Libby is at camp, wet and 100% chance of rain thought it is.  Still, it will be fun, right?  I have very little planned for the day other than vacuuming the pool. In some ways, I don’t have to do it since it is  69 degrees and rainy, but I like to vacuum it.  I like to have clean floors everywhere!  (Yes, I know my floors don’t always look clean, but it’s not for lack of trying. I sweep the floors every day once or twice and vacuum once.) I think I may paint the kids bathroom today.  It seems like a good day for it.

I’ve been reading a book by Louise Rennison, Away Laughing on a Fast Camel.  It’s a journal-style novel written by a 16 year old, modern-day English girl.  Having just read a bunch of Princess Diaries books, it makes for good comparison.  Plus, it’s quite funny, even though the main character is rather too focused on the male of the species. The colloquial speech is sometimes difficult to understand (partly because it’s a teenage girl with her own lingo and partly because it’s British slang), but once I got a feel for it, I had little trouble (other than having to look up what “nuddy-pants” are). 

Wow, it’s been almost a week since I’ve posted an update. “Where has she gone? Why has she left us in limbo to wonder about the minute and dull details of her life?”  Well, wonder no more!  The Vapid Express has just pulled into the station!

This past Wednesday, we went to Del Grosso’s, which is a small, friendly amusement park with a water park attached.  We have been taking the kids there since N. and D. were wee, little things, so it’s filled with memories as well as with tasty funnel cake and cotton candy booths.  We had a wonderful time and were thoroughly exhausted when we got home, but at least I wasn’t sick to my stomach since I had judiciously avoided all the nauseating rides.  I always swore I wouldn’t be one of those people who got sick on rides, but now I am, and I can’t do a blessed thing about it.  I’ve discovered I also get sick when I lie on a raft in the pool for too long.  Sign me up for a tour in the Navy!

It’s been chilly and rainy off and on, so the pool hasn’t gotten as much use as one might suspect.  I’ve been using it to exercise my pathetic, weakling arms.  I straddle a noodle and do all sorts of arm things.  Then, the next day, I can hardly move my arms.  Pain means the muscle is damaged, and when the muscle heals, it gets bigger, right?  Well, I read that somewhere.  Perhaps by the end of summer, I’ll be able to bench press a jar of pickles!  (Okay, I exaggerate…)

We’ve had Molly the dog this week while her parents were on vacation.  (As they refer to Molly as “my sister,” I can refer to them as “her parents”!)  She’s been a good dog all week–just about the lowest maintenance and stress dog one could imagine– but I’m still glad we don’t have a dog.  We take her home today and also return the parakeets for their summer visit to their grandparents. 

Libby leaves for her first week of camp ever tomorrow.  It’s at Camp Kanesatake, a local Christian camp. She’s got a few girls she knows who are going, but I hope she’ll make lots of new friends as well. I never went to summer camp (we camped a lot as a family instead), so it’s a novel experience for me, one I’ve only lived vicariously through books and movies. 

I finished reading James Hilton’s Lost Horizon.  It’s the book about Shangri-La.  Usually I like books for their stories, and this book is no exception. However, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a book that fits so well into the time period for which it was written.  The story of discovering a utopia where everything is in moderation, a utopia established to preserve the best of mankind’s advances,  set in the time period between the two World Wars fascinates me.  Also, Conway’s (the main character) choice–to become the ruler of Shangri-La or to return to the “real” world– and the ideas of what makes a prison have set me to thinking even more.  

Well, I suppose I’ve prattled enough.   I’ll leave you with a question:  what’s a book you’ve read that’s made you think?

This question was the topic of debate during James’ Father’s Day dinner at Hoss’s (a steak place).  David and Michael thought that someone definitely could, but opinions were divided. Then, the topic switched to legless folk and sports, which prompted all the children (Rachel included) to discuss the Penn State wrestler who has no legs.

I was able to access avaricewrex’s pics, and I thought I’d post the best here.  It was a relaxing, lazy day (after I planted the rest of the hosta and drove to the pool place for a water analysis). I started reading Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker’s book, House.  LAME!  It’s laughably bad.  They switch verb tense accidentally and give characters lines which are totally out of character.  Bad writing–that’s the real horror of the book.

I’ve been feeling quite tired lately (and, no, it’s not just a reaction to the AP picnic!).   I called the doctor for a blood test and went to the hospital.  The phlebotomist poked and tapped at both my arms and “found” a vein.
“You’ll feel a stick,” she said as she poked me. 
“Wow!” I replied, “I didn’t feel a thing!”  And, I didn’t–until my vein wouldn’t give any blood and they started to move the needle. 
“Uh-oh. That’s going to bruise. Let’s try your hand.” 
Great.  This time when poked, I didn’t even give up a drop of blood.
“I’m going to let the other phlebotomist try.” 
This new lady did things up just fine in the other arm and got the required vials.  She wrapped up my arm, and I left the hospital looking like a triage victim–pressure bandage things on both arms and a big band aid on my wrist.  I got funny looks when I stopped to pump gas. 

