to lose everything. Done.


Tomorrow, the house cleaners come. Do you know how much work it is to get ready for house cleaners? Especially when one person is moving out, other people are moving around, and guests are coming in? I know I'll be delighted to have it done, but it's causing me some stress!

We are grateful to have so many friends and family involved in helping with the festivities this week: Hollie Carnahan baking the cakes; Candace, Cheyenne, and Celeste Sabo doing the flowers; Julie Cohoon and Nicole LaSalle playing violin and viola; Jack Warren playing guitar and singing; Geoff Lupton on sound and lighting; Shane Kyle on photography (and his wife Cori Kyle telling us all what to do!); Danny (Lewis) King on videography; Teresa Fehrenbach making the (four!) flower girls' dresses; Garfield Green working with landscaping; Brandon and Blair Blair, Dirk and Aubrey Russell, and Christine LaSalle helping house family and friends; Steven Navarro, Hayden Fletcher, and Chris White helping our boys with parking cars; Dave Slaughter and Josh Russell for myriad building and outdoor tasks; Gloria Gonzales, giving her day to do hair; Cristen Gauthier, Cheyenne Sabo, Hannah Cisarik, and Courtney King assisting Cori and being available for errands and various last-minute tasks; Lehua Kamakawiwoole crafting the programs; Beth Warren and Cristen Gauthier on photo displays, lanyards, and guest book creations; Lyric Murphy (from afar) providing decor materials for the pergola; Dirk Russell performing the ceremony and Bill Warren assisting; and dozens of friends loaning us tables ice chests, etc. I'm sure I've left some folks off and I'm sure others will be pitching in to help at the last moment to make Saturday a day to remember. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!

UPDATE: See, I DID leave someone out--Penny Pitamber, addressing the wedding invitations. HUGE load off our shoulders! Thank you, Penny  :-)


This morning in my quick scan of blogs on my reader, God was pleased to pierce me with His word in the form of an ancient prayer:

O my God,
let me, with thanksgiving,
remember, and confess unto you
your mercies on me.

Let my bones be soaked with your love,
and let them say unto you,
Who is like you, O Lord?

You have broken my chains in pieces.
I will offer unto you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
And how you have broken them, I will declare;
and all who worship you, when they hear this, will say:
Blessed is the Lord in heaven and in earth!
Great and wonderful is his name!

Augustine of Hippo, via Tim Challies

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

(CHORUS 2)
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life its name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

~Allison Rogers and Jennifer Simmons for Addison Road 

...and all morning, all day today, all I hear are the words, "What do I know of Holy?"

I hope your week is as joyful as ours promises to be!

Labels: Devotional, Family, Friendship, Music, Weddings

27 days from now, CJ will be married and she and Tony will start their new life together in Oklahoma...and the population at Granny's House will decrease by one. Half of me is so excited I can't stand it, and the other half wants to pour molasses on the calendar to slow down the passing of days...

I know the next weddings will be here in an instant, so I'm trying to freeze some of these moments in time so they won't all be running together in my memory book. Where do the days go?

The polls ahead of the November election are beginning to look intoxicating and I'm trying not to hyperventilate. I'm hoping and praying that voter enthusiasm hasn't peaked too early.

REGISTER TO VOTE! TOMORROW!! Don't let your voice go unheard on November 2.

Oh, how I'm longing to feel the first zingy-crisp breeze of fall. I know, that's still two months away, but I'm waiting....

Our new landscaping is looking great and is going to be a nice frame for the wedding! Lots of wedding tasks to do this week, including finding a new pianist. Nothing is ever as smooth as it seems it's going be.

The upcoming departure of daughter #4, who has really been the primary caretaker of my kitchen during my years of immobility, is taking some of HER things with her (I know, the nerve, right?)--things I need to replace so we won't have holes in our kitchen. This week I bought a rolling kitchen island to replace the storage cart of CJ's that I've enjoyed using for the past few years. Now if I can just get The Papa to get it out of the box and put together!

