Susanne 365 and Beyond

October 8: View from the Mountaintop

2011-10-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Keith's birthday on Saturday, and his idea of a great birthday was to climb Long Valley Peak (elevation over 4900 ft) which looks down into the valley in which our small town in nestled. He took this photo of the highest point, looking northeast. (He's a little sore today after 5+ hours of hiking.)

September 30: Sunset

2011-10-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

As I drove Jonathan down to Alpine to play in the Starbucks Jam with the Free Teen Guitar Class, an outreach of Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity, the sunset was incredible. So I asked J to pull out my camera and take a few shots while I drove. And this was the best photo of the bunch.... :)

September 26: Dinner!!

2011-09-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

It's ready for the oven. Keith baked his special chicken pie recipe for dinner--a favorite in our family.

September 9: Prayer Corner

2011-09-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

My bedside table doubles as my prayer corner, and this candle is my latest addition. Given to me by my poet friend Kitty, the Scripture she included is my favorite verse.

September 8: Blackout

2011-09-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

On Thursday afternoon, a string of events occurred that caused a huge power surge and outage throughout Southern California. All of San Diego, Imperial, and parts of Orange County went dark for 8-12 hours. 1.7 million homes and businesses survived by grilling dinners, burning candles, using flashlights, and opening windows after a day that reached 107 degrees in some areas. Neighbors hung out together. Families reconnected without the interruptions of computers, televisions, and other electronic playtoys.

We played gin rummy by candlelight and enjoyed the evening so much that I'm tempted to have a "blackout" night once per month.

September 7: WIP

2011-09-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

Yep, I have a WIP...a Work in Progress.

I started last November on writing a work of fiction for teen girls. I have about five short chapters left to write (I've published 45 chapters so far), and I may reach 200 pages before I'm done. I'm still pinching myself that I've written this much...174 pages and 101,000 words. It's entered in a contest, but I doubt it will win anything. I'm just thrilled that I'm up to 92,000 reads on WattPad. :)

September 6: Last of Delphiniums

2011-09-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

The summer flowers are fading, but one violet-blue delphinium remains, seed pods developing....

September 5: A Bit o' Rain

2011-09-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

Rain in Southern California is a precious and rare commodity. I heard sprinkles on the roof around 3:00 AM, and a definitely rain shower came through later in the morning. Clouds hung heavy over our little valley all day, a blessed relief from the usual summer heat we have in the mountains during August and September.

September 4: Cleared at Last!

2011-09-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

This concrete slab has been ankle-deep in wood pieces, logs, and assorted detritus for a couple of years as we often split and stack our wood pile here. But the boys' summer project was to clear it--and they did. All the stacked boxes are full of kindling, and the wood is stacked and ready for winter.

September 3: Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

My dad always told us that Labor Day was for labor...namely, yardwork. I didn't know differently until high school.

But this weekend, Labor Day meant yardwork for our family as well as T mows the weeds that we pretend make up a lawn....

J and B pull weed along the concrete slab....

Keith, J and B take a quick breather....

At least the yard looks acceptable now. ;)

September 2: Homeschooling in Crazyville

2011-09-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

J shows off his calligraphy on the school whiteboard while he's supposed to be focusing on algebra. Such is homeschooling in Crazyville!

September 1: The Blushing Pear

2011-09-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

I loved the blush color on this pear--and did it ever taste as wonderful as it looks....

August 31: The Promise of Fall

2011-08-31T19:14:00.000-07:00

The Pippins are looking promising this fall. We'll give them another month and pray the squirrels don't beat us to them this year as they did last autumn, the little thieves....

August 30: Whiteboard Cartoons

2011-08-31T19:11:00.000-07:00

Benjamin and Keith collaborated to create this poor, doomed stick figure on our school white board....

August 29: First Day of School

2011-08-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

School planbook is splayed upon the school table, ready to tackle Week #1 of 36. Year #15 of Home Education is now underway....

July 28: Praying the Book

2011-07-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been MIA for the past week. My chronic illness flared up (and is still flaring), and I have been in too much pain to keep up blogs, Facebook, etc. E-mail has been it.

