A Work in Progress

Monday, November 18, 2013

Catching up a bit.

I'm getting ready for the holidays, knitting, shopping on Etsy, de-cluttering and such. This is my favorite find so far, it came already and it is fantastic! And this is where I've purchased some of my new patterns for gifts this year. Lovely stuff! On book 118 of my 130 book challenge for the year. Right now I'm reading through the Artemis Fowl series with Jenna. Mike got a new truck (new to us anyway) and is getting ready for another short term missions trip to Sierra Leone in January.

Biology labs have been going well at the new T.E.A.C.H. tutorials we are involved in this year. Both girls have straight A's in Writing and American Literature there as well. I am not a huge fan of leaving the house but these have been completely worth it so far. It also has given us the opportunity to spend an hour or so every Wednesday with my Mom, time we all love.

Operation Christmas Child was a success, somewhere around 500 boxes were shipped out and Jenna was interviewed for the local paper as well!

Lyme Disease still sucks. Meet Charlie (short for Charlotte) , Rowan's new therapy bunny! She is a little Dutch bunny, 3 months old and defines the term, "snugglebunny". Just ordered Dr. Horowitz's new book, "Why Can't I Get Better?" hoping for some guidelines and information from it.

It snowed last week and now it is 60 degrees out! I love snow! Can't wait for more.

We went apple picking as a family last month and a grand time was had by all. Highly recommend Honeypot Hill Orchards. They have fantastic hedge mazes, a petting zoo, apple cider donuts and a wonderful location in Stow, Mass. It was the best family fun day in ages!

Looking forward to more family time and traditions over the next few months. Thanksgiving and the annual family viewing of Christmas Vacation, Cookie Day, Tree Day, going to see The Desolation on Smaug on the 13th, Christmas, our annual LOTR New Year's Movie Marathon and whatever else comes up along the way.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Guest Post from My Husband on the One Year Anniversary of His Sister's Passing.

Sometimes, not very often, but just every once in a while everything seems to come together and suddenly it’s all wrapped up with nothing out of place even though something is missing. That’s what happened last Sunday morning at Old Sturbridge Village. On the village common, in the front of the Parsonage dooryard on the right there is a rose. This rose was selected for dedication to my sister who was a long time and beloved employee of the Village and who died one year ago today. The garden in the parsonage dooryard was selected because it was my sister’s favorite. To be accurate it was the kitchen garden that she loved best but who wants celery as a dedication. The rose is perennial and overlooks the kitchen garden. It is a Belladonna rose and it translates to beautiful woman. That is a good start.

A monthly onlinevillage publication called ‘A Glimpse Into The Garden’ did a September piece on the rose. The rose is beautiful (check), it is useful (check) and almost universally recognized as extraordinary (check). It is also fragrant. One part of the article quotes Jonas Thatcher from the ‘New American Dispensary’ of 1810 as regards its aroma: “It is doubtless the most elegant perfume in vegetable nature; as a single drop imparts its fragrance throughout the room or dwelling, and suppresses other less agreeable odours.” (check). Apparently, back when that particular rose was first decided upon, it was not very healthy. There were some consultations with expert gardeners. It had been there for 30 years but perhaps the plant should be discarded so that a replacement could be brought in. Then one horticulturist found a single vigorous stalk and that was enough to give it a chance. Root pruning, feeding, whatever other magic gardeners do and the rose now thrives. So on Sunday morning we heard that story. And then we heard fellow employees reminisce and marvel at how often and severely the ravages of cancer and the rigors of chemo would cause my sister to stagger and fade and how almost equally often she would later re-appear with fresh vigor, renewed zeal and never one complaint. We have all stifled trivial complaints because of her gentle, iron perseverance.

And I thought then that the best of the rose’s fragrance isn’t released until the petals are crushed; then the room is filled, the less agreeable fades, and elegance enters in from one life to another. And I also thought how seldom it is that external things accurately portray the depth of the life within: A withered brown stick and a ravaged cancer victim. The brown stick is now tall and green and I have no doubt that it will bloom in early June. The folks who chose that rose to commemorate my sister have perhaps chosen better than they knew because, in the face of what appears as mortality, there is often life. On September18, 2012 Rebecca Robinson’s condition suddenly and dramatically improved. She is even now alive in the presence of her God and when this long winter is over, when the Savior calls her name, she will bloom again.

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ~ from John chapter 11

Monday, September 16, 2013

Playing Catch-Up

Here it is, going into week two of being back from our annual camping trip and I have still not adjusted. I mean, I have certainly been grateful to be home, this wasn't our best year ever by any means on the island. Hot showers and non-grilled food, clean fingernails and no sand in the bed are all welcome. The difficulty was in jumping straight in to school, doctor appointments, the new tutorial where I am teaching Biology labs and going away for the weekend. Usually we have a week off before things go crazy.
It wasn't a great first week, but we made it through with minimal tears, stressful on all of our parts for one thing or another but there ya go. I will be blogging more this week because there are other things on my mind, in the meanwhile, here are some of my favorite photos from recent times.

Annual Camping on Washburn Island Trip

Off we go with our dear friends.

Mike's first sailing lesson was more along the lines of learning to right the boat, got towed in by the jetski, note Rowan in the kayak in the background, she was the peanut gallery. ;)

He did eventually learn and he did great, had taken to singing sea chantys and saying things like, "I am the master of the wind".

Sunset on the riverside of the island is always stunning.

Songs, games and laughter, reading in the hammock, silliness, sun, surf are all part of the package, this is my favorite photo of Jenna from this trip.

And one of my favorites of Rowan.

Storm front moving out was spectacular. We got a little damp but there was no wind involved so we made out a whole lot better than in last year's monsoon!

Rose hips on the beach.

Arwen made a new friend.

Rainbow and Jenna

It's like herding cats trying to get a photo of my family.

Moonlight on the water.

Jenna and her Dadddy

Rowan and Mike being silly at breakfast.

Relaxing

Home again, home again, rushing back and forth but finally getting to Jenna's 13th birthday on Friday the 13th, 2013! Traditional Dunkin Donuts and Game Stop run in the morning, followed by her Mad Hatter Tea Party on Saturday.

Then we were off to Charlton, immediately afterwards to bring Rowan up for another stint of her Junior Internship at Old Sturbridge Village, celebrate Jenna's birthday with her grandparents and a special ceremony I will be writing about later in the week.