Sonlight Core H Week 2B Oct. 31st-Nov.6th, 2016 (not an academic week)

Sonlight Core H

Week 2 B--Though NOT an academic week!

Oct. 31^st-Nov. 6^th, 2016

Zeus, taking command of his new territory!  This week I finished the last (and third) extension for the chicken run.  They are still finding a way to get out--flying? So, it isn't perfect, but we're getting closer.

Hello Friends!

Happy Halloween! Or, as I like to think of it, Happy Candy Day!  A friend from church invited Dd and I to ride along with her, and her daughter, to visit church friends for our treats.  We had a really lovely time getting to see where our church friends lived and getting to chat with them throughout the evening.  We have eaten so much candy and sugar this week!  Giz and Grampy were here this week!



I made gluten free brownies, Giz brought  two pumpkin pies, and Dd made a cheesecake---on top of the Halloween candy!  Giz and Grampy arrived on Wednesday, and our adventures began!  They brought along their tools and were set to help us put in the new patio doors. 

They also had their hearts set on putting up two towel racks, and a hook in the new blue bathroom in the basement.  Sure enough, they got that done.  They had hoped to get up a new shower curtain rod, but either they ran out of time or something, so we still have the crummy plastic one for now.  Grampy said our bathroom doesn’t have any studs, so putting up anything proves difficult!  He had to use wing-nut hardware to make things a bit sturdy.

Giz taught me how to make her Curry Chicken Salad dish—not so hard after all!  Then she showed Dd how to make her Blueberry Cheesecake.

Sophie:

With Sophie’s cancer diagnosis I am trying to spoil her a little more than usual, and appreciate special time with her each day.  Processing the bad news is difficult, but I keep praying for her and asking for God to bless her and help her. 

Chicken Coop:
I’m SO happy to share that I finished the fencing for the extension on the chicken run!!!! 

This picture shows the gates without fencing, by the end of the week, the whole enclosure was wrapped in fencing. 


While Dh and Grampy worked on the patio doors, I worked (with some help from Giz) on the extension. Giz came over a few times to hold the fence up while I tacked it in.  It was nice to have her help.


This is what the back side of the run looks like now.  There is a back gate in run #2 that opens up into this long back run.  You can just make out the gate on the right side of the photo, inside the run.

 I’m so happy to be able to keep the chickens in the extension and have a break from chicken poop on my driveway and deck! 



 This will be a nice compromise, as I can let them out to free-range whenever I choose to, but can also keep them in the huge run and not feel guilty, as the extension is very big!  Yay!  


This is the 'side' of the new extension--the fencing wraps around two sides of our outbuilding. What a job this has been---taking up most of our summer and fall.

Done, for now!

Giz, Dd, and I went and bought 9 bales of straw for the winter.  I piled it up on one side of the outside of the chicken coop to double (or triple) insulate.  Don't ask about the silly grocery cart, that was here when we bought this place!

Shopping:

We took Giz on a big shopping spree—Thursday we went to Flat River Outreach Ministries (a well-stocked, church based thrift store) where we all found some awesome buys!  I actually found a pair of Levi jeans, that FIT!, for $2.00!! We had never been there before, but will definitely be going there again!!!  Friday we showed Giz our local Goodwill, and found some more things.  I found a great belt (for my new jeans) for $1.99!  It has been a long time since I found a pair of jeans that fit right—not too tight, not too loose that I have pleats! I found Giz an OXO salad spinner for $4.00!  I had just paid $30.00 for mine last month.

Girl’s Night: Harvest Party

Friday night was the V’s family “Harvest Party” that Dd and I attended.  


We enjoyed a long hay ride, pulled with a tractor.  



The girls played a lot of games together, and ate lots of sugary treats.  We moms had a chance to visit together, and talk about chickens!  