Long,
long ago in a house far, far away, a young boy wanted a guitar.  He had
shown great promise and diligence in piano practice, so his father and
mother felt that he could handle a second instrument.  Giddy with
delight, the boy carried home his newly-purchased guitar.

Once
the guitar entered the house, coveting of all sorts and justifications
galore broke out. “It’s EVERYBODY’S guitar, not just his!”  “I don’t
care. I want to play it anyhow.”  “He’s just being selfish.”  “Why
should HE get a nice guitar? He’s just going to break it!”  Green-eyed
monsters roamed the hallways and lurked outside his locked bedroom
door, just waiting for a moment when the boy had his back turned before
they’d pounce on the guitar.

What to do? 

Actually, all
of the kids who have shown interest in the guitar have also shown a bit
of talent.  Libby actually composed a really nice song with the three
chords she’s mastered.  (Well, I was impressed with how nice it
sounded, and I tend to be a cynical, old coot.)  I suppose at least one
more guitar will find its stringy way to our house.  Wonder what’s for
sale on Ebay…?

I undertook a sort-of
fun project today.  Rachel can’t seem to ever match any of her shirts
and shorts and usually comes downstairs looking like a rag bag.  So, I
took all of her clothes and then laid out matching outfits (two at a
time) on the bed and took a picture.  If she had several things that
would match a pair of shorts or shirt, I laid them all together.  I’m
going to have prints made and put them in a mini-album for her. Then,
when she wants to get dressed, she can look through her book and choose
an acceptable outfit.  She’s thrilled with the whole idea. 

I read Elie Weisel’s Night, and I’d love to chat about it with anyone who might be interested…Ruth?

The AP picnic has come and gone, and what a wonderful time it was!  I hope Y’all (and everyone else) had as great a time as I did. On the way home after our church picnic today, Nathan said, “It’s not even been six hours, and I already miss…”  (Well, I can let him write his own blog about all that, not that it’s a big deal.  I will do something better with pictures later, but for now, here are a few to whet your appetite and refresh your memories. 

Off for a nap now!

Today is a day of preparation.  The house smells wonderful with rhubarb custard pie and banana bread baking. I’m going shopping this afternoon for various food supplies for the picnic.  The house is basically its usual state of chaos, but Friday is house cleaning day.  Today is baking and shopping and mowing day. 

Almost all the outside stuff is done. Yesterday,  we spread five yards of mulch, raked and moved dirt by the pool, seeded the newly raked area, planted seedlings, mucked about trying to get the pool water in the right chemical balance, etc.  Surprisingly, I actually made a REAL supper on top of this: meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and chocolate chip muffins.  Mmmm!  No hastily imbibed pre-baseball victuals last night!  We actually sat down in the dining room–every one of us–and ate a meal!  What a nice treat that was. 

Today we hope to purchase a guitar for Michael.  He’s so excited to start lessons.  Nathan is also eager, but they’ll just have to share for a month or two until we determine the interest level of both of them. I thought it would be nice to have a group lesson (group of two), but with only one guitar between them, that idea fell a little flat.

I decided to speak on a gardening/plants theme for the graduation speech. When I have it typed in decent form (and not the icky first draft with missing transition sentences I currently have), I’ll post a link in case you want to read it. I always type my talks out word for word.  I’m not much of a notecard person. 

So much to do!  But, then I can relax and play a lot of Boggle and visit and have fun.  Hoo-rah!  Oh, and don’t forget…

AND

If you could pray that God would bring to mind just what He’d have me to say to this particular group of students, I’d be grateful.  There are lots of nifty things I could spout about, but I really would like God’s leading.  Then, I remember to give HIM the credit!

Also, this weekend is the big AP picnic.  I’ve got folks coming in from MI, DE, NJ, PA, and ID. I’m not exactly sure how many people will be here, but I’m estimating 20 to 25 overnight guests for Friday or Saturday or both.  The house needs to be readied for the many people sleeping here, and I need to think about what to feed everyone.  Also, I pray for good, hot, pleasant pool and Ultimate Frisbee weather!

The book I’m currently reading is excellent.  I highly, highly recommend it for any woman with a husband (or a fiancee). It’s an interesting, entertaining, thought-provoking, convicting read which will ultimately improve your relationship with your husband.  Go to the online library closest to you and put in a request today!  (I’m only halfway through, so I hope it doesn’t turn rotten.)