And lots of prayer from the Book of Common Prayer 2011.

July 20: Summer Project

2011-07-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

One of my two summer projects is recopying my Gratitude Journal from computer printouts from my blog into a dedicated, hardbound journal. I'm up to almost 600 entries on my blog, but I've only recopied 70 or so as I can only handwrite ten at a time before my hands start cramping. And, of course, I'm having to edit some of my more long-winded entries.... ;)

July 19: Praying on the Porch

2011-07-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

A quiet day, with Keith and the boys working atop the mountain, affords a lovely Quiet Time of prayer on the front porch with my Book of Common Prayer, my English Standard Version Bible installed on my Kindle, and, a rare blessing, uninterrupted TIME....

July 18: The Harry Bear

2011-07-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

Keith gave me the teddy bear on the right for the Valentine's Day before we were married. I christened him "Honey Bear," "Bear" for short, and once I moved out of the PLNU dorms and married Keith, Bear has resided on our bed.

But, upon occasion, he escapes. With Keith's help, of course.

When we were first married, I came home to find Bear swinging from the ceiling fan, circling in flight over our miniscule living room, the Post-It beside the switch declaring him to be Super-Bear. A few weeks later, he was discovered in the dragon-shaped cookie jar, the lid on his head, accompanied by a note declaring that he had a thing for Snickerdoodles.

And thus Bear has made his presence known through the 26 years of our marriage.

When Elizabeth and I came home, exhausted, from the Twilight Saga: Eclipse midnight showing, I discovered Bear sitting on my side of the bathroom counter, covered in glittery paper and with paper fangs descending from his mouth, the Post-It declaring that he could sparkle in the sunshine, too.

And Monday morning, just as I went upstairs to brush my teeth before the whole family went to see the last Harry Potter film together, this is what I discovered on our bed. Yes, Keith and Bear have struck again, with poor Chaucer-Bear changed into a pumpkin-head, my pen becoming Bear's very own wand....

July 17: Summer Garden

2011-07-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

We haven't had any money this spring, so I haven't been able to plant any flowers. But many of my plants from the last few years reseeded beautifully, filling my container garden with snapdragons, delphiniums, alyssum, blue salvia, and other flowers. This photo is framed by our Pippin apple tree.

July 16: Finished!!!

2011-07-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

Keith's newest stained glass commission: finished!!

Keith photographing the finished window, with Benjamin and Jonathan holding it in the setting sunlight.

Yes, it's done. Right now it's hanging in our front window until the clients come to pick it up. It will be installed on a stair landing in a Craftsman bungalow (dating around 1920) in Los Angeles. I think they'll love it!!!

The family stopped by a month ago to admire Keith's glass choices and progress, and they agreed upon a completion deadline of mid-August. But as Keith hasn't had much outside work lately, he was able to finish it a month early.

The window is simply lovely; these photos do not do it anything like justice....

July 15: Midnight Madness

2011-07-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth the Gryffindor just before the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. This has been her Halloween costume for the past few years.

July 14: The "Deal"

2011-07-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Taken by Elizabeth

I made a deal on Facebook with a friend from second grade: If I read Stephen King's Under the Dome, he would read the Harry Potter series. So here's my proof, Teddy: I have the book in my possession. Where are your copies of Rowling, dear?

The deal is on!

July 13: A Cloudy Sunset

2011-07-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

The sun sank behind deep, thick clouds, reminding us of our current spring temperatures, a welcome break from summer heat!

July 12: Growing Things

2011-07-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

Because of late frosts through mid-June, I had to plant my tomato plant late. But here it is, struggling along, growing, and I hope later, producing some delectable tomatoes! :)

July 11: Words on the Fridge

2011-07-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

The other side of the fridge is plastered with words. Some more pictures, too, photos enclosed in Christmas letters and cards, but mostly words. And a cool magnet from an art museum, gift from a beautiful poet.
Here words bump up against each other, gently rubbing shoulders. Smirking, the boys rearrange words into odd phrases, words that are usually strangers becoming acquaintances, then friends--all on our fridge.