Ugly Election:

We had managed to keep the presidential election out of sight and out of mind for most of the week, as we don’t have tv, and a radio station started Christmas carols on Nov. 1^st.  Then we went to church---and there at church we were beat over the head about politics! Yikes!!!!  They had a flier in the bulletin that was comparing the two candidates, and then as if that wasn’t bad enough our Sunday School class was FULL of ugly comments.  To be honest, I’m still trying to get over it.  I can’t say that in any of the churches I’ve ever gone to that there was this kind of political talk.  Giz was also quite surprised and not impressed with it; which I was happy to have her sharing my disbelief.  

I've added some fall leaves to their new straw--some added excitement.

Break from our books for Grandparents:

With Giz and Grampy here this week, we took a break from our normal routine and enjoyed the special time with them.  They missed most of the beautiful colored foliage, but there was still a trace of the highlights.  Indiana seems to have been too dry this fall and didn’t have much color at all in their trees.  I appreciate how with homeschooling we can take time off our lessons and get to enjoy family time when the opportunity arises.  The whole month of November will be hit and miss with hunting season beginning, and a trip or two to Indiana being on our schedule.  But, I’m sure she will make up the time, if we haven’t already.

Skip Bo, UNO, and Pit:

We had a blast most evenings playing card games with Giz and Grampy!!!  So much fun!  It is good to have fun and laugh all together.

Bird Feeder:

I found time to put up my kitchen window bird feeder, and have been very much appreciating the return of the birds.  I have been just so busy that the feeders kept falling off the bottom of my to-do list. 

Our Lessons this Week:

Music: 
Big Piano Week!  Dd’s music teacher assigned a Christmas piano book, and Dd played that book all week!  Her mouth was sore from sax so much playing in the beginning of this week, so she spent most of the week playing on the piano; which Giz really complimented. I have to say, hearing Dd play the Christmas music was my most favorite thing of the week. Giz also said she liked hearing Dd play the piano most of all. It is so nice thinking of Christmas coming soon.  I’m ever so tired of all the work that has taken place in these warm months and am ready for a slower pace.

Flute: 30 minutes

Guitar: 0

Alto Sax: 3:30 minutes

Tenor Sax: 1:30 hours

Piano: 5:00 hours

Beginning Band: 1:30

Intermediate Band: 1:30

Private Piano Lesson: 30 minutes

Sonlight Reader: The Iron Peacock by Mary Stetson Clarke (in process)

Fun Books:

The Swap by Megan Shull: Completed

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin : In Process

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Darcy’s Undoing by Abigal Reynolds

Busy Hands:

Started bonfire

Made baked beans and weenie’s dish, cooked over the fire

Grilled hot dogs and S’mores

Bathroom towel rod & hook installation with Grampy: 1:30 hours

Chicken Care, Egg collection: 2:30 hours

Physical Education:

Skateboarding: 2 hours

Leaf Blower- 1:30 hours of yard work

Patio Door installation: 2 hours

Hockey: 15 minutes

Church and Sunday School: 2:00 hours

New Devotional: Made To Shine by The Sonflowerz: 2:00 hours.  She did her own bible study this week, by herself.  I did my bible study with Giz and Grampy and their The Secret Place devotional.

Patio Door Summary:


Grampy and Dh went and picked up the kit, the frame, two doors, and screen door. Then they put the frame together.


Then they hammered around the perimeter of the old door frame to get it disconnected from the wall.




Then they removed one door, then the second door.




We were hoping the wood under the door would be good, but it wasn't.  They had to go back to the store and buy all new wood to replace the header and sides.




Doors out!


They only had one board for a header...we will replace it and put in two boards for extra support.

Here you can see the damage we had to work with

All new wood



Two new headers--these boards were a foot wide!  Big, wide, sturdy replacements.



Fast forward, here the new wood had been bought, measured, and put in.  Now to make sure everything is plumb level...which it was, of course, because Grampy is here!  Can you guess how old Grampy is???  82 years old!  




I think we used at least 7 caulk tubes, and we still aren't done with caulking!


Before




After!

We still have the trim and molding to do, but the new door is in! Praise the Lord!  And, Agnes approves of the quality of work done!  This Anderson patio door is top-notch and great improvement over that last door!

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