Nathan did his first weekend of Air National Guard service and came home this afternoon tired as a dog but loving it. He is still waiting for a Basic Training date but it's look like he'll go right before Christmas and be away from us for the holidays. Much as I hate that part, I'm thrilled that things are moving for him!

I'm going into the new school week feeling terribly unprepared both on paper and emotionally. The weekend has been a nightmare and I've just begun to feel the soothing balm of God's grace fall around me. Unfortunately it comes a little too late to completely save our Monday. But then again, He is never late.

Have I told you that The Papa and I are going on a honeymoon after the wedding? Yep, our favorite Pacific island :-)

For my sweet daughter tonight (you know who you are):


~Dan Burgess for Selah

Labels: Homemaking, Homeschooling, Music, Political Action, Sundays, Weather, Weddings

Returned from my WONDERFUL stay in Virginia last week and ended up going straight from the airport to the emergency room with a scare that was, thankfully, over in 24 hours. I was afraid my infection had returned or that I had again fractured something, but both those possibilities were quickly ruled out. Other than that, the trip was such a joy...got to spend some good time with Erin, Judah, new baby Savannah, and, of course, their parents.

Tomorrow, we start Year 26 of our homeschooling journey with only two (male) students. After missing so much of last year I am chomping at the bit to get started. Can't say as much for said male students, but I'll have 'em on my team in no time.

This week was momentous for our country, and not in a good way. We've now installed on the Supreme Court a woman whom I firmly believe is in the "enemy camp" as far as matters of morals, the Constitution, economics, and the role of government in our lives. Yes, elections have consequences...and those who were so keen on voting for Obama just to say we'd elected a black president forget that his choices for the court will outlive his term by a factor of ten. And we can't un-elect her.

At O'Hare airport last week, I made an uncharacteristic impulse purchase of a book I had seen on the bestseller list and started reading it during my trip. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (author of The Time Traveler's Wife) is a fairly mindless but pleasant modern "ghost story" with a lot of interesting characters and some occasionally inspired writing. It's been a nice foil for my rather plodding trip through Herodotus.

URGENT REQUEST: Please, please check now to find your state's voting schedule for November. If you want to vote early or need to vote absentee because you'll be out of town on November 2, then find out NOW what the deadlines are, mark them on your calendar, and send yourself email reminders with the pertinent dates. Then use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, and every other means you can think of to remind people in your state what those deadlines are. Every vote matters, and only by restoring a Congress who respects the Constitution can we have any hope of stopping our slide into the abyss. (Here's the schedule for Texas)

And at the risk of sounding like a broken (vinyl) record, download a copy of Atlas Shrugged onto your iPod, iPhone, iPad, or Kindle, or get the book from Amazon now and increase your awareness of just how close we are to a socialist state and how quick the trip will be to totalitarianism.

From the recent annals of nationalized health care in the country that our decision-makers (read: High Priests of Obamacare) worship, there's this tragedy, coming soon to a country and hospital very near you. May God have mercy on all the little humans born before 24 weeks.

Guacamole? Yes. Please.

I spent quite a bit of time this past week listening to clips of madrigals, an early music form that shaped much of my music education. Just listening made me feel young again.

Said I wouldn't do it, but I did. Signed up for Netflix again. I vowed that I wouldn't do it until they stop using pop-up ads to advertise, and they haven't stopped. But what they have done is made a lot of the stuff I want to see instantly available through streaming and I could no longer resist. Last night I watched the first episode of the mini-series Pillars of the Earth. I loved the book, and unlike with many book-to-movie/TV conversions, I was not disappointed. Looking forward to the next parts.

I'm off to finish up plans for tomorrow...I hope that whenever you're starting your school year, you're as enthusiastic about it as I am! Have a great week!

Labels: Books, Family, Food, Homeschooling, Music, ObamaNation, Political Action, Political Observation, Sundays

Anne is thinking about having this enlarged and laminated and put up in our grandson Jude's room...



