Well, the Little One and I are gearing up for our "We Don't Have to Go Back to School Today!!" Day. The local systems are beginning classes on the 9th of August (seems as though it gets earlier every year!) and we are trying to decide what we want to do to commemorate it. Chuck E. Cheese's is always high on the LO's list (although not-so-much on mine! :-) A few years ago, we were in Florida... mmmm... THAT would be nice! But no-such-luck this year. :-(

As is usual with us, we will keep schooling through these horribly hot days here in NW AL. Since the humidity level most days is at about 150%, we stay indoors or in water as much as possible! We will (as usual) take a nice long break this fall, and again next Spring to enjoy the 3 weeks of good weather at that time! :-)

Please keep my Aunt S in your prayers. She had knee replacement surgery 3 weeks ago, and had a terrible reaction to the pain medication she received. She spent a week in the hospital, then a week in rehab but could not complete her therapy because she was so nauseated. She decided to go home, spent a week there, and is now back in the hospital. Blood clots have formed - several have already traveled to her lungs and she is on medication to help with that. They also tested her gall bladder and found several stones, so she must have surgery as soon as she is able. Having surgery while taking blood thinner can be very dangerous. I have spent the last 3 weeks helping them all I can. We thought she would go home today, but they are keeping her at least one more day. She and my uncle have no children, and we are the closest (geographically) relatives. She has really been through an ordeal. The knee replacement went very well and if she'd been able to complete the physical therapy, she would be in very good shape right now. Just proves that nothing is "routine" when it comes to surgery! They are precious people who I love dearly, and my uncle (who has health issues also) is so worried about her. And she is worried about him being worried about her. I'm just trying to be supportive, and am glad that I am well enough to help out. Thanks for your prayers!

Proud of our Men and Women...

Oh boy... Two posts in one day!

Wanted to relate something I witnessed yesterday. I went down to our local small engine repair place - my riding mower threw a belt and I need to have it repaired - which is a very busy place right now. I waited in line for about 15 minutes, and was kept amused by the two older gentlemen in line in front of me. They knew everyone in the place, were laughing and joking with all of us, and one of them had the most wonderful, mellow baritone voice... I could have listened to him all day! He reminded me very much of one of my favorite singers, Percy Sledge, who was born and raised in our area... Any way, they finished their business and then it was my turn. I spoke briefly with the owner, set up an appointment, and walked outside.

The two older gentlemen were (of course!) talking with someone outside, and about to get into their pickup. As I was coming out, I saw a young man coming across the parking lot. He was on crutches, and I could see that he had a prosthetic on each leg, from just above the knee, and one arm from just below the shoulder. He appeared to be about 25 and was wearing a tee-shirt advertising a local Veterans fundraiser.

The older gentleman with the wonderful voice got back out of his truck and approached the young man. "Are you (so-and-so's) boy?", he asked the young man. "Yes sir, I am", he answered. The older man just wrapped his arms around this thin young man and hugged him, and I heard him say "Thank you, son, for what you have given up for our freedom." The young man said "It was my duty, sir." The sight of this young man whose life has been forever changed by an obvious stint in the military brought tears to my eyes, and I saw that the older gentleman was weeping openly. I smiled and nodded to them both as I walked by, and saw that the older gentleman walked with the younger one and opened the door for him.

I don't know how this brave young man was walking on crutches with 3 artificial limbs, but he was. He parked out on the street, not in a "handicapped" parking place, and made his way across the lot in 90 degrees + humidity. He is a local boy who apparently fought for his country and has come home. Although he paid a very high price, I know his family is so very grateful that he is home.

Since I didn't get to post a Memorial Day message (due to the DSL problems), I have really been thinking about our military and the sacrifices they have and do make. My Daddy and Pappow were proud members of the US Army, and I thank God for the men and women who - at this VERY minute - are making sacrifices to keep us safe in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. We are the free, and they are the very, very Brave. God Bless Them and their families. I hope that each and every Veteran has someone who will wrap their arms around them, and with tears on their face, and true gratitude in their heart, say "Thank you for what you have done!"

Long, hot summer...

I am FINALLY back online! AT&T has taken almost a month (!!!!) to get my DSL back up and running consistently... it's been a loooong month! I sure have missed reading blogs and doing research. But I did get a taste of using "hotspots" for WiFi, as many RVers do on the road... me no-likey! lol Will sure have to get a new battery for this laptop, I can tell you that!

