Rainy Day Dog...

T dries off our wet doggie who had to stay outside in his pen (under his shelter, of course). Dash is very glad to be back inside with his peoples, even if he must endure the indignity of a towelling off....

Thursday: Class Day

Our Class Day site is very nice -- we love the patio with palm trees and other nice foliage, and there are classrooms above and below this main level. Years and years ago, Class Days used to be at Lake Murray but the school outgrew our church very soon, and Del Cerro Baptist is a much better fit.



Although she was reluctant to return to Class Day, E is enjoying herself quite a bit. Biology lab can be strenuous, but she loves her self-defense class and making new friends.

Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Grading....

Getting sick last week put me quite behind on my grading for my Class Day writing classes. Then there was Thanksgiving, the surprise party for my sis-in-law, and the Holiday Art Fair all in the past week while I've still been recovering.

I like to spend about 15-20 minutes per paper (each 3-4 pages long), and I still have about 20 more to grade. Tonight. For class tomorrow.

Guess I'm putting in my earplugs while working tonight so no one disturbs me....

Tuesday: Holiday Art Fair

Our creative arts council held our second annual Holiday Fair in our town's community clubhouse. We had an okay turnout of purchasers, and filled twenty artists' tables (although some definitely fit more into the "crafts" category). It was a lot of work, a lot of fun, and I'm very glad it's over for this year, especially as the secretary, I've been the one organizing the artists, planning who will be showing what where, and dealing with time changes and some rather persnickety artists at times, although the vast majority have been lovely and definitely had a good time.



An overview of half of the clubhouse, with Teri playing Christmas music for all to enjoy. The food table was very popular, as was the coffee, hot cider, and cocoa.



David showed his plein air oil paintings for the very first time tonight, and he sold not only his first painting ever, but his second as well. He (and we) were thrilled!



Margo's work is incredible. She's also on the art council board (co-treasurer), and she's a lot of fun as well as an amazing and meticulous artist. I'll put other samples of her work on my Extras blog -- see sidebar.



And here are Myrna and Judith, the heart and soul of our council. Myrna (in the wheelchair) is our children's coordinator, and Judith is our associate director. This whole baby (the art council) was her brainchild, and she's a terrific poet as well as a wonderful friend. More photos of the art fair will be on my Extras blog.

Monday: Up a Tree...

We stopped by one of our favorite city parks for a quick picnic lunch between dentist and optometrist appointments. T was quickly up this huge tree as soon as he swallowed his last bite of sandwich.



This is the tree that all three boys were climbing -- its size is really something else, especially if you notice that those two dark things at the trunk of the tree are J and B as they prepare to join T up in the branches. BOYS!

Logos Group Meeting

Our literary discussion group from Lake Murray met at Guy and Kitty's home for a lovely lunch and even lovelier discussion. (And if you knew how very delectable the lunch was, it's remarkable that the discussion could surpass it!) Cry, the Beloved Country is Guy's favorite novel so he led the discussion here, surrounded by Judy, Bill, and Kitty.



I had never seen Bill, our Sunday School teacher, on his bike before. He's one cool accountant and also enjoys Saturday Mass as well as teaching Sunday School at Lake Murray.

Saturday: Surprise Party

We managed to actually surprise Keith's elder sister, Karen, with a 50th birthday party in Lake Murray's fellowship hall. Forty-some people came to surprise Karen and celebrate her birthday. Her daughter, Connie, planned the whole thing with a little help from me. It was a wonderful celebration, and I think Karen enjoyed the party, even if she had to help Keith light her own candles (yep -- exactly 50!).

Girl Cousins

E spent the night last night in Ramona with the girl cousins on Keith's side of the family, a precious thing for a girl with all brothers. The Arizona contingent dropped E off on their way back home, and I snapped a very quick photo between bathroom breaks as Keith's sister and family hopped back into their van and drove on home to AZ. These are E's favorite cousins as they are right around her age and also home school, as we do.

Thanksgiving Photography

Sorry I've been gone -- the Sick Kid Kit became useful to both E and myself as we caught the nasty bug that the two older boys had. I've been really down for the count, so no photography for a few days. Sorry! Now back to our regularly scheduled programming....

