Baby and Picnic Reports

Bryant is doing great still yay thank god!!! He is now 2pds 3 oz and he might be off the vent in a few days
Memorial Day Picnic went well, with 3 or 4 veterans and an active duty-officer in attendance.
Anybody need some sweet corn? We have extra! soooo good.....

Replay...

Instant Picnic! Invite one young Army family, add on an older couple, include several ladies who usually have Bible study on Monday, don't forget their husbands. Presto! Chango! You now have the makings of a Memorial Day observance. So that's why I got up at 6 to make cupcakes and cookies and check the supply of disposable eatingware. Sent hubby off to the diner with a shopping list. "The ice is the most important thing...if nothing else, please get that." (We can use washable dinnerware, if necessary.) Other ladies will, of course, bring their special recipes to augment the hamburgs and hot dogs that I promised. It'll be a good time. And we WILL remember to honor our fallen and aging veterans. God Bless America!

Baby Bryant...

Bryant is doing awesome..he pulled the tube out last night they got it back in...they are going to try and take him off the vent in a few days and put him on drops...pray that he can do it without the vent!!

Did I tell you...

OK...Mother's Day was a few weeks back. My children did their usual sweet and wonderful things. Uncharacteristically, my husband got into the act.
He gave me a crudely-wrapped package (he's not the flowers and poetry type). As I opened it, I made some comment like, "I'm not your mother," but it was thoughtful of him to remember, right?
Inside the box was......well, you'll really get a kick out it......he's such a romantic and all......
Inside the box, all covered over with white tissue paper and such, was.....a stuffed pillow looking marvelously like a two-foot long rock bass, all brown and orange and with fins! It even has buggy eyes.
It is soft and wonderfully huggable.
I took it to church, that day being Sunday, and got lots of attention. I'm sure all the ladies were jealous. One little boy almost took it home, but I still have it.
And you thought Mother's Day was all about flowers and jewelry!

(And no, I'm not thinking this is a notice from the Mafia. Actually, it is another "auction" special!)

Baby Bryant

from his auntie....
Melissa baby bryant's oxygen went up to 100%.. not so good but they said its b/c he's so active.. he loses all his energy! he also had to be put on a steroid for his lungs today. Please continue to keep him in your prayers everyone!

hhmmmm

As I was leaning over the wooden rail on the back deck, I heard a loud buzzing in my right ear. My usual response would be to slap at the intruder with my hand, but I'm so glad I didn't. It turned out to be a hummingbird, who was eager to try some of the red juice I'd just made available in a glass container hanging on the big spike. The bird didn't appear to be afraid; it was just thirsty.
Fun events at home in the country!

Water

When we need it, we can't get it quickly enough. When we have too much, we're quick to complain. When it is where we don't want it, we deal with it. When we don't have it where we want it, we arrange to have it delivered there. We have water in our basement that seeps in from outside. It doesn't bother much, since it's just "runoff". We have a well. Its water is full of iron, so we have to have machines to clean it up and soften it for daily use. We now have a new faucet at the front of the house, so the water from the well can be used to make the garden happy.

Corn

I know my followers don't want to hear this, so I'll be brief.
I planted 6 rows of Sugar Baby corn yesterday.
By hand.
And the rows are 84 feet long.
In a couple weeks, if the ground gets warmer, I'll plant some more.
That will be 70-day Polka corn.
And I'm sending the rest of the seed I bought to my brother in Virginia.
He's already planted his garden, but it was so dry the corn hasn't come up yet. Since there is a lot more room in our 1/6 acre of prepared ground, I will let friends plant their garden here if they want. Maybe they will inspire me to weed mine!.

