The routine of everyday life at PotterVilla Academy-a homeschool center for faith, learning, and expansion. With interests in Christian growing, agrarian living, musical playing and computer programing, the Potter family is an entrepreneurial playground.
I have some good news, and some bad news. The good news is that we're now a popular enough blog to get spam. The bad news is, I've had to enable word verification and partially turn comment moderation on for posts older than 30 days. If you anonymously post a generic comment, I'm going to delete it as spam. So: please use your blogger account or include your name in your comments. Sorry for the additional hassles!
In the semi-sheltered world of the hoop house there is green grass growing!
The garlic has also poked its head above the mulch and one lone onion (which I obviously missed harvesting last year) is bravely daring Spring's sometimes wild and wacky weather.
The wonderful thing about the seasons is that they follow each other so faithfully. Each has its allotted time, and when it passes the next phase of nature begins to blend into the last.
So it is with this spring. The snow is beginning to melt and the driveway is finally down to the lime chips. Bird song fills the air and we've seen red wing black birds at the bird feeders. We've even caught a glimpse of this fine fellow:He eluded me yesterday, but I this morning I managed to nab his photo. (Hint: It's a Robin one of those rare birds that herald the coming of spring!)
Sometime soon I hope to relate more, but for now I've got to get back to the grindstone...
Now that winter is almost over, and the days for cold and snow are rather on the limited side, we actually have some! [snow that is :-) ] Although our totals aren't nearly as impressive as D.C. (32" I beleive) we've gotten enough to make snowshoes worthwhile on my hikes with the dog. [or squirrel hunting ;-) ] The totals vary to quite a bit in our area, the last big storm we got about 8" on average; but just 9 mi away, at the W. farm they probably got closer to ten or eleven inches.
The flakes are once again falling this morning, which probably means my clothes aren't getting very dry--something to do with the warmer temps and precipitation I think! Ah well, they can always finish in the house. (I'm a very firm believer in hanging clothes outside to dry--as you may remember)
I guess that other places have gotten snow too--Texas for instance. I even hear rumor that the global warming talks, after being postponed three times, were canceled because of all the snow in D.C. You don't suppose that God is "meddling" again, do you? "Global Warming--Ha! I can make it snow in Texas and Florida." Whatever the case it does show that we serve and omnipotent God!
The snow is also making the garden hoop house project drag along a little more slowly than I'd anticipated. Actually, it's mostly the frozen ground. I can usually pound a fence post in (using a regular manual post driver) in about 10 hits or so--no more that 20. The well-pipe stakes I'm trying to pound in now are taking me a lot closer to 200 hits than 100. Admittedly they are rather taller than the fence posts mentioned earlier, but after pounding in two or three of them I'm about sore enough to quite for a few a hours anyway. Hard on your shoulders and hands. Six down eight to go (I think)...
Then I need to get some nine gauge wire to tie the well-pipe hoops to the other 3 ft. stakes I've already pounded in to the ground to support the hoops. The plan was to have everything done by last weekend. Maybe I'll be close by next weekend :-) I do have the blocks for the stove wall in place, but those tall stakes (mentioned above) to hold the blocks in place (for some reason mortar doesn't cure too well at 15 and 20 degrees...) are really holding up progress.
Additionally, I've been trying to put in at least an hour or two in at the great studying. Yippee! (insert extreme sarcasm into that one!) But to accomplish my goal I've got to keep plugging away at it. And we figure better here and now, than later at Alpena where I've got to keep at the slow, expensive, mundane pace they prescribe. Not to mention that if I can conquer this stuff now, when I get up there I should be able to get the A.S.S. degree in one year. Which would be good.
It's a excellent plan, I just need to (by the grace of God) muster up enough fortitude to trudge, march, or somehow, get through it.
So with that in mind I guess I'd better back to something slightly more productive. (although this provides a nice break)
This isone of themost exciting thing I've read in politics this year: South Carolina has introduced a bill to nullify gun registration. If this bill gets passed, this will be the most exciting thing in politics this year. Get the scoop at Campaign for Liberty: http://campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=591.
In local news, the sun is shining (temp was 22F earlier), Matthew is out working on expanding his hoop greenhouse, Mom's birthday is on Wednesday (celebration to be held from Tomorrow [cake and steak] through whenever the presents arrive), and I'm working on a website for the local CEF chapter.
