Nov. 4-10, 2018 Midterm Voting, Snow, Botox for Migraine, Wedding in Indiana

Nov. 4-10, 2018 

Midterm Voting, Snow, and Wedding

Henry running like crazy in the snow!

  

Hello Friends!

Wedding:

We had our first really big nasty snow on Friday and Saturday making our drive to Indiana dangerous and scary for Dh's niece, Cristy's, wedding.  We passed car after car that had slid off the road along our way.  The road crews really didn't do a good job on Saturday as we headed south.  



Luckily, Dh was driving or I would have turned back!  Cristy converted to Catholicism and had a full wedding service; it took over an hour of procedures.  



It was very interesting to see after all our visits to numerous Catholic churches in Italy.  



After the wedding we headed to the reception; which was held in a open barn...in November!  It was about 27 degrees!  



Keep in mind all the grandparents and elderly family members that were sitting at the tables and freezing as they (like me) lost the feeling in our extremities!  



I don't think the bride and groom were aware of how cold we all were; they were in happy bliss.  



After the reception we went back to the hotel and I slept in all my clothes and didn't get warm until after midnight--under all the covers with the heat turned up and fully dressed.  



Giz was sick by the end of the weekend! (added in December--she got pneumonia.)

Migraine:

I had two days without a migraine this week, which was ironic because this week I was given Botox shots in my head to prevent migraines.  We did have a big weather front come in and lots of snow, which always exasperates my migraines.  The shots were given between my eyes, forehead, temples, and all around my head.  It did hurt, but not unbearable.

Gardening:

Fall leaves make the perfect cover for my beloved lavender and peony plants.  I wish I had felt better this week and could have spent more time raking leaves to fill up our compost bins. 



 I did get a few wheelbarrow loads in, but not filled up.  

Chickens:

We had really nice weather on Tuesday, so the chickens spent a few hours scratching down in the bottom run where they don't normally get to go.  



They just love getting to run and scratch down there.

Thrift Store:

Dd's buddy, Hailee, agreed to stay at our house while we went to the wedding in Indiana.  We took her thrift store shopping and she found a nice pair of gently worn Converse sneakers that I happily bought her as part payment for her pet-sitting skills.  It sounds like Hailee had a good time at our house.



Snow:
After the snow if melted and then snowed some more...it is that time of year!  Unpredictable!



Henry:
He goes CRAZY for the snow!  Oh my!  He loves it so much and runs so fast when he is out in it.  It is amazing.  He also loves eating snow and ice...a lot.a lot. a lot~!

Voting:

So glad for getting to vote this week.

Play Practice:

I'm enjoying helping the cast with the Christmas play.  This week I found the prop I had been looking for--a unChristmasy mini tree that will work perfectly.

Fall Cleaning:

I don't know why Spring Cleaning gets all the attention, but I find Fall Cleaning to be just as important.  Dd and I spent hours in her room cleaning, organizing, and sorting.  We listened to our audio; The Grapes of Wrath, while working away.  

Academics for the Week:

Bible:

Church, Sunday School, Youth Program, volunteering at Olympians, and Word of Life Bible Study each day.

Volunteering:

Dd volunteered at our local library this week and also at Olympians at our church (3 hours total).

Audio:
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: completed

Paths: I think I mentioned I've been building up walls for my favorite trails--it has been fun watching them get covered in snow!  It is a fun thing to do to pass the time while Henry is getting *some* of his energy out.  He never has gotten tired yet, he is just endless in his enthusiasm!  And I no longer have greens to collect for the chickens!

Grace Subjects:

Geography: BJU (Bob Jones Textbook)

Algebra I: Saxon

Spanish I

Graphic Design

Introductory Logic

Next week:

Next Friday, after Dd's Grace classes, Dd and Dh are supposed (*) to go to the farm for their annual hunting trip.  Spoiler Alert...disaster strikes and they don't end up going.  Stay tuned.

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Oct. 28-Nov 3, 2018 G&G Leave, Canning, Target Shooting

Oct. 28-Nov 3, 2018

G&G Leave, Canning, Target Shooting

Henry, busted bringing a green tomato to his bed!

Hello Friends!

Giz and Grampy headed back for Indiana bright and early on Monday morning.  Giz had a scheduled MRI on Wed. to see if the duct they put in her liver last year was working or not.  Apparently, the ducts are in fact working, but that means we don't know what is wrong with her.  She isn't doing well but we are unable to find the cause of her decline.  She seemed encouraged by the fact that the MRI showed things working and perhaps that weight lifted off her will be beneficial in some recovery.

Weather:

We had some exceptionally nice days this week!!



  I let the chickens out into the back long chicken run and either worked outside or sat beside them to ensure their safety.  






When we first got the chickens I thought we would be able to free-range them, but after so many different attacks I realized the chickens weren't safe even in their pens!  



Only in the completely enclosed 'inner sanctum' can I rest. 



 Some of the hens are molting and I noticed this week some of the new feathers that are coming in!



  I was so appreciative of the good weather so the hens could really scratch around outside and I brought Zeus up and let him enjoy the sunshine.

G&G:

After Grampy had weird heartburn on Fri. night we decided to make Sat. a non-physical kind of day. 



 It was fun to show them two series we generally enjoy---Brokenwood and Vera.  I had shown my mom, Vera, when she was here and she didn't like it, but G &G liked them both, especially Brokenwood.  I love Acorn productions from the BBC.  Dh shared his favorite screen show, a YouTube show called the Swedish Homestead that he follows.  It was fun sharing quirky things with them!

