The Maturity Report - Part 1

It's been 3.5 days since I started taking the Mature Multivitamins (age 50+) and already I am noticing subtle, yet definite results.

For instance, I woke up at 4:30 this morning, then got out of bed around 5. Certainly not the habits of a pipsqueak of 45. (I was SO pathetic back then...)

And though school has barely let out for the summer, already I am contemplating typing up the curriculum schedules for my six students next fall. REALLY! Is that farsighted, or what?

I've also noticed strange thoughts drifting into my mind...thoughts about cleaning up the bedroom, for instance. Thoughts about not buying any more clothes or books un-TIL I clean up the bedroom.

Well...no more clothes, anyway.

There are even tendencies toward not caring about my weight, and if that isn't a sign of increasing maturity, I don't know what IS.

But the overriding effect is further enhancement of the creeping cynicism that began a few years ago. Cynicism that alters my view of politics, people and life in general.

Assuming everyone's out to get you makes life so much simpler :-D
 

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Life in the Yard

Time for a look around the the vast Hoyt estate.

Here's a comely violet, with ferny fringe


A House Finch returned this year, to eat sunflower seeds.
I love these common but beautiful little guys.

Single peony all aburst


Melinda has a few wild strawberry plants in her bed...
...and very pretty they be.

I've saved the most exciting for last...

Mr. Oriole came back for the oranges!

*sigh*
 

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Dear Michelle Malkin,

As a simple Midwesterner who has never heard of your Conservative Commentatorship, I would just like to thank you for complaining about the Dunkin' Donuts add with Rachel Ray posing in the paisley scarf-kaffiyeh-look-alike-symbolic-of-terrorists fringed thingy.

It warms my heart to know that you are watching out for ignoramuses such as I, who would merely have thought the so-called "scarf" was chosen to match her shirt.

*pauses to say the pledge*

Also, I noticed that her hair is very dark and say...don't most jihadists have black hair?

And now that I think of it, those pink trees in the background could certainly be a subtle reference to Communism, could they not? (Reds...Pinko...get it??)

*clutches flag lapel pin nervously*

First the horrifying emails about Obama's education in a madrasah school, (I got them so many times it's hard to believe they ARE bogus) and now THIS.

And when you add on those new dollar coins that don't have "In God We Trust" on them (I don't CARE if it's etched along the edge instead...it's not the same!!), it is almost too much to bear.

So thank you for watching out for America, Ms. Malkin.

Most of us don't have a clue and rely on people such as yourself to tell us what to think.

May you receive all you are due,

Ma Hoyt

 

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Rainy, Rainy Day

It is.

Buckets and buckets cascading from the sky...and lo, the fields are wet unto muck.

Most glad we got the lawn mowing finished and the cucumbers planted last night.

More rain to come this afternoon.

And evening.

Overnight.

But should be only hail and high winds this time.

Speaking of tornadoes, yesterday's efforts by KWWL to raise 200,000 dollars brought in 325,000, and they are still counting!

That be goodly :-)

Later, a "Life in the Yard" post...but first,

a nap.
 

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Just Call Me "The Centrum Lady"

Perusing the glittering jewels of the vitamin aisle, I noticed my usual Equate cheapo version of this, was missing.

Then I glimpsed...
...and decided, "Why not?"

After all, I'm going to be fifty this fall. Despite YEARS of using the vitamins that supposedly support weight loss (double "HA, HA!"), the results had been less than stellar.

That's when I decided to go for the oldies.

Perhaps coloring them gray was a bit much, though...
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Neighbors Helping Neighbors

In much different news, the KWWL TV station is having an impromptu one-day telethon to raise money for tornado relief. I was just watching while treadmilling and they've already raised over 80,000 dollars. They are trying for 200,000.

Click here if you wish to help out.

There are phone numbers to call, websites to visit and mailing addresses if anyone wishes to donate by that venue.

Thanks
 

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F-5

The verdict is in. The tornado that hit Parkersburg and New Hartford can be scaled as a low-end EF-5 (Enhanced Fajita scale). At its strongest point the winds registered 200 to 205 mph.

An additional man from Parkersburg died in the hospital, bringing total fatalities to 7 for those two towns.

The Applington-Parkersburg schools (small towns often combine, educationally) have been canceled until further notice. While final exams were scheduled for this week, the high school seniors are finished since they graduated approximately one week ago.

The Des Moines Register had a very nice color photo layout and accompanying articles on everything, but since they sold out between 7-8 this morning, there was no chance of Ma getting one. I won't complain. The people who lost their homes ought to at least have a paper commemorating the event.

Here are "several" photos from which you can choose a closer look--from the KWWL news site. There were other montages at the Des Moines Register, but their site has suddenly put up the 'under construction' sign, so I can't steer you to them at this moment. You may wish to try again, later.

{Now I've accessed it again...after you get to the site, scroll down to "photos" and immediately under "staff favorites" should be a picture of a flag flying in the rubble...that's the one you want}
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In other news--because our lives have pretty much gone on, though others' have been irrevocably changed--I did the shopping today. I would say that food expenses have gone up close to 40% for our family over the past 9 months. Even though we're not eating meat for every main meal, I think we'll be making some additional cutbacks.

It's downright depressing.

And that's why I'm gonna put up a picture of my blooming peonies :-) 'cause I need something pretty to look at and think about.
Not the greatest, since the shadow of the mailbox falls across the corner, but one needs to look at something other than destruction, once in a while.
 

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In Memory

On Memorial Day weekend, the church down the road sets up flags all down the front and all down the back of their cemetery. There are quite a few veterans buried, there, with a memorial to two young men of the church who didn't make it home from WWII.

The flag display is always an impressive sight, so I drove down Sunday afternoon to snap a few pictures and just have a quiet look...
Normally I would have walked, but it was starting to look like rain...

(I'm not superstitious, but the last time I went down and took a picture of this graveyard, my dad had a stroke the next day)
...who would have thought terrible storms were in the forecast and...people would perish that very evening.

(I still miss my dad, by the way)

The clouds were rolling in...thunder could be heard despite a small patch of blue sky still visible.


Bubbly cloud that seemed close enough to touch...
...but it was just north of Waterloo, 50 miles away.

The sunset of a storm-killing day

 

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Video

 

Here's a view of the destruction at Parkersburg.

For my kids' orientation, it's taken from the Kwik Star gas station...or what's left of it.
 

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Yesterday Afternoon

 

Here is one of the clearest pictures, so far, of the tornado that went through Parkersburg.

One reason there weren't many good photos is because this particular system was rain-wrapped much of the time. Even when I looked over towards Parkersburg from our property, all I saw were light gray rain clouds...though the damage had probably been done by the time I was out horizon-gazing.

Security is still tight in the town of Parkersburg. All residents were required to leave last night, due to no electricity and the danger of downed power lines.

People who live there were allowed back in today to search for things, but will have to leave town again at 8:00pm.

Sightseers and gawkers are prohibited from passing through town. I wouldn't want anyone coming down the road to stare at us if our house were leveled, no matter what their sympathetic intentions.

Even volunteers are not being encouraged, though eventually they will be needed.

The death toll was downgraded from 7 to 6, which includes 4 from Parkersburg and 2 from New Hartford. (New Hartford is Senator Chuck Grassley's hometown)

Here is a seven picture slide show of damage...

The Des Moines Register has this updated article with more information.

The National Weather Service has representatives scouring the line of the tornadoes to assess damage and calculate wind speed, etc., after which they will be able to issue the Enhanced Fujita category of the storm.

Thank you for your prayers for all of the affected areas in Iowa.
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In other news, Sharon and Stacey left just before noon, taking Jason along to drop him off at Ardith's when they pass through Cedar Rapids.

We are taking it easy this Memorial Day, since we had our cookout on Saturday. But Ethan and I plan to mow part of the lawn as it insists on growing with the enormous amounts of rain we have had.

Loren is plumb tuckered out since he opted to work on computers, nonstop over the weekend, instead of taking his usual rests during the day.

Basically though, we are doing fine...except, for those of us who are old enough to appreciate the situation, or remember a devastating tornado from our childhood...there is the eerie feeling that we escaped something quite horrific by a matter of 15 minutes.
 

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Tornado

 
AP Photo/Kevin Sanders)

We are OK, but the town of Parkersburg, Iowa has sustained significant damage from a large tornado this afternoon.

We were keeping an eye on the weather and watching the radar on TV while all this was happening. It looked as though very heavy storms were directly over us, but we only had some rain and pea-sized hail.

However, we have since learned that the funnel cloud formed just north of Aplington, a small town 10 minutes southeast of our home.

The tornado touched down in east Parkersburg, which is 5 minutes further east from Aplington, so the damage started approximately 15 minutes from our house.

There were numerous other tornadoes spotted in Iowa, either by radar or by trained spotters.

The particular devastating storm which started in Parkersburg is thought to have remained intact, producing a nearly constant tornado on the ground for 100 miles, continuing over to the Mississippi River.

We are very thankful for God's sparing of our neighborhood, but would ask for prayers for all the Iowans who have been affected this day.

The first pictures on the news look to be quite terrible.
 

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The Gang's All Here :-)

Well...they WERE here. One went back to Cedar Rapids this evening, but we've had a goodly time all day.

Trevor's been looking forward to seeing his buddy Jason for several days, and immediately appropriated him upon arrival.


Sharon's housemate, Stacey Bollman, came along with Sharon from Indiana.
Yes the whole crew was here! Ardith didn't stay past late afternoon since she is recovering from a cold.

The familial fruit-salad-making project...
...although someone looks to be talking more than slicing.

Not the Christmas picture....
...but one from a series Stacey graciously snapped. I added "saturation" to the photo to reflect that we had just eaten a largish cookout meal.

A more extensive Memorial weekend Picasa album to follow.

Probably
 

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It's Official

We iz now dun wiff skool fer da yar.

In a masterful and timely way, Nolan finished up his math and reading books today. (other subjects were done by a week or two ago)

Melinda has just completed her Algebra 2 and is sighing muchly with relief.

Derek worketh this very moment on his last Calculus test and Ethan is done with the dreaded Typing Tutor for the summer. (yeah, that's the extent of Ethan's horrible subjects)

Trevor will be continuing his reading lessons, but since we're starting a cassette tape program, he thinks it fun for the time being.

There may be a few odds and ends, but basically, we are finished for the year!

In honor of their greatsome achievements, I am downing a diet Cherry Coke along with some really burny Spicy Hot Chili Doritos.
 

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And lo, it did pour

First off, we would appreciate your prayers for our pastor's oldest son, Kevin. He was scheduled for an appendectomy yesterday afternoon, though there were two other "Ap's" ahead of him in line.

Must be something in the Iowa water.

This news brought on a whole line of questioning from los kiddos, "Where did he catch appendicitis from?"

A natural query when you're always pounding into their brains that we don't want to get sick and that's one reason we don't go to every available function.

Second off, we got mucho done-o on the garden since Monday. Ma has been pounding the spade against the crabgrass and other assorted evils for around 18 hours this week. Yesterday we got in the tomato and pepper plants and a few bedding flowers.

And now it is raining! Buckets, actually. Just the cucumber seeds and a few miscellany left, but they can wait. The important thing is that the paths are cleared, you can distinguish beds and paths, and certain peoples won't have reason to make disparaging comments when they come to our house over the weekend.

(anymore, I just don't care much what they think of the IN-side)

The only thing we didn't finish was the lawn, but as I told Ethan yesterday--after he begged for the fifth time to mow the hard part--"We can always cut grass after rain, but you can't plant tomatoes in mud."

(feel free to copy that gem into your "famous quotation" booklets)

Third off, I have now successfully trained Loren to fry his own egg.

And it only took 26.9 years!

He's always been capable of scrounging for his cold cereal, but for several days he forewent his daily eggs if I wasn't handy because, "It's just too much trouble."

Sometimes I would break up my morning exercise routine to go down and make sure he had an egg. However, my going out to the garden between 6:30 and 7:00 each morning for the past week has made me slightly less "available." And when I came in once and discovered he HAD made his own egg, he was basically busted.

So now, the first thing I do after my morning ablutions, is go down and set everything out that he will need.

I do some. He does some. And that's what marriage is all about, right? Each person doing his part for the good of Ma.

Next week...

...dishes. (just kidding, Loren :-)

Fourth off, you'd be surprised what your body does after working like a dog all day/week. You know how you can be lying in bed, nearly asleep and then...*twitch*...? Well, this kept happening to me last night. About five or six times per minute.

I figured that either I had worked so hard that individual muscle fibers didn't know when to quit, or I was gonna have a seizure in the next hour.

With that settled, I finally drifted off into slumber.

Speaking which, I need to lie down...
 

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The Oriole Collection

So :-D

I was out in the garden, laboring away when I heard this new whistle, a soft, short call...

I looked over to the apple trees--which are bloomin' all OVER the place--and there he was.

Mr. Oriole sang for me as I worked, and I believe he made my job a little easier, just knowing that the gorgeous orange and black beauty was not far away.

I quietly walked in to get my camera, but soon after I returned he flew off...

...but he came back


He seemed to like something in or around the blossoms...
...perhaps he was chowing down on the bugs that hover around the flowers.

A view from the back...
...hey, you can't be too thorough.

Ahhhh...proof of more than one pair :-)

Ethan was watching from another angle and he thought there might have been four...and looking at the picture one can clearly see three.

SUPER!

Gotta keep on top of the sunflower seeds. Don't know if these lovelies will stick around but I surely do hope so...
 

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Howdy Ma'am

 

Not the greatest picture, I'll admit, but good enough considering that the last time Baltimore Orioles were seen outside the window, kids came rushing into the living room and...

PPPhht, off they went.

This time there were pronounced whispers of "SLOWLY!" "Don't make any NOISE..." by the kids, not me. They medium-aged ones seem burdened that the youngest ones don't scare away the birds so I can get a picture and put it on the blog.

I don't know where they get this mania.

The male had also alighted on the swing set, and I was slowly...slowly creeping into the living room...and decided to get a faraway shot from the doorway before risking anything closer...and then the female came and as I was focusing on her...the male flew away.

Oh well.

I've never seen a female Baltimore Oriole, so I am happy :-)

And now...back to the garden for more crabgrass crunching.
 

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Crabgrass...

Ah HATES it!

Been workin' outside nearly all the day long, with a small stripe of sunburn across the lower back to prove it.

*makes note to wear longer shirt, tomorrow*

(this would never have happened if I hadn't gotten so plump that I'm ashamed to tuck in my shirt)

A few more weeks of dog-like labor should have the garden in shape.

There's something insanely satisfying about knocking oneself out, grubbing and digging in the dirt.

Doesn't leave much time for blogging, but my strawberries will thank me.
 

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Wow!

 

And I'm not just talkin' about the spectacular Flowering Crab in the mediocre picture above...(taken from my van window outside the Hampton post office)

In a mere five hours we hit two libraries in two cities, one clinic for a lab draw, Wal*Mart, the grocery store and a gas station for mower gas.

Wal*Mart included a propane tank refill so by the time the five-gallon can was ALSO filled, we were really packin' some heat.

All of these duties were scrunched into one day to conserve fuel. Derek's pro-time didn't have to occur until Thursday, but the library books were due to-day and there was no way I was driving an additional 50 minutes for one thing later in the week.

Of course, his numbers were a little skewed since his test came after lunch instead of the usual morning appointment, but Ma is not taking any hassle if they wish another blood draw in two weeks instead of the usual month.

What are they gonna do..sue me?

I don't THINK so.

Also obtained, tomato, pepper, Johnny Jump-up and Impatient plants. Not to mention a nifty loose-weave fabric from the dollar bin at Wally World. Those eight yards of material are going to be my protection against tomato blight.

Laid over the beds, this cloth should keep the leaves off the soil from whence they pick up the tomatoey plague each year.

Of course, the fabric is striped, but hey, I could end up with the grooviest garden around :-D

Oh yes...there WILL be pictures.
 

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Farmer at Heart?

Not really. I couldn't tolerate the stress of one's whole living depending on the weather. But when I get out there and dig and sweat and rake and grade, it's enough to make all seem right with the world.

And if, like this morning, I get outside around 7, there just might be my old friend the brown thrasher, high atop a tree and singing out for pure joy. You can listen to him, here, by clicking on "play song."

The variety of their warblings is simply exquisite. Listening and digging and stopping to listen some more...makes it hard to return to the house.

And in the end, when a well-formed bed lies dark and smooth in the morning sun, you almost hate to mar it's perfection by planting seeds.

But you do, because there's nothing beats seeing something grow, to make you feel alive.
 

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Good News!

We got the official word this morning...another Zero Biopsy for Loren!

(that means there was no rejection found in the pieces of heart muscle they took out and examined under a microscope)

Zero is a good number.
 

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Today's Accomplishments

4:30 Woke up

5:30 Couldn't take it any more, got up and snuck downstairs...harder than you think when the steps creak and you're 15 pounds overweight.

6:00-7:15 Read through Old Yeller for the first time in my life.
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With the exception of one small back ordered item and one more possible book, all of my school supplies have arrived for next fall :-D

Just this morning the phonics workbook and cassette tape arrived that was ordered only last Wednesday. Pretty good service since it came by media mail from Oregon.

The very same voice that helped Ardith and Sharon learn to read came wafting out over the speakers, taking me back 21 years. It had dated pictures, even then...

Wish I weighed what I did 21 years ago. But at least I feel tired and old and have these really great varicose veins to show for it all.
 

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El Nuptials

Hot off the press, folks...19 pics from the wedding we attended this afternoon :-)

Bekah and Josh's Wedding

May God bless the newlyweds.
 

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Birds of the feeder

I can't believe it! After hours of trying--on and off--Blogger came through and posted my bird pictures.

Probably an accident.

Here are two female goldfinches


This house sparrow stopped by with a mouthful of feathers...
...guess he couldn't decide whether to build a nest or eat.

And yes, that's all that's left of the feeder stand...two places to hang feeders.

Grackle, caught in the act of strutting and looking wily.
Their yellow eye always makes these birds look a bit freaky.
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Welp, gotta go to zee vedding :-D
 

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A Most Profitable Day

Well, well....someone managed to get himself up into Greenwood Tree.
(hmmm, looks like I got a nice branch blocking his face)

One might not think Trevor getting up in this tree is such a feat,

but sans closeup,

you can see it's a ways off the ground.
(still visible...the large gash where it lost a substantial limb from the Feb. 'O7 ice storm)

Trevor accomplished this noble deed by pulling on the doubled rope and bracing his feet against the tree trunk. Then, when he'd reached the lowest branch, I THINK Nolan helped him get an arm up....we have this rule about not climbing trees until you can get all the way up by yourself...

I was out digging a garden bed when I looked over and saw the little monkey straining to get up that trunk. Let me tell you, I was "this close" to running over and standing beneath in case he fell, but he got up, despite bloodying a thumb in the process.

I told him he couldn't go higher than that branch he was sitting on, and that he'd probably need help getting back down. Naturally, he disembarked by himself as soon as I went in the house for a second...

*sigh*

Any boy that survives childhood is a miracle.
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Besides school, most of the church cleaning and three loads of wash, I put in more of the garden...

My little angel-boy helping to plant beans :-)
Trevor's a good little worker. When it came time to cover the beans, he had a hard time reaching over from the side, and before I knew it, he'd hopped up onto the bed and proceeded (frog-like) down the line with the row between his legs. Normally I don't allow ANYONE stepping on my beds, but since the kid weighs approximately that of a feather pillow, I figured it wouldn't hurt, this once.

His little bare feet hardly made a dent.
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In other news, Loren has returned from his latest heart biopsy up at Mayo. Nice big hole in the neck again...ah, we LOVE those biopsies where they go in and take small chunks outta the heart.

The procedure was late enough that he doesn't get the report back today, unless there was something of concern that had to be forwarded to the doctor on call.

Nothing so far, so that must mean good news :-) We'll find out the exact report on Monday.

Also, Loren's dry socket is continuing to heal over and the dentist said Loren doesn't have to return unless there would be pain. SO THAT'S GOOD!

Just a matter of continuing to flush it out regularly with a syringe for the next several months.
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We've cleared all the brush from the hacked off pine tree. What remains is to scour sap off little boys and keep it off until the wedding tomorrow afternoon....'cause, Pastor's daughter's a gettin' hitched :-D

I'll try to have a few pics up by Sunday, providing they don't kick me out of the reception, heh, heh.
 

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How to Plant Electric Poles

(click on pictures to enlarge)

First you need to buy an old house in the country. Try to get one that has pine trees all around the front yard.

Then you need to add on enough to your house to make the final size approximately 2.5 times the original.

This could entail an additional electrical box added to the pole in your side yard. You'll want to wait long enough so that the rural electric company has to take out a tree and replace it with a pole and transformer so that your new set-up will proscribe to current code.

Finally the magic day arrives! Get ready, for it will involve....

...big trucks...


...and the felling of a cherished tree.


New poles are put in the ground...


...guy wires established...


...and old poles are taken out.


There might be wicked long drills!


And....bunnies picking dandelions?


An additional bonus...wire-free access for Farmer Frey's auger :-)

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We got to keep BOTH old poles, which Loren quickly dragged behind the garage before he left for Mayo and his six-month biopsy. At least one passerby had expressed interest, but Loren has something in mind for these poles...

Just a little more brush clean-up remains, then perhaps we can get someone who needs pine wood for winter to take the rest off our hands :-D

It's hard to do school when you're taking 106 pictures, but I'll try to cull it down closer to 50 for an upcoming Picasa album.
 

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Big, Big Doin's Up At the Hoyt Estate

Because of necessary electrical work--involving a new box at our electric pole on the north side of the house--a whole NEW pole must be set in our front yard, with wires rerouted to comply with new standards.

They are here now, doing the work and you can be sure an ex-TENSIVE Picasa album will be up later, along with a few blog pictures with the rudiments.

Unfortunately, this requires the cutting of "Home Tree," one of the kids favorites, as well as several oft used branches from neighboring "Fork Tower" tree.

"ALAS AND ALACK!!" was the general response of los kiddos, but it cannot be helped.

Off to take more pictures, as well as bake something before they turn off the electricity...
 

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*sigh*

The sun shines (depicted by the open hand) as farmer Trevor maneuvers the Lego planter out of it's barn.


(there was another picture with fist closed (depicting the moon) but the open-legged shorts created something of a wardrobe malfunction which Ma deemed it best not to share)

With uncommon skill the huge planter is gracefully manipulated onto the field of worn pine boards.

Ethan built the monster yesterday.
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On an unrelated note, I've become most frustrated with my efforts to teach Trevor to read. He's a smart little whip but the Alphaphonics which I've used on the last seven children seems to be both uninspiring and perhaps deficient for Trevor's needs.

I get tired of going back over and reviewing, reviewing, reviewing. He's gotten lazy and started just guessing after the first letter of many words, as well as clipping his words so short that I can't always distinguish between his short vowel sounds.

Frankly, I'm just weary of the whole process, though I keep telling myself, "He's the last one you have to teach to read...he's the last one..." And I KNOW it will be exciting when he gets past this hump and past the long vowels and past the blends, and....

So I googled the old method I used on Ardith and Sharon in Indiana, Hear, See, Say... which I'd borrowed free from the Warsaw library. (this was back in the days when we could visit the library once per week instead of once every two months)

Found one set in a library in Wichita, Kansas, but since that seems a tad far to drive, I located what I think is an updated version with a cassette tape at Amazon. There were 8 copies from 8 different sellers, ranging in price from 40 cents to $168.00!!

I decided to go with the 7th ($6.00) which was "like new condition" and included the cassette tape.

I'm pretty sure that last seller is completely nuts.

I would also encourage women to think really, really hard before having children after the age of 40. Maybe 35.

All cuteness and motherly love aside, most people have no idea how tired one can get near age 50. And of course, if someone had given me that advice at 38 I would have just laughed in their face and called them a wimp who didn't have enough faith in God... Like so many things, this is just more wasted breath, ha, ha.

Thankfully, I'm going off shopping in a few minutes.

By myself.

It's not the three days alone in a motel that I need, but I guess it'll do for now :-)
 

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Hols of the Day

Bet you didn't know it was...

Leprechaun Day. The most notable thing being that now I know how to spell 'leprechaun' without looking.

Also, it's Frog Jumping Day, supposedly in honor of Mark Twain's short story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.

I found no date that directly corresponds to this story, but there is a frog jumping contest on the the third weekend of May, in Calaveras County, California....more from Mark Twain, later.

First,

Today in History:

1110--Crusaders march into Beirut causing a bloodbath

1637--Cardinal Richelieu of France creates the table knife

1643--Heavy earthquake strikes Santiago Chile; kills 1/3 of population

1828--US passes Tariff of Abominations

1846--US declares war on México, 2 months after fighting begins

1888--Brazil abolishes slavery

1967--Octagonal boxing ring is tested to avoid corner injuries

Quite frankly, I'm beginning to think that many supposed "Today in History" sites routinely copy and paste from each other with no real effort to check out the veracity of their supposed data. I believe this because:

a) some of the above "facts" simply cannot be verified independently, and,

b) they all use the exact same choice of words, which would naturally rouse suspicions.

So after this, no more random copying and pasting from Ma unless I can find corroborating evidence within a four-minute search.

For instance, I could not locate info on an earthquake in Santiago in 1643, due in no small part to an appalling lack of Internet accessibility during that time period, and apparently no surviving newspapers or even microfiche.

HOWEVER, there was a hu-MON-gous quake in 1960, which registered a whopping 9.5 on the Richter scale. Foreshocks included four at 7.0, one of which was 7.9. The numerous aftershocks registered five over 7.0.

The Tariff of Abominations is a little complicated but here's a humorous and informative YouTube video Ma found which explains it all quite succinctly.


But getting back to Mark Twain, I learned of an amusing quote from watching a few minutes of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" while finishing up my treadmill punishment yesterday. I share it for all Twainian fans--of which I am one--and especially for a couple of my daughters, heh, heh...

"I haven't any right to criticize books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticize Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Every time I read 'Pride and Prejudice' I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone."

Mark Twain Letter to Joseph Twichell, 9/13/1898
 

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If you're going to have appointments....

...you may as well jam them all into the same day.

The six-month dental checkups were slightly past due, so I called and arranged for all of us to get cleaned and scraped at the same time, to save gas (25 minutes away).

By "all" I only mean myself and six kids.

ANYWAY, the first available date was the 26th of June, which coincidentally happens to be the same day I'd scheduled Melinda's first appointment with the cardiologist in Iowa City (2.4 hours away).

Theoretically though, if the dental appointments start at 8am, and the cardiology appointment is for 3pm, we should still be able to make it...right?

THEN Kendra reminded me that she hadn't seen the cardiologist since she was 15 (oops), so I called back and they had room for her at 2:30.

I think this will work. I may have to have Loren meet me in Iowa Falls and trade vehicles, but I think this will work.

Could be a three-coke day, though.

The only thing missing would be more appointments in a place called Iowa Rapids...except, there IS no Iowa Rapids.

I'll have to be content with hitting Iowa Falls and Iowa City on the same day.
 

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Pastel Mania

 

Nolan was rummaging through the toy closet on Friday and ran across a box of oil pastels.

I have no idea where they came from but he was fascinated for a long time and clearly entranced with the bold and lovely colors. There were even pictures on the backs of most of these papers. I did have to show him where the scrap paper was so he would not continue to deplete our supply of copy paper :-D
___________

On another cheery note, Ma is most pleased with herself as she's ordered 95% of the needed school books for next year.

"But don't you just keep using the same ones, over and over?"

For certain things, yes. The spelling program--a fifty dollar investment back when Ardith was a little tyke--has stayed and been worth it.

The Saxon Math, fer sure.

But certain history texts have become slightly out of date, and I had grown increasingly dissatisfied with some of the original curricula (Bob Jones, Abeka) over the years, so I've gradually phased in Apologia science and dropped old items gleaned from garage sales and other sources of Ma's incredible cheapness.

And the fact that Christian Book Distributors was offering free shipping through this Friday was a nice incentive. I figure that between their discounts and free shipping, I saved at least 25% on all new merchandise :-)

A few items I am particularly excited about are:

Material Logic by Martin Cothran

Total Truth by Nancy Pearcy

The Soul of Science by Nancy Pearcy

Truth and Grace Memory Books (1 & 2) by Thomas K. Ascol

The first three are for Derek and the last two are books which teach foundational truths of scripture--I'll be using that with the younger children.

With possibly one more miscellaneous purchase, I'm basically all set for the next school year...and it's only the middle of May :-D

I say...

WHO da Ma !
 

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On Mother's Day

 

Before I was a Mom

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,

the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

(Thanks to Shirley B. from Ala-bam....*waves toward the south*....fellow compatriot from the Gift of Lift House, for sending this poem)
 

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Ma's Goodwill Haul

Børn Shoes :-)


Never heard of 'em, but these are basically new, though they could have been worn as much as 2 or 3 minutes.

How often does an old lady find new shoes at Goodwill? Size 9 1/2. And with a tree on the sole, to boot.

I looked them up on the web, and though I did not find the ex-ACT model shown, I figure I came away with 80-100 dollar shoes, for six bucks.

I believe that means...

I win :-D

Overheard by Ethan: "The color looks like...avocado."

Yes, dear. It's a mother's duty to buy shoes her kids think are weird. I believe that means I win,

again.
 

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Winding Down

We're collecting our wits around here after a somewhat hectic week.

Monday--school, followed by the realization that time was running out for the strawberry plants stuck in the fridge. Ma started digging the first of two bed. Late afternoon and then...OH JOY! Farmer Frey comes to plow the field. Could he be planning to plant the next day?

Tuesday--Ma has an early breakfast and heads out to the garden. The first bed is finished and the second begun. Farmer Frey finishes plowing and returns with the planter. All thoughts of school subside as more important matters are dealt with: little boys watch the tractor and Ma wields her trusty spade. Somewhere in all the excitement, two little boys' teeth are not brushed after breakfast...

With the help of three hardworking chilluns, the lawn is also mowed. Ma finishes digging and while waiting for the sun to subside, sets a huge brush pile aflame. The kids are impressed, bringing joy to the aging matriarch's heart.

Clouds roll in and it is time for planting 100....count 'em, that's ONE HUNDRED strawberry plants. The rumble of thunder is heard at plant 23, but Ma continues doggedly on, despite calf cramps and a bee sting.

All is well. Nothing has been forgotten. The pitter patter of rain is heard and a sudden downdraft whams over the bird feeder. With yet another assault to its structural integrity the top third breaks completely off. Oh yeah....Ma realizes she forgot one thing. She forgot to lay the feeder onto the ground before the storm.

Despite her long day, she starts laundry and supper.

Wednesday--Ma does quick school with her young charges and then leaves for her once-per-month cleaning job. She will survive the 5.5 hours of work on two protein bars and a bottle of Wal*Mart water.

Cleaning accomplished, she runs to town for milk and eggs and feels not a mite of guilt as she drives home listening to country music, sipping Diet Coke and munching on Doritos. Her day is not over as she still has to fix supper for her brooding brood. Copious amounts of headache pills are swallowed.

Thursday--While Loren and his dry socket head up to Mayoland for another checkeroo, Ma FINALLY has an (almost) normal day at home! After buying five birthday presents online, she goes through every bit of school. Lunch, and then she starts her monthly Hoyt family letter. A break is taken while her two faithful cleaning apprentices help with the church janitorial responsibilities. Home again and more letter editing. Supper and yet more editing and then....blogging! Somewhere in there, three different sessions on the treadmill accumulate to 4.3 miles.
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Ugh. I get tired just reading that.

But it's been most productive.

I even took the flannel sheets off the bed.
 

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Ma's Bird of the Week

Thanks to Melinda, for bringing my attention to this beauty:

Harris's Sparrow Zonotrichia querula

A sparrow, you say... what's the big deal?

Just this--it summers in Canada, not Iowa. And I don't mean just north of the border...it's WAYYYY up there :-)

The nesting area includes the topmost part of Manitoba, the northeast half of the Northwest Territories, and a sizable section of Nunavut. We're talkin' just inside the arctic circle!

And yes, I knew naught of Nunavut. But you are never to old too learn about geography and that you've caught a brief thrill thanks to a migratory stopover.

I'm tellin' ya, I---is---excited!.

Melinda mentioned a new sparrow and I didn't take much notice, until I saw him outside and was immediately struck by his good looks.

Tonight he came to the newly truncated bird feeder...or the ground around it, anyway....and Ma snapped his photo for posterity. Checking the internet let us know we'd stumbled onto something special in the avian world, Well, special for lil' ol' Ioway :-)

The black bib on the front can determine which bird has the best access to food and roosting areas. Older males with bigger bibs get first dibs.

Right about now I know you are wondering what the French name for this cutesome fellow might be...

Bruant à face noire

C'est perfectement, non?

And notice the distinctive pink bill--very attractive.

Since the wintering grounds are just west and south, I suppose it could have overwintered here, but as we did not spy him until recently, I prefer to think that we've been blessed with a rest stop on his way to Canada.

Bon voyage, mon ami, and thanks for all the fish.
 

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In the ground

The strawberries are planted, as is Farmer Frey's corn.

Here are a few scenes from yesterday....

The final pass


The running of the bulls
(pay no attention to the massive pile of bikes behind the garage)

As Mr. Frey checks on the newly planted field, three farming devotees stand in solemn tribute


A wistful last look at the planter for 2008


Monday and Tuesday have been an incredible hubbub of activity and it's not over yet.

All I have to do is get through one more day and then I can take a little break.
 

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