Snow, Crafts, Thankful, and Life In General

Lee and I made this 11/09/13 at our church's Ladies Fellowship & Craft day. On the backside it says Merry Christmas. You'll have to wait until December to see that *wink*.

In our life we've been just keepin' on, keepin' on. I haven't been online very much which is just so strange to me. I am used to getting on here every morning and being on here for hours a day {sad, isn't it? lol}. I've been finding things to take me from the computer though and it's good. It's just different than I'm used to. 

School is dragging, if I'm honest {which I generally am}. We've this week and next before Winter Break {of 5 weeks!}. We are actually behind in our schedule but must just keep at it or we won't get a Summer Break. Today it was still white out so the kids spent a good deal outside. Bumped school back a bit later into the evening than usual. I think we finally said "Enough!" at a little after 4pm. 

I forgot to take photos of the napkins I'm almost done with. They are dual purpose; one side is fall themed and the other is Christmas themed. I originally wanted to make eight but ah, stopped at four. More reasonable and manageable. Besides they will only be used twice a year {if that}. Otherwise I've been making coaster tiles for our pastor's family for Christmas. I'm fairly certain they don't read my blog so I'm not giving it away. I hope :) And soon I plan on starting a little craft that I will put into stockings. Can't tell what that is because I think some of the recipients do read my blog. 

I still have books on my 'to read' list that are sitting off to the side. A couple are due back to the library in a day or two. I've also been attempting {I keep telling myself that I am indeed attempting it} to read more of Charlotte Mason's Parents' Review Articles. I really need to finish reading at least Volume 6, which I've gotten the farthest of all the volumes. 

Well it is time to get dinner made and on the table. 

All Is White With the World…My World, That Is.

Snow, snow, snow! I wish I had a photo to share. It’s beautiful and… I don’t have to shovel it. It’s a shame that my back has been messed up for a few weeks now –I can’t shovel. {oh, you can just imagine my sadness, right? heehee}

This week, as last week, just flew by. I was telling my hubby on Wednesday night when we went out to dinner –just the two of us! that rarely happens –that it felt like much further into the year already.

I’m determined for some reason to get this end-of-the-week post in here for some reason. I was determined last Friday as well. That worked well…

We’ve been busy every day but Tuesday it seems for the last two weeks:

• Sunday- church and luncheon, then afternoon church {we left home at 9:30 am, got home after 3pm}
• Monday- babysitting {that’s 3.5 hours of the day –in the middle of the day}
• Wednesday- evening church {which we’ve missed but since it’s on the schedule it makes it feel like we are busy lol}
• Thursday- teen planning meeting {for the church’s parent’s night out event that will take place in February} and yesterday Lee had an orthodontist appointment and we ran errands.
• Tonight the kids have Winter Olympics {lol- that just means games} at the church and I have a mom’s meeting with the other homeschool moms to figure out some fun activities to do this year.
• Tomorrow afternoon we are going over to our pastor’s house for games. Dear hubby is going to be staying home and giving my car a much needed tune-up.

Next week, with the exception of the ortho appointment and the games, will be the same.

Some things I’ve been doing the past weeks is making ‘new’ things for dinner. I made chicken pot ‘pie’ one night {top photo}. Macaroni and cheese ‘muffins’ another night {bottom photo}. A few nights ago I made chili ‘muffins’. I didn’t get any photos of the last muffins. All the muffins are really is the mix in muffin tins.

I’ve been reading a lot. I finished today The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins {thank you, Ellen!}. Great book, albeit very long. It is worth the length, in my opinion. So many books of that length make me want to skim and skip- not this one. I am currently reading Unexpected Love by Julie Zine Coleman {a review from BookSneeze}. I posted the review of before this {no, I’m not quite finished but I felt I could write a review anyway}. And many other books that I don’t recall the titles right now. I feel like I’ve just been reading every single day. Actually, I know I have been. It’s not a bad thing…

School has been going well…I think. Can I be honest here? For just a moment *wink* –the kids have very little with me. They give narrations and we have discussions but generally, they do their …thing. It feels so weird. It feels like I’m doing something wrong.

I have nothing to teach them that they cannot learn on their own, honestly. I find what they should learn {or more precisely, what I want them to learn –just because the state says they have to learn something, well, doesn’t mean they will *ahem*} and give them the resources {good books, useful sites, etc.?}. They do the rest. Oh and I ‘grade’ their work.

I would like it if they had more people to talk with, about what they are learning or anything really. I’ve tried to get them to hang out at the AO forums with the other teens but that hasn’t gone over very well.

Well, dinner needs to be finished before we head out…again. Ugh, have to get the car cleaned off, too!

LNF News: Week of 1/21–1/25

Hello all! The news of the world seems to be heating up quite a bit… We wish we could bring you stories of world peace, but unfortunately not today.

The abortion problem is quite unsettling. The Obama Administration is trying to determine what people’s rights are concerning this. Fortunately, at the UN they decided against listing abortion as an ‘international right’, as the US group would have liked. The government doesn’t seem to understand: if they voted for birds’ right to fly, or not, it wouldn’t change the truth. The truth is: as soon as the egg in a woman is fertilized, it is alive!; and so abortion is murder – if the government voted to say that the baby is only ‘alive’ after so long, and that abortion isn’t murder before that point, it still wouldn’t change the truth. They cannot change the truth, no matter what majority rule says. The Obama Administration was even going to push for determining a person’s sexual rights, which would protect the right of children as young as 10 to make their own decisions about that. The truth is: God said that you are to be married before you do anything like that! Perhaps I am getting a little carried away… I am just disappointed at the kinds of things the government tries to do…

In Iraq the problems never seem to end! This week there was a protest against the government. Sadly at least 9 people were killed in this incident when protesters started throwing rocks at the military. The military opened fire upon the protesters killing at least 7 of them. Two military people were killed by the rock throwing. The protesters also set fire to some vehicles. The protesters said this: “Today we protest in Mosul, tomorrow we take the streets of Baghdad.”

Hillary Clinton has sparked a bit of anger over the Sep. 11, 2012 Benghazi attack. Rumors and stories are flying over how much information was given before and after the attack; whether it could have been prevented (supposedly security at the US building was weak); and whether it truly was a terrorist attack or just random mayhem. I wonder if Clinton will try to pick her words more carefully next time…

Well, that is that for this week! I would say that I hope you enjoyed, but I suppose saying I hope this provided food for thought would be better. We will see you next week! LNF News closes with this cartoon (found at worldmag.com):