Mastering the Social Aspects of Driving

Anyone with a creative imagination can picture my driving so far.  It began, white-knuckled, at about 10 to 15 mph, jolting, jerking, sharply turning, down a curvy country road.  Woe betide the situation in which I should have to drive faster than 25, meet another vehicle coming down the road, use my brakes on a curvy down slope, turn on windshield-wipers or turn signal, or lay eyes on a logging truck.  Can't remember the most exhausting part of learning to drive?  The hysterical giggling.

 

Yeah.  Hopefully you're starting to get the picture.

 

Well, things have improved somewhat (though I've still never driven under more "normal" town circumstances.)  I am able to go about 30, maybe 35 on a rare straight area.  I guide the big, red 15-passenger beast around curves with grace and aplomb (most of the time... heh, heh...), as long as you don't ask me to go too fast. ;)  I can park, back up—sort of; I even backed down the massively sloping driveway!  I passed a loaded logging truck the other day.*  And I only scared my Dad at the end of that trip by flying into the church parking lot... again!  I've driven in the rain (Ha, T!) although I guess I was only going 25-ish, and I used the windshield-wipers without having to stop in the middle of the road!

 

But the big accomplishment...

 

I have mastered the social aspects of driving in the country.  Two girls, one in a large red van, another in a large green van meet each other on a road... and, yes, I properly executed the Friendly Country Wave!!!  Tasha just invites that! ;)  The very next day, when driving home from Ladies' Bible Study with Mom, I spotted a bunch of kids we have met up on their family's hill... what d'ya do??  HONK!  Just a friendly "bip-bip."  I did not run off the road, neither did I halt!

 

So, while I would curl up and die on a freeway, and go back to white-knuckling it in a small town, I am improving at driving home from church. ;)

 

 

*Uh... just a little disclaimer: the logging truck was parked on the shoulder. ;)

 

Kate: Homeschool Convention

The weekend before last, we went to a homeschool convention in a town near Seattle, Washington.  We had to drive for four hours so we got up around four o'clock.  Perry, Aimee, and I took part in a chorale of 211 youth.  Our director was very good and could hear the slightest off-tune note.  He'd have us sing a note and hold it so he could hear if it fit right with the other parts.  The night of the performance, we stood on risers that were built for 180, so we were kinda' squished, and some people had to stand on the stage in front of the risers.  It was really hard to hold our music, so another girl and I worked out a system.  I would hold the music folder and she and her friend would look over my shoulders.  Then, when we had finished a song, I would hand it to her to hold.  During practice, I kept dropping my music, so this was a good plan.  We sang an arrangement of "Fairest Lord Jesus," "God So Loved the World," "The Heavens are Telling," and "Ain't that Good News."

We got changed into our black and white outfits during the lunch break because there wasn't going to be much time to change later.  This turned out to be very wise because, later, in the small time frame between practice, rehearsal, and performance, there was a mad rush for the restrooms.  Tons of chorale girls were doing their hair, changing their clothes, etc.  (The boys took way less time getting ready!)  One girl even brought a curling iron!

Anyway, we had a good time and glorified God.

 

So Excited; So Busy (plus a favorite poem!)

I'm so excited about getting to sing in the Christian Heritage Chorale at the Washington Home School Convention!!!  We are learning four real, live choral arrangements:

• The Heavens Are Telling from The Creation by Joseph Haydn
  hopepublishing.com – search C5531
• Fairest Lord Jesus arr. by Mary McDonald
  Lorenz.com – search 10/3936L
• Ain't That Good News
  JWPepper.com – search: #10070496; 3-part mixed; closer look
• God So Loved the World
  Arr. John Leavitt – no online audio sample

(I guess if you go to the links above, you can hear samples.)  Anyway, it's hard work, but I'm enjoying it.  Hopefully we'll have pictures and maybe some video for the blog.  We have to wear long black skirts, white shirts, black hose, and formal black shoes.  So fancy.  We finally have it all gathered up, picked out, and tried on.

 

So, a favorite poem...

 

The Twins

In form and feature, face and limb,

I grew so like my brother,

That folks got taking me for him,

And each for one another.

It puzzled all our kith and kin,

It reached a fearful pitch;

For one of us was born a twin,

Yet not a soul knew which.

 

One day, to make the matter worse,

Before our names were fixed,

As we were being washed by nurse,

We go completely mixed;

And thus, you see, by fate's decree,

Or rather nurse's whim,

My brother John got christened me,

And I got christened him.