Since the weather has turned hot and humid, K and I are filling our days with outside activities in the cool of the morning, schoolwork mid-day, and playing in the wading pool in the afternoon. Ahhhh.... Summertime in Alabama... Sure was hoping to be on the road by now, but I guess we will deal with another hot and humid season. We really enjoyed our 2 weeks (:-) of Spring and the beautiful weather that brought!

As for school... we "school" all summer. Actually we "school" ALL the time, but since it is so hot here in AL in the summertime, we take advantage of being indoors and do a little bookwork. We take long breaks with the good weather - fall and spring - and stay out and about most of the time, and school when it is too hot or cold to enjoy being outside. Although we are Lifeschoolers, this summer we've decided to concentrate on Math using a textbook (gasp!:-)... Math is her least favorite subject (and mine too... ssshhh, don't tell her!), so it should be interesting. :-)

She is still writing stories and is in a couple of reading programs at the local libraries - although she doesn't really need the encouragement! Of course, learning takes place everywhere, all the time. Science is never-ending with her (she loves it), and history is all around us.

We've just discovered a brochure for a local history car/walking tour that we plan to do soon. Well... we will do the car part of it, anyway!! lol We have Trolley Tours here in town every Tuesday, and plan to take part in that soon, which will be fun. And the festival season is cranking up! We love it...

Clicking along...

"Here comes the sun da da da da"... I think... I hope... wait a minute... Nope. "It was just my imagination!!" Would whoever stole the sun PLEASE bring it back... we all miss it very much.

I am recovering from the flu. Still nursing the hip. Thanks to everyone who has sent me a note to see how I am doing - I love you guys! I am now back to cleaning out closets and drawers and crooks and nannies. Have to be very careful to not move the "wrong" way and also to rest often! My recent "episode" has pushed our schedule back a little, but we'll get there. And in the mean time, getting rid of stuff is so liberating!!

To help you understand what I am "up against" in this cleaning out and downsizing operation, I must paint you a picture of our situation. We have a large 2 car garage which is packed full -- side-to-side, front-to-back, and almost to the 20 foot ceiling, with STUFF. There is a little path I've maintained to weave our way through. Our lawn mower clings tenaciously to a tiny spot in the very front. The patio furniture stayed out during the wonderful Alabama winter we had. The folding lawn chairs are in the trunk of my car. And nope, our cars have never even SEEN the inside of this place which they thought was designed just for them. They also got to experience the wonderful winter weather!

Now before you accuse me of being the ultimate packrat, let me explain... There are 3... yes I said 3... households crammed in this 1900 sq house. My mom, who is 72 years young, moved in with us 3 years ago when I was very sick which I appreciate more than she will ever know. But with her came her "stuff"...

She had already moved from her home of many years to an apartment, which made her go through and get rid of many things, but you wouldn't believe what she had squeezed into that 1 bdrm apt!! Of course she had things stored at my house too (including her out-of-season clothes), in case she "needed" them. So when she moved in with us, we had 2 of everything - I'm sure you can imagine. She looked at it as a temporary thing, and so didn't want to get rid of anything. That has been 3 years and one move ago...

Add to all this the fact that we've saved things over the years for my now 21 yos. That boy could move out tomorrow and only have to buy groceries! Finding the things that are "his" would be tricky, but it's out there. Plus, he is an electronics junkie -- I have no idea how many mixing boards, computers, stereos, etc are in my garage.

He finds junk and brings it home with a big ole smile on his face, as excited as a little boy who has found a lost puppy, and repairs it and takes parts from this to make that... His talent is truly incredible, but if any of you have someone like this in your family, you know just how much STUFF they have. He is in for a rude awakening when he does move out and all his little toys have to go with him!! The only thing I can think of that could be worse would be someone who works on cars and has junk cars everywhere. Not that uncommon here in Alabama, actually!

Anyway... as I said, we basically have 3 households of stuff in one home, plus all the toys my 9 yod has. She is a stuffed toy collector, and currently has well over 500... I stopped counting when we hit the big 5-0-0! She loves them, each one has a name and a personality and a "history". I must say she has done very well in sorting them for the Yard Sale... especially the ones which were mine (very few) or her brother's (more - my Mom never threw anything away!)... wonder why it is easier to get rid of things that aren't yours?? lol

I am being ruthless in my purging of stuff, but am having to go through ALL the stuff to find my stuff to purge! Add to it that each time I delete something, my mom or my son are like... "I might need that"... Sheesh! But when we hit the road, what I leave will be up to them to dispose of! (Insert evil little laugh here!)

