The Beautiful Blog Award

Weel, Joanna gave me an award! Thanks Joanna!

So, when you get this award, you're supposed to:

• 
  
  
  
  Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.

Ok, all five people who are reading this (except for Joanna - you already know what you wrote), head on over to Joanna's blog!  She's fun, talented (you should check out her Etsy store, Josnazz -she has some really cute earrings) and is a beautiful Christian.  If you haven't read her blog yet (though I think you all have) you should. 

• Copy the award and paste it to your blog.

Done.

• Tell us seven interesting facts about yourself.

Hmm, no guarantee on the interesting part...

     1.  I lived in North Dakota for ten years, and love it there.  The people, the land, the weather (though I've grown less fond of snow than I once was), the wildlife, the smell.  I could go on and on, but I doubt you came here to read about North Dakota, so I'll spare you.

     2.  I love clean sheets (I warned you).

     3.  I like trying new foods.  

     4.  I laugh at kids who are throwing tantrums.  Does anyone else find that funny? 

     5.  I think it's a great idea for girls to go to college, even if they aren't planning to have an out-of-home career.  Some may think "Well, of course!" and others may disagree with me.  That topic is a whole new post in itself, though, so more later. 

     6.  I like old movies.  Old, old movies, from the 1930's and '40's.  If you'd like to watch one, I recommend The Sea Hawk, with Errol Flynn.  Or The Adventures of Robin Hood, also with Flynn (though you might snicker through that one).

     7.  I have very little patience for picky eaters.  Eat it, or don't.  No substitutes.  You may pity any children I have in the future.  They will eat their kale, and like it (though liking the food is not a requirement).

• Pass this award on to 15 fantastic bloggers you have discovered.

Well, I'm pretty boring (as you now know quite well),  and don't read too many blogs (but the ones I do I spend too much time on).  So, I award (and recommend) the following blogs:

1. Jo-with-it's Portfolio
2. Rachel the Rambling Writer - it's invite only, so... Rachel, I'll let you handle this one (aren't you glad?).  Maybe you could leave a comment if you want to be invited (but no guarantees).
3. Flower Patch Farmgirl
4. Simply Vintagegirl
5. The Purl Bee

•  Contact your nominations and let them know they’ve won.

Don't feel an obligation to do all the things awarded people are supposed to do.  Especially if you were already awarded. 

So, to wrap up this lengthy post, thanks for the award Joanna!

Stillness

Cat and dog and sleeping (or pretending to).  Deep breaths.

Family gone to church (I'm sickish, staying here).

Beans sprouting in the garden, without saying anything.

Magnolia glowing in the evening sun.

Hot and lazy outdoors.

Cool and silent indoors.

Quiet morning at work (not so the afternoon, but busy was good in that case).

The gentle hum of the sewing machine.

The hushed sound of a steaming iron.

Summer evenings are so peaceful (even when we're all at home).

Don't you think so?

It's in the Shop

Well, I just couldn't wear it.  I'm sure someone will love it, but that someone is not me.  I would like to make it in a different fabric, and now that I know what changes I'd like to make to the pattern,  it should go together fairly quickly.  That was the main reason I made this dress, after all.  So, it's in the shop.  Good bye, dress (and darling buttons).

The Wise Sewing Encyclopedia

The Wise Encyclopedia says aprons are a necessity in the kitchen.   Hmm.   I'm afraid I missed that memo.   I'm glad I know now!  Will my pans be that happy when I wear one too?

You like nightgowns for little kids?  They're here, and they're adorable!

I know you've been dying to learn how to sew this peplum!  You haven't?  Oh.  How odd.

I haven't either.

Curtains of all sorts.  Tall, short, starched, lacy, stapled to a board, fringed or plain.  You name it, they'll tell you how to make it, why it's useful, and where to hang it.  In fact, they'll just gush over the curtains (and everything else), if you'll listen.

They did things differently in the 1950's, that's for sure.  But then, different isn't always bad.  I think that, minus the peplums, ascots and gushing, I like different!

Coming Up...

The School Year in Review

• Anatomy - wonderful!  I highly recommend Ms. Leah as a teacher, middle school, high school, college (if only) or otherwise. She. is. amazing.  So is the circulatory system (but I wouldn't have thought so if it wasn't for Ms. Leah).  She made highly confusing things easy to understand.
• Finishing Algebra II - at last!  It got derailed when we started competitive speech and debate (not something I love, by the way).
• Geography - fun, but I wish I'd cooked more ethnic foods.  If you take geography, do that.
• Intro to Computers at a community college - a good class to take online, and definitely one I'm glad to have out of the way.  It was really useful though, and introduced me to databases, which is what I do most of my work on at Dr. Wonderful's.
• CPR and First Aid from Red Cross as a health credit - great to know!  Just be sure you can attend the skills session at the end and get certified.  I can't, and they won't call me back for some reason.
• Teaching art classes - very fun, and a great learning experience.
• Studying hard for a college math placement test - not so good of an idea.  At least, not for the college I'm going to attend - the test turned out to be six questions long, and I accidentally clicked on the wrong answer, then couldn't change it.  Please learn from my experience, and go slowly.  Don't kill yourself studying, either.  If you can find some information about what the placement tests are like for your college, it would be a good idea.
• American History - read The Patriot's History of the United States.  It's such a well-written, clear, balanced book.  It's one of my favorites.

