'Tis the Season. . .

. . .for festive lights, generosity of spirit, shopping, and burnout.  Yes, burnout is no longer looming on the homeschool front. . . .it has arrived, brought suitcases, and moved in.  My goal for the immediate present and near future is to reclaim the joy of the season, so we can focus on the great gift the Advent season represents.  Any ideas?  (Actually, I know the answer:  SLOW DOWN.)

Autumn is fully here, and our giant liquid amber tree has lost nearly all of it's brilliant seasonal garb.  As the many leaves fell I discovered that I LOVE raking.  Like washing dishes, it's one of those repetitive chores that is so wonderful to mingle with meditation (and the house or yard looks better when I'm done!).  Wayne hung the white icicle lights on the house, we have a lovely spruce tree, and all the homey touches that we've grown attached to over the years. Our pellet stove provides warmth on chilly mornings, and we enjoy retreating to the family room and kitchen, where it's cozy.

It's also the season for fund-raising and musical programs.  There are three music programs this week, and the first one was last evening.  Last weekend the three of us went on the annual handbell tour to the Bay Area.  There are 13 handbell players, and we transported five of them in our car.  Between Friday at 3 pm and Sunday afternoon we put over 500 miles on our car. It was a lot of fun, and we especially enjoyed Pier 39.  

We toted Hershey around in a bag.

Monday night held the violin recital. Emily played in the group pieces, but didn't have a solo this time (if she had, we probably would have had to peel her off the ceiling and carry her to a soft room in a straight jacket).   Tonight is the hospital's annual Christmas dinner, which we always enjoy.  

Tomorrow evening is the junior academy's Christmas program, and Emily takes part in the choir, band, and handbells.  She is also accompanying the school in a string ensemble as the school children sing songs from "The Messiah."  On Friday is a low-key "piano party" where the piano students can share what they've been learning.

 First semester is virtually over, or will be in a couple weeks, and Emily is ahead in her core subjects.  We're able to slow down during this difficult time, and not lose too much ground.  We had a shift in history class, and are having to compress some chapters into a too-small time slot, so we can define this year's history as "World History".  That will be do-able, as Emily is such an avid reader.  The burnout problem isn't that the classes are too hard or too demanding--it's more a burnout from going to the school four days a week and not having time to dig in and do the classwork.

Pathfinders has been cut from the schedule--it was a difficult decision, but seems the right thing to do.  The composition of the club went from Emily and a 12 year old girl to Emily and about six kids 10 to 11 years old.  The next step will be to decide which music classes at the school are not necessary, and talk to Wendy, the music teacher.  The handbell choir is going to Disneyland, and I think Emily is committed to that for the year, but band and choir are not necessary.

What we're seriously short on is FUN.  Just playing and having fun.  We'll seek that out, and let you know how it goes!

The photo at the top of the page was taken by Diane Conn.  Her website is:  www.ConnPhotography.com  

Progress Report

It's a beautiful autumn morning, and I'm sitting here enjoying a cup of Peet's mocha java decaf in front of the fire.  Today it will warm up to nearly 70 degrees again, but the nights still get pretty cold.

It's been awhile since I checked in to report on homeschool progress, but it isn't for lack of activity!  

The "Education and Career Planning" class requirements have been fulfilled, and Emily turned her portfolio in to her teacher on Monday (whew!! what a relief!).  Interest assessments suggest that Emily would be a world-class executive secretary, but that is not her career goal. She'd like to include teaching in her future plans, and is also interested in the relatively new field of professional organization.

Geometry and English are both at exactly the halfway mark, with 4 weeks yet to go in the semester.  She's currently writing a research essay on "Bats" (her choice of topic--she thinks they're "cute"). 

We've picked up the pace with history, so she can complete the current book and begin the second volume in January, to meet requirements for "World History".  We've been taking our time and including lots of writing and projects in history.  Now, it will be largely reading and taking tests.  It's kind of a shame, but we'll try to enjoy it along the way. 

Home ec is going well, and she really likes the Lifepac books.  She's in the cooking section right now, and we're enjoying her experiments with new recipes (like ambrosia salad) along with old favorites (macaroni and cheese).  At Pathfinders this week Emily sewed a laundry bag.  

French is coming along well, and I purchased two simple French readers so she can see what stories in French look and sound like.  Excellent though the Rosetta Stone program is, it isn't big on conversational French, so conversing at the beginner level is difficult. Piano and violin are big commitments, and making the time to practice has been a challenge. Youth symphony is a high point each week--the favorite activity. The GROW Bible study will be over this Friday, and although we'll both be sad to see it end, we'll be enormously relieved to be home on Friday mornings, getting schoolwork done.

