Big Do-in's

Big Do-in' 1:
I'm on a leash now! Yup, that's right, I got volunteered to be the videographer/photographer for our little volunteer fire district. I was issued a pager so I can show up at all structural fires! Luckily, our community is so small, there won't be many calls to respond to!

Big Do-in' 2:
Got my driver's permit Monday!! I drove for the first time on Tuesday. I just love little gravel country roads... I was able to go about 15 mph! When I got out to the "highway" I simply flew at 25 mph! ;)

Big Do-in' 3:
I probably, almost definitely, pretty certainly, 99.9% for sure have a title for my book!!! Finally! The book is 3/4 of the way done and I still had nothing to call it. Well, now I do... "The Heavens Declare" subtitled "5 children, 8 planets, 1 God." (Thanks, Tyler!)

Big Do-in' 4:
I'm reading "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris. www.therebelution.com
(Sorry... I tried to make that a link, but it wouldn't work... why??)

Talking about the Weather

Wow! Cool weather!!!! For weeks we had been having relatively un-wintry weather... then all of a sudden it’s cold!!! On Monday we went grocery shopping and while in Costco it started hailing really hard!!!!! IT WAS REALLY LOUD. We could hear this roaring on the roof and for once I was glad I didn’t have a nice car to worry about.

After we got home it started snowing.... very pretty!!! Poor Paul was looking out the window longingly and saying “Snow, snow!” (his friend Rob made a sled that he hasn’t tried out yet) but it didn’t end up being enough to play in!! Real pretty though! Well, I know, I just talk about the weather but around here that’s pretty exciting!!!

Russian? Maybe We Should Go with It!

We were at the register in Wal-Mart when the lady running the next register came over and said, “Are you from such-and-such-a-place? It’s up in the mountains.” (I can’t remember the name of the place she mentioned.) Dad said no. She said, “Oh, I just wondered because there’s a little church up in there and there are several Russian families that go there. I thought maybe you were one of them. Your family is so beautiful.” I think we were a little surprised. Russian!?


Later that day, we were in the produce department of the grocery store and my mom was talking with this very nice elderly man. After their conversation was finished and he’d moved on, we went over and started picking out onions. The man came over again and said a few more things and eventually asked... if we were Russian! Once again we were a little surprised. After he was gone, I said, “Uh... mom? That’s the second time today we’ve been asked if we’re Russian! Maybe we should go with it and learn to speak some Russian!” I looked around at us. For one thing, we were standing near the onions. (I’ve read that Russians often eat plenty of onions and garlic and are very healthy for it!) But we hadn’t been near any onions in Wal-Mart! I looked around again. Hmm... looking a little ethnic (Mom’s Hebraic heritage coming out in us kids), long dark hair, jumpers, dresses, skirts, Dad’s black and grey beard, my dark green Tam O’Shanter (if you’re not clued into the fact that it’s an Irish hat...?), and the large family size. Yes, I guess we may have looked a little different. But, Russian? Hmm...

That brings to mind another interesting incident when we were driving to AZ. We had stopped for dinner, and an older man asked if we were Lebidevitcher Jews! (That’s a very orthodox brand of Judaism, but I’m not sure I’m spelling it right.) Same thing. My hat, Dad’s beard, plus this time he was wearing a black cabby hat.

Failed Test in My Realm

So, I burned the popcorn a little. It was just the very center of the bottom of the pan, but still, it didn’t smell good! I thought, “Hmmm... that’s strange,” and started making the second batch (big family, you know). I was also making a huge pot of chicken, barley, cabbage soup, and this demanded some attention. So much, that... well, I kinda’ forgot that I was also making popcorn. Until the acrid black smoke started pouring out from under the popcorn pan lid! Mom hurried the pan outside onto the deck and we waited until it stopped smoking as badly, in the meantime, opening all the windows and doors we could. Talk about a headache! My head was pounding; popcorn stinks when you burn it! The popcorn was BLACK. Sooo, I started all over again after scraping as much of the black burned-popcorn-residue off the bottom of the pan. This time, the center of the bottom of the pan burned again! More burning popcorn smell. Finally, Dad figured out it was burning right there because the bottom of the pan was warped, so I needed to use more oil so the entire bottom of the pan would be covered.
I felt really dumb about that because I’ve made huge amounts of popcorn many, many times before... and it’s been fine! (Of course, at those other times, I was using the right pot... the one that was full of chicken soup that night.) So, I felt like a klutz. A popcorn failure. This was like one of those books I dislike where the girl is clumsy about all sorts of homey things (you know, always burns the food when she tries to cook, always breaks dishes, always messes something up...) I want to be an awesome mommy... great start, right?
That’s how I was feeling until the Holy Spirit shook me and said, “Hey... quit with the pity party.” And then I remember that someone I know had failed an important test just that morning. His was important to his college studies, which was ultimately important to his role as a man. My failure was also to my home studies, which was ultimately important to my role as a woman. His response: a little discouraged, but “God’s still in control. It’s not the end of the world.” My response? Uh, well... pouting, huffing, being unhappy with myself for failing, listening to all sorts of dumb lies that I was a failure and wasn’t going to be a good homemaker...
So it really comes down to faith in God! “God’s still in control. It’s not the end of the world” Really, just a few things will matter when it is actually the end of the world! And burnt popcorn isn’t one of them.

A Glorious Walk

Hi again! We went on a walk today, and I’m here to tell you it was glorious out!!!!! Let me repeat that: it was wonderful out, folks!!!! The wind was blowing through the trees, and it was both sunny and cool. We walked down to the playground and the little kids climbed all over, while Dad and Paul played Frisbee! I was feeling rather ill so I just laid in the grass and played with a little black and orange fuzzy caterpillar I had found and named Esau Haggalina (Esau was hairy, remember?). I let Elizabeth play with it too, but she didn’t like the tickly feeling and threw him across the lawn. I think it was a hard day for him. Anyway, here are some pictures. Didn’t you know that wearing a caterpillar on your nose is the latest fashion????

Great Reading!

Let’s see how many lists I can make it onto by writing this post...

So, I just finished reading “Mathematics: Is God Silent?” by James Nickel. Now, since I’m studying the Renaissance, I’m reading “The Prince” by Nicolo Machiavelli, and the Uncle Eric book, “The Thousand Year War in the Mideast: how it affects you today” by Richard Maybury. I got some pretty controversial ideas from reading his book, “Ancient Rome: how it affects you today”, so this ought to be quite interesting!

For those of you who have read these books, you’ll understand the state these two books can put one’s mind in... especially when you’re reading them at the same time!

Anyway, it’s quite fascinating... I’ll probably have more to say later! Actually, I’m sure I will. : )

7 Dead Mice and a Purple Dress

Okay, this is Kate.
Have you ever eaten a mouse for dinner? You haven’t? Lucky. I haven’t either. Over the past 3 days we have caught 7 mice in our 4 traps. Dad and Paul get to dispose of them. It is so gross. This is not a food source or a hobby... it’s just a fact of living in a rainy country. Since it has rained a lot for a while the mice have been seeking shelter. Our garage door is hung crooked so they get in at the corners. Mom wants to put steel wool in the holes since mice hate this.
When Aimee and I went to the mail this morning there was a package for me. The dress I ordered with my Christmas money from Grandma had arrived. Guess what I did?
First I screamed...then I ran up to the house with it under my arm. I tried it on and it fits perfectly. Truly... like it was made for me... because it was. I am very happy about this and I told Dad on the phone that I want another one for my birthday. : ) Merry Christmas in February! And don’t forget a Happy New Year! : )