In blogging news, I'm mulling over a post on Bible translation and representative theology, but as I don't have anything committed to paper yet, there are no guarantees. This morning, I was reading Malachi. As it seems to really apply to our current national situation, I'm also (very) tentatively considering doing a mini-series on that book. What do you think?
"Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. "They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not." - Malachi 3:16-18
"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." - Malachi 4:5-6
It's raining. This is January, last I checked, and it's not supposed to be raining. (typically not anyway) There was even thunder in the night... What ever happened to the good old days where it was cold in January?
This winter has been rather disappointing in my opinion--not very many cold days and not much snow. Must be that darn global warming committee is having another meeting--all the big wigs traveling really heat things up....That or it's one of those natural cycles that are sooooo improbable....
Well lately I've kept rather busy with a sort of new, kinda old "project" that's been in the works for a few months now. The plan is that in August (this summer) I'm heading up to Alpena Community College (ACC) to attend their Trade School to become an electrical linesman (like for a local electric co-op). Since we firmly believe that the government has no place in supporting education, and we obviously won't be accepting any govt. funding, I've been working on filling our a couple of independent scholarship applications. ACC is still technically a govt. supported school, but unfortunately it's the only school in the state that has the hands on part of the course work integrated into daily activities. It is also the very best around, by the several accounts we've heard from people we know.
Currently we're (using the term loosely--mostly it's Research Central [Mom]) investigating the possibility of combining ACC's two years into one year and several "examinations for credit". These are tests that the college will accept in lieu of taking (and paying) for the actual classes--saving both time and money. That way I could earn an Associates in applied Science Degree in the time I'm will to waste (uh, that would be spend) in learning the trade before I start working full time. Otherwise I think that I'll just stick to the basic Certificate, and get on with life.
My plan, Lord willing, is to spend this fall and the next spring semesters in obtaining the degree and then get a job with a local utility and work through the 3 1/2 to 4 year apprenticeship until I'm a qualified journeyman linesman. Meanwhile putting in all the hours I can, and saving at least half of what ever income. After 4 years we'll see what happens as far as advancement within the company, or employment with a contractor or something; still working and saving as much as possible.
After 5-7 years of working I hope to be able to have enough saved to purchase a farm. Several people have suggested that I buy one as soon as I have enough for a down payment--but I have an extremely high aversion to debt. About the only possibility I might consider is getting a place if I had at least 70% down--but only if everything was exactly right. That way I could get a few years head start on the orchards, and wood lots. I firmly believe that good things come to those who wait.
In the meantime I'm doing some experimenting....I was able to rent about an acre and a half across the road this year, and I've got a half acre reserved for a garden (frost seeded to oats for a green manure crop) and the other acre is for pasture for the chickens and other animals... Hopefully, I will be able to rustle up some sheep, from one of the farms I've been working on to graze ahead of the chickens and provide some fertilizer. Also I'd like to attempt raising some PotterVilla Pasture Pigs in addition to the Pastured Poultry--we'll see how that goes.
The Chickens I've kinda got figured out, the sheep are simple--give 'em some water and a little salt, and they graze, but the pigs...now that will be completely new. I've worked with swine a fair amount but never on pasture, I'm not sure how it will really work out. I know that Mr. Jeffries in VT does well with them, but he's got a lot more acreage than I do to work with. And the occasional load of peanut butter from Ben and Jerry's!
There will be a few new things in the garden but for the most part, that should be fairly basic too. Keeping the weeds in submission shouldn't be too hard because I have a super duper Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe! And I've got a garden cart too--they'll get a workout this summer.
I'm also going to attempt a heated greenhouse this year too. I just need to get the hoops up and the stove in place and build the wall for the stove and put the plastic on and not forget (like I actually did...) that I planted some two hundred and thirty cloves of garlic in there somewhere!
Hopefully I'll be able to do a little bit of the Farmer's Market thing, but unfortunately, I'll be in Alpena when the vast majority of the fall crops are ready. I could come home on the weekends, but it would cost an average of 75 bucks in fuel every time, which doesn't make that a very viable option.
