august of the peach

In the last two years I have learned that I must be cautious about the fruits that I choose to eat. I have been learning that some of my health problems or debacles have been an adverse response to chemicals and various foods. It is to my own discomfort that I choose to eat pineapple, avocado, banana, coconut, cantaloupe, or strawberries. Through the summer this seems to be a bit of a cross to bear. This summer I have discovered I can eat peaches. I can eat peaches, smell peaches, and dream of peaches until all of life is, well, 'just peachy'. As Nicki noted while I sat in the yard smelling that morning's peach - "There is nothing like the smell of a ripe peach, the candles don't smell anything like 'em." (Candles, by the way, specifically most scented candles, are one of the chemicals that I react to.) So this month's sweet song of the peach is ending- just as all of nature ebbs and flows, so must my joy of having a fruit that I can enjoy with no fear of the consequences.

night before the night before

From some perspectives teaching looks a lot like being a student. There was less stress being a student for a couple of reasons. 1)I had been one for a LONG time and I was pretty accustomed to it. 2) If I missed a deadline, assignment, or type-o it only affected me. 3)At this moment, chemistry is more familiar to me than fifth graders. After having met my class I am certain that fifth graders are ultimately more interesting and more fun - but at the moment they are more unknown.

improving the view

There are some things that improve the view off the dock at Tainter. (referred to here)

Brook went back to Ohio for the school year more than a week ago. Sometimes I miss the most important pictures because by the time I get home from the family get-together I've forgotten that I took them.

bottoms up

I'm told that much of the art of teaching is finding new ways to look at things.
So I'm practicing.

series of today

The wall was determined to be dry enough to put the book shelf back up. I needed to know where the the stud line was down the wall - hence the dangling potato masher. I suppose a slotted spoon would've worked just as well. The fish tank is back in place and hopefully I didn't siphon out so much gunk that I lose the biological filtration.
All in all I'm quite happy with it and now we figure that the basement is 1/10th the way done. But it's a tenth that I spend a lot of time in - my desk.



For the rest of today's series of photos please my 'Photo Files' - the link is under 'Other Folks' Blogs' (even though it isn't) on the right side of the screen. The pictures are posted today too.

points just for eating

There have been a few meals that the appearance would seem to lead a person to believe that perhaps we should get points for being brave enough to attempt consumption.
Today I made a cake for the kids and when I Mom saw it cooling her initial and clearly verbalized reaction was "Oh, yuck." Upon further inspection she did feel that she was able to see a face (complete with large pink zit on the end of its nose) in the baked bubbles which made the swamp-monster appearance complete. The cake was kid-friendly when cut and tasted fine. (Due to a bit of forgetfulness on my part, the cake did not go to the daycare and will completely enjoyed by anyone we can find who will be willing to look past appearances.) I did not expect to be going to the daycare either and someday I will learn to be assertive and just say 'no'. (it was only meant to be for a couple hours and I was reacting to the drying paint at home anyway.)

Supper brought a surge of creative cooking which resulted in a meal that the dog refused to clean from the dishes. (Pene prewashes for the dishwasher - she is the not the final stage in the process.)
It didn't taste as bad as it looked, but she didn't seem to like the combination of cabbage and ketchup and worschshire. She was willing to clean the pan after Dad added his hot chili - maybe it covered the taste of the cabbage.

grace like rain

The Midwest has been getting some much needed rain - some places too much. But at our house -


the birdbath runneth over.

Sprinkling continued inside as I textured the wall and was
dismayed to find that the spray would fly four or more feet from the wall. (and very much all over me) My room ended up looking like the houses in the movies that all the furniture is covered up while the family goes to live at their other huge house. I did not find it convenient to pack up and go live at my other huge house so I've opted to live in the midst of the painting.

beaten by ratatouille

My claim to point supremacy regarding supper points has been short-lived. We have developed the formal point system with 2 points being given for each leftover used and 1 point for each vegetable from the garden. Even with my efforts to weight the leftovers, my Dad's ratatouille this evening surpassed my chicken/black bean/green chili stuff of a week ago. With three types of peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, and the leftover hamburgers from last weekend, Dad's 8 point concoction beat my 7 points. Dad probably deserves an extra point for his nod to this summer's Disney movie - but it's not going to come from me.

After the storm on Monday night, I collected a five gallon bucket of wind-fall apples from Grandma and Grandpa's. (wind-driven-into-the-ground is more accurate) We sat in front of Little House on the Prairie for over 2 hours peeling and dicing apples. We cried through each episode as it is only appropriate to cry at Little House. We laughed at the quaintness of mother and daughter sitting peeling apples and watching the Ingalls on the DVDs borrowed from the library.

