I've been at the Okla-home for nearly four weeks now. It's been one of the sweetest times of my life, waiting for and then greeting our little preemie granddaughter, Ava June. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was posting her parents' wedding pictures and making sure CJ had all the kitchen stuff she needed? And now they're a family of three...a perfect little family with a perfect little girl that doctors predicted shouldn't be here yet and certainly shouldn't have been strong or well enough to come home yet. We've been reminded that God uses doctors but He doesn't consult them on timing. On my way home from the hospital on Friday, knowing that Ava was just a couple of hours behind me, I was flooded with the praise chorus: 




Don't know why that particular one flooded my heart, but it's exactly what I'm thinking and feeling this weekend...


This week I made the prediction, on Facebook, that the winner of the next election and the next president of the United States will be my state's governor, Rick Perry. I am a far cry from endorsing him, but I just feel it in my bones. That said, I'm growing increasingly interested in Michele Bachmann, a woman for whom I have tremendous respect. I don't know that she has the money or the backing to go the distance, but I'd be willing to bet that she has a future.


Yes to Hobby Lobby. LOVE that store. I'm glad to have one close to my house, but the one in Midwest City OK is the best one I've ever been in! And while I'm not one of those who will never shop on a Sunday, you gotta love a company that still has the courage to stay CLOSED on Sundays. 


While I've been in Oklahoma, I've crocheted two baby blankets...one for Ava and one for Van. It's been a long time since I crocheted, and it was nice to have something to do to help pass the hours in the hospital as we waited for Ava to be released. Now I think I shall make one for Savannah, slightly larger since she's almost 1!


I'm also venturing into another area from which I've been absent for a long time...I'm going to make curtains for Ava's room. This would have been standard operating procedure for me a few years back, but it's been so long that I may have to re-teach myself to thread the machine! 


During my long drives in the past three weeks, I finished A Patriot's History of the United States and Song of Saigon. Both were excellent listens. Echoing my previous recommendation of the former, let me add two points: 1) It's very long. But then the history of the US is, well, long. If you get the audio version and the thought of 50+ hours is daunting, choose the 2X speed. The narrator reads slowly enough that even at double speed it's perfectly understandable. It takes a few minutes of getting used to, but it really helped me to have this option. 2) If you really think you can't get through it all this summer, listen to the second half. We've all gotten much more misinformation about history in the 20th century than in the first few, so a review of the 20th from a non-leftist position will be extremely valuable if you got, as I did, the public school version.


Thoroughly enjoyed watching, via Netflix, the 4-episode Daniel Deronda.


I'll be returning home on Tuesday, with just enough time to do laundry, repack, and stock our van with enough groceries to get us through our one-week stay in Red River, New Mexico. We always enjoy the cool respite from the south Texas heat and the time to do absolutely nothing but rest and visit (well yes, and cook!). This year there will be more than 40 of us congregating in the little mountain motel--I can hardly wait to get going!


Okay, time to pay attention to the littlest Snippet...here are some favorite moments from the past three weeks. Hope your week is fabulous!

This was the very first time CJ got to hold her little one, 24 hours after delivery.

Labels: Babies, Books, Grandparenting, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Political Observation, Sundays, TV, Vacations

Well, the Snippets are back after a two-week hiatus. I had a wonderful vacation in Hawaii with Lyric, and two nights at her house in California on either side of the Hawaii week. While in Hawaii we took a short cruise, read books on the sand, shopped for clothes and jewelry, got a little too much sun, and had unbelievably good evening here. I returned on Monday, refreshed and ready to take on summer  :-)


During the past couple of weeks, I finished up reading Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, Words that Work by Frank Luntz, and Poke the Box by Seth Godin. All three were excellent and are on my "Recommended" list. (Links are in the sidebar.)


Watching Herman Cain. Closely. Would still like to be "wowed" by someone I hadn't even thought of yet.


Ever signed the paperwork to enter a clinical trial of a drug? It's worse than buying a house!


This weekend I purchased two new vacuum cleaners. Have I told you about our vacuum curse? Yeah, I thought so. And no, I'm not divulging what brands I bought until I know if I'm going to keep them. After a week of research I'm convinced that there are no good brands. And I'm disgusted with Consumer Reports for highly rating brands that actual real-life users end up hating. What's up with that? If it turns on the first time and doesn't start smoking, it's Recommended?


