Big Universe, Small World... ©2013-2020

Today started with me having to finish grading a number of papers that students had submitted on the eve of the course sessions closing for one of the universities I teach for online. Final grades were due today at noon...I spent most of yesterday grading papers that were last minute submissions...about 12 hours total yesterday. I finished grading all papers and submitting grades by 12:10...fortunately for me, the university is on a time schedule 3 hours behind my time. Thus, it was all good. Then, as we were getting ready to leave to go to the library and to get allergy shots, we found a chicken in one of my raised beds: the bed with most of the veggies in it. I was disgusted. I had already placed chicken plastic caging as a temporary fencing around each bed to keep chicken and neighbor children out...and there was a chicken in the middle of the bed. I guess I should be equally perplexed that they were locked in last night and were roaming around this morning. So, I had to hit the g

I am realizing we are getting our 8th/9th grade year wrapped up somewhat. We have 5 Latin I lessons left. There are about 6 weeks of grammar lessons left and about 2 units in the IEW-B series. I want to say there seems like there are about 30 more Algebra I lessons or so to work through. My son has chosen his last book of the year to read and complete a presentation project about the novel. We finished up Geography a bit ago. In Physical Science, there are about 4.5 lessons left...we are wrapping up and moving along. I have decided we are going to take a true Spring Break next week. Guitar lessons are about the only thing academic that will continue next week. We started some luffa plants indoors to transplant them when it became Spring. Interestingly enough, it became spring time and the temperatures dropped drastically here. So, now the luffas are growing well and it is freaking cold as all heck outside.  Sheesh.        The lemon and orange trees we have tended since

   Raised bed #1...contains romaine, buttercrunch, kale, garlic, cucumbers, squash, pimentos, red and yellow bells, cabbage, ornamental peppers, and a few onions...no wasted space. my younger son built all the raised beds in the yard...the bed is bigger than it looks...       tomato bed...has several heirloom varieties of striped and yellow and some regular ole' big juicy varieties  :)     Cassie helps to keep me company outside while working in the garden and with the plants today      Please throw my ball!!      YaYa was enjoying the sunshine. She does not like to come off the porch if she does not have to do so. She insists she is a house dog, not a yard dog.     YaYa from the porch again.      My shiitake log growing its 'shrooms!!  I will have to harvest two of these in the next few days for eating!!  Yummy!     Another shot of the shiitake log.      The lavender is tarting to grow and you can smell it as soon as you exit the house on some

And why beholdest thou the mote  that is in thy brother’s eye but  considerest not the beam that is i n thine own eye?                                                                   -Matthew 7:3 (KJV) I know we all perceive things differently than others at time. I may have to check the the mirror in a bit for my eye splinters...or my beam...I am not unaware of this. I won't comment on the whole back story here...it is too long and would need its own blog. I am bewildered...angry...emotions stir up from inside that I struggle with daily to overcome and move forward away from...Jesus leads my hand to be a better person and to let go and walk away. There are physical reminders everywhere. They taunt me...dangle in front of me...wanting to remind me of what was, of how what was shaped so much of what could have been, daring to try to make me believe it can shape my future as well. I saw the reminder weeks or months ago. I immediately felt the thought creep forward of how

I went to an IEP meeting this week...okay, it was supposed to be an IEP meeting. It was the first one I have went to in a long time that was not for one of my own children or for a child I taught. I remember what it was like to be a parent new to the IEP battles ahead...I remember coming in soft and now being a hard person to deal with - after approximately 13 years of special education battling. The cartoon below makes me remember what it felt like at times to sit on the other side of the table and feel like I had to battle the world and beat down the walls to get my child his accommodations...to all special education mommies - you are not in this alone. :)  The comic is even funnier, since it is the same as my name for the mommy!!  

reviewed fb posts for the past week...just when i begin to wonder if God is as present as i need Him to be, i can read back through and know He was there all along. tried to listen to live nickelback concert with child, as the music is not so bad and child likes this music for guitar practice...alas, the lead singer's language and innuendos are so foul, the channel was changed and viewing will not be allowed in this house. how is it/why is that that some of the most gifted and talented artists waste such talent on foulness of thought, foulness of language, foulness of fleshly pursuits...?? “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8) So very thankful angels and the Spirit do not ever tire in their work, intercession, prayer, and protection of the ones to which they oversee...cause satan has been all up in my junk lately. h

the seeds were brought back from FL back in October...i had collected them under the tree...they have to be soaked and then pealed back to reveal the seeds seen here...   the soil is wet/dampened and the baggie sealed. it has to be stored in a warm, dark place for awhile...i placed it under my bed on top of the heat vent around the end of November in 2012...   this is how the seeds looked in the back in the early part of February...you can see the beginning of some of the roots appearing.     more roots in the baggie...   in late February i planted the seeds that were viable. you can see the sprouts in this pot. this picture was taken in early March...   more sprouts of palmetto trees from early March

         funny comment from my younger child tonight as i head to take a shower...i grab a small glass jar of baking soda and the bragg's to take with me to wash my hair...my child asked why i was going to be making volcanos in the shower.   :)