The other night, one child asked, "Dad, how do they make Canadian bacon? Or is it just from pigs in Canada?" That was an easy one to answer. But we deal with many more difficult questions every day.
What is the meaning and purpose of life?
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Productive Day
Today I weeded the center section of my garden. Got all the new herbs into position and relocated the oregano to a better spot. I planted stevia, catnip, sweet basil and parsley. My produce bill shall be cut for the summer. The next chores will be to remulch the garden paths and purchase, or make, a new birdbath. Then we will need to paint some fancy garden labels so we don't accidently put catnip in the iced tea...although it says you can...
I carried all of the furniture I had stored in the shed for open house purposes back into the house (including and armchair, helping me to produce more muscle)to make room for the new riding lawnmower. The mower was purchased from our neighbor with the money earned at our garage sale on Saturday. It is used and has a few imperfections, such as a slight gas leak that makes it unthinkable to store in the garage. Having experienced only one night of allowing the mower to be in the garage and the subsequent smell it produced that entered the living quarters, I feared that l'eau de lawnmower would penetrate the soft furnishings if left in an enclosed space.
Troy then used that new mower when he came home because it is suppposed to rain for the next four days and he is having his knee surgery in only three days. After he mowed, I went out to prune some bushes and discovered an unpleasantry. The new mower threw a stone up at our bedroom window. It produced a hole in the screen and broke two panes of the triple pane glass. Another expense. Wonder if we can apply for a stimulus package grant for that...
I carried all of the furniture I had stored in the shed for open house purposes back into the house (including and armchair, helping me to produce more muscle)to make room for the new riding lawnmower. The mower was purchased from our neighbor with the money earned at our garage sale on Saturday. It is used and has a few imperfections, such as a slight gas leak that makes it unthinkable to store in the garage. Having experienced only one night of allowing the mower to be in the garage and the subsequent smell it produced that entered the living quarters, I feared that l'eau de lawnmower would penetrate the soft furnishings if left in an enclosed space.
Troy then used that new mower when he came home because it is suppposed to rain for the next four days and he is having his knee surgery in only three days. After he mowed, I went out to prune some bushes and discovered an unpleasantry. The new mower threw a stone up at our bedroom window. It produced a hole in the screen and broke two panes of the triple pane glass. Another expense. Wonder if we can apply for a stimulus package grant for that...
Monday, May 11, 2009
Offended
Living in the our small village of Bradner has gotten more dangerous recently. We received a postcard in the mail from the sheriff's office notifying us of a sexual predator living nearby. It has already cost us a sale of our house. It has also cost me in concern for the safety of my children and the others in the neighborhood. This man was convicted of sexual assault of a young male child. I have two such young people in my household. Strangely enough, we were the only home with children in the neighborhood to receive this notice, so I have been spreading the word and the picture of this man.
On Friday, I took the opportunity to check out a garage sale two houses down from ours. As I chatted with the neighbor, he asked me to guess who had just been shopping there. Some celebrity? NO! The predator. And to make matters worse, this man told the neighbor that he was interested in purchasing "jewelry and toys for young children who don't have any." He either did not expect that he would be recognized or just did not care. Needless to say, I was alarmed. My kids had been playing outside during the time he was there. I have to wonder if he was there to look for children he could "befriend."
I have warned the kids to be aware of who is around and not talk to any strangers. I have tried to make them have a healthy fear of what could happen to them without making them paranoid. This is especially hard for the boys to understand. This evening, one son pulled me aside to ask a question. "If this sexual predator is a man, how can he can offend boys? I thought one sex could only offend another sex." How do you answer such a question? He certainly offends me!
I realize that there is no safe place in our world from this kind of person. One could move in next door any day. I thank God, He is watching over our family, and I have to trust Him to keep them safe.
On Friday, I took the opportunity to check out a garage sale two houses down from ours. As I chatted with the neighbor, he asked me to guess who had just been shopping there. Some celebrity? NO! The predator. And to make matters worse, this man told the neighbor that he was interested in purchasing "jewelry and toys for young children who don't have any." He either did not expect that he would be recognized or just did not care. Needless to say, I was alarmed. My kids had been playing outside during the time he was there. I have to wonder if he was there to look for children he could "befriend."
