Halloweeners

Mr. Fantastic and Johnny Danger read up on their predecessors.
picture courtesy of ganap!

Our first Halloween, and I'm still not sure about the the whole trick-or-treating business, but I let the kids try it out in my friend's neighborhood. After several houses, D said his bag was too heavy and began to turn away offers of candy! Needless to say I was already completely exhausted from the previous weeks activities, and had almost forgotten about Halloween, when the boys asked me at 4pm if trick-or-treating was today or tomorrow. I think I'd rather just buy the candy, let the kids dress up and call it a night. Am I turning into a scrooge? I don't know. I just don't have the energy required for holidays (or cultural festivities, whatever you want to call them). Once upon a time, I used to love any and every occasion for dressing up, in fact many of my birthday parties have been costume parties, but I just don't have it in me right now.

Happy Birthday!

Today is L's 2nd birthday. Where has the time gone? Oh, yeah, I remember...


Today we also celebrate the birth of my friends', Inge and Greg, newest addition, Joshua Thomas! It's a great day for birthdays! Welcome to the world, Joshua.

School Marm

My least favorite thing about homeschooling is having this conversation:

person: So are you working, or do you stay home?
me: I stay home, I homeschool my children.
person: (eybrows raised) Oh you homeschool?
me: Yes
person: Wow, I could never do that. I mean I love my kids and all, but I could never teach them. They wouldn't listen to me.
me: hmmm (thinking: you've taught them plenty already just being their parent), well it isn't easy, it's a lot of work, but I'm glad that I am doing it. It is really important to me.
person: I really respect people who can do that, but I never could. I would just go crazy.
me: (wondering how to change the subject without being too obvious) Well, even though I live in the "best" public school district in my county, I don't trust the government to educate my children the way I believe they should be educated. And my kids really like it too, so that helps make it easier. (trying to soften my reasons. now please talk about something else!)

Whenever I have this conversation (or one like it) with someone new, it makes me really uncomfortable, I don't want my new friend or acquaintance to think I'm a kook or some crazy right-wing fanatic...I also don't want them to feel like I am judging them, that I am looking down my nose at them for not homeschooling. It is very difficult to feel strongly about something and talk about it without rubbing someone the wrong way. I guess I just need to get over it. I think what really gets to some of these people is how I am homeschooling as a single-mom. I think that perhaps they feel threatened by this. They have already decided they can't homeschool, so how can I without a husband helping me at home? I'll tell you. It is a decision I made, and I just do it. Yes, my house looks less than perfect most of the time, I have dustbunnies, and dirty dishes and piles of laundry, but that stuff is really not all that important. I've learned that the people who judge me based on these outward things aren't really friends anyway. Those who know me and my children, my real friends, can attest to the fact that, whatever it is I'm doing, it's working.

15 year reunion

I graduated from high school in 1990, this weekend was our fifteen year reunion at Oregon Ridge. It was very low-key, and only about 40 or so people of our class of roughly 400 showed up. This was not your typical "t.v. reunion episode" where everyone comes hoping to show up all the others, attempting to impress with their successes. This was a gathering of real folk, many of us with kids, husbands or wives, some with divorces, and ordinary jobs. Absolutely no putting on of airs, which considering the fact that Dulaney was/is the most prestigious public high school in our county is a pretty big deal. I think I was the one there with the most children, some others had two, and there were some with brand new babies just starting their families. I was glad to have gone, because six of my old elementary school girlfriends were there (Missy, Alicia, Heather, Tricia, Molly, and Ellen) and they are all still local to Baltimore. It was fun to reminisce about old teachers and boyfriends and share who we've bumped into at the supermarket or other places around town. We swapped some phone numbers and plan to keep in touch. Isn't that what we said at the end of senior year?

toothless K

Kid quotes from the day

D said to K, "You're a genius!" and then added "but I'm more geniuser than you are."

L (not quite 2 years) is now attempting knock-knock jokes as she mimics her brothers attempts at humor. There is nothing more surreal than two year old humor.

L: knock-knock (she gesticulates knocking when saying this, it's so cute)
me: who's there?
L: meow-meow (her word for cat)
me: meow-meow who?
L: baby...apple

In other education related news, K is now officially slightly literate. He is reading and writing short-vowel words, but impressed me today at the grocery store when he told me the door said "Fire Exit". He is also "doing addition" and reading prices on things. I find all of this rather exciting. The reading has been slow in coming, but I think now that it is finally beginning to "click" he will love it. He also has his very first loose tooth, which is getting looser by the day. The rice crispy treats we made yesterday have done their job well. Perhaps the toothfairy will be visting our house by weeks end? or maybe by months end, you never can tell with teeth.

update: 10-19-05 The tooth fell out today! I guess I need to find my fairy wings! :)

(sing en francais accent) Thank Heaven for little girls

Prettiness (special effects unintentional)

Prettiness, my littlest bundle of joy turns two in a couple weeks. And she really is a bundle of joy (-ful energy).

Which is it? or are both equally true?

For some odd reason these two expressions popped into my head during my walk on this very fine autumn day. I'm not even sure what I'm asking, but for some reason it didn't seem possible for both to be true...and then my head started to hurt. Tell me what you think.

"If you are not for me, you are against me."

"If you are not against me, you are for me."

THE dress

This is my dress...I was hoping for some better pictures, but my dad's thumb was in the way, so this is all you get.

From the past

I saw my second grade teacher last week at the grocery store. I had to introduce myself, she happened to be one of my favorites from elementary school. Her name was, Mrs. Smith. She said she remembered me, can this really be true or is that what all teachers say when they meet former students? and that I looked just the same. It must be the bangs... She said I still have "the same sweet smile". (I couldn't help but think the only reason I recognized her was because she looked exactly the same except her hair was more salt than pepper, but she styled it the same way.)
What made me think to blog about this? Seeing my picture posted below, I do look the same...damn bangs...is it time for another "do" I wonder?

Duct tape me!

Please don't make me regret posting these!

Duct tape me!

My friend, Sandy, and I had this running joke in high school, whenever we did something bizzare or stupid, of saying afterward, "So, what did you do last night?" It was to mimic how we would answer the question the following day after having done something relatively inexplicable or completely embarrassing. So you ask me, "What did you do last night, Joyella?" Oh, I'm so glad you asked.....

