Iter (The Journey)

Broken down

I am always trying to make a schedule that will keep me and the family on track each day. I juggle the tasks and rearrange the chores: Exel, Word, notebooks and scrap paper. Sometimes when I cannot sleep at night, I turn on the light next to my bed and grab my notebook to jot down my thoughts to help me in the morning:

If I get up an hour earlier, I would be able to add____to my schedule. Then I'd have to put _____ into the afternoon so that I could do_____ earlier in the evening, and then I'd have to get to bed earlier.

Let's see. If I were to use this other exercise program in the morning, maybe I could cut 15 minutes out of my routine. What if I were to do those exercises in the afternoon just before I went outside to do the chores? Would I have time to get my shower in and make supper before it was time to leave for AWANA?

I think I need to ....

And on and on it goes. Even after juggling and struggling, my schedule stays close to being the same right now:

Rise around 7 (earlier if I can make my feet hit the floor). Devotions, feed cats and stove, dress, and exercise. Breakfast.
Family devotions around 8 (if Jacob is back from doing his farm chores in time).
Household chores; make meals for the day.
School.
Lunch.
School.
Oops! It's getting dark outside. Gotta check that pregnant heifer before we loose the light.
Finish up that Latin assignment; shower. Supper on the table...
Evening activities.
Read. Sleep.

Deep sleep.
Up at 7 (hopefully earlier). Exercise, cats, stove, devotions...

5 days straight until Saturday comes and I can get up and then I try to get the house cleaning done. It seems as though I really struggle to keep up my energy on Saturday. I'd like to make my house comfortably neat and clean, but I just can't push myself to get more done. Sometimes I rest on Saturday and by Sunday afternoon I feel like doing some work.

And then there is the transcript I need to finish and the course descriptions I've not done; gotta visit that college soon, and we need those done!

I need to get the swing off the back deck and into the garage for the winter.

Better bring some more meat up from the freezer to thaw.

--------------------------------

I use to be a person who loved the beauty of nature. I loved the plants in my garden and the birds building nexts in the trees around me. I watched the sunset and Venus in the morning and evening sky. Each night I walked outside to see what the skies were like. I sewed and knitted many of my clothes. I made soap and potions and lotions. I read. And read.

Who am I? Can I return to whom I was back then--or perhaps become someone even stronger and better because of the life I've lived these last few years? Will the ups and downs, the pain and sorrow, the laughter and love make me a person with more to give and more to share?

I hope so.

I'm weary.

Maybe I'll start again tomorrow being me.

Then again, maybe not.

:-) Jean

Snippets

India Ink

Snippets of This and That

It is a dreary day today. The weather is suppose to turn from yesterday's balmy 60 degrees to a cold 28 degrees tonight. We are suppose to have ice and snow before morning.

My son went deer hunting this morning, and he brought home a deer. It was a small antlerless male. We have given it to our Amish neighbors.

The turkey that we butchered and then ate on Thanksgiving was tender and juicy. There really is nothing to compare to something so fresh.

My mother had a wonderful time at her 80th birthday celebration. Nearly 100 people came to the open house to celebrate with her. I am glad my sister did so much to make this happen. It was very nice.

We are watching a video of Romeo and Juliet today. We people are capable of doing great harm in our certainty that we are right and others are wrong.

I am weary today. School is not getting done as I would like; we will have to do double time the rest of this week to catch up. Another two weeks and we will break for Christmas break.





YEAH!



Blessings to you all--
Jean 

Saturday Morning

Charcoal likes to roam. Even though he was neutered years ago, he still has the wanderlust within him. Last night my husband drove over to our 2nd farm, and there in the driveway was Charcoal hunting for mice. My hubby called me, and I went up to get him. It makes me sad that he travels so far--he had to cross a rather busy highway to get to where he was. I am always afraid that someday we will find him hit by a car beside the road--if we find him at all.

Charcoal is a special cat. He will sit in our laps upside down and purr. He always asks for cheese--cheddar is best. He is easy going and loving. He would not like becoming an inside cat, but there are days I wish I could make him stay. This is also my eldest son's favorite cat. Somewhere along the line this cat was given a nickname that we cannot totally explain: Chuck Bunny. It has been used so much, that the cat responds better to his nickname than to his given name. Such a silly cat!

Today I will get to visit with my sisters. One has come from North Dakota; the other, Florida. We will enjoy our time together. I will also spend some time on the computer getting my daughter's transcript and course descriptions organized and printed. When I need a break from the computer, I will work on making my home neat and tidy.

What will you do today? Blessings to you all.