Another interesting project I've recently completed is rebuilding a trailer. I bought a frame (axle with electric brakes and basic steel supporting beams) which used to be a camper, and then purchased extra steel and substantially beefed it up before putting a 2x6 deck on the thing and wiring it for lights. I've since carefully inspected a commercially built trailer, and I think I may have over built mine a smidgeon ;-) Ah, well. Now I've got a excellent wood cart, if only I can get the spring on the truck replaced. (They're shot and since the trailer is only a single axle there tends to be a little tongue weight)
The other exciting news is that Grandpa is giving me his old Farmall M. He has it all painted up nicely, and running well. I believe that he said that he's got a plow to go with it as well. That will really make the garden work a lot easier, if I only have to borrow tillage equipment rather than a tractor too. I may even take it out to the W. farm to rake hay with. That would be fun.
First let me acquaint you with the circumstances surrounding this series of events.
To begin with the old truck was dead. There can be no doubt about that fact. Did we know that the old truck was dead? Of course we did. We were the ones who hauled it home. We were the ones who tore it apart. We were the ones who declared its life finished.
There is no doubt that the old truck is dead. This must be definitely and distinctly understood, or nothing special can come of the tale I'm about to tell....
Once upon a time--early on a cold December morning, of all days ([Jonathan]: Dec. 08?)--a young man was headed off to work on the farm when a deer suddenly dashed out in front of him...I took my foot of the accelerator pedal and the truck quit. Attempting vainly to restart the engine, I tried everything I could think of, but to no avail. So I trekked home (only about a half mile) and called my friend (Daniel) from the farm to come to the rescue. At first I thought it might just be a dead battery but when we tried to jump it we were completely unsuccessful. After numerous frustrating, failing attempts to figure something out I said: "Forget it. Tow me home!" (or something very similar to the same effect.) So he did. The interesting part came in when you factor in the fact that home was in the direction directly opposite the way I was facing--that and there was absolutely no way to turn around (especially with out power steering). Thus Dan hauled me for about a half-mile-- backwards. If you don't think that trying to steer backwards looking in your mirrors is difficult, you aught to try it some day...did I mention that I had no power steering?
So there you have a brief description of "the death of the truck." You now understand why we are looking for a new(er) truck. Shortly thereafter the W. family (with the farm) graciously volunteered to let me use their farm truck for transportation. For a while we were not completely sure that the truck had died, so for a period of time (while Dad took the tappet covers off to look at the lifters and the oil pan off to examine the bearings and pistons) we were suspended in action (in limbo so to speak).
But although no one really wanted to admit it we all knew the sad truth. The poor old truck was dead.
And so we began the search for a new(er) truck. Hours turned to days, days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months...
We search the papers, talked to friends and local salesmen, got hooked on craigslist (You need it? They've got it!), and generally searched the internet (fortunately, Mom is the consummate researcher--we call her "Research Central" :-) ). As the weeks dragged on, we did find several trucks that met our long list of qualifications. One day we went to Lansing and visited several area dealerships--we discovered some useful information (the price on that sort of vehicle is often negotiable even up to 25% or thereabouts) and another interesting fact--used car salesmen have the wimpiest handshakes imaginable. Its about like shaking a damp dishrag. Actually, the dishrag may have a firmer grip!
But we failed to locate anything that seemed worthy of pursuing. Until...Fletcher found something new to do! (Oh, sorry...relapse to one of our favorite stories when we were little--"Pirates Ahoy!" by Hans Wilhelm) That is until Mom found a likely truck in Lansing, and one in South Haven, and one in Grand Rapids! Since she was having trouble keeping track of them all by sheer memorization (after all she isn't really intimately familiar with all the engine numbers and model numbers between Ford GMC and Chevy, let alone remembering minute details like color, box length, etc.) we referred to them by the name of the owner/salesman.
For instance the truck in Lansing was Sam's truck--a shiny red '98 3-door extended cab F150, short box with topper, 4 wheel drive with a standard transmission. Salesman Bob's truck was in Grand Rapids: a green '96 extended cab F150, short box, 4x4. But my favorite of all the ones we'd found to date was in South Haven--the salesman's name was Sandy. Sandy's truck was white with a red strip, '95 extended cab F150, long box with topper, 4x4, automatic transmission and bucket seats.
First we went and took Sam's truck for a test drive--the main problem was I didn't fit in it very well. And with stick shifts you kinda need plenty of room.
Bob's truck sold before we could get up there to look at it.