July 10: On the Fridge

2011-07-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

The photos on our fridge, arranged by Elizabeth. Many "m-workers" represented here, plus close friends and tons o' family. The photos are posted just over our water/ice dispenser, so we can pray for Christian workers, friends, and family members while we fill our water glasses and bottles. :)

July 9: A Gardening Angel

2011-07-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

This gardening angel looks over my front garden. A Mother's Day gift from Keith and the kids years ago, somehow she has escaped being shot by the boybarians in their frequent Airsoft battles or by my squirrel hunters who manfully defend the nearby Pippin tree from the little marauders who stripped every single apple last summer. She has survived hail storms, snow drifts, and football games as she guards my new tomato seedlings, just planted a couple of weeks ago after the last frost on June 14.
In a place in which I've lost most of my garden statues in various unsavoury ways, someone must be looking out for my Angel of the Garden.

July 8: Pincushions and Primroses

2011-07-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite garden flowers have grown around each other in my front flower beds: scabiosa (which is a horrid name for such a lovely flower!), also known as pincushion flowers (named so because when the petals fall away, the flower head looks just like a pincushion, with little pins sticking up all over it) and Mexican primroses--which I love for their lovely pink cups and bright yellow centers.

July 7: Study Session

2011-07-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I spent a couple of hours on our front porch, reading and writing. It was so quiet and relaxing, truly a little piece of mountain paradise.

July 6: Summer Rains....

2011-07-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

Summer rains may be common across the country, but here in Southern California, rain is a rare treat. The lack of rain endangers our precious oaks, many centuries old, and it has grieved me to see so many lost in the ten years we've lived in Pine Valley. So two days of summer storms are not only a blessed relief from the oppressive heat; they are also a blessing for our thirsty trees and natural foliage in this place which receives about 20 inches of precipitation per year (double what San Diego proper receives) and reaches into the 110s regularly throughout the summer. The summer storms drop the temperatures by 20 degrees within 15 minutes, bringing flashes of lightning, crashes of thunder, and the welcome patter of rain and sometimes hail, all rarities in this south-western-most corner of the country.

July 5: Beach Sunset

2011-07-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

Sunset over the Pacific, taken from my parents' rooftop deck in Pacific Beach. The palm trees are specifically dedicated to Julie who, living in Cincy, misses her palms. Enjoy them while you're out here in Southern California this month, Julie!!

July 4: Independence Day!

2011-07-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

We went to my parents' house in Pacific Beach (just south of La Jolla) to celebrate the 4th. It was a lovely day for the beach!! This shot is from the boardwalk, taking in the huge flag fluttering atop the main life guard tower, looking north to La Jolla.

July 3: Mountain Sunset

2011-07-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

After a cloudy day threatening summer showers since daybreak, the few remaining clouds are beautifully lit as the sun sinks behind the mountains of our small town....

July 2: Lamps in the Dusk

2011-07-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

We have two of these lamp posts in our yard. A friend sent me an article she wrote for our small-town newspaper on the history of these lamp posts that can be found in the yards of several of the older homes in Pine Valley. Manufactured in Ohio in 1926, the lamps were installed in downtown El Centro, the largest city in the Imperial Valley (between San Diego and the Arizona border). Removed for more fashionable lamps in the mid-40s, they were sold for $100 apiece, and many home owners in our town bought them for their yards. I love the looks of these beautiful lamps and am glad we own two of them.

July 1: Cousins!!!

2011-07-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

L to R: Timothy, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Audrey, Allison, Aileen, and Benjamin

Keith's sister and her family stopped by our place as they traveled from Arizona to spend the 4th of July with Dad Barrett. Such chatter and craziness!!! Just before they left, we snapped a few fun photos of the cousins on our front porch, our four and the triple A's, and this one was the BEST!

June 30: A Clean School Area!

2011-06-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-06-28T22:59:00.001-07:00

...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

2011-06-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

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

June 9: Sunflowers

2011-06-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

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

June 5: The Ademas' Window

2011-06-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-06-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-06-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

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.

