Here's a Quick Plug

Have been having a lot of fun with Google-earth lately. Checked on various friends and relatives addresses and houses - you've been warned! But here's another warning - it's so addicting that 2 hours can feel like 5 minutes. Well, excuse me, this image is HUGE! Sorry about that! (It will not respond to the clicking on "small" or any other size for that matter, ha ha)

Fall is Here Again

The Dogwoods are looking very red and beautiful and the leaves are already falling even though many of the deciduous trees are still greenish. This week has been gorgeous weather - we've actually seen the blue, blue sky - and yesterday there was not a single cloud in the sky - not even a contrail!

"Scarf Dancers from Russia and the Dominican Republic" (wink, wink)



We've been enjoying our Fall Break from school this week although several things have kept going: piano lesson, CHE and today, Orchestra. C plays violin in the homeschool orchestra and cello in the 5th grade orchestra.

Last Monday we had a field trip to the CDM where the girls had a bunch of fun.


The travelling exhibit was on the handicapped.


For those across the pond, we have some recent pics of Soekie taken when we were up there about 2 weeks ago. She was happy and healthy. I didn't see the other cat....




This week we've had our first frosts of the season and my green house is now in use. I've planted lettuce; mustard greens; spinach (Swiss chard I think); and what was the other green again? I'll update you on that. S has a bunch of Blackberries, Raspberries and Blueberries ready to plant....can't wait to reap those!

Last Sabbath we had lunch with the Mihaescus - it was a very cold (in the 40's F) day with a cold drizzle mid afternoon but that didn't stop us from hiking, along with 2 other families, to a high point on the BT and enjoying hot chocolate and tea there around a little fire. I think it was about 20' lower than normal!

At the mo, I'm fighting a cold - or maybe it's larangitis?? - anyway, oink-oink, I think I'll be fine very soon. Now tonight C says she has a headache....

S is taking a lecture at the local Butterfly Club sometime in the next week or two. He has been working on a wonderful "powerpoint" (the Mac version though) of the over 100 butterflies they've photographed in Polk County. They now have the distinction of verifying the most number of species in any TN county. Wish you all could see his powerpoint presentation!
Here he is (dressed up for a banquet), getting a butterfly pic in Rhea county!


Well, news from our UK family is very encouraging - we hope to see you very soon - Let us know if you'll be arriving in Atlanta or Timbuktu and when to pick you up!

Cheers!

More Photos

Finally downloaded pics from my camera dating back to August 15 so I'll include some of these here.

A canoe trip down the Hiwassee in mid-August. Ours is the green canoe.


Although this looks calm, the water was moving right along. As a lot of you know already, this water is VERY cold!! But quite refreshing on a hot summer day.


Uninvited guests at our picnic supper.


Relaxing after the trip. (The kids are all at the playground!)


Before the great crop!


After!


Fieldtrip to Crabtree Farms.


Going to work in our own garden!


A sequence of our Haiti project. I should have taken more pics... Here, our dough is covered with plaster of paris strips. (Thank-you Google-earth for some topographical information!)


After painting, and glueing on bushes, grass and a few labels.


Close-up of Cap-Haitien (before the "buildings".)


Proud project owners - good job 3rd graders!


And now you're truly up-to-date - at least by what's in MY camera!

September's School

Here's the latest camera-cam.


Here we are half way through September. We've been busy beavers, I promise. This past week I had an extra student for a couple days to make 3 in the class. (He is in 2nd grade).

Then we had a (4th grader) friend sleepover on Sab. night as her parents were to make an overnight trip to Atlanta. And oh, a month or so ago, we had another 3rd grader spend a couple days with us. (in photo)

             As you can see in this school edition, we're talking "grades" today! (wink, wink)

This past week I had ETSO (orchestra) rehearsals Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and a CHADD meeting Tuesday night. S was out of town Friday

until this morning's early hours - he was at Reelfoot lake in Western Tennessee - the one that formed in a large earthquake over a hundred years ago. They looked in vain for a particular butterfly but had a good time doing it. C sent along some hitch-hikers who, according to the photos,

seemed to have had a good time themselves!


Apparently there was a HUGE number of frogs, and a corresponding number of snakes (to eat them of course!). Thankfully they didn't get our intrepid adventurers here.




Notice the large beaver house in the background.


Looking rather lonely...


Well, the orchestra concert was last evening at Veteran's Park. All went well even though the music was challenging, including Dvorak's 7th Symphony in d minor. Also on the programme was a Liszt piece (Les Preludes) and a von Suppe overture (Poet and Peasant). We did another short Dvorak piece for the encore. Great weather thankfully, and a nice turnout of people. We've had so much rain around here lately that it could have been touch and go.