Hey Jude Flow Chart

Labels: Fun, Grandkids, Music

Today I'm giving top billing to my little snippet of a granddaughter, just two days old! Savannah Joy Welty was born on Friday night in Virginia, the third baby for my third baby :-) Siblings Erin and Judah and Aunt Beth welcomed her home yesterday. Congrats to Caleb and Annie, proud Dad and Mom...Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Now of course it wouldn't do to have a grandbaby that I haven't seen! Not for more than a few days! So I am going to take a break from school and wedding planning and make a trek east. I haven't traveled at all since the latest chapter in my orthopedic saga, so it's definitely going to be a challenge and I wouldn't mind your prayers. I will leave here Thursday morning and stay with the Weltys for six days. I'm just about as excited about seeing Erin and Jude as the new little one. Miss them all terribly!

And speaking of wedding planning, we are moving right along. Sometimes I want it to S-L-O-W down...not because I'm afraid we won't get it all done, but just because I'm in no hurry to see my sweet CJ move away. Since I know that in some ways she IS in a hurry, I'll refrain from attempting to bend time...

Häagen Dazs Caramel Cone. Thank you.

Someday I'm going to Machu Picchu. If they have to take me in a wheelchair. But first, cruise to Alaska. Not in the same week.

So this week I got my shoes back from the orthotic shop after a very long wait. And wouldn't you know, they don't work. Evidently the measurements were off, and the darn things are too tall. Now I limp in reverse. So back to the drawing board. And I won't have them for my trip.

Friday night, while our granddaughter was being born, we were attending a benefit concert for Voice of the Martyrs. Shelley and friends sang in the choir, performing some beautiful "early" music. She also sang in a quintet, pictured below (Shelley is second from right). The evening was beautifully put together...entertaining, inspiring and convicting all in one lovely presentation. And of course, Shelley did beautifully :-)

(photo shamelessly lifted from Robin M.)

Congrats to our dear friends Greg and Candace, expecting baby #9 in March. They've caught up with us!

Next Sunday I'll be in Virginia cuddling a little one, so the Snippets will be on vacation...have a great week!

Labels: Babies, Food, Grandkids, Music, Sundays, Weddings

I love long weekends! Around here, a long holiday weekend almost always means a cookout with family and friends, and this holiday is no different. Tomorrow we'll grill chicken and brats and enjoy the day with about 40 here. We've made lots of preparations today so Granny's House is already smelling good...

Yesterday was Onslaught(er) Day at the House. Our sweet kids and grandkids have moved in for a couple of months, giving us lots of smiles and hugs and the sound of little feet once again. Pure joy!

Weather in the past few days has been very muggy, but on the good side we've had a lot of rain for June/July and more is forecast for this week. Good for the lawn and trees!

All week long, books trickled in from my orders and we saw Mike, our UPS man, nearly every day. Most of the books have to do with 18th century history, one of my favorite periods to study. As a matter of fact, I'm drooling over some Teaching Company courses for my own study as we move into the fall's Tapestry of Grace unit.

Tony is here! This weekend he and CJ made a construction paper chain that now hangs in the kitchen, with 97 links, one for each day until their wedding :-) Tony will be here for the big cookout tomorrow and will have to return to Oklahoma Tuesday. Not long enough for us (or for CJ, of course!) but we're thankful for every day we can get.

And for another addition to the family this year, we are eagerly awaiting news of the arrival of little Savannah Welty, due within the next couple of weeks. I'll be planning a trip to Virginia soon!

This week I'll be finishing up the last few pages of How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil. This book isn't an easy read, but if you want to dig deep into the issues of pain and suffering and the whole "when bad things happen to good people" questions, it's a must-read.

Because of the prevalence in the past 15 years of in vitro fertilization and implantation of multiple embryos (read: lots of babies), we've forgotten just how rare occurrences like this are in the natural world: Having Babies 1-2-3

And, for your July 4th weekend required reading, we have It's All in the History Books and A Cold Man's Warm Words. There may be a pop quiz.