So Kristen and children are with us as we wait for SlaughterBaby's arrival. Due date is Tuesday, and no sign of anything yet...but we're ready!


And yesterday, Aubrey and Cori gave a lovely baby shower for CJ and her little Ava LongenBaby, wherein we ate way too many delicious carbs and oohed and aahed over the sweetest little baby things ever. We still have a couple of months until we get to meet Ava...she'll be born on July 19th in Oklahoma City.


Are you watching The Voice? I love the concept even if some of the personalities really annoy me. 


Tonight I'm going to make a list of the things I want to accomplish this summer. We're going to be doing so much traveling that I need to be very purposeful and organized about the things I want to do. The last two years I haven't done very well on that score and my intentions were, for the most part, never realized. See, I do really well with New Years resolutions...I just don't do well with summer.


Congrats and goodbye to our dear friend Nicole, who graduated yesterday with her BSN and will be leaving, along with her family, to reside in the great northwest. We love you!


Have a great week!

Labels: Babies, Books, Political Observation, Sundays, Vacations

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

Last week while traveling and relaxing, I listened to more of Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby, read some more (aloud with The Papa) of Blue Shoes and Happiness, finished Somewhere More Holy by Tony Woodlief and Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, and started Carol Kent's Between a Rock and a Grace Place, a serendipity gift from my bestie. I'd read ANYthing by Carol Kent.

Another Warren computer bit the dust this week. Ugh. So that and a replacement for our second refrigerator are on my list for the next week or so. 

It's 50 degrees in my bedroom right now, and I'm sitting up in bed with a cold Diet Coke. I know, sick.
This year, we will break with our much-loved Thanksgiving traditions for a much-needed breather. Most of us will be going to Fort Worth to celebrate the holiday with our extended families there, including my mother who is getting more fragile with each year. I will cherish the chance to be with her.

This morning's sermon, from John 7:37-39, focused on what it means to come to Christ and drink from His living water. It was very moving to me, one of the best sermons I've ever heard. Made me genuinely sad to hear our pastor say, "In closing...."

("Our God, Our Help in Ages Past", lyrics by Isaac Watts)

Labels: Books, Church, Family, Food, Friendship, Holidays, Political Observation, Vacations

After a dream week with Lyric in southern California, I slid up the coast on a short flight into Sacramento, and when I got off the plane, The Papa was there to meet me right at the gate. He flew in 40 minutes earlier from Texas and we were off on the next leg of our end-of-summer adventures! We're now enjoying a lovely mini-vacation outside of Modesto with our newest soul-mate friends. It's been a long time since I spent two weeks in this state, but it's all been good :-)

And one of the best parts is that I got to have an In-N-Out burger on the way to the airport. Just thought you'd want to know.

And of course while we're on the left coast, all eyes were on that "other" coast, watching a half-million or more people gather in Washington DC to raise the standard for honor, freedom, and a restoring of American values. Very inspiring.

Counting down to the wedding, we're 41 days away. All the large pieces are in place and we're just working on the fine points now. I'm still sort of in denial that CJ is moving AWAY...I have no problems with her marrying the man of her dreams, I'm just still thinking that something magical will happen and they'll stick around.

Pizza tastes better cooked outside. And Pear Gorgonzola Pizza is my new fave.

It felt a little funny to get school going and then leave for two weeks, but that's the way things worked this year. I'm anxious to get back to working with the boys and also the fall meetings of our HOPE group.

FIVE years since Katrina? Wow.

My next trip will be a redux of last year's ill-fated vacation in Hawaii. I didn't realize that the pain I was having while I was there was because I was still walking around on a broken leg. Though I was happy to be there, I wasn't able to do much outside of our hotel room, so we're having a do-over. Papa has to be there for two weeks in October/November, so I'm going to go for one of those weeks while the kids take a fall break. Hopefully, this time I'll be able to enjoy all those things I love about the islands!

Can someone please tell me why there are so many voices on TV saying, "Our economy is headed in the right direction"? Are they serious, or is this a case of "Who you gonna believe, me or your lyin' eyes?" (Juan Williams, I'm lookin' in your direction.)

Anyone using a great new curriculum this year that you're dying to tell me about? Or complain about?

I have the coolest kids in the world. And I miss 'em.

Did you catch Jennifer Griffin this past week? What a great lady. Her return to FOX News this week FROM AFGHANISTAN, including her coming unglued at the emotion of it all, was about the best thing I've seen on TV all year.

