Lessons

Malachi had his first horse riding lesson today.



He was all smiles, had tons of fun, and stayed on the whole 2 hours. The horse he rode is a gentle gelding who is well-trained. He got a chance to practice a few gymkhana events with his sister and then rode through the neighborhood for the last half-hour.



Lorna had a good lesson as well. Ginger bucked once but Lorna stayed on. Considering Ginger hasn't been worked very much over the last few months due to Lorna's surgery, it was an excellent lesson. The instructor is very trusting, here she is working with Lorna on her pocket (the distance between you and an obstacle). She just stood there as Lorna steered the horse around her at a trot and lope.

Saturday Project

We were finally able to get back into the forest today.



Malachi loves to play in between jobs.



It was a good day for cutting, the weather was really pleasant and we found plenty of downed trees to cut from. Next month we will be able to cut standing dead wood and the fun really begins.

We found that cutting on a hill made for a good first trip out since the kids were able to just roll the logs to the road where I picked them up and stacked them in the truck. The day was a reminder of how out of shape we all are, it was hard work and we are all exhausted. It's the same each year, the first few trips are really difficult but it gets easier as the season progresses. We seem to be really sedentary during the winter and spend a month getting back into shape so we can do everything that needs to be done.

Tomorrow Paul will start the property clearance which is due by June 6th. For those who don't live in a wild fire area, we have to clear 100 feet around any structure on the property. You can have sparse plantings but no brush. The fire department drives by every property in the valley to make sure the clearances have been done properly.

Isolation

It's amazing how quickly I got used to having a vehicle during the day. Last November we purchased a 2nd vehicle due to fuel costs. The savings in fuel more than paid for the car payment and our insurance went down. Since then I made it part of our weekly routine to take one day a week to go to the library, market, and post office. Even though I didn't have any lengthy conversations with anyone it was nice to just get out into town and see a few familiar faces. With the cost of fuel I've had to give up my little trip and I miss it! It's amazing how quickly I have become accustom to something so trivial. This combined with the possibility I might not actually get to join the Sweet Adelines group I started attending 3 weeks ago due to the financial commitment involved makes me feel really isolated. When I think about how quickly I became addicted to outside contact I'm amazed. Just 6 months ago I didn't have the ability to go out and do anything and I wasn't bothered at all. It's funny how quickly we can become accustom to new things and not even realize it. At least we still get to go to Lorna's gymkhana group and lessons.

At the same time I'm beginning to feel more and more of an outsider on an email list I've belonged to for 8 years now. I'm not sure if it's because I'm interested in different things now, the tone of the list has changed, or just a little of both. I just feel like I don't belong anymore. The subject of the list is rarely discussed and I don't have a whole lot of interest in the things that are talked about so it leaves me deleting most of the mail anyway. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but maybe it's adding to the feeling of being isolated.

I have found that overall I am feeling more and more content here though. Sewing projects and lots of fluff books have definitely added to my sense of well-being :)

New Dress

Lorna had out grown all but one of her dresses so after finding a good deal online for some fabric this was the result.




This is the same pattern I used for this dress with a few minor alterations, gathering in the front center and a higher neckline, Lorna picked this pattern since it looks like the dresses in the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice which is one of her favorite movies (mine too). I recently ordered a supplement to the pattern which will give us a few bodice styles to choose from.

Liturgy

We've been searching once again for a church home in the area. We had hoped to be able to start to driving to church in L.A. again but gas prices just won't allow it. We know that we need to find a place within a "reasonable" distance so that's what we have been doing. One thing I noticed this morning was how much the Divine Service from TLH was something I relied upon. The church we visited this morning used a different setting out of LSB. I felt lost and frustrated during the whole service, unable to really concentrate on the words because I was trying to keep up with the music. By the end of the service I gave up trying to sing along and just read the words while the music was played. I wasn't alone, the congregation stumbled over the service as well so it must have been a new setting for them too. For me this just highlights a downfall of having so many settings and hymnals to choose from, you never know what you are going to get when you walk in a church. I wonder how the older people in the church feel about the changing liturgy if it's so difficult for me and I've only been doing it for 6 years.

We met with a pastor from a different congregation this last week. It was nice to have someone be totally honest with us about the practices of their congregation but at the same time it was disheartening. The pastor isn't sure if he will accept Lorna's confirmation, not because he doubts that she has been catechized but because of her age, this congregation doesn't confirm until the end of 8th grade and she would only be in 7th grade in the government school system. We also asked about their practice of once a month communion and were saddened by the response that it was often enough and not really all that important. The pastor didn't see a need for more frequent communion and that it was more important to get out earlier because people didn't want to have service go too late. Hearing these words from a pastor made me want to weep, to have such a low opinion of such a great gift is just beyond words.

So you might be wondering where that leaves us. We have 2 options at this point, to try the church down the street which has practices far outside our comfort zone or continue with the church whose pastor we met with this last week. Decisions, decisions...

Wild Flowers

These are a few of the wild flowers that we have been fortunate to have on the hills around us. The lack of rain means that the season is almost at an end so I wanted to share a few pictures of my favorites before they are gone.

April Gymkhana

This is going to be an odd gymkhana post since I don't have any pictures of Lorna riding. She hasn't been released by the doctor to really ride yet but we attended the April show anyway. Malachi still had scooping duty and Lorna wanted to help out and see her friends.

Lorna started out doing ribbons for those riders who wanted them. She then proceeded to help out in the arena. She helped set up and tear down an event and stood guard over one of the barrels during the event in case it needed to be reset after a ride.



It was difficult for her to just sit back and watch but she was able to learn a few things about what it takes to put on a show.

Kirsten's new dress

I'm taking a break from other stuff so I decided to make a new dress for one of Lorna's American Girl dolls. I've had this page bookmarked for awhile and just now tried out one of the patterns. The patterns are easy and quick, my favorite kind of project!

Time cont...

I now have 2 comments on the subject both expressing that they don't know what they could possibly cut in order to have more time. Has anyone ever tried writing down what they do for a week and then looking to see if there is anything that can be cut that wastes time? I know that lots of people use this method when they are looking for ways to save money so it stands to reason that the same method could be used for time.

