tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76308050514831738712024-02-07T18:15:06.915-06:00short, easy wordsBecause - It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?" - Winnie the PoohEmmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-77472227381583539882015-04-11T09:33:00.000-05:002015-04-11T09:36:21.878-05:00His eyes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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He has Achromatopsia too. Looking at the photos of the first few weeks, I can see why we only knew for sure when he was 8 weeks old: He really looks at the camera. I could never capture a picture of Jean looking at the lens, he would always be squinting and trying to hide his face. But 10 years ago we did not have a proper camera that could take pictures in lower light settings. I think we have adapted the whole house, too. People sometimes comment on how dark it is in our house (thanks to the wood paneling that has still not been painted), we do not switch the lights on if we can still see well enough.<br />
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He developed nystagmus right around his 8 week follow-up appointment with the pediatrician, and that is when I finally knew. I cried for a day, and then we carried on. He will be okay; in fact, it is fascinating to see how different he is from his older brother. We thought Jean would just sit by me because he could not see much. If we had JackJack first, we would have thought that he never sits still because he doesn't see much and has to explore! Achromatopsia is also a bit of a spectrum disorder, so it is possible that he can see more than Jean could at that age. Jean's best corrected vision is 20/350, the average visual acuity for people with Achromatopsia is 20/200.<br />
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I have not taken him to any specialist, yet. We did order tinted glasses from the low vision specialists in Indianapolis, but I don't want to sit in waiting rooms with him the way I did with Jean. It is so much easier this time. I don't have to worry about whether he can see at all, or why he can see so much better at night than during the day, or if this is going to get better or worse, or if this is part of a bigger syndrome with more symptoms etc etc etc. I can just enjoy my fat, busy little baby boy.Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-64255936490804505002015-04-10T09:16:00.000-05:002015-04-11T09:36:47.299-05:00Oh boy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Note: All of this happened almost 9 months ago, now. I have not been taking it in my stride, so blogging fell off the to do list almost the moment I got pregnant. Looking back on my blog, I realize that I should keep on writing about these things. Time passes, and I forget too much if I don't make a point of recording it.</div>
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This is Jacques Andre. Born on the afternoon of 24 July 2014, 4:45pm. 10lb 9oz! Even when I was still carrying him, I thought "this is a strong, big child". I was right. We call him JackJack.<br />
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<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-78315290649861814742013-10-16T22:05:00.002-05:002013-10-16T22:05:34.243-05:00If I knit something...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
... and I do not share it on the blog, did I really knit it?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I still have to block the vest</td></tr>
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I knit another Kid's Vest from the book More Last Minute Knitted Gifts, one of my favorite books. It is the fourth one of these that I have knit, and I will have to knit two more soon, one for every boy. Last time I worked their initials on the front of the vest in duplicate stitch, this time I think I will do something different. Maybe Christian "!" and Martinus "?", or maybe "X" and "Y" (since they are twin boys), or maybe some emoticon, eg. Christian ":" and Martinus ")" Maybe Jean wants something on his vest this time, and then I have even more options to consider... The yarn is a denim blue color, I want to do the duplicate stitch in orange. Or maybe beige, depending on how brave I feel. Luckily they can wear them even if I haven't done the duplicate stitch. </div>
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"The Paris Wife" is based on the lives of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson. I bought it on impulse at Target, because I liked the picture on the cover. Then I read something about "being one's own woman in the 1920s..."on the front cover, and almost didn't read it. (I'm not much of a feminist. At all.)<br />
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Yet, the book surprised me and I could not put it down. It was a bonus that I knew very little about them and therefore did not know how it was going to end. I can only recommend it.</div>
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Joining again with Ginny for her <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2013/10/yarn-along-149.html" target="_blank">Yarn Along</a>.</div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-60958201984859676162013-10-04T22:45:00.000-05:002013-10-04T22:46:14.630-05:00The PE EditionWe started tennis lessons today. The boys were excited: they got new shoes and shorts. I decided to take Jean with us, as the tennis court is next to a playground and a half mile running track. While the boys were playing tennis, he was playing on the playground, and while Melva played, I started the couch to 5K program with him. Today we walked briskly for five minutes, and then jogged for 60 seconds, walked for 90, eight times.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was more excited about running than this. I am not sure he knew I was taking a picture.</td></tr>
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He loved it. He was not as tired as I was, I am sure he will soon want to run faster than I can, but running is the one sport that he really can do with us. Just getting out in the fresh air and sunshine is good for him. Sometimes he struggles to sleep and I think it might be because he avoids the bright sunlight during the day. He still prefers to go outside when it is dusk, just as he did when he was a baby.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christian is just so adorable, especially in his white shoes. He vowed to never ever get them dirty.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They got to play with their best friend.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just before his mini breakdown.</td></tr>
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The boys enjoyed their lesson. Martinus got frustrated because he could not bounce the ball with his racket, but the instructor was firm and just ignored him when he started whimpering. No one gets his name right, today he was Martin, with the short i sound in the last syllable. I liked it, maybe we should call him that. At choir a week ago Miss Cathy called him Marcelo, and he responded without any objection. We called him that for a little while at home too, just for laughs. You cannot take your name too seriously if you move to America.</div>
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They are growing fast. Christian lost both of his lower incisors a week ago. He is picking up books to read by himself, and while they cannot read fluently, we are working through McGuffey's Eclectic Readers at a steady pace, and I am sure they will be strong readers by the time we start first grade. Having had two children who could not read before the age of seven (Jean only started to read chapter books when he was eight) I am grateful. As I grow older, I realize more and more that we really have nothing that was not given to us. (1 Corinthians 4:7) I did not pay more attention to them, I did not try to teach them much when they were younger, I waited for them to show an interest and they simply showed an interest sooner than the other two did. It is a wonderful gift.</div>
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The weather is starting to cool down, with highs in the low 90's and lows in the low 70's all of this week. Over the weekend a cold front is suppose to hit Central Texas; the maximum forecast for Sunday is 28 degrees Celsius and the minimum will be 11 degrees Celsius! My heart beat a little faster when I read that. Summer wasn't too bad, but it is time for a change in the seasons. Fall is my favorite season. Apparently in every hemisphere.</div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-67119465686008773992013-09-25T22:13:00.001-05:002013-09-25T22:20:17.508-05:00How I made a Roman Shade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A while back someone from church asked on Facebook if anyone could help her. She needed roman shades for her boys' bedroom.</div>
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She had the fabric.</div>
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I like making roman shades, I had the tools, and I really do not mind helping if I can, so I offered to help. I turned into a big project. I used Martha Steward's instructions, in<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Encyclopedia-Sewing-Fabric/dp/0307450589/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380163565&sr=8-2&keywords=martha+steward+encyclopedia" target="_blank"> this book</a>.<br />
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This is not a tutorial. It is simply pictures I took to remind me how I did it, because it turned out so well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6bKq0HpZISLIfYl6BFgHlWHSWqTmbE_IN3LmwBPhnuj9tJrBUHT_cve2qnD69EL_tpBTwPdtj10E7MpE9qGL7FP03K2KKt6_BNIl85nMP0JV0EfPg2IT37hdoJz5m10JIJykAvD5J9K1/s1600/IMAGE_5E6E5407-8764-473C-99B2-59BFB7BE83D4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6bKq0HpZISLIfYl6BFgHlWHSWqTmbE_IN3LmwBPhnuj9tJrBUHT_cve2qnD69EL_tpBTwPdtj10E7MpE9qGL7FP03K2KKt6_BNIl85nMP0JV0EfPg2IT37hdoJz5m10JIJykAvD5J9K1/s400/IMAGE_5E6E5407-8764-473C-99B2-59BFB7BE83D4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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There were two windows, one was 34 inches wide, the other 58 inches. I decided to make the 34" wide shade first. I had no idea how to make a very wide shade.<br />
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I cut the fabric 3.5 inches wider than the window measurement.</div>
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I folded over the sides, and pinned them down.<br />