I did this last night, and just in case the link is faulty for whatever reason, I will briefly explain. I have wanted a custom dress form to help me with my fitting when I sew for myself. When I sew for others it really isn't an issue, but my critical eye can't see and do what it needs to when I'm wearing the garmet I am trying to fit on myself. Many years ago I saw an article in Threads about making a body double or custom dress form using duct tape. I have wanted to try this ever since, but never had the guts to ask one of my friends help me with it, it is a rather intimate job. It takes a pretty close friend to see you wrapped in a tube of thin cotton knit and then to cover your body with strips of duct tape. But I overcame my body image fears and asked Tree, and she obliged me. We made a night of it, drinking cosmos and laughing so hard I nearly burst out of my silver cocoon. In the end I looked like a female C3PO, I kind of walked like him too. I could barely move once it was done, and cutting me out of the thing made me feel like a snake shedding its skin. Now all I have to do is tape it back together, stuff it and mount it on my old (skinny) dress form. Voila! Another me is born.

Seasons of change

It's October and yesterday the Stuntman (D) was running around inside and out with no shirt on. It's been unseasonably warm, which is kind of nice, but it makes me forget it is actually fall. The leaves are still mostly green although some varieties are dropping to the ground and getting crunchy. I love these seasons of transition, in weather, in life the transition seasons are much less comfortable. I am learning in my Bible study on Colossians, God is more concerned with what is going on inside of us than in our comfort. What is life, though, if not a series of changes and transitions from one thing to the next? Nothing stays the same...and that is good. Growth requires change, otherwise you just have stagnation...and we all know what happens in a stagnant environment. All kinds of nasty things begin to grow and fester, and so even remaining the same becomes a change for the worse.

I remember my Life Fitness teacher in college said in order to maintain our level of fitness we need to excercise 30 minutes twice weekly....that's for maintenence! In order to improve our level of fitness we need to exceed that amount. I am thinking that if our physical bodies need that much attention for maintenence, how much more attention does our spiritual body need. I have always, always struggled with the whole quiet time thing. Perhaps it began in my rebellion as a child living in such a revered Christian family. (The rebellion of my youth manifested itself in subtle forms most often.) The importance of having a daily quiet time or devotional was hammered into us from day one. But now I know it is vital to my spiritual health and yet it still is such a challenge to accomplish. I have three little excuses for not having a quiet time who disrupt my mornings. It seems no matter how early I wake, the very fact of my consciouness wakes them earlier too. And I'm not a morning person, but today I did manage to steal a few minutes with the Lord before the ambiant noise of my children rolled into a ruckus. It is my aim to be consistent with this, even if I do have to wake up earlier. Ugh.

The concert adventure: Coldplay

There isn't a whole lot more I can say than what my dear best friend wrote here , except perhaps that despite the "adventure" of the concert, Coldplay was awesome. They put on a good show.

Having a Fit

In dressmaking, a fit is also known as a fitting. I've been attempting to fit myself with the dress I am working on, which for most aspects is okay (but not ideal-Mom usually helps me with fitting issues, but she is away at present!). I only have trouble with back adjustments, hemming and now in the shoulder over which I am just about ready to have a geniune fit, as in hissy. I have no idea what has happened, in the mock-ups the shoulder was never an issue and now all of a sudden I have this diagonal wrinkle indicating stress at the shoulder. I've tried resetting the sleeves. No change. I've since taken out the shoulder seams, but that didn't seem to make a difference either. Now I suspect the collar is creating the strain, which is what I feared and now I dread re-doing. I have clipped the seam allowances to 1/4 inch already, which will make reconstruction a challenge, but I've got to get this right. The wedding is Saturday, and I pretty much lose tomorrow since I'm going with friends to see Coldplay in Virginia. I don't like the other options in my closet, and I'm getting down to the wire here.

Opinion poll attn: Paul, Astrid, Inge, MK, Mom, and other comment makers

To those of you who actually post comments, how do you like Haloscan as opposed to Blogger comments? I'm torn myself, there are pros and cons which are about equal so if I get some response to this query, it may sway my decision.
My favoritist thing about Blogger was the free email notification of new comments, this is especially handy if someone responds to an old post where I am unlikely to check, Haloscan provides this feature for $...I don't wanna pay for it, but Haloscan has better spam blockers....hmmm

My day "off"

Today, Saturday, I got so much done! I think I'm getting better at having time to myself. I started the day early 7ish am, so I could cram in a lot of stuff on this my day "off" (of mothering, that is). I made sure to begin right with reading all of Colosians, since that was last week's homework assignment for my new bible study, then I planned the meal I will be serving to some new friends tomorrow evening. After breakfast I had errands: video store, to return Star Wars IV again; fabric store for notions and thread for the fabulous dress I am working on; hair cut (not so happy about this, but it will grow back); supermarket and finally the liquor store. I needed bourbon (which I learned is whiskey, bourbon sounds much more sophisticated) for a pumpkin cheese cake recipe. I got carded again...must have been the bad haircut. After putting the grocercies away, I was off to the park to walk a couple miles, then came back home, had some lunch and set to work on my fabulous dress.

I have designed this dress based on shirt and skirt patterns that I had developed in my patternmaking class last spring. The motivation for getting this project completed is to be able to wear it to my friend's wedding on October 1...which is fast approaching. It is a simply elegant claret silk dupioni wrap dress with 3/4 sleeves and A-line knee-length skirt. The skirt sports a little surprise interest in back with three on-seam godets. I founds some sparkly rhinestone buttons which I will most likely use at the front closure, unless I find a brooche or something better. I've been "in the zone" on this dress, and it feels really good to be sewing something beautiful.

At 5pm the kids came home from being with M (their father) and I was "on" duty again. L has been sick and the boys were exausted (which means easily prone to melt-down) so I distracted them with videos while I made bannana muffins and sausage for dinner. (I was going to make pancakes, but decided muffins wouldn't make them all sticky on the couch.) In the middle of my mixing and baking, L got really sick- more vomitting all over herself and me. So I repeated the bath, change clothes and all vomitous items into the laundry drill from the other day, and then finished making dinner. Promptly after L finished eating, I popped her into bed, let the boys finish their movie while I baked homegrown pumpkins for the cheesecake. The cheesecake is cooling now, and between it and the muffins, my house smells delicious.

Someone must be praying extra for me today...

