Happy Love Day

I have always maintained that spelling is important.  But it is also important not to embarrass or shame someone for spelling or typo's.  

Perhaps this is going to make me hypocritical.  

But.   

I love this valentine. 

I'm not usually a huge proponent of giving valentine cards... I prefer homemade with a handwritten message and generally would prefer acts of service/kindness.  

But.   

This valentine.  

This was given out to over 50 primary age children.  (a mass, form letter style Valentine if you will)

I can't help but say this with a deep southern drawl! 

Our Valentines was delightful this year and we enjoyed our Valentine shrine of happy loving thoughts and even a few goodies that were shared.

Followed by ice cream and strawberries with chocolate!

Self entertaining

When you spend twenty days essentially alone, you learn many things about yourself and you definitely find ways to entertain yourself.  (We were all home and we did lots of inter-home zoom chats and classes, but much of the time as all the adults were resting and recuperating, the boys were left to self-entertain.)

Emerson practiced balancing his stuffed animals on his head, he observed wildlife out the windows, he read a lot of books, he played a lot of hot wheels and found many ways to incorporate the construction materials in his area into the play.   

Whittaker requested craft supplies and had to clean his room of scraps of paper and debris daily, but he made many lovely creations.  He listened to endless books.

They both looked forward to internet chats with cousins. 

After 2 weeks of quarantining, I contacted the nurse at the clinic to inquire regarding Duncan and Emerson receiving the antibodies test so we could safely come out of quarantine.  We weren't 100% symptom free yet, but were feeling better and were determined that we were on the road to recovery and didn't want to risk starting the quarantine all over again if the boys started to show symptoms.  The nurse quizzed me well regarding our remaining symptoms and she stopped me short when I mentioned Whittaker's remaining rash.  I was transferred to another nurse and then repeated our symptoms and then was transferred to the Dr. and then was told to bring him in.  They would be waiting for us in the contamination room.  

Five hours later he had been examined thoroughly, given 2 covid tests, an antibodies test, a strep swab, and had 5 vials of blood drawn for further testing.  (I wanted his hearing tested but they thought that request was odd.)  His symptoms were suggesting that a complication of covid, that has been seen in many covid recovering children, was possibly a concern for him. He disliked the swabbing and the blood draw immensely. 

I suppose since they aren't sure why these recovering children suddenly begin to have systems fail about a week to ten days after symptoms first began that we should have been grateful for their thoroughness, but I wasn't feeling great yet and would have preferred to stay home resting and Whittaker has only miserable thoughts about covid.  (His horrid itchy rash and day of vomiting along with the tightness of his chest were more than annoying.)  He verbalized his anxieties on the third day of our quarantine by asking if we were all going to die?   We reassured him that no we weren't.  But he knew we had discussed the two friends from the retirement center who hadn't survived so it was a valid question to him.  (This reaction from the nurses and Dr. weren't alleviating his anxieties.)

Four full weeks later his rash is almost cleared up.  No other issues ever surfaced.  I also wasn't successful in determining if Duncan and Emerson were just asymptomatic or not infected.  Duncan had two days of a headache but nothing else.  So who knows. (the antibodies test, we were told, wouldn't have helped to know that until 10 days after our symptoms cleared up anyway.)  

As far as the rest of us.  Patrick has resumed looking for work, and has finally been released from his quarantine corner.  He lost 15 pounds over the course of the illness but otherwise has no lingering symptoms. 

Jim has bouts of fatigue and has now developed shingles and his hair is thinning (may or may not be related to covid). So now we are keeping our distance from him again.  

I am delighted that I can taste, smell and feel my face again.  The fatigue is gone and so are the body aches and headaches. I still periodically get the chest tightening.  It lasts about an hour when it comes and some days it doesn't happen at all.  

We all still feel a bit less driven and productive, but that could just be some winter doldrums or just personal idiosyncrasies.

Since the holiday season came amidst Covid quarantine, joblessness and unfinished construction, we determined some semblance of festivities would be nice but the only location the tree could go without being in the way of progress was in the corner of the kitchen... where Emerson was camping out. 

He was delighted.  He spent the entire day setting up the tree, arranging the branches, stringing lights and placing ornaments.  He struggled with keeping it from leaning but he was creative in shimming it up.  (There are a few socks and a kitchen butter knife under one part of the tree stand) Sleeping under the Christmas tree that he set up all by himself will be a memory he won't soon forget.  

Ringing in July

While everyone slept on the eve of July 1st, I quietly pulled out the red table cloth and the Canada box.  Hung the enormous flag where it could NOT be missed and went to bed, ready to welcome the next day!  