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I folded the bottom edge up, too.</div>
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Pinned, ironed and set aside.</div>
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Then, I cut the black out fabric, and folded it over 2 and 3/8ths of an inch, at the sides and at the bottom edge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZv-VRr5ycM-CiZ5Sp5umfNdINhgM5HjKn8rdDaVP8WV4wMiCPDHZHQgISzYjhp8yr9U3Gk_q-_1hdIIfs8JSCz0fA0SrU35G6fBXGurkVWDBH8HDAGzD9R6I8NFjNxgrPQqRHpR0-EHmX/s1600/IMAGE_676F6CB4-D9FD-4BF3-8178-5F969EE67AC8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZv-VRr5ycM-CiZ5Sp5umfNdINhgM5HjKn8rdDaVP8WV4wMiCPDHZHQgISzYjhp8yr9U3Gk_q-_1hdIIfs8JSCz0fA0SrU35G6fBXGurkVWDBH8HDAGzD9R6I8NFjNxgrPQqRHpR0-EHmX/s400/IMAGE_676F6CB4-D9FD-4BF3-8178-5F969EE67AC8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ironed, and set aside.</div>
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I had to make the little fabric tubes for the dowels. I cut fabric strips 4 and 3/4 of an inch wide.<br />
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I folded them in half, and ironed them. Folded the open side over, twice, to form a little seam about 1/4 of an inch wide. It looked like this:<br />
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I sewed the seam.<br />
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I had a tube.<br />
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I needed 5 tubes.</div>
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I mitered the corners of the print fabric.<br />
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I stitched around the print fabric.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNw2nhvjFVW9ZNtM1OJDYwFCc_Ek4KyTszu8QRRVu_TCppJyycxDYz3OTrSskfoovNvJwmdXL4IaKBle2vMB0SB0XYYJu-AX5U7ki0S1eh3vu-I0V15FQH62R24qeooAL96LMjrFrsDO2/s1600/IMAGE_DB1C25D4-AEEE-4115-8B7A-E769C809DCD9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNw2nhvjFVW9ZNtM1OJDYwFCc_Ek4KyTszu8QRRVu_TCppJyycxDYz3OTrSskfoovNvJwmdXL4IaKBle2vMB0SB0XYYJu-AX5U7ki0S1eh3vu-I0V15FQH62R24qeooAL96LMjrFrsDO2/s400/IMAGE_DB1C25D4-AEEE-4115-8B7A-E769C809DCD9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I mitered the corners of the black out fabric.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SpkEtdxiQDg/Uf1ui-QrNtI/AAAAAAAACoE/HnLfE1XL0ec/s1600/IMAGE_C5EB1F59-299D-4FAC-A522-CA260288463C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SpkEtdxiQDg/Uf1ui-QrNtI/AAAAAAAACoE/HnLfE1XL0ec/s400/IMAGE_C5EB1F59-299D-4FAC-A522-CA260288463C.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I put the black out fabric on top of the print fabric, wrong sides together, invited a friend over, and hand stitched the black out fabric to the print fabric while we talked. You could do it in silence, but it is really more fun when you have company.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M1OjEta37ho/Uf1ujzoSS_I/AAAAAAAACoM/knh93nDcZsA/s1600/IMAGE_AB760F52-69D9-4E80-9C8A-528C9F011E85.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M1OjEta37ho/Uf1ujzoSS_I/AAAAAAAACoM/knh93nDcZsA/s400/IMAGE_AB760F52-69D9-4E80-9C8A-528C9F011E85.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally, done! The kitten came to inspect.<br />
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Later, I pinned the tubes to the black out fabric, and sewed them in place.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQGBQHoP1NYBaXtitfl4U5XDIHr4cNxnVdcpQFSLDCPNpMpgK9pv1sNRyqgsx6lJJQmDKNaxbpKgeknZucGBbgxFFHKSAzdrzwDLtCSPVhcEWqNCjjmJK_-vEWSUsRsRTw67IEIGtRkmn/s1600/IMAGE_E089890C-C64A-4DAF-8932-590393559F7F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQGBQHoP1NYBaXtitfl4U5XDIHr4cNxnVdcpQFSLDCPNpMpgK9pv1sNRyqgsx6lJJQmDKNaxbpKgeknZucGBbgxFFHKSAzdrzwDLtCSPVhcEWqNCjjmJK_-vEWSUsRsRTw67IEIGtRkmn/s400/IMAGE_E089890C-C64A-4DAF-8932-590393559F7F.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Like this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEajXM9Bf43wrY2RiZQB7YfYtudQh7rAn1Ugb3u8XQ9fPgwd3znHjMDhopOPr3A55y2lLatOJgqj6Z0-y1r5Jd2OtKKBBN1xjhQozXBxe0ZS_12c1YmDLgQL686IbJcSApdwdPCaPF5DsH/s1600/IMG_3091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEajXM9Bf43wrY2RiZQB7YfYtudQh7rAn1Ugb3u8XQ9fPgwd3znHjMDhopOPr3A55y2lLatOJgqj6Z0-y1r5Jd2OtKKBBN1xjhQozXBxe0ZS_12c1YmDLgQL686IbJcSApdwdPCaPF5DsH/s400/IMG_3091.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I got to play with some of the tools I bought after studying Occupational Therapy, convinced that I would need them frequently. (Staple gun, hole punch and pinking shears)<br />
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I attached plastic rings to the tubes, and threaded the dowels through the tubes. Those were the only "cord pulls" I could find, very cheap and plastic, but better than a naked knot.<br />
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And likewise, the cord cleat was plastic and cheap - I did not get to install it, my friend did the installing by herself.<br />
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Those eyelets were easy to screw into the wood (2x1) by hand.<br />
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I did not take a picture of the finished shade, because many things were happening at once. (I was also sewing a picnic blanket for a wedding present, and a long promised quilt for one of my boys.) I wish I did take a better picture of the end product, but the problem is, it looked very much like just a piece of fabric from the outside.<br />
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Hope you are well, I miss you!<br />
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-42778760614011833622013-07-10T21:59:00.000-05:002013-07-10T21:59:03.786-05:00Vintage knits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Wow, I have not participated in Ginny's <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2013/07/yarn-along-135.html" target="_blank">yarn along</a> for such a long time. Somehow, this yarn along (and auntie Leila's {phfr}) keep me entertained and fascinated. Glimpses into lives, sometimes filled with more order and wonder, and sometimes even a bit more chaotic than mine. </div>
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But I feel quite proud of the latest outfit - a charming raglan pullover, and tiny trousers, both from Vintage Knits for Modern Babies.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xhdH4bQ4hBKN596Pkap6nNK5Nzgi9sRstQaAYSZ5wMJfaM4qGof7iLLFrjWpGSUn2ikNdMGTh9fTtGMFz7tUQL3tHxBljdMY2h436KJYmr-w2WVdOnRLeziBClV6o36C1awk7KNp-Sfl/s1600/IMG_7099.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xhdH4bQ4hBKN596Pkap6nNK5Nzgi9sRstQaAYSZ5wMJfaM4qGof7iLLFrjWpGSUn2ikNdMGTh9fTtGMFz7tUQL3tHxBljdMY2h436KJYmr-w2WVdOnRLeziBClV6o36C1awk7KNp-Sfl/s640/IMG_7099.CR2" width="640" /></a></div>
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The lace detail on the sweater was just enough to make it special. On the back panel I did it incorrectly - I did not slip both stitches together when the pattern stated sl2, but rather one by one (see below). Turns out it does make a difference, but only if you know where to look. I also forgot to make the third buttonhole, but the last one is luckily not that important anyway.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MpUsAZzYJLM/Udzfub3w93I/AAAAAAAACeA/5A3eSE_4S6U/s1600/IMG_7101.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MpUsAZzYJLM/Udzfub3w93I/AAAAAAAACeA/5A3eSE_4S6U/s640/IMG_7101.CR2" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is just a little human interest story on the side. He was carrying a battery for his dune racer when his brother ran into him from behind. He fell forward, and you can see the line where his face hit the battery, the poor thing. He screamed blue murder for about 5 minutes, and today he has a beautiful black eye.<br />
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I modified the trousers a little, by adding little eyelets and an i cord drawstring instead of sewing elastic tread into the ribbing. I thought it would look nicer, and I had no idea how to sew in the elastic tread anyway. I am quite happy with the result, all in all. Considering it took me only about a week to knit. The outfit went home yesterday, to a friend whose baby is due in August. (One day, I dream of having an etsy shop - don't we all? Except for those who have one already, I guess!)<br />
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I am reading "The Hidden Art of Homemaking", by Edith Schaeffer.<br />
It is hard to describe, but I am learning as I read, agreeing with most of it, but not everything. It helps that I know someone whose parents met while they were working for <a href="http://labri.org/" target="_blank">L'Abri </a>in Switzerland, who then became missionaries in South Africa. Visiting with them has always been a special treat, I have often felt they know something I do not, and I think I am starting to understand it a little better now that I am reading this book.<br />
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Here is one quote that struck home:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">“Interior decoration is not just one's artistic efforts, but it is that which your home (even if it is just a room) is. If you are 'decorating' with clothes draped on every chair, with scratched and broken furniture- it is still your interior decoration! Your home expresses you to other people, and they cannot see or feel your daydreams of what you expect to make in that misty future, when all the circumstances are what you think they must be before you will find it worthwhile to start. You have started, whether you recognize that fact or not! We foolish mortals sometimes live through years not realizing how short life is, and that TODAY is your life.” </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">― </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/158440.Edith_Schaeffer" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Edith Schaeffer</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/408194" style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">The Hidden Art of Homemaking</a></i><br />