This day started with disaster written all over it. We all overslept, and I was awakened by the phone ringing (usually a mood buster). It was my mom on the phone calling to say she couldn't help watch prettiness this morning for couple hours while I taught the boys their lessons, because she was feeling ill. We had just made this arrangement for Thursdays, just to give me a little more uninterrupted teaching time, so I being still groggy, hadn't even remembered about it. As I started to wake up a little it did begin to bum me out a bit. It has been especially difficult to get in the groove of teaching again since our foiled vacation plans last week. Anyway, I got over it, but the children had their own funky mood today which compounded matters. D did not want to do his math lesson, or phonics for that matter, and K was getting so frustrated over his reading, the boy needs to be more patient with himself. Meanwhile L didn't want to get off my lap and insisted she have the linking cubes (math manipulative that D was supposed to be using) or was grabbing at my book. Flustered with her beligerance, I finally put her in her room and closed the door. Two seconds later she comes out (she can open doors now, don't know what I was thinking) and proceeds to throw up on the living room floor. At this I decide it's time for the boys to go have some outdoor play while I clean up barf.

Outside L seems totally fine, collecting feathers and stones while I play soccer with D and K. It was the perfect day, warm September sun, crisp leaves gently floating down on soft breezes. We kicked the ball around until it was lunchtime and things seemed to be calming down. L actually ate most of her lunch, D and K ate all of theirs! (my kids aren't big eaters, yet) But, she seemed extremely sleepy so I put her down for a nap right after lunch. After sleeping about 45 minutes she woke crying (not normal behavior) so I go in and she starts throwing up all over me and herself. Poor thing. I give her a bath, change my clothes, strip the crib and start some laundry. I was planning on using her nap time to finish our lessons, but that just didn't happen, she didn't go back to sleep. So, we watched a little bit more of the specail edition Star Wars DVD we rented and then played outside some more. L wanted pizza for dinner, so I indulged her with a homemade mushroom (and pepperoni for K and I, plain cheese for D) pizza. She ate well and then looked so tired I put her right to bed again. After dinner I took the boys outside, made a fire in the chiminea and we roasted (or is it toasted?) marshmallows until it got dark. For bedtime reading we read our history lesson, about the pyramids, so we wouldn't be so behind tomorrow. It was a perfect evening.

Several times today I had the thought "this is a perfect day" and then remembered how the morning went and the afternoon, and still despite those unplanned events, it was still a really good day. I guess it's all about frame of mind, a couple weeks ago this sort of day would have undone me.
Thank you, Lord.

I'm thinking about my doorbell...

White Stripes sings My Doorbell, which is very catchy, and actually had me thinking about my doorbell. I bought a little (cheap) one from Lowes that simply sticks to the outside of my house and through the magic of radio signals rings on a receiver plugged into an electical outlet inside my house. I thought the concept was brilliant because it required absolutely no wiring, meaning I could do this myself. (I like to do things myself, by the way.) The only problem is that this stupid doorbell likes to ring whenever it pleases...sometimes when pushed, sometimes not, or perhaps it just takes awhile to get the signal because often, on days I have visitors, it will ring much later, waking me in the middle of the night.

*Please also note I've switched to Haloscan for my comments here...Blogger was letting in a lot of icky spam.

Well, at least we had two nice days on the beach before we had to evacuate. This is Prettiness (in pink) and her cousin (in aqua) enjoying the squishy sand.

Evacuated

My vacation at Holden Beach, N.C. was cut short because of Ophelia. On Tuesday morning as my sister and I were heading out to buy some toys and games and return some videos, a man walked up to us with a paper in his hand: a mandatory order from the mayor to evacuate the island. They would be closing the bridge at 6pm and after that there would be no getting off or on the island. We had suspected this might happen after watching the weather reports over the weekend, but we kept praying Ophelia would stay out at sea. We packed up our belongings, all of them, and decided to go inland to Lumberton and stay at a hotel in hopes that the bridge may reopen the next day. The town officials had their meeting and decided to keep it closed for another day. After stalling as long as we could at the hotel and then at the public library (we tried a museum, but it was closed due to the inclement weather--it was only raining in Lumberton) we all decided to part ways and head back to our respective homes. Yesterday they reopened the bridge, and Holden Beach did suffer some minor flooding and strong winds, nothing serious, but it was too late to drive back...eight hours in the car with three children is not something you want to do four times in one week.

The local news stations in Lumberton thought it was big news that vacationers and residents of Holden Beach were coming there to wait it out. Channel 13 interviewed several of my family members and filmed me retrieving diapers from the car in the rain. Shortly after their crew left, channel 5 showed up asking if they could do the same... we declined. Five minutes of fame in a day is plenty for this family.We didn't stay in Lumberton long enough to see the report, but my sister told me yesterday she did find it here online.

natural disaster

I don't write about politics here, or national or current events, mainly because that is not the point of this blog, however, I have been going back and forth whether or not I should say anything about the devastation brought about by hurricane Katrina. Everybody's talking about it. What is left to say?

Only this, I am sad, so sad for all those who are grieving their lost and dead relatives and friends, for those who have lost everything they have ever known in this life, for those who are orphaned, injured, ill or dying because of the damage of this event, and for the havoc this will wreak on the ecosystems, water supply and farming in the south. May God be glorified in the midst of the suffering which we know causes us to depend on Him. May God bring healing and peace to the survivors and their families. May God provide His people with the mercy and means to help our neighbors in their time of need.

Goodbye Jeanine

In about ten days my mother's second book will be on the shelves. It is titled Goodbye Jeanine: A mother's faith journey after her daughter's suicide. Buy it, read it. There is none like it yet available.

Traveling

Sunday, August 21, 2005
At the airport:
I reached the check in counter and presented the man behind the desk with my driver's licence and passport. "I'm sorry," said the man, "but your passport is not valid."

WHAT?!! My heart began pumping so fast I'm sure he heard my panic. The man calmly pointed to a small portion on the passport below a blue line which read : Passport not valid unless signed.

Oh, duh. I dug out my pen and signed it. Phew, that was close. I was also a little nervous about the weight of my luggage, but that also seemed to be okay. Double phew! So now I sit on the first and easiest stint of the trip, Baltimore to Atlanta, after that it gets a little more complicated.

Not even halfway there yet. but on my way to Tokyo! Food has been okay in flight, and there have been several movie selections.