Day 70: Pincushion Flowers

2011-03-12T18:59:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite flowers is scabiosa, known as the pincushion flower. When all the petals fall, the seed pod looks like a pincushion with little pins stuck into it in all directions. I can grow them a little up here in the mountains, but they thrive in the warmer coastal climates.

With my current schedule, I can't always be taking photos every day. I knew this fact when I started the 365 blog and told myself I would POST a photo a day, not necessarily TAKE a photo a day. :)

Day 69: Retreat, Continued

2011-03-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

Our Ash Wednesday Retreat at the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia included a set time for meditative prayer, and I settled in this corner of the courtyard, basically the same place I took the photo for the previous day. I sat on a blanket under this tree and near these flowers.

Such a lovely place to pray and be silent with God....

Day 68: Ash Wednesday Retreat

2011-03-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

This was my view from a bench in the retreat courtyard of the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in Oceanside, the largest of the California missions. My dear friend Carmen and I attended an Ash Wednesday Retreat at the mission that focused on silence--God's silence and our silence. We were given time to wander the grounds, find a place, and spend time in silence with God. We finished the day with Mass which included the Imposition of Ashes.

Such a lovely day, and such a wonderful way to spend Ash Wednesday.

Day 67: Grading Never Ends....

2011-03-12T18:48:00.000-08:00

Although we're off this week for spring break with Elizabeth, we still had Class Day on Thursday which meant that I still had grading to do...all day long on Tuesday.

Day 66: Elizabeth's Business

2011-03-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth has been making jewelry for quite a while. A while ago she started making jewelry from shrinky-dinks. So here are some of her shrunken treasures: flower charms for bracelets, heart charms, cherry earrings, hooped earrings, etc. She colors the much larger plastic sheets with colored pencils or Sharpie pens, then bakes them in the toaster oven which causes them to shrink to a third of their size but become nine times as thick.

Her Facebook page is here: Elizabeth's Fashion Jewelry

Day 65: Dessert!!!!

2011-03-07T19:17:00.000-08:00

Keith made me a late birthday dessert--completely from "scratch"--my favorite: Boston Cream Pie! Yummy!!!!

Day 64: Experiments in Art

2011-03-07T16:37:00.000-08:00

Keith has been experimenting with glass fusing, sprinkling ground glass powder the consistency of fine sand called "frit" onto clear glass and then baking in a small kiln to create different glass effects for a stained glass project he is working on. The glass piece is one onto which he has already fused a couple of colors of frit.

Day 63: Family Party

2011-03-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

After our family birthday party at Chili's, celebrating three family birthdays (mine, my brother's, and his daughter's), I noted these concert photos on the wall of the waiting area. This Chili's is next to the Sports Arena where many of the city's concerts take place, including the U2 concert that Elizabeth and I attended a few years ago...yes, it's BONO!!!!! Woo-hoo!!!!!

Day 62: School Stuffola

2011-03-07T16:19:00.000-08:00

Our white board after our lesson on Church History on the Counter-Reformation....

Day 61: Now 45

2011-03-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

Self-portrait on my 45th birthday at my kitchen table, where I do most of my computer work....

Day 60: Deserted Treehouse

2011-03-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

The boys haven't used the treehouse in over a year. I miss seeing them up there, playing and goofing around. They're growing up so fast....

Day 59: Goodbye, Snow!

2011-02-28T18:16:00.000-08:00

Weather in the sixties today meant that our six inches of snow is melting rapidly. So as the sun disappears in the west, we bid farewell to the patchy snow around our front yard, only our second snowfall of the winter.

Day 58: First Icicles

2011-02-28T18:14:00.000-08:00

In our ten winters here in this small mountain town east of San Diego, we've never seen icicles...until now, the day after the storm. Icicles may be common place for you Back Easters, but this is Southern California!!! Icicles are big news!!! :)

Day 57: Out the Bathroom Window

2011-02-28T18:11:00.000-08:00

I took this out the bathroom window while the storm raged. Snow is a rare thing in Southern California, especially in San Diego County, and receiving six inches of the white stuff makes this storm the second biggest snowfall in our ten winters here.