We're going to Yosemite tomorrow! It'll be our first visit there and I'm so excited...I'm sure I'll post some pictures.

Hope your week is as much fun as ours is. Have a great one!

Labels: Family, Food, Homeschooling, The Papa, Theater of the Absurd, TV, Vacations

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

It's Thanksgiving week...and I'm feeling more grateful already! Grateful, of course, for all the blessings in my life, but also for the 50+ people that will be sharing the day with us in a combination of food, football (real and virtual), fun, crafts, and music. The logistics are a challenge this year but that just adds to the excitement!

I have two turkeys thawing: one 20lb and one 25lb. Seems no matter how much turkey I cook, we never have enough leftovers. And who wants to cook on the Saturday after Thanksgiving? I'm going to check and see if the grocery store sells turkey leftovers :-)

How come I didn't know that The Wizard of Oz is on some channel almost every Sunday?

Okay, the Kindle is fabulous. It still has a bug or two that I think should be addressed in the next iteration, including a navigation system that's a little less than intuitive, but all in all it gets an A- from me and I'm on my third book already, with two more loaded!

And I have no doubt that the Kindle will make the hours on the flights to and from Hawaii a lot easier for me to handle. I love going there, but I hate getting there, and any distractions that keep me busy for longer than five minutes are very welcome.

If I'm REALLY lucky, American Airlines will be showing The Blind Side on the flight over the Pacific!

I'm sorry that we'll be away from our church family on one of my favorite days of the year: the first Sunday of Advent. I'll try to console myself with the sights and sounds of wave and tropical sunsets, but really, nothing replaces celebrating Advent with those we love.

From this morning's worship...


Have a great week with your loved ones, giving thanks for blessings none of us deserves but which have been lavished on us by the Lover of our souls...

Labels: Books, Food, Holidays, Movies, Technology, Vacations

Nothing gets me going internally like waking up in a room that's 50 degrees. It always seems like I can conquer the world, if I can just get out from under the covers.

It was lovely to get to worship and then eat with my precious church family this morning. Our fellowship is very "child-heavy" and I say that in a good way...this morning I sat watching and listening to all of them and thought, "Here is the future of our church. And from the looks of it, it's a very promising future."

So I have had a good week of Christmas shopping. My bathtub, unused for much of anything other than storing Amazon boxes seasonally, is beginning to fill up and I catch the grandkids peeking around the corner once in a while to measure its progress.

Speaking of Christmas shopping. Every year I say I'm going to start in June and then don't really get going until October. This year was no exception since I was sitting still all summer! I've always "known" that you do better if you take advantage of sales throughout the year instead of waiting. Well as it turns out, it really isn't true, at least not any more. I am finding so many good deals right now that weren't there during the summer, as retailers desperate for their bottom lines not to bleed cut merchandise by 50-75% right before the holidays. I am VERY glad I waited.

This weekend The Papa got my ticket for our post-Thanksgiving Hawaii trip...and surprised me by getting it First Class all the way. That will make the flights so much more pleasant. I don't mind flying as much as some people...as long as the flight is about 45 minutes. Long flights, though, tend to panic me, and I think the perqs of First Class will make it easier to get through that Pacific leg. He will be on business there, of course, and wanted me to join him for a week and actually November-December is my favorite time of year there. Yeah, I know. I'm strange. (As it now stands, The Papa will be in Hawaii for part of every month from now until May and then has an Australia trip in June. I ask you: who should be allowed to have a job like this and get paid for it?)

Excuse me for a moment, I need to go in the kitchen and see if we have any more chicken and dumplings.

Ah yes, good. Okay, where were we?

Oh, I was about to give out the weekend political reading assignment. There will be a quiz, especially for those of you too young to remember Chairman Mao. Mark Steyn: Limbaugh bad, Mao good

Thanksgiving plans are shaping up at Granny's House. I'm scouting for tablecloths and taking inventory of flatware and especially serving utensils, for which we seem to scrounge at the last minute every year. I've used ebay to beef up my supply of glassware, and we've taken a count of all the dinner plates and dessert plates. I'm going to buy a couple of extra tables this year to make sure we have places for all of our guests that don't include the coffee tables. And the menu is coming together as well, thanks to my handy-dandy Google spreadsheet that everyone can access. Still more than a month away, and we're making great progress!