Jean

November 24th, 1978

Twenty-eight years ago the 24th of November was on the Friday after Thanksgiving just like this year. It had snowed the day before and my world was covered with beautiful shades of white. I, too, wore white. It was our wedding day.

The last 28 years have gone by quickly and much has happened. We worked for 10 years before God gifted us with our three children. At that time we chose for me to quit teaching and to stay home; we also began our journey of homeschooling. Eight years ago my husband left the working world of engineering and we began to farm, only to find that the stories of the family farm going the way of the dinosaur was painfully true. Today we are struggling to find ways to keep the farm running and to bring in an income--which at this point means my husband is working across the state four days per week. We will need more time to be able to tell you how this part of the story turns out.

The years have passed quickly as we have journeyed through our lives. Our children have grown, and now we are searching for colleges and helping our oldest begin her adult life. The ups and downs of life have ebbed and flowed, and we have grown older. The one constant in this journey has been our God Who Is Faithful. We will continue to trust.

Blessings to each of you today!
Jean

Silence and Abundance

Soft kitties share my sun porch with me this morning as the sky turns pink and blue, and then orange and red. The valley below the house is softened by a light fog and early morning twilight. From where I sit, I can see the neighbor’s horses grazing along the pasture fenceline. The cattle finished the round bales of hay yesterday, and they are all restless, waiting for my husband to arrive; it will be a little while yet since the men folk are deer hunting this morning. My eldest son shot a deer last night, just before hunting season ended for the day, and he will search the old railroad rightaway to see if he can find it—he was quite sure he’d hit it, but in the dusk he could not find anything. We prefer not to let an animal suffer, but he simply could not do any more until the morning light.

The silence is soft. The bird clock clicks away second by second in the kitchen—a sound we normally never hear above the daily activities. Sometimes I hear a crow break out with his roucus caw-caw-caw, but then he seems to be gone and silence is restored. When I stepped outside onto my deck, I could hear the Amish neighbors across the way, sounding as though they were doing their morning chores. Here in the sun porch the only sound is the washing of kitty paws and a few purrs or little cat voices talking to me in short meows or chirps. The neighbors must have roosters with their laying hens, for just now I heard the cock-a-doodle-doo of a cock. Here on the farm the sounds of early morning are a soothing balm to the body and soul.

Morning comes gently, but soon we will be bustling with activity, preparing to visit grandma and grandpa for a meal of Thanksgiving with relatives and friends. She will have baked the turkey (one we butchered on Tuesday) and perhaps added a small ham to the menu. She always has two or three kinds of vegetable dishes on her table: green beans mixed with mushrooms, corn, and a long, narrow dish filled with raw carrots, cauliflower, celery, and olives. Jello salad, broccoli salad, and a bowl of fresh fruit will be squeezed onto her table extended with every leaf available. Dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, cranberries, and stuffing will be there along with milk, coffee, and the offereing of a cup of tea. When we arive, she will offer us crackers and cheese, summer sausage, and relish with dip, a big dish of dill pickles and green olives (the grandchildren’s favorites), and a glass of wine for those who want it. After we’ve moved from the appetizers to the dinner table and have filled ourselves a little too full, we will help her clear the food away, only to fill it once more with pecan pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and a bar or two, ice cream and whipped topping. When we can no longer sit comfortably at the dinner table any longer, the women folk will gather in the kitchen to scrub the piles of pots and pans; the rest of the day we will sit and chat with Aunt Alice and Uncle Steve and wait for the time grandma will begin to pull out the leftovers and beg us to eat up so that she will not be left with so much. She will probably have one or two new pies stuck away in the cupboard for us to be sure that there will be enough dessert for a second meal. When, at last, it is time to find our coats and keys and offer hugs and thanks, grandma will begin to scurry around the kitchen, filling small dishes and baggies with food for us to take home—the mashed potatoes and the beans, the turkey carcass and a salad or two. We will have plenty of leftovers in our refrigerator for a meal or two this weekend. The tradition of thanksgiving will have once more been celebrated.

This has been a long and hard year on the farm. We have given up trying to make ends meet with the income the farm can provide, and my husband has taken a job across the state, traveling away from home 4 days a week. My husband has also started the battle of macular degeneration. The children and I have worked to keep the farm going while he is gone while we continue to homeschool, help with election campaigns, and search for colleges for my oldest to attend next year. Life is not always easy, but we have never lacked for something to be thankful. Life is good. God is faithful.

It is good to take the time to ponder. Today is the day to remember what we have that is special and good. I pray that your day be blessed.

Jean

For the Love of Little Snow

Beloved














Naughty
















Silly

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The turkeys are in the freezer.

