Day 29: Chicken Stir Fry

Keith made a delicious dinner tonight -- Chicken Stir Fry with broccoli, celery, water chestnuts, almonds, bell peppers, mushrooms, in a wonderful sauce, all over brown rice. I'm so glad that my husband can cook so well.

Day 28: A Teacher's Work Is Never Done.....

Somehow, I always seem to procrastinate and find myself grading essays the night before Class Day (our homeschool co-op). Teaching two writing classes (and grading all those essays) definitely takes time. And Patience, in large doses.

Day 27: "Up a Tree" by Guest Photographer T

When T spied a gray tree squirrel in the yard, he was out the door, camera in hand. Bushy-tailed fellows are rare in our yard as we are usually overrun by ground squirrels. T took several photos and asked me to post this one, his favorite. I liked a couple of other photos better, but he insisted on my posting this one.

Day 26: Hail, Yes!

We woke to some fairly extreme weather this morning. Our front lawn and the meadow appeared to be covered in light snow at first glance, but upon further bleary-eyed examination, we determined that the white stuff was not snow but very fine hail. It melted and then later in the morning we received another hail-masquerading-as-snow deluge.

Day 25: A Stormy Sunset

On Sunday afternoon I saw the fiery sunset in my rearview mirror as I drove up the mountain. I pulled off at the ViewPoint and braved some chilling winds to take a few photos of the sun beaming beneath the low clouds. Beautiful!

Day 24: Clouds over the Mountains

Being "4000 Feet Above Care" (our town's motto) means that we often get amazing clouds piling up on our western slopes. When the sun sparkles through them, it's often stunning.

Day 23: Winter Sunset

One of my favorite things about living in the mountains is the glorious sunsets we see from our very own front porch, looking across a wide-open meadow to the hills surrounding our little town.

Day 22: Children of the World Choir

Last night the Children of the World choir performed at Lake Murray. Last year they brought kids from several countries such as India, China, the Philippines, and different African countries. Only children from the Kampala region of Uganda were in the choir this time, and we really enjoyed watching and hearing them dance and sing praise songs and learning their stories. All have lost one parent to AIDS, some of them both parents. The ones who lost only one parent were often abandoned. You can read more about the amazing choir and the incredible kids (E is pictured above with two of them) and their organization that houses, feeds, and educates orphaned and abandoned children around the world by clicking here: Children of Hope. I will write more about it on my regular blog: Meditative Meanderings.

Day 21: Dash the Player

Dash our dachshund is simply adorable. Here he is double-playing: chewing on his bone and playing "soccer" with his tennis ball, batting it back and forth between his front paws. How he manages to do both at the same time, I don't know. But it's the cutest thing!

(And definitely FAR cuter than my bizarre kitchen carpeting. Yes, kitchen *carpeting.* Long story about why it's still here after we've lived here for over seven years.)

Day 20: Exercise????

With my chronic pain issues, I have to be extremely careful while trying to exercise or I can end up on the couch for at least a day. I have started at five minutes a day and have slowly worked up to 13 minutes a day right now ... about two miles, burning approximately 100 calories. I have a lovely view of pines and oaks while pedaling in our screened-in patio next to my jacuzzi, and I usually read so I don't focus on the additional pain. The steroids I've been on for the past couple of years for my autoimmune issues have added quite a bit of weight, and I want my size 6 body back, besides desiring to strengthen my sometimes wobbly legs.

Day 19: Tools of My Trade

These fine Italian inks came with a Barnes and Noble rosewood pen with interchangeable nibs, a thoughtful gift from my children for my birthday two years ago, the same day during which I received a lovely little writing desk for table-top or lap from Kitty. These ink bottles stand in the perfect little corners of the top of the desk that prevent the ink from spilling. I adore the flow of a smooth ink as it richly penetrates thick creamy paper --one of the most beloved experiences of this rather old-fashioned writer.

Day 18: Eva's Wedding Cake

Our former neighbor, Eva, from San Diego is marrying Tommy, a wonderful man, in Jamaica next Saturday, so they held a reception for friends and family before they leave (just the two of them) on Wednesday. Eva and her family have now moved inland and have a really nice, roomy house. I think their wedding topper is quite hilarious -- and very Eva. ;)

And they definitely had fun feeding each other the cake... and cleaning up afterwards. Again, a very Eva situation -- who had icing in her eye by the time they finished smearing each other. ;)

Day 17: More Blecccchhhh!

T pulls the "gak" (borax and glue) back out and finds that with much care in folding the "gak," he can blow some ginormous bubbles that pop all over his hands.

Boys and goup -- the perfect match!

Day 16: Blecccchhhhh!

J came home from his Grossology Class with a baggie full of "gak." Apparently "gak" is made from borax and glue and has an almost rubberlike property. The boys had a great deal of fun playing with it this afternoon. Here J and B go at it, playing with the gross green stuff that reminds me of a cross between playdoh, bubblegum, and the horrid green "slime" we bought as kids in the 70's -- it came in plastic containers shaped like trash cans.

Day 15: School Daze

These are the books we use for our group schooling: our history, literature, spelling, art, science, and Bible books. The kids have their own books in their bins, such as their mathematics books, readers, handwriting, and other workbooks needed for their individual study.

Day 14: A Little Glimpse o' Spring

I was trying to find a way to blur the background of this photo when I found the artbrush option -- and I fell in love with what it did to my humble little stock. I adore the spicy scent of stocks -- one of my favorite fragrant flowers. With the weather so warm lately (70's again today), I bought one six pack and planted them in the pots on my front porch. They will probably get snowed on many a time this winter, but they can handle it.

