June 30: A Clean School Area!

With the boys' final grades submitted yesterday and Keith's sister and her family arriving tomorrow, I cleaned up our school area today. "Normal" people might call this a dining area, but Keith made this drop-leaf table with school in mind. After selling so many school books, the bookcases are only stacked single-depth deep now, rather than the double-stacking that had been necessary for the past several years.

One thing homeschooling families always need more of: bookcases!!!

June 29: From Our Community Garden

Timothy and Benjamin have been working for over a year in our small town's community garden, Pine Valley Community Gardens. After working all morning there today, they brought home this bounty--several kinds of lettuce, two kinds of radish, beets, carrots, and a giant leek. Jonathan and I washed the veggies since the other two boys grew and harvested them, and then we spread them across a towel to dry.

These beautiful organic veggies made the most delicious salad tonight!

June 24: Beach Day

B builds a sand penguin at the beach near my parents' home. When the tide at last flooded the defensive ditch, surrounding his work, he beheaded it, smashed it, then scraped "RIP" into the sand where the penguin had been built.

Rest in Peace, little penguin....

June 21: 19th Century Laptop

I pulled out my Bombay wooden lap desk (a.k.a. my 19th century laptop) this week to write a long letter to a dear friend--not an e-mail, not a Tweet, not a Facebook message, but a real, live, long, double-sided ink-on-paper missive. My hand ached by the end, but what joy to let ink flow in sheer friendship!!

June 19: A Clean Desk...

...is a sign of a sick albeit organized mind.

Yes, I hadn't cleaned this thing off since Christmas. Now I can work here again!

June 15: 26th Anniversary

E snapped this quick photo of Keith and I, leaving for our evening out to celebrate our 26th anniversary.

June 9: Sunflowers

A simple pot of sunflowers in a friend's garden can make me happy....

June 5: The Ademas' Window

We celebrated Dr. Don's birthday in early June, and we took the opportunity to snap another photo of this 1500-piece window that Keith completed three years ago. This window is huge--4ft by 5 ft--and truly is Keith's masterpiece.

May 31: Quite a Catch!

T discovered this three-foot long gopher snake in our garden. I hope he is truly keeping the gophers at bay!!! :)

May 30: Window Is Complete!

Keith takes a photo of the memorial window

The Memorial Window

Keith completed this window in honor of C., the daughter of dear friends. C. is at home with the Lord; the end of April marked the first anniversary of her journey. Even while she is "forever in our hearts, forever in His hands," she remains a sweet presence to all who know her.

May 28: Ladies' Tea

Marianne and Alice at Spring Tea

The ladies of Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity kindly invited me to join them for their annual Spring Tea at Cobblestone Cottage in Alpine. My favourites: the apricot tea and the scones. A lovely time was had by all.