Monday, August 22
Now in here in Tokyo, at the Haneda airport. I arrived at Narita airport and made it through immigration and customs just fine. "Do you have anything to decware?" the customs officer asked me. I stifled my impulse to giggle, "No," I replied. Then I was on my way to buy my bus ticket for 300yen at "Friendly Limosine" to ride another for an hour to the Haneda airport. I'm waiting now for the last stint of this trip, Haneda to Misawa a one hour flight! Going on 25 hours without sleep. I felt dizzy like I was going to fall over waiting in line at customs. I found it entirely difficult to sleep on the plane, perhaps only got about an hour or hour and a half, but not consecutive.

As I landed at the Misawa airport, I was greeted by all 7 of my brother's family waving. I waved back. Later that night they told me they saw me waving too.

Went to bed early and had really surreal dreams where I was I was back home and very disappointed my traveling was all for naught. I was running around yelling, "What is real?!" I was relieved to awake and realize it was just a dream.

The rest of the trip I will tell in pictures, enjoy!

(please pardon the shifting of verb tenses, I was copying most of this from my travel journal)

Tues, Aug 23 The farmers market in Misawa.

"No touchy peaches," scolded the little old woman to my nephew on a previous visit. Look how carefully each one is individually wrapped.

Tues, Aug 24 Across from kimono vendor was this magnifcent display of authentic Samuri armor.

Isabelle eats squid at the sushi place. I ate a squid too, not bad tasting, but a bit too rubbery for my preference. My favorite was the eel (I'm not certain it was eel, but after describing it to someone who knows their sushi, he seemed certain. Anyway it was yummy whatever it was.)

The pink sushi restaurant. (out of order, this was on Wed, Aug 24)

Tues, Aug 24 Kimono and obi from back.

Tues, Aug 24 My kimono, a gift from John and Susan.

Tues, Aug 24 The whole clan, minus Sam who was sleeping in the carseat.

Tues, Aug 24 The birthday boy, William! It was at his request that we go to the beach on his birthday.

Tues, Aug 23 Isabelle at the "other" Miss Veedol's beach.

Tues, Aug 23 Abbey poses by the Mexican restaurant on base, we ate dinner here for Williams 6th birthday.

Wed, Aug 24 Isabelle (and the others) give me a tour of Tonami Clan Memorial Tourist Village. It is sort of like a Japanese version of Jamestown.

Wed, Aug 24 Samuri room

Fri, Aug 26 After Susan takes me to the Cake House for milk tea and chocolate cake, the whole family takes me to the "Sumo Noodle House" for dinner. I think these noodles are called "udon".

Sat, Aug 27 A stop for bento boxes for lunch, Abbey and Laura pose by the bay.

Sat, Aug 27 Isabelle at the Snow Monkey/ Wild Pig park.

Sun, Aug 28 My nieces had lots of fun doing my hair each day. This is one of Laura's creations.

Mon, Aug 29 A brief stop at the fish market, to buy rice balls and just have look around.

These put Maryland's crabs to shame.

Mon, Aug 29 mmm, Octopus!

Mon, Aug 29 A gallery displaying local artist's wares in the mall at Hachinohe.

John, Isabelle and William

Tues, Aug 30 A trip to the Oirasi Gorge with my brother, Isabelle and William.

Tues, Aug 30

Tues, Aug 30 This was my last day in Japan.

Wed, Aug 31
A very long day. I was wakened in the night by another earthquake (my second on this trip, and ever), but it wasn't severe, I just felt the bed shaking for a couple minutes.
The trip home went very smoothly, basically I just did the same things in reverse order. My luggage was searched at the Narita airport in Tokyo. I was pulled aside where a tiny Japanese woman very carefully rifled through my belongings with gloved hands. She seemed more embarrassed than I when my underwear and bras started falling onto the floor. (I had that suitcase crammed full). Afterward she said smiling, "You have a lot of souvenirs." I had to claim my bag in Atlanta for customs where my suitcase was one of the last ones off the plane. I almost fell asleep standing up waiting for it. I was more uncomfortable on the plane this time, and the movies weren't as good. The upside however, was that I finished reading Harry Potter AndThe Half-Blood Prince and that was thoroughly satisfying, but now I'm itching to read book 7. I hope I don't have to wait another two years.

My boys were excited to have me back, and quite clingy and affectionate (that was nice), Prettiness on the otherhand, took a while to warm up to me again. She had really bonded with her Oma.

Now I'm trying to get reaclimated to my environment and get over this jet lag, which has sort of screwed up my daily biorythms.

The Quest for Snow Monkeys

Today I travelled up to the "Hatchet," as the people here on base call it, with my brother's family to try and see some wild snow monkeys. The "Hatchet" is the most northern part of the main island of Japan and it is shaped like a hatchet or axe. It took us about two and a half hours to drive from Misawa up the "handle" into the hatchet part, and it was the most beautiful drive. The weather today was blissful, breezy, warm with billowing white clouds and blue skies. Most of the drive up north is through small fishing towns and through mountains, lush and green, surrounded by the glorious blue waters of the bay. We stopped at a Lawson's (the Japanese answer to the 7-11 or Royal Farm Store) for bento boxes for our lunch. Even the prepackaged lunches here are good! Then we piled back into the car to keep driving north. We didn't exactly know where we were going, just hoping there would be signs that would guide us to the right place. We had heard from friends of my brother's that the wild monkeys will jump right on to your car and even take food from you if you aren't careful. What we found was a park that charged 200 yen for adults, 100 yen for children ($2 and $1 respectively) to see some sad caged snow monkeys. It was still cool to see them up close and I took a good bit of video footage, because I think my children will enjoy watching them. There was even a teeny tiny little baby snow monkey chasing after his mother for a drink. We never found the wild monkeys who jump on cars and steal lunches from little children, we decided that perhaps that is a legend that people are spreading to promote this sorry zoo exhibit. However, despite our disappointment in not seeing real wild snow monkeys, I did get to drink in the beauty of this day in this gorgeous setting.

Lots of firsts

I am presently in Misawa, Japan, staying with my brother and his family on the AFB. So far I have been to the farmer’s market, bought a beautiful kimono, swam in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, had my first sushi, ate my first fried squid, been in a traditional Japanese house, and last night, felt my first earthquake!

There is much more that I will get to see and do here, since I still have 6 more days to experience Japan. It is beautiful here, lush and green and the weather has been lovely.

See more progress on: Japan

Is it tomorrow yet, cuz it still feels like yesterday?

Okay, since I'm in Japan it is right now, despite what the thingy at the bottom of the post says, Tuesday August 23, 5:20 pm....