Day 56: Battening Down the Hatches

2011-02-25T21:35:00.000-08:00

We have the coldest storm in twenty-thirty years bearing down on San Diego County tonight. So the boys stacked firewood all over the hearth and all over the porch so that when we receive the expected 6-12 inches overnight in our town. There's even a chance of snow flurries in the inland valleys where I grew up--that's happened only twice in my lifetime.

So we're ready for the deluge and prepared to be snowed in for a few days....

Day 55: Signs o' Spring

2011-02-24T23:27:00.000-08:00

As I walked home from having tea with a friend, I stopped by my lilac bushes to check, and--lo and behold! Buds!!!

So despite the coldest storm in the last thirty years bearing down upon Southern California this weekend (snow down to 1000 feet, and possible snow flurries in the eastern valleys for the first time since my childhood), my garden is showing signs of the coming spring.

Day 54: Storm Coming....

2011-02-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

As I walked out our gate on this frigid day (well, frigid for Southern California--it was in the high thirties and windchill in the high twenties when I took my stroll), I stopped to capture the incoming clouds while on my way to our town's little coffee shop to meet with my dear friend Judith, poet extraordinaire. :)

Day 53: The Book of Common Prayer 2011

2011-02-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

Early thisd week, Father Acker received a preview copy of the Book Of Common Prayer 2011 that he revised and his wife and I edited over the last nine months or so. We spotted a few areas that needed work, and the printing company accepted all our changes. This is the exterior of the book....

...and here is a quick peep at the interior. My hands were shaking so much with excitement that I could barely focus the camera! I only took two photos--I was too busy woo-hoo'ing!!!

We hope to have the prayer books available by mid-March. :)

Day 52: Snow Play

2011-02-23T17:35:00.000-08:00

It was cold enough on Sunday that the vast majority of the snow stayed with us through Monday. B couldn't resist making a snowman on Sunday....

...which he promptly destroyed on Monday.

Boys....

Day 51: A Snowy Drive

2011-02-20T19:29:00.000-08:00

We had snow last night, and on our drive home from church, the surrounding mountains were white, right at the offramp to our town.

Day 50: Evening Snowfall

2011-02-19T22:38:00.000-08:00

After dark we received our first snowfall of the season, a rather rare event in Southern California. Some years we get none; other years we can get 8-10 snowfalls, usually just a half-inch or so. Tonight we received about a half inch, and we hope for more tomorrow. I took this looking out our back door.

Day 49: Wise Words

2011-02-19T22:35:00.000-08:00

J rearranged the Magnetic Poetry words on our refrigerator lately, and I rather liked what I read tonight....

Day 48: A Colorful Child

2011-02-19T22:32:00.000-08:00

J enjoyed some of his "fun dip" Valentine candy...with rather colorful results.

What We Magnify Through Our Lenses

2011-02-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

My favorite blog is A Holy Experience. Ann Voskamp's beautiful writing and evocative photography feed my soul in inexpressible ways.

Today she posted this snippet from her new book, A Thousand Gifts, and I thought it expresses so well why I joined the 365 Photo Project once again, despite my too-busy schedule:

What Is Your Life Really Magnifying?

Enjoy!!!

--Susanne :)

Day 47: Stained Glass Plan

2011-02-16T18:11:00.000-08:00

This is the plan for a 32" by 48" commissioned stained glass window that Keith is working on for some acquaintances of the Ademas, the family for whom Keith has made two windows in the past few years. This couple wanted something very simple and at first didn't even want the flourishes, but we'll see what they think. Keith will e-mailing this plan to them for approval before he starts buying glass and starting work.

Day 46: Repairing the Clock

2011-02-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

Keith has spent several hours attempting to clean and repair my mother's Sessions mantel clock that belonged to her grandmother. He even added new leather to the chime hammers to create a richer, deeper tone. We took the clock back to my parents, hoping that it will run better after the special care Keith took with it.

