Little House on Shabakunk Creek

Time for a Break!

2011-09-22T13:57:00.000-04:00

This morning, Kaitlyn asked if she could have break after she did most of the morning portion of her homeschooling work. So, I decided we'd do something different and I took the girls to climb Baldpate Mountain. Below are a few pictures of our trip...

Kaitlyn Climbing

Ellie Climbing

Girls Eating

Summit

Zoomed View

I guess it was a lot of climbing for those little legs!

One Week Silent Retreat Begins in Five Days

2011-08-03T13:45:00.001-04:00

Time sure goes by fast. My annual retreat has been sneaking up on me this year. This Sunday evening, Tamra and the kids will drop me off at the Francis House of Prayer, our diocesan retreat center.

For a whole week, without access to electronics with just my Bible, breviary, and journal, I will be staying in a farmhouse in silence. The only break in the silence will be the half hour of morning prayer, evening prayer and a half hour of spiritual direction each morning. Devoting all this time to the Bible and prayer each year has been really rewarding. It would be nice to find a large block of time I could have each week or even each month to do something similar.

It is odd to give up control of ones days and life like this, even just for a week. First off, since we only have the one vehicle, our minivan, I'll be dropped off there. When I get there, I'll be assigned a room. I don't know what the menu is and I'll eat what is served. I don't know whether the air conditioning will be running or not or have control over it, although I've never been uncomfortable. And, I'll have no control or knowledge of what's going on back home and I will not find out until they pick me up a week later. I give up everything for a week.

Tamra's mom will fly up here to stay with Tamra and the kids, like she has previous years. They always have a whole bunch of fun. I'm glad we do it this way because it softens the shock of me leaving. Now, they count the days not looking forward to my retreat, but maybe when they're teens, that will change ;).

I started posting my retreat experience last year and then I oddly lost my notebook I wrote in during the retreat. I happened to find it last week. I'm glad, because I'll be able add my notes from this retreat into the same notebook. I also enjoyed reviewing what I wrote during last years retreat.

Everyone will be in my prayers next week (more than usual).

Cornhole Math Lesson Reinforcement

2011-05-11T17:01:00.002-04:00

I enjoy finding entertaining ways to reinforce the concepts the kids learn while homeschooling. One of my most recent ideas was to use the game cornhole to reinforce addition and subtraction.

In the game cornhole, each person throws four bags at the large two foot by four foot platforms that have a six inch diameter hole near the top. You play the game until one team or person gets 21 points. One point is tallied for each bag resting on the platform and three points for each bag in the hole. The team or person with the greater number of points for that round scores the net of those points.

For example, if the team using the yellow bags has two in the hole and two on the platform and the red team has one in the hole and one on the platform, the yellow team has eight points and the red team has four points leaving a net of four points added to the yellow team's score.

As the game progresses, you can ask your child questions regarding how many points needed to catch up or how many points are left in the game. You can also play from 0 up to 21, or for more subtraction practice, play from 21 to 0.

Other games we enjoy that give practice scoring are croquet and bocce ball. I’m also considering making a game called bocce board where we can roll the bocce balls onto a piece of landscape fabric with a shuffle board scoring pyramid painted on it! That scoring pyramid would also serve as a target for our safe lawn darts as well. The safe lawn darts have a weighted round front instead of a point for young kids.

Picture Perfect (Laundry) Day

2011-05-10T15:04:00.001-04:00

Last weeks rain along with our busy schedule caused me to get behind with the Laundry. I have one of the few clothes dryers that can hold three extra-large loads of laundry. Someday we might buy one of those electric or gas ones, but I doubt it would be as rewarding. I find it relaxing to hang laundry, even when it is load after load after load of laundry. Item after item gets quietly hung on the line while a nice spring breeze blows through our clothing. I also enjoy the serenade of the singing birds. Kaitlyn can hang the laundry, but why let go of one of the more enjoyable tasks (maybe I’ll let her take over in winter). For now, she'll have to be content with folding and putting it all away!