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Also this one:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">“It seems to me that whether it is recognized or not, there is a terrific frustration which increases in intensity and harmfulness as time goes on, when people are always daydreaming of the kind of place in which they would like to live, yet never making the place where they do live into anything artistically satisfying to them. Always to dream of a cottage by a brook while never doing anything to the stuffy house in the city is to waste creativity in this very basic area, and to hinder future creativity by not allowing it to grow and develop through use." pg 66” </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">― </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/158440.Edith_Schaeffer" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Edith Schaeffer</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/408194" style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">The Hidden Art of Homemaking</a></i><br />
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I highly recommend this book, to be read in small dosages, as inspiration. I cannot read to much of it at once; she inspires me to put the book down and go do something.Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-90089672578007330132013-07-09T21:10:00.000-05:002013-07-10T20:58:06.814-05:00Dit hang seker maar af van hoe jy daarna kyk...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dieselfde toneel, maar elkeen heeltemal anders as die ander. Dis moeilik om te glo dat dit dieselfde dag, dieselfde huis is - nie ons huis nie, vriende het ons oorgenooi vir Independence Day. Ons het hambugers gebraai en dit op papierborde geëet en water uit ou konfytbotteltjies gedrink, want dis hoe ons dinge hier doen. Buite was dit lig tot na 9, en dit was warm. Regtig warm. Warmer as Komatipoort. Maar die vuurwerke was die hitte werd.<br />
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Dit was nie 'n lekker week nie - ons was vir 'n klein rukkie swanger, en toe nie meer nie. Ek is fine, net hartseerder as wat ek gedink het ek sou wees. Wens ek kon die nuus met meer deel voor dit so hartseer geword het. Maar ek wil dit tog deel, en gelukkig kan ek maar praat, want niemand verstaan Afrikaans nie.<br />
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Ons nuwe huis is lieflik, al werk die elektrisiteit in Melva se kamer nie elke dag nie, en al is die boonste badkamer se drein geneig om verstop te raak. Dis net lekker om ons eie plek te hê, om nie meer iemand se huurders te wees nie. Die simpel eienaars van die vorige huis - dieselfde mense wat op ons grasperk kom staan het met 'n karavaan, vir drie weke, twee keer, sonder om ons enigsins daarvoor te vergoed - het 'n spul onkostes van ons deposito afgetrek wat nie ons skade was nie. Nou ja, Jacques dreig om vir hulle 'n brief te skryf, en ek onthou hoeveel dit gehelp het die keer toe ons huis gebou het. Ten minste hoef ek nie meer elke maand vir hulle 'n tjek te stuur nie.<br />
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Soms kyk ek by die agterdeur uit, en moet myself herinner dat ek dit maar mag geniet, daar is nie 'n goeie rede om te vrees dat dit binnekort gaan verbygaan nie. Die laaste jaar in Suid Afrika was so lank, en elke keer as ek opgekyk het en die tuin, of die wolke, of die son gesien het, moes ek myself herinner om nie te geheg te raak nie. Ek is dankbaar dat ek weer so begin voel oor 'n plek. Nou wens ek ek kon dit vir almal van julle wys, maar nie in Julie nie.<br />
<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-79575741488136886932013-05-15T13:17:00.001-05:002013-05-15T13:21:26.011-05:00Yarn Along<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZzcKrcavEqf9TXShP1ywpG7Sywzm0qgrLYlOF42MQ5e_yubp7cXZXSDhTHH_2VerSY4aDC_6jqcBlVksOg-HMpC_61XSpwaShUpM7_q5D8JniNl4BnEYeiLxsSTKVpXM3BC8PK5nqPOo/s1600/IMAGE_892C4EC4-03E4-4192-A472-331ECFEC3CD5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZzcKrcavEqf9TXShP1ywpG7Sywzm0qgrLYlOF42MQ5e_yubp7cXZXSDhTHH_2VerSY4aDC_6jqcBlVksOg-HMpC_61XSpwaShUpM7_q5D8JniNl4BnEYeiLxsSTKVpXM3BC8PK5nqPOo/s640/IMAGE_892C4EC4-03E4-4192-A472-331ECFEC3CD5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A cat on a bag. Austin passed a law to forbid plastic bags a while back. Since South Africa did that a long time ago, I did not really mind. What irritates me is that they no longer offer paper bags, you have to ask for one if you forget your bag. Which isn't the worst thing in the world, I just think you should not be made to feel guilty about forgetting you reusable bags. Ugh.<br />
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And now I am crocheting my own shopping bag, one that is truly reusable, as you can wash it too. The reusable ones you buy at the store gets very filthy, don't they? I will have to crochet more than one, but it is a beginning, at least. I bought the yarn on sale from Craftsy, it is Cascade Cotton Rich Worsted, and how I wish I bought more! Cannot wait to go shop at Whole Foods with this one, perplexing the <strike>hipster</strike> cashier with my handmade, recyclable shopping bags and four children (and minivan). <br />
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I am reading "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-One-Only-Ivan-ebook/dp/B005DIB6GG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1368641184&sr=1-1&keywords=the+one+and+only+ivan" target="_blank">The One and Only Ivan</a>" aloud to the boys. I started to cry so much that I could not read any more, and now Jean is finishing it by himself, and reading little bits aloud to me. It gets happier, after a while, but if you are someone who does not even like to go to the zoo, and who would not consider going to a circus, beware. It is pretty sad. Yet, I still recommend it, especially for little boys who are reluctant to read. I found Jean last night at 12:15, reading under his covers.<br />
Joining with <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2013/05/yarn-along-127.html" target="_blank">Ginny</a> again. I wish I could get this move behind me so I can catch up with all the knitters - and oh, I almost forgot! I bought one of <a href="http://loritimesfive.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Lori's</a> Yarn Along project bags. It is as perfect and beautiful as you would have imagined.Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-90027109989559206892013-05-14T23:23:00.000-05:002013-05-14T23:23:10.384-05:00Writing Home, S.1 : Ep. 2<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How about a post without any pictures?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That sounds dreary, but the laptop's screen is broken, Lightroom is only on the laptop and I have not taken any nice pictures with my iPhone. I'll go through them later, maybe one or two can work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The topics were, again: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The weather</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The weather is still gorgeous, surprisingly and mercifully. It has rained one day during the past week, and more rain is predicted for tomorrow. The day temperatures have been ranging between 25 and 30, very similar to South Africa now, but the nights are colder over there. All this rain makes me worry about how we will mow the not-lawn at the new house. It is grass, and we will be expected to mow it, but it is not a level surface you can cut with a regular mower. I think they had a little ride-on-mower, and we will not be able to buy one of those now. Should we get a landscaper to mow it now and again with his ride-on-mower? Which makes me start to think about illegal immigrants and the whole immigration debacle and I just do not want to go there right now...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our house</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, it is officially ours now. Wow. I love it, although I promised never to love a house again. We go there every Saturday night for a barbecue (the boys call it camping), and I go there every afternoon to paint, since we decided that the shade of beige was unacceptable. We are not painting all the rooms now, but we will, eventually. I am painting Jean's room grey (Winter's Day and Schoolhouse Slate, by Martha Steward). Our room will be Flagstone and Sandpiper... All neutral, desaturated colors. We have decided to paint the wood paneling too. I will try to take a picture of the den with its floor to roof paneling. I feel sorry for the man who installed it, but he has passed on, and we cannot live in such a dark space. Or let's rather say, we would prefer a surface that reflects more of the natural light, since I am sure we could live in about anything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I think I should say we will move when we must. Although I am packing, (I have taken all my yarn there already, and a lot of the boy's toys), by far the most of our belongings still have to be packed and moved to the PackRat. And then there will have to be a day that we move the PackRat. After that, we will have to get another crate for the rest of the things... I do not think we will get professional movers this time, it is very expensive. Everyone at church offers to help, but I feel uncomfortable accepting help with a move - it is so unpleasant, I would prefer containing the damage to one family? Who knows what my reasons are. All I know now is that I should not slack, I should just keep on packing, and by the end of the month it will be over, because we have to be out by the 31st.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At school this week</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can imagine, just doing the core: math, reading and writing, Latin, and some history through reading. And Spanish, which is not really the core, but would make finding illegal immigrants to help easier. (Just kidding!) Jean finished <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Meet-Robert-Lee-Step-Books/dp/0394800737/ref=pd_sim_b_1" target="_blank">Meet Robert E Lee</a> today. He was in tears. General Lee had difficult decisions to make, it explains the complexities of the American Civil War on a level that children can understand. Jean deeply identified with the character, and it exhausted him. Finding him crying in the kitchen, reading aloud the last two pages to his little brothers to share his agony with them, was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Melva is pretty much immersed in her Math, finishing Pre-Algebra in 5 weeks and starting Algebra in 3 (oops). She did well in the last in-house math competition, improving her score from a year ago by more than 50%, and jumping several spots in the ranks. All of that aside, I love the people I meet at math team. One of my friends will teach a little group Middle English starting in the fall, and another friend from math team offered to lead a book club for middle school girls where they would be free to discuss worldview questions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">An interesting observation that Jean made this week: "Bilbo Baggins did not believe in God and Jesus, mamma". "Why, Jean?" "Because you cannot believe in Jesus and not talk about it. Not for as long as that book is." Well, except maybe if you grow up in a place where everyone believes? I was asking myself, because I cannot remember speaking much about God when I was young. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Says the Christian who does not mention her faith in her "about" profile anywhere. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The trick is to tell the truth, though. (Not the truth about whether you believe or not, but the truth about Jesus.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What I am reading</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Which brings me to my book: The Screwtape Letters. I have listened through the whole book last week, and now I am listening to it again. An older, more senior demon writes letters to his nephew, instructing him on how to lead his subject, a young man, safely home to their father, the devil. CS Lewis is brilliant when it comes to making things clear, and pointing out stumbling blocks in the life of all believers. This is a book I should reread every year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One before and after</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> This is cheating, actually, since I have already posted these on Facebook.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Move four q-tips to make 3 equilateral triangles:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Clever, isn't it? We love Beast Academy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And one terrible picture of the upstairs bedroom and media room, that were connected:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">but no longer are... (This was after the first coat of paint, a second coat today made a big difference. It is so dark, I think I will have to do another coat to cover the beige completely.) The lighter gray covered the beige much easier (the wall on the left hand side). Jean loves it, and I am trying to think how I can sneak yellow accents into the room without losing the masculine feel of the room...Yellow battleships, maybe?</span><br />
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-88363735673133266552013-04-30T22:40:00.000-05:002013-04-30T22:40:25.703-05:00Writing homeThe phrase "something to write home about" becomes real when you live many miles and eight time zones from home.<br />
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I have been trying to think of a format to make it easier, something like "7 quick takes Friday" or a day book, like some others do, but I find that I usually would come up short when I have to fill out their empty spaces. So I think I will make something up as I go along, using some of their ideas hoping that they will not mind, and aim to write home once a week.<br />
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Because I write these posts specifically to keep my family and friends back home up to speed with what we do, you might find this a bit weird or personal if you stumble upon my blog. I decided that I can live with that.<br />
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The weather</h3>
Everyone has been going on about the great weather we have had in Austin (if you misspell that, spellchecker throws out Rasputin - that's funny). I must say that a spring like this would have made our transition here in 2009 much easier. For almost two months now, temperatures have been between 24 and 27 degrees most days (Celsius, of course!), and at night temperatures drop below 20. We even had quite a bit of rain, and the grass is green, the flowers are out, and we know that we should appreciate this while it lasts! In future, I will try to be more specific. Especially if I do this every week, then I could come back and read my blog for gardening purposes.<br />
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During one of the rainstorms, a huge branch broke off one of the trees in our backyard. Two of our neighbors came with chainsaws to help us clear the branch away. I love that about America. While they often publicly complain that they are all so self centered and that there is no sense of community, we have been surrounded by kind and caring friends and neighbors from the day we landed, much like we were in South Africa.<br />
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Our house</h3>
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While I write this, we will be closing tomorrow. Finally. They have been promising that we will close "tomorrow" for about a week and a half now, but this time I think they are sure. The move will wait for a bit, we have paid rent for another month (signed the contract one year ago), and I am planning on moving slowly, and doing most of it by ourselves. The house is as close to our "American Dream" as I could have imagined: Two story, wrap around porch, big lot, big trees. It is in a pocket where there is no homeowners' association, yet the homes around us are beautiful with tidy yards. We are on a dirt road, there is electricity but no water or gas from the city. That is part of the reason why it took so long; the owner had to drill a well to ensure water supply to the house. I will miss my gas stove, but I can live without it. Best of all is that we are still close, we are not out in the country, and most of our friends live within 15 minutes' drive. As much as we complained in the beginning, this city with its quirky neighborhoods is really starting to grow on us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are getting 7 gallons/minute, they say that is as good as it gets in Texas.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the fenced-in backyard</td></tr>
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At school this week</h3>
I have succumbed to another new curriculum: Beast Academy. At the moment they only have a third grade curriculum, but since we finished Jean's Singapore curriculum for third grade and I prefer to go deeper into the topics rather than rushing through them, I ordered this from The Art of Problem Solving website. Melva is currently doing an online course in pre-algebra through their website, and Beast Academy is in a way a curriculum to prepare younger students to approach math from a different angle. The guide books are written in comic book style, while the practice books have a more regular format. I highly recommend these, the problems are challenging but fun to solve, and the child walks away knowing what an acute angle is just as well if not better than one that had to repeatedly label angles either acute or obtuse. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Jean can read the smaller font if the material is interesting enough! What a little skunk, if that were a regular story he would have said that he cannot read it. He prefers his stories to be read to him, he will read non-fiction.<br />
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I also started to read to Jean from "The Story of Science" by Joy Hakim. It is a secular text, but it states openly that origins belong to the realm of philosophy rather than science, and treats religion with respect. It describes the development of science and different theories from the earliest times - I believe there are 6 books in the series, and I once again recommend them. I am influenced by both the Classical Model and by Charlotte Mason when I choose curriculum, and I like the way science and history are combined in this series of books. Somehow Jean recalls history facts better when he has fun science related facts to pin to his history facts. Melva read the book on her own, I should order the next one in the series for her.<br />
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What I am reading </h3>
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I add this to hold myself accountable. I am currently not reading "The Paris Wife" and looking forward to the day I will stop watching silly programs on Hulu, and start to read. I have seen all of Downton Abbey and it exhausted me, but at least I am not ashamed of watching it. (I know that I am not the only one!) I am ashamed to say that I also watched all 8 seasons of Bones in 3 months, every single episode. It is just so much easier to watch a TV program than to pick up a book; it is absolute poison. I guess that is what I have been doing while I wasn't writing home. Sorry.</div>
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One "Before and After"</h3>
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I am getting good at cutting their hair. I like doing it myself. I feel that, by now, I do it as well as a rushed Good Clips trainee does it, and it saves me $13. (Doesn't he have great hair?)</div>
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And that, in a nutshell, is what we have been doing, more or less. I have been knitting too, of course, but more about that tomorrow.</div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-19261730502197335802013-03-27T15:11:00.000-05:002013-03-27T15:11:26.754-05:00Yarn Along: Kid's Color Block Cardigan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am in bed with something that could be flu, but I don't want to miss <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2013/03/yarn-along-120.html" target="_blank">Ginny's yarn along</a> again. I have been knitting quite a bit, but I am just sharing my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kids-color-block-cardigan" target="_blank">Kid's Color Block Cardigan</a> today.</div>
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I used Billow, KnitPick's new thick and thin, bulky weight cotton yarn. I love it, it is soft and the colors are beautiful. (I also entered a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/knitpicks-lovers/2490980/26-50#46" target="_blank">photo contest</a> on ravelry with this project and another baby blanket that I crocheted) I am surprised that the boys love this so much. They are taking turns wearing it, but officially it is Christian's sweater. When Martinus tried it on the first time, he loved it so much he asked me if he could sleep in it, as it was soooo soft.<br />