Does anyone want to come out and see the stars with me tonight? I'm going to take my binoculars out and see how many of the Messier objects I can find. Will you come with me?

I'm weary. I'd love to have some deep thoughts to share with you, but my mind does not seem to have any energy to think or type. Cool fall days, cats and donkeys, turkeys and sunsets--these are all I seem to have for you right now. God is good. School continues. Thanksgiving is coming. The deer hunters are hunting, but nothing has been caught on our farm. God bless.

Jean

The Tuesday Before Thanksgiving is Turkey Day!

I walk through the pasture each day to see that the cattle are doing all right, and I check to see if Drive Me is ready to calve. For a while a number of the small stock were coughing, and we would give them shots to be sure that they did not get worse. Sometimes I try to herd a sick one into the shed, but this can be difficult when I am out there working alone. I found one of the calves too late, and it did not survive.

If their water tanks are low, I find the hose, attach it to the faucet, turn it on (takes all my strenght!), and wait for it to fill. In the winter we have to be sure to always remove the hoses; one year a hose was forgotten and that faucet was frozen until spring. Sometimes I have leather work boots on when I should have worn my rubber boots. Yesterday was one of these days. I crawled along a fence, clinging to the boards; I perched along the edge of the fence, pulling myself up to avoid the puddles of manure. Then a climbed over the gate and into the pasture behind the faucet. I held onto the fence while I attached the hose so that I would not step back into the muck. Then I crawled out to walk through another area of the pasture while waiting for the tank to fill. To turn the faucet off, I had to crawl, climb, and perch all over again.



















Today is the day. Say good-bye to the turkey gobblers! This big guy is strutting and showing off to the females in the cage--beautiful bird! 

Monday Morning

When a turkey struts during courtship, he poofs up all his feathers, his face turns blue, and his caruncle, snood and wattle get bright red; his snood grows long and droops over his beak, too! You can learn more about the turkey here.

Tomorrow our turkeys are going to be butchered. I'll be glad the work is done, but I'll miss their "AR-AR-AR" in the backyard everytime they see me!

















If the day goes well, we could finish combining the corn. Harvest will be done, and we will all sigh with relief.

Time to run! I need to read my Bible, knit a row on my prayer afghan, and do a few stretches before the school day begins. Blessings!

Jean

My little country church where the hearts are warm and the love runs deep. 

Greek Myths

I used Book of Greek Myths when my children were small. I wrote up some comprehension questions for them to answer. I'll post them here for anyone who would like to use them.

It's Sunday! Here in Wisconsin it is sunny and beautiful. It was a gorgeous day to stand at the top of my little church's hill and observe the view in all its glory! Blessings to you this day--
Jean

D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths

1. Uranus is the name of a planet. After whom was it named? Describe him. (P.10)

2. Who were the Titans? If someone referred to a person as being a Titan, what would you expect him to be like? Would you expect a football team to be named the Titans? Explain. (p. 12)

3. Who were the Cyclopes? (p. 12)

4. Who was Zeus? (p. 14-16)

5. What was Olympus? (p. 20)

6. Who was Athena? Describe her. (p. 34)

7. Who was Poseidan? Describe him. (p. 38)

8. Explain who the Oracle of Delphi was and why it was important in
Greek mythology.

9. Who was Apollo? Describe him. (p. 41)

10. Tell the story of Orion. (p. 48)

11. Who was Hermes? Describe his appearance. (p. 53)

12. What was Hades? (p. 56)

13. What did the Greeks believe was the cause of the change of
seasons? Tell the story. (p. 58-62)

14. Who was Prometheus and for what is he remembered? (p.72)

15. Tell the story of Pandora. If you heard someone refer to a problem as a Pandora’s box, what do you think that person meant? (p. 74)

16. Where did the term “pan pipes” originate? (p. 90)

17. Describe the type of person Narcissus was. Look up the word “Narcissism” in the dictionary and write its meaning. (p. 92)

18. Look up these words in the dictionary and define them: Centaur, satyr, and nymph. (p. 70)

19. Who were the Muses? Compare them to the words “muse” and “amuse” that we use today. (p. 100)

20. What did Orpheus play? Do you know what constellation was named in his honor? (p. 102-104)

21. Who was Europa? Can you guess what geographical name was named after her? (p. 104)

22. Explain the plight of Tantalus. Look up the word “tantalize” in the dictionary and define it. (p. 112)

23. Tell the story of Perseus. Locate each of these constellations on a star chart: Perseus, King Cephus, Queen Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Cetas (the whale). (p. 114)

24. For what was Hercules (sometimes spelled Heracles) famous? (p. 132)

25. Who were the Amazon women? If you were to refer to a person you knew as an “Amazon woman”, what type of person would you expect her to be?