And as far as physical therapy progress, in case you were wondering: last week I was able to walk to the end of my driveway (and if you know our driveway....) and back with no cane, no walker, no support at all. I'll admit that the walk back was not as easy as the walk out there, but I made it all the way back to my room without help. Can I do the airport yet? No, but the driveway comes first :-)

So...these are my stories and I'm stickin' to 'em. Hope you have a wonderful week!

Labels: Church, Health, Holidays, Political Observation, Vacations

I'm baaaaaack!

Our little spa getaway was everything I'd hoped for and a nice end to the summer. Massages, pedicures, a few good movies (DO see The Kite Runner!), a hot tub, a pool overlooking the Guadalupe River with a view of the horses on the other side...well, it provided not only a relaxing couple of days but also enough memories to sustain me through these next months of routine!

A few photos...

Labels: Friendship, Fun, Vacations

After a full week of vigorous (euphemism for "torturous") physical therapy, I am definitely much stronger than I was last week. Thank God for some really good therapists and a location very close to our house.

Despite my semi-isolation, it's been a fun, loud week at Granny's House. Baking marathons, shopping trips, little-girl sleepovers, late movie nights, water fights in six inches of a splash pool, and the annual swapping of sister clothes and shoes have brought all the smiles we're used to when we're blessed enough to have all the kids and grandkids in the same place for even a few weeks.

I can't claim to get in Sarah Palin's head and know all the reasons that prompted her to make the decision to resign. What I do know is that as I've watched her since the election, I've often wondered if I'd be willing to stay in a situation that continues to devastate her family. Ironically, the very "ethics" rules she put in place to combat a state full of corrupt politicians became the weapon of choice of her enemies as they have slowly and painfully drained her family of resources, forcing her to defend herself against ridiculous charges. But whatever her explanations, she will continue to be ridiculed and marginalized by the left and by elements of the so-called "big tent" right who are embarrassed by her very existence. At least now she can breathe and take some time to think about whether she wants to continue to subject herself and her family to more of the same in the run-up to 2012...

Planning an airline trip this summer or fall? Check out this handy comparison of the fees charged by the different carriers for checking bags, changing itinerary, sending unaccompanied minors, etc. The fees can really make a difference! (Click on the chart to enlarge.) The State of the American Airline Industry

The Papa has been monitoring the attendance and activities at the Tea Parties around the country this weekend. Not that you'd have heard much about it anywhere else, what with all the MJ-All-The-Time coverage and the mainstream media's reluctance to even acknowledge the rising discontent in the country over the economic "fixes" we're enduring. But it is interesting to see how many folks braved heat and rain yesterday to make sure their voices were heard.

And speaking of weather, San Antonio is experiencing one of the hottest, driest summers on record. The upside is that our economy here is one of the best in the country--not that it's great anywhere right now, but if you're willing to endure three-digit days and brown lawns, you can live in a place with fairly low unemployment, still-booming housing and hotel industries, a state with no income tax and no budget deficit, and a business environment that is attracting employers coming from both coasts. But did I mention it's really hot?

I'm enjoying a little book called Life's Little Annoyances: True Tales of People Who Just Can't Take It Anymore. There's something therapeutic about hearing other people's strategies for dealing with phone menu loops, rude clerks, junk mail, rejection letters, etc. Amazon has it for a bargain price, so get a copy and make yourself feel a little better :-)

Last night I dreamed that I went out with the kids in the yard and did cartwheels. Hope your dreams for the summer are just as fun but more realistic ;-) Have a great week!

Labels: Books, Family, Health, Political Action, Political Observation, Vacations, Weather

Living life almost exclusively from a recliner for a few weeks is a good way to gain perspective on a lot of things. In the past few years I've not been particularly active anyway, so it's not like I came to a dead stop from a full run, but it has enforced a certain amount of inactivity even though I'm technically "ambulatory." I don't enjoy asking folks to wait on me for the simplest things...but I have learned to appreciate aspects of the stillness and the time to think, read, process, and plan. Three more weeks of non weight-bearing and I'll begin to integrate into a more normal life again. In the meantime, I am attempting to squeeze all I can out of this unexpected sequestration...