I know that when we lived in a suburban environment I wasted a lot of time driving places. After looking at all the time wasted for very little gain I changed our habits. It helped when we moved to a small town where everything was at least a 30 minute drive each way. Now I spend one day going to the library, market and anywhere else that is necessary; there really isn't anything that can't wait for an errand day. I make out the menu for a month at a time so I don't run out of food, we aren't locked into whatever is on the menu but it serves as a guideline. Of course this doesn't work so well when you are in the midst of a big project, like moving, but once you are settled in a place it works well (at least it does for me). I was a lot better about cleaning when I tutored in the mornings, cleaning was easier to keep up on then just trying to do a deep clean once a week or so. This is definitely something I could do now to save time and back-breaking labor. I'm also a mean mommy and make my kids help with chores. Lorna's only chore outside of her room and horse is the dishes. Malachi is in charge of the trash, dogs, dusting, and sweeping/mopping the floor. None of these tasks take very long in a house the size of ours but it means I'm free to tackle other big things that come up and to spend time making meals from scratch. Everyone is in charge of their own laundry and sheets, I do the towels but since I have a washing machine this never takes more than a few minutes :) I tried a new way to plan school this year, planning all the lessons for the whole year ahead of time and then just cutting and pasting what we are doing for the week. It works better for me than planning once a week and because I'm cutting and pasting I don't have to worry about getting behind.

We are slowly adding a few outside activities. Lorna has horse stuff 3 times a month, two of those times are during a school day. The one show a month on a Saturday has become a family outing, something we all look forward to. This week I tried singing with our local Sweet Adelines chorus. It looks like it will be a great way for me to get out of the house by myself so I plan on making this a normal activity. I know that there is no way I can commit to anything else on weekends because we need time to cut firewood, since we all do this together it's just another way to spend time as a family.

These are just some things that work for us that might not work for others. One of the things we never had when we both worked full-time jobs outside the home was time together; so we've come up with things that work for us now that I'm home. It took awhile to find what works but we didn't stop trying because it's worth it to find "time".

$4 gas and more

Yesterday we had yet another follow-up with the surgeon who has been working with Lorna, everything is looking great, and saw a few stations at $4 a gallon for gas. It isn't even close to summer yet so this is depressing. But even though gas is the highest I've ever seen it there were still tons of people towing travel trailers and toys on the freeways. It amazes me every weekend when I see the campgrounds and lake shore filling up with people and their boats, I don't know how they do it.

Is anyone else having problems with Blogger? My last post was something I posted over the weekend but somehow it didn't show up so I had to repost the draft copy. I also cannot load pictures because the connection constantly times out. I thought it might be our connection but I've had no problems posting pictures and updating my Live Journal. Don't visit that page if you are embarrassed by feminine products.

Time

I was thinking about this topic as I thought about line drying the clothes. I have tons of free time. It seems like I should be ashamed of this fact since most of the people I read emails from talk about how little time they have; but it's true, I have lots of time to myself. My free time might be spread out throughout the day but there is rarely a day I can't sit down and read for at least a few hours.

I have fond memories of walking to the store and playing games with my grandmother over the summers when I was growing up. She didn't drive and we had to walk or take a bus everywhere. One thing that she seemed to have in abundance was time. We would spend one morning walking to the store, having lunch, and then returning home. The next day we might play a few games, watch TV, and hang up the laundry. I don't remember her ever being in a hurry or pressed for time.

Today few people seem to have any extra time. They are constantly running here and there and rarely stopping to do much more than catch their breath. I wonder how children will remember their parents and grandparents. Will they have the same type of memories that I have of playing games and just enjoying each other? Or will they remember being in the car on the way to one activity or another and never really having time to talk?

I just finished In Defense of Food and one of the things the author mentions is the lack of time we as Americans spend on preparing and eating food. Convenience foods are something that are common in today's world since so few people have extra time. Where has all the time gone?

People don't have time to hang up the laundry, cook food, or just enjoy life. Why is that?

Ways we save

The topic of hanging laundry out came up on Loopers and made me think of all the ways we use to try to save money. I thought I'd make a list of the ways we save.

Obviously since this is how I got started on this topic, we hang our laundry up. We also stopped using fabric softener, we don't notice a difference in the softness of our clothes so it's no big sacrifice. Since I have a front load washer I use about 1/4 to 1/2 of the suggested small load amount of detergent. Our washer also only uses 10 gallons of water per load. I use the dirty wash water to water the trees, it saves us water and electricity for the well pump.

Since I'm talking about water, we only flush when we have to. To wash the dishes we fill up one side of the sink with about 2 inches of water and soap. As we rinse the dishes the water is added to the wash water so we have plenty of water for the big pots at the end of the dishes.

We heat with wood. The forest is only a few miles from our front door. We buy permits from the USDA so we can cut dead wood to use as firewood. With permits, gas, and upkeep on the chainsaw we spend about $30 per cord of wood. We use about 2.5 cords during the winter. The forest service does controlled burns on the dead wood in the forest, so instead of wasting all the wood we use it in our home. The cost for a comparable amount of propane heat would be about $500, possibly more with the rising costs of propane. It's also a free source of exercise, cutting and hauling wood is a lot of work :)

Since propane is so expensive we've lowered the thermostat on the water heater. The water is just hot enough to take a shower without using any cold water. We also do all our laundry on cold.

I've written about our use of florescent lights and power strips before. We also make sure to only have lights on in the rooms we are in. We don't leave any lights on overnight and very rarely use the porch light.

I love to use reusable products. We started using washcloths for napkins. We switched to dishcloths for the dishes and counters as well, they clean better than sponges anyway. I don't use swiffers or disposable bathroom wipes. Instead I use microfiber cloths for dusting and rags with natural cleaners for the bathroom. All of these things are added to whatever load of laundry is available so we don't create any extra laundry, which would defeat the purpose of using reusable products. I switched to reusable feminine products over a year ago and can't imagine ever going back, I never realized how much money I wasted on those uncomfortable things!

We combine our trips and only run errands once a week. We got really good at not making extra trips out when we only had one vehicle. Even though we've relaxed that a bit since getting a second, more fuel efficient vehicle we still don't go out much. I order in the books I want at the library and pick them up on one of the 2 days a week they are open. Since I'm already out I go to the little local market if we need anything and hit the post office on the way home. Paul does all the other errands when he's out for work and goes to the post office on the way home (there is no mail service where we live so we are assigned a PO box). We buy in bulk at Sam's Club for most of our stuff, it saves us a tremendous amount and it's on the way home for Paul. Combining errands seems like such a simple thing but it is also something many people don't think about. Consider how much money and time is wasted by daily trips out, there are very few things that can't wait until the next errand day.

I think that's it, at least it's all I can think of right now. I'm sure there are other little things that we do everyday that I can't bring to mind but you get the idea.