Beckoned by the Great Outdoors

2011-05-09T18:30:00.000-04:00

One nice aspect of homeschooling is that everyday can be different. This morning, the kids and I were going to meet another mom and her homeschooler at the park. Tamra’s bicycle was in the shop for routine maintenance, so my plan was to drop Tamra off at work on our way to the park. As we backed out the driveway, I rolled down the windows and the fresh spring air just poured into the van. This was one of those mornings that just scream, “Go outside!” Halfway down the road on the way to her work, Tamra decided it was definitely a morning to go to work late! The semester ended last week. So, I turned around the van and we headed to the park.

Ewing Township must be cutting back on maintaining the parks. When we arrived, the first thing we noticed is the grass around the park and along the path was knee high. Fortunately, the township was mowing the grass that morning, but not with the hustle that you see when private companies zip across the lawn spinning around trees so fast you wonder how they don’t get dizzy and also whether they ever hit anything. The person mowing also took some leisure time while we were there to turn off the riding mower and talk on his cellphone which I have never observed with a private lawn maintenance company. Maybe the public works employees have very secure jobs which is a nice benefit, I guess.

The weather was beautiful all morning. In the shade, there was a slight chill, but that light north breeze felt good in the sun. The breeze occasionally carried with it a light sweet fragrance from some nearby plant. There were plenty of robins singing while they dived into the deep grass to catch worm. Occasionally, the faint sound of a jet that departed Philadelphia International could be heard among the singing birds and we would hunt for it across the vast deep blue sky that was peppered with puffy white cumulus clouds. Occasionally, I would ask what the girls saw in the clouds above. It’s amazing how the same shape could either be a large bird or a horse depending on who you ask.

After hours of play in the park, we enjoyed a nice peanut butter and jelly lunch at one of the tables under a large shade tree and eventually it was time to depart. The girls said good-bye to one another and Tamra and I took our girls for a walk along a nearby path before it was time to head home to let Abby take her nap and for Kaitlyn and Ellie to do their school work despite how the day still beckoned us to stay outdoors. While the kids did their work, Tamra left for her work. Fortunately, it was still nice this evening and we enjoyed dinner outside at our picnic table and played plenty of backyard games before and after dinner.

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Amazing how big our strawberry plants are this year!...

Wonderful Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:50:00.007-04:00

Tamra had a wonderful Mother’s Day today. Kaitlyn, Ellie and Abby enjoyed it as well. First, the kids and I made Tamra a pancake breakfast while she slept in. After breakfast, we went to Mass then we had lunch and Abby laid herself down for a nap. While Abby napped, Tamra let Kaitlyn and Ellie plant the seedlings we started into the west raised garden bed. When Abby woke up, we had a blast at The Grounds for Sculpture (favorite photo above).

Grounds for Sculpture is a wonderful place. Every time we go there, we discover new sculptures throughout the ornately landscaped grounds! They also have many paths and trails leading to hidden sculptures. This is also the most recent family membership we purchased destination and the only local membership. I am glad we discovered Grounds for Sculpture before we renewed the family memberships to the Philadelphia Zoo, Camden Aquarium (travel through Philadelphia), and the Philadelphia Children’s Museum. I will post many of the photos I took to flickr later, but enjoy the ones below...

Admiring Ducklings

Tamra and 'Study Partner'

Today's Dance Competition

2011-05-07T19:28:00.000-04:00

Today, we took Kaitlyn to perform in the Beyond the Stars dance competition in Somerset, New Jersey. She performed very well in both of her competition dances. In the first one, “Magic,” they were awarded High Gold and first in their category (7-9 Duos and Trios Jazz Trio) and first overall in their age group. In her second dance, “1 2 Knock Out,” they were awarded High Gold and first in their category (10-12 Hip-Hop group) and third overall in their age group.

We’ve decided that we’ll continue to have Kaitlyn participate in the Jazz competition category which is only one dance in that category. We are leaning towards not participating in Hip-Hop next year even though she loves it. She really enjoys dance and it is hard to decide how much we want to invest in this activity. We’re not even sure how many dance classes she will take next year. This year, she takes Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Ballet plus the two competition dances at Body Language Dance Center. Ellie takes the Tap/Ballet combo for preschoolers. We have reluctantly been considering cutting back on some of these classes to give us time to pursue other activities.