Annie, Caleb, Erin, and Judah are on their way! If everything goes according to plan, they will roll in here some time Tuesday night to begin our summer of fun :-)

I've finally gotten a clear enough head (depending on the hour) to start thinking about rearranging our room so it doesn't once again become, quite literally, my downfall. The traffic patterns and the bedding and other features of the room are not conducive to avoiding falls, so painful as it is, I'm giving up some of the things I love to make sure I can walk, which I love even more. I'm pretty helpless to do much about it myself, so everything right now depends on ordering other people around, also not my favorite thing to do (though several of my kids would dispute this). Moving right now is out of the question, so we have to find ways to make this place work... (And thanks to Lyric for prodding me into making some of these hard decisions!)

Can I just say right now that if I start trying to pay several of you a couple hundred thousand dollars a month to sit in my room and give me large doses of prescription painkillers, just say no? Hearing about the dangerous cocktails that have killed so many celebrities and recognizing the names of the drugs from the little pharmacy at my side WORRIES ME! I'll be so glad to get back to the place where my pain can be controlled with Motrin!

Congrats to friends Kelly and Tami on the start of their new business, South Texas Technology Solutions. We've had to rely on Kelly's Solutions many times and are so glad to see that he'll be making a living doing what he truly loves! Go Kelly!

Yeah, if you want to come and see me this week and you go past a Long John Silver's on your way, I love the crab cakes. My appetite has been the pits since my accident and I'm wracking my brain trying to think of things to eat that sound good. True, my activity level is low and I don't need a lot of food, but getting even a few bites down each day is a challenge.

Since we won't be taking an out-of-town vacation this year as planned, we just bought 24 season passes to Fiesta Texas (Six Flags). The Papa has bought a little splash pool for the kids, and together with the trampoline and the grill, we should make good use of the deck. Also planning some little crafts to do with the grandkids and a tea party with the littlest girls, as well as a night or two with all 27 of us camping out here at Granny's House. We might take a short trip to north Texas to see extended family and include a zoo or botanical gardens trip while there, but mostly we'll be enjoying each other very close to home.

Hug each other close and try not to take for granted the gift of...walking :-)

Labels: Family, Food, Friendship, Fun, Health, Homemaking, Vacations

It's hard to believe that my fall was more than two weeks ago. Funny how time gets disturbed through an event like this...that the days and nights can seem like eternities away and yet the actual accident seems like it's ever right in front of me.

Pain has hovered between moderate and just this side of unbearable. Sleep has been difficult and sometimes nonexistent. And while I'm never one to be bored and have found a lot to do from my recliner, my attention span hasn't been good and so passing the days has been somewhat of a chore.

Yesterday was my birthday. It's not how I would have chosen to spend the birthday that plants me firmly in my mid-50's...as a matter of fact I kept having the sensation that perhaps this was really my 75th and no one wanted to tell me. But my magnificent family and friends colored the day with so many blessings that I couldn't end it with anything but gratitude, even if I have slipped in an extra twenty somewhere.

Since the happenings of the last two weeks put an end to our family's plans to vacation in the mountains of New Mexico next month, we've been huddling to come up with some alternate "stay-cation" plans. Anne, Caleb, Erin, and Judah arrive in a few days and will be spending several weeks with us, so we'll be sure to be a spectacle wherever we go, 27 strong!

The hospital, by the way, had the audacity to charge me for a week's worth of trays they call "meals." They should pay me.

I finally chose a Bible. One I'll be keeping this time. I've admitted that I can't find, and therefore can't have, all the features I'd like in one volume, so I made some compromises I can live with and am now looking forward to making this new one my own.

Father's Day never fails to fill me with wonder at the man God chose to be the father of my children. And one of the biggest blessings of my life is that all nine of our children KNOW what an extraordinary father they have and can express and give thanks for him. There's not much that can make a mother any happier than that...

At some point in the next few days I need to do some heavy-duty work on school planning. Like I've shared before, I have only five years left before this chapter of my life is closed and there is still so much I want to accomplish. May God slice through the distractions and the painkillers and fill me with the creativity and the motivation to make the coming year an unforgettable one!

For now I'm going to try to get some sleep. Tomorrow is my first post-op appointment, including the ordeal of the removal of the staples, so I'd sure like to be going into that rested. If you think of me at 9:45 CT, pray for me...

Labels: Good Stuff, Health, Holidays, Homeschooling, Sundays, Vacations

We have just come to the end of our 24th year of homeschooling. I'm glad for a good, if CRAZY, year. Our kids have accomplished so much, and it's years like this that make me feel successful, even when the successes aren't mine. I've been resisting doing much planning for next year...I'm sort of in denial that it will be Shelley's last year and then I'll have only a small school of two high school boys left. Where have the years gone?