I am proud to say, thanks to much prayer on my part and those who care about me, that the flights and bus transfer went smoothly to get me into Misawa around 7pm last night. I went to bed around 8:30pm and slept until 6am today, and hardly feel jet lagged at all.

So far we've had a fun-filled day since today is William's (my nephew) 6th birthday. We had a wonderful breakfast of Dutch baby and then I got to go to the farmer's market with my sister-in-law and then to the BX (which is the Basic Exchange here on the base) to buy me a kimono and obi sash. It's very cool, pictures will come later. Then we went to the beach for the afternoon, and I swam and jumped waves with my nieces, nephew and brother. Next up, Mexican restaurant for dinner. Here on base (the U.S. Air Force Base) it is very much like being in America, but once you step off, you are back in Japan.

5,001 visits

My site meter for snippets just reached 5,001 visits! Woohoo, yay snippets, and thank you faithful readers :D.

I'm going!

I leave in just a few days to go to Japan. I’m phyched! My brother lives there with his wife and five kids. He is a chaplain in the Air Force, and THE very best brother in the whole wide world-he is the one making this trip possible. So I will go to Japan alone, no kids, no weighty responsibilities, just me (and my brother’s family) for 10 fun-filled days. I will post more on this after my return.

See more progress on: Japan

43 Things

I am doing 43 things. Well, to be more precise, I'm aiming to do 27 things, but the list is growing.

Happy Blog-Birthday To ME

August 15,2004 was my first entry....this year on August 15... well, who knows?

It's not really an occasion I care to celebrate (because of the very reasons I started this blog), but it does give me a small sense of accomplishment to know that I have consistently maintained this blog for one year. (I wish I could say the same for my houseplants. I have consistently been inconsistent at caring for my houseplants, but the tadpoles live on!)

What a year it has been! I hope for a better next one. Perhaps in 2006 I will have something worth celebrating. I can only hope.

Home safe

Mom and Dad made it back home safely from Japan late Wednesday night. Thursday was full of strories and presents and home movies of my nieces and nephews brought back to the states by my parents. I leave in one week for my Japan trip. I'm very excited about it, and since my folks pioneered the trip, it has helped alieviate some of my anxieties about travelling abroad alone. They assured me that all the signs I will need to read to make the transfer from one airport to another via bus are in English.

Preparing for my trip has prompted some shopping. Last week I bought a nice pair of black Dansko sandals, but I was so torn between them and another pair that I decided to head up to the Dansko outlet in Pennsylvania today. I was like a kid in a candy store! It was again hard to choose, but at the prices there, I was able to afford two pair for less than one from the retailer! I got the same sandals as the black, but in a butterscotch color and a pair of teal slip on sandals. If you aren't familiar with Dansko, you should be. They are the most comfortable supportive shoe around. It is no wonder why doctors and nurses wear them almost exclusively.

(Dansko has not paid me for this endorsement.)

Home school back in session

August first was our first day of school. A little early some of you may be thinking, but when you factor in that we ended our school year mid-May, it doesn't seem so early. Also I have a fantastic opportunity to go to Japan to visit my brother and his family the last 10 days of August, as well as a family beach vacation in mid-September. So I figured if I don't start school now, we won't really begin until late September.

I must say that being able to teach my boys is an honor and delight. This week has been so great, they love the structure and format (thus far) and are highly motivated learners, making my job as tutor pretty easy. The most diffucult part of homeschooling them is what to do with Prettiness, and this week she has only gotten into minor trouble. She kept herself busy with the math manipulatives (how educational of her) for a while and I have taken down the barricade to the boys' room so she has really enjoyed playing with their toys (especially since they aren't in there to stop her from messing things up). This evening I discovered that she also disassembled the boys' night light -so they said- I have no idea where the little light bulb is now, probably in one of her many purses.

Next week will be a challenge (for schooling), because my sister will be visiting (I'm thrilled she's coming to visit while the rents are away) with her family of six (+1 on the way) and K and D love playing with their cousins. I'm sure they will be a bit distracted, but we will try to squeeze our lessons in in the morning, making time for fun-filled afternoons!

Life on the farm

While my folks are visiting my brother and his family in Japan, I am queen of the hill. I have the added responsibilities of chickens and cat, as well as taking the garbage and recycling down our very long driveway. There are also other little spendid jobs that I take for granted that my dad and mom so discretely attend to, such as, removing dismembered bunny parts from the front porch (thanks alot Jasmine), disposing of dead mice and cleaning up spilled food and broken glass because the raccoon got on the side porch again. (Note to self: close side porch door completely at night.) I was blessed by the fact that I did not have to learn how to operate the tractor to mow the lawns. Dad found a friend to manage that, but I did need to pick up all the "outside" toys from the lawn first (another job I often take for granted that dad attends to). The chickens are laying about a dozen eggs a day, and so far I've sold two dozen and given one dozen away. That leaves eight dozen in my folks fridge and two in mine. Eggs anyone? They are only $1.75 (but because of supply and demand, I may just give them to ya).

So far there haven't been any problems other than the raccoon getting in and breaking a jar of thistle seeds and the dismembered bunny (that was pretty nasty, but as mom always says in an event like that, "That's life on the farm"). We had a tornado warning during a storm last week, but only a few branches were lost up here, but on the church property below us, a tree or two went down.

The kids and I have been enjoying the kiddie pool, shade provided by glorious trees and the sound of the cicadas and crickets in the evenings. The noise is rather loud for cityfolk, but to me it sounds like home. I've lived here most of my life...in fact of my 32 years, I've only spent 7 or 8 years of it elsewhere.

Blogademic

Since I started this blog last August (wow, it's almost my one-year blogiversary) three friends and two family members have started their own blogs. I was the one who introduced them to blogging, so it's kind of cool that I am doing something that at least five other people consider a worthwhile endeavor. But since I have no idea if they want to be affiliated to me *kidding* I won't advertise them here unless given specific permission to do so....

I got bit by the blog bug by reading this one: Honest to Blog, it was the first blog I had ever read, or even heard of. Since then there have been many others that I have visited from time to time, but it really is fun for me to have some living, flesh and bone friends expressing themselves in blog form.

Why Must I Be Sad?

Why Must I Be Sad?