Day 13: Bookshelf Above My Desk

Yes, the bookshelf Keith made and installed above my desk holds some special items. My cross from USD and my prayer candle from Sheri that I pull down when having morning prayers. My "I Love You, Mom" mini-mug that E bought me years ago. My reference Bible and reference books are on this shelf, along with dear Oswald (My Utmost for His Highest), my 1662 illuminated Book of Common Prayer, my One Year Book of Hymns, my 1979 BCP, my hymnal, and some favorite CDs. All are easily at hand, just above my head when I sit at my desk.

Day 12: A Neat-Nick Boy?

J made himself an extremely well-organized lunch -- everything all lined up and ready to eat. I only wish his room were *that* neat!

Day 11: The Big Game

B watched the Big Game today with the rest of the family (and his stuffed squirrel Pattertwig), despite the Chargers not winning over the Steelers today -- in the snow, to boot. Well, at least we have our beautiful San Diego weather with temps of 85 at church this afternoon. Take *THAT*, Pittsburgh! Gotcha. Hah!

Day 10: Packing Away Christmas

E and I packed away our Christmas decorations, our tree, everything -- an all-day job. It looks as though Christmas never happened. One of my very least favorite jobs. I hate to see the Holy Days go.....

Day 9: Winter Sunset in the Mountains

One of the most beautiful things about living in the mountains is the sunsets, especially in the winter when the trees are stark and leaveless. So striking.

Day 8: Words, Words, Words

I've been really enjoying teaching the grammar workshop at BraveWriter.com this week. Julie has invented a class that looks at grammar in an entirely fresh way that reinforces the beauty and power of words. Our first assignment is to write a list of words we like ... so here's the first page of my list of favorite words. J has even more words on his list than I do.

Day 7: Free Teen Guitar Class

Today J started the Intermediate Guitar Class with Father Acker. The Free Teen Guitar Class (FTGC) is a wonderful outreach of Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity, and J has been learning guitar with Father Acker since July. J is definitely our musically-gifted kid and it's hard to keep him focused on doing his schoolwork when he'd much rather be strumming the very cool red electric loaner guitar from the FTGC: a Silvertone Rockit 21. Today J was thrilled to start learning some chords; he ended up with quite a bit of one-on-one instruction today in his class; however, the new Beginner Class was QUITE a roomful! Anyway, J will be enthusiastically practicing until class next Wednesday.

Day 6: A Small Town's Holidays Wishes

Just after Thanksgiving, the Holiday Elves of our small town (and we know who you are!) decorate our main street. In front of the popular 1950's diner, "Happy Holidays" is strung across the highway to be enjoyed by every passerby on foot, bike, motorcycle, car, truck, or bus. Gold-colored garlandy stuff by day and sparkly lights by night, this sign remains up through Epiphanytide to wish all, residents and visitors alike, "Happy Holidays."

Day 5: Twelfth Night of Christmas

J, B and I attended Twelfth Night festivities at Victoria House, the vicarage for Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity. A good number of parishoners arrived to celebrate the Twelfth Night of Christmas and the Eve of the Epiphany.


The key to a Twelfth Night gathering is the lighting of the greenery, thus making a bonfire that symbolizes the light of Christ in a dark world. B had the honor of lighting the dry greenery that started the fire as Father Acker helps him.

After the bonfire started burning well (and smoking a great deal!), Father prayed aloud the Collect for Epiphany from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.

A blessed Epiphanytide to you all!

Day 4: In the Dirt....

While T and J helped plant two new bareroot apricot trees this afternoon, they discovered this quite large and nasty insect which Keith identified as a potato bug. The boys then destroyed it with the wheeled dolly -- splat. Eeewwwww. Boys will be boys.

Day 3: The Tenth Day of Christmas

Today is the final day for our Christmas things to be up. Tomorrow after church E and I will start the dismantling process, packing carefully away our beloved Christmas things for another year and reassembling our large living/school room and kitchen. It's a job I always dread, and yes, we're doing it a bit early this year, on the 11th Day in fact, even though Epiphany arrives on Tuesday. But practicalities being what they are, we need to pack up when we have a full afternoon to do so, and Tuesdays are big school days around here, and I have two students to tutor in the late afternoon.

Happy Tenth (Saturday) and Eleventh (Sunday) Days of Christmas!

Day 2: My Prayer Corner

My "prayer corner" is my bedside table. It's upstairs (only the master bedroom and bath are upstairs in our home) so it's away from much of the noise and bedlam of the house. I have my Anglican prayer beads (different from a rosary with many prayers and Scripture possibilities), and my devotionals: my old 1928 Book of Common Prayer, my copy of The Message, my old favorite in hardcover, The Diary of Private Prayer, and The Daily Book of Common Prayer which has daily selections of Scripture and prayer for the year but different from the Morning and Evening Prayers from the 1928. I love lighting my candle and praying before my icons and pictures of Jesus. Sometimes I kneel to pray and sometimes I sit on the side of the bed. I hope to follow the Liturgy of the Hours this year, praying in the morning, at noon, in the evening, and at bedtime. I'll also be using Phyllis Tickle's three-volume The Divine Hours which has Scripture and prayers arranged for each of the four aforementioned prayer times.

Starting 365 Project Again.... Day 1

Okay, I've decided to pick up my 365 blog again because last year I didn't take enough photos and didn't grow as a photographer the way I wanted to.

So here's our New Year's Day photo -- snow in Southern California! I took the kids up to my parents' little cabin on Mt. Laguna where they had fun sledding ALL day. Here goes E down the slope. My brother managed to snowboard on the same toboggan that E's on here. She got the incriminating video.... :)