New Kitchen Before

The view over the sink.

















What sold me. A view to the family room. from the kitchen. and the backyard.

















Um.. where do I actually chop those vegetables. Who cares...

View from the current dining room door. To the left you can see the hall to the garage, laundry & powder. The pantry is that door open in the middle of the picture.

We'll see what happens. My ideas are found at houzz.com

{this moment}

{this moment} a Friday ritual. single photo. no words. capturing a moment from the week. Enjoy more with Soulemama.

Lifemeds #37 Two Boys

313 That's Henry in the middle. Youngest & smallest. Best player on the court!













314 Henry loves to make french toast & pancakes!











315 (strength & agility) Scooters at Memorial Park. Look Out!

316 (personality) he has 2 teeth missing, & is so excited about frogs & bugs. So seven-year-old.

Joy. 2 boys, full of energy, full of life & potential. Blessings. 2 boys.

Counting with others at A Holy Experience. Glimpses at His amazing creation. Lifemeds for me.

The Abolition of Man & My Book List

Eric & Jack reading 'Encyclopedia Brown'.

Reading. One of those pesky good habits I'm trying to instill in my children.
So I realized I've been reading, but not exactly what I had included in my intentional book list.
So while packing a rather inordinate amount of books collecting dust around my house, I pulled out some good reads.
The Abolition of Man is a truly insightful & relative book to what is consuming my world right now. Wow. I must say. Classical education supported in an essay 'Men without Chests.'
'We make men without chests and expect virtue & enterprise. We laugh at honour & are shocked to find a traitor in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful.'
It took me forever to get through the first few pages, put it down several times, but can't wait to finish this book. Like most C.S. Lewis, I have to chew a bit before I can really digest his brilliance.
Working on our mortgage (french word for 'death note'). But I don't feel like that. I am so excited about our new home. The boys call it 'our house'. I've picked out some carpet. Actually the carpet I had in our previous home as a bound rug. And a great teal blue-ish color for the kitchen. I've counted 18 knobs & 7 drawer pulls to be replace in the kitchen (changing to black from brass, and that's that. No big re-do yet. Just fresh paint & carpet. And that's alot.
So. Excited.
I also ran across my copy of Tisha. Beautiful true, love & life story. A young girl goes to Alaska in the 20's and begins teaching in a small school in a town called Chicken. Beautiful.
I find it interesting in reading both of these books, I am more assured in our decision to direct our children to Truth, in our deliberate efforts to teach what we believe is worth learning. His essay 'Men without Chests' describes how we expect child who grows up to be able to love that which is good when we don't give them clearn guidelines to what is really truth, goodness, purity, virtuous. When there is no Objective Truth, and only relativism disaster will follow.
Don't be discouraged to pick up 'Abolition'. I couldn't follow the first few pages, then I began to devour it.

~I also picked up finally after waiting & waiting for my copy at the library -- Amusing Ourselves to Death. It reminds me of The Plug-in Drug. Both of these books are in their anniversary publication after 20 years. 'Amusing Ourselves' was prefaced by his son and is well-done. I'm already hooked. We are so quick to settle on that which is only a glimpse, and often 'junk' to spend our days and nights thinking about. We must (a part of object truth, being able to use the word 'must') be deliberate in our efforts to refine in light of God's creation & Truth and only make the best, that with which we are familiar.

Those People in Goshen - God's Nation

We are currently studying the Children of Israel while in captivity in Egypt. We've just finished Joseph and how they came to be located in Goshen, and now we're about to study the plagues. I am unfamilar with particular archaeologist but this page demonstrates the correlation of the plagues delivered by God to the Egyptian deities. It's amazing. The author of this particular page states

'These plagues not only demonstrate to the Egyptians, the Israelites, and Pharoah, but are of such a magnitude that they would be remembered through all generations.'

This is what makes the plagues so significant. They are a part of the story of God's people and His greatness and mercy. A nation as magnificent as Egypt could not stand against God.

I am anxiously awaiting this book about the 10 plagues and find that an occasional showing of Cecil B. DeMille's 'The Ten Commandments is just the ticket for generating a little interest in this story. I'm never disappointed there. It also gives rise to good discussion about how accuracy in the Bible is important. What does the Bible really say about this moment in history~ good stuff.

Peace in the Botanical Garden

The State Botanical Garden was just what I needed. This mother's day was wonderful but long. We are packing & ready to get going, but we're really ready. And stress is high. EEk.

This is a photo of the Physic Garden, where many plants meant for human healing are planted. The benefits are some I think I'd really like to try, just about now.

Looking forward to heading back to see the 'Forged in Nature' exhibit, as we had to head to the bike park, to keep the boys contained.

