April 11, 2010

A visit to Cranberry Lake park was our grand adventure of the week
We tried to ride bikes but the paths weren't exactly bike friendly. Nevertheless, George and Jackson gave it a go.

Manny took this lovely picture of the three girls picnicing.
This shot underlines Sissy's general disposition toward the place. Everyone was creeped out by finding a chewed on , detached deer leg on the path.:)



Lovely landscape
Gorgeous farm house that is being re-done.
It seems so strange for it to be warm and barely any leaves on the trees!
You just can't be in with the "in" crowd out here unless you have a big, red barn! Sadly, we do not. The story of our lives! :)
Manny, not "IN" the dog house this time, but on it!










Outside my window: Cloudy and cool. It was 82 on Thursday and snowing by Saturday ( albeit just very light flurries...but obviously cold enough for it to happen!) Never a dull moment with Michigan weather! :)

I am thinking--about being a work-week single parent. I won't drone on about it, since A) I know there are military wives who do it ALL week EVERY week for a year or more and B) My husband has work. But I was thinking about how it is one of those things that the 90/10 principle applies to. I can either say "I can't take this!" and that is how the week will go or I can try to make it an adventure and be glad for any positives I can find. Obviously there are many negatives, but it does keep me on my toes, which can work out to be a good thing for my mothering and family life.

From the schoolroom: All I can say is that we are in "winding down the year" mode, which makes me think more about what can be done better next year. I was musing recently how this fall will usher in year 18 for homeschooling. It's funny how you can do something for so long and still have days ( weeks? months?) of feeling like you don't have a clue. :)

From the kitchen: We just had a birthday dinner for Zak, which almost always includes STEAK on the grill. Dyl took over and made most of it ( all of it? did I make anything?) It really was delicious and I am not an enormous fan of red meat.

I am reading and watching:

Reading: Sam Houston's Wife
and Homeland

I finished reading a book called "The Raven" which was about Sam Houston and his first wife, Eliza Allen. I don't know much about Sam Houston and that being the case, can't say much about him per se....it was just the premise of the novel that was interesting. IE, the two were married for all of 4 months and then she took off and went back to her parents home and NO ONE knew why or would say why (obviously those two did :) A great historical mystery.
So, that led me to be interested in Sam Houston's second marriage ( actually his third if you count his Indian wife)....which is what book A is about.

Homeland is a book about two women who were friends during the civil war. One from the South, one from the North. I think this is also an interesting premise and so far I am enjoying it.

Listening to: Angle of Repose by

This is really a lovely story of a marriage set in the late 19th century.

Watched: The latest version of "Tess of the D'ubervilles". Why I am so drawn to this gloomy Thomas Hardy novel, I don't know, but it never ceases to catch my attention. I must say I liked this one a whole lot better than the earlier version with Natasha Kinksi. Really beautiful.




Around the house: I made the usual pillows and a couple table cloths today. Our table is just long enough that regular tablecloths don't fit on it longwise. Of course the fact that the refrigerator is way over due for a cleaning doesn't keep me up at night, or that the kitchen floor could use a mop, or that there are piles of laundry that need to be put away.....but having no tablecloths that fit the table.....now there is an EMERGENCY! :)




What we will do this week: I was so excited to find a PAVED path close to the house today. Dreams of taking the little kids biking and being able to roll my stroller along smoothly have excited all sorts of plans in my brain! I don't think we have anything much out of the ordinary on tap. Maybe some new soccer practices for George, who signed up for the Y team this past weekend.