Then we made plans to journey down to South Haven to look at Sandy's truck. Just as we were about to walk out the door, the phone rang--"'this is Sandy, at blank, blank blank,' we can't find the truck you are coming to look at." He asked if we could go out for lunch or something while they looked for it. We mentioned that South Haven is a long ways from Charlotte and that if they didn't have the truck on the lot we didn't feel we could justify making such a long trip. (To put it mildly!) To make a long story slightly shorter, we did finally go down and look at the truck a couple of weekends later. Apparently, the owner took the truck to let his dad borrow to use to haul diesel fuel to a job site. Unfortunately, when we went to test drive the truck the battery was dead. So evidently, since the owners dad had just been using the truck, the battery was no good. The salesman offered an interesting excuse: the high voltage lines running over the parking lot had drained the juice from the battery. (Too bad he didn't know he was talking to an electrical engineer!)
The truck was kinda rusty, but I liked it, it was in good mechanical condition and so we moved onto the bargaining. To make a long story really short, we seemed to have a few irreconcilable differences--about 800 of them to be exact. ($1 each :-) )
Also on that trip we were discussing the pros and cons of another truck, located in Howe Indiana. It was a 1997 F150, 4x4, extended cab, long box, decent mileage, excellent price, with one major problem: a rebuilt salvage title. Which means that it had been in at least a couple of accidents--totaled in one or more, and repaired up to par with what the state required. It sounded pretty good except for the last part...and we decided that we didn't care to open that can of worms.
Some time later, we found a 1996 F150 (do you see a theme here? We really were considering Chevy's and GMC's) 4x4, extended cab, North Woods edition. I think that one was down south somewhere too. (South of Bellevue, MI anyway) They had a video tour of that one, and it was only a short box, so we kinda left it by the wayside.
But then Fletcher, I mean Mom, found one on craigslist or somewhere, in Lansing. It was almost exactly like the one in wherever it was. (with the video) 1996 F150, 4x4, extended cab, short box, topper, power windows, manual seats (I can actually run them [as opposed to the automatic ones with all the buttons] ), the old style of Ford mirrors--the ones that are big enough you can actually see something in, and pretty decent mileage. It was owned by a very small rescue mission type organization in Lansing.
So we set up a meeting with Mr. Mark, who was the head honcho at the mission. As we neared the corner parking lot where we were supposed to meet him we heard this dull roaring sound getting louder and louder. In fact it was getting so noisy that it was rather unsettling. When we finally arrived at the corner the noise was almost deafening. Then we found out what was making all the commotion. The construction crews on the nearby street had broken a gas main, and it was rushing out of the fissure and causing all the racket. It was also causing evacuations, and news crews were beginning to show up.
However the wost part of it all was that the truck we had come to see was parked in a garage less than a block away from the broken pipe, and we couldn't get to it. I mean come on, just because they're evacuating people, why would that stop anything? We had driven a long ways--maybe 20 minutes or so!
So anyways Mr. Mark agreed to not sell the truck before we could get a chance to look at it. He even offered to meet us half way at Potterville. One afternoon not too long after that Mom and I went over and looked at the truck and took it to a mechanic friend. Who gave us the bad news. (yes I know that is a fragment and not a sentence, but I don't have to turn this in for a grade!) There was a seven dollar seal on the rear end that wasn't replaced quite quick enough. Which meant that the bearings were bad, and could possible mean that more that that was ruined. Which could run about three to four hundred dollars. Which wasn't really that good. The other minor problem was that the rear springs were shot. With no load the box was riding on the overload springs.
But on the plus side the front end had been almost completely replaced--new tie rods and ends, one new suspension arm, new brakes, new front tires. According to Mr. Mark he had intended to keep the truck--and so had sent the truck to the shop and had the front end completely gone over with a fine tooth comb--but unfortunately the financial situation wasn't favorable to that. Mr. Roger the mechanic, said that the repairs to the front end were probably worth around $1600. Thus it could be a good start to having a very nice truck.
And my friend Dan, of the farm and pulling me home (backwards) fame, had an old truck that had also died (well actually he killed it, but he's much easier on vehicles now) a couple of years ago but that he'd kept for parts etc. and which had practically brand new tires that would fit on that truck, and which he'd give to me. (that might be classed as a run-on sentence)
And it would be very nice just to be done. Done looking at every single truck on the face of the earth in the five state area. Done, until you search for a truck for as long as we did, you'll never know the sense of relief that came when we were finally...Done.