Babysitting:

This week Dd was paid to babysit two children from our church for the first time.  Emily is only around six months old and Elliot is around two years old.  Dd babysat for six hours at their house.  



Dd had to really scramble to fit in her homework after losing a whole day to this unexpected blessing.  She was really wanting to make some money and adores this family, so it was well worth her having to stay up late to finish her homework in time for her Fri classes.

Christmas Play:

Monday night was our first play practice at church.  I've been praying for the three couples to memorize their lines and we can shine a light in the darkness.  





We have a very modern script about a futuristic world where the bible, religion, and God have been eradicated...that is until one of our couples find a box with a letter and Bible books is found from the past.  It is a very interesting script!

Happy Halloween:

Dd and her church friend, Hailee, went trick or treating together this year.  Dd dressed up as a dinosaur. 



 She had bought her costume at a thrift store a few weeks ago and found it so warm and cozy she has been wearing it around the house and it has been a lot of fun! 



 I was surprised by her decision to spray her hair green to go with the green costume! ha!

Garden:

I've been taking the 'used' straw from the hen house to cover my flowers with this week---especially my lovely lavender plants. 



I hope they will survive another Michigan winter by trying to protect them with the straw. 



 I also brought up 10 buckets of dirt/humus from the backwoods and surrounded the garden flowers a little too.  The previous owners used to have horses and I've found the area they used to dump the manure in the woods.  I've been bringing up buckets since I found it.  Unfortunately, they apparently also dumped old roofing shingles in that same area and I sometimes find pieces of black tar shingles mixed in the humus...bummer that this dirt is polluted.



Canning:
This might be my last week to can, it all depends on the remaining green tomatoes I have in the sunroom.  



This week I had enough tomatoes turn red to make three pints of tomato paste.  I also canned nine quarts of squash that I bought from a neighbor for .50 cents each.  



We've been eating on our squash this week, but I wanted to make sure none of it spoiled so I canned some of our stores.



  I've never canned butternut squash before so I hope it tastes good when we do open the jars.  I hoped to find help on YouTube, but they didn't have the roasted squash already cooked, then canned like I wanted to do so I had to look up a squash butter recipe in our canning book to follow.  Apparently, the most common way to can squash is to peel it, chop it, and can it in hot water.  I didn't want to water down my squash so I baked it in the oven and scooped out my squash, kept it hot in our crockpot and then canned it with lemon and salt in a long water bath.

Seeds for next year:



I've been collecting all fall; here are a few to share: Green Bean varieties, butternut, and a funny named squash.

Harvest Party: Youth Program

Sunday night, when G&G were still here, Dd went to the Harvest Party for the teens at our church.  Once a year they have this party and invite the teens for a sister church to a meet-up too.  It is nice for the local Christian teens to see each other and play games.  This year they had a macaroni and cheese contest; last year it was a chili contest.  They always have a blast, but I wish I would have kept Dd home so she could get more time with G& G as it was their last night with us.

Woods:

I've really been having a LOT of fun collecting dead trees and fallen branches and carrying them over to our trails and building up sides for the trail. 



 I have no idea why, but I'm having a blast and think it looks great. 



 It is fun to see our little trails throughout the woods as I walk around with Henry.  



I've even taken a few deer trails and lined them as they make great short-cuts from one trail to the next. 



 Dh had fun last month, using a sith, making a few new paths to make my walks a little more interesting than just the small circles I had been using, now I can zig-zag around our few acres as if it were a really big acreage. 



 I had meandered a little into the woods around our woods these past few months, but now that it is hunting season I'm sticking to our property lines for safe-keeping!  

Headaches/Migraines and a Neurologist:

Great news from the neurologist this week.  I've switched neurologists and am so pleased as she has said my brain looks good.  She suggested I try those botox injections for my migraines--I'm researching that option.  



I had a number of bad days this week; between my eyes being very off and having a headache/migraine, so the timing was good.  She looked at my latest brain scan and said my brain looks really good--no problems there! Praise the Lord!!!  She suggested I try the latest migraine med they are pushing but I want to wait until further time has passed before I jump on anything new.  I just don't know what to do with trying new meds/procedures as they usually only cause new problems.



Church Anniversary:
Nov 1st marks our third year anniversary at our church.  



Chickens:
The chickens are all doing okay and adjusting to life without daily servings of greens and the cold, wet weather.  Zeus is still hanging in but not really getting 'better.'

Academics:

Bible:
Church, Sunday School, and Youth Program
Reading in Colossians aloud this week with Dd

Soul Surfer Devotional
Word of Life Teen Devotional
(Dd has continued to do two bible studies each day)

Geography:  Dd spent all day Mon and part of Tues working on an assignment for her Geography class---she had to make a brochure on a location and she chose Prince Edward Island.  She has always been a huge Anne of Green Gables fan and this seemed like a great place to pick.  She really did a great job on this; impressed me!

Audio: 
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Good time to darn clothes!

Read Aloud:

Story Girl by L.M. Montgomery

Just started--so far so good.

Art:

Watercolor of a fall landscape

Pencil drawing of female looking down

Add caption

Grace Subjects:

Geography: BJU (Bob Jones Textbook)- loving and excelling

Algebra I: Saxon- going well

Spanish I- struggling

Graphic Design- going well

Introductory Logic- really struggling



Next Week:
Dd goes back to the orthodontist...I go back to the migraine doctors and hopefully we move forward in our Grapes of Wrath!

................