I suppose that now since the intial shock and devastation of my impending divorce have worn off, my psyche is now allowing me to process more of the "stuff" I need to deal with. I am definitely in better spirits, but the sadness continues on a slightly deeper plane. I am beginning to understand where it is all coming from, some of it is so old, I can barely remember where it originates. Most of it is traceable to some event or other, and so I am feeling old losses and new ones and figuring out what I need to do to heal from them. It is a lot of work and it makes me tired, even though I have suffered some minor insomnia the past couple of nights.

Madame Blueberry

I am so blue-hoohooh-blue-hoohooh-blue-hoohooh....

(If you are familiar with Veggie Tales, you'll understand my reference, otherwise....too bad for you-hoohoo.)

For no particular-put-my-finger-on-in-it kind of reason, I have been rather sad the past ten or so days. Not that I lack for things to be sad about, but it is more of a general sadness than a specific one. I guess my grieving has caught up with me once again. I can run, but I can't hide. I better just let the waves of sorrow wash over me once again. Perhaps it will be a cleansing of sorts.

Happy 4th!

Last year this time I was "resting" miserably due to a very bad case of mononucleuosis....so glad that season has passed! A whole year without any relapse is amazing, especially under the extreme stress I have had this year. God has been strengthening me in body, mind, soul and spirit, for all that I have needed, He has provided.

Independence Day takes on new meaning for me now...now that I am learning what it means to be independent myself. So I will patriotically celebrate my country, my freedom, and my own personal growth today. Let the fireworks commence!

In other news....

Got to see my old buddy, Sandy, from highschool. She was in town on business and tacked on a few extra days to see Dave Matthews Band (and her family of course). I lucked out and was able to go with her to one of the shows, since hubby was home with the dog. I could not get over the traffic! I knew it would be bad, but we spent a total of about 6 1/2 hours in traffic that night! (Normally it would take about an hour and 15 min one way.) But it was a fun show, and it has been nearly ten years since I've been to a concert. Although I like DMB's music, I am not a die hard fanatic. I felt more like an observer than a participant, this due largely to the fact that I didn't know most of the new material they played. I did however develop a bit of a crush on the bass player, whom Sandy informed me he has a live-in girlfriend and children :( Well, it was just a crush anyway.

June recap

This month has been all about trips to the dentist (6 in all) and tadpoles (and the froglet). It is funny how sometimes there is a theme to a month....not that tadpoles have anything to do with the dentist, mind you, they don't even have teeth, but if I was asked to sum up what had happened in June 2005, that would be my answer.

We have approximately (I say approximately because they are so hard to count) 12 tadpoles now, and now that I know they eat algae, they are very well fed, no strange disappearances or cannibalism as of yet. Our froglet is getting on well too. Today we just changed his environment from mostly water with a little bit of land, to mostly land with a little bit of water. He loves catching the miniscule bugs that are living in the dirt. The Artist/Naturalist spends long stretches of time watching him and gives me a play by play of the froggie's doings while I prepare meals.

Thanks to the gracious generousity of my dentist, I have now been restored to oral health. Eleven fillings and a cleaning later, my mouth is happy once again--all except the place on my lower lip where Prettiness' hard little head smashed it, but even now that is almost healed. Sigh, my boys also had a dentist visit this month, and I discovered that not all dentists are as wonderful and professional as mine. I will continue to search for a better dentist for the children, one whom there insurance will cover. This will be a challenge I'm sure. I spent hours on the phone just trying to find one who is taking new patients and has offices near by, and he was sort of a nutball. The office was cluttered and his assistant looked like she should still be in highschool. He took a phone call in the middle of K's exam and when he came back didn't remember what he was doing! No xrays, no toothbrushes, no instruction on toothcare, no frills, all the boys walked away with was a little sticker and slightly cleaner teeth. I spent more time filling out their paper work than they did in "the chair". Oh, well.

Loch Raven

Loch Raven

Triple threat

Prettiness

Prettiness and the "bok boks"

Froglet

Our little tadpole finally blossomed into a fully formed frog....he's so cute at only a half inch from head to vent...although we are still trying to figure out what he likes to eat (other than other tadpoles). I added mosquito larvae tonight, and haven't witnessed him eat any, but that has got to be tempting, right?

On Sunday we collected more pollywogs, this time we think are a different species, since we also saw a grown frog in the same fountain. This was the most beautifully intricate frog I've ever seen. Granted the frogs of the tropical rainforests are exquisite, but this one was so ornate. It had a bright green head and face with a bright yellow throat which puffed out when he croaked a twangy sort of sound, his eyelids were gold, (like the precious metal not the color), and his hind legs blended to a spotted brown and black. This was also the most tame little frog I have ever seen. The Stuntman actually petted it several different times before it got so fed up and disappeared under the bushes. Prettiness was tickled to watch it hop and she almost touched it, but each time she got close enough, she would change her mind about it. The Artist (or I should call him the Naturalist now?) has been so thrilled to have some "real" pets in the home, it will be sad when we have to finally set them free again.

UPDATE: I visited the Library today (6/22) and learned that the frog I saw is called a "Green Frog", yes, real original name isn't it? (that picture link doesn't do the beauty of this frog justice, but I did read that their colors are more pronounced on the males during mating season, which is now)

Another one bites the dust

I awoke to find a dead little pseudo-froggie in the bowl, his tail mostly eaten off. These are certainly the little carnivores! So, one remaining tadpole, this one only had two hind legs, so we will get to witness the transformation again, unless he eats himself. LOL!

Four legs good, two legs bad OR A tadpole update

Last night the tadpoles both only had their rear legs, but this morning the slightly larger of the two and sprung a foreleg. By afternoon, both of his forelegs were out and moving. The transformation is phenomenal, like watching inside a womb. He looks very much like a tiny black frog now, only he has a long tail. We expect that this one ate the smaller one. I read today on frogland that if not fed enough, tadpoles will get nutty and go after each other...hmmmm. Perhaps that one had a hearty appetite? We also learned that tadpoles with legs like to "perch" so we have added a small twig and a lilypad to the jar. They seem happy enough.