So we took the truck home to show to Dad and Jonathan. It passed their initial inspection--"wow, I really like how the topper exactly matches the truck..." (or something very similar to the same effect.) (No names as to which of them actually said that...)
Over dinner we discussed what to do. Finally we decided to see if Mr. Mark could come down on his price at all. We'd give him the sad story about the seven dollar seal...
Later at the corner gas station we met Mr. Mark with the truck. We told him about the repairs that would be necessary etc. He said "well I'm glad you had a chance to look at the truck." and started to walk away...Mom then asked if he couldn't come down any. Apparently, he thought that we weren't interested at all. But he was willing to come down what we asked and so.........
On September 29, 2009 (one day after my birthday) we became the proud owners of a New(er) Truck!!!!!
Praise the Lord, Hallelujah, Amen.
Or something very similar to the same effect. ;-)
Thus I now have a very nice truck in which to haul around my vast accumulation of junk! Which is why I wanted the extended cab in the first place.
And so ends my tale, and now you can see why it was important for you realize that the old truck was dead.
Prayer is something one can always learn more about.
Recently, my parents went to visit an elderly couple from our church who are now in an assisted living facility. One summer day several years ago, we had this couple over for dinner (in part of an unfinished campaign to entertain all of our church family). Other than the fact that we were eating outdoors under a tree (with a table and chairs, of course), there was one specific thing I remember--the gentleman's blessing of the food. He prayed like he knew God, and I could tell he spent a lot of time on his knees. He spent around five minutes blessing our food and addressing the various needs of our families, church, area and nation. It made an impression on me. I've always aspired to pray like that--it seems to be a taste of the way Jesus prayed--intimately knowing the Father, and never uncomfortable or rushed. Their visit reminded me of his prayer, and exhorted me again to a higher level of prayer.
I have been very nervous about this past weekend for some time. Saturday morning was our first practice of the Christmas Pageant I wrote, followed closely by a piano recital with my new teacher (Mr. Cook). Then on Sunday, the Choir (which I'm leading) was performing the hardest piece of the season. In the evening, I directed the Instrumental Ensemble (playing my music) and instead of directing the choir like I usually do (Mom stepped in, thankfully), I played the piano (our regular pianist was at a concert at the Wharton Center).
If you knew me the way God knows me, you would know that when I get nervous, I start praying (like I should have been doing before I started the whole project). Any number of things could have gone wrong. However, after almost everybody arrived on Saturday morning, and we started reading through the script, I could feel God's hand on the production. We have three narrators who have the first two pages of reading. As they were reading through the scriptures and my responses, it was awe inspiring.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the word was God... The Word of the Lord came against the serpent... The Word of the Lord came to Noah... The Word of the Lord came to Abram... The Word of the Lord came to David... The Word of the Lord came to Isaiah... The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us..."
The reader's voices were exactly what I had envisioned, and did a beautiful job on their first time reading together. Another highlight was the choreographed falling of the shepherds around a mic. The light (the glory of the lord) flipped on and they fell like dominoes (not into each other, though!).
I admit, I was pretty enthused as we rushed home, right up until I started practicing for the recital (which was in less than an hour). My music was still fairly rough, and I knew it. Nervousness started setting in for the second time that day. But, that didn't stop the rush to the recital. I was the last to play, so I got to sit through stunning performances by three of Mr. Cook's other students. Even as Noah was playing soothingly, my heart was pumping faster and faster. Now, I've performed in front of people before--a lot. This was a new kind of music for me, and a crowd I mostly didn't know (and some people I knew and wanted to make a good impression on, like the Mayor of Charlotte), but that shouldn't have been a big deal for me. Praise the Lord that it was, though. Did I mention I had to give a speech (albeit short) about what I was going to play? Anyway, Noah couldn't play forever. Then it was my turn. I gave it all to God, and I reiterated my Key Word Outline more conversationally than I had done before, and played my pieces better than I've ever played them. Did you know that Jesus is a spectacular pianist?