Please pray for Aubrey, our oldest daughter, as she goes in the hospital for major surgery on Wednesday of this week. And pray for her husband and sweet kiddos as they minister to her and keep the house running while she recuperates.

From this morning's glorious worship service:


Enjoy your celebration of Independence Day. Happy 234th birthday to the land of my birth!

Labels: Books, Family, Grandkids, Holidays, Music, Weather, Weddings

Recovery is coming along very nicely. The Papa commented a few minutes ago that he's still amazed at how different this one's been compared to all the other surgeries when it took so much longer to bounce back. I appreciate the thousands of prayers that have been prayed for me in the past six months and I believe that THIS is the reason behind the positive outcome. Because there's no other explanation for it. (And even if there were, I'd still believe that God was listening to the prayers of his people!)

Despite the smooth sailing the past couple of weeks, I became aware during the first few days of walking that the difference in the length of my legs is significant enough that I will not be able to walk without shoe lifts. And I don't mean inserts...it's more of a difference than I can compensate for with anything inside the shoe. While I'm not happy about this, I will certainly accept the inconvenience in trade for the pain I've been in for so many years. It won't be easy to give up flip-flops and bare feet, though...

Years ago I played the cello. And I would still rather hear it played than any other instrument except the piano.

I'm deep in books at the moment, getting school all planned for the fall and ordering supplies. I've said before how much I LOVE this part of homeschooling and will have to find a way to get this "fix" even after my kids have all graduated. Maybe I'll hire myself out for school planning, or maybe I'll just force my way into my grandkids' education. The job already takes me a lot less time than it used to: our last remaining students are 9th and 11th grade boys this year. Honey, we shrunk the school!

So as if we didn't already KNOW Tiger was a mere mortal....

While it's been a given for several months that the Democrats will lose a lot of seats in Congress in November, this week it seemed there was a tipping point where an avalanche of observers believe they could lose both houses. I believe this is so important that every voter should be planning now to make sure his/her voice is heard, not only by voting but by writing letters, volunteering, and praying. I'll be using my voice in a variety of ways to install a Senate and House that has the muscle and the guts to repeal every tenet of Obamacism passed in 2009-10.

I'm enjoying the new Next Food Network Star and HGTV's Design Star seasons.

Wedding plans here continue. This week we ordered bridesmaids' dresses and made some other decisions. What a joyful time!

Last night we shared a neat experience with all of our kids and grandkids who are 10 years old and up. We went to a Brasilian "churrascaria," Chama Gaucha, and had one of the most wonderful dinners I've ever eaten. We used this opportunity for an early celebration of Father's Day and my birthday, both falling on the same day this year. This night out was a gift from our dear friend Steph K., via gift cards that we received for Christmas but because of certain unfortunate circumstances was delayed for six months. The waiting only made it sweeter and it was better than we could have imagined. Thank you, Steph!



It's the longest day of the year...Carpe diem!

Labels: Food, Health, Holidays, Music, ObamaNation, Political Action, TV, Weddings

Labels: Devotional, Music, Poems

Our city has something for everyone...enjoy!

DINOSAUR QUEST

Cultural Centers - Museums, Entertainment - Events, Cultural Centers - Art/Visual

05/01/2010 - 09/30/2010 at RIVERCENTER MALL

Venue Name: RIVERCENTER MALL

DINOSAUR-QUEST is an exhibition of Dinosaurs, displayed in brilliant lighting and sound, all complemented with high-end video animation.
More Info

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Pictures Made with Light: Impressionism & Photography

Cultural Centers - Museums, Cultural Centers - Art/Visual, Visual Arts - Photography

06/08/2010 - 06/10/2010 at McNay Art Museum

Venue Name: McNay Art Museum

Play with light, learn about landscapes, reflect on water, picnic on the grounds, and paint outdoors
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A Night at the Witte: Dinosaurs After Dark

Entertainment - Activities, Entertainment - Events, Cultural Centers - Museums

06/11/2010 - 06/25/2010 at Witte Museum

Venue Name: Witte Museum

Grab a sleeping bag and get ready for a night of exploration!
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Oh, I do LOVE Lizz Wright!

