7 Quick Takes Friday

*1*

It's been fun to have Miss. R back home, even if it's just for a number of weeks. She is full of stories about Romanians and Hungarians and Gypsies and denominations and expectations and prejudice and poverty and spiritual realities and darkness and Truth and conversion.

*2*

Had our second meeting about The Daniel Academy. We over viewed UMS's, classical ed and then talked about pragmatics such as space, extra-curriculars for our kids, who else might be interested in partnering with us, what the church has in mind, etc. All of us are tentatively hopeful. We've listened to most of the UMS training manuel and really resonate with what we hear. The kids are in class long enough to actually have training and develop relationships with Teacher and classmates but home enough to really make parents and home an truly integral part of their lives. Cutting edge.

*3*

Viking Man and Feche Boy fixed the tree house and the notsolittles, FB and ME! have been spending time up there. This is not just any treehouse. The first story is 17' off the ground, reached by either a boards nailed to the tree or a ladder that is straight up and down. There is a second story in progress which is 10' higher than the first. They are monkeys and LOVE the view, the space and the freedom it affords. Cub said he felt like a squirrel perched up their and he and Flower have a whole arsenal of rocks and sticks and leaves and flowers and have spent happy hours playing Redwall with the treehouse being the Abbey and the pasture Mossflower wood.

*4*

Watched part of Fiddler on the Roof this week. Miss R youtubed it for her host family, who are Hungarian peasants, in Romania. Magda (the mom) LOVED it and understood a lot about the culture and interactions even without translation. I've seen the movie dozens of times and my sisters and I had the record memorized way back when there were records. It is still as touching, beautiful and poignant as ever. We saw it as a field trip in 3rd grade and we all thought it odd that our teacher cried through it, but that is exactly what I found myself doing this week. Too bittersweet.

*5*

We gardened. The front flower bed is getting a face lift and shrinking. The front fence bed is getting taken out. Of course I am always dividing and moving and rearranging and checking out garden designs in town and playing with them out here. I have a yellow bed triangle by the back door- Mexican hat, 3 Sedums, sunflowers, marigolds. The hosta bed is thriving and I have cuttings of 2 other hostas I'm going to add. I'm hoping to have the front bed done before the lilies quite blooming since that is the main flower out there but I have to move large rocks and need some manly help.

Harvested broccoli heads this week. They were ready, and the next day, over ready so I'll be keeping a closer eye on them. Spinach, lettuce, rhubarb, swiss chard, strawberries, mulberries, potatoes- yum. The cukes, zukes (I just love how that sounds), melons, tomatoes, beans are thriving. We should have squash to eat this week and cauliflower.

Weed. Weed. Weed some more. And mow. The pastures are looking good this year. I have an awesome tan = )

*6*

Read "Blubber" by Judy Blume this week. It's supposed to be an inside view into the lives of pre-12 year olds kids, published in the 70's. wow. Nothing too awful, just swearing, vandalism in the name of fun, school hierarchy determined by the loudest, meanest member of the class. Socialization. That question came up this week, which I love. All kids are socialized unless they've grown up in a closet. Mrs. Suarez, editor of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine tackles in her essay, "I Was Raised By Wolves" the question of socialization and talks about her own experience being socialized. My kids are socialized. But not by primarily by same aged peers. And that, imho, makes them better people all 'round.

*7*

Mountains loom above us and at times they seem overwhelming. I am trying to rest on the fact that where the Lord is, there is freedom. Freedom from my fears, worries, lack of knowing, lack of creativity, lack of seeing a way out of it, my troubled spirit over what seems insurmountable. That God has been at the end of my troubles and my life and knows the way, my way, our way and he's has declared it good. Freedom for what's next, what's ahead. And trust. Miss. R has faced a similar situation this week with financial changes at school. More opportunity for us all to press in to Him.