Washer fixed

After waiting almost 2 weeks for parts my washer is finally fixed!

Every time a repairman comes out he comments on the fact that the washer sits outside under the carport. Technically there isn't anything in the service agreement about it having to be inside but they don't like it. This time he said the new rule is that anything small, all undergarments and the like, have to be put in a mesh garment bag to be washed or I void my warranty on the new pump. They even provided a bag. Easy enough and I have no problem using it.

I'm pretty sure the problem with the washer had to do with it being moved and abused so many times over the past 5 years. A nut came loose which caused the washer to spin improperly. Over time it stripped a few part making the belt come off. The pump issue may be because of it being outside and having frozen a few times. An enclosure for the washer and dryer (it is not in use because we don't have a 220 outlet) is next on my to-do list. I'm thinking we can insulate it and be rid of any more problems when the temperature drops below freezing.

Of course I have to finish the siding on the outside of the deck first. We always have a problem finishing up the little pieces and parts of a project. We only have a few small pieces of plywood left to cut and a few pieces of trim left to nail up but it seems to be difficult to find time to do it. That's the plan for Saturday, finish the outside of the deck!

Doctor update

Lorna saw the surgeon today and all the tubes were removed! He says he wants to see her again in a month, which will give us a break from these long drives. She is getting around better without any pain now that everything is out.

This appointment wasn't easy to get. We got a call from the surgeon's office yesterday trying to reschedule for next week. It seems a big donor for the hospital died a few weeks ago and the memorial was today. It was mandatory that all the doctors attend and they were informed less than 24 hours ahead of time. I refused to be pushed off. At our last appointment the surgeon wanted to remove the tubes in one week, which would have been last Thursday but since he was too booked they pushed us off until today. There was no way I was going to let Lorna suffer for yet another week. We offered to take her anywhere and they relented and "squeezed" us in. She was the only patient seen this morning and it was still over an hour after her appointment time until she was seen. I felt sorry for the family who showed up while we were waiting. They had driven over an hour to get there only to find their appointment was canceled, they hadn't received the message. It's frustrating trying to get in to see this doctor, he only holds office hours 2 days a week and he's the only pediatric urologist for several hundred miles.

Use Turnouts!

Why is it that many people think road signs only apply to others?

I had to run some errands this afternoon and got stuck behind a pick-up towing a travel trailer. The driver had 13 cars behind him on a 2 lane highway that has signs that say "Slower vehicles use turnouts". The driver was traveling 30-40 mph when the speed limit is 55mph. This is an ongoing problem on a few of the roads around here. Many people don't think these signs apply to them. They have no problem going past people who get over for them but they won't budge for the rest of us!

It starts

As fuel prices continue to creep up, we are currently at $3.70 a gallon for regular unleaded and over $4.00 a gallon for diesel, I'm starting to notice a climb in prices of everything else.

The first thing I noticed was shipping rates. Last time I ordered horse supplies online the oversize charge was 40 cents a pound, up from 20 cents a pound before that. Now the charge is 70 cents a pound. That adds up quickly on some of the bigger items making it cheaper to get them in the city even though the selection isn't very good. The next thing I noticed was food at the local market, the price of meat and milk is inching up. We found that the price of milk at Sam's Club actually went down by 70 cents a gallon so we made sure to stock up there.

Today I found out the farrier has raised his rates by $10! The price to get the horse's hooves trimmed, a 10 minutes job at most, is now $45. I'm really pleased with the availability and skill our farrier has so we will continue to support this young man, but it was quite a shock. I'm just hoping Ginger's hooves continue to only need trimming every three months!

Wash and stuff

This week hasn't been a very good one so I'm really glad it's about over!

After being sick for a few weeks, Paul went to the doctor. He was given codeine cough syrup and meds because he has bronchitis. He's feeling much better.

Lorna had a follow-up appointment with the surgeon yesterday. We had to leave at 4:30am to get there by 8:30am. We then sat there for 2.5 hours before she was called for an x-ray. The surgeon then popped his head in to say everything is progressing nicely and he would see us next week. So all that driving and waiting for a 2 minute visit. He didn't even look at the surgery site! Of course there were no open appointments so we have to wait until a week from Tuesday. That means Lorna has to have the catheter in an additional 4 days because the surgeon is so busy. Frustrating.

This pictures ends my week.



The washer stopped working this week. The repairman said the belt slipped and cannot be put back on because he needs a few more parts. He is replacing the pump as well since he said it didn't sound quite right, at least it will save me another call a few months from now. Everything is under warranty so I'm only inconvenienced for the next 8 days. I could rent a washer and get reimbursed but since there is no where to do that in town I'm going to skip it; it's not worth the hassle of driving to the big city 50 miles away.

Overall none of this stuff is really all that big of a deal but coming on the heels of the surgery last week I'm exhausted. Next week will be better I'm sure.

Update

I didn't mean to let it go so long before posting again. Lorna had surgery last Friday and we were gone until Sunday. So far the recovery is going well. She was up this morning feeding her horse for the first time since the surgery. The surgeon gave us the bad news that she won't be able to ride for 3 months. That was the first thing she asked in recovery, when she could get back on her horse. I'm a little skeptical though. The surgeon said she could go back to her normal activities including any sports in a month or two, but when I mentioned her horse he blew a gasket. It seems he doesn't like horses or "horse people" as he put it so he said it would be longer. I'm having a difficult time figuring out how riding a bike or anything else is different than a horse. She will be having a number of appointments as she continues to heal so I'll probably just keep asking when she can get back to riding, maybe he will change his mind as things progress :)

Affluenza part 2

I finished the book a few days ago and have been thinking about the "treatment" prescribed. I agree with a lot of it but I do not agree with one of their methods for changing things, through legislation. No matter whether I agree with them or not I don't thinking forcing people to change their habits is the answer. I think education and social pressure go a lot further toward changing attitudes than any benefits gained through mandating change.

I also have a problem with some of the examples they use. There were a number of people the authors mentioned that had made great changes within their lives. These people downsized and learned to live with less, and in a few cases started their own organizations to help bring about change in other peoples' lives. In all of these cases though the people had good incomes to start out with. It's like a number of the homesteading magazines I have read. They talk about how these people live on very little and have no bills but it's only because they started out with land and supplies. These people are not your average citizen deciding to make some changes in their life. I'm not saying it's a bad thing just pointing out that it's a lot easier to liquidate your possessions and downsize when you have something to liquidate.