Today, the choir performed their most difficult piece of the season. We started practice a little early, and nailed the hardest spot the first time. Did I mention I was nervous about this? During the performance later in the service, one of the sopranos and I (Mrs. Carrie) were cracking up at each other, which in turn kept a smile on most of choir's faces. (Choirs sing better in tune when they're all smiling, it emphasizes the words, and certainly makes the carols sound funner). We sang it the best we've ever done. The guys even (mostly) sang their part on 'Joy to the World'! Did I mention I pray when I'm nervous?
Then this afternoon, (I was coming off my praise/adrenalin high), we were looking for a light to help do a scene in the Christmas Pageant and couldn't find it. The scene is a silhouette--the first of three nativity scenes. I went out to the work bench, and when I couldn't find the desired lamp, I reevaluated my objectives. Did I want to do the scene because it'd be really cool, or because it would bring people closer to God? Once I got my priorities right I prayed, looked up, and there was the light hiding on the peg board.
It reminded me of the time (another prayer that really made an impression on me) when Mr. Butler (conductor of HSMA's symphonic band) prayed a simple request over a broken CD player, and within the second it started working.
On the radio this morning, the meteorologist was calling for freezing rain before and during my last Instrumental Ensemble practice. I got up and was reading in Mark where Jesus calms the wind and the waves--so I asked that he would calm the freezing rain. Within the minute, Mom came to tell me that the computer (including a verifiable radar map) said that the freezing rain had already passed earlier in the morning.
I think God's trying to tell me something. My guess is He either wants me to be nervous more often, or to do more praying when I'm experiencing other emotions.
Thank you, Father, for caring enough about me to teach me. Give me grace to learn from your lessons. But most of all, thank you for caring enough about me to send your Son to earth--that the communication lines with heaven could be open.
May God bless all of you as you prepare for this Christmas season.
To the dear and faithful readers who still peruse this blog on occasion, here's some of the recent (Editor: or not so recent) happenings at our place.
Matthew has a new (Editor: or not so new) truck! It's a dark green 1996 Ford F150 North Woods limited edition (#364 of 2500) in excellent shape. Therefore, he was able to return the old, rusty, beat up (not that any of those things are necessarily bad in a farm vehicle) brown truck to the W. family. The new truck's primary purpose will be transporting Matthew to Alpena and back (for linesman training next year--have we told you about that?), and accordingly gets better gas mileage than the brown truck. (Editor: he's got a post started about his journey to North Woods #364--knowing us, it might get published some time in the next decade)
Contrary to the assumed weather (from the last post), the weather has been quite balmy so far this season (yesterday it pushed 70!) (Editor: or at least it was...), though the sun hasn't been as prominent as we would like. Farmers here are just finishing soy bean harvest (usually done a month ago), and Matthew has planted garlic for next year.
Speaking of planting, I should mention that Matthew has secured (rented) the ~1.5 acre plot across the road for his garden and chickens next year, so we aught to be able to grow a fair amount of produce.
Have we told you that Matthew now has a part time (paying) job (Editor: we just asked you that question on the last post)? Actually, the farm he's working on is less than a half mile from our house, but since the road doesn't go through at this mile, he has to travel about 3 mi. to get there. Not bad, considering how far he travels to get to the W. family farm. He's actually working with another sheep farmer, and has learned how to shear.
In my news, I'm pretty much in charge of Christmas music at church this year. So, I have organized an instrumental ensemble (13 pieces, including pretty much every possible skill level [while we don't have a real professional musician, we've got some pro-sumer's :-) ]), and written the music for it. I called my arrangement of Angels We Have Heard on High, While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks By Night and We Three Kings with Joy to the World and the Hallelujah Chorus (the latter two as motifs): 'Joyful Visitors Cry, "Hallelujah!"' Also, I'm writing a piece for our kid's choir (Do you hear what I hear, the Birthday of a King & Go Tell It On The Mountain) which I'm calling 'Have You Heard It's The Birthday Of A King?' On top of that, I'm directing our Christmas choir and (apparently) chairing a committee of 3 who are organizing our Christmas play. This on top of two piano recitals, our Homeschool band concert, and all my regular work.
That was as far as I got in November (it was approximately the 15th). Life intervened, and now it's December 9th--deep in the heart of Christmas season. And the weather finally looks like it!
I actually ended up getting the piece for kid's choir done too late to perform this year, so it's being postponed. To make up for it, however, I had to write the Christmas Pageant script, which I finished on Sunday. Our first practice is on Saturday (the 13th), then we practice next Saturday (the 19th) and perform in the morning (the 2oth).