Lizz Wright in concert

Music - Jazz, Music - Blues, Entertainment - Events

06/12/2010 - 06/12/2010 at Carver Community Cultural Center

Venue Name: Carver Community Cultural Center

Lizz Wright’s smoky, full-bodied voice stirs jazz, gospel, and rhythm and blues into prayerful meditations on her Southern roots.
More Info

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BRAVO! an evening of song and dance

Entertainment - Activities, Performing Arts - Dance, Cultural Centers - Historical Sites

06/23/2010 - 07/22/2010 at Arneson Riverwalk Theatre

Venue Name: Arneson Riverwalk Theatre

BRAVO!, an evening of song and dance Variety show featuring Fandango, Alamotion and Mariachi Campanas De America
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How fun is this???

Playhouses and Forts

Visual Arts - Installation

06/26/2010 - 10/24/2010 at San Antonio Botanical Garden

Venue Name: San Antonio Botanical Garden

An original Playhouses and Forts exhibit opens at the San Antonio Botanical Garden on June 26. 2010
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The Temptations

Music - Other, Music - Rock/Pop, Entertainment - Events

06/27/2010 - 06/27/2010 at Majestic Theatre

Venue Name: Majestic Theatre

Experience Motown’s best! Join The Temptations as they celebrate the 45th Anniversary of their first Number-One hit, “My Girl.”
More Info

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NOW OPEN! A New & Improved Tot Spot dedicated to guests up to 36 months!

Entertainment - Activities

03/10/2010 - 12/31/2010 at San Antonio Children’s Museum

Venue Name: San Antonio Children’s Museum

NOW OPEN! A New & Improved Tot Spot dedicated to guests up to 36 months!
More Info

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Labels: Fun, Music, Summer

The little girl in the video is Collin Raye's granddaughter...

Labels: Music

It's finally here! We are in Hawaii, in a 10th floor room in Waikiki, enjoying all the sights, sounds, and foods of one of our favorite places. This place makes me smile, as does having some alone time with The Papa. Thank you, God, for providing this time!

What a sweet morning we had, visiting with our old MCC church family in Mililani. Don't get to see them nearly often enough, but thoroughly enjoyed worshiping and sharing the Lord's Supper with them today. Heaven is gonna be so great...

Are you keeping up with the humongous "ClimateGate" scandal? Such delicious vindication for the non-crazy scientists who've been beating their heads against a brick wall since the 80's.

This week, I'm reading The Courage to Be Protestant by David Wells. Terrific material, but oh, how I wish that Wells could either really write or find a good editor. I've done as much cringing as cheering. It's one of those I'm almost embarrassed to recommend.

I love Hawaiian music. Old stuff, new stuff, even the cheesy stuff.

I read a newspaper two days in a row. Last time that happened? Oh probably in the 80's somewhere. But hey, they were free outside our door, and besides, Hawaiian politics are so very entertaining and not something you're likely to run across except in island newspapers.

No, I'm still not through Christmas shopping. I'm not stressing about it...there was a day when I'd get panicked about being less than a month from Christmas and still having to get out and face the daily increasing crowds. But there's not much of a crowd on my keyboard, and no trouble at all finding parking :-)

And last but not least, a big CONGRATULATIONS to Annie, daughter #3, and her wonderful husband Caleb: they are expecting #3 of their own in July! We're thrilled, as we've been known to love a baby or two in our lives. God continues to increase our numbers and decrease the number of vacation spots that can hold us all!

Labels: Babies, Books, Family, Holidays, Music, Political Observation, Science, Social Observation, Sundays, Vacations