The overriding premise was that we can and should live with less. I firmly agree with that idea. My reasons for doing that are different than the authors' though. I also stand by the idea that money may not buy happiness but I think it can go a long way to buying piece of mind. It's a lot easier to consider changes in your life when you aren't worried how you are going to pay the electric bill and put food on the table. Of course, my ideas of having enough are way different than many others.

March Gymkhana

This was Lorna's best show yet!
The past month Lorna and Ginger have been working on loping without bucking and it has paid off. Lorna beat all her previous times in the 7 events today, some by as much as 40 seconds! She was consistent in her placing with 4 second places and 3 first places winning high points for her division. We are so proud of Lorna. It was amazing to see her confidence after making it through the day loping the events. Everyone remarked that she did incredibly and her instructor couldn't be more pleased. It's incredible to think that when she started lessons last August that she was terrified of her horse. She's only been doing gymkhana shows on Ginger since January so this is a great accomplishment. If you've been looking at the pictures as I've posted them you should see a difference in these.




The increase in speed is apparent when you look at Ginger's hooves and mane.

Malachi continued helping out the club by scooping manure. In recognition for his hard work the club has decided to add $1 to everyone's fees to pay him. A few others gave him a few additional dollars in thanks as well. We had the biggest turn-out we've seen with 30 riders so it was a long day of being on scooping duty.

Affluenza

I've been slogging through the book Affluenza for the last few days.

I want to start off by saying that a lot of what the book has to say so far is good. I'm about half-way through but I'm starting to get frustrated with the on-going "preaching" about the problems of society. I think by page 50 I got the idea. I'm now ready for the "cure" or at least "treatment" for this disease.

I'm also having a hard time with a few of the arguments. One thing that is really bothering me is the idea of the exploitation of the poor unskilled laborers of the world. America's fixation with acquiring things isn't healthy and it's done at the expense of those poor people working for low wages. But if we were to fix our problems with consumption wouldn't these poor people be without any income and thus worse off? If we stop buying they stop working, how is this going to solve their problems? Can you complain about the country's love of buying things in one breath and then complain about the low wages of the people making these products? Something just doesn't seem right about the argument.

I'm also wondering about the lack of explanation about how much is too much. My definition of waste is probably different than most others. We are extremely frugal when it comes to electric and water usage so I think most people waste a tremendous amount. But even my electric usage could be considered a problem by someone who doesn't use any. Is it too much to own a second home, or boat, or ATVs, or is it just too much to want a nice first home? Is it just the desire to acquire more no matter what we have?

I guess I'm just wondering how far the author is advocating we go to treat the "disease" he claims we have. The farther I read the more it seems that any possessions are too much but maybe I'm missing the point.

Sick

Paul and I have been sick for the last week but it finally looks like it's just about over. Usually when we take Lorna down for appointments with the specialists one or more of us come back with a cold. This time Paul and I came back with the flu. Most of the weekend was rainy and cold so I don't feel like I missed out on much. Yesterday was just beautiful with temps in the 60's. Since I was still feeling rotten I didn't get to enjoy it. I plan on making up for that today since I'm feeling better, the weather is still wonderful, and my seeds from Baker Creek came in the mail yesterday! For once I was ready before the seeds got here since I got the dirt ready last week before I got sick.

Surgery Scheduled

After months of fighting with insurance and doctors, Lorna's surgery is scheduled for March 14th. The surgeon said they expect her to be released on the Sunday following. Since we live 3+ hours away we decided to get a room as close to the hospital as possible. UCLA has a hotel for families of patients but they are booked, the school has a hotel and it's booked as well. We found a small hotel that offers little more than a bed and bathroom a few blocks away that had a room available, they don't provide parking. I think we have all the problems worked out, we plan on paying for hospital parking and then walking to the hotel. Maybe I'm just cheap but it seems a bit much to charge patients for parking. Since they charge $8 every time you enter the structure (even if it's the same day) we don't plan on moving the car until it's time to leave.

Whiskey Flat Days part 2

We went back today so the kids could participate in the pet parade. They entered the best theme category. Lorna dressed Buster up with a cowboy hat and bandanna and Malachi dressed Pookie up with a bonnet and bandanna.





Lorna took second place and Malachi won first. It was really amusing to see all the different dogs and costumes. Some of the people went all out dressing up to match their pets for the matched pair competition.



We spent the rest of the day walking around looking at all the booth and going down to sit by the river. Yesterday's attendance was figured at over 50,000 people, today was a much more relaxing day with about half that amount.

Whiskey Flat Days

Today was the second of 4 days that there is a large rodeo/western event in our valley. Lorna rode in the parade that was the official kick-off. This is a huge deal for the entire valley since the population of the town that holds the event can swell from 2000 regular residents to 20,000+ over the weekend.

The parade was great with a number of equestrian groups, wild west reenactors, and local groups participating.

Kern County Mounted Police

Tagged

Glenda tagged me with a book meme.

Here are the instructions:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

The nearest book is The Harlequin by Laurell K Hamilton. It's the 15th book in a series about a vampire hunter named Anita Blake. As with most of these types of books it has were-animals as well vampires, that is what these sentences are talking about...

If I hadn't seen Chimera shift from one form to the other
like water spilling back and forth between hands, I'd have
said Micah was the best at shifting I'd ever seen.
Micah looked up at Richard. "Nathaniel would have been
trapped in leopard form for hours."

Exciting books but they can be graphic, luckily this particular section was really tame :) I'm gonna break the rules and forgo tagging anyone since most of the blogs I read have already done this particular meme.

More horse pics

We spent all day Saturday at yet another gymkhana show. There were a lot more kids than normal so it made for a long day. Lorna did well and got her best ever time in the speedball event, this event requires you run up to a cone and drop a golf ball in the top. Usually she has problems lining her horse up alongside the cone close enough to bend over and drop the ball, this time she got Ginger lined up perfectly on the first try. It was a fun day for Lorna since she got to try out her new tack and matching blanket. We have made plans to have Lorna ride in the Whiskey Flats Day parade next Saturday.

Malachi did his usual manure scooping and brought home more donations from his "fans". I completed the major task of finishing our taxes and having them accepted via e-file. It's a huge weight lifted off my shoulders and we are already making plans to spend the refund on some much needed home improvements.

Snow day

Monday we decided to take a snow day to enjoy the snow that was falling.

Malachi played and sledded down the driveway.


There are no pictures of Lorna because she said it was too cold to play for very long. I spent the afternoon sewing curtains for Malachi's area.