We awoke to the majestic strains of Oh Canada and enjoyed breakfast with the table centerpieces of Canadian geese.  We enjoyed a day of Canadaopoly, and putting together our Canada puzzle and our Victoria's inner harbour puzzle.  

I attempted to crochet a maple leaf to make a table runner... but I made it 3 times and pulled it out 3 times.  Just could not manage to have it lay flat.

We completed the day with a delightful and well anticipated day of Poutine.

 

Just as I was getting ready for bed I noticed that my much anticipated lily had bloomed.  It was beautiful!

Similarly on the 4th... we woke and played the national anthem and then since it was a Saturday, worked all day on house projects and had a delicious dinner of T-bone steaks, watermelon and corn on the cob. 

The boys put together a map of the USA puzzle and we ended the evening watching the original first Star Wars movie, A New Hope.  

I umm... well.. uh... I forgot to take any photos... you'll just have to take my word for it that I flew the flag on that barn and had table decorations.

But to make up for it... just before we crawled into bed, Channa sent us some 4th of July photos of Kenzie.

She fell while skateboarding... no helmet.  Her mummy Uva is most concerned for that noggin and grateful that more damage wasn't done!

Oh.. and there was a lovely moon rising that night!

Eggceptional!

For as long as I can remember, each Easter I've had a niggling memory of winning an egg blowing contest.  I don't know why I was in an egg blowing contest.  I don't know how as the petite little girl that I was that I competed let alone won an egg blowing contest.  I don't know if before the contest I even knew such a thing as egg blowing was a thing.  To be completely truthful... I don't even KNOW that I won... but I did compete.

Anyway... each year I've considered trying to reenact egg blowing and this year I did not put it off.  One evening I knew we needed eggs for dying for our Easter preparations.  What better time to show off my 'possible quarter of a century old egg blowing skills'.  

So we did.  however... we also were ridiculous enough to think it would be fun to blow out the goose eggs.  

LINK to Video

Click link to see video

Miles was on a video call as we all took a crack at egg blowing.

Don't notice the unsightly vein bulging on my forehead.. I really wasn't struggling... I may have been slower than all the rest, but it wasn't a race.  Although someone forgot to tell Patrick that it wasn't a race and he blew it out in just one breath... okay it took him a few breaths but if we'd only watched him it would have looked easy.

 

At a game night I brought up my niggling memory and recounted our recent egg blowing victory.  

Thankfully I'm not completely crazy!  There was indeed an egg blowing contest in my youth.  It was held at a nearby mall, Hillside mall.  I did compete but it was unknown if I won.  

Well all five of us have eggceptional skills.

The eggs turned out better than I could have anticipated.  These were dyed with onion skins and then polished with a dab of olive oil.  It's a Russian tradition to have a red dyed egg displayed at Easter to be a witness of the resurrection of the Saviour.  For many years in Russia, no Easter celebration was allowed, but the displaying of an egg dyed red with onion skins symbolized hope in each household that it was found in.  Tradition follows that on Easter Sunday, the 'grandmother' of the family would put the egg on the mantle and share her testimony of the Saviour and the resurrection with her family.  

Our Easter Display.  It has been a few years in creating the type of celebration that we wished to have.  Each year we've added or perfected our new traditions.  We now have a month of Easter instead of a day.  

Restoring

As I prepared for Easter this year, I was eager to make it special.  I have been excited for our plans.  Even with the world in topsy turviness, our lives have been relatively unchanged.. well our day to day lives.

Some of the Easter preparation was easy.  

• collect some onion skins.  done.
• plant some wheat berries.  done.
• find some pretty ribbon.  done.
• cut some branches of a tree and bring them inside to force buds.  done.
• dig out the Easter basket of eggs and decorations.  done.
• plant the Easter lily bulbs.  done. 
• crochet some Easter story figures... doing in spare minutes... and into the wee hours.
• find the egg cups.... oh dear....

I knew I had some, but where the egg cups were was a definite mystery.

I had a ceramic white one with a cute little chick carrying an umbrella but I didn't want that.. I was looking for my silver ones.  They had a more distinguished look to them.

When I found them I was a little dismayed that they had become quite tarnished in storage.  I had recently read of "43 Uses for Wood Ash".  One of the uses was to polish silver.  

Did I dare?

What if it ruined them?

They were pretty beat up looking... rubbing them with a paste of wood ash certainly couldn't make them worse.. and I have a plentiful supply of wood ash.

so...

I gave it a try.

I was impressed.