My absence lately is partly explained by a week of the flu. I've been asked several times if it was the swine flu, and I'm not sure but have decided we'll go with Piglet Flu. Is there a vaccine for that?

Six weeks until vacation. We continue the planning and looking forward to being all together in the mountains of New Mexico and celebrating the 30th anniversary and renewal of vows of John's older brother and his wife. How cool will it be to do that after riding the ski lift to the top of the mountain?!

I never tire of Chopin. Never.

Tomorrow we will get the fleeting pleasure of a quick visit with my nephew and his family. Chris is returning from another stint overseas and he and the family will be here for a few hours before parting again. Yep, we'll get to spend Memorial Day with a real, live service member, as well as honoring the service of The Papa and others. And I can taste the bratwurst now...

It's very hard to explain "indigo" to a 6 year old granddaughter sitting beside you in church trying to draw an anatomically correct rainbow :-)

Some things this spring give us heavy hearts. Neither of our mothers are doing well, and we see each growing more fragile. John's mother, always vigorous and strong until November of last year, has been experiencing excruciating back and leg pain and has spent most of the past months in bed. She had surgery last week and now it appears that it was unsuccessful. My mother, still frail from Parkinsons, had a knee replacement a couple of months ago, after which she fractured the bone above the replacement. That was repaired surgically and she finally came home last week and 24 hours later she fell and may have refractured her leg. She will have to wait until Tuesday for an xray but in the meantime is in a lot of pain and is unable to get in and out of a chair by herself. Both women know the Lord and rely on Him for what they need to get through the day, but it's a sad reminder to us of how short our time with them may be...

Okay, one more time, remind me WHY we would want Nancy Pelosi to resign?

I finished up a Teaching Company course on the history of mathematics last week and started a new one on linguistics, taught by John McWhorter. I reviewed one of his books a while back (The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language) and am thoroughly enjoying watching him teach this course on DVD. I've just ordered another one of their courses on the Dutch masters of painting. So much to learn...

And after a short break from actual books, I've picked up New Mercies by Sandra Dallas.

The current dilemma at Granny's House: the girls want a second piano in the house. No, folks, a piano and an organ in one small living room isn't enough...we need another piano so they can play their duets and practice music for church without sitting beside each other on one bench. I've told them that means we'd have to get rid of the couch, and they looked at me like, "So?" Stay tuned.

Well, I'm off to have coffee with a friend and hoping the thunder I'm hearing in the distance doesn't mean I'll be spending the night at Starbucks. Have a wonderful week, friends and family!

(Happy Birthday, Julie C.!)

Labels: Books, Family, Food, Health, Holidays, Homeschooling, Learning, Music, Vacations

One of my kids posted on Facebook yesterday that these long trips of Dad's (and yes, around here two weeks classifies as "long") should be illegal. I don't know about that, but they sure aren't fun for any of us. Especially when the second half drags on with little or no communication due to the still high prices of phone calls and texts to Australia. We're glad it's OVER!

Yesterday, to help pass the last day before the coming home of The Papa, I treated myself to a movie alone. I mentioned several months ago that I'd been waiting with eagerness for The Soloist. It's based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless and schizophrenic former Julliard student and extraordinary cellist. He was "discovered" and made famous by Steve Lopez, a writer for the LA Times in a series of columns later expanded to book and now movie form. The movie was very sobering...it didn't end quite like I expected but I walked out reminding myself that "true stories" often don't turn out in neat "happily ever after" packages. To be honest, this one left me slightly blue. And after reflecting on it for 24 hours I think that, for me, the major message was the power of friendship even when that friendship can't perform miracles.

So now we have to be worried about the swine flu. I don't think it's a false alarm, and I hope I would be saying that even if the first U.S. cases weren't here in San Antonio. But it has brought the threat very close to home, and has made me think we might just be hunkering down for a few weeks and opting out of public events...

Listening this week to A Soldier of the Great War.

Four more weeks of school at Granny's House. As always, I look forward to the break for all of us, even though this year at least one and maybe two of our kids will need to keep going with math during the summer in order to stay on track. "On track" was never that big a deal in the early years, but when it comes to the middle and high school years, I do feel some pressure to make sure their courses and credits are in place so that I can, with integrity, put together a transcript that accurately reflects their academic accomplishments. So, we will give a couple of extra months to getting caught up, with a couple of weeks off during July vacation.