Reuse and Recycle

In an effort to reuse the stuff that we have, I spent the afternoon making canvas grocery bags out of old curtains. The curtains were made of heavy canvas material and were originally used as a bedroom door in the yurt. Each curtain made one bag with very little waste. Since the curtains were already hemmed I had to do very little sewing.



Instead of buying something new I wanted to recycle something old, I found this bean pot in a junk store down the road. I really wanted a soaker pot for the bathroom that looked nicer that the ice cream container I was currently using. It fits well on the shelf above the toilet and it looks quite nice.

Clouds, the Internet, and Laundry

I woke up to more rain. Because our well really needs rain I am rejoicing that we've had so much over the past few weeks. The only downsides to rain are laundry and clouds. The laundry I've learned to work around, the clouds create problems with our internet access. Since we have satellite internet we already have slower access than most others, when the clouds roll in we have little to no access. Since I just use the internet for email and fun stuff it's no big deal, it is a big deal for Paul though. He uses the connection for most of his paperwork. He has to fight with the connection on a good day because everything is done through a VPN, which doesn't play well with our satellite. On a bad day, like today, he can't get anything done because the VPN won't connect.

I am thankful all we have is rain, the snow and really low temps of the past few days have made it difficult for the washer. No matter how much I insulate the hoses and pipes I still have to wait for the ice to melt out of the machine before it will run. I think we will be building an insulated shed for the washer over the summer so we can avoid this problem next year. Maybe we will even be able to get the electric box fixed and add a 210v outlet for the dryer. It's nice to dream :)

Vanishing snow

Yesterday's plans for riding lessons were interrupted by snow. We woke up to a dusting of snow on the ground and more coming down. It snowed pretty hard most of the day but within 30 minutes of it stopping it was all gone. I didn't even get a picture since it disappeared so quickly. It was the oddest thing, it abruptly stopped snowing and then vanished.

The weather forecast for the rest of the week changes by the hour. They can't decide if it's going to be sunny, or rainy, or if it will snow for the rest of the week. Lorna's riding instructor will be calling us later in the week to reschedule since the changing predictions make it difficult to plan more than one day in advance.

Change of Plans

We never made it to the doctor's appointment or IKEA because the I-5 was closed due to snow. It was closed all day with no plans to reopen and then we got hit again last night. Since they are expecting a huge amount of accumulation over the next few days we are going to postpone our Sunday plans as well. Waiting one more week to go to church won't be the end of the world but it's still a little depressing.

Since we made it all the way to the closed section of freeway we spent the day in Bakersfield shopping. Most everything was horse related but still fun. We went to 3 different stores that sell tack and still came away without a new blanket to match the purple tack Lorna picked out. It took all of 5 minutes online to find exactly what we were looking for and at a price lower than I expected. Sometimes I think we would be better off shopping online exclusively. I also got some ideas about how to go about making our own colored nylon tack. I can't seem to find a complete set in a color that Lorna wants but I found all the components needed to make it myself. It's something I want to look at doing in a few months.

The best news of the day was that the kids' insurance was renewed for another year. I've been fighting with the state since the beginning of October. We faxed 5 different proof of income documents only to have them deny us. Since we did qualify I appealed and they finally reversed the decision. This is the last year we need to do this since we will be able to add the kids to Paul's employer plan at the end of the year, it's not a great plan (65% coverage after the deductible is reached) but at least we won't need to use the state plan any longer.

Inside projects

I'm still plugging along trying to get things cleaned up around the property but the weather has turned my focus inside yesterday and today. I managed to get my room straightened up. You would think that a small house and bedroom would mean that it's easy to keep things picked up, but that's not the case. We have a table in the corner of our bedroom that had become a catchall. I finally got everything from the table either put away or thrown out. I'm hoping to get at least one scrapbook page a week done now that I have a place to set out my supplies. I just realized that I didn't get one single page done in the last year so I'm hoping to change that. I've got pictures everywhere that need to be put in books and no lack of supplies.

Today we cleaned all the baseboards and floor moldings around the house. Since we have laminate flooring there is a quarter round that sits in front of all the baseboards. Dust and dirt seem to gather in all the little cracks and it makes the floor look awful even when it's just been mopped. We each took a section of the floor and had it done in 5 minutes. Since these projects are so easy the kids are more than willing to help and have actually been asking if they can come up with some!

I got a bonus project done this morning while waiting for the kids to finish up their schoolwork; I was able to clean out the top drawer of our file cabinet. That drawer holds all the files that we access on a regular basis. Instead of having to force things in the files now everything just easily slides in place. Since we will be gone all day tomorrow for a doctor's appointment with the surgeon who will be working on Lorna, I'm glad I got an extra task done. We plan on going to IKEA after the appointment and now I don't have to feel guilty :)

I also wanted to share our great news; Paul will be back to working only one job by the end of next week. At the end of last year Paul's day job rolled out a new compensation plan for the sales staff. The promises were big and exciting, but having been disappointed by previous employers we were skeptical. We both were optimistic but wanted to wait for the first paycheck to really see how things would go. Now that we have seen that all the promises are true, Paul was able to give his notice at McDonald's. We are so excited that Paul will be home every night!

Outside clean-up

I don't really set myself goals for the year but I've decided that I need to start working at getting the property cleaned up some more. Lorna's riding lessons and gymkhana shows have really helped me be more positive about the area we live in. I still run across lots of rude and unhappy people but I've been able to find others that more than balance them out.

I seem to be coming out of my funk of just reading and have decided to try doing one small outside project a day. Yesterday we cleaned up junk in front of the house. It seems that this is going to be a task that needs to be done every month or so since the wind brings stuff onto the property. Today we moved all the firewood into the holder and under the carport. It seemed like the perfect thing to do since it may rain tonight and tomorrow. Doing just one thing every day for a few minutes makes it easier to motivate myself to keep going. It shouldn't take more than a few weeks to get everything outside completely cleaned up and organized. I figure I might as well do the same thing inside on days where the weather won't cooperate with outside work.

January Gymkhana

Today's show went great! Lorna rode Ginger for the first time in a gymkhana show. She received 4 1st places, 2 second, 1 fourth place, and the Hi Point Award for her division. Her new instructor told her she did incredibly and thought that both Ginger and Lorna looked relaxed.






Malachi spent the day picking up manure again. He's such the little businessman,he came away with $22 from the riders. Most of the riders are very happy not to have to worry about cleaning up after their horses.