I wish that my first thoughts as I polished up the silver egg cups had been about the incredible power of restoring something dull and imperfect to a shiny usefulness.  

I wish that my first thoughts had been about how like Easter this polishing was.. Resurrection over death; Restoration over dullness.  Washing away sin and leaving a luster of peace in its place.  

I wish that my first thoughts had been of scripture that states, Isaiah 61:3 "... to give unto them beauty for ashes.... that he might be glorified.".... but I'm no scriptorian and the only thing remotely scriptorial that would come to me would be, "dust to dust, ashes to ashes..."

However, the thought that did come to my head and became stuck in my head, was a song..

from the movie.. Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang.

"Up from the ashes... grow the roses of success."

It was indeed out of the ashes that the restoring of the sweet egg cups came about.  So although, it may not have been a reverent and deeply profound spiritual moment leading up to my Easter... I did find beauty in the moment of restoring the egg cups for my Easter 'mantle' display.  It made me appreciate my display just a little more.

After enjoying my moment of 'using ashes to create something of beauty, I opted to only polish one.  Now it is a reminder... especially at this time of pandemic, uncertainty and worries... that out of difficult times,

 there is hope... there is beauty... there is kindness... there is peace.... 

I heard this time described as a pause.  An opportunity to reflect and choose what we will decide to allow to return when the 'normalcy' returns.  Choose to look for the hope, beauty, kindness, peace or the panic, uncertainty, worry.  That which you search for... you will find.

Look for the 'roses of success' that are 'growing out of the ashes' of Covid19. 

And take a moment to enjoy these delightful eggs in my silver egg cups.

From Point A to Point B

I haven't traveled with Caleb in some time, so I'm not sure why driving with your tongue out is photo worthy... but I am pleased that he takes photos of the journey.

Historic landmarks are nice but familiar ones are even better.

This cloud maker is the half way point of our trip from SLC to home.  I suppose it's another false story I have perpetuated to my children over the years.. but ...  I don't actually know nor do I really want to know what it is... because I like calling out... we've reached the cloud maker!  

And truly Wyoming has these incredibly HUGE blue skies... some lovely wispy white clouds add some lovely interest.

Other familiar landmarks are the 'big, big, big, big waters' (always sung)

The striped rocks... and one that I haven't mentioned to the kids because it likely wouldn't have any meaning to them... but there is a grove of somewhat dead trees surrounded by ... nothing... and it resembles a scene in the movie, 'Return to Snowy river'.  

I'll snap a pic on my next trip.

Of all the familiar landmarks, the ones along the last 3 miles are the loveliest.  They signify how close... a potty is!  How close rest is.   How close a hot meal is.  How close the end is.  How close 'home' is.

I loved hearing that the girls called out, "Hi Henry!" as they passed the stone house.

We need a break...

After days of go go go fun, we needed a quiet day. 

 

So... we deemed it pajama day.  

Books to read... Cocoa in the cups and calming music!

We took down the decorations and even the house had an air of calmness.  

Except, we really wanted to encourage some snow to fall so we could return to our outside fun play... so.... we left one little corner of snow encouraging decorations.

Ice rinks and Gingerbread houses

In keeping with the homemade Christmas, we decided to make an ice rink.  

I must remember to have brilliant ideas sooner...

as in before winter arrives.

But.. since I didn't, we did our best.  

We ordered a liner. 

UPS actually delivered it to our house!  It was too big to fit in the highway box!

The UPS truck arrival at dinnertime startled us.  We never expect visitors.

The next day we cleared the snow out in a large rectangle.

Then we laid out the liner with the snow walls to anchor it.  

Then... we began to fill it.

The ice began to freeze instantly... a thin sheet formed on top.

However...

The ground we selected wasn't as level as we hoped.  And now half the rink was filled and frozen and not emptyable.  hmmm...

We spent many days filling an inch at a time the other side of the rink.  We had to create a barricade in the center so it didn't just overflow onto the existing rink.

But technical difficulties didn't stop ice skating testing.  

Sunrise skating

Mid day skating

Mid afternoon skating

Skating took precedence over sledding for a few days.

But having only half a rink was disappointing.  We know what we need for next year.  PLUS... and I know I dream big... but we should build a shelter over it.  That would save a lot of work clearing the snow after each storm... or we could get a zamboni.  It has been fun... but we are looking forward to the improved rink next year.

After a long cold day outside we have to have some indoor activity.  This evenings plans were gingerbread houses.  We decided to make it a contest.  First we needed to set up the area.  We hung a sheet to divide the kitchen and choose teams.