Playtime and New Student Desks

2011-05-06T18:26:00.001-04:00

Today, we had a very nice day. We started off by straightening the house for a visit from one of our friends from Church. This family has a girl that is the perfect age, right in-between Kaitlyn and Ellie. I showed her mom how I make my bread and we had lunch together. In hindsight, I’m surprised we didn’t eat outside since it was so nice out today. The four girls all get along very well. This is the second time we’ve met together for the kids to play.

Lately, I’ve wanted a separate area for the girls to do schoolwork. When I prepare bread, pizza and our meals, I sometimes would have liked to use the table, but had to prepare the food on the stovetop or washing machine. The kitchen is real small and does not have much counter space. About a month ago, I ordered the desks below from a school supply company. The pair of desks arrived today. I’m still considering where the desks will call home. I have three options in mind, but since our place is small, my options are limited.

What have I been up to?

2011-05-05T14:02:00.001-04:00

I haven’t written on my blog in awhile. So, I’ll start with a brief update on what I’ve been accomplishing.

Baking: Prior to Abby being born, I was baking nearly all of our bread and pizzas. I was doing it sporadically, but now I’m back in the groove and baking the bread, pizzas, muffins and cookies that we eat. It really cuts down on the food bill which is low since beans, rice, and pasta are staples in our pantry.

Exercise: I started running, swimming and biking. I ran my first 5k in October, my second 5k in November, and my first half-marathon in January while we where in Disney. I fell out of the exercise groove over the winter, but I signed up for five 5k races through mid-May to mid-June. I also have my eye on a half-marathon in the fall along with a sprint triathlon. I also need to resume biking and swimming soon.

Homeschool: Kaitlyn and Ellie are both doing very well in all their subjects. Homeschooling really takes up a lot of our time. I am going to focus on a lot of outdoor Physical Education over the Summer. I bought some track supplies for making a course and running relays. I also bought a bocce set, cornhole set, and a croquet set to focus on different skills (including math!). We’ve already seen improvement in Ellie’s running.

Vegetable Garden: The East raised bed is planted and the seedlings are ready to transfer into the West raised bed.

Lawn: The lawn has been plug aerated, fertilized, and over-seeded. I also started leveling some low areas. I hope to see some improvement in our lawn this year.

First Day of First Grade

2010-09-06T18:39:00.002-04:00

Since Tamra is working extra in order to apply for a promotion, Today - Labor Day, was Kaitlyn's first day of first grade. She did a few writing review worksheets, the whole first lesson in Math-U-See's Alpha, including test, and reading/phonics. The math lesson was on place value and I decided to cover really well in kindergarten which paid off. It was nice to see her fly right through it all: "Dad, let's finish this lesson, today. I already know this." I think lesson two will go just as fast (counting to twenty) since she already understands place value through 1000.

Unfortunately, the rest of our homeschooling curriculum supplies are still in transit. UPS will deliver them this week. I'll have to place my order earlier next year. I'll go over the subjects we'll be adding for first grade when everything arrives which will allow me to post my first impressions.

Kaitlyn Has Finished Kindergarten

2010-08-30T14:39:00.003-04:00

Today, Kaitlyn has finished Kindergarten (I prefer to go year round with more breaks). She is doing very well and has even picked up her pace over the year. When we first started, she didn't want to spend much time at all on her subjects. She used to ask to be done and move on to the next subject after one page or a worksheet. Now, I tend to have to guide her to move on to the next subject.