 

This fatal likeness even dogged

My footsteps when at school,

And I was always getting flogged,

For John turned out a fool.

I put this question, fruitlessly,

To everyone I knew,

"What would you do, if you were me,

To prove that you were you?"

 

Our close resemblance turned the tide

Of my domestic life,

For somehow, my intended bride,

Became my brother's wife.

In fact, year after year the same

Absurd mistakes went on,

And when I died, the neighbors came

And buried brother John.

 

HENRY SAMBROOKE LEIGH

 

Rest Assured

No, we did not dye our hair; yes, we have a weird sense of humor.
So how many of you were taken in?

Busy!

Dear fellow crazy people, here is a blog post, and, no, I’m not Kate!
Umm, I’ve been really busy lately and I’m about to get busier! Perry, Kate, and I are going to sing in a chorale at the Washington home school convention and our music came today; so exciting!!!!!!!! We have to wear black skirts and white shirts; we’ll try to post pictures! Been doing a lot of school reading lately; we’re studying stuff in the 16th and 17th centuries, like the Age of Exploration, the Pilgrims and the Renaissance. I don’t like all the reading but Mom says my spelling has been getting better because of it. It was really warm out today, and Pearl climbed all the way to the top of the hill behind the house all by herself... she is something else! Lol And all you people back there in the old country, I REALLY miss you....... thought about you a lot during the day of the church picnic. It’s been 5 months since I last saw you all, it only feels like 3! Isn’t that weird?
Okay, I finish my ramblings by saying my cousin is getting married in June to a Navy Seal!! Ooohhh.....COOL!!! And yes I’m a tiny bit jealous. Lol

Pearl enjoys climbing!


The three crazies...


Checking those hair lengths!


Paul reaches the "summit"...


Wonderful big brother!

My Book

I am in the process of finishing a book I have been writing. I first started writing The Heavens Declare several years ago when my mom suggested I write a ‘living’ science book about the solar system for my younger siblings and others to read.

The Heavens Declare: Five Children, Eight Planets, One God is about a homeschooling family vacationing in the mountains of Northern Arizona. The children learn from their father—an amateur astronomer, and mother about each of the planets in our solar system. Along the way the family learns of God’s goodness and to trust Him with their hopes, plans, and days. The Heavens Declare is filled with action such as playing ‘pine cone wars’ in the woods and looking at Venus through a telescope. From dreaming about landing on Mercury to trying to move the family van during a heavy rainstorm, from having family devotions to rescuing ‘princesses’ in a ‘tower’, this book weaves interesting facts about the solar system with everyday, ordinary family life. It is sure to hold children’s attention, causing them to desire more knowledge about their God and His creation!

With this book, I intend to:
-inspire in 8-12 year old children an interest in the amazing creation of God
-present an ordinary homeschooling Christian family learning together about their extraordinary God
-express a biblical worldview that revolutionizes the study of science as well as the everyday lives of the characters in this book
-supply avid young readers with wholesome, interesting reading material

I have finished my draft copy and I am working on drawing the illustrations. (To the right is the illustration for chapter two which involves an owl.) I have three families beta testing the manuscript, Dr. Jay Wile checked and corrected my scientific accuracy, and I am hoping for reviews from several other people. Currently, I am writing a book proposal I hope to send to an acquisitions editor at Zondervan soon. I am also slowly working on doing the website for the book. It’s all very new to me, fascinating, and very enjoyable. I have always loved to write! I remember the feeling of having great ideas and plans and always coming out with a not-so-awesome piece of 10-year-old writing. Now, though I can’t write like Lewis, I can WRITE!

I was completely planning on self-publishing with Lulu, but a friend had a contact with Zondervan, so I’m going to give that a try first. I fully expect it to be rejected (especially since it’s for such a niche market!), but—why not try? So, if Zondervan doesn’t go anywhere, I’ll need everyone to link to my website and tell everybody they can possibly think of about it since I’ll be self-publishing! :)

Necklaces

I’ve been making a lot of clay things lately... when I get a chance! I have some Celtic knot work rubber stamps that I have tried stamping in clay, but I really want to figure out how to do it free form. You could make some really neat stuff with that, maybe a cool Celtic knot work medieval cloak pin! Anyhow, here are a couple necklaces I have made.





I have a neck ache. Ouch! I really am a pain in the neck! (And no, the necklace didn’t do it!) Lol