Team One

Whittaker, Caleb, Esther and I.

Our side of the kitchen had the sink and the snack cupboard.  

We took our inspiration from the animal crackers and decided to make an ark.

Team two

Emerson, Duncan, Elowen and Patrick.

I worried a bit about having Patrick on their team.  I knew their structure would be sturdy with his background in building.

Their side of the kitchen had better lighting and a larger work space but they didn't take advantage of anything that wasn't out in easy sight.  

They didn't use much in the way of candies but their idea was clever.  They made a model of our Barn and Nobles estate. 

The finished products were so fun to see at the 'big reveal!'

We realized afterwards that we simply couldn't make it a contest since we hadn't determined what would make a winning structure.  One was definitely more candy filled and colourful... but... it did have some major collapsing issues.  The estate we jokingly said was sturdier than the real thing and had a better gravel driveway!

Each team had a .... snacker.... 

I'm pretty sure the ark and the model of our estate disappeared thanks to the two head snackers from each team.  

A stitch in time... Takes a LOT of TIME

It has been mentioned, hinted at, alluded to, commented and remarked blatantly about... that I've neglected a few things lately.  Most were referring to my writing... either chapters or blogs...  and while that is true... what is not as widely known is the neglect of .... dishes, laundry, cooking, showering, sleeping....

I blame my great grand-mother.... and Channa... and Miles...
I read recently that blame does not promote rational thought... so thankfully the following does not need to have any rationale.

My great-grandmother Geneva Gathright taught me, over a series of summers spent in Portland, how to crochet.  I never did much with that ability.  A few granny square quilts... mostly for dolls.

She taught anyone who would take the time to learn...

Aunt Nancy obviously took the time.  Since we each received afghans at Dad's funeral. 

Years later, Miles and Sarah learned to crochet and knit from a delightful lady, ironically named Nancy who held weekly 'Knichet' classes for anyone in the neighbourhood who wished to learn.  She ended up with a dozen children at her door each week.  She enjoyed their youth and energy and taught them.  She was suffering from cancer and those children will always remember her kindness and smiles.  There were many young faces at her funeral who had all taken the day from school to show their respect to this sweet lady. 

Miles picks up things... quickly.. easily... needless to say, when I came across a fabulous idea to crochet some Christmas projects one year, I turned not to my skill gained at the knee of my great grandmother but to my children... who had more free time than I did... and insisted they use every spare minute to help me with the crochet project.  They did... a little begrudgingly but did a wonderful job.

Channa recently posted...

Initial thoughts on her post.... 

• do you actually expect me to remember this in two years?
• those are cute slippers... maybe he could make me some also.
• it's a shame I couldn't send him a hook and yarn and just have him mail it back completed.
• I suppose I do know how to crochet.... 
• it's not a granny square.
• I know someone locally who teaches crochet... I bet she'd give me pointers on how to read the pattern.
• I just told the boys that everything this Christmas needed to be homemade.. I suppose I should make things also.
• I'll just do it... and if I don't tell Channa... then if I'm not successful... no  one needs to know.

 I did it... I made the slippers.  I didn't take any photos... Just look at the original post... and think... dark brown.. and not so polished a finished product.  They were definitely cozy.  I had a friend cut some leather for the bottom and he surprised me by attaching it also... He hadn't seen the photo so the leather was the entire sole of the slipper. 

It was exhilarating to make an actual something! 

I teach primary and this year will be teaching the same class as last year.  I try to recognize each child's birthday.  Last year I mailed them a cute notebook and pencil.  I needed an idea for this year.  My friend came for New Year's and she whipped up adorable bookmarks for the Schmidt girls.  Dainty, darling bookmarks.  I mulled it over and googled simple bookmarks for kids.  I decided I could probably handle making the bookworm bookmarks for the dozen kids in my class. 

So I began crocheting.  It took a few attempts but I finally had a successful Bruno the Book of Mormon bookworm.  He 'loves to feast upon the words'.  

Now to make twelve!  Thankfully they aren't all born in January.

Fast forward to the end of January.  I have 3 finished bookworms....  and a ridiculous idea for Valentines day.

The little boys are in a home-school Co-op that meets once a week.  They were planning to have a Valentines party.  We were encouraged to think 'non-candy' for the valentine exchange.  Some gave pickles, pens, teddy graham crackers... 

Me?

On Jan.. 31st I sent a message to the parents asking... please tell me your child's favourite animal.

I expected... cats.. dogs.. cows.. pigs... horses... I expected it so much that I began to crochet a pig and a sheep.  They were adorable.  But the list of favourite animals did not include any pigs or sheep.  