Visual

From the back patio, I see green. Lots of green.
The grass...freshly mowed.
The trees...in spring garb.
The apple tree. I'm so glad former occupants of our farm decided to plant an Ida Red apple tree right in the back yard! The last couple autumns, I have harvested and turned into beautiful pink applesauce, the fruit of this tree.
The maple tree. My son planted it before he left home for good, so it must have been before 1995. We buried his German Shepherd under it when the dog experienced a stroke and had to be put down. His sister scattered wild flowers over the fresh dirt.
The sumac bush and the lilacs. I'm sure someone planted the lilacs; I would guess the sumac just invited itself into our back yard. Lilacs are past their prime now. Sumacs haven't begun to put out their red "flowers".
Other trees further off include an elm and another maple. That one we actually tapped one spring in an attempt to make maple syrup. I remember having the sap on the wood stove in the effort; I'm not sure if we actually got any syrup. One tree would take a long time to produce 40 gallons of sap!
Above all, of course, is the blue sky...and a few white clouds.
The birds are doing their spring dances; the insects the same.
I am resting and reflecting and praising. It's all good.

Okay....

I sit here with my fingers on the keyboard and wonder what is going to pop out of them today. Apparently planting and gardening are not resonating with my followers. Of course, it's my blog, so they get to read whatever I write. They don't have to respond...or even make a scratch on the doorpost that they were here. It's all ok.

I went to a church about 30 miles away last night with a long-time friend and fellow church member. We hadn't been there in a long time, and they are having special meetings this week.

The speaker was interesting and punctual. We were finished an hour after the service began! Of course, there were few "preliminaries" to dispense with. A worship team (couple) led us in 3 choruses and we were ready to go on a discussion of "hell".

Things we learned were that "sheol" and "hades" mean the same thing. "Sheol" is used in the Old Testament, so I'm guessing that it is Hebrew. "Hades" is used in the New Testament, so it's probably Greek. Of course, Greek mythology also refers to "hades", so that's another reason to believe the word is Greek.

Apparently "hades/sheol" holds the non-believers. At the end time, "hades/sheol" will be emptied into "hell", the lake that burns with unending fire.

The story that gave rise to this discussion is found in Luke 16, where Jesus tells of the beggar named Lazarus who dies and is carried by the angels into (paradise) Abraham's bosom. The rich man who had ignored Lazarus also dies and is buried and is in hades. There is a great gulf between the two places, but in this story they can communicate. Paradise/heaven is definitely a better place to be than hades. And, after one is deceased, he cannot make any further choice concerning his environment.

Update...

Bryant is on 40% oxygen... they are going to start tryingto feed him breastmilk in 3 days or so... they are going to do a test to see how his brain develpoment is in a couple days!! Please be praying for him and all of his family!!!

Muddling Along

How come...when you have a great idea....like planting sweet corn or inviting a traveling gospel couple to the church....it all seems so simple? Just Do It!
Then, of course, come the complications.
What kind of soil? What kind of seed? How will the farmer treat his cow corn? Will that preclude your planting sweet corn nearby? Will his pesticides to kill bugs inadvertantly kill your people corn?
What will the couple require? Do they need a place to stay? Do they expect to make a certain amount of money in order to keep them solvent? How will any such money be collected? What does the church think of the whole thing?
The glowing dream in your eyes becomes smaller and smaller, darker and drearier. We can always buy corn locally. There are people in our church who sing.
Why would we want to do anything different?
Well, why would we? And how important is it to us to veer from the rutted path?
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
But we have gained in the exercise, no matter the outcome. We have considered options we would otherwise never have considered. We may or may not have grown and matured, but at least we know several more things that don't work, and why.

Serendipity?

The guy who has been harvesting our grass for cattle hay just surprised me.
He is plowing one of the fields to counteract the roughness he has encountered with his equipment. This year, he will plant (hopefully cultivate) and harvest field corn. My husband checked, and the guy is willing to plant some sweet corn if I buy the seed. I DO so love sweet corn!
Now I have to go to the local farm store and decide what kind of sweet corn will best fit my needs. If it's a good year, I will have enough to supply the whole church! (Well, at least one corn roast....)
Here's hoping!

29.....