And then there were two OR The Mysterious Tadpole

Two weeks ago, I took a little time to myself while the children spent some time with their dad, to pray, think, reflect and organize. I spent several hours at one of my favorite places, Ladew Topiary Gardens. I walked through the nature trail, spent some time in prayer on a bench, had lunch, painted a wee bit, reviewed verses, and then walked some more. Afterward I wandered through the gardens, I came to a pond that was swimming with tadpoles. Remembering the empty container in my backpack, I retrieved it and collected four small black pollywogs for my sons to observe and enjoy. That very night the largest tadpole died of unknown causes, but the remaining three have been thriving.....until this morning. We keep them in a large six-sided glass cookie jar on the kitchen table, but when I looked in there this morning, there were only two tadpoles swimming happily around. I checked the table for any signs of a struggle, and the floor too, but no luck. The smallest of our trio has mysteriously disappeared. My only guess is that the remaining two ate it....Although in high school I had a Beta fish, named Rob Lowe, who jumped out of his bowl and it was weeks before I found his dried out little carcass. He was a blue fish and my carpeting was also blue, and I had no idea he could have flopped all the way under my desk, until one fine day when I actually vacuumed under there and discovered his raisin like form. The amazing thing was that he made no foul stench.

At the Dentist

I am suffering still from the three fillings I had done today, but as I think about the experience I had at the dentist I can't help but find it somewhat amusing. Upon entering the building I noticed two very tanned (possibly Latino) men on the roof working. It didn't dawn on me until I was sitting in the waiting area and heard the groanings of a drill--not a dentist drill mind you, some kind of industrial power tool that sounded as if it would bore right into my head from the ceiling above--that this would not be "easy listening" during the procedure. At one point the whole situation just seemed so absurd, I began to laugh (on the inside) and I was thankful that I am not one of those people with a dental phobia. To top it off, after an hour or so, a strange chemical odor resulting from the roof work, much like that of rubber cement, began to permeate the office. The receptionist kindly opened the front and back doors to allow for some fresh air, but it made only a little improvement.

The Truth about Allium

A couple of days ago while playing outside, we noticed how lovely the allium are getting on. (For those of you unfamiliar with this plant, it looks like a giant chive in blossom, about four feet tall with purple pom-pom type flowers the size of a fist.) First the Artist went over to sniff them, and then I and little Prettiness, and while we were admiring the new fish pond arrangement, the Stuntman came over with a purple fist-sized pom-pom flower proudly in hand. When asked, he said he didn't do it...he said it was already broken....hmmm. Well we (Oma and I ) were a little suspicious, but wanted to believe him, so we thought it must have happened accidentally.

A little while later, while preparing the children's lunch, Oma informed me that there was not just one snapped allium, but two....she suggested I get to the bottom of this. And so I had a private little chat with my very physical second born son. I said, "I know you broke the flower."
"How do you know?" he asked.
"I just know..." I replied, "why did you pick it?"
"It was pretty and I wanted to have it, " he said looking very serious with his deep brown eyes.
"It is pretty, but it isn't yours, so it is wrong to take it. Those flowers are special to Oma, and if you ever want to pick her flowers, you need to ask her first. " Then I added, "Oma said two were broken, did you pick two of them?"
He nodded looking rather worried.
"Okay, I am glad you told the truth this time. It is very important you tell the truth. It was wrong to take something that wasn't yours, and it is very wrong to lie about it." Then I proceeded to explain how important it is to be truthful and sent him out to confess his crime and apologize to Oma.

I am not sure how well the four year old conscience and mind process the whole concept of truth and lies...but that isn't really the point. What matters is that he learns the difference and that he needs to choose the truth, or else there will be unpleasant consequences. In this case his unpleasant consequences were confessing and apologizing to Oma. Of course if this kind of incident repeats, the consequence will have to be even more unpleasant, so that he is guided to make better choices.

Karaoke convert

Ever since I saw "Lost in Translation" I have wanted to give karaoke a try...
...and last night that opportunity arose. I was prepared to sing "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell, but had so much fun I also went up two more times with "Brass in Pocket" by the Pretenders and "Would I Lie to You?" by the Eurythmics. Needless to say it was all very theraputic and I am sure entertaining for those watching...Congratulations to Greg who won first prize in the karaoke contest with "Rock this Town" by the Stray Cats (me-ow!).

Requests anyone?

In my garden

This year I have a beautiful new garden. My dad handcrafted a cedar picket fence to keep out the deer and varmits, and also built raised beds to make planting and weeding easier. He even built a little seat into one of the corners as well as an arch for the clematis to climb on. The children have all taken an interest and participated in the cultivating of our little sprouts of spinach, peas, pumpkins, sunflowers, tomatoes, peppers, beans and various herbs. We also have a little strawberry patch and a blueberry bush.....yummy. The weather has been great lately, so we have all been taking advantage and spending long hours out of doors. While the boys romp around the grounds, Prettiness' favorite activity is dropping stones and dirt into a bucket of water and stirring it with a spoon. Mud pies anyone?

Groups

Tonight I attended the first session of the Fresh Start Seminars for divorce recovery...

Upon entering the church building where the weekend-long seminar is being held I saw a colored paper sign pointing me in the direction I needed to go. There were other colored paper signs pointing arrows in other directions for other groups also meeting in the church. I walked up to the registration table, announced my name and was presented with a manila envelope and a workbook and directed to another table to procure my name tag. At the name tag table, the nice man pointed out where the refreshments were and I wandered, somewhat bewildered over to the spread of fruits, veggies, shrimp cocktail and deep-fried appetizers. I collected a few things to nibble on fetched a glass of water and then dread washed over me as I looked into the "fellowship hall" where multiple round tables were set up for people to sit and eat. It was the high school cafeteria on the first day of classes all over again. I scanned the room thinking, "Where should I sit? Who looks interesting? I could choose an empty table, but that looks pathetic and anti-social." I picked my way through and found a seat at a table with an even male-female ratio. Immediately "Don" introduced himself and I am struck with with the thought "Do I really need to do this again?" [I get so tired of meeting new people and making small talk, it really exhausts me. This was one of the aspects of the Women's conference that did me in...] I shared my name, and Don said, "Oh, I see you got the shrimp." "Yes," I replied not knowing what else to say, "they're enormous."

Okay, on to the business of the evening: The Stages of Divorce and Recovery

The first stage after a crisis (in this case separation/divorce) is DENIAL...denial leads to and stems from fear which in turn develops into ANGER. Next comes BARGAINING, and I wish someone had told me about this one, because perhaps I would have done some things differently. After bargaining you hit "the Pit" and DEPRESSION ensues, gradually comes ACCEPTANCE and eventually FORGIVENESS (the "F" word of divorce) and finally one is fit and able to healthfully move into a new lifestyle.