I have warned the kids to be aware of who is around and not talk to any strangers. I have tried to make them have a healthy fear of what could happen to them without making them paranoid. This is especially hard for the boys to understand. This evening, one son pulled me aside to ask a question. "If this sexual predator is a man, how can he can offend boys? I thought one sex could only offend another sex." How do you answer such a question? He certainly offends me!
I realize that there is no safe place in our world from this kind of person. One could move in next door any day. I thank God, He is watching over our family, and I have to trust Him to keep them safe.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Poets in Training
Here are some limericks composed by our family for our relatives.
Dirk’s Cold
by Trevor Lacey
(Based upon a true story.)
On the day Dirk became four years old,
He came down with a terrible cold.
His mom said, “Stay inside.”
So he jumped up and cried,
“You are not the boss of my cold!”
Dane’s Train
by Heather Lacey
(Based upon our deep understanding of Dane.)
I have a young cousin named Dane,
Who wanted to play with his train.
He went down the stair,
But the train wasn’t there,
So he went up to play with his plane.
Teel and the Moose
by Aunt Ruth
(Based upon the cousins' assertions that Teel loves moose.)
One day Teel went to hunt for a moose.
He positioned himself in a spruce.
His hunt was in vain,
All he saw was a train,
As the moose snickered from the caboose.
Dirk’s Cold
by Trevor Lacey
(Based upon a true story.)
On the day Dirk became four years old,
He came down with a terrible cold.
His mom said, “Stay inside.”
So he jumped up and cried,
“You are not the boss of my cold!”
Dane’s Train
by Heather Lacey
(Based upon our deep understanding of Dane.)
I have a young cousin named Dane,
Who wanted to play with his train.
He went down the stair,
But the train wasn’t there,
So he went up to play with his plane.
Teel and the Moose
by Aunt Ruth
(Based upon the cousins' assertions that Teel loves moose.)
One day Teel went to hunt for a moose.
He positioned himself in a spruce.
His hunt was in vain,
All he saw was a train,
As the moose snickered from the caboose.
The Song of the Singer
I promised when I began this blogging business to include bits from various family members. Here is a "sound poem" written by Heather.
“The Song of the Singer”
By Heather Lacey
Silently the Singer
Sits upon the stage.
I lower the presser foot,
The needle to engage.
I push down on the pedal.
The singer starts to hum.
I guide the fabric carefully,
And watch out for my thumb!
Swish goes the fabric,
As the needle keeps the beat.
Snip! Snip! I cut the thread.
My song is now complete.
“The Song of the Singer”
By Heather Lacey
Silently the Singer
Sits upon the stage.
I lower the presser foot,
The needle to engage.
I push down on the pedal.
The singer starts to hum.
I guide the fabric carefully,
And watch out for my thumb!
Swish goes the fabric,
As the needle keeps the beat.
Snip! Snip! I cut the thread.
My song is now complete.
Monday, April 27, 2009
"Just Keep Quiet and Nobody Will Notice"
Found this interesting poem today. This could apply to presidents of major world powers, I think.
"Just Keep Quiet and Nobody Will Notice"
There is one thing that ought to be taught in all the colleges,
Which is that people ought to be taught not to go around always making apologies.
I don't mean the kind of apologies people make when they run over you or borrow five dollars or step on your feet,
Because I think that is sort of sweet;
No, I object to one kind of apology alone,
Which is when people spend their time and yours apologizing for everything they own.
You go to their house for a meal,
And they apologize because the anchovies aren't caviar or the partridge is veal;
They apologize privately for the crudeness of the other guests,
And they apologize publicly for their wife's housekeeping or their husband's jests;
If they give you a book by Dickens they apologize because it isn't by Scott,
And if they take you to the theater, they apologize for the acting and the dialogue and the plot;
They contain more milk of human kindness than the most capacious diary can,
But if you are from out of town they apologize for everything local and if you are a foreigner they apologize for everything American.
