SL Core H Week 32 Oct.29-Nov 4, 2017 (Pippin & Merry move to a new home)

SL Core H 

Week 32 

Oct.29-Nov 4, 2017 
(Pippin & Merry move to a free range, four children, family farm where they will be with other ducks and poultry.)

Fall Rush:

Dentist, doctor appt.--booster shot, church, THREE Goodwill stores, delivered Pippin and Merry, 1 thrift store, and music classes!  I remember so fondly the years Dd was in elementary and middle grades when we would have perhaps one or two activities a week; with one of those activities being our visit to the library!  Wow, have things changed since high school!  I'm glad I am able to adjust and accommodate, but this is seriously not my pace; I'd rather stay at home and just focus on books!  

I've been chopping up the stems from everything and feeding it to the chickens--they LOVE anything from the garden (except herbs).

Ducks: Pippin & Merry:

I think I've mentioned our ducks have been attacking the chickens, especially the Isa Brown's.  I wonder if the ducks were trying to mate with the chickens?  I really don't know, but they were bitting on to the chicken's necks and pinning the chickens down.  The final straw was when I saw Pippin bite on to a chickens neck, get on top of her in a corner of their coop-cornered, and then Merry got on top of Pippin---that poor hen was under two humongous ducks!  I finally got there and got the ducks off her and she stayed hunkered down for a bit, finally, she shook it off and was able to walk away...poor girl.  I asked Dh to ask his buddy at work that has a mini-farm to see if he wanted our boys.  Come to find out, his buddy's neighbor has quite the menagerie and was super excited to take our ducks to add to his collection of critters.  We even got pictures of Pippin and Merry happily out with their new flock!  Phew!  SO glad we are done with ducks!  I don't think I will agree to ducks ever again.  The chickens are so much happier now!!!!  Miss Lemon, our Bantam hen, hadn't laid an egg since early summer, now that the ducks are gone she is laying every day!  They really stressed the hens out immensely; not to mention how messy they were for me to continually clean up after.  

Giz:

My MIL is doing really well!  Praise the Lord!  She is very tired, or as she says; "Tired of being Tired...Sick of being sick!"  But, considering all her body has been through and all the time she's spent in the hospital the past 12 months, she is doing so well!  Thank you to all you who prayed for her recovery!!

SNOW!:
We finally had a short-lived snow storm!  It snowed all morning but started melting once it hit the ground.  Our first winter here was full of snow the whole month of October, so I was delighted that it hadn't really snowed until Oct. 31st.

Church:

November 1st marked our second year anniversary at our church!!!  It is SO great to finally have a church with such a loving approach to parishioners.  The church does have a lot of human errors, but their hearts are in the right place.  I've always prayed for a church just like this...and I hope I can always keep the right attitude of appreciating it; worts and all!

The chickens love the green leaves from the Brussel Sprout plants.

Praise:

I did find a hardy dresser for my bedroom so I could give Dd my old dresser since her drawers were falling apart.  This new dresser fits right in and is perfect!  I'm so thankful for finding it and actually buying it!  My old dresser was given to me 20 years ago, and it had been given to my mom from her BFF years before that.  Thanking the Lord for putting that dresser in our path! 

Honeysuckle, our girl.

 Shopping:

We did way too much shopping this week, though all done at "used" stored.  Every Friday Dd has two art classes and her math class at "Grace HS Assoc." and they have a dress code where the girls aren't allowed to wear blue jeans.  They can wear jeans that are a different color than blue, isn't that a weird rule?!  So far Dd has worn skirts to her Friday classes but has been desperate for a pair of pants that she can wear to Grace.  We've tried all the used and new stores--Wal Mart, Meijer, Target, Old Navy, Costco and all our usual thrift stores.  This week we tried the outlying Goodwill stores that we've never been to see if she would have any luck.  The Old Navy pants are possibly okay, mostly b/c their return policy is that you can't return them after you've worn them!  I did find a few gifts for Dh, me, and Dd for Christmas.  The hard part is going to be waiting until Christmas!!!

Dickens--our boy.

Doctor's office and Dentist:

If I can help it I try to schedule everything I can get done as soon as possible, before the snow here arrives.  So, I've broken all my common sense rules and fit two medical appointments in one week.  Both offices are, of course, a long drive--at least 45 minutes each way.  So Tuesday and Thursday were busy with those appointments.

Sleep-Over Friday:

Dd invited two friends over on Friday night, but only one of them could actually come.  The girls had a good time together.  They ate Cookie-Dough ice cream and watched the latest version of Beauty and the Beast - with Emma Watson.  I will never understand why Disney has to have so much violence and intensity in their "children's" movies.  I think the movie would be even better if they took it down a notch.

Garden:

My garden is still growing my greens, and I'm still picking and enjoying them!  I made a deer roast crockpot stew and used my latest batch of green beans in that.  I still have one bag of green beans left to make another pot of something.  I still have quite a few things to bring in.  I am planning on freezing the last of my veg next week: carrots, beets, turnips, greens, celery....

Blanche, Ice, Cookie tray freeze, and finally into ziplock baggies:

So, we didn't get a lot of our studies done this week!  But, Dd is wrapping up the last of her Core H books.

Bible:
Church, Sunday School, Youth Group, Volunteering for Games portion of Olympians program.

SOTW: Story of the World Vol 4 The Modern Age: (Audio while driving)
Ch's 10-12

Math:

Saxon Geometry with Grace: Test on Monday (81%), Lessons 29-31 and class.  Dd still is having to figure out most of the material by herself or with Dh.  But, at least she is learning how to teach herself how to learn the material without a teacher.

Read Aloud:

I Am David by Anne Holm

We are really enjoying this sad, touching book.

Reader:

The Breadwinner: by Deborah Ellis: Completed

Reader:

Chu Ju's House by Gloria Whelan: Completed

Dd and her friend went on a nature hike and took some great photos of the fall colors.

Fun Reader:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

See the fingerless gloves she made---and the cute pink daisy?!  Agnes liked them so well she slept on them inside her hot pink sleeping bag.

Sewing:

Dd has been making fingerless gloves for herself and a pair for me!  Heather had given her a kit and instructions and Dd had so much fun making them this week.  She sewed cute little daisies on her pair.

Art:

Dd is really enjoying her two art classes and has been drawing at home a lot as well.

Grace Classes:
Painting Studio: 2:00 hours

Botany Art class: 1:30 hours

Saxon Geometry: 2:00 hours

The fall colors are still quite lovely!

Music Classes:

Violin lessons with Christie: 30 min

Intermediate Orchestra, violin: 1:30 hours

Piano with Wendy: 30 min

Intermediate Band, Alto Sax: 1:30

Dd has to practice 2:30 hours for each of her instruments each week, at least that is the goal.

Agnes is doing well with the kittens, not 'great,' but good.  She has been so much more cuddly since it is getting so cold and she likes being warm!  We are totally taking advance of her weakness and enjoying all the cuddles we can get!!!

Next Week:

We should be able to finish our last Core H books a little early.  I've been trying to fatten up our kitten's---next week they both go to the vet to be "fixed."  I'm still wrapping up all the fall chores and preserving the veggies from the garden.  The whole month of November is going to be very wonky, as Dd and Dh will have hunting to do and that will be a few weeks off from lessons.

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