Thursday, September 23, 2010

Trilogy: House, Food, School

*1*
Construction Central got worse this week as we moved the bins from the barn to the living room to the 2nd floor. We discovered more molded books as well as school supplies, which we added to the mess of the central living room, subbing as bedroom.  My need for visual order has been totally disregarded by this whole house fire thang.

*2*
Finally feeling a bit more on-top of school this week. Found ETC 7 and Flower is cruising through it, though still missing WWE and all of Lori's Shurley English. Could the FindItFast Fairy please come visit me? All the rest of the textbooks are finally ordered, except math. Cub is LOVING history, writing, science and geography at Tutoring Center. We added in CD's today and are enjoyed IEW's poetry CD over lunch. Feche is working diligently at Chem & Latin & Math & Lit. He has a couple of novels that he's still trying to get through, leftovers from summer,  and I catch him standing in the hall at odd moments trying to sneak in a few more paragraphs.
*3*
Rain. I love you. Truly. Just back off a while and let everybody enjoy autumn. It can't be a CRISP fall day when you've sogged everything to puddle point.

*4*
Reading The Last Battle. This is one of my very favorite books. Lewis captures the poignancy and beauty of love and goodness, the horrific futility of worshipping something, or someone, other than the Master of the Universe, and the the despair one feels when something good and just is lost. Cub didn't even want to read it (he's read it before) but finally acquiesced. I said to him the other night, "I feel like crying too, even though it's just a story." He adamantly asserted, "Narnia might just be a story, but the spiritual part of it is true!" Miss. R and I had a discussion about the "truth" of Narnia in August, regarding the salvation of Emith; is his salvation doctrinally justified or not. What do you think?

*5*
The building permit gals stopped by to see where we were at with construction. They took a few minutes to look at the "before" pictures (from right after the fire) and oohed and ahhed over the cupboards and floor and new built-ins. As did Neighbor Stan when he came by to fetch Feche boy to help him bale hay (which left him sore and tired but with a good dose of vitamin D and cash to keep him going for awhile- thanks, Stan!!). We hope to have the first floor 95% finished by the end of next week and then I'll post pictures. I.can't.wait. Visual order, I will sit and stare at you and soak in your simplicity. I might even write a song to you.

*6*
Viking Man hates the blog name I bequeathed to him. But the reason it's Viking Man is based on this prayer of his, "Dear God, thanks for the woman and the food!" (insert a couple of growls and grunts and other manly noises as he tears into dinner). At while he's not a shrinking violet, he's not a huge man either, and one day at church he pointed out a couple of men sitting next to us. They were both at least 6'4", solid as tree trunks. One had waist length blond hair, the other a short spiky do, sleeveless shirts, leather vests. Both sporting hog insignia and huge black steel toed boots. My husband looks at me, points to them and says, "Those are Viking Men." And, true enough, when he walked behind them to go to communion, he was dwarfed by their size. And then yesterday he said I had gotten the conversation we'd had over Jane all wrong and he wants me to change it. I am edited coming and going I tell you.

But, I digress. Back to the name. When asked what blog identity he wanted a chorus of voices ensued.
He says, "if you get to be "Laughing Lioness" I should be "King of the Pride." KB interjects, (with gusto), "The Molinator!!" At the same time Feche jumps in with "Mufasa!" KB jumps back in saying, "Dad, you have a last name!" (you know, from Galaxy Quest: Guy is anxiously worried he's gonna bite the bullet cause he's just an extra without a last name; it's one of our most beloved family jokes and applicable to ohsomany situations). And it just went downhill from there. Mufasa was ruled out cause he dies. Nobody dies 'round here 'lessen' I kill em' so that's out. King of the Pride; a bit long. Mollinator? Um, no. Guy? He eventually gets a regular part and a last name. What do you think?

*7*
Harvested a bowl full of roma tomatoes. Aren't they are beautiful?
Hoity Tioty Delish Fish Dish from my days of waitressing at Saybrook Fish House  in Connecticut (sweet memories of bowlfuls of mussels and fresh scallops, yeah!). Take a firm white fish fillet (like Cod), spread a thin layer of mayo, a thin layer of mustard (stone ground is best but any will do) over top. Add thin slices of purple onions and Roma's. Bake till done. Serve with salad and crisp bread. Ohlala.

8 comments:

Robyn said...

Wow! Sounds like a busy week! I hope you can find the things you are missing and get back your "order!" How difficult to carry on in the midst of reconstructing your house! Love the discussion on names! Gave me a chuckle! :-)

Faith said...

You had a fire? How awful! You seem to have it pretty together in spite of that!

I envy you your tomatoes!

Amy @ Hope Is the Word said...

Sounds like a good week and that you're (maybe?) making progress on your house.

Love all the insights into your family life!

Have a good weekend!

Daisy said...

I'm sending you the FinditFast Fairy. I've had her locked in the closet at my house but dang, you seem like a worthy cause. :-p

I like Viking man. LOL.

Those tomatoes are gorgeous! And I'll take your rain. Maybe I'd have gorgeous tomatoes, too.

Mandy in TN said...

Uhhm- isn't the youngest child in the house designated the FindItFast Fairy? That's how it has always worked at my house.

lol Galaxy Quest and a family that quotes it! I knew I liked you!

How about Sunny Trails?

Kash said...

Mm, those tomatoes look good!

I hope you continue to find things - and not things that are moldy! Looking forward to the promised pictures. :)

laughinglioness.lisa@gmail.com said...

Oh Mandy, I'm taking Daisy's FIFFairy over relying on my youngest!!
I'll mention Sunny Trails to VM and see what he thinks = )!!

Karen said...

I don't think I could live with chaos as long as you have---kudos to you for not going mad!