With only 13 days until the party I had to find patterns for and complete 14 bookmarks... of penguin, shark, chipmunk, panda, 2 scorpions, a whale shark, (I had to look up what a whale shark was!), frog, elephant, tiger and thankfully 2 cats and a dog.  

So for 13 days... I crocheted.  A LOT!  

This is why there hasn't been any blogs.. chapters... supper.. clean underwear!
This is a serious problem.
I did find it delightful to have something to do when waiting around in town for kids... and when Patrick was driving... I can get a lot crocheted in a half hour drive to town.  But I can NOT get anything else accomplished when crocheting.  I can not read.  I can not even listen to a book because I'm constantly counting stitches and referring to the pattern.  I can not clean or cook or type! 

but...

I can now say that I can read a crochet pattern. 
I have a few more bookworms to make but then I can take a crochet break.... maybe... unless I have some other grand idea. 

Feeding Ground Fun

Elk Feeding..

Sam the guide and feeder, set down the rules.  

Sam was hilarious

1.  Don't fall off the sled

2.  Don't lose any strings

3.  Don't break the bales

4.  Don't lose any points

(but wait... points?)  How do you get points.  Sam distributes the points...  arbitrarily.

He giveth and he taketh away.

Beautiful sights

Gettin' the job done

After feeding, it's time to enjoy the long drive back... 

in style! 

After a few miles, it's time to close the gate to the feeding grounds.... 

If you take too long... the ride  may begin to pull away.. then...

The video stopped just before Duncan hit a patch of ice and met the ground in a sudden gust of gravity.  He didn't run quite so much after that... but he did get back in the sled.  He also took a little ribbing from the older, cruder set!

Boxing Day

So if Christmas Eve was perfect, and Christmas Day fun filled exhaustion... what do you do for Boxing Day?

After installing the bathroom door lock, much of Boxing day was spent recuperating.  We gathered wood.  We showered.  Some napped...

Oh.. and the big guys.. Caleb, Duncan, Elowen and Esther went to feed the Elk... on a sleigh.

I've since heard phrases such as, "That was the best ever"... "I want to do that again!" ... "That was the  most fun."... "Sam was hilarious!"

... so much fun it's its own post!

But other than Elk...

We continued the excitement with colouring

We pulled off some high fashion.

There were a few trips to gopher hill.  

Sledding happened a few times each day.

But when it was too cold to sled any longer they headed inside to entertain themselves in other ways.

... playing with the spinning top... body style.

We tidied a bit and mopped the floor while we listened to an audio book and prepared to end the day with a live facebook chat with a favourite author.

Some may have nodded off a bit while listening to the book.

A successful day when people are exhausted.
It's possible some hot cocoa and apple cider were partaken of... but I have no photographic evidence..

Two days into the visit.
What will we think to do next?

Christmas Day

Christmas Bells...

...were ringing.  This was a hit Christmas morning.  We kept it a fairly sensible and simple Christmas.  We had decided on one fairly large family gift... I had had a few ideas but none that truly included everyone... Then while up late one night I stumbled across Merry Bells..  I was intrigued.  I watched a few videos and hmmed and hawed... I finally caved and made the purchase at over 50% off.  I had almost forgotten about them until the package arrived.  

Who knew they would take over Christmas!  They were played almost exclusively from dawn to dusk and even later... and they were played almost daily for the next two weeks.  

They became proficient in next to no time!

They mastered all the songs in single note and moved on to harmonized ringing!

Then they decided to increase the difficulty... the sped up the songs!

Ring a ling .. ding dong..

Partway through the day the Walkers arrived to join our festivities and Whittaker had requested we play a game.  A ridiculous hat wearing, oven mitt wearing, fork wielding, unwrap a chocolate bar that has been wrapped 50 times kind of game.

While all of this was going on, some of us worked on the 1000 piece nativity puzzle and enjoyed a video chat with Miles.  We even paused the game and played some bells for him and his companion.

No holiday is exempt from chores... especially when chores mean keeping us warm!

The exhausted but happy sledders had used up every bit of daylight careening around on the sleds and finally called it a night.  The sled made one last trip across the yard filled with firewood.

After a long winters day of sledding and ringing bells, a warm winter's evening of fun and games was enjoyed.  It had been a day of fun and lots of nibbling on goodies and treats.  We had left over soup from the Ranch nativity and all the extra cookies plus martinelli's juice.  Walkers, Caleb and the girls and of course us, filled our little house with fun all day.

Bell ringing really happened all day long and included all.