I dread these apologizers even as I am depicting them,
I shudder as I think of the hours that must be spend in contradicting them,
Because you are very rude if you let them emerge from an argument victorious,
And when they say something of theirs is awful, it is your duty to convince them politely that it is magnificent and glorious,
And what particularly bores me with them,
Is that half the time you have to politely contradict them when you rudely agree with them,
So I think there is one rule every host and hostess ought to keep with the comb and nail file and bicarbonate and aromatic spirits on a handy shelf,
Which is don't spoil the denouement by telling the guests everything is terrible, but let them have the thrill of finding it out for themselves.
Ogden Nash
"Just Keep Quiet and Nobody Will Notice"
There is one thing that ought to be taught in all the colleges,
Which is that people ought to be taught not to go around always making apologies.
I don't mean the kind of apologies people make when they run over you or borrow five dollars or step on your feet,
Because I think that is sort of sweet;
No, I object to one kind of apology alone,
Which is when people spend their time and yours apologizing for everything they own.
You go to their house for a meal,
And they apologize because the anchovies aren't caviar or the partridge is veal;
They apologize privately for the crudeness of the other guests,
And they apologize publicly for their wife's housekeeping or their husband's jests;
If they give you a book by Dickens they apologize because it isn't by Scott,
And if they take you to the theater, they apologize for the acting and the dialogue and the plot;
They contain more milk of human kindness than the most capacious diary can,
But if you are from out of town they apologize for everything local and if you are a foreigner they apologize for everything American.
I dread these apologizers even as I am depicting them,
I shudder as I think of the hours that must be spend in contradicting them,
Because you are very rude if you let them emerge from an argument victorious,
And when they say something of theirs is awful, it is your duty to convince them politely that it is magnificent and glorious,
And what particularly bores me with them,
Is that half the time you have to politely contradict them when you rudely agree with them,
So I think there is one rule every host and hostess ought to keep with the comb and nail file and bicarbonate and aromatic spirits on a handy shelf,
Which is don't spoil the denouement by telling the guests everything is terrible, but let them have the thrill of finding it out for themselves.
Ogden Nash
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
April Showers
When it rains, it pours! This is such a busy time of year. We jump from one activity to another without seeming to stop for a breather, much like the rains we've been experiencing.
Drip! Drip! Drip! We put our house back on the market in March and much to my surprise the realtor called April 8 to ask if someone could come through to look at it the next day. Of course, when she called I was getting everyone done with school work, preparing supper, taking care of one house guest, wrapping presents for Heather's birthday on Thursday, getting ready for Awana in less than 2 hours and attempting to clean the house for Easter weekend company. What could I say but "Yes?"
Pitter! Patter! Thursday morning, I worked so hard to get everything perfect because house hunters look everywhere... in closets, drawers, cupboards, garages, you name it. I had the car in the driveway, and the kids outside as I finished all the last minute jobs when the people arrived. I asked them to excuse me as I put away the vacuum and rinsed out the bathroom sink and told them we would get out of their way. But they started asking questions for which only I had the answers, so we stayed throughout their visit. I know that is not recommended, but what else could we do? After they left, we had to rearrange to make space for our overnighters. This entails moving Heather out of her room and into the boys' room.
Friday, the cousins came. Heather asked that we save her birthday cake from the day before so she could have a real celebration with them. For the most part, the day was great, except for one minor flaw. Thunder and lightning! We got a postcard in the mail from the sheriff notifying us that a child molester has moved into our area. I attached it to the fridge and decided to think about it later.
The sun peeks through the clouds! We enjoyed the rest of our weekend, spending time with family in Tiffin and celebrating Easter at church. The childrens' choir and adult choir and ensemble performed for the Resurrection services. The many practices for those were like the drops the come slowly before the real rain gets started.
Drip! Drip! Drip! Not again! Monday, the realtor calls with the news that the people would like to look at the house again. That afternoon. Ahhh! I still haven't gotten everything cleaned up from the weekend, but we rush around and pull out of the driveway as they get out of their cars to come in. When we return, we learn that they have made an offer. Hooray!