The chickens are in a routine now of coming to their 'fence' in the former garden to be gathered up for bed. It's so sweet. They just wait. To go back to their brooder. They are still little and need to be back in the box but they're so excited about the outdoors. I've been protecting them from the hawks that fly over with our abandoned train table. The boys sit on it and pet the chickens. Henry is the most interested in taking care, although I have to clean him from head to toe regularly, several times a day. It's precious tho. So happy. Happiness.

With What Am I Familiar

While reading a post at Simply Charlotte Mason, I began to get excited about what I can put on the walls at my new house. What I can do with the big blank canvas, that will be our home. Excitement is an understatement. I couldn't be more excited than if it was my wedding day. And for that I was pretty excited. Everything for us has been 'hurry up, and wait'. But that's life. For everyone. We haven't cornered that market.

But this post really struck a cord. I looked back at some younger photos of our kids and longed for some of those simple moments back. When watching 'Busy Town' was enough. When reading 'The Napping House' was really, really fun. We've really been filled with business and blank walls this year. Renting for 5 years now, I've been telling the kids, 'don't bang into that wall! Mr xxxx won't like that.' 'Don't dig that hole, Jack! Mrs.xxxx wont' be happy.' Mind you we've been blessed by a hurricane, or 2 that provided a playground of mulched fallen trees in the front yard, but the toll was taken, the telling them (not to be kids, in their own house). This last month seems to be the most painful. We know where the (unoccupied) house is. We know the neighbors, for whom I'm thankful each day. (they're take on raising kids is much like mine, benign negligence tempered with faithful family training.) But the waiting... We close after we move out of this house, so there will be a short period of homelessness.(we've got this figured out) But that's just, well, what it is. We've navigated crazier waters. White water's in fact. And we're still married, love our kids, and actually still have friends that speak to us.

So why the chickens-- now. I wanted the kids to be able to have them, pick them up, and not have someone tell them to stop. I love petting zoos, but those aren't mine. Sure I still want the boys to be careful. But they go sit in the garden and just play with them. It's precious. And for no matter how long it last, I'm happy I did this untimely chaotic thing.

We may or may not be able to keep them, some covenants are stronger than others. My neighbor is fine with it, we're not in city limits, but covenants are covenants, and I'm a rule keeper. But I'm not throwing in the towel yet. I'm going to have faith. And just not worry. We've been peddling too hard too fast, and we're going to enjoy the blessings of a home in less than perfect shape for what it is. A blank canvas, where we can put our stamp.

An opportunity to guide as I want to present that with which I want the kids to be familiar.

Nature, friends, maybe chickens, art, play, kindness, cooking, bicycles. Homesteading really isn't just about gathering animals. Homesteading is putting down rails, to steal Charlotte's term.

Although, and Eric knows this, I really, really wanted sheep and a big field for cotton, I know we, and I do mean we, know that a home is what is most important, right now. So from a homesteading point of view, I don't see this as failure. I see it as a challenge. A challenge to see what we can do, what changes we can make that will shape our family for the better.

I love shaping a home, and the blessing is mine for the taking.

Thankful am I.

Chickens, School, Weddings

Outside school activities are almost over for our academic year. We'll continue to read and stay active in simple math so it's all not lost for the fall. We are on board for Classical Conversations, But we plan to enjoy the summer! I'm very excited to know what the summer might bring. Having a plan & knowing what might come our way is reassuring. We haven't decided on 'property' perse, but a home in a neighborhood. Yes, my little homestead will be in a neighborhood. So I've been reading 'Urban Gardener' & 'Backyard Homestead' to rethink the plan. But good principles translate if they really are your principles. So the challenge is on.
We enjoyed a wedding in Baton Rouge & visiting friends back in the neighborhood. It was great to watch the kids really wear themselves out.
I promised the boys chickens the day we got back. And I kept my promise. Even before Easter, which meant an overnight trip. Aracona and Silver-laced Wyandotts.
We are enjoying watching 3 week old chickens play, eat & sleep. The boys have named them all, even tho I have no idea which is which. Eric made a brooding box, complete with lid & light, & then spend the day in our mini-fenced garden area when we're home & it's warm. They love bugs. I don't know if that's good for them as young as they are, but I figure if they were free-range hatched, they'd be eating plenty of bugs along with they're mash.
I'm optimistic that our chickens will not cause a stir in the new neighborhood, but we plan to be good neighbors. No matter what. There will be lots of projects to do around the house, and I'd rather us get settled more than we have been than worry about chickens. Really.
Priorities come to light, you do what you gotta do.
the bad news... my computer won't be back till next week, so pictures of my chicks will have to wait. Coming soon, tho! Homeschool curriculum update coming soon.