Author: Angela

I write so my family will always have letters from home.

Looking for Work

Daniel took this picture at the Desert Museum.

This boy, I tell you, can do some amazing things. He’s currently looking for work. He’s discovered that *expensive* Bionicle sets are the way to go. After building his enormous creation the other day, he said, “This was the most satisfying Lego set I have ever built.”

Back to the money thing. We live away from all our people. What can be done? Well, there is mail order.

Does anybody need a pamphlet on Pearl Harbor? He wrote a good one.

How about some photos of lego creations? He has several hundred he could share.

Are you interested in a good book reviewer? He reads at least 3 books a week, sometimes 5.

And then there are his piano compositions. There is Weber River and Carousel Ride. Each has its charms. You know.

I’d pay good money if I had any (darn school books!) for a good photo of his amazing eyes.

Wow, I think I just remembered where I stashed some cash. Never mind on the sale. I want to keep all of those things for myself.

Serendipity beetles

After a little school work, we decided to go to the mountains. We went hiking and exploring.

I was hoping it would be an inspirational moment where we would talk about educational goals. We just played in the stream instead. And THEN we saw…

some ladybugs.

There were many ladybugs.

We saw ladybugs in the trees,

ladybugs on the ground…

and they were irresistible.

So, today we climbed rocks and found serendipity beetles.

It was a good day.

What’s that line?

One of my favorite movies is You’ve Got Mail. I am thinking of the scene where Meg Ryan tells her “surrogate mother” and female employee that she is closing her store. Her s.m. tells her “Closing the store is the Brave Thing to Do,” and then she says stepping off into the unknown “armed with nothing” means Meg is Daring to believe she can do something different. Or something like that.

Tonight I say, “Beginning school is the Brave Thing to Do.”

Here we go.

Sorting

We went rock hunting yesterday. After 10 minutes in the sun, we decided to count and sort our collections. We could only take two. It was hard to choose.

Sorting and prioritizing are good life lessons. If only excess commitments were as easy to fling back as little rocks! Just like those little rocks with their sparkling crystals and mineral deposits, each commitment is enticing in some way even after it’s been cast aside.

School starts on Tuesday. We are in full-sorting mode. Who will drive to seminary? And home from seminary?  Are you sure it’s not too far out of your way? Which children can I watch during German classes? Will Medieval (I *just* learned how to spell that correctly. Shameful.) History be too much on top of U.S. Government classes? You have room in your schedule to teach Timothy piano lessons? You want us to move our piano lessons so someone can take Latin? No problem. But I’ll need to shuffle park days once a month.

More than ever, life requires some cooperation among friends to make it all happen and some brave culling of activities.

I’m excited for the school year to begin. The books are arriving daily.

We have good parents


I’ve been thinking about some of the good things my parents taught me. Today I used the door slamming response.

1. If a kid slams a door, he will need to close it quietly 10 times.

2. No candy before noon.

3. It’s a good idea for kids to have a little spending money and freedom.

4. As kids get older, they need lists of tasks to do, and if you write them on a yellow legal pad, it seems more cheery.

5. Bedtime stories are important.

6. Pulling weeds is a good activity for sorting out grumpy or idle thoughts.

7. Kids should learn to walk and talk quietly through the house.

8. Kids need space to think and read and create.

9. Outdoor exercise is a good remedy for grumpiness, laziness, and boredom.

Thinking

I’m sitting in the house during a monsoon tHunDer StOrm. I’ve got the laptop unplugged because if lighting hit, I’d be seriously bothered. I run my life with a computer. It happened gradually and I still have my “I hate this machine” moments, but this computer is my friend.

I am glad my computer can remember addresses and phone numbers, help me communicate with 70 home school families in the area with one e-mail, and streamline my filing of school papers, notes, and artwork.

But I can live without it. While on vacation I went 2 1/2 weeks without it except to look up an address.

I could be a spokesman for digital scrapbooking. This computer has allowed me to keep a scrapbook that I can be proud of, despite time constraints.

Today I spent time catching up with people for my church assignment and “my community work.” The interaction was invigorating, in contrast to earlier this summer when it had become a great burden. I think that because I lack an off-site office, I don’t always see a line between my home and my work and my work easily trespasses into my home life. It’s good for me to set time limits on my community and church work and make appointments with myself to read that next chapter or escape to write a blog post.

Aren’t these red berries beautiful? My 7-year old took this picture.

Now I’m off to make dinner. End of blog appointment.