Emily and I both stay in touch with friends using "Facebook" and "My Space". She's even reconnected with a friend who moved away in 3rd grade, and a couple early childhood friends who moved away several years ago. She also stays in touch with a few friends from "Pacific Quest" by way of "My Space".

The schedule is still crazy, and burnout is looming.  We're in the midst of a mid-term "slump". It's hard for Emily to get out of bed these chilly mornings, and hard to keep the motivation going.  We find ourselves pondering the question of what to do next year for school. . .and we don't have answers.  Busyness is not lacking, and "boredom" isn't a problem.  It's more a lack of "fun".   The church social circle has become--for Emily, anyway--far too small. We're grateful that 2 of her 3 best friends are still in that circle, and getting together with them has saved her from ennui.  

Shabbat Shalom

My sister's prayer journal. . . .

Few things affirm my faith as much as the ancient traditions of the Jewish people. Their feast days and sabbaths emerged as a result of God's intervention, and the celebrations have changed very little through the ages. The feast of Purim celebrates the story of Esther. In a couple hours the most ancient of all traditions begins--the commemoration of the Creator's day of rest. Creator--what a concept!

Emily and I are involved in a Bible study called "Believing God." This week we studied how our personal history testifies to God's guidance in our lives. I say "we studied" but what I really mean is "we were supposed to study." Emily did her homework, but I haven't done my homework in 3 weeks, and am setting an example of procrastination. 

Considering the subject for this week--"memories", it seemed more than coincidence that I would make the discovery I made yesterday. As I rummaged in the attic searching for doll clothes I stumbled across a box of books. Two little black 3-ring binders caught my eye, and caused a thrill of remembrance.  I opened the smaller one. There was my dear sister Susan's name written in her neat handwriting. On the inside cover is pasted a cutout picture of a man in a business suit--obviously over-wrought, being comforted in the arms of Jesus. The picture is fresh, but surrounded by scotch tape yellowed and crisp with age.  This little book holds page after page of Bible verses written by Susan--promises, faith-affirming texts, doctrinal texts--all neatly categorized. It was a book she obviously used and wrote in often.

The larger binder contains multiple reference tabs, attached to typed pages. The few handwritten pages contain names of family members and brief petitions on their behalf. This book was Susan's prayer journal. It was really only the beginning of a prayer journal, with few answers yet. She was learning to pray effective intercessory prayer. She was practicing "believing God."

I wonder. . . .what happens to someone's prayers when they die? Does the Spirit continue to intercede on their behalf for loved ones? Prayer is called a sweet savor and incense ascending to heaven. Does that sweet savor continue when the voice is silenced? Susan loved her family passionately, and prayed for them passionately. She prayed for me. She prayed for our brother Richard ("Ricky"). She prayed for our parents. She prayed for her husband, Tim. She prayed for an aunt. She prayed for cousins. And she didn't JUST pray--she prayed expecting an answer. She BELIEVED.

This week's lesson was about Gilgal--coming full circle.  Not long before she died Susan told me that I led her to Jesus. Finding these notebooks is an example of "gilgal". These little books have begun to do a work in my heart, and have strengthened my faith. Thank you, Susie.

Overcommitted

It's a more than a little crazy right now.  In the past, when we got overwhelmed with schedule clutter, it was evening commitments that needed to be weeded out.  Currently it's daytime commitments that have us scrambling.  Something has to give, because this is CRAZY!  With Emily's good time-management skills, she is getting everything done, but at the expense of serenity.  The classes at greatest risk for being neglected are French and the literature and writing portion of English. 

In a previous blog I outlined a typical day.  If Emily doesn't get up at 6:15 and get RIGHT to it, things don't get done.  She goes to the junior academy from 12:30 to 3:45 four days a week, and we're coveting that time to do schoolwork.  She goes to the school for musical enrichment and PE.  The classes are fun, and beneficial, but they're not currently part of her curriculum.  I only recently learned that she gets her English done in the band director's office during music lessons--meaning, she's often listening to two trumpet students while trying to concentrate!  Good thing she doesn't have ADD!!

We experienced the school setting for two years, and in that time this same feeling of "it's too much" happened intermittently.  When I was in college I remember feeling as if each of my professors thought theirs was the only class that mattered.  I used to wonder if they had any concept of the staggering amount of work that was assigned over all the courses in a typical load.  It's all a lesson in setting priorities and managing time, I suppose.  

Second semester I foresee that one of the extra music classes (band or choir) will get jettisoned from the schedule.  

More Ashland pictures

Beautiful Ashland in the autumn

At Rogue Valley Adventist School

 Taking a run after church

At Lithia Park

Shakespeare Under the Stars

We loved our weekend in Ashland, Oregon at the Shakespeare Festival (fondly referred to as "OSF").  Sunday was a big day with a matinee in the early afternoon, and an evening play at the outdoor Elizabethan Theatre. 