Today is my "29 and holding" day. It's been fun so far.
My darling husband took me to an Armed Forces Day parade.
We became thoroughly chilled in the hour and a half of seeing important people, old cars, Army vehicles, community organization floats, one high school band, an army band, and a semi-pro drum and bugle corps.
Then we went to a fast-food place for potty break and lunch.
The craft and music show was poorly attended, but it was poorly advertised.
Of course, I may have missed some of the public notice, and by the time we got there, perhaps most of the people had been and gone.
Anyway...then we stopped for ice cream on the way home.
I never had a raspberry and chocolate sundae, so this seemed the perfect time.
It was scrumptious...and very filling.
Don't know that I will need dinner, after all that!
(Waiting for the USPS person to bring me packages from offspring.)

LIttle Miracle

Baby Bryant Scott was born this morning by C-section about 3am. He was 25 weeks old, but he was having difficulties so it was decided to remove him from the womb. After his birth, he was airlifted to a hospital about 100 miles away. His mom is very sore...and emotionally spent, I would guess. She, of course, was not allowed to accompany him on his flight. I understand his paternal grandmother was able to get there to represent the family, even though I'm quite sure Bryant wouldn't recognize her. When he was born, he was weighed in at 2# 6 oz. After being at the new hospital for awhile, he was measured at 1#6oz. I doubt that the flight caused that drop in body weight, but I wouldn't want to accuse any one of mis-weighing the newborn. At any rate, he is said to be breathing on his own, which sounds like a definite miracle.
If you have any extra prayers, I'm sure Bryant and his family would appreciate them.

Friends...

This probably could go without saying, but I'm gonna say it anyway.
Our friends touch our lives in many ways.
Well, duhh....
I can appreciate vicariously the busyness and anticipation of packing for a first-ever cruise.
I can visit an old friend and try and minister to her in a traumatic time of loss.
I can suffer the pain of recuperation from back surgery.
I can swell with love as the Air Force son visits before his next assignment which will ultimately take him to the Middle East.
I can learn to read a book, and wonder whether I ever really did that, in the way described by the speaker.
I can agonize with the Weight Watcher friend over a pound gained, and rejoice over a pound lost.
My many friends are at different places, and I appreciate their friendship and sharing of their lives.

Take One Step...

Yesterday I mentioned to Dear Husband that I would like a "raised garden" to plant some veggies. We promptly found an old fuel oil container and brought it back to the shop. He has a wonderful tool that cuts right through 1/4" steel, so he cut it in half. Now there are two pieces about 5' by 2 1/2'. We cleaned them up by burning the residue inside and steel brushing the outside. I spent two or three hours painting the outsides so they would reflect the sun and not overheat the plants.
A friend of his had some topsoil that he had prepared, and he gave it to us. Well, I think there may be an exchange of a vise for soil, but you get my drift. So, tomorrow we will put the gardens in a sunny spot and fill them with dirt. By this weekend the weather is supposed to be warmer, so I can plant my 3 bean seeds, my radishes, my onion sets, and some heritage lettuce seeds I got free at the library after their "garden day". With the topsy-turvy tomato planter that I got for Mother's Day, we'll be in business! (I think I may plant a cucumber in it, since I like cucumbers better than tomatoes.) Here's to home-grown veggies!

Also for the Future

My husband and I took the tractor out to our woods and dug up a baby maple tree. We brought it back and planted it at the place last fall's baby tree was languishing. As we pulled the former tree out, we did see some tiny leaves. But, it was too late.
So, the new baby is in. We will water it and cover it against the possible frost tonight(!). And we will hope that it survives to be a legacy for future generations.
It's not too far from the blue spruce that we planted last year.

"A Thomas Jefferson Education"

Perhaps you received one of the above mentioned. Most of us didn't.
It involves reading classics, discussing them in depth, having a mentor who knows you, cares about you, and has been through or is going through this same type of education.
It is the antithesis of a "conveyor belt" education.
Instead of being expected to reach the same plateau as every other child of your age at the same time, it revolves around independent development.
It expects each person to acquire an actual love of learning, because he/she is learning stuff he/she is interested in.
Of course, the student will run across many ideas, some of which are foreign to him and which he will need to investigate further.
That's the basic plan, if there is one, for this type of education.
The family is paramount, serving as the base and springboard for the child's intellectual and spiritual growth.
Families who read their core book, frequently The Bible, aloud and often, give their children a start along the way of developing in this fashion.
Shakespeare is also a good basis, because of the many characters and ideas presented.
The goal is not "home schooling", but "leadership education".
Hopefully the child will find his own mission in life and develop himself to pursue it.
In the process, he is learning not just facts, but trends and theories that will help him understand how to live and thrive in the world of the future.
It is expected that children educated in this way will become, not just citizens, but leaders.
I really would like to further this kind of education.
It will not be easy.
The seminar speaker suggested reading classics at least an hour a day and interacting with like-minded folks.
There are, of course, online courses that can be purchased, as well as Great Books.
Right now I'm committed to spreading the word and reading.
I hope the mentoring/discussing will come as I focus on this endeavor.