When I am not sleeping, or trying to sleep off this horrid flu like cold, I am reading a children's history book by Genevieve Foster. I am sure all of the homeschoolers know about her, but she is new to me, and I love reading the history the way she writes it. They call it horizontal history, or something like that, meaning that each book spans only a short period of time, but tells about what happened around the world. At the moment I am reading The World of Columbus and Sons. I am sure we did this when I was a child, but I seem to have forgotten most. <br />
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And now I have to lie down again. I am sure I will get around to most of the wonderful people that link up, but maybe a bit later this week. Happy yarn along!<br />
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<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-33330271273324593822013-03-25T16:56:00.000-05:002013-03-25T19:32:21.284-05:00Preparing for Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have never decorated for Easter. Growing up, I think we tended to roll Easter and Christmas up into one and celebrate both over Christmas.<br />
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But this year I decided to knit eggs and a nest. I have knit a couple of prototypes, and I like this combination best - a dove grey egg in a straw colored (sisal rope) nest. To remind us of the new life, Christ's Resurrection, and the new life we have in Him. Easter is my favorite celebration. <br />
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Every year we remember the terrible events on the Friday night. Yet, we know that it ends well, that it was all part of the Plan. On Sunday, the women will find the tomb empty.<br />
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<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-36824133364607041552013-03-20T23:44:00.000-05:002013-03-20T23:44:50.341-05:00Big cat, meet little cat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We can still see you, silly cat</td></tr>
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Last year a stray had kittens in our friends' garage, about two months before we left for South Africa. I told the children that we could not take one, because we were going to be away for 8 weeks, but if it were not for our trip, we definitely could have taken one. <br />
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About 3 weeks after we returned, another cat carried her litter into that same friend's backyard! There must be something about that yard. The kittens were already about 4 weeks old, and this time, we picked one, and when she was about 8 weeks old we brought her home. She is a spitfire. Her name is Daisy. She has been with us for about 10 days now, but today was the first time I had a chance to go out when the light was good, to take some pictures of her.<br />
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Until now we have kept her separate in Melva's room, and I have been giving Patrys a lot of attention. He has been sour, and limited interaction to hissing at the kitten and asking for his milk to be warmed a little. Please. Before he slunk out again. He is starting to warm to us again, and occupied his spot on my bed today for the first time since the kitten came.<br />
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The photo session was very funny - he never really pounced, but he kept on stalking her. Melva stayed close to Daisy to lift her to safety, but in the end it wasn't necessary. Let's hope they become friends in future, or at least, that they each learn to tolerate the other's existence. I am just glad we took her in. She is so pretty. He'll come around.<br />
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<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-31676232195991599042013-03-15T22:15:00.000-05:002013-03-16T10:27:58.360-05:00This morning on Town Lake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I intended to do a lot of schoolwork with Melva and Jean during spring break, and we did. Melva does two online Math courses through <a href="http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/" target="_blank">The Art of Problem Solving</a>, (pre-algebra 2 and competition math), and they did not stop, so we had a good incentive to just keep on going. I am enjoying the history that we are listening to at the moment. Jean read a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Book-Bugs/dp/B0007DOHZY/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1363400768&sr=8-1" target="_blank">book about "bugs"</a>, the first book that really caught his attention and had him running to his room during breaks to continue reading. I am so grateful for kindle editions - without kindle editions he would simply not have been able to read that book. If you are going to be visually impaired, this is a good age to be visually impaired in.<br />
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I read a similar book about mammals to the twins, that taught me more than I ever learned in biology. I sometimes wonder what we did in school, how it all became so fragmented, and why I retained so little. I guess it had a little bit to do with the fact that we were training for tests rather than learning for the joy of learning, but I do not think too much about that. I homeschool because it is a lifestyle that suits us, with all our special needs and abilities, just so well. I love it. <br />
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Today we went to the park with friends. We spent the whole morning on the lake. The twins made me very happy by repeatedly calling out "this is just like in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Book-Bugs/dp/B0007DOHZY/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1363400768&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Make way for Ducklings</a>!". (Yes dears, except this is Austin not Boston, and you are feeding the coots not the ducks. Bread, not peanuts.) Jean did a great job rowing on his end of the boat, I am glad to see that some of the training last summer carried over. Melva and her friend spent 90 minutes unsupervised out on the lake, and saw swans, herons, egrets and American Coots. We only saw the coots, and two different types of turtles that we still have to identify. I also found an Acacia tree in bloom - apparently there are native acacias in Austin. What a beautiful sight, the puffy yellow flowers, so completely out of place!<br />
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After 4 years in Austin I still got lost on my way to Zilker Park, but I blame it on the GPS. I really knew where we should have gone, but listened to the silly machine instead of just driving there. I have never driven to Zilker Park without losing my way. If you know anything about Austin, you will know that that is really inexcusable, the park is like the heart of the city. There is a hike and bike trail next to the lake, where cyclist might yell "there are way to many children out here!" in your direction now and again, but apart from that it is one of those places where I am happy. I went there when we just came to Austin and we were still running on adrenalin. I went there with my mother and my sister. I have gone there with dear friends. Just a happy place, full of hipsters that I kinda like. (very handy hipster translator <a href="http://cdn-www.cracked.com/articleimages/ob/hip2.jpg" target="_blank">here</a>)<br />
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And the weather? This is the time to visit Austin. Just perfect.<br />
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(Pictures taken with my iPhone, Hipstamatic app, Jane lens and Ina's 1935 film)Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-26752500897316598312013-03-10T00:10:00.001-06:002013-03-10T20:28:22.874-05:00Once upon a time,<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
in a faraway country,</div>
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we had a dog.<br />
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(We loved visiting with him in December. He came home as a puppy one week after we brought the twins home from the hospital. He now lives with our dear friends, who have to adopt dogs every time someone moves to America.)Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-17896563286902027992013-03-09T23:45:00.002-06:002013-03-10T00:19:20.626-06:00Trying to blend inSometimes I do not write because I feel as if I have no pictures to go along with the words, and pictures reveal less than words, so they are easier to share. Real people, who really know me, read this, and it is all they hear from me, and they <i>know </i>me, so my writing voice has to sound like my speaking voice.<br />
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Sometimes I do not write because I am too busy.<br />
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Sometimes I do not write because I am in a difficult patch, and a bit moody, and it seems wrong to sit down and write cheerily about crafts and such while I really feel as if parenting is far too difficult and all those people with clean, neat houses have their priorities all wrong. They, too, should spend hours aimlessly browsing or taking pictures with their iPhones.<br />
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But tonight I have a few pictures to show, at least:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3RMQAfvjoWpDIG1k1LtW_IJ78WELMG2gJH2gCFqJwJUNM8TrITYWCaOakyK3DIY6C74nbP3j4Zo-Ou_0YBmOc2ifV0FGXoG8PkWPBmZ-89bbS3aZGi3HUR0bYG9oZYkLl7SLd0X-e86N/s1600/IMAGE_FDA8D473-6C25-485E-88F8-A66FDA50A6C3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3RMQAfvjoWpDIG1k1LtW_IJ78WELMG2gJH2gCFqJwJUNM8TrITYWCaOakyK3DIY6C74nbP3j4Zo-Ou_0YBmOc2ifV0FGXoG8PkWPBmZ-89bbS3aZGi3HUR0bYG9oZYkLl7SLd0X-e86N/s640/IMAGE_FDA8D473-6C25-485E-88F8-A66FDA50A6C3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The tablecloth was a gift from my mother, with printed South African flowers)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Jacques' sweater was a gift from his mother, hand knit.)</td></tr>
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(Wow, they are big!) A week or two ago we did not have bread in the house, and I have not replenished my pantry completely since we came back, so I had no bread flour. Martinus was distraught - do we not have ingredients either?! So I fell back on good old white flour, eggs, milk and butter. And baking powder, of course. I used a scones recipe, but instead of making individual scones (by the time I started to panic it was 1 pm), I just made a big round scone and cut it into eights. I know this is how many Americans do it, I have never seen it in this shape growing up. We pulled out the good old Lyle's Golden Syrup and Marmite, and added butter and cheese. Lunch!<br />