Here's the choir arrangement for your enjoyment:
My first piano recital was canceled--it was supposed to be at the local Medical Care Facility, but due to the H1N1 pantophobia no one under 18 was allowed into the building (which includes all mom's student's but me). The second recital (with my new teacher) is scheduled for this Saturday at 1:00. That gives me about an hour to switch gears from Christmas Pageant director to pianist.
Our Instrumental Ensemble is coming along quite well, and we definitely make a joyful noise unto the Lord! Conducting is more of a challenge than I had anticipated (Mr. Butler [who conducts the homeschool band] makes it look so easy!), but I'm getting better. We will be performing on the 20th (same day as the Christmas Pageant), which means we only have one more practice.
This video is of the computer playing the arrangement. I expect the live version to sound much more realistic and also much worse. :-)
The Choir performed their first piece last Sunday, and did very well. We had a really good turnout of guys this year, and even though most of them aren't very good musicians (in their own words), they make us sound a lot better. The hardest piece of the season is scheduled for this week (the 13th), so we should be home free at our practice on Sunday night. On the 27th, we'll be leading congregational singing for the entire service. On the 20th (the same day as the Instrumental Ensemble and the Christmas Pageant), we'll be performing a medley of angel carols (Angels From The Realms of Glory, Angels We Have Heard on High, and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing), and leading the congregation in a new song that we want them to learn. The other congregational carols are all interspersed between things that I'll be directing, so I'm just going to direct that music, too.
Winter preparations are in full swing on the home front, as well. This afternoon, we're canning some carrots. Matthew has yet to bag a deer, but he only recently discovered that his sights were off about 2 feet at 100 yards. After re-sighting the gun, getting a deer shouldn't be a problem. We've moved the old, dead red Chevy out of the garage (and cleaned that side of the garage, which was a 5-day, ~15 man hour project) so we can move the second van inside. Across the road, we have ~10 cords of wood stacked, ready to be incrementally moved into the basement. While that's not enough to keep us supplied all winter, there's plenty more where it came from.
We returned home from cutting wood under a sterling blue sky (Editor: this paragraph was written on Nov. 14 after the said wood cutting)--around 4:30 the clouds began to roll in, like gold capped chariots leading an solid front of blue warriors. The energy source of life split into pastel rays passing through the atmosphere, and moved behind the clouds to light another day elsewhere. Heedlessly, the work in the field progressed. After the sun's full retreat, when only the light of the headlights from the trucks and skid-steer illumined our labors, we estimated that the stake truck bore a solid 9 cords of split wood into the barn. Additionally, many piles of unsplit wood destined for other wood burners remained in the pasture. The genial farmer (from whom we were getting the wood) and his family finished the day with us by indulging in chili and warm conversation--then it was to home. A good day. A productive day. A day of hard work. And we will appreciate our stockpile in the cold of winter (if it comes [Please Lord!!!], maybe with snow?), when a warm fire in the furnace will warm our weary bodies and sooth our battered souls. Then, we will praise the Lord and his provision.
About a week ago, Mom took really sick. It was an unusual bug, because it only immobilized her with crippling dizziness and mild nausea. Nothing major unless you had planned to do anything during the 5 day duration of the sickness. However, during her incarceration she watched a cooking show that inspired her to make a large meal tonight (Editor: 'tonight' being today, December 9). The meat is a bottom round roast, seared in a cast iron pan and slow roasted in a elevated rack to seal in the natural juices. This is accompanied with mashed potatoes, carrots, raisin brown bread, and a strained broth gravy cooked with mushrooms and vegetables. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
I have big plans for January, in the way of entrepreneurship. My piano teacher (who happened to be a vice president for Family Christian Bookstores for 30 years) and his business partner (who happens to be the current mayor of Charlotte, MI) have offered to help me get a business plan, figure out financial strategy, etc., pro bono! However, I'm waiting till January because of everything I'd already committed to for the Christmas season.
(Editor: time passes, 'today' becomes December 10)(Editor: and more time passes while I'm still working, and it becomes December 11)
Of course, other things are happening, too. Both at home, at work, and at play. And, as usual, we have opinions on many, many topics of which we have only scraped the surface of here on the blog. But, I think that's most of the major things that are happening here (none of us are running for office, yet). And, since (Editor: at the time of writing) you haven't even heard the things I've enumerated above, I'm going to wrap up this post.