"The Virginian"

I'll never forget his black hair.
And his courtesy to the ladies.
And his sterling character.
I had never even read this book by Owen Wister until it was mentioned on the seminar schedule you read yesterday.
Of course I knew it existed.
Just never had read it.
Guess I thought it was "just a cowboy story".
Well, it is that.
And it's a patriotic one, as well, in a sneaky sort of way.
It's one of those "classics".
I'm not sure who decides about that.
Maybe I'll learn something when/if I go to the seminar.

Thinking?

Someone suggested "thoughtfulness" as one of the virtues to be practiced.
As evidenced by this seminar schedule, I do believe that NNY912 supports "thinking".

Day One
9:00 - 11:30 A Thomas Jefferson Education Revisited
11:30 – 12:30 Colloquium – Comparing the Virginian to Pride and Prejudice
12:30 – 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 – 2:00 100 Childhood and Teen Classics
2:00 – 3:30 Shakespeare and The Bible
3:30 – 4:30 How to Read a Book
4:30 - 5:00 Q & A

Day Two
8:30 –12:30 Cycles of History: How the Past prepares us for the Future
12:30 – 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 – 2:00 Simulation
2:00 – 2:30 The Power of Simulation and the Debrief
2:30 – 2:45 Break
2:45 – 4:30 The Future of American Education: 8 Trends
4:30 - 5:00 Close

Now, if I attend, I will need to reacquaint myself with "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Virginian". How do they relate, I wonder. It's been a loong time since I've actually "thought"!
And Shakespeare and the Bible? What do they have in common besides "King James (or Elizabeth's) English"?
Whew! I'm tired before I begin.
And that's the problem with our present USA culture.

What Would the Founding Fathers Do?

An organization that I have become increasingly acquainted with is NNY912. Its introductory pamphlet says, "The 9-12 Project is designed to return all Americans back to the state of mind that we had on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked by terrorists, we were not obsessed with Red and Blue states or political parties. We were UNITED as AMERICANS, standing together to protect the values and principles of the greatest nation ever created. Join us in our efforts to inform, inspire and act to restore a united America."

9 Principles and 12 Values illustrate NNY912's philosophy.

The 12 Values are: honesty, reverence, hope, thrift, humility, charity, sincerity, moderation, hard work, courage, personal responsibility, gratitude.

The 9 Principles are:
1/ America is good.
2/ I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
3/ I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4/ The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5/ If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6/ I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
8/ The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

This is not a TEA Party group, but it "is a grass-roots organization of concerned citizens and is not affiliated with any political party or other organizations."

Resolution

Remember the situation with the local Skilled Nursing Facility? Well, my friend left there yesterday. There is one more person left, and then the rooms will be converted to other uses. She has been welcomed at a Skilled Nursing Unit in a small hospital about 40 miles away. She no longer has a view of the St. Lawrence River, Boldt Castle, and "lakers" or "salties" outside her window. Since she has lived near "the river" all her life, it will be an adjustment. I'm sure she will do well, because she knows God is with her wherever she resides. I was with her yesterday, her first day at the new place, helping her sort treasures and clothing. I brought boxes of "stuff" home to store for her use at a later date. Thank goodness for a mutual friend who has a garage and an unused work bench. I piled all the boxes on the bench in the walk-in garage, rather than bringing it home to carry up 2 flights of stairs! I checked this morning, and she slept well and met a couple people she knew from "back home". So, life goes on.