School is going well and we're getting into a routine now. Even as I say that, I still keep tweaking the schedule from time to time as needed. Sometimes the writing takes longer than expected....as mentioned previously in August's auspicious blog!

The Lord is blessing us. So far we've avoided the H1N1 pandemic but I hear it's not that bad/virilent at the mo anyway. Let's hope it stays that way... We pray you all stay healthy!

Things are looking quite hopeful in the Visa department in London. We've been expecting R and fam. to return "within about 2 months" since February....but haven't given up hope. The Lord will work it all out in His good time, we know!

Take care, all.

September

OK, this was a slip of the little finger and somehow a "blog" got posted, ha ha. I shall leave it in to boost my numbers, wink, wink.

Auspicious August

The grand beginning of school happened last week. We have two eager 3rd graders this year - with a slight tendency to get hyper I'm afraid. Again, alas, am finding out that everything takes longer than planned. A little writing or drawing exercise takes 3X as long as expected...
Here are the eager beavers enjoying school.


On Wednesdays they "get to" make their own lunch. Here we are making hamburgers (vegetarian of course!). On other days they're very welcome to help make lunch too but somehow I never see them around offering to help!


Here's M in a big thunderstorm taking his shower... All he needs is soap. Since they don't have water in Arizona, and rain is unheard of in Phoenix, he comes over this way for his yearly shower - works well for everybody!


C and A pretending something or other. I think their families were just having a lovely summer picnic under the trees.



Did I mention that C was a 1st place winner in a newspaper coloring contest? Won $50 as a gift certificate and had a wonderful time spending it.


Well, I'm doing this blog from another computer and don't have the usual arsenal of photos to choose from, so tata for now. Happy Sabbath to one and all.

Juicy July

Time to "ketch-up" hey? Another photo journal since time is of an essense around here these days. Ach no, forgot the com-cam....Quickly run outside....OK, here it is!


Well, what's keeping us busy these days? Gardening yes. Here are a few shots of some of the produce - well, tomatoes, I see...



Buckets full





To preserve those we don't give away and eat immediately, I tried dehydrating this year. We have a very good dehydrator but are discovering the electric bill is quite high....so, we'll have to see whether it'll be worth it in the long run. The good thing is that it can keep for a very long time....
Other produce harvested lately: corn; bell peppers; green beans (also bucketfulls); yellow squash - slowing down now; and spinach. We also have eggplant, ochra, cantaloupe and cabbages showing promise. The cucumbers have been slow for me this year but we've had a few.


And now for some VBS photos:
Crocodile Dock (and Rock, I might add!!)


And having a supper at the other VBS with our kids.  I have more pics of them but they don't seem to be downloaded onto the desktop right now....(My camera is "over re-cording" photos lately so I don't want to accidently write over another one.)


We also visited the CDM last week and here are a couple pics from that:
Successful arch builder.


Keeping shop at the farm stall.


And that'll be all for now!
Adios!

Hey Julle, it's July!!

For those not in the know, "julle", is "you'all, ya'll, you's, all of you" etc, - you get the picture - in Afrikaans. Ja-nee, once in a while, I 'spreek die taal' just so's I won't forget, jy weet? (ya know?)
We had a nice Independence Day last week this time. Our fireworks and ETSO concert was on Thursday evening due to Sabbath falling on the 4th this year. The 'kids' all went to Beech Bottoms again - 4th time in a row for some!
This is what they call the "hot-tub".


Both photos are taken of some of the shallower sections of the river. Upstream we were swimming in a pool at least 8-10 ft deep.

Too bad we live so far from natural waterholes and swimming opportunities. Guess I was spoiled having lived so long in the Cape only minutes from the beach! (Mom, did you hear that?)

Here's a lovely family picture of M and D.
D has been swotting like crazy for boards on Aug 4 and M has been taking master's classes at the university. Can't believe their time is almost up and they'll be going back to AZ in 2 weeks! Time passes waaaay too quickly.

And now for the crowning piece of my engineering and woodworking creations from the last 2 weeks. A little (here, unfinished) greenhouse for early starts and maybe even a few over-wintering plants....we'll see! The empty pots are merely for encouragement!


And the funny looking boards in the front are to try and keep the cats out while still building.



Since this I've added wood bracing across the top, a fold-down door and more plastic in various places. These photos are more of the proto-type so.....keep posted for more exciting photos of the final solution creation!

Next week will be the "2 VBS" week of hecticity. Will keep you posted if we survive!