In the past couple of weeks we've done some sprucing up around here...a little paint, some new light fixtures, several new faucets, trim work. We have other projects coming up including our fourth major rebuilding of the kitchen door in 7 1/2 years. Not the kind of fun stuff we enjoy putting more money into. The big joke around here is that in three more years we'll have rebuilt the whole house, cleaning up all the builder's messes. We're glad he's now out of business.

I'm in the mood to do some heavy-duty cooking this week. Assuming my pain level isn't too high, I may be able to report back next week that we've had some extra-scrumptious meals and perhaps a few extra for the freezer.

Papa and I are looking at calendars, airline and hotel points, etc. and dreaming of a getaway sometime soon. Anyone have any thoughts on Savannah, GA?

So much fun this morning to turn around and see the five stairstep Slaughter kids sitting on the row in back of me. After two months I'm still occasionally startled to see them, whether in church or in my kitchen...what a joy!

Have a great last week in April!

Labels: Books, Grandkids, Health, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Movies, The Papa, Vacations

I don't know about the rest of Bluebonnet Country, but in San Antonio our rains came too late to give us a beautiful wildflower season. At least now we've had some good rain and the world is greening up nicely. I will refrain from commenting on what "green" means here as compared to other places I've lived and just say that the spring has been nice so far...

I like having kids who love making homemade pizza.

The Papa is in Australia, adjusting to being 15 time zones away from us and, of course, working upside down. Does this make him part of the underworld? In any case, we miss him!

For those of you who joined my challenge to read Atlas Shrugged, I've finished it again this week. Hard to tell the difference sometimes between the novel and the country we're living in...and my question now is, "Who IS John Galt?" And will we find one...

This week we've employed son-in-law Dave to: change out two faucets, install a sliding shower door, paint a bathroom, caulk a kitchen sink, and order a door and a plate glass mirror (which broke in half as he and Nate attempted to remove it). Most of the stuff we're having him do isn't the fun stuff; it's the constant re-building and equipping of the house to mop up the messes the incompetent, substandard builder made. Good thing we know a good contractor :-)

Eleven weeks until our family vacation to Red River, New Mexico. We've gone several times before, and several of us went two years ago and loved it...can hardly wait to get up in the mountains and wear jackets and fish in the early morning. Well okay, not me personally, but I love hearing about it! Best of all, we hope to have all of our kids and grandkids with us, as well as great-grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins galore!

Our little congregation had a record crowd this morning, even more than on Easter. What a joy! But it did make some of us muse about the mathematical formula that would predict the rise in temperature in a small space with the addition of each successive family...I think it's time to find a new building!

Well, it's apparent now more than ever that American voters, some through our actual pulling of a lever and some through stamping our foot and staying home, have elected and allowed Obama and Co. to go play in a very dangerous sandbox, one in which they are completely and laughably out of their league. This administration has worse problems than not understanding the rules of the game: they are convinced they can rewrite them as easily as they rewrite history. The trouble is that thugs don't abide by any rules--yours, the group's, or even their own. It's too bad that we don't elect men like Victor Davis Hanson, who clearly understand the threat in the light of both historical perspective and current political realities. Read what he's saying today about the mismatch between what our country needs and what it voted for itself.

I've been so blessed this week to see the Body of Christ caring for hurting members, standing by them in the most basic of ways as they walk through the fiercest of fires. May God return a hundredfold to all those who've given of what they have to ease the burdens of others, and may He grant comfort and rest to His children who are still experiencing the flames.

And may you have a week full of the blessings of life in Christ, even if those blessings come packaged in circumstances that look like anything but...

Labels: Body of Christ, Church, Food, Homemaking, ObamaNation, Political Observation, Sundays, The Papa, Vacations

The Papa is home! After an eight-hour flight from Hawaii (he didn't have the benefit of a stopover like I did) he stumbled off the plane and straight into bed this morning. He'll be rested and ready, though, for tonight's Great Socialist Capitalist Hawaiian T-Shirt Handout, a benefit program instituted for the appeasement of friends and family of men who claim frequent "business" trips to Hawaii. Yes, folks, he actually had to buy an extra suitcase to hold the 30+ shirts and other assorted goodies he has for The Handout. It's especially important this time, as he's trying to avert a threatened mutiny over his announcement that in six days he will be leaving again....for Hawaii.