Below is our major accomplishments in reading, writing, and arithmetic along with a few comments:

Reading: We are a third of the way through "Phonics Pathways, Easy Reading and Perfect Spelling" by Dolores Hiskes. This book is designed to get her to a third or fourth grade reading level. It's a very well organized book, but it does have a different approach which will help her master spelling (hopefully). We'll continue to use it for the next two years.
Writing: She completed Book A of "Italic Handwriting Series" by Getty and Dubay. I've come to the opinion a little too late that this seems to be more of a preschool level book even though it's advertised as a K-6th series. She just kept wanting to move faster with her writing than this book moved. This book would make a great preschool book, though, and we do like the series.
Arithmetic: She completed Math-U-See's Primer program. This program is about as open it and go as you can get. I really like the manipulatives and the way the course was organized. Math could not have been any easier to 'see'. The only area I wanted to slow down and spend a few weeks on was place value (tens, hundreds, thousands).

I've already been planning for next year. I'll post an update on our plans for first grade after everything we ordered arrives.

The Flu Bug that Took Us Out

2010-08-27T18:37:00.003-04:00

What a week. This violent flu won, 5-0. The tragedy is recorded below, for posterity. I'm just thankful we were not homeless, in a tent, without running water or a toilet like the 1.5 million victims of the Haiti earthquake that still were living in tents as of mid-July (can't help to plug for my favorite charity that's helping them, Food for the Poor).

It all started early Sunday morning, at 12:40am, with Ellie waking up with the flu. Little did I know, we would lose almost a whole week! After changing Ellie's sheet, I left a bucket by her pillow. A half hour later, she missed the bucket. Assuming she was facing the opposite direction, a second bucket was added on the other side when the sheets were changed.

Well, a half hour later, at 1am, Abby joined the fun and needed a bath and her crib sheets changed. While dealing with Abby, Ellie partially missed her bucket, again. We put one of the flat top sheets as her bottom sheet and softly scolded her by asking how she can miss a bucket when one is at each side of her head (this wasn't her first flu and she never missed before). She continued to partially miss the buckets the rest of the night.

After Abby calmed down, we laid her back in her crib. Less than five minutes later, another sheet change and rinse in the tub. Then, about 15 minutes later, Tamra was holding her over the toilet. She had it worse than Ellie, needing a bucket every half hour or less so Tamra decided to rock her in the rocking chair the rest of the night since she couldn't be laid down. Ellie improved to about every 45 minutes and I finally started hand cleaning the area around the buckets (we were out of twin sheets). This continued for four more hours, and then, Kaitlyn joined in on the fun.

Kaitlyn was not hit hard at all. Just once and she was done. At around 7am, I let Tamra go to bed and took over. Ellie was done at that point and Abby kept going until nearly noon. At noon, all the sheets were drying on the clothesline in our bedroom with a box fan blowing on them since it was raining outside and we don't have a dryer.

I thought we were done and survived. Kids were recovering, sheets were drying, and night was approaching. Little did I know, some Supreme Being, who will remain nameless ;), must have wanted me to see why Ellie was missing her buckets. We only ended up with a 21 hour break which was enough for Kaitlyn and Ellie to end up with nice clean sheets (We barely had enough crib sheets for Abby).

At 3am, I moved out to the couch so I wouldn't disturb Tamra, who was working the next day. She left for work around 8am, after feeding the kids an early breakfast while I laid on the couch (I may have moved to the bed, I don't remember). Around 11am, I emailed her and asked if she could come h0me for lunch and feed the kids. She called me around 11:30 to see how I was doing and asked if I still needed her to come home to feed the kids. She also mentioned her stomach started hurting and she felt funny. I suggested she might be sick to and she didn't want this one to hit her at work. She came home to feed the kids and restock the gator-aid. As I suspected, She didn't make it back to work and followed me through the whole sickness about 6-9 hours behind me.

At this point, things were pretty bad. Kaitlyn, our six-year-old, was in charge and she was putting Abby in her chair, buckling her, and feeding her. I only cut things for them with a knife, when necessary. Kaitlyn was even bringing gator-aid when it was requested. When you're sick on the couch, a night-time snack of saltines, served by your six-year-old for Abby, does not sound that bad (in your head, you think, she'll survive to see the yogurt and banana, tomorrow night).

I think this was the most violent flu I ever had and Tamra agrees. I'm not sure what part of the flu virus determines how violent a flu is, but this one was bad. My chest muscles still are sore. Although Tamra and I never "missed our 'