the newest family member

After Christmas, we found out my niece was unexpectedly (to her anyway!) expecting. And for her, things have been rough. Very rough. So as the time approached, it's safe to say she has been more than ready for Lucy to come on out and join the family. Two weeks ago, on a Sunday morning, as they were driving to church, she got sick. That is the normal part of this story. Her husband, who is a youth pastor, pulled over to the side of the road. Two of their teens came up on their pulled off car, and pulled over to see if they could be of assistance. Except, they thought Ellen was actually having the baby, so wouldn't look in that direction - at all. It was sweet, but also a little funny.
So this past Sunday night, I thought about texting her and asking what crazy thing happened that day. But I didn't. And then Monday morning I got the text from Mom saying that Ellen was having some semi-normal complications Sunday night and they had admitted her to the hospital. So by Tuesday, the doctors were saying she could not go home, but they wanted to keep observing her, continue giving Lucy steroid shots to help her finish developing, and were facing either inducing labor or a Csection Friday morning, which would make her only 2 weeks early. Then came Thursday morning, and things began to change. Labor was induced early, and within a few hours the doctors made the call for a Csection as Lucy was not tolerating all the changes taking place. A little before 9pm NC time, I officially became a great aunt.

She looks like her Dad; I think she's beautiful, and so far I've refrained from repeating the sermon she preached to my younger sister when she became a new Mom. As a 4 year old, Ellen had heard enough of all the first time Momma mutterings, and informed Naomi that her son was NOT perfect, as Jesus was the only perfect baby in the world, and if she continued to say such things about him, then she was committing idolatry. Not only that, but he was just a normal baby. Only the baby Jesus was wonderful and perfect. And she would know that if she went to church. (My sister was not attending anywhere at the time.) Everyone, except my little sis, thought it was a little bit funny. We chalked part of it up to jealousy, and part of it up to the simplicity of a child's views on right and wrong. But there was a time or two today on FB I couldn't help but smile as I read her posts - some of those very same views my sister had stated years ago.  Too bad we didn't have cell phones with voice recorders or video recorders back then.
So Lucy Marie, while we know you're not perfect, you're the best gift God the Father could have given us last night. We're thankful our prayers were answered and your arrived safely, and that your Mom is now doing okay as well. Even with our modern hospitals, things can sometimes be a little scary, reminding us that we're really not in charge after all. Thanks for that reminder.

the war outside our window

It does not matter that our hummingbird feeder has at least 6 slots so multiple birds can feed at one time. If more than one bird arrives, it will be chased away. We've seen as many as three at one time (one darting in to sip while the other two go in circles) but they move so fast I've yet to capture it. But we love the feeder, and love observing these tiny creatures and their differences. They usually stay on the opposite side of the feeder so we only get glimpses of them during a chase, but today this one actually spent some time in our direct line of sight. They are such amazing creatures!

perspectives

A friend posted this on FB the other day, and I couldn't help but think of it yesterday. At church I was speaking with a young girl who had just returned home from working at camp all summer, and she asked what I did with my summer. I paused. Answering questions about how I spend my time has never been easy. I'm a caregiver, and most people have no clue as to what that entails. For various reasons, I've never felt the need to enlighten people on that. But the rest of my day, I'll share that. So I told her I've been doing a lot of yardwork and gardening. She responded, "Oh! So you've had a relaxing summer." I honestly couldn't think of a way to respond.

I have a love/hate relationship with gardening and yardwork. Since I don't work, I see no reason why I can't do as much of the yardwork as I can, and I do enjoy seeing the tangible results of what I've done. But it is buggy, and hot, and sweatty, and buggy, and sometimes downright frustrating (like when the lawnmower needs repair). Bobby does a great job of getting helpers to assist in getting all of it done, as there is NO WAY I can do all 5 acres, especially the trim work.  And the garden? I do that because I enjoy knowing where my food comes from, growing foods I grew up with that I can't buy in the store, and because NOTHING tastes like a home-grown tomato. I'm also concerned that we're losing basic knowledge of how to care for ourselves, and I want to know how to feed us should that need ever arise. But gardening is sticky and itchy and painful and tiring and sweatty and buggy and WORK. I do find planting and picking relaxing, but the heat of the kitchen and the backbreaking continuous chore of weeding and dealing with bugs is anything but relaxing. I don't know if the young lady was trying to be polite or simply had no clue what gardening is about (or both), but I felt as if we were straddling two different universes. And like the photo above, it really is a matter of perspective.

the onset of fall

My garden, while beautiful foliage, has suddenly decided to start producing. That is both very exciting and very irritating at the same time. I'm thankful to finally have something to put up, but also a little aggravated that it chose an off-season time to do it when other things are starting to begin. On the flip side, as Canadian geese have begun their migration and landing in our yard/pond almost daily on their winter trip south, I also know it won't be long until the garden stops completely. At least, that's what I'm counting on. We're also seeing an increase in spiders and spider webs, which is another crazy reminder that even though the temps are still hot (though lower than normal), they won't be for long. Pecans and grapes are still filling out, on schedule, and the nights are coming faster. When last night's quilt group left the store everyone commented on the fact that it was dark, whereas last month the dusk was just beginning as we left.
2018 is passing quickly, faster than any other year I remember. And I keep plodding along. It's all I know to do.

monster goof

I'm attempting to design a quilt top around a panel (fabric that has a printed picture on it). I have a block pattern I wanted to use around the top and bottom of the panel, but it is 3" square. I need 12" block. So it stands to reason that you simply multiply all your measurements by 4, right?  I thought that made perfect sense - until it didn't. I'm not sure how, but my blocks are NOT coming out right. I wasted a lot of material cutting them down to size so I could make an enlarged 16.5" block. On the plus side, I won't have to make as many blocks.
So one block is made, and we'll see what will become of the others. I would see live and learn, except I've not figured out where I went wrong yet so I'm not sure I've learned anything.

hurry,hurry, wait

Because we were gone for a few days, then came home to several days of rain, our yard was in desperate need of attention. In the past when our grass has gotten that high, we've found we have three options: cut it high and then cut it lower a 2nd time, cut it at the normal height and have glass clumps all over the yard which ultimately kill the grass (and get tracked in the house), or cut it at normal height and either go over all the clumps with the pusher mower  to bag it or rake it all up. None are thrilling options. We were leaning for the first choice - cutting it 2x. While it seems like a waste of time and money, it actually is fast to do that than options 2 or 3.

So some teen boys were coming over to help, and I was going to start earlier and get as much of the first cut done as I could before they came...and the riding mower would not start. We replaced the battery and a few other parts last month, so I was more than a bit exasperated. I went to the nearby mini mart to get gas for the the push mower and weed eaters and started pruning shrubs when I got back. It was so hot that I had no track at time, but I was quite surprised when a flatbed pulled up. I thought it was the dealer coming to pick up our lawnmower, and was quite pleased that Bobby had called them and they had responded that fast. Usually it takes several days to get on the pick up list, and then it takes 2-3 weeks (at least!) for them to repair and return the mower. A few minutes later, Bobby came up and said "They got it fixed. The fuse was loose." I was like ...What?!  And then I realized it was not the dealer who was there, but the boys who rent the farm from my Mom-in-law. They delivered her riding mower to us, AND repaired ours. What started out as head-butting session with reality turned into a blessing. One of the boys continued with the trim work, another took our mower and started on the back yard, and I started with Mrs. Bryan's mower doing the second cut on the front and finishing what had not been completed. We were able to TOTALLY finish the yard (cutting wise) before 1pm. They came back today and finished the trim work and did some around the pond. The ending of that story was certainly nothing like the beginning!

Meanwhile my nephew has a HUGE pile of topsoil behind his newly built house. He didn't let the builder haul it away because a relative said they wanted it, but after several months of staring at it, they've offered it up to anyone who will take it. They have someone coming this weekend, but he told me I could take what I wanted. So we loaded the wheelbarrow up the ramp in Bobby's van, and I've brought about 7 wheelbarrows full over since last night. We were able to fill up the gaping holes DOT left in the curb at our driveway (where they took our yard for the turn lane into the school), as well as a few holes left on the other end of our front yard where they raised the road. (They put in a silt fence for several months, and it had been raining when they came to pick it up and two pick-ups got stuck in our yard...yeah rah!) We quit at 11 this morning as I had a lot of indoor work to do. We were expecting company this weekend, but I got an e-mail saying no one was coming. My first thought was total relief! So I'm still pushing to get my projects done, but the zeal and panic is gone. We'll see whether or not that's a good thing.

I'm 3/4 finished with trimming the shrubs, 3/4 finished with cleaning the pantry, and I've currently got laundry going and am tackling a messy pile in the laundry room. My goal is to have at LEAST one of these projects completed before church tonight. And who knows? I may have started 3 others before the day is out.

our fun tourist trap

Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia, while not accessible, does have a lot of museums AND a garden maze. We went through the maze (that is wheelchair accessible), got lost more than we found our way, but mostly enjoyed it. I was fascinated by the layout, disappointed by the "hidden" things (places to stamp a message on a sheet of paper so you could get a $1 off a tshirt in the gift shop where the maze ended...no thanks), and flabbergasted by the "clues" that basically said "go 15 steps and turn right, then..." Yep. Seriously. The clue is - exactly where you need to go. That's not quite my idea of a clue. Bobby was amazed at the number of families doing it with small children; I was amazed at the number of small kids running into you and screaming "IT's a DEAD END!!! It's not the way!!! Go BACK!" as if the world was coming to an end. By the halfway point it was almost comical. They did have a lot of neat statuary and metal art with flowers throughout the maze, and near the halfway point was a ramp that allowed you to look down on the maze over the watering fountain in the middle. Maybe one day in my old age I'll create a maze, wherever I'm living, and the map and hidden things will be more along the lines of what I thought this experience would be like.

I did not take pictures of the Lib's Place, the quilt shop we visited on the way home. Turns out we have been there before, and it's one of my more favorite shops I've ever been to as for content, friendliness, and quirkiness. I'm glad it's not close-by, as I would probably spend WAY too much time there!

And this post concludes all our vacation pics!

museums

We were able to visit quite a few museums on our trip. The Virginia Quilt museum was nice, though it didn't quite live up to its billing of having exhibits covering the history of quilting. It did have two very nice and interesting exhibits, though. I did take some pictures of the upper floor exhibit so Bobby could see a few pieces (old houses don't have elevators), but nothing can be photographed and posted electronically due to copyright restrictions.

We visited two different civil war museums (both within a few miles of each other but on the same battleground area). One was a private collection from a man and covered a very wide time period (Indian artifacts, Civil War, WWI and WWII). The timeline was jumbled (you'd be reading a row of civil war info and suddenly be at a case of WWI), but the amount of items and the detailed information was overwhelming, incredible, and a historian's delight. Almost all of their information came from home firsthand sources. While it wasn't the best layout or design in presentation, it was probably one of the more informative museums I've been to. The second museum was part of the Virginia Military Institute. It was more modern, had up-to-date presentations (videos, lighting, less reading, more spacious displays). We also learned a lot here about the local impact of the war, and I got my exercise in walking through the farm where the battle took place that included VMI students and where the story for the "Field of Lost Shoes" took place. On a side note, I should add that the path is not strenuous, but we were pushed for time and determined to get it all in before closing so we were walking at a very fast pace.

On our last day of the trip we were able to fit in three more in Lexington: the chapel/museum of VMI, the chapel/museum of Washington Lee University, and the house of Stonewall Jackson. What we didn't realize before our arrival was the the campuses of Virginia Military Institute and Washington Lee University are adjoining. That helped us pack in a few extra things that day!

We were both impressed with the VMI chapel.

The eagle in the podium is actually a music/lecture stand that is placed inside the podium (the stage was empty).

the back balcony, as seen from the front.

The museum at VMI is located on the 2nd and 3rd floor under the chapel. The second contained what we went to see: the stuffed "Little Sorrel" (the horse of Stonewall Jackson). Bobby didn't think he looked all that great, but laughed that he didn't know what he expect from a horse that had been dead almost 150 years. I was most impressed with the layout and description of the barracks and how they had changed (and how little) over the years. 3rd floor was half a description of the ring ceremony (a ball held not long after cadets receive their class rings) complete with ball gowns worn by previous attendees, contributions (inventions, not money) from graduates, and a historical weapons display. I was amazed at the number of important international military personnel who had graduated from VMI.

And literally on the same street is the Lee chapel. Next to the big tree in the bottom right of the picture is the burial place of Traveller, Robert E Lee's horse. That was the second thing Bobby really wanted to see. I was amused by the number of people who came while we were there just to see that very thing. One man remembered coming as a boy with his father when they had Traveller's skeletal remains on display. I think his wife was pleased to see it was now buried with a marker. One of the guides talked about how the horse had a notice posted nearby when it was living (during the late 1890s) asking students to stop plucking the horse's tail hair (I learned that horse hair was used for a wide variety of things in those days) as Lee was not happy that his horse was looking like a "plucked chicken".  During Lee's tenure as president of the school, chapel was not mandatory, and it was non-denominational, despite his strict attendance at the Episcopal church. We were a bit saddened to learn that even though he considered spiritual development to be one of the most important things a student could learn, that within 10 years of his death chapel ceased to exist at the school. Today it is only used as a lecture hall and for weddings. No religious services are conducted there. On the flip side, a statue of him now lies in the addition over the crypt of his family behind the main stage. I can't imagine trying to hold a worship service with a statue of a person in repose behind the stage.

Stonewall Jackson's house was interesting and educational as well. Of the three African-American churches that formed in Lexington after the Civil War, one of them is still standing and has a stained-glass window dedicated to him. Turns out he thought slaves should be taught to read and write, and skirted the law prohibiting it by saying he was simply giving them the training they needed to be better slaves. Almost all of that congregation had learned to read because he held "slave Sunday school" for the community slaves, and taught them both the Bible and how to read and write. The first two slaves he owned he purchased at their request so they could work to earn their freedom (and they did), three came with his second wife, the fourth he purchased (a small child) and those four chose to stay with him/his wife after the war. There were a lot of other details I didn't know about. War stories make me sad and make me almost lean toward pacifism, but I it also makes me realize how little society has changed when it comes to ruling with our hearts only and not our heads mixed with some heart.

Shenandoah Valley Caverns

While in Virginia last week, we visited the Shenandoah Caverns. It's one of three caverns in the area, but this one clearly specifies on the website that it has an elevator and people with disabilities can see 95% of the tour. And it was impressive.

Leah, our amazing tour guide, pointing out the natural bridge (above her head) and the "levels" of the cave.

a close up of the "2nd floor"...and this pic doesn't do it justice!

I had a hard time getting the display behind us with both of us in the shot. This was an area that had all the kids in our group amazed. They really liked the colored lights.

One of the many areas with water. Some were clear;some reflected.

the 'bacon" strips...some of them really do have the color of bacon strips!

A bolder that had fallen from above (years ago).
I think this sight made some in our group a little uneasy.
I heard Thailand mentioned more than once.

This was one of the few places where we had to bend down to get through. It was the perfect size opening for Bobby.

Also at this site are two buildings. One a barn housing the owner's collection of antique buggies (which we loved walking through!), and the other was the owner's "other job" - the warehouse for the floats and backdrops used in parades and political events. We were blown away. It was totally amazing.

pear salsa

We've had the best crop of pears that we've ever had this year. The storm we had last week blew quite a few down, and we went ahead and picked almost a bushel so we could have some before the squirrels got them. I was afraid they'd go bad while we were gone, but they didn't. So at least 3 days this week have been spent making pear salsa. I have used up all my small jars so I am officially DONE. We'll just have to eat a lot of pear salad and give pears away with the remainder.

 Bobby bought me an electric canner for Christmas and I LOVE it. Since our stove stop is one of those ceramic flat pieces, you're not supposed to put heavy canning pots on it. I've done it anyway, but I've talked to too many people who've had them crack. Because the pot is so big, it takes forever for the water to heat, much less process, and it heats the whole house up. While storing the electric canner can be a challenge, it heats up fairly fast, is easy to clean, doesn't heat the kitchen, and I don't have to worry about it destroying the stove top. Win, win!

And the pear salsa, pre-cooking.

Pear Salsa

2 limes

18-20 medium-large pears
1-2 medium tomatoes
2 c chopped onion

3 green peppers, diced
3 red peppers, diced
3-4 T minced garlic

1/2 c sugar
1/2 c white vinegar
1 T salt
2 tsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (add more if you want it spicier)

1. Squeeze lime juice into mixing bowl. Add some water.

2. Peel and core pears. Slice fruit into pieces. Place in mixing bowl.

3. Rinse the fruit. Place in large pot on stove.

4. Add remaining ingredients.

5. Bring to a rapid bowl. Reduce heat to medium high and boil for 20 minutes.

6. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 1 hr.

7. Place in canning jars (or serve if eating immediately) with new lids. 

8. In canner, once water comes to a boil, process for 20 minutes.

movies that I'd like to see

Goodbye Christopher Robin - this one actually came out last year, but it deals with how the 100 Acre Woods came to be, and I've been intrigued by that ever since taking a children's lit class in college and learning that Christoper Robin wanted nothing to do with his toys or stories after his father made them famous.

Little Women - coming Sept 28th!!! In celebration of Alcott's novel being published 150 years ago, we have a modernized telling of the movie, and I can't wait to see it!

Christopher Robin - coming this fall, it's Christopher Robin grown up, and his old animated buddies come to visit.

Wings of Eagles - a remake of Eric Lidell's story.

I Can Only Imagine - I both love/hate the song, but I'm intrigued by a film about how the song came to be.

I've still not seen the latest Wonder Woman or Beauty and the Beast and would like to see those as well at some point, but they don't rate as high on my desire list! Wouldn't it be awesome if we could set aside one weekend a month to do nothing but read books and watch tv! Unfortunately, that is not going to happen!!