This was a fraction of the apples - Grandma and Grandpa had already processed gallons and I loaded most of the storm apples into a 45 gallon trash bucket and two additional five gallon buckets because they were already most of the way to applesauce. I also got to pick up pine branches and drive around on the lawn tractor, this was only notable because I was wearing a broom-stick skirt. It turns out there is no lady-like way to drive a lawn tractor while wearing a broom-stick skirt.

long time comin'

Today was my last day at the daycare (again). I will be able to return and work in the summers if it is still owned by the same person. I know I'll be back to visit the kids when possible. The kids have been so end-of-the-summer nutty this week (power outage didn't help) that I may not be back to visit them until at least Wednesday.

Today my final paperwork arrived to officially show that I am certified to work at the daycare. (the certification is back-dated to the completion of the course, so I've been legally working)

Today my diploma arrived to certify that I'm done. I have a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Education and minors in Chemistry and English Literature. I suppose that may ultimately boil down to 'I like to read and when I'm cooking I know some of the chemistry - and can teach both to others'. But I'm glad that it's official that when I'm reading while cooking I know the chemistry- makes life (and supper) more interesting.

Regarding supper: a week ago I got a 'triple-leftover score + a zucchini' for making an edible supper that used three different leftovers and a zucchini. I was pretty proud of myself. I don't actually know how many points are awarded for such a meal, but we thought it was rewarding in and of itself. (or filling anyway.)

it's official

The 'official' call has come in and I've been offered the fifth grade teaching position at the school associated with my church. There are so many reasons that I am excited about this. One reason is that I get to stay here - in this area with family and friends. I have memories at the farm and at the cabin on Tainter Lake from has far back as I have memories. Moving to Menomonie felt like coming home - I found that I did have roots somewhere. We have also been blessed to move into the established 'root system' that has been laid by Grandpa/Pastor Les and Grandma Ruth. It seems that he knows most the town and it is an honor to link myself to their legacy when I meet people who know them. Now I have friends at Taco Johns and the library - it's delightful to live in a small town.
On preparing to teach fifth grade: where could I start?
I've been reading books (that's my preparation for most things - that's how I have friends at the library) I am excited about getting to teach all subjects. I feel that history (especially Wisconsin) would be my 'weakest' area, but I do have more than 12 credits in history of some sort. I don't think that I have retained as much as I could've. (I do remember that the French Revolution began in 1789 - my prof said we had to know that date.) One of the books that I have says that all teachers should teach preschool prior to teaching any higher grades - so I've done that much prep already. When I student taught in the high schools I couldn't help but notice that a lot of reminders I was giving the students were the same there as at the daycare. ie. 'put your feet on the floor, keep your hands to your self, we don't talk to our friends that way.' The school is looking to have a portion of the day spent doing 'integrated lessons' - which is part of my teaching philosophy already. Life and learning are more interesting and makes more sense when applied and integrated. (in all areas)
At the moment I am attempting to finish portions of the basement walls before the school year is in full swing. This means that at the moment my desk in closer to the middle of the room than the wall and the fish tank on it is closer to the middle of the desk. My own learning curve is steeper than anticipated - I thought taping the walls would be a one evening project, then Dad mentioned that the layers of drywall compound should dry between applications. Maybe I could just use masking tape.
Maybe bare sheet rock doesn't actually look that bad. I've got enough photos up to cover the sap sucker holes from drilling around to find a supporting metal strip.
All-in-all it will be quite a finish to a whirlwind of a summer, come final painting touches or not. (the final color is expected to be remarkably similar to the background of this blog - go figure.)

Thank you to everyone for continued prayers and support through these last five years. The responsibility of teaching from the platform of truth that is possible in a Christian school is one that I do not take lightly. I would ask for continued prayer that I may teach well and grace-fully.

by His wounds

The process of healing from the wounds of my life has been a long one, but the depth of the healing has been more complete than I had imagined possible. Through this process and the moments of wondering - 'where was God when I being beaten, bruised, and battered?' I had settled on the fact that Christ was there, ready to hold me, comfort me and help me to heal.


This morning I was able to see a bit more of the Trinity in understanding that it was the Holy Spirit who was ready to comfort me and help me to heal. It was Christ that took the beatings with me. He took even so much more so that when I chose to - I would be healed as well. I realize this is a truth that I have been taught since infancy. It was Mac Powell's 'By His Wounds' being sung during communion this morning that let me see the roles of each person of the Trinity in those moments of my life when there was no God. God the Father sent Christ to be wounded with me and the Comforter waited to heal me in the aftermath.


Church was a bit overwhelming today. (I have come to experience that 'overwhelming' does not only refer to stress or negative emotions - it also refers to gratitude, appreciation, and other such positive emotions.) The realization that the gift of the family that I have found will be a gift that I will be able to rest in and serve from within is so much more than I could have hoped for. There was also the reminder through the sermon of the risen Lazarus that I am living my second chance at life. I have no desire to live attached to the corpse of my past, but I am so often thankful for the gift of today and the fact that I am here to see it. So the prayer goes out for those who were once alive in Christ, but have 'fallen asleep'. I can only guess which are asleep and which are truly dead - but Christ says that it doesn't matter which they are because he has the Father's permission and command to bring both back to life.