Last Friday we drove to the picturesque little town of Ashland where I was born, and checked into our favorite "La Quinta" inn.  La Quinta is a dog-friendly motel, so we can bring our spoiled dog Hershey along.  We walked around Ashland a bit on Friday evening to soak in the local ambience. 

The next day we attended the tiny church I think my family attended when I was born. We were blessed by the music of a superb handbell choir from the local academy, and then we enjoyed a meal offered at the end of the services. Because Emily is involved in a handbell choir, we were especially interested in Rogue Valley Adventist School's bell choir. They were invited to play at the nation's capitol last year.  The school has two bell choirs, and the one we heard was the "second string" comprised of the younger academy players.  They were most impressive, with not only their ringing, but the percussion they added during a lively song--using their mallets on the table, bells, and even music stands.  Now Emily wants to move to Ashland and attend that school, which has 12 grades and about twice the number of students than the local school.

The afternoon was filled with a walk in Lithia Park, and watching the high school running competition that periodically filtered through the park.  We also drove out to look at the Rogue Valley Adventist School, and surrounding area, before returning to the motel room to relax and play with Hershey. (Lithia Park is beautiful, but Lithia water is NASTY!)

The Sunday matinee was a modern interpretation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream".  Emily and I are familiar with the play, and she was able to whisper some lines to me during the performance. We enjoyed the performance, but I don't think I was quite ready to see fairies played by men in tutus! The play was set in the late 1950's/early 60's. Theseus had an accent reminiscent of "Fonzie" on "Happy Days." Of course all the actors were excellent, but the actor who played the part of "Bottom" was wonderful, and "Puck" was pretty memorable, too.  

We had time for dinner and play time with Hershey before going to the evening performance of

"A Comedy of Errors" at the outdoor theater.  The temperatures in Ashland were dropping into the 30's at night, so we bundled up and took a blanket apiece.  The sky was clear, but it was COLD!  We hadn't studied this play previously, so the story was entirely new.  We were surprised to see that it was set in the old West!  We're learning that Shakespeare was especially fond of the confusion resulting from mistaken identity.  Twins also seem to figure largely in his comedies--at least in this one, and in "Twelfth Night".  The actors were fabulous, the play enchanting, and the whole experience was magical.  At the end, because the outdoor 

season ended with that performance, there was a sort of "epilogue" where about 60 actors came out holding candles.  The actor who had played "Bottom" came and said a few words of farewell for the year, and then they started to hum "Greensleeves" while the audience joined in.  We had nearly forgotten how cold it was, until it was time to make our way back to the car.

In 2005 we saw "Twelfth Night", two years ago we saw "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and "A Winter's Tale", and last year we saw "The Taming of the Shrew". It was sad to see our special weekend draw to a close, but it left us with wonderful memories.  This was our fourth year attending the OSF, and I'm beginning to think that we need to purchase a membership!

Last swim of the season

It's technically autumn in the foothills, but you wouldn't know it by the signs in nature. Nights are getting longer, and a few leaves are turning golden, but our giant liquid amber tree persists in its greenness. Today it was 92 degrees, so we went for a refreshing swim. Emily was the one with nerve to jump off the diving board. . . .she came up gasping from the chill. Wayne immersed himself, and frantically swam to get warm, but I couldn't make myself get in above my waist. The water was 69 degrees.  Last year our final swim happened on October 1st, but I think today was it for 2008. The shorter days keep the pool from warming up, even though the weather is hot.  I'm ready for some cool weather and rain!

This has been a lazy Sunday.  We've only done the essentials to prepare for a new week.  I did my usual menu-planning/grocery shopping/family calendar reconciling for the week. Emily reminded me to fill in her assignment book, and completed her own "to do" list for tomorrow. The junior academy has a minimum day this Wednesday, which means a day free of afternoon music lessons. That will give us a chance to catch up on assignments where my help is needed--home ec, and education and career planning.

Yesterday we attended a small local church where Wayne sang with the community men's chorus. The church is so small that the men's chorus and their few accompanying family members (about 20 people) outnumbered the church members. The church had a pleasant and folksy atmosphere, and we shared a scrumptious potluck meal afterwards. When we returned home, Emily had a couple friends to visit, and they had a chance to catch up, and be silly. They took movies with Emily's flip video camera and did much giggling. 

Last week Emily worked at the registration table for a children's evangelistic effort called "Amazing Adventures". Each evening she went to the church for 30 minutes, to sit at the registration table, greet, and log in the names of children who attended. That activity will become part of her portfolio for "volunteer" work.