This & That
by adustyframe ~ October 6th, 2008My life feels very busy right now and I’m not sure why! I don’t think I’ve been blogging as much. I mean to and I think of many things I want to post, but time slips by and it’s bedtime before I know it.
James and I have been volunteering for a campaign. It’s an excellent civics lesson for him and he and I have had some great discussions.
He and I pass out yard signs and I make phone calls. James got to meet 2 politicians. They asked him about homeschooling since we were there in the early afternoon.
He gets angry when he sees yard signs for the other guy. I say, “Well you know…”
He says, “Yes mom, I know. This is America and everyone gets to make their own choices.” Hopefully some of this is sinking in and teaching him how our process works.
School is going well. Currently, we’re reading
*The Bible
*Understood Betsy
*Pilgrims Progress
*Romeo & Juliet
*Abraham Lincoln by D’Auliaire (We just finished the book about Leif Ericson last week.)
*Burgess Animal Book for Children
*Tree in the Trail
*The Power of a Praying Kid
*Trial & Triumph (church history)
*Apologia Zoology 2 (Ocean life–today was about manatees and dugongs)
*Farmer Boy
*Casey the Utterly Impossible Horse. He’s reading this for his silent reading. It’s a funny book that I read when I was a kid. Next in line for his silent reading is Homer Price by Robert McCloskey, but I saw him eyeing the Boxcar children books too.
I am reading
*Dave Ramsey
*All Creatures Great and Small by Herriot (I put this aside for awhile)
*Truman (still working through this HUGE book!)
*Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur
* The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher. I just started that today.
I am nearly finished with my mittens! I’m so excited they are turning out great.
I found a new favorite washcloth pattern. Isn’t it cute? I bought a big cone of oatmeal colored cotton and I’m using up my bits of colored cotton for the stripe. I made this one on size 9 needles and it turned out great.
I made a new house numbers display for the front of our house. Obviously this isn’t our address! Lee made the numbers for me using calligraphy and it was so pretty. Unfortunately they faded really fast, so I had to buy the sticker numbers from the store, but it’s still nice.
Lee and I went to see Fireproof on Saturday. It was really good. I cried quite a bit! I saw tears in Lee’s eyes but he says he was just tired! (lol).
He and I had a huge argument before we went. I thought isn’t that just like the evil one to get us worked up before going to see a movie that could strengthen our marriage!?
It was both of us making poor choices and taking out our frustrations on each other.
It was a reminder to me that this is such a straining situation on our marriage and family. It’s not normal right now by any stretch of the imagination. We often only see each other for a few minutes one day in the middle of the week and then for a few hours on Saturday.
We talk on the phone quite a bit, but as you can imagine, it’s not the same. It’s no way to maintain a marriage or family.
Please pray for us!
He’s adjusting well to his new schedule. Thank you for praying. Tonight, when he called me on break he said he was very tired.
The parole officer fluctuates from being very helpful to just the opposite.
She was angry with Lee when she found out I was volunteering for a campaign. She raked Lee over the coals while she reminded him that he cannot vote.
Well, he knows that. But I’m not him. I get to vote. I also get to volunteer on a campaign if I so choose.
She is pushing me to take a class that has nothing to do with our situation. (That is not me being arrogant or foolish. It’s simply the truth.) I will probably not be able to get out of it, so if you think of it please pray that it will work out for God’s glory and that I will be patient.
Here’s an example of the way she treats Lee. (And yes I KNOW she’s not supposed to be his friend.)
Because he welds, he gets a lot of burns. He has marks all over his arms, legs, face, and feet.
He was in her office for an appointment and one burn on the top of his foot really itched. He leaned over and scratched it and she said,
“Do you think it’s appropriate to scratch in your agent’s office?”
He explained that it was a welding burn but she was upset with him. For scratching!
We have not heard anything about a timetable for Lee moving home. The wheels of state agencies do not move very fast. Unfortunately a little boy’s childhood flies right by.
I have a few more things to share but this is getting so long! I’ll try to post them soon.
I’ll also post the winners of last week’s comment contest soon!
October 6th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Just wanted you to know that I still pray for you. I can only imagine how tough this all is for you. I don’t like “unknowns”. We’re currently waiting for our Australian visas. We are packed and ready…just waiting. Its all in the Lord’s hands. Deputation was/is a long journey, and I’m thankful for that opportunity. I just can’t wait to get to Australia and begin serving, but in the meantime, I am trying to serve here and now, because obvioulsy this is where God wants me/us. Anyway, I said all that to say I’m praying for you. Have a great week!!
Thank you! The unknowns stink but they are a wonderful opportunity for trusting God!
October 7th, 2008 at 3:09 am
(((Hugs))) Praying for God’s mercy and favor on your little family and for His strength to carry you through these hard places, dearest Lizzie.
Thank you, Patricia.
October 7th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Praying for you and Lee and your marriage.
“Understood Betsy” is one of the most memorable [and one of our favorite] AO books!! By the way, my new sister blog is up–”21st Century Charlotte…or Thoroughly Modern Mason” as listing of “Living Books” published since the end of WWII. Check it out! It IS a work in progress, so the list order, etc, may change over time!
Thank you for praying for us.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
You all have been in my thoughts and prayers! I will be going on a very long drive this weekend to see my husband. It is my very first “prison” visit. I am very nervous and anxious, I haven’t seen him in months and do not know what to expect.
hugs to you as you go through this!
Sarah, does the facility have a link online? Often they have the visitor guidelines online so you’ll have a better idea. Just be prepared to be emotional.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I haven’t read for awhile, but I want you to know I’m still praying.
Love the books you’re reading.
I just read Understood Betsy because it was on the shelf & I love it!
Thank you for praying.
October 7th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
If you decide to take orders for those washcloths, I’d like to order some!! (Can I get them in the solid oatmeal color?)
I continue to pray for your challenges!
Hugs,
Kat
I don’t think I could handle the pressure of orders. I don’t knit very fast. But if I get some done that aren’t for gifts, I will list them in the Dusty Attic
.
October 7th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
I LOVE the house numbers……FANTASTIC idea!!! Stay strong…..you guys AND Ms. PO are in my prayers!
Thank you:)!
October 8th, 2008 at 5:31 am
How do you manage to read so many books at one time? Although I love reading i am ‘one at a time girl’ can’t cope otherwise
!
I don’t know! I think there are always so many I want to read that it just happens that I’m reading a few at once. I read whatever I’m in the mood for;)!
October 8th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I get the feeling that you were not campaigning for the parole officer’s candidate. I wonder what her response would have been then. I’m always amazed at how irrational (or unethical) some people can be. It was grossly inappropriate for the parole officer to comment on anything you choose to do politically or otherwise in your private life.
Hang in there.
Thank you, Janine! I don’t know if Lee told her which office I was at. I’ll have to ask him.
October 12th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Lizzie,
You’re the second person I’ve seen recommend “Fireproof”. That’ll probably go in our Netflix queue.
As for how that agent treats Lee…ARGH. It seems this sort of condescension and mean-spiritedness has been going on forever, and I only read about it. I can only imagine what it is to live with it. I hope and pray specifically God will move things so he can be home with you guys by the holidays.
Hey, Pilgrims Progress — is that the A Beka version in the 3rd grade curriculum page you got? I ask because I ordered it for my 3rd grade, along with “Footprints” and some other language arts books from that company. (We’re doing homeschooling on top of public schooling this year – since the latter has deteriorated into a big group-think waste of time). I’d love to get feedback on reading/writing/critical thinking resources.
I will also check out Macarthur’s “Extraordinary Women” – I LOVED his “Twelve Ordinary Men”!
Marie, thanks for the comment. It’s good to hear from you again.
No, we’re reading Pilgrim’s Progress. It actually says in “Words of One Syllable” which is funny because many of the words are in more than one syllable. It’s a book from the 1890’s. So it’s probably a children’s version but quite a bit of a step up from current children’s versions.