Is that the sun behind those clouds? Tuesday, we go to the realtor's office to sign the papers. In their paperwork, there is a curious note. They want to know if we have had any notifications about sexual predators in the area. We have to answer honestly. We give the information that we have been given and make our counter offer.
Wednesday, the realtor calls again. There is good news and bad news. They thought our offer was perfectly fair and would love to accept it but they have to decline because they checked with the sheriff's office about the predator. Whoosh! The wind blows our umbrella inside out! There apparently are two predators. Whoever checked for them told them that the one lived only 2 blocks from this house. They don't even have kids living at home, yet they felt they had to say no. What about us? We have 3 kids living here. I checked the addresses out myself. The closest one is actually .5 miles away and other is at least 2 miles away.
Anyway...we are still trying to get all that settled. I don't know if there is a place you can live in Ohio where there isn't someone dangerous living in the vicinity. Not only that, who is to say one wouldn't move in after you did? I don't know if they will change their minds.
It is still raining...literally and figuratively. This week we are having a series of revival meetings at church and Friday is our home school group puppet show at Wood Lane School. I can't wait for the May Flowers!
Drip! Drip! Drip! We put our house back on the market in March and much to my surprise the realtor called April 8 to ask if someone could come through to look at it the next day. Of course, when she called I was getting everyone done with school work, preparing supper, taking care of one house guest, wrapping presents for Heather's birthday on Thursday, getting ready for Awana in less than 2 hours and attempting to clean the house for Easter weekend company. What could I say but "Yes?"
Pitter! Patter! Thursday morning, I worked so hard to get everything perfect because house hunters look everywhere... in closets, drawers, cupboards, garages, you name it. I had the car in the driveway, and the kids outside as I finished all the last minute jobs when the people arrived. I asked them to excuse me as I put away the vacuum and rinsed out the bathroom sink and told them we would get out of their way. But they started asking questions for which only I had the answers, so we stayed throughout their visit. I know that is not recommended, but what else could we do? After they left, we had to rearrange to make space for our overnighters. This entails moving Heather out of her room and into the boys' room.
Friday, the cousins came. Heather asked that we save her birthday cake from the day before so she could have a real celebration with them. For the most part, the day was great, except for one minor flaw. Thunder and lightning! We got a postcard in the mail from the sheriff notifying us that a child molester has moved into our area. I attached it to the fridge and decided to think about it later.
The sun peeks through the clouds! We enjoyed the rest of our weekend, spending time with family in Tiffin and celebrating Easter at church. The childrens' choir and adult choir and ensemble performed for the Resurrection services. The many practices for those were like the drops the come slowly before the real rain gets started.
Drip! Drip! Drip! Not again! Monday, the realtor calls with the news that the people would like to look at the house again. That afternoon. Ahhh! I still haven't gotten everything cleaned up from the weekend, but we rush around and pull out of the driveway as they get out of their cars to come in. When we return, we learn that they have made an offer. Hooray!
Is that the sun behind those clouds? Tuesday, we go to the realtor's office to sign the papers. In their paperwork, there is a curious note. They want to know if we have had any notifications about sexual predators in the area. We have to answer honestly. We give the information that we have been given and make our counter offer.
Wednesday, the realtor calls again. There is good news and bad news. They thought our offer was perfectly fair and would love to accept it but they have to decline because they checked with the sheriff's office about the predator. Whoosh! The wind blows our umbrella inside out! There apparently are two predators. Whoever checked for them told them that the one lived only 2 blocks from this house. They don't even have kids living at home, yet they felt they had to say no. What about us? We have 3 kids living here. I checked the addresses out myself. The closest one is actually .5 miles away and other is at least 2 miles away.
Anyway...we are still trying to get all that settled. I don't know if there is a place you can live in Ohio where there isn't someone dangerous living in the vicinity. Not only that, who is to say one wouldn't move in after you did? I don't know if they will change their minds.
It is still raining...literally and figuratively. This week we are having a series of revival meetings at church and Friday is our home school group puppet show at Wood Lane School. I can't wait for the May Flowers!
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