Hair up with red chopsticks.  New white gi on. 

Testing went well.  It was a long process that included one-time attacks, line drills, and katas.  It’s an honor to test and to watch our classmates progress!

At the end, we were . . . → Read More: Toes In The Sand]]> This past weekend was quite busy and most exciting!  On Saturday, I awoke and prepared for karate testing.

Hair up with red chopsticks.  New white gi on. 

Testing went well.  It was a long process that included one-time attacks, line drills, and katas.  It’s an honor to test and to watch our classmates progress!

At the end, we were all awarded a new rank.  Joseph got his black belt, I got my blue belt, and our classmates moved on as well. 

And then, sometimes a girl’s gotta leave and stick her toes in the sand. 

I drove to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, without any children in tow and just enjoyed the solitude.  The beaches are quieter this time of year.  The weather was chilly, but the sun came out beautifully and the air felt just right.

I stayed in a beautiful place!  One thing.  Rates are cheaper this time of year.  It was nice to look at what was offered and think about coming back in the summer and bringing my children.

I stayed pretty high up! 

Which made for a wonderful view!

I am trying to embrace the ever-changing creatures in my life.  Not many beetles, bees, and butterflies anymore, but new things, new sights, new thoughts.

Plants at the beach, growing in the beach sand, are so different from what was in The Little Wild Garden.  I think ahead to where I might end up, what might grow, and how life will continue to change.

The plantings around the hotel were lovely.  Tropical is something that never appealed to me much as far as gardening goes, but this was very inspiring.  The color!

How does it feel to get away by myself and walk off and leave an unmade bed without a thought?  Good. 

There were lots of things here that the children would enjoy!  I can see Joseph and John at the huge chess set!

The pools and water tunnels and hot tubs (right under the hotel!) were things that the children would love.  I can see I need to make it a priority to bring them here when the seasons take us to hot weather again.

I walked on the beach and picked up tiny little, perfect shells.  I put them in a bag as I walked.  Not too many, but enough to remember…

In one of the restaurants I was in, there was an amazing glass wall in the ladies’ bathroom!  (Yes, I took a picture of the wall in the bathroom.)  I would love to have natural light like this in a future home.  (More mental notes for things I would like to do in the future.)

Thinking.  Thinking.  Thinking.  Doing lots of thinking these days.  It is no small thing to close a chapter of your life that was a quarter of a century long!  It is no small thing to quit reading at the end of a chapter when you had planned to read and love and keep forever the whole book!  It is no small thing to have to give up on something that is supposed to last forever.  It is no small thing.

But far out across the water — the dark water where we cannot judge depth or know what lies beneath, light dances in the sun.  Likewise, I see a light at the end of the tunnel, and it is beautiful. 

Enjoy this day! 

I sort of took off without saying anything.  Okay, I DID take off without saying anything, but I always feel funny announcing to the world that I am leaving to go somewhere, and I also get so busy trying to work enough hours before I leave and taking care of things, I do not always . . . → Read More: Back From Yorktown]]> Dear Friends,

I sort of took off without saying anything.  Okay, I DID take off without saying anything, but I always feel funny announcing to the world that I am leaving to go somewhere, and I also get so busy trying to work enough hours before I leave and taking care of things, I do not always have time to say goodbye. 

Thank you for all the comments about the frugal fashion show!   

Once again, my sister and I had a vacation together in Yorktown.  I love that place! 

Michaela and I set out together last Thursday, just the two of us!  I love that girl time with her!

Getting to Yorktown is quite the drive for us.  The excitement of being there becomes real when we hit either the James River Bridge or the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel Bridge. 

We rolled our windows down and listened to the sounds and felt the warm air on our faces!  Michaela was the photo-journalist on this trip, since of course I was driving. 

The tunnel at the end of the bridge!  Michaela shut her eyes and told me to let her know when we were safely out!  It is a bit daunting to know you are driving under water. 

One of my favorite things about going to Virginia is seeing Belle, my sister’s golden retriever.  She is a sweetheart of a dog!  She gives hugs and will just put all 75 pounds of herself in your lap.  She’s a big baby!

One of the cutest things is how Belle carries her own leash on her walks.  Of course if she gets too curious, say getting into things she should not, my sister will take the leash. 

Belle sure wanted to go with us when we left for a day of fun. 

Our first day there, the girls spent the day at Water Country USA.  They had fun, fun!  But they were so exhausted by the end of the day.  We forced fluids on them that night, knowing they were bordering on dehydration. 

But fear not!  You know they rebounded enough to spend the entire next day at Busch Gardens where they rode every scary ride, including the Griffon and the newly opened Mach Tower.   Whoa.

My sister and I spent some of our time doing something much more relaxing than roller coaster rides.  She took me to the huge Yankee Candle store.  Huge! 

The Christmas area was really amazing!  The ceiling, which looked like a night sky, had snow falling from it every four minutes! 

Is there anything better than spending time with someone you love?  I think not.

My sister and I also went to the Jamestown Settlement, where we toured three ships:  The Susan Constant, The Destiny, and The Godspeed.  Beautiful, beautiful replica ships!  It was humid and there was not much in the way of a breeze, but the guide seemed comfortable in her clothing.  I guess it is what you are used to!

The Destiny and The Godspeed.

The Susan Constant.  (I love that name.)

Sisters.  At Jamestown Settlement.

This picture does not do this beautiful food any justice!  We went to the best seafood restaurant, Harpoon Larry’s, which is referred to as a “dive,” but oh my they are known for their food!  There was a line waiting to be seated but it was worth it.  Steamed shrimp, blackened tuna, sweet potato fries, and the dipping sauces were out of this world.  (This is making me hungry.)

As is our custom, we did go down to the water at Yorktown, where the Victory Center is.

There is something about an American flag blowing in the wind, and especially here where we became our own country, finally, that strikes a cord deep in the American heart.

We enjoyed eating Ben and Jerry’s ice cream while walking in the sand and just taking in the beauty of the lights’ reflection and the feel of the breeze off the water.

As much as it felt good to get away, it was sort of hard getting back into a routine.  I don’t like myself for feeling that way, but life had been so stressful for so long before I moved here to the apartment, and after awhile a person can train herself to believe that she deserves that kind of stress.  It felt immensely good to just get away and rest and not work and not worry about cooking or anything.  My sister was the perfect companion too, and I needed her steady demeanor to help me talk through some things.  It was just sort of hard coming back to face the responsibility of work, bills, cooking, etc.  But I am thankful, so thankful, to have had safe travel and to have the apartment and my job to come back to! 

I hope you enjoyed the pictures!  Even if it was hard, it really is good to be back.

Enjoy this day.

The building they were in was condemned when the roof finally gave way.  In a sidewalk discussion with an employee who was loading stuff up to be moved even as we spoke, I learned that they . . . → Read More: The New Scrap Exchange]]> A few weeks ago I went by the Scrap Exchange, and woe is me, they were closed!!  As in closed down!!

The building they were in was condemned when the roof finally gave way.  In a sidewalk discussion with an employee who was loading stuff up to be moved even as we spoke, I learned that they soon would be in a new building, with more room and more stuff.  More stuff.  Be still my little wild-about-clutter heart.

Fastforward to yesterday, when my mom came and spent the day with me!  Highlights of our day:

• Scrap Exchange
• Chocolate shake from Chic-fil-A, with whipped cream and a cherry
• Habitat for Humanity Restore
• Goodwill
• A.C. Moore
• Baked potatoes from Wendy’s
• Lots of laughter

Was that not the perfect day???

I wanted to show you some pictures from the Scrap Exchange

I suddenly had the NOTION to buy some stuff.

Fabrics to make yours truly a wildly mixed-up tiered skirt with lots of funky trimming.  Can anyone say altered couture?

This is the way I feel sometimes.  I wanted to hug this man.

A counter made from old monitors.  A novel thing when shopping, but I wonder how it would feel to live with this 24/7.  I wonder how it would go over if I ripped out the cabinets in my apartment and installed something like this.  I cannot imagine that the management would mind.  Can you?

Thrift store treasures!  Lots of nice towels, ready to go in the washer.  We are using more and more towels since the pool is just a few yards away.   And the big orange-y rug?  Pottery Barn.  For 1.29$.  Score.

Annie, bless her little fatso beagle heart, must have smelled something exciting in the hand towel.  She took that thing and ran around with it and shook it to death about 10 times and then laid on top of it and growled like it was a fresh kill or something.  I don’t know.  The towel looked absolutely clean to me and smelled like a regular old towel brought home from the thrift store.  Maybe it was the color.  Beagles.  Go figure.

My treasures from the day, and you can bet I’ll be crafting during every break.   Well, when I’m not at the pool, or grocery shopping, or cooking, or ferrying kids around, or…

Before I sign off, I wanted to share a link to some loft apartments that have been put into some of the old textile/tobacco buildings in downtown Durham, just a walk from the Scrap Exchange.  I think it is the coolest thing!  That part of Durham is being revitalized, and it’s about time! 

Golden Belt Arts

Loft Apartments Photo Gallery

When you hear of the the American Tobacco district, think downtown Durham.  There used to be a lot of tobacco coming out of this state.  Yes sir.  Glad these beautiful old buildings are being used for cool stuff now and not being torn down or allowed to cave in.  You should see the old wood and bricks in person.  Very vintage and beautiful!

And it’s hard to think about Duke Medical Center being affiliated with tobacco, but you might enjoy reading about the Duke name and how everything came about.   American Tobacco history.

Enjoy this day

Well, let’s leave it at that.

Sunday afternoon I met with some of the moms from the homeschool group that Michaela and I . . . → Read More: Goodbye, Hello]]> Let’s just say that my life lately has been a steady stream of old doors closing and new doors opening.  It’s something I totally did not expect.  Two months ago, if anyone had asked me…

Well, let’s leave it at that.

Sunday afternoon I met with some of the moms from the homeschool group that Michaela and I have been involved with for the past going on three years. 

I could not bear to call it a goodbye.  Not really.  As Tigger would say, TTFN.  It’s only a Ta Ta For Now.  But in truth, even though Michaela and I have an open invitation to join the group for outings. life for us has changed and has gotten busy in ways that will make it unlikely that we’ll be able to drop in, even though we want to.  Still, the door’s open.  The door’s open.  So some doors haven’t closed all the way.

Can we talk farm tables now?  I always wanted one.  I remember (was it the late 80s?) when they suddenly became popular.  In white and wood?  In dark green and wood?  I wanted one SOOOOOO badly.  I never did get one.  Oh, there are several reasons.  Anyway, for the apartment I needed a table.  I’ve been looking, but you know tables are expensive.  Uh huh.

Today, though, a seldom-seen-but-still-beloved-and-in-my-heart Goodwill in Raleigh whispered screamed out my name as I drove by.  I wheeled in.  There, with celestial light beams dancing around it, was a farm table.  Okay, so I made up the part about the celestial light beams, but it was a farm table!  A real live, honest to goodness farm table.  It had three chairs with it.  Only three chairs.  But that’s okay!  In fact, that’s perfect, because I like to mix up chairs and I already had four chairs at the apartment.

Gasp!  The table did not have a price tag on it.  Thoughts raced through my mind.  Someone has already pulled the tag off and plans to buy it.  My eyes scanned the store, looking for my nemesis.  Everyone looked relatively innocent, though it could have been the older lady in the blue hat.  I eyed her suspiciously.  

Maybe the tag had simply fallen off.  I calmly strolled power-walked up to the counter to ask.

“Oh, I just have not had time to price that table,” the cashier said.  “It’s 29.99.” 

“I’ll take it!”  Right then and there, I knew I had to somehow get that table and chairs in my van even if I had to take the seats out and leave them in the Goodwill parking lot.  But I did not have to do that.  The table fit in easily and I brought it safely home.

She has a few dings, but boy is she sturdy!  I was amazed at how sturdy!  I like the green color.  I imagine myself in the 80s with my new farm table (and fewer wrinkles) and I am happy. 

Enjoy this day.

There is a reason for all things.  And all things work together for good.   So I’ll let this little man (I’m not sure of his name yet.  Ideas?) do the wondering. 

Life changes . . . → Read More: Sometimes You Just Feel Like Asking]]> First I had a lump of clay and then the next thing I knew there was the embodiment of what I’ve not been wanting to ask…

There is a reason for all things.  And all things work together for good.   So I’ll let this little man (I’m not sure of his name yet.  Ideas?) do the wondering. 

Life changes bring life changes.  I knew that.  But it’s getting realer and realer here.  (Pooh bear again).  Michaela will go to public school next week.  Now, before we get all heartbroken again, she will be in a lovely school.  Lovely.  I cannot say that strongly enough.  Any of you who’ve known me for long would remember the struggle of juggling full-time work with homeschooling.  It can be done, but boy is it tough!  And Michaela is such a social little creature (did I just call her a creature?), I’m afraid she could in no way thrive and homeschool at the same time with me working 40 hours a week. 

I find, again, that my sidebar is outdated.  Will change that soon.

No  tears.  Just hope and moving forward.   It’s quiet here.  The kids are with good friends.  I’m walking around barefoot on my soft, bright carpet, drinking hot chocolate and planning what brooch to make next.

Enjoy this day.

We had all ages for this fieldtrip, but the group was split into youngers and olders,the olders being allowed to see what went on behind the scenes.  There were a lot of things backstage that . . . → Read More: Raleigh Little Theatre]]> Okay.   Time to tell where I was on Thursday.  Raleigh Little Theatre!  And what a fun fieldtrip this turned out to be!

We had all ages for this fieldtrip, but the group was split into youngers and olders,the olders being allowed to see what went on behind the scenes.  There were a lot of things backstage that were not to be disturbed or touched and the older group was able to comply with this!  We learned about some different types of stages including proscenium and thrust.

The graffiti on the walls backstage comes from a long tradition of the actors writing things–lines from plays, ongoing jokes, names, characters, etc.

There’s so much writing at this point that there’s not much room left!

It was interesting to see the huge cables and weights which allow various backdrops and curtains and props to be lowered and raised during a play.

We were told about how creative a crew gets in putting together a stage.  Things are reused and repurposed.  It is a place for the imagination to go to work!  I was suprised to learn that in this community theater, the actors are not paid!  It is truly an offering of talent from members of the community back to the community!  And no one is called THE STAR.  That’s Hollywood, not theater. 

Costumes!  The room where they make costumes is amazing!  Sewing machines, fabrics, trimmings!  Such a space for creativity!

After the tour, the older students were asked to write six sentences describing their bedrooms.  They were told that it did not have to be exciting or neccesssarily creative, just six sentences.  I wondered what this would be used for!

The kids then were brought to the front of the theatre to work with someone who does casting.  They were brought before her one by one, if they wanted to, to audition, with the description of their bedrooms!  Are you expressive enough to evoke empathy from your audience by reading six random sentences in an angry tone?  A sad tone?  A whining tone?  A scared tone? 

Then the kids had to turn themselves into living sculptures, playing off of each other, to express emotions–without speaking.

This fieldtrip was so well done.  I would highly encourage you, if you get an opportunity to visit Raleigh Little Threatre, to take it!

It was very simple, just taking a picnic basket and some egg salad sandwiches, sardines (yes, I said sardines), and other various and sundry things, like apples, . . . → Read More: A Sunday Picnic]]> “I love it when we do things together with the children,” I said to Mr. Carpenterman, batting my eyeslashes.  So we went on a tiny little picnic over the weekend.

It was very simple, just taking a picnic basket and some egg salad sandwiches, sardines (yes, I said sardines), and other various and sundry things, like apples, sunflower seed butter, chips and crackers.  Oh and some iced tea.  Yes, it was beautiful and warm enough to run and play. 

Four of us drove to some beautiful woods and had fun eating and walking and exploring.

Standing in front of some beech trees

While some of us climbed trees, some of us walked gracefully around and looked for identifying marks on trees and rocks and the like.

Our two youngest had fun getting out some energy.  Is there anything better than the woods for what ails you?

We examined trees with odd growths on them.

There was quite the stand of broomsage, and the carpenter said he’d be sure to tell me when it’s green so that I can make a broom. 

The Carpenter, who is an excellent woodsman and knows all of his trees, pointed out this and that.  I told the children they had to listen carefully because they would be tested before we left to go home.   We are homeschoolers after all.  They laughed and ran off.

Well, not really.  They listened to their daddy explain how this redbud had bloomed last year.  You can tell because of the seed pods.   He pointed out many a beech tree, silver and white maples, the eastern red cedar, sourwood and more.  He talked about the trees like he knew them personally.  I think they know him, too.

I love to see these HUGE quartz rocks!

We noticed a deer skull and wondered what had happened to the deer.  It was interesting to look at the teeth.    These are the molars and premolars. 

An outing doesn’t have to be expensive.  It doesn’t have to cost much of anything actually.  This was just the cost of our brought-from-home food, and it was so much fun!

A great longing for the old days when the trees could talk in Narnia came over her.  She knew exactly how each of these trees would talk if only she could wake them, and what sort of human form it would put on.  She looked at a silver birch:  it would have a soft, showery voice and would look like a slender girl, with hair blown all about her face, and fond of dancing.  She looked at the oak:  he would be a wizened, but hearty old man with frizzled beard and warts on his face and hands, and hair growing out of the warts.  She looked at the beech under which she was standing.  Ah!–she would be the best of all.  She would be a gracious goddess, smooth and stately, the lady of the wood.  Prince Caspian, The Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis

I quickly jumped at the opportunity and said, “count me in,” but then forgot about it since the day this occurred . . . → Read More: Thomas Edison Co-op Chapter 7]]> What a special treat when last week one of the moms in our Beyond Five In A Row co-op pulled together a plan for us to do the lessons from chapter 7 in a one-room schoolhouse.

I quickly jumped at the opportunity and said, “count me in,” but then forgot about it since the day this occurred was normally a work day for me.   “Miss Leslie,” as the kids call her, was nice enough to call me and ask oh-so-nicely if I was coming to the lessons.  Gasp!  I was so caught up in my work, I’d totally forgotten and the group had already gathered!  Fortunately, I was able to make it in time for nearly all of the lessons. 

This was not a regularly scheduled co-op, but Leslie could see the fun of doing chapter seven’s lessons in a one-room schoolhouse, so she made some calls and arranged it. 

The schoolhouse we met in is Hughes Academy in Hillsborough, a beautiful old historic town.

The children did several lessons.  One was penmanship:  copy some Thomas Jefferson quotations in “your best handwriting.” 

The next lesson was genious!  Miss Leslie split the kids into two groups and gave each group a paper with a list of things to do, and each group had a sort of leader holding the paper and reading.  The instructions at the top said to read each item on the list and then perform the activities.  If only they had strictly followed the instructions.  The last item on the list said to only do items #1 and #2.  This list had things on it like do 10 jumping jacks, form a circle, etc.  Each group went flying into doing every single thing on the list!  It was a real lesson to these kids to read instructions thoroughly!

The next thing was to get a partner and sit back to back, let’s say person A and person B.  Person A explained to Person B what to do, with the goal to try and instruct Person B well enough to have them draw a picture of what Person A was holding without having seen it.  Only the descriptions of what to do would be used to produce the drawing.  Two of the moms demonstrated.

Then the kids had a turn.

Sobering reminder.  

The children posed in front of the schoolhouse.

Then we set off to walk 1/2 mile, the distance Thomas Edison walked to school.  It was a bit chilly, but mostly a beautiful day for such a walk.

Someone had the novel idea of giving the cameras to the kids and letting them take a picture of all the moms!  Why did we not do this before! 

We are rarely on this side of the lens.

Week #24 Lessons
02/07/2011 — 02/22/2011
Themes: Music

Practice violin!
Practice violin!
Practice violin!
Violin Lesson
02/09 Beyond FIAR Co-op
02/10 FIAR Art and Music Festival
Math

Honestly, I let Michaela get by with not doing much except focusing on her violin for the week. This was her first violin performance in front of a crowd, and that was our focus for most of the week. Each week when I plan lessons I usually have a theme or two written at the top of the page. This week it was music and math.