Sorry to be so distant....

Thank you to all of my friends and faithful readers out there who have commented on my mysterious absence over the last month. Usually I try to post daily but even every other day works well for me. However when life really gets way too fast to consider a private relationship with my computer, I may periodically, unintentionally, disappear for a time.

I regret not leaving a post letting you know of my unintentional absence but it all happened so fast. August was such a blur. I remember only sleeping in my own bed a few times for the whole month. Where did the the Summer go?

Let's see, there were strawberries to be picked. (late June) Fortunately a friend graciously brought me several already picked perfectly ripe strawberries. 60 lbs went in the freezer.

Then there were raspberries. The search for a new u-pick location was needed and took several days but once we found one we were off in a flash before the season was over. I then processed all 90 lbs in my juicer t0 remove the seeds and dried some puree for future raw jam.(future post)The rest I froze for smoothies for the cold winter months. Great.

Next on to blueberries. Circumstances took us away from our usual reliable spot and we ended up travelling quite a distance and picking on the hottest day of the year in the slowest picking spot imaginable. After a couple of hours and only about 30 lbs we quit and decided to find another location, another day.

Then there was the spontaneous camping invitation with a family that has 11 children. What an experience- what fun too! We all.... all15 of us drove up Burley Mountain and had a full circumpolar view of Mount Rainier, Mount St Helen's (the one the blew up 28 years ago), Mount Hood and Mount Adams. Then we all drove bikes downhill riding the brakes all the way, I might add. A half hour later the last rider made it to the bottom. Only a few of the tougher boys took some tumbles. Another day we all lined up and did some target practice with 22's, 27's, and a 38. Wow, that 38 packs quite a kick. Apparently my aim was impressive.

With only a day or two to clean smoky laundry, I then packed up to fly out to Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory in Northern Canada, (up by Alaska-for the uninformed) to assist my Mother as she was recooperating from knee replacement surgery. It was quite an honor to be there and we got to spend some mother daughter time. What I expected to be doing was serving her and assisting her with exercises but it actually ended up becoming quite a vacation time as as well.

I had the priviledge of going on a historically narrated river cruise, a Broadway show and... quading. That's right, I drove a four wheeler though the woods, across dirt roads, over some frightingly narrow cliff edges to overlook the entire city of Whitehorse. It was quite a sight. I only stalled the machine once. And to relax after an exhausting day of outdoor
life, I got to do a little garage sailing.

Flying home a week later gave me only one sleep in my regular bed and then off on a labor day weekend church family camp. We ate, visited, played games, kayaked, and sat around the camp fire to our hearts content. Home for only a few days to clean more smoke smell from all our clothes and my boys took off this morning on a men's retreat and will be back on Saturday night.

Next weekend my boys and a bunch of their friends and their Dad's are going on a hiking trip off into the woods.

I guess I should be tired from all that busyness in August, but to confess to you a flaw in my character, I love being overly busy. I find it invigoratingly far too easy to have nothing but fun and not deal with creeping character issues in both me and my children. Hopefully the long days of Winter will help bring us all back into line.

Nevertheless, amongst all the flurry I still managed to read a few great books (another post) sew some drapes for the school room and master a few more raw recipes. Sigh, the summer was over before I even knew it, but we had a lot of fun. Now we all need some time to slow down, refocus and reestablish some regular routines again. Hence my next post tomorrow.... or in a day or two.

How was your summer?

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Back to School difficulties.

Each year, after a busy summer, running here and there, picking berries, camping, visiting with friends and perhaps an actual travelling vacation time, we get to start up our regular routines again. Some years we have started out with great difficulty and in examining why- I have come to some conclusions. I used to start "school" with a bang, a full schedule including new chores, and a full load of assignments and workbooks and great expectations (mine).

Thankfully, I do not do that to my poor children anymore. We saw too much flesh and resistance, both theirs and mine and I now have learned to have a more graceful approach to a new start up. After any change in routine, even after a vacation or a big move the first things to be re established are the regular routines of chores and household living.
Getting beds made in the morning, if good habits have slipped, and just generally getting adapted to long lonely days at home again. As the weather cools outside, it leads us to cuddle inside with blankets and a great read aloud. As we are established in spending enjoyable time together again we will start up with some more educational disciplines such as a math program or any other disciplined table time activity. If I have decided to make any particular changes to our educational approach this is when I will transfer my vision to my children and open discussion on how and why I want some changes to be made. Whether they embrace these changes right away is not as important as the ideas that I want them to contemplate. In any case as they get older, I want to capture their hearts in their educational plan so I am not dragging them along all year long. Next I want to draw them into an educational plan that both inspires them and disciplines their minds and character to embrace their own education. Usually in a couple of weeks we are into a full blown routines that is both compatible with everyday living and with good educational plans. Every year is different and each day is often different as well but I consider it a good day if we have pursued learning with a passion and grown in relationship as well.

Have a great start up again this year and remember to consider your children are trying to refocus as you are and give them some room to come down from a busy summer.


Living a lifestyle of Learning Daily.