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Back in South Africa, walking though the aisles of the Spar, I felt so happy. Everything I loved was just there, so easy, no hard thinking about what to do with it once I brought it home. My sister bought me the syrup, in Namibia. I found the Marmite at a World Market. Today I found a site that sells many South African products, and decided to buy some Ouma Rusks, Mrs Balls Chutney, Iwisa Maize Flour (for breakfast pap, and it is not the same as grits, I promise you) and Handy Andy. As if there isn't enough cleaning liquids in the US. But I was on all fours under the kitchen table, yesterday, wiping up sticky brownie crumbs, and wishing that I had Handy Andy - just because I know how to use it. I also bought some sweet chili sauce, Wellington's. Because it really is not available here, and I eat it on everything.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurPtgPc5_lY7uFG3b6CSHGrRsvVNICdcFeCr5wdvEHbcHCXX7XLnELVH9XE3rqDpcv4gl8Oulckth7Y5B1df0r9Nd22QP8e1oV81AJTGlIfEREJJKZfM33pXS4_nDVK085nWCfvK_do5T/s1600/IMAGE_B59B4E4F-3784-4CD5-AE32-054D52F129B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurPtgPc5_lY7uFG3b6CSHGrRsvVNICdcFeCr5wdvEHbcHCXX7XLnELVH9XE3rqDpcv4gl8Oulckth7Y5B1df0r9Nd22QP8e1oV81AJTGlIfEREJJKZfM33pXS4_nDVK085nWCfvK_do5T/s640/IMAGE_B59B4E4F-3784-4CD5-AE32-054D52F129B3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
In other news, we are buying a house! The same one we saw in October and thought we could not get because we would not be in a position to close before April 2013. We have signed the final contract, and the date of closing is specified as April 30. We went back to look at it again, measured the rooms, and we still love it, I think I love it even more. It may be our "forever house". It looks big in this picture, but it is not that big - 2200 square feet (205 square meters). Four bedrooms, two living areas and a breakfast nook next to the kitchen.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dFw5QX1HOxc/UTwWTtQewFI/AAAAAAAABtU/DRFyLghKz3g/s1600/IMAGE_14C51893-AEAA-42E2-94D8-A1451A884619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dFw5QX1HOxc/UTwWTtQewFI/AAAAAAAABtU/DRFyLghKz3g/s640/IMAGE_14C51893-AEAA-42E2-94D8-A1451A884619.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
This is the view from the back of the house, that fence is part of an enclosed area behind the house. (The Alpaca pasture?) How funny, I never noticed the wires and poles when we were there, you get so used to them here in Texas. It is a good sign, it means that you do not have to bury everything to prevent it from being stolen.<br />
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(As I write, it started to rain, and I hear some thunder. What a rare treat to listen to thunder and rain in the darkness, when everyone has gone to bed but me and my poor husband who has a deadline coming up next week...)<br />
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And now I just want to show you what I have been doing with my iPhone, and Hipstamatic, my favorite app so far:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMmL41fhHS3-RD_SioH8e9CJ5j7L4C8RCo0GtXRDh8DqbiWCfcD9qdVOMxzOuVxlSUbxib1rAYzPu1LK5ggMIX3eR-5K3Htvc4rmeqcVamHH_BysPUitvH-1quCPsD5dL1-uHkbI85aKM/s1600/IMAGE_AB452463-B928-4C24-BAFE-90EB65951377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMmL41fhHS3-RD_SioH8e9CJ5j7L4C8RCo0GtXRDh8DqbiWCfcD9qdVOMxzOuVxlSUbxib1rAYzPu1LK5ggMIX3eR-5K3Htvc4rmeqcVamHH_BysPUitvH-1quCPsD5dL1-uHkbI85aKM/s640/IMAGE_AB452463-B928-4C24-BAFE-90EB65951377.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And these ones are spooky, but I like them:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgG_sV_RP41L-kXtdYbz8wHZl69h0rxpUC-Pwc_R5irlT_2dM1Apj-n0GaD5S3qYxwTXBiUV73SKpTD7w9XT-97kWDcieKcyiBD_hVXGXwXf-HM-5EJ7ioo5BjNNtn5rkxizgrBM_JeclM/s1600/IMAGE_64349E7F-B922-4FB8-A48B-9A2097766B5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgG_sV_RP41L-kXtdYbz8wHZl69h0rxpUC-Pwc_R5irlT_2dM1Apj-n0GaD5S3qYxwTXBiUV73SKpTD7w9XT-97kWDcieKcyiBD_hVXGXwXf-HM-5EJ7ioo5BjNNtn5rkxizgrBM_JeclM/s640/IMAGE_64349E7F-B922-4FB8-A48B-9A2097766B5D.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXFcoImKpSFzpjrE01GfzD_2XtQrwsEjCblZtr0YKn_DZTa8nDmyzIQMb3EIo1TajorVYTtCfUtuyCfRSXqrQ6TGMttQoR3FH9j0k741r6qVHp8CQWpkUbTOwE0iDjRVmOK5CfQbD5-Fq/s1600/IMAGE_35F1038B-9515-467B-BCD7-862E3472BF61.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXFcoImKpSFzpjrE01GfzD_2XtQrwsEjCblZtr0YKn_DZTa8nDmyzIQMb3EIo1TajorVYTtCfUtuyCfRSXqrQ6TGMttQoR3FH9j0k741r6qVHp8CQWpkUbTOwE0iDjRVmOK5CfQbD5-Fq/s640/IMAGE_35F1038B-9515-467B-BCD7-862E3472BF61.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHR9fJ3NGCGUxUd17QXdxtdFUS6Y2Vn0xCvSKyclVee1iqTmHPZlgr58cyhjOyIy6MeQOqwXoyEpLrCJZNtjk_djOrSmD6NGYHfhBdlwwzJey2EC96YuNV44dmxHMxpXAA4LdQLJsY3KV3/s1600/IMAGE_EDF6CC33-7F63-40F3-9333-663B500D9593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHR9fJ3NGCGUxUd17QXdxtdFUS6Y2Vn0xCvSKyclVee1iqTmHPZlgr58cyhjOyIy6MeQOqwXoyEpLrCJZNtjk_djOrSmD6NGYHfhBdlwwzJey2EC96YuNV44dmxHMxpXAA4LdQLJsY3KV3/s640/IMAGE_EDF6CC33-7F63-40F3-9333-663B500D9593.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I like things that appear to be old. I treasure the hand-me-downs from friends; I love to know that it had once been their mom's or an uncles', even the second hand homeschooling books with names written into them in the front gives me a sense of belonging. Blending and mixing as much of the old with as much of the new as I can.<br />
<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-89122233628733383342013-02-19T22:35:00.001-06:002013-02-19T23:43:35.979-06:00Something new<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFstpnhZpvVRH79U4oKDCHt0dyb6kRGwMp3XQU83MmU5QzAS-HQ_TjCDRNwtHV_S5NPdsP4yBYsuafUEZU9rKN7beF-cK1wqNM9tITg7V-tNRksI7GvEQw3anqwRoA71f_uN-IGJVbHjJ/s1600/IMAGE_AA154BD9-70B8-4077-9723-0304581F87CC.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFstpnhZpvVRH79U4oKDCHt0dyb6kRGwMp3XQU83MmU5QzAS-HQ_TjCDRNwtHV_S5NPdsP4yBYsuafUEZU9rKN7beF-cK1wqNM9tITg7V-tNRksI7GvEQw3anqwRoA71f_uN-IGJVbHjJ/s640/IMAGE_AA154BD9-70B8-4077-9723-0304581F87CC.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I took out the squares we crocheted last spring, when the grandmothers were visiting. Last year I started to crochet them together, and it took so long that I stopped. This weekend I tried to simply sew some of the blocks together using a whip stitch. It took almost one tenth of the time, completely justifying undoing the previous attempt to make them into a blanket and re-doing it.<br />
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In the end there will be ten rows of seven squares each. I have now completed seven rows. In other words, 49 down, 21 to go. When I have joined all 70 squares, I will crochet a neutral border around them to make the blanket a little bigger. Then I will phone my mother and and mother in law, to let them know that it is finally done. They have been asking, and I did promise to finish it.<br />
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The book is from the library. I love crochet, but many of the things people crochet should not be displayed in public. Granny square blankets are safe, granny square coats/jackets/vests are hideous. (My amigurumi nativity is pushing the boundaries.) This book's projects are mostly safe, and some of them I love and would love to make. But I do not crochet half as well as I knit, so I will return the book, finish the blanket, and move on to my next new obsession:<br />
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iPhone photography.<br />
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I don't know how I should feel about iPhone pictures, or sharing them. A part of me thinks - that is strange, taking pictures and sharing them. On the other hand, they look far more like the pictures I have in my head of what I saw than the pictures I take with my camera, if that makes any sense. My iPhone makes it possible for me to take photos and share them immediately. Or after a little tweaking. I love it, it is addictive.<br />
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This picture above was taken with my iPhone, using the Hipstamatic App. People often apologize for phone pictures on blogs, but I think you can take fine pictures if you use the right shortcuts. I bought two books: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/iPhone-Photography-Shoot-Photographs-ebook/dp/B00AE6OONY/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1361332753&sr=1-2&keywords=iphone+photography" target="_blank">iPhone Photography</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/iPhone-iPad-Photography-Pictures-ebook/dp/B0099SJZS2/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361335025&sr=1-7&keywords=iphone+photography" target="_blank">iPhone Photography: 35 Apps for Great Pictures</a>. Together they have improved the quality of the snapshots I have taken with my new iPhone, well, I don't know, significantly. (I also bought a tiny tripod for my iPhone, which is perhaps taking it a bit too far.) I have scanned the books, will have to go back and read them more carefully, but I must confess - I never thought I would like an iPhone, but this is my best new toy ever. And I do not even use it to phone anyone.<br />
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Apart from all this, I am still reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Nazareth-Baptism-Jordan-Transfiguration/dp/1586171984/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361333956&sr=1-3&keywords=jesus+of+nazareth+by+pope+benedict+xvi" target="_blank">Jesus of Nazareth</a>. I have just completed the discussion of the Lord's Prayer, and am now reading about the Parable of the Prodigal Son. <br />
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Joining Ginny once again for Yarn Along. I finally moved the button to my sidebar - hurrah!<br />
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(Whatever Martinus had last week was contagious, and Christian did, as I feared he would, follow in his brother's footsteps. Thankfully they are both much better now, and just a little thinner.)<br />
