The View from Here

Danny Clark

A friend sent this link for Danny Clark Photography. I am just mesmerized by his creativity and unique perspective!! His children's portraits are so natural and capture the personalities of his subjects so well. I give you fair warning that the photos take a few minutes to load. However, they are well worth the wait.

I'm tired this morning, but it's a happy tired. All but one of my tasks for Heritage Day is complete. Have to do one more errand tonight and I'm good to go. Just have to get some rest!

Tomorrow's event is honoring the veterans from our community. Someone sent me the account of the sinking of the USS Gambier Bay in 1944. Henry Forbis Bonner, Caddo veteran, was aboard so I posted the link to his diary on my Caddo blog. Caddo has produced many fine soldiers, and lost many of them in battle, over the years. I'm so proud that we finally have a fitting memorial to them at the cemetery. It will be dedicated tomorrow and I will post photos of the ceremony later this week.

I watched the debate last night and I only have one comment- start praying right now, because we are in serious trouble no matter which side wins. 

Farms and Kids

We are learning about farms, crops, and animals this week. Most of my children have a basic understanding of the concept. Most know that milk comes from cows and pigs give us ham. A couple of my children spotted a "salt block" in one of the farm books that we have and knew all about it. Another told me "kids are goats, not us". The boys love combines and big tractors. But yesterday we read a book called "Farms Feed the World" and there were a few surprises to discuss. We learned about rice paddies, fish farms, and cranberry bogs. At the end of the book there were lots of smiles and raised hands. I thought we would jump right into the fish farm questions. Oh, no...

I called on one of my little girls, and she promptly informed me, "That's wrong Mrs. Maurer. WalMart feeds us. They have ALL the food!" LOL With great self-control I told her she was so right, but "WalMart doesn't make the food, the farmers do. And then they put it on big trucks and take it to WalMart." Another of my girls couldn't wait until I called on her for the truth. She blurted out- "No, God makes the food!" Well, yes..., okay, "I guess the farmers take care of it." That seemed to satisfy everyone.

So here's how it works- God makes the food, the farmers tend it, the trucks take it to WalMart, and we buy it.

Any questions?

Anyone still wondering why I teach? :) 

Here We Go...

Today is the first day of October and I feel like I'm on the top of the slide, ready to launch into the madness below. Heritage Day is Saturday, followed the next week by an Alumni meeting, then School Carnival, report cards, parent teacher conferences, Halloween...October. October is also a month of testing, teaching, testing, re-teaching. Have to have something to put on the report cards after all!

I'm sitting here this morning thankful that my grandmother taught me to crochet. I made coffee and then grabbed a couple of small afghans off the pile I keep on the corner chair in the dining room. Each is just bigger than a wrap or shawl. Perfect for cold shoulders or laps. This morning I have one on my shoulders AND one across my lap. I was smart enough to get them out of storage and wash them this past weekend- not smart enough to do the same for my winter housecoat. LOL It's about fifty degrees this morning and I have all the windows open. Makes no sense, except that I love fresh air and I hate to constantly open and close the windows in the fall. It will be eighty degrees by noon.

My brother-in-law called from CA last night and we had a nice chat. I don't usually talk to him a lot because he and Gary have so little time to talk. Gary was working last night, so Mike and I talked about other members of the family and what has been going on here and there. I wish sometimes that the USA was a bit smaller. Weekends with family and friends in CA would be fun sometimes. Then we could alternate with weekends in VT and IA. However, did we get so spread out?

Nothing else going on this morning...Praise the Lord! There are days when we need to remember to thank Him for the ordinary. Have a good one!