26. What was Atlas’s job? (p. 140)

27. According to mythology, where did the Aegean Sea get its name? Find it on a map. (p. 153)

28. Tell the story of how Icarus died. (p. 154)

29. The story of the Golden Fleece describes the entrance to the Black Sea. Locate on a map where this might have been. (p. 166)

30. Who were Pollux and Castor? What constellations are they a part of today? Find them on a star chart. (p. 182)

31. Tell the story of Helen of Troy. (p. 183)

Dear blog friends,

If you come to visit me, you will need a carrot to be allowed to pet me. Got that? C-A-R-R-O-T. No carrot? No pet. Repeat after me: carrot, carrot, carrot.

Love,
Penelope 

For Lauree

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

3 medium potatoes (not red)
1 head cauliflower
1 or 2 carrots
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar
3/4 cup milk
4 teaspoons dill weed
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
black pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk can be used)

Chop the potatoes, carrots, garlic and onion into large chunks and place in soup pot with the water and salt. Chop up the cauliflower: steam 1 1/2 cups small cauliflowerets separately and set aside to be added later; chop the remaining cauliflower into chunks and add to soup pot. Simmer the vegetables in the soup pot until they are soft; allow to cool slightly and then puree in a blender. Return puree to pot and add cheddar, researved cauliflowerets (drained), milk, dill weed, dry mustard and a sprinkling of pepper. Allow to warm slowly, stirring frequently to be sure it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Wisk in buttermilk just before serving. 4-5 servings.

Warm and Fuzzy

Oreo, Bug, and Ruffy, with Mama Kitty and Spit Fire in the basket--in the summer the kitties do not want to come into the house, but as soon as the weather turns cool, there are always a few waiting by my door, asking to come in to warm up their paws by the wood stove. 

Son: Would it bother you if I burned my math book?

Mom: Well, I suppose you could, but then you'd have to spend your money on buying a new one.

(Long pause)

Mom: Problems, dear?

Son: It's evil.

Mom: (chuckle)

Enjoy your weekend!
Jean

Nearing Solstice

When I look outside in the early morning this time of the year, the sun rises just above this shed.


















The sun is near solstice. Solstice is a Latin word that means "the sun stands still." If you were to go outside to watch the sun rise or set several times a year, you would see, unless you live relatively close to the equator, that each month the sun rises and sets closer to the equator (for me that is in the southwest) up until December. Around the 22nd of December the sun does not seem to travel any further south nor does it seem to be rising any further north; in other words it stands still, in the same place, for several days. It will not be long, however, before we will be able to notice its moving again, and each day it will begin to rise a little further to the northeast until mid-June, when it will once again stand still for the summer stoltice.

Some of you may want to do a science project in your homeschool: draw a picture of your eastern or western horizon. Each month observe where on that horizon the sun rises or sets and draw it onto the picture. Note at the solstice where the sun seems to stand still and then observe it as it returns to its summer stolstice. I did this one year. I was amazed how far the sun moved over the year. Those who live further north will see an even larger difference.

Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving? On Tuesday we will butcher my turkeys. We will celebrate Thanksgiving day on Thursday with my in-laws, but the rest of the weekend we will be spending time with my family; we are going to celebrate my mother's coming 80th birthday.

Have a wonderful day!

Jean

Good Morning!

Ruffy snuggles

A light fog lies in the valley. The crows are up early with their raucous cawing piercing the morning quiet. The donkey in the pasture below the house just walked by my bay window, nibbling at the grass; she is angry because she wants more hay (my brother-in-law will deliver it later this morning), and sometimes she breaks out in her clamorous hee-haw to let us know that she is waiting. The sun has made its way high enough into the sky to be peeking over the old gray shed, rising far to the south as it nears solstice. These are the rewards for those who rise early.

Blessings!
Jean 

Cattle in My Back Yard and Kitties on the Deck

When I looked out my window this morning, there were 4 cattle wandering around my back yard and 9 cats waiting on the deck to be feed--all but Oreo were here. When I opened the door, the cats came flying through the door to warm their little cat toes by the Green Goddess (aka the wood stove).

I love the early morning. I'm almost always the first one to rise during the week days when my hubby is working out of town. The house is quiet, and I have time for a cup of hot lemon tea and a few thoughts of my own.

But even now as I type, my family is rising and it is time to start the day. Blessings!