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-22876637357167729762013-02-14T23:56:00.001-06:002013-02-14T23:56:45.109-06:00{pretty, happy, funny, real}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~</span></i></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Joining with Leila & co over at <a href="http://ourmothersdaughters.blogspot.com/2013/02/pretty-happy-funny-real-sukies-living.html" target="_blank">Like Mother Like Daughter</a></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8Ri_c77XAwTeFd5oc5-bDajCwABG33oW_IlUMYquQUFEm9u23kPotliTw1foU4AWoyFh-u-dQ3DZ6z0iO_41YgPzho_-IMhkbdjZC5gwCKgHvR1ar4XE-MTROKfbdzTZrX7y9Mnwls9M/s1600/valentynsdag-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8Ri_c77XAwTeFd5oc5-bDajCwABG33oW_IlUMYquQUFEm9u23kPotliTw1foU4AWoyFh-u-dQ3DZ6z0iO_41YgPzho_-IMhkbdjZC5gwCKgHvR1ar4XE-MTROKfbdzTZrX7y9Mnwls9M/s640/valentynsdag-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Violas. They keep on blooming, so lovely. Still adding to the garden, thanks to "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Language-Flowers-A-Novel/dp/0345525558/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">The Language of Flowers</a>".</div>
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I think I have been asking Jean for 4 years now to just draw one picture of a house, or anything other than a tank or a dinosaur or a galactic colossus. Martinus, much better but a little unstable today, was in tears: he could not remember how to draw windows on a house. His sweet older brother stopped his math lesson (very generous of him...) to demonstrate the drawing of a house. Finally, now I know what he will draw if ever a psychologist should ask him to draw a house.</div>
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{funny}</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkJPfB72p7s6hVgo-5ca0Cu1wW22NrwmFh3_8k0umwFH2L113LSCZnkXEVYSfFBJjpMSnLZr6kLCrQw7e6bzrKu7qtERQr2I9ZaJBL6JQeVBK5P6cnONrh966BGJldLjhQpufG1fzzfiq/s1600/valentynsdag-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkJPfB72p7s6hVgo-5ca0Cu1wW22NrwmFh3_8k0umwFH2L113LSCZnkXEVYSfFBJjpMSnLZr6kLCrQw7e6bzrKu7qtERQr2I9ZaJBL6JQeVBK5P6cnONrh966BGJldLjhQpufG1fzzfiq/s640/valentynsdag-2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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You need to hear the hollering and shouting to understand - Martinus is in there. It was not serious, nor dangerous, he wanted to be in there and went down slowly and carefully. But then he wanted out. And the other three wanted to launch a rescue attempt in style, and did not want me to simply tip over the pipe...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcignHPKS53P7X-NFVWAGfKxcCweyVjT_UmeQRe-Emqtr_QS1BPUknNubaMn8YV7p4lcG-aNxb5xKHuL8kVa-wQWt414L9FgQs1KRZC3vU3fbeF7dPqzXorX1luiEHSj4O0YekIaoQMtHr/s1600/valentynsdag-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcignHPKS53P7X-NFVWAGfKxcCweyVjT_UmeQRe-Emqtr_QS1BPUknNubaMn8YV7p4lcG-aNxb5xKHuL8kVa-wQWt414L9FgQs1KRZC3vU3fbeF7dPqzXorX1luiEHSj4O0YekIaoQMtHr/s640/valentynsdag-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Unscathed, if a little unsettled. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5Y60iDsT6mP5qLN8579iMwKbj3uwUeom8NCDCAr4lhAgKvU1dai-vvSLp21d0huAWLgdUqGfrGbPejaRbqjx2PWJJsBrWioKmGtC6w00feXpPmVRUAiyI-_ujPE69AOeWNHzWYdvbjwy/s1600/valentynsdag-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5Y60iDsT6mP5qLN8579iMwKbj3uwUeom8NCDCAr4lhAgKvU1dai-vvSLp21d0huAWLgdUqGfrGbPejaRbqjx2PWJJsBrWioKmGtC6w00feXpPmVRUAiyI-_ujPE69AOeWNHzWYdvbjwy/s640/valentynsdag-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Oh, there is the lid...<br />
The rule is that lids are not toys. But honestly, I simply cannot feel serious enough about lids - they are mine, and kitchen utensils, and yes, they have other toys, but they make such great shields... I guess I will be washing spiderwebs and soil off lids for a couple of years to come.<br />
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So there, it can be done. Contentment, in everyday life! Sometimes I wonder if this could be everyday life, we have so much to be grateful for, surely it must be more than just everyday life? (And other days, I think, surely everyday life cannot be this hard. On those days I usually do not blog. Hehe.)<br />
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<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-40237366486695070502013-02-13T22:50:00.000-06:002013-02-19T23:46:37.666-06:00What I did on my 37th birthday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJCrjovb0d63RccuXB8YrPE9k6dDdyO346kV6ib-a247ElJG3-9Y86D-fjHL4FEDBkC6r9XcyGo9EHFWxXXWw2YtbocruGl4r1M63HgmjNRF5mOZJzThJfLjscLxvLYivGICip1RpTwvm/s1600/martinus+is+siek-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJCrjovb0d63RccuXB8YrPE9k6dDdyO346kV6ib-a247ElJG3-9Y86D-fjHL4FEDBkC6r9XcyGo9EHFWxXXWw2YtbocruGl4r1M63HgmjNRF5mOZJzThJfLjscLxvLYivGICip1RpTwvm/s640/martinus+is+siek-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the little ones was sick - at first I though he just wanted to snuggle on the couch and read a book, but then his eyelids grew heavy and his cheeks and lips became just too rosy...A very restless night involving a lot of laundry followed.<br />
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So this morning I gave the bigger ones instructions, and tried to sit with him as much as possible. We watched Wall E. (I love the part where they splash the robot next to the pool!) The other one slowed down, now and again, to offer him moral support. Luckily he is not sick... I know, not yet. But although they do everything together, they do not always fall ill at the same time.<br />
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I went to the dentist. That wasn't very pleasant.<br />
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I talked to my sister for an hour. Her cat is having kittens!<br />
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And: I got a new iPhone from my dear husband. I do not keep up with them, but he says mine is better than his, I can see that he really wants one like mine. Happy day, I can now browse ravelry patterns all day long! I can also find myself once I get lost, which happens more often than you would think.<br />
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We had dinner as a family. I guess that is about that. Just the way I like it.<br />
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I have been disorganized and have not blogged as much as I hoped to. Today I want to join <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2013/02/yarn-along-114.html" target="_blank">yarn along with Ginny,</a> although I have not been knitting very inspiring things. I have been experimenting with my yarn, I am so happy to be back with my stash. I knit the beginning of a Pi shawl, and frogged it because I did not have enough yarn. But I loved the feeling of knitting a Pi shawl. And with the same yarn, I crocheted half a baby jacket. Turns out you cannot finish much with 50g of Debbie Bliss cashmerino, but I know now that the yarn would work should I ever have enough on hand. I am actually knitting <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/das-tuchle" target="_blank">Das Tuchle</a> with baby alpaca yarn, and it feels lovely, but it isn't pretty. I might add a crochet border to make up for the monotony. (I love the instructions: Now you repeat this row as long as you want or if you have only not much yarn left.) I may make more shawls like this one, I have some beautiful Koigu and Madelinetosh Sock Yarn in my stash... I may also just frog it and start something new - honestly, if I carry on like this I may never spend money on yarn again. Hopefully not, the alpaca feels wonderful and I discovered that I like wearing shawls.<br />
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The book I am reading, on the other hand, is very inspiring. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Nazareth-Baptism-Jordan-Transfiguration/dp/0385523416/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y" target="_blank">Jesus of Nasareth</a> by Joseph Ratzinger, or, Pope Benedict XVI. It is dense and rich, I am both reading it and listening to it, and most passages I listen to more than once. Even though I worship in a protestant denomination, reading this convinces me that the schism isn't that deep. This book is beautifully written, and I will be studying it throughout Lent.<br />
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And now I will go to bed before the boy starts to wake up again. Hopefully the worst is behind us.<br />
Happy yarn along, y'all!<br />
<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-63775807659561565612013-02-01T22:46:00.001-06:002013-02-01T22:46:59.685-06:00Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am glad our house is a little house,</div>
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not too tall nor too wide:</div>
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I am glad the hovering butterflies</div>
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feel free to come inside.</div>
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~ from Song for a Little House, by Christopher Morley</div>
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(Except, in Texas, it is the crawling tarantulas and scorpions that feel so at home...)<br />
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It is good to be home, again. In one short week we have seen most of our dear friends, we have shared meals and whole afternoons. The suitcases are empty but everything have not found it's place yet, and the laundry is already starting to well up, but I have more peace than I have had in a long time.<br />
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And I am not referring to our busy vacation, I am referring to the past four years: the excruciating, unexpected pain of the initial amputation and later, the gnawing feeling that it might have been a wee bit rash to pack up and move so far away. Struggling with strange flavors, the heat, the cold, missing social cues, sticking out and not fitting in, anywhere. Without any family, and not sure whether or not we had friends.<br />
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But now we know that we are not the only ones. We are not alone. (At the very least we have our cat. He is still alive, fat and happy.) We love our family, our family loves us, and we will remain intact. We will see them, at greater than regular intervals, but they will be a part of our lives. And we were missed. And it is so good to come back and be hugged once again.<br />
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In about 3 or 4 months we will move away from this little house, and into a bigger house. In the mean time I planted flowers because I read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Language-Flowers-Novel-ebook/dp/B004J4WLB4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359777036&sr=1-1&keywords=the+language+of+flowers+by+vanessa+diffenbaugh" target="_blank">"The Language of Flowers"</a>, and because it helps to keep me focused here. And also because it is so incredibly dreary outside.<br />