We learned that these stages aren't rigid and often times are "slippery", meaning you can slip from one stage back into a previous one within minutes, days, or weeks, and then back out again. But the key factor here is to be aware of them and not get "stuck" in any one particular stage, because that does not promote emotional healing.

Pictures from San Diego

How cool is that? I can take pictures with my phone and post them on my blog! Enjoy.

Tif and I taking our "Art Walk" in Little Italy, San Diego. 

Tif sipping coffee on the patio of the Sunshine Deli on the premises of the "world famous" Town and Country Resort in San Diego. 

A view from the balcony of our hotel room at the "world famous" Town and Country Resort in San Diego. 

Roses the size of my head at the "world famous" Town and Country Resort in San Diego. 

Super-cool flower on vines growing outside of San Diego airport 

Welcome to the 21st century, Joyella!

I am now the proud owner of a mobile phone....I purchased one to ease my anxieties about being so far away from my children during my San Diego trip. Since I can not seem to get a grasp on more than two months into the future, I purchased one of those pre-paid phones...where you have no committments, you just pay for your minutes in advance and then use them...no monthly bill. Being that this is my first mobile phone, isn't it appropos that it is a Virgin Mobile?

Sunny California

I am presently here in San Diego, California at the Navigators Women's Conference....
The weather is gorgeous today, and Tif and I have the afternoon to check out the cool sights. The conference has been a good change of pace for me, however, I miss my little cutie pies sooooo much!

Here is a rundown of the best things from the conference:
1. Delicious food
2. Chocolate desserts at Thursday dinner, Saturday lunch, and Saturday dinner (the other desserts were yummy too--but not chocolate)
3. Kick-boxing class
4. Ditching Plenary session #3 to see "Hitch" with Tif
5. Sunning by the pool
6. Taking the trolley to Little Italy for "Art Walk"
(anyone noticing these aren't directly related to the conference?)
7. Giving myself a mani and pedi-cure and not having it ruined by washing dishes or little children stepping on my toes
8. Babbie's concert
9. Sitting at the only table with the cute sound-tech man at it for the banquet was also a highlight...heehee (there was a 10-1000 ration of men to women)
10. Smelling the humongous roses growing in the gardens around the resort...some roses bigger than my head!

I opted for the Workshops titled: Deepening Intimacy with Christ, Identifying Root Obstacles to Spiritual Renewal and Planning a Personal Retreat. I found that for where I am in my life journey the first two workshops were too heavy...they should have been more accurately titled "Listening Prayer 101: You too can learn how to hear God's voice in seven simple steps" or "Digging into our deep inner pain and laying it on the table for strangers (and God) to see". Okay, I am being a little harsh, I am sure that several (possibly many) women found those workshops very enriching and helpful...I just wasn't one of them. "Planning a Personal Retreat" was a good choice for me, because it is something I have wanted to do for years now...ever since having children. I have a lot of big decisions in front of me and I need to make sure that I make them wisely with God's leading and not my own selfish desires at the forefront.

You spin me round....

I just happened upon my young daughter, whom I call Prettiness (in here), standing on the turntable of the stereo... I couldn't help but be reminded of this old favorite tune by Dead or Alive. If you know it, you will probably be humming it all day....hehe

...You spin me right round baby, right round, like a record baby, right round, round, round.....

joie de vivre

joie de vivre : keen enjoyment of life

This is my goal. I have it pasted on my latest journal cover, to remind me of what I am working towards. The very first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, "What is the chief end of man?" is answered, "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever." I think that in enjoying our God and Creator and trusting in His word we find this joie de vivre.

Taking time to breathe deeply the crisp Spring night air, tilting my head back to marvel at the wonderment of our cosmos helps me to enjoy God, and I suppose that in my enjoyment of Him I give Him glory as well.

Maritime

FIELD TRIP!!!!!!!
Finally, I actually made it to one of our homeschool field trips, and just barely. Still messed up by DST, my children awake at 8am instead of 7am, which makes leaving the house by 9:45 rather tricky. Maybe if I actually used an alarm clock this wouldn't be a problem, but it reminds me too much of my own school days of hitting snooze and sleeping in until the very last minute. At least this way, we can all wake up grumpy together....

We didn't actually make it out the door until closer to 10am and I needed to visit the ATM first. Knowing how parking is downtown, I was cutting it close. But we made it only 5 minutes late (don't ask me how) and then we waited a while before our tour started. It was great fun to go aboard the US Lightship Chesapeake, US Submarine Torsk, US Coast Guard Cutter Taney and visit the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse all part of the Baltimore Maritime Museum. The US Submarine Torsk was by far our favorite. The exterior is painted like a black shark baring its dagger like teeth in front, but I was impressed with how complicated the interior is with guages, levers, knobs, pipes and switches. I especially liked the shiny copper pipes and brass cranks. We were amazed that this 311 foot long vessel contained a crew of 80 men. I have no idea where they all fit. But I pity the sailor who was a lick over 5'5" and 150 lbs (which was probably most of them). The Taney and Chesapeake were much more spacious, K noticed that their beds looked more "comfy" too. I'm not sure how soundly I'd sleep suspended over a sub torpedo.

Spring has Sprung

So glad for the warmer, sunny weather this week. I've been able to wear the kids out in the great outdoors, and they are sleeping so soundly at night. (yay!) I'm having trouble adjusting my own internal clock to daylight savings time, however. I seem to have this problem every Spring since I have become a mother. Losing a precious hour throws me all out of whack as well as the bedtime routine, but I'm sure I'll get used to before it is time to change the clocks again. Why do we do this anyway?

The trees are starting to show the fuzzy yellow-green haze and pollen is beginning to accumulate on my car. It is the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C. this weekend, and I may actually attend, that is still to be decided... but oh, those cherry trees are gorgeous this time of year.

Spring chicken

I ain't no spring chicken, but spending an afternoon with my aunts and great aunts sure makes me feel like one. No one believed that I had three children (thinking I look way too young), of course some of them are losing their sight and their minds. You know you're in the company of old people when you have the same conversation repeatedly with the same person. But I enjoyed it, they are dear ladies, and since I have no living grandparents, it's the closest I've got. I only see most of these women once a year, and it is pretty much the same each year, but it helps me to connect to my past, my heritage, my bloodlines. What a different world they grew up in! I wish I could remember more of their stories. Perhaps my mother, the writer, will document some of our family history before she begins to forget it too. I hope so.