Day 45: A Valentine's Day Table

2011-02-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

My parents always have the kids over for a special celebration for Saint Valentine's Day. Elizabeth helped my mom to set the table and decorate the dining room for their wonderful dinner. It's become a family tradition that even Elizabeth, as a college student, still enjoys--even making Valentine cards after their dinner. :)

So my parents watch the kids while Keith and I get to go out for a date. After an early dinner at Outback, Keith took me to see The King's Speech (my review is here).

Day 44: Keith's Plan

2011-02-13T16:59:00.000-08:00

One of Keith's artsy projects this week is to start filling in this plan for a tile mosaic of Diamond Head in Hawaii for the floor of my parents' home elevator. He found a photo online that he's using as a guide, making changes along the way to create a very cool image that will be reminiscent of the view from my parents' condo in Waikiki.

He'll be installing it while they're in Hawaii this spring as my mom uses the elevator far too much to be without it, even for a day. I'll keep you posted on his progress--I love taking photos of Keith at work. :)

Day 43: February or June?

2011-02-13T16:53:00.000-08:00

Usually February in our mountain town means snow, highs in the 30s and 40s, and lows in the low 20s. But this week has been quite unusual. I sat on the front porch to write in my journal and found myself dripping perspiration down my face and onto my writing--so I scurried back in.

After taking this photo of the temperature at 2:30 in the afternoon, that is.

Day 42: Out for a Stroll

2011-02-11T19:26:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why I did this, but I just suddenly felt like taking a shot of my cane on the dirt path that winds through the meadow on the way to our house. I often walk this path either to the post office, the coffee shop, or the park and library. I loved the shadow the cane cast, too. Just wish I didn't have to use it so much...I definitely needed it today.

Day 41: Afternoon Shadows

2011-02-10T22:55:00.000-08:00

We got home around 4:00PM from being in the city all day, and the shadows were long as we drove through the meadow on our way to our home. I love our little mountain valley and the meadow that our house looks out upon.

Day 40: Little House in the Mountains

2011-02-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

On my way walking home from the post office--taking a grading break--I snapped our house as it nestles against the 6000 feet of Mount Laguna in the distance....

Day 39: Parking Place

2011-02-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

My parking place next to the post office where we pick up our mail daily. Our town is too small for house delivery, so the post office is the place to run into neighbors galore....

Day 38: More Recommendations....

2011-02-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

I wrote and mailed two student recommendations for colleges today. I really don't mind writing them out, but doing so for so many students is a little time-consuming. One went to Point Loma, and the other to Harvey Mudd....

Day 37: Worship

2011-02-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

As I went inside on Sunday evening, I noticed the cool shadows the porch light was making on this wooden cross (a gift from my friend Noko) that hangs next to our front door. It seems a fitting photo for a Sunday.... :)

Day 36: Saturday's Task

2011-02-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

Every Saturday is laundry day around here....

Day 35: Warming Up

2011-02-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

With overnight temperatures in the high teens and low twenties (which is very cold, even for our little mountain village here in Southern California), we've had to use the woodburning stove almost around the clock to keep the house warm. This is our only source of heat as we can't afford propane for the heater, but it makes life rather homey. Although the boys are a little tired of hauling wood....

Day 34: Frosted II

2011-02-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

I captured this weed in our lawn, beautified by frost.

Day 33: Frosted I

2011-02-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

This week we've had frost, frost, and more frost--not the usual thing in Southern California. So this is Keith's windshield on a frosty morning....

Day 32: Home, Disheveled Home

2011-02-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

I love our home, but with the economy the way it is, we haven't been able to invest in upkeep much. Despite the peeling paint, it's still a lovely place to live. At least the roof doesn't leak (much). ;)

Day 31: After the Rain

2011-01-31T19:04:00.000-08:00

It rained last night--one of the few times we've been rained on since a very wet December. The clouds split this afternoon over the meadow just outside our gate, the storm breaking apart as sunshine reclaimed its rightful place in sunny Southern California....