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I planted Persian Buttercups (Renuculus Asiaticus). According to my book, they could mean: " You are radiant with charms". I also planted Lantana, just because they are a weed back home and it amuses me to carefully transplant and water a plant I have known as a weed for most of my life.<br />
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Really, it feels like planting dandelions.<br />
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I planted some vegetables too: broccoli (haha), cabbage (hahaha) and lettuce. At least broccoli and cabbage are green, and I will eat them, even though no one else will.<br />
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Isn't it amazing how lettuce grow when it is cold? I feel sorry for them every time I water them. Luckily it is not that cold, we had a couple of warm days, actually. (Up to 80 degrees F). But the last three nights it had been near freezing. I planted the lettuce because I eat lettuce, every day. I also want to have a reason to go outside, I want the boys to see me work outside, in the garden, growing things that we eventually eat (not that they really eat lettuce either, truth be told). Hopefully, when we move to our new locating in May, I will have the self discipline to have a big garden, and spend many hours outside with the children tending vegetables they do eat, like cucumber and tomatoes.<br />
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Homeschooling is back on track. I devised a new system of 8 "<a href="http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/" target="_blank">pomedoros</a>" a day, and we are getting to at least 7 of them, regularly. The twins are learning to write their capital letters, and they know the first 20 sight words (probably by heart). Suddenly they want to draw and write, and they love doing mazes while the big children work.<br />
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And now it is February. For me, it is really the start of a new year, and the start of our real life in Texas. I feel settled in, despite knowing we will soon move. And I think I may love chili with salsa and guacamole as much as I love boerewors...Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-55133215987456156902013-01-09T14:38:00.000-06:002013-01-09T14:38:13.827-06:00Some progress!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Isn't it wonderful how you can knit wherever you are, and just be calm and see how the project takes shape, bit by bit? I am still knitting my sister's Park Street Cardi, but now I can walk over and ask her to try it on every now and again. We are in Tsumeb, Namibia, our home away from home for the next 10 days or so. I am still sorting through my photos, I get overwhelmed when I try to pick the ones that will describe this place the best. <br />
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I am very happy with the cardigan so far. I love the yarn (Puffin, by Quince & Co), the pattern is very well written, and I survived the short row shaping without having to frog a single row. From here on, I only have to finish the sleeves and add the collar - I love these sweaters that are knit in one piece.<br />
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The book I am reading is a crime novel written by a very popular South African writer, Deon Meyer. It is available in English, as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thirteen-Hours-Deon-Meyer/dp/0802145450/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_3" target="_blank">Thirteen Hours</a>. If you are interested in one description of the new South Africa, I guess it is a good book to read. I love crime mysteries, but I must say that despite the good enough story line, and the interesting perspective on South African life, the language is unnecessarily crude and it really gets under my skin. Maybe I just do not want to know what a policeman thinks every moment of a very stressful day? I am going to finish it, though. I have to know what happens in the end.<br />
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And I thought I should add just one picture to tell about our past week or two. I promise that <i>my</i> children were all safely inside vehicles.<br />
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Looking forward to seeing what everyone is up to over at <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2013/01/yarn-along-109.html" target="_blank">Ginny's Yarn Along</a>!Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-50055692762034169962012-12-22T18:12:00.000-06:002012-12-22T18:22:18.963-06:00Snapshots through a dirty window (Stilbaai to Kammieskroon)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>"Cry, the beloved country, ... </i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or a valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much." </i></span></span><br />
<i><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- Alan Paton</span></span></i><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">When he wrote this, I was the unborn child. I always wonder: did he mean me too? (But I have not lost all, and I have gained much. I guess then that I do, or did not love too deeply? Or am I not that child? You must be exhausted just reading this, but hey, sometimes one wonders.)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It feels so good to know the names of the trees again. Did you see the quiver trees?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Tomorrow we enter Namibia, and I do not know yet how we will connect to the internet, once there. I have so much more to say.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">And if I am away for a while, "Well, then, "Merry Christmas, y'all!"</span></span>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-25331457652186020582012-12-22T17:17:00.000-06:002012-12-23T00:40:37.051-06:00so bittersweet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For one last time:</div>
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build a castle and a moat;</div>
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stroll away, be brave and strange;</div>
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warm yourself in the sand;</div>
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dance with your shadow and your twin;</div>
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hunt for treasure;</div>
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watch your cousin pick up jellyfish;</div>
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run away in disgust;</div>
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share the towel, and the last heat of the sun;</div>
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stand and stare, take it all in.</div>
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Now let's go, it's time.</div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-19107392983550782802012-12-20T00:23:00.001-06:002012-12-20T00:23:17.089-06:00Aston Bay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Reckless abandon. For some it means to dip your head under the water in the tide pool, for some it means flying through the air and falling into the ocean, face first.<br />
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<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630805051483173871.post-76127285151168169712012-12-19T17:38:00.002-06:002012-12-19T17:41:47.055-06:00Stocking the library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I finished my honey cowl, but I have not taken a picture of
it yet. Melva used the left over yarn to
knit a little pixie hat for her cousin, on the way from Stilbay to Aston Bay. I had a chance to visit a bookstore in George
on our way here, and found wonderful books to read aloud to the children.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Children’s Bible was originally written in 1992 in
Denmark, and later translated into Afrikaans.
I have not had enough time to read through it yet to decide whether or
not I like the way they translated.
Being from a Calvinist background, we never had Children’s Bibles
in our house (Soli Scriptura, of course). Now I consider them a very useful
introduction to the Bible, almost like reading Padriac Colum’s version of "The Odyssey" before reading the real book, or Charles and Mary Lamb’s “Tales from
Shakespeare.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have been quite inspired lately by a seminar that I attended
where Andrew Kern from CIRCE spoke. He
spoke about many things, those who know him will know that he does not follow a
very structured outline but rather tells stories and asks questions until you somehow
understand what he means. He encouraged
us to teach in the same way, reading good books with our children; books that
are reflections of truth. The Fairy
Books are a good resource in English, but my children are fluent in English, I
need to encourage their Afrikaans. I was
delighted to find a translation of the Complete Fairy Tales by the Grimm
Brothers. They are only slightly
altered, as far as I can see, although in this collection Little Red Riding
Hood survives her ordeal (to Jean’s dismay, he prefers the gory endings). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Nils Holgerson was a TV series that I grew up with; I do not
think my American friends are acquainted with him. It is a story about a boy that is put
under a spell by a dwarf, and then travels with the wild geese, learning many
truths along the way. I have never read
the book; I am looking forward to reading it with the twins.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We spent another lovely day on the beach today, the weather
was fine, and we had grilled meat and corn for dinner. Lovely.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joining again with <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2012/12/yarn-along-107.html" target="_blank">Ginny for yarn along Wednesday</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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PS. A gratuitous picture of the sweetest, friendliest baby boy you have ever seen. (The youngest addition to our dear friends' family of four boys.) The picture was taken by Melva.</div>
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<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746419235284346317noreply@blogger.com1