New trailer

Paul and I have spent the last few months talking about getting a new horse trailer. The trailer we have is a 1963 front load where one horse stands in front of another. It served it's purpose of moving Ginger from CO to CA and is fine for twice yearly visits to the vet but really won't work for the 3+ trips a month we will be making to lessons and events.




As I was looking at what we could realistically afford I stumbled upon a promotion for a local dealer. They were offering to pay all fees and taxes, which can be substantial. After visiting the dealer and looking at the trailer we wanted, we decided to take the plunge. The dealer even took our old trailer on consignment so we don't have to worry about selling it ourselves. Paul towed the new trailer home for me and said it was amazingly quiet to pull. Our old trailer was loud and made the truck shake at times. I keep thinking about all the neat features like 4 wheel brakes and a tack room.





Of course nothing can go entirely smoothly, we found out that the wiring harness on the truck isn't working properly. The blinkers won't work, we think that when they replaced the fuel tank the dealer might have nicked the wires. But even with that little problem I'm really excited to try the trailer out this Saturday!

Lessons

We decided to change instructors for Lorna's horse lessons. There were plenty of reasons including money and flexibility. The new instructor is not only cheaper but willing to work with Lorna and her horse, the previous instructor would only do lessons on your own horse if it was boarded at that facility. This morning was the first lesson and it went really well.



They spent the morning working on the events for the upcoming Gymkhana show on Saturday. Instead of just running through the events the instructor talked about leg position, how to get better control on the horse, and gave her some things to work on at home over the next 2 weeks. Her goal for Lorna and her horse is that they learn to trust one another and to have Ginger listen better. I'm happy to report that Ginger did not even attempt to throw Lorna off. The only time she got uppity was when the instructor was making her work in the round pen without Lorna on her back. I think this particular instructor is going to be a great match for Lorna and Ginger.


Just in case you are wondering the pony on the right of the picture, the one the instructor is riding, is a Chincoteague pony.

Primaries

I so sick of hearing about the Presidential Primaries that are currently going on. I'm even more tired of reading different things about the 2 main parties, as if there is really much of a difference! I'm saddened by the number of people who feel that voting your conscience is wasting your vote. As long as people continue to think like that there will never be change. Since I'm sick of hearing and reading about it already, it's going to be a long 10 months until the November election!

Lack of motivation

I've spent the last few weeks hiding behind a book trying to ignore the mess around the house. Now I'm trying to convince myself that it's time to get things back in order so we can start school again next week. I just cannot get motivated to do much of anything. My lack of motivation seems to get worse the more Paul works, he's spent the last 3 days working both jobs so nothing has gotten done around here. The house isn't filthy just extra cluttered. Since we spent so much time away from home the past 3 weeks it was easy to ignore but now it's staring me in the face. All this junk lying around has made me realize that we need to go through everything over the next year and weed through our possessions. I think it's safe to get rid of movies and toys that haven't been touched in months or years. I'm really shooting for getting rid of half of our possessions, it will make living in this tiny house so much more pleasant.

New Year's Day

We spent our day at a ride put together with the gymkhana group Lorna belongs to. I didn't get any pictures because I was too preoccupied with trailer problems.

We left the house in plenty of time to get there for the breakfast potluck but we barely made it in time for Lorna to ride. When we got to the bottom of the hill I go out to check the trailer, as I always do, and I found the trailer wires pulled out of the plug. One of the tight turns coming out of the driveway most likely pulled them out. It took about 45 minutes to get it put back together enough to drive it the 15 miles to the ride. Once there I played with the wiring a bunch and at least got the breaks working but nothing else, that will be a project for next week.

Lorna had a good time until about half-way through when Ginger threw her off. She got back up on the horse but spent the rest of the ride nervous. This was after having tack issues that caused her saddle to slip. Overall it wasn't the best ride. The head of the group suggested we consider getting another horse and selling this one. We've considered this numerous time over the last year but we really feel she is getting better. It's been over a year since the last time she threw Lorna off and she's really only been worked with consistently for the last 5 months. She's never been on a trail ride before so we figure something spooked her. Besides there is never a guarantee that the next horse won't do the same thing or even something worse. If we had a lot more money it's possible we could buy a horse that would never do this sort of thing but those types of horses cost as much as a small new car!

I really want Lorna's lessons to start including the horse too, that way we can see if it's the way Lorna is handling the horse or a training problem. We are considering changing trainers because the one we work with charges an additional $20 to bring your own horse. She also has rescheduled 5 out of 12 lessons. The last lesson was cancelled with no make-up day in sight so right now we have no idea when her next lesson will be.

Taylor Swift

Lorna received her first CD yesterday. She listens to a lot of our music but this was the first time she asked for something that would be hers. I was able to get the deluxe edition of Taylor Swift's CD for her stocking. One thing that jumped out at me was the wholesomeness of the songs. Normally when you listen to music sung by young artists the songs are about mature themes, this wasn't the case. The songs were fun and cute, exactly what I want our 12 year old listening to! There was also a DVD included that had some videos and interviews.

Our day seemed a bit harried but that's always the case when we spend the morning at church. Due to the long drive and getting up so early we didn't actually get around to opening gifts until 5pm after we all got up from our naps. It made for a very relaxing evening that ended way too soon.

Good & Bad

Lorna had her quarterly visit with the pediatric endocrinologist yesterday. There are no useful specialists near us so we have to drive 3 hours to Los Angeles which makes for a really long day. Usually these visits are a whole 5 minutes but this time was a bit longer. The actual doctor isn't the one who does the visit, we always spend most of our time with the doctors in training. The actual endocrinologist only comes in at the end to say hello. This time we met a very nice woman who is in her first year of specialty training. She asked us all kinds of questions about what surgery Lorna had as a baby and if we would do it again given the chance. It seems there is a vocal group who feels the non-life threatening surgery usually done on infant girls with this condition shouldn't be done until the teen years. They feel these girls should be able to decide for themselves. Funny thing is, this has to be done once you reach puberty so I don't understand what the issue is. The new techniques now mean it's a one time thing, unlike Lorna's which will be have to be completed with a second surgery in the next few months.

The good news is that the labs look great, the bad news is that she hasn't grown any in the last 4 months. The doctors feel that she won't be growing much more. They said she may gain 1/2 inch over the next few years but they don't expect her to hit 5 feet. We already knew her bones had started fusing early but we didn't realize she was this far off in bone age. They were concerned but I didn't get the impression that there is anything they can do about it. She took the news really well and said that she would just have to get small horses to ride.

Wal-Mart

Is Wal-Mart really any different than any other retailer?