Day 30: Stopping Time

2011-01-31T09:36:00.000-08:00

Keith is attempting to repair my mother's Sessions mantel clock (which belonged to her grandmother) which gets gummed up by the ocean humidity in their beach house. Every few years he takes the whole thing apart, cleans all the cogs and whirlygigs, and puts it back together. It's being more stubborn than usual this go-around though; it keeps stopping for no apparent reason. So it has become an addition to our kitchen table where Keith can keep a steady eye on it as he tries to restore time to its regular flow.

Day 29: "C" is for "Cookie"

2011-01-29T14:51:00.000-08:00

We bought my dad this Cookie Monster t-shirt last June for Father's Day as we were continually catching him in the cookie jar. ;) Well, Jonathan wanted one too, so he bought his with his Christmas money. When Mom and Dad stopped by to drop off Elizabeth's stuff on their way to their cabin, we managed to snap a photo of our two Cookie Monsters.

Day 28: The Mission Cemetery

2011-01-29T14:46:00.000-08:00

This entrance leads to the oldest part of the Mission San Luis Rey Cemetery which nestles up to the eastern side of the church itself. Our dear friends, C and J, buried their daughter C here in the new section, so we now call The Mission San Luis Rey "C's Mission."

Day 27: The Mission Fountain

2011-01-29T14:42:00.000-08:00

This photo courtesy of Guest Photographer Timothy (age 15)

This fountain at the Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside was where the Native American women came for the water they needed in their small houses which surrounded the Mission proper. It was also used by the friars who lived in the Mission. I can just imagine women gathering here for an early afternoon chat before returning to their homes to cook the evening meal....

Day 26: Still at the Mission....

2011-01-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

The old mission arch at Mission San Luis Rey. Behind the arch are the rose gardens and the very first pepper tree in California. Apparently sailors who stayed at the Mission were charged "admission" in the form of a seedling from their travels around the world which were planted in the extensive gardens surrounding the Mission.

Day 25: Back to the Mission

2011-01-29T14:35:00.000-08:00

I've been so consumed with getting the prayer book finished that I didn't take many photos this week. So I hope you don't mind a few photos from earlier in the month....

At the Mission San Luis Rey are many artifacts of the Native Americans who lives at and around the mission. These are metates in which women ground acorns into a flour-like meal for making thick tortilla-like bread.

Day 24: J and Dash

2011-01-28T23:01:00.000-08:00

Jonathan plays with Dash, our dachshund (instead of doing school).... :)

Day 23: At the Aquarium, Part II

2011-01-28T22:56:00.000-08:00

Timothy's photo at the Sea Life Aquarium...not bad for a 15-year-old photographer!

Day 22: At the Aquarium

2011-01-28T22:52:00.000-08:00

Timothy (age 15) took this photo at the Sea Life Aquarium. I think he did a wonderful job!

Day 20: Reminder

2011-01-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

In last Sunday's sermon at Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity (which I receive via e-mail), Father Acker reminded us of this Collect and asked us to copy it down and put it somewhere we would see it regularly. So I copied it and taped it to my desk lamp...a much-needed reminder that God leads and guides us in what is right and true in our relationships with Him and with others.

(And don't ya love my little bust of Shakespeare? I bought it last fall at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre gift shop....)

Day 19: Big Plans

2011-01-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

I bought this yarn with big plans to crochet Elizabeth a scarf. But with editing the prayer book, teaching online or co-op classes, homeschooling three boys, and real life, I haven't had time to get it started. She loves her purple, and this acrylic yarn is soooooo soft and squooshy....

In front of the skein of yarn are my Scripture memory cards that I downloaded from A Holy Experience where many of us are attempting to memorize the entire book of Colossians over 2011, two verses a week.

Day 18: Final Edits

2011-01-18T13:08:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the boring, home-bound photos of the last few days. But I've been utterly wrapped up in editing this huge baby: a 2011 Book of Common Prayer for the Reformed Episcopal Church. We hope it will be ready to go to the printer this week, so my every non-homeschooling moment today and tomorrow will be consumed with proofing this clean new copy, hot off the press....

Only 358 pages...not too bad. (Yikes!) I'll let you know when I come up for air....