All in all, it was a wonderful, semi-laid back year, and a delightful way to finish high school.  I really, really love being home schooled, in case you can't tell.  I'm so thankful God gave me parents who wanted to teach me and my siblings at home, encourage us (but don't force us) to go to college, and point us to Him.

Bocce Balls in the Rain

There is something wrong with this photo, and I just don't know what it is.  Anyone have an idea?  We brought the balls out for a party Beth hosted for a Christian group at her college, and David decided to keep playing with them for a while.  He and our Neighbor had some wild games.  Well, as wild as bocce ball can get (which isn't very).  Lest you think that he and his friends always play dignified games like golf and bocce ball, let me disillusion you right now.  The wrestle, play football in the mud, and shoot at innocent squirrels (no wounded yet, though!).  Sometimes they shoot at each other (that gets, um, unpleasant).


Today was my last day of highschool.  And home school.  But then, once a home schooler, always a home schooler.  So I'll survive, and I'm sure college will be fun!

Roses on the Table

In The Garden

 Lettuce is growing.

Tomatoes are planted.  There are extras - anybody want some?

Strawberries are ripening. 

A Semi-Hiatus

I just started my new job (!), and it feels like I've gone from walking down the street to driving a race car at full speed.  In addition to work, I'm trying to tackle two art shows, graduation plans and invitations, the garden, and the last several weeks of school and art classes.  Soooo, all that to say that you may not see much of me over the next couple of weeks.  I'd like to post, really I would, but I'm cutting things out temporarily, and the blog is one of those things that can do with less attention.  I want to post every few days, but no guarantees.

Once next week is over, I'll try to get  back to a regular schedule.  Okidokie?

By the way, spell check's first suggestion for okidokie is Okinawan.   I just knew you wanted to know that. Right?

Mint in My Lemonade

I have officially worked two days in a "real" job!  Thank you, Dr. Wonderful!   I feel comfortable with the data base, and I actually faxed a couple of things today, but - the phone.  Oh, the phone.  I haven't answered a single call yet, mainly due to the fact that I haven't been the closest person to it, but a couple times I waited too long to answer it because I'm worried about what will happen when I do.

To put it like Jakie would, I skeered.

Not just of the people at the other end (which really isn't logical, by the way), but the phone itself is like a black hawk helicopter!  Because I can't answer many of the callers' questions, I'll be transferring most of the calls, and I keep on forgetting how to do that.  So they show me again, and I forget again. 

Ah, well.  I'm sure it will come to me eventually. 

I do like the fax machine.  We understand eachother, the fax machine and I.  I don't send too many pages at one time, and it keeps things simple and tells me exactly what to do.

The lemonade picture really doesn't relate to anything.  Before we moved, a friend told me that Southerners really like mint in their lemonade, and that I'd better get used to it.  After almost six years of living here, someone offered me minty lemonade for the first time last week. Technically, it was lemonade mixed with sparkling water and sprig of mint. I really like it!   Hence the picture.

Clematis

My art students are so sweet. I teach three classes, one with 6-8 year olds, another with 8-11 year olds and another with 11-13 year olds. The first class has some crowd control issues (I've mentioned these) and needs a lot of direction, so I'm a tad stretched during that hour. The second class is perfectly behaved and cheerful, but still needs a good amount of direction, so I can only put up with (and contribute) so much silliness.

The poor third class.

They deal with crazy Kara. Just ask them. I'm pretty sure they think I'm a nut! But it's more fun that way, and they still work on art. They work on it so hard! That's what they did on Friday, and here is proof:

Sadly, it won't post the right way. The green clematis is supposed to be in the upper left corner. But no matter! They have quite varying skill levels, but they had so much fun working on this project together. This picture does not do it justice. There were some troubles with the oil pastels, but overall it went well.

And there was plenty of goofiness.

A Still Life

Summer Reading

I'd like to put together a list of books to read this summer, some theology, some mystery, some classic, or ancients, if I feel like it, (though I have my doubts as to whether or not I will), and some non-fiction. Here's what I have so far:

• Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem - I've started, but it's going to take at least the summer to finish.
• The 10 Big Lies about America by Micheal Medved
• Worldliness by C.J. Mahaney et al
• Maybe some Agatha Christy. But I don't know. I wasn't too impressed by the Miss Marple TV series. With one exception, the stories were morbid. But I have not read any of the books - those of you who have, thoughts?

That's a pretty puny list. Any ideas of what I should add to it?

Oh, and this photo and the one in the last post were taken by Beth. Aren't they pretty?