That's the question I'm asking myself after reading the Wake-up Wal-Mart site. Statistics can be skewed any way you want. What I found somewhat amusing is the idea that Wal-Mart costs taxpayers money. The complaint is that they don't pay their associates enough and the costs for medical insurance are too high.

I only have our experiences with low paying jobs to look to but here is what we have found. The McDonald's in town pays it's workers $7.50 an hour (minimum wage in CA). The managers make $8.00 no matter how long they have worked there. There are no benefits given to the employees and no opportunities for raises. Wal-Mart is looking like a good employer right now. The unionized grocery store here in town pays better IF you can get hours. They are only required to give you 24 hours a week if you don't have any availability restrictions in which case they aren't required to give you any hours. The pay is better but at 24 hour a week you make less than minimum wage after union dues are taken out. The medical plans offered are useless, being more like a discount plan, and you don't qualify for medical for your spouse until you've worked there 4 years! Again Wal-Mart is looking really good.

If you want to just look at medical plans I can tell you that the plans offered by Paul's day job (outside sales) aren't any better than what is offered to Wal-Mart employees and for a higher premium. The plan we are currently enrolled in has deductibles of $1000 and only pays 65% after you have reached the deductible. To be eligible you have to meet a certain sales plan for the year or you don't get coverage for the next year. Just in case you missed it, we actually qualify for state sponsored insurance for our kids so you this supposed professional type job can be said to be costing the taxpayers money.

Putting aside all of the above I still question whether or not there is a problem with Wal-Mart. I get the impression that there is a growing idea that afforable medical coverage and high wages are a right. That everyone deserves these things no matter what they are capable of doing. If workers are unhappy with the pay and benefits of a job isn't it their responsibility to look for a better employer? The idea that kept popping in my head as I read the stories from Wal-Mart employees and the "facts" on this site is that Wal-Mart is no different than any other retailer. The complaints and frustrations of the employees can be heard at any other place that hires unskilled labor.

Medical Insurance

I've read an article that stated that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to make it mandatory that all people in CA have health insurance. If you cannot get the insurance from your employer then the state would offer insurance coverage. This is a problem on so many levels. We've had a recent problem that just proves this won't work.

We were unable to get private insurance for our daughter because of her genetic disorder. We had the option of taking the state Healthy Families coverage or going without coverage. We swallowed our pride and took the state coverage. The plan is administered by Blue Cross. As of October of this year we were told that UCLA, where her specialist is located, will no longer accept the insurance. Since then I've found out that the medical group in Fresno and San Diego has terminated their contracts. I was told that it looks like Stanford and San Francisco will also be going this route. The medical groups want more money and the plan administrator cannot authorize more since the state tells them how much they can pay. What this means is that we cannot get an authorization to continue seeing the specialist our daughter goes to. The plan administer has referred our case to another state program who can authorize different doctors for special cases. When I talked to them, the names they gave us were for doctors that I was told had retired! They can refer her to one hospital in Los Angeles county but having dealt with them in the past it is the last place I would feel comfortable taking her. Since all the patients from the surrounding areas will also be switched to that particular hospital I cannot even imagine what the wait for an appointment will be since it was 4-6 months before this happened. How can you require people to have insurance that no medical group will take?

I have no idea what we are going to do at this point. I have messages in to Blue Cross about an appointment we have scheduled next week. At this point I'm hoping to get them to cover this one appointment so I have time for the other state program to go into effect and find a doctor who will take it.

What is it?

We have a cast iron pot on the wood stove to add humidity to the air when we burn. Last night it gave a loud pop and actually jumped on the stove. I opened it up to find this.



We couldn't figure it out until Malachi gave a little sound and turned red. It seems he wanted to hide something from his sister yesterday and put it in the pot. He forgot about it and later filled the pot with water and set it on the stove. Have you guessed what it was? It's a golf ball.

Another sewing project

I put the pictures and description under this link so I don't scare anyone away. If you are easily embarassed by items of a personal nature don't look. If you aren't then have a look at my newest creations!

Boring

That's how you can describe my life right now, and I'm loving every moment of it!

My posting has been erratic because I just don't have much to say. Well, I could go on and on but I wouldn't have anything of interest to say. I've spent the last week doing laundry, more laundry, reading, laundry, and getting a few loads of water in town because I've been doing so much laundry. It's gotten cold so the blankets and warm clothes needed to be brought out. Unfortunately the tubs that contained said blankets and clothes had been opened earlier in the year and the lids were never put back on properly. That left dirt and spiders in the stuff, the tubs are kept under our deck since we don't have a garage. So on top of our normal laundry I had to wash all that stuff too. Luckily my kids do their own clothes and sheets so I only had to wash every one's blankets. This is one of those times that I'm really glad I made the kids learn to do their laundry when they were young. In case you are wondering how young, I taught them to do their laundry at about 5. I had to help with adding the soap but they had to put their clothes in the washer and transfer them to the dryer. At this point I don't have to help at all. They wash their clothes, hang them on the line, take them down, and put them away. I'm not picky about how they fold them and I don't look in their dresser unless I have to.

My other exciting and big project was cleaning out the closet. I told you my life was boring! Since our closet is tiny (2 x 5) and we don't have room for a dresser I have to switch out the summer and winter clothes. I spent yesterday doing just that since the clothes I washed were dry and folded. It's always fun to see the clothes I forgot I had. Today I'm going to make myself sit down and sew up some of the fabric I bought at a day after Thanksgiving sale, it's been sitting on the ironing board tauting me for a week.

Content

I was thinking about what it means to be content the last few weeks. When I think about being content I automatically associate that with being complacent. I’m not ready to be complacent, I’m still looking for ways to change and improve our way of life. I’m still looking at ways to implement my “less is more” attitude towards living. If I am content then that means I’m done looking and changing. That doesn’t mean I’m unhappy with everything in our situation, I’m finding things that this particular place offers us that we may not have elsewhere. At the same time I’m continuing to dream and plan about what I’d like in the future. So I’m not content with our life but that’s okay because I’m still striving for ways to make our life even better.

Christmas Parade

I couldn't have been more pleased with the way things went at the Christmas parade!

Just to give you an idea of why this was such a groundbreaking thing I need to explain how far Lorna has come with Ginger. When she first saved up and purchased her horse 2 years ago her expectation was that Ginger would be a great beginner horse. The acquaintance we bought her from had purchased the horse at an auction and only had her for 6 months before he sold her to us. He really wanted to help Lorna get her first horse so he sold her for a lot less than she was worth.