So...how's the post-election week settling in at your place? For me, it's meant a 75% reduction in the amount of news I watch and read. I don't need to hear Rahm Emanuel's bio and I don't want to hear any more about how many executive orders O plans to overturn in his first hours in office, especially ones that will cost babies' lives here and abroad. It's now done, and while I wait with eagerness to see what God will do, I'm sick of the media's take and all the fawning and chills up the leg and Messiah talk.

I'm not liking papaya withdrawal. And I'm not sure, but I THINK that the fruit Eve succumbed to was papaya. I mean really, would an apple tempt you if there was papaya? The only thing is, she would have to have had the help of a very tall man to get it down so never mind.

HOW is it just two and a half weeks until Thanksgiving? I need to get busy! I haven't even bought the turkeys yet!

Yes, I had to return to the MouseTales at Granny's House. So far, one mouse down and we don't know how many to go. Monday the exterminator will be called, and this week I will probably have to break my pledge of never having another cat again in my life. Felines are definitely less undesirable than rodents. But only by a sliver.

Laundry. Lots all at once. That's what happens when two people come home from two weeks away and haven't washed a thing. I don't like doing laundry. I'm so glad that The Papa helps :-)

I'm 4/5 of the way through The Brothers Karamazov. It's meaty, complex, confusing at times, and captivating. It's certainly slowed down my reading pace, but it's worth it. I'll have to pick a few short ones after this!

This weekend Lyric and I watched The Other Boleyn Girl. I am intensely interested in the history of that era in England, and even though this particular novel and movie are partly fictional, there's enough real history there to make it more than just a good story. After the movie we went online and looked up some of the controversies and disputed bits about Anne Boleyn, her siblings, and their place in the court of Henry VIII. Despite some rather wide liberties being taken with the characters and events, it's a moving and sobering look at court life and at how young women were used as means to the desired political and economic ends of their fathers, brothers, uncles, husbands...and sovereigns. Shelley tells me that there are major differences between the book and the movie, and I may put the book on my list for next year. Ah...so much to read.

I'm in the mood to make a pumpkin pie. If I weren't suffering the effects of jet lag I'd probably get in the kitchen and do that right now. But I can see one in my immediate future.

I left in October, and returned in November to see the perfect new calendar page after my visit with Lyric. Yes, our food was great, but...



I love it.



Hopefully my jet lag fog will cleared in the next few hours and I'll be able to post something more interesting than papaya and laundry. Until then, get a great start to your new week!

Labels: Books, Food, Movies, Political Observation, Sundays, Vacations

...and most are within yards of our hotel room.










(I could have included a shot of the color of our shoulders, but I'll spare you :-) )

Labels: Vacations

I won't be here at sunset tonight, but here's a late-day view from the balcony...

Labels: Vacations

I love Hawaii.

I can never visit too many times. I love the crowded, tourist-y Waikiki and the lonely beaches on the windward side and the wild surf on the north shore and the desert of the Waianae coast...I love it all. I don't love GETTING here, but then it wouldn't be what it is if it weren't a long way away.

We spent several years here during two different military tours, so coming back here now is, in a very special way, coming home as well as vacationing. [Of course, as you know, my trip is NOT a vacation; it's a mission of mercy to my poor husband who is forced to be here because of job demands. He loves his country...he grits his teeth and just does it. And I can't let him bear that burden alone.]

Unfortunately, for four of the days I'm here he will be off working, and I will have to fend myself by shopping, lying on the beach, taking pictures, sleeping, reading, and listening to da kine music. Hey, I'm up for it. I can do this.

Part of any Hawaiian vacation is getting used to several hours of time difference...so it's not unusual to be awake VERY early on the first couple of mornings here. The Papa got up and made coffee and we enjoyed it on the balcony of the 22nd floor...and I took a few phone snapshots of the lightening sky. It was characteristically overcast and we didn't get any spectacular sunrise, but it was fun to see the changes. Normally we stay in the Hilton tower that you'll see on the left, but this time we're in the one that's a little farther back--still a lovely vantage. Here was our view at 6:15 am...

...at 6:22

...6:35

...at 6:50

...at 7:15

at 7:35


...at 8:10


...and then pivoting slightly to my right to see the city of Honolulu coming alive.


Yes, it's going to be a lovely day.

Labels: The Papa, Vacations