I have to say that sorting through the beautiful little clothes that were my daughters just breaks my heart. Knowing a) what I paid for them (and what I'll have to sell them for!) :-P and b) that she is growing up and not my "little one" any more just tears my heart out! I can just see her in each little outfit as I place it in the Yard Sale boxes... (sniffle, sniffle)

On the homeschooling front, she has been in a "workbook" phase. While I was hurt, she would bring her books and pencil to my bed and would do page after page. We also played lots of games, which she loves. She takes the workbooks by "spells" as my Mammow would have said, and will work industriously until she finishes a book. Then she may not pick up another for a while. That is the beauty of Lifeschooling... allowing your child to do what she wants typically results in more and better "outcome" than forcing her to do that in which she is not interested. At least that is our experience - it was the same with my son!

OK... more cleaning, purging, sorting and stacking! "I think I'm going to Katmandu!" :-P

Have a great day! :-)

Snow, Hips, Horses, and a Sweetie-pie

Warning... this post has nothing to do with homeschooling or RVing! :-).............Well, we woke up to several inches of snow the other morning, with large flakes floating down... that was a surprise! I loved watching it fall - the silence was so peaceful. The Little One HAD to get out and play in it, of course, and built two mini-snowmen, harassed the cat, and had a snowball fight with a tree (she won). By late afternoon, it had all melted away. She wasn't very happy, but that was my kind of snow... it fell, she played, it melted. No problems!

I have been "under the weather" for the past several days... I dislocated my hip (again) and am in quite a bit of pain. It is an old injury that recurs occasionally... it happened so often years ago that my doctor finally showed me how to get the joint back into the socket... a very painful and so-not-pretty move, but it does the trick. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments get stretched and displaced though, which is what causes the lingering pain. In a few more days, I hope to be back to "normal". It would help if I could take pain medication, but my liver damage from the Lupus makes that a no-no. It just isn't worth it.

When I was 5 years old, we were riding horses at a local farm in south Georgia. I showed very early talent and was riding on my own by this time. I loved it - had dreams of competing! This particular Saturday afternoon, I was not riding my "usual" pony which was a little Welch named Lady... someone else had her out, so I was on a Shetland named Cookie. Anyone who knows horses knows that Shetlands can be finicky. We were out by the lake, and she was being very uncooperative. I guess she could sense the coming storm.

Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder shook the air and Cookie responded in kind. She went straight up, came down hard and broke into a gallop. When she came down, I lost my left stirrup and clicked my teeth together so hard that I am surprised there were any left. The force of her landing sent me sideways in the saddle. When she began to run, I was doing the only thing I could - holding on for dear life! She bucked once more, and sent me flying, only I didn't have time to kick out of the right stirrup... she drug me a couple of hundred feet before I could finally get free. I can still see the ground coming up to meet me with each and every bounce, and certainly remember how much it hurt! Thank goodness it was thick grass. If it had been hard packed dirt, the results would have been much worse.

The pain in my right hip was the worst, because my leg was twisted around. I ended up with a hurt hip, sprained arms, black eyes, bloody nose, and a terrible headache. For some reason which I cannot explain, my parents didn't take me to the ER... they took me home and cleaned me up and put me to bed. I guess they just didn't think I was hurt that badly. I was very sore and limped for quite a while with terrible pain in my hip. Probably had a slight concussion too, with the horrible headaches I had.... Hmmm.. that could explain a lot... :-)

The first time I re-injured my hip as an adult, they took x-rays and the doctor asked if it had ever been broken. I told him the story and he said that I had several hairline fractures that had not healed well, and that the the top of the hip-flexor was gone. That is why it "slips out" from time-to-time. I know my parents regretted not taking me to the doctor, but I guess they just didn't think I was hurt that badly. I'm looking at hip replacement surgery someday, that's for sure!

So, here it is almost Valentines Day and I've done nothing to prepare. The Little One LOVES a party, and we have to celebrate each and every holiday in the proper fashion. She wants a heart-shaped chocolate chip cookie-cake, with writing on it in red frosting. :-) So I've got to find a way to limp to the store to get the proper ingredients! She gave her grandmother some money yesterday to buy me a red rose, because she knows how much I love them.   She couldn't wait and just had to give it to me - isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard?? She is my little Sweetie-Pie. Mean as a snake and totally monkey-fied some days, but still so very precious to me.