Jean 

Sunday Evening

I forgot to stoke my stove this evening, and the coals were small and few; I'm sitting here watching the thermometer on the stove pipe, hoping it will soon be hot enough to start the catalytic converter so that I can go to bed.

Since I couldn't head up to bed yet, I thought I'd blog-- the color of the sky in this photo was gorgeous. I hope your monitors let you see what I do!


















And here is Snowflake sitting on my kitchen floor. He sat this way long enough for me to find my camera and snap several photos.























Have a good week, everyone!
Jean

We Had Snow!

One very wet and dirty donkey.


















If it is warm when it snows, the snow sticks to everything and makes the world a fairy land and all the world turns into Shades of White...

I love winter. Blessings to you all!
Jean

S-l-o-w-l-y Learning My New Camera

Here are two photos taken with my new camera. I still need to set up folders and do a number of things to get all things working right, but it is coming.



















William of Orange (picture taken through the window in the door)



















Early morning

I'd love to take the time to wax poetic...but, NOT ENOUGH TIME!

Keep on workin'--
:-) Jean 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good:

• We had a great trip to Paul Nelson's victory party.
• I bought a new camera! It's a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W30.
• It is a beautiful day.
• My turkeys survived my son's forced fast.

The Bad:

• Paul Nelson lost. A lot of Republicans lost last night. I'm not so much Republican as conservative, and I know that we will see changes once again in the comming year, changes that will not follow the lines of a conservative who believes in absolutes.
• I have gotten my battery for my new camera charged and have taken a few pictures, but I have not figured out how to download them into my computer. I'll keep trying!
• We started the day late, and I know we will not finish all of our school work today.

The Ugly:

• After our getting to bed at 2:00 am, you ought to see the hair in this house today! LOL!

Life is still good--
Jean

News From the Farm

Election day. Don't forget to vote! We will be attending the Paul R. Nelson campaign party tonight. I'd like to think that our area is conservative enough to vote for someone with Paul's values. We will see.

I need to check my turkeys this morning. We had a communication glitch, and when I asked my son to feed them two days ago, he did not know how much to give them. I discovered that they had gone 24 hours with no food since he'd not given them nearly enough. Last night when I went out, they would not even talk to me (sniff). I hope they will be O.K. No more back problems to get in the way of feeding those birds, right?

We are waiting for a calf to be born. Her name is Drive Me, granddaughter of Kiss Me who was my daughter's show heifer that died a while ago. If I can get a new camera, I'll take photos for you!

Have a wonderful day!
Jean
















This ball of fluff is just our Ruffy washing herself up.


















Can you guess whose nose this is?





















The beauty of the farm.

Watch Your Tail

I went to bed early last night--my back was giving me problems. I was up at 12:30 to chat with Snowflake and my bottle of Tylenol. Sometime later I found Snowy curled up beside me, but I did not stay awake long--that is until my son come up at 6:30 to tell me that we had visitors. Two Amish children had come to ask for a ride to another farm. Their parents are not home and their milk cooler was not working. I ended up taking Ben, the little boys' neighbor, to another farm to get a ride rather than doing the trip myself.

When our Amish neighbors come, they usually walk. They come across our pasture rather than taking the road. They are usually barefoot, but now that the weather is getting cool, they are wearing boots again. Our cats have never adjusted to their coming; they are so quiet that the cats frequently do not notice them until they are walking up the deck. This and their straw hats and black bonnets (my cats are afraid of hats--I don't know why!) cause all the kitties on the deck to go into a panick. They jump, scatter, and dart as if their lives were in danger. Silly kitties.

Well, it is Monday and time to start school. We start with reading a chapter in the Bible and praying through the World Mission Prayer League prayer letter. Then I work with my daughter with Spanish and any other work she needs to do. I then move to working with my youngest. Lunch, farm chores, and working with my 3rd child keep me busy until 4 or 5 o'clock. In the evening I struggle to keep enough momentum to get the house cleaning done. I usually curl up with a book sometime after 8:00. I just finished reading the Theban Trilogy: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. Last night I started reading The Great Gatsby, which I've never read before. I enjoyed reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight earlier this year, and I also really enjoyed Song of Roland. If you read these, though, I highly recommend a good electronic dictionary! My Franklin 11th Edition Speaking Dictionary has a lot more of the Old English words in these books than my Sharp.

O.K. I've rambled on long enough! Off to do school! Have a wonderful day!

Jean 

Coming Up From the Rear

Orion finds a comfortable spot. (Photo's quality is poor, but I couldn't resist sharing it!)























Orion and Charcoal--their tails tell us if their are any birds visiting the feeder.

























Snowflake seems to enjoy his rides...

Have a wonderful weekend!
Jean