Thank you for your patient endurance.
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee." - Isaiah 26:3 [KJV]
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:1-5)
God blessed male and female, and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Gen 1:28, 2:17) But at the prompting of the Serpent (Satan), Adam and Eve ate of the tree from which the Lord had commanded them not to eat. And the world was cursed.
The word of the LORD came against the Serpent: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Gen 3:15) God promised redemption.
The word of the LORD came to Noah: " I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. But I will establish my covenant with you." (Gen 6:13,18) The flood waters came, but Noah and his family were safe in the ark.
The word of the LORD came to Abram: "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen 12:1,3) God established his covenant with Israel through Abraham.
The word of the LORD came to David: "When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish His kingdom. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.' " (2 Samuel 7:12,16) The Messiah would come from the line of David, a king after God's own heart.
The word of the LORD came to Isaiah: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7a [KJV], 7b [NIV]) " The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. (Isaiah 11:2,3 [KJV])
The word of the LORD came to Noah: The word of the LORD came to Abram: The word of the LORD came to David: The word of the LORD came to Isaiah: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)
[And Christ Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Phil 2:6,7) He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- (John 1:11-13) And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3:16 [KJV], 17-19 [NIV])
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2)
(Editor: the beginning and end of my Christmas Pageant, verses from NIV unless noted)
And now for some quick housekeeping: As a rule, I don't participate in various pyramid information notes (as in tagged questionnaires, etc.). I was recently tagged in one such post---while I'm not going to participate, I will, however, return the referral: Man of Courage.
While I'm recommending blogs, checkout John Moore's online abode: Life, by John. He doesn't post much anymore (must have more important things to do, like Life [along with being the director of an nationally acclaimed independent film {The Widow's Might}, and trying to produce a follow-up]!). However, some of his recent archives are well worth reading.
Speaking of bloggers who post sporadically, I would like to suggest that the easiest way to keep up with PotterVilla Academy is to use an RSS reader: just look for the link about 1/4th of the way down the sidebar. I would recommend the Google Reader, as it's the only one I've had experience with. Or, you can use Blogger's built-in "follow" functionality.
We have recently started being spammed! (that means that something found us on the search engines!) In the interest of not having to spend more time deleting comments than we spend writing posts, I have disabled "do follow" (Editor: that was enabled a while back to encourage commenting). So posting a comment will no longer get you an SEO hit from our blog. However, we still like hearing back from the thoughtful people who appreciate our work (or even anybody who reads our work!). The comment section is still down there for discussion and response, and moderation is still disabled.
In Christ, Fidem Servate, Ad maiorem e Solem Dei gloriam,
I think I need to get those hoops up over the garden, and cover them with plastic presto. For Tuesday though I can probably just lay plastic over the plants...I thought that frost wasn't supposed to come till, like, the middle of October....
Things headed to the top of the to-do list:
Cover Garden -- Hoops up/stove in place
(First I need to pull up some stuff, knock down the corn and do a little tilling)
Cut wood -- it looks like a looong coold winter...
(Edit: this post was laying on my computer for ~4 months after the ~2 months the card was!)
I finally got my voter registration turned in (the paperwork had been sitting [filled out] on my desk for ~2 months, just needed to mail it)! Our township clerk was very prompt sending out the ID card:Now, if we only had some good people to vote for...
On an agrarian note, today (Edit: 'today' when I wrote this, not today, December 9) ( is chicken butchering day! Matthew, Mom and a couple of his farming friends are processing 50 roosters out back. I'm staying in the house to man the phones. As much as philosophically I'd like to be helping them, I still can't stomach seeing the innards ripped out of something that was alive several minutes ago. The Whizbang Chicken Plucker is impressive, though.
On a monetary note, Matthew has a new paying job with another area sheep farmer. If you ask nicely, maybe he'll divulge some details. ;-)
On a technology note, I now have my computer tower setup in the office: Well, that's all for today (Edit: 'today' being September 18. Today, December 9, I'm currently processing a post from November ~15).
Posts
He eluded me yesterday, but I this morning I managed to nab his photo. (Hint: It's a Robin one of those rare birds that herald the coming of spring!)
Now, if we only had some good people to vote for...