I hope you all have someone precious to celebrate V-day with. Be sure to tell the people you love exactly how you feel!

The Times They Are A-Changing...

Well, I am not doing so well on the bloggy thing... I was posting a comment on a friend's blog and realized how long it has been since I've worked on my own. Shame on me! :-)

Things have shifted and priorities have changed a little. I am still Homeschooling Solo, and will continue to as long as the good Lord allows it. But we are trying to set off on another journey, one I think will be filled with excitement and good times! And hard work, and problems, but we'll deal with those.

We are looking for an older RV that we can 1) afford, 2) refurbish, and 3) take out on the road! We plan to be Roadschoolers!! The Little One is SO excited... she would leave tomorrow! The Big One won't be going with us - they seem to get their own lives somehow, when we aren't looking, although I know that is the way it should be and I am happy for him. I do hope he will tag along or visit from time-to-time. He has the wandering spirit like I always have, so maybe he will. Or he may go off on his own adventures... Who knows? But right now, it looks as though Mom will be the one leaving the nest first! Wonder if I remember how to fly????

I am trying to find a way to earn a living on the road, so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know! I am looking at workamping options, but so many of them seem like quite a few hours just for a FHU site... Most of them also want a couple. A couple of whats, I wonder?? :-)... I need to earn enough to keep us and the rig fed, warm, and dry. Working out of the RV would be great, if I can pull that off. I need something that allows me to have the Little One with me... wouldn't be comfortable leaving her in the RV alone. She is only 9.

Anywaaaay... I will try to post here more often... not sure anyone is interested in the meanderings of a single, homeschooling, hoping-to-be-on-the-road soon, likes-to-talk-too-much mom... I wonder if there are others out there??? Oooh... that is a scary thought! :-)

Happy Birthday, E!!

My baby boy is 21 today, and I cannot believe it. Twenty-one years ago, at 8:10 am he made his silent entry into the world. Premature, cord wrapped around his neck, tiny face as blue as a Smurf. The pediatrician who was in the delivery room immediately began resuscitation and after 12 of the longest minutes of my life at that point, he wiggled and made a tiny sound, like a little whimper. It reminded me of the sound a newborn puppy makes.

I was alone in the delivery room since his father had abandoned us months before. I remember lying there looking at this huge clock on the wall, as it ticked away the minutes, tears streaming down my face, and (funny now) steam rising from the oxygen mask. At 8:35, they finally laid him in my arms and he opened his dark eyes for a minute, looking at me as if to say "well I am here, I'm not impressed, and I am going back to sleep"! (He still looks that way pretty often... :-) He then snuggled up to me and slept for the next hour, with a miniature oxygen mask on his tiny little face. I was so worried because he hadn't cried, but believe me, when he woke up he made up for it! He let everyone in the area know that he was there, alive, and very unhappy! But after getting his tummy full and more snuggling, he drifted off again, happy as could be.

He weighed 8 lbs, 2 ozs at birth, and yes he was 3 & 1/2 weeks early. We were at the pediatrician's office for a checkup on his "due date", and he weighed 10 pounds on-the-nose. The doctor looked at me and said "this is what you would have had if you had gone full term!"

The night I was in the labor room, there was a bomb threat in the hospital. I was not told anything about it until the next day, but my family and friends had to be evacuated, and I heard the "bomb dog" walk through. I asked the nurse why there was a dog in the hospital and she said "must be a service animal". Quick thinking on her part! She stayed with me the entire time, which was risking her life had there been a real bomb, but she never complained and later told me it was her duty. That is dedication! I have never forgotten the kindness that she and the others at the hospital showed me that night.

So today, as my baby boy turns 21, I am reminiscing... thinking back over the past 21 years which have gone by in a blur, faster than I would have ever thought possible. We've had our ups and downs, but through it all we had each other and I could not ask for a better son. He is spirited and questions everything, handsome and strong, kind-hearted and chivalrous, born 3 decades too late (he would have loved the 50s), and one of the most intelligent people I have ever had the pleasure of talking with. He is also quick-tempered and grumpy at times (lest you believe him to be perfect!) hates to mow the yard and refuses to keep his room clean, but he has become a young man of whom I am very proud, and I love him with all my heart.