Lorna didn't have much experience with riding so she really needed a "kid-proof" horse. Ginger quickly found that she could take control and promptly threw Lorna off twice. After that Lorna would only sit on the horse and have us lead her around. Once we got settled here we told Lorna she either had to work with Ginger or sell her because the cost of upkeep was too much for a lawn ornament. She started lessons in August and now is able to maintain control of her horse. Today she proudly rode Ginger down the street with sirens blaring and people cheering. Never once did Ginger give her a problem, that's a long way from throwing Lorna off and running down the road! Lorna is now confident enough that she is going to ride Ginger at her next gymkhana event.

The group Lorna rode with (they won 1st place for the equestrian division).


Coming down the street.


Lorna and Ginger


Malachi greatly enjoyed all the candy the various participants threw to the spectators.

A Nontraditional Thanksgiving

We don't celebrate Thanksgiving like most others do. A number of years ago, after a failed attempt to hold a traditional dinner at our house where all but 2 people cancelled the day of, we decided it was a waste to do all that cooking for just our small family. In addition to that, none of us care for turkey and we just don't have the money to attempt such an extravagant dinner. We now have the tradition of doing appetizers all day.

I started the day by making homemade french and brown bread.


The french bread was used for a goat cheese spread topped with sun dried tomatoes.


Lorna made homemade crescent rolls for the next 2 snacks. These are filled with cream cheese, dried onion, asiago, and bacon.


The last batch was filled with cream cheese, asiago, and roasted red peppers.


The only ingredient that we bought special for today was the cream cheese so the cost was really minimal. And just so you don't get the idea that we ate junk all day I should add that our lunch consisted of chicken salads.

Nothing

I've been remiss in posting lately. There just isn't much going on so I'm enjoying the relative calm of our lives right now.

We celebrated Lorna's 12th birthday last week by taking her to the American Girl Store in Los Angeles. She was surprised since we didn't tell her where we were going. We were able to get a couple of her grandparents to give her money so she could shop while there. We left with 2 dolls, their accessories, and an outfit that was on special. Since the store is in an outdoor mall we walked around and enjoyed being out and about.

This Saturday we are gearing up to take Lorna and her horse into town to be in the Christmas parade. The gymkhana club that she is now a member of is part of the parade and asked if she wanted to join them. I know it doesn't sound like any big deal but we are taking her horse, Ginger, for her to ride. This will be the first time she's done anything with her horse besides ride her around the property. Lorna's been working with her horse daily. She's gone from not being able to control the horse very well to trotting around trashcans set up as barrels. Now we will see how Ginger does out with other horses and lots of people. We are hoping Lorna will be able to start riding Ginger in the gymkhana events sometime next year.

Even with the addition of transportation available I find that we aren't really using it. We've gotten so used to being home and working our errands into one day that I forget we can go out. Today we will take a trip to the library to pick up some books the kids requested in. Since we have found another branch with a nice librarian we have started using the library again. This branch is only open 2 days a week and has one small room full of books but I can order in just about anything at no charge.

Transportation

We finally broke down and purchased another vehicle. The rising fuel costs and maintenance on the truck pushed us into this as a way to save money.



We found this on a local dealer's website after visiting a few used car lots. It seems everyone wants a small fuel efficient vehicle so the prices were out of our range. This particular vehicle had been sitting at the dealer since April so they had just lowered the price by almost half. It's in really good shape considering the price. The best part is that our yearly premium for insurance went down by $11!

This now leaves me with the truck during the week. I don't foresee actually going anywhere because of the cost of fuel, but at least we will have it available in case of emergency.

Typical day

I’m in the middle of reading Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days and I’ve been thinking about what our days are like. I also had a nice discussion with a woman at the stables last Friday. She was wondering about what resources we use and how we go about doing school at home. I decided to actually write down an average day just to prove that we aren’t normal!

Here is what Monday looked like at our house…

Since the time change was yesterday we were all up by 8am! That is an unusual occurrence for me, I usually get up closer to 9am. I’ve given up getting the kids out of bed so they get up when they want, which is usually after 9.

8-9am I spent reading email and blogs.

The next hour I spent getting dressed, making the bed, getting a list of books together for Paul so he can go to the library for me, printing out the planning sheets for school, cleaning off the kitchen counter, washing dishes, and hanging up the wet laundry from yesterday.

At 10am the kids put away the Legos they were playing with so they could start their schoolwork. I needed to make bread so I started that while they worked on their individual stuff. While the bread was rising I checked the stuff Lorna had already finished and got her working on some overdue thank you notes. Between kneading the dough and letting it rise a few more times we worked on science and history together. We finished up with catechism work and prayers. By this point it was after 1pm so I left Malachi to finish his thank you notes while I cleaned the bathroom. Lorna decided to move her horse riding to the afternoon since it gets dark so early so she went out to ride Ginger. After I finished cleaning, the bread was ready to go in the oven and Lorna was ready to start her afternoon chores.

I got off easy today since there were leftovers from last night for lunch today. So at 2pm, I sat down to eat and read a bit. Malachi was still working on those notes so I helped out a bit before I finished lunch. The kids ate lunch after I did because they were busy with their own stuff. From 2:30-3:30 I read some more email and decided to start this blog post.

Paul got home relatively early, 3:30, with the load of library books. From then until Paul left for his night job at 5:30pm I read one of the books he brought home. At 5pm the kids were finished with their chores so we put in the movie we got in the mail from Netflix. About an hour into it I started making dinner. Once the movie and dinner were finished I went back to my book. I started getting ready for bed around 10 pm. The kids finished up showers around this time as well, getting to bed around 10:30pm.

I finished my book and started another one until Paul got home at midnight.

This is a pretty typical day for us. The kids don’t have set times to go to bed or get up and they have chores that help the house run pretty smoothly. I have a lot of time to read or sew because I don’t have access to a vehicle during the week so I am home all day without any errands to run. I frequently read 5-7 fun books a week and check my email numerous times a day. I sometimes feel guilty that I have so much time for my own amusements but I don’t have many of the same opportunities for adult conversation that others do so these things help keep me sane. I used to try to clean a lot more but realized it’s useless to try to keep things picked up. The house is so small that it is really impossible for it not to be cluttered. One benefit of it being so small is that it is a quick job when I do go on a cleaning spree.

An average day for school is only about 2-3 hours. We are using fewer and fewer textbooks every year. I started out really regimented but have relaxed a lot over the past few years. Even though "school" is only a few hours we all spend a lot of time reading and doing things that could be counted as school related.