On Keith's side of the family, photography is a big deal. Keith attended Brooks, perhaps the best photography school in the country back in the early 80s, and now his niece, Connie, is also attending. Plus Keith's sister's husband, Jim, has always had a passion for photography and has shot weddings and portaits semi-professionally. So after we had eaten our fill of a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, I spied Connie and Jim out on the back patio, working on one of Connie's assignments for Brooks.



Jim helps set the stage for Connie's photo of a small turtle.



I get a shot at it over Connie's shoulder when she's between takes.

Yep, this is what Keith's family is about: art. If it's not painting like Keith's mom and elder sister, then it's quilting and fabric art like Keith's mom and younger sister or photography like Keith, Connie, and Jim, or it's furniture-making like Keith and his dad and younger brother, or even stained glass like Keith and his brother, too. Art is a big deal in this side of the family, and also in mine as well. And that's a wonderful heritage to pass down to all these kids -- 15 cousins on Keith's side of the family alone.

Recital

Last night T and J performed at their second pino recital -- you can read details at Meditative Meanderings. Here J is playing a duet with his teacher, Mrs. A., called "Our Detective Agency." We're very proud of both of our boys; they did a great job at the piano recital, and they both are dedicated to learning to play the piano.

Day Retreat

I met my friend Sheri over at the Bible camp on the other side of our town. Sheri rode her bike over and we had a delightful day with delightful weather as we met to share some prayer concerns and to study and journal in relative silence and solitude. Silence is always so comfortable between the two of us -- we would occasionally speak up to share something from our reading; Sheri is reading a book by Dallas Willard on spiritual disciplines from which she shared a few tidbits, and I shared the "Te Deum Laudamus" from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. But most of the time we just sat under the trees in the Adirondack-style chairs and read, wrote, and prayed in quiet. We both have four kids and homeschool, so having no interruptions from littles as we enjoyed our time with God and each other was such a blessing.

Sheri had to leave shortly after noon, and I was quite surprised to see four women from Lake Murray walking down to lunch; they were at the camp for a women's leadership retreat. So it was lovely to see Laura, Monica, Jan, and Laurie there, and I also spent some time talking to Norm, an artist who lives and works at the camp and who has known Keith since college. So although I chatted with people here and there, it was still a lovely day to sit under the trees and enjoy God's Creation, both human and natural, including some adorable tree squirrels.

Signs o' Fall

I love decorating for fall, especially on the fireplace and mantel.



This painting by Keith's mom always reminds me of autumn. It hangs over our school table all year except during Advent, and we both think it's one of her best watercolors.

Thursday: Da Boys...

T was feeling a bit better, although still not quite up to par. He didn't get violently ill like J, but he didn't feel great, either.



J did a bit of school here and there -- nothing too strenuous, just copywork and reading. He's feeling a bit better but was still sick and in need of the Sick Kid Kit even today.



B has been worn out -- perhaps he's fighting off the bug that downed J and slowed T....

The Sick Kid Kit

Just as I went to bed last night, J was sick. So today necessitated a trip to the local grocery store to stock up on the Sick Kid Kit. However, I forgot the Sprite, so Keith brought that home with him tonight. J is resting comfortably after spending the day in the big green recliner, and is sipping Sprite. Unfortunately, his first foray with the Jell-o was unsuccessful; we'll keep to Sprite tonight and perhaps try Jell-o and a few crackers in the morning. The poor boy has a very sore tummy after being sick nine times in the last 24 hours.

My Laptop's Wallpaper

Fra Angelico is a natural choice for this closet medievalist. Well, perhaps not so "closet"; most people who know me know my motto which applies to everything from art to theology to literature: The Older, the Better. 'Nuff said.

Our "Baby"

I can't believe that the "baby" of our family will be turning eight next month. B was so cute yesterday at Taco Bell, our usual after-church stop.

Sunday: Rain, Blessed Rain!

Okay, okay, so it was only a couple hundredths of an inch, but it was the first rain we've seen since April. We desperately need rain this winter, enough to help keep the fire danger lower next summer but not so much as to cause mudslides in the burn areas. But even a little rain is cause for rejoicing in Southern California.

Saturday: Boys in Trees

All three boys have practically been living in this oak tree in our yard. They do their reading up it, eat their lunches up it, and spend the vast majority of their free time up it. Most of the time they are so high in its branches that I can't get a glimpse of them amongst the leaves. All of this despite the fact that they have a gorgeous treehouse a mere twenty feet away from this oak. BOYS!

At Victoria Chapel

This crucifix took the place of the icon of Christ in Victoria Chapel this morning. B and I enjoy the Friday Anglican services so much; B has been doing acolyte duties for more than three years as he helps Father Acker prepare for Communion and clean up afterwards. This tiny chapel is such a place of peaceful meditation for me... a spiritual highlight of my week.

Self-Defense Class

Sorry for the blurriness -- I am kicking myself for not setting my camera to "sports" when I happened upon E's self defense class today after I had let out my writing class. She's having lots of fun and is also learning an important life skill; if anyone ever tries to grab her, she knows how to twist out of it, how to hit, and, obviously, how to kick.

Wednesday: Children of Hope Concert

The Children of Hope performed at Lake Murray on Wednesday night. I took the four kids plus Sheri's daughter down into town to experience this choir of 5-8 year old kids who danced to and sang praise songs. The kids who performed for us were from the Philippines, India, and Uganda and were either orphans or abandoned. The organization is World Help, which is very like World Vision, and their mission is to reach the American evangelical church with the worldwide plight of children and get people to adopt individual children or churches to support "houses" and/or "villages" that will care for these specific children and many like them.

I'll write more on my regular blog when I have time. It was such a wonderful experience, and E was especially touched by these children.

Tuesday: Extreme Sour Warheads: Before and After

B's Balloon

My photos for today didn't come out well, so here's one I took last week of B with his orange balloon. Can you guess his favorite color? I love how expressive his face is....

My Weekend Project

The hand-me-downs are jumbled all over the boys' bedroom floor.



Here's the job partway done.

I spent the weekend going through all the bags and boxes of hand-me-downs, which I organized carefully into new boxes according to size. I also went through every piece of clothing belonging to all three boys -- all eight drawers plus their closet. It took me five hours, but everyone now has drawers full of clothing that will fit them for the next year, and all I have to buy are some undershorts and sweat pants for T, along with a few long-sleeved shirts. Otherwise, the boys are set.

Gotta love hand-me-downs, even if it takes some time and effort to organize them and "make it work," as Tim Gunn says.

Stunning Sunset

After our "smashing pumpkins" episode late this afternoon, we all stood on the front lawn (or what passeth for a lawn) and watched one of the more spectacular sunsets we've seen in the mountains. Living at nearly 4000 feet elevation means that we get many more clouds than the "flatlanders" in San Diego, and more clouds means more gorgeous sunsets. Although an ocean sunset is hard to top, I must admit. But this one ---- aaaaah! Stunning.

PS It was difficult to choose only one photograph to post when I took about thirty shots. But I managed to restrain myself.....

Friday: One-on-One

B and I took his schoolwork to a certain well-known coffee establishment. While I enjoyed tea (I'm thrifty and ask for a venti hot water (free!) and bring my own teabags), B loved his kids' hot chocolate. So for $1.10, we had a lovely time doing school together, one on one. While he worked math problems and puzzles over phonics exercises, I wrote feedback comments on a story that will be workshopped at our next writers' meeting. B and I glanced up at each other from time to time, winked or grinned, and put our pencils back to the paper. When he ran into a tough word to figure out or a math word problem, I read upside down to help him. When it was time for reading, he climbed up in my lap and we finished "Little Bear" together. What a precious one-on-one time with the "baby" of the family (just don't let him know I called him that, okay?).

Thank You, Firefighters!

I can't tell you how many times this sign has been displayed in front of our town's community hall on our main street. Not only are we extremely grateful to the men and women who protect our town, but we also thank the firefighters from all over San Diego County, the state of California, and from across the western U.S. Our town has one paid firefighter and the rest are volunteers, so while we thank them for their amazing work, we also thank the "guest" firefighters who have rallied around San Diego County over the past two weeks.

Thank you, firefighters! You all absolutely rock!

All Hallows Eve

Keith shows off his jack o'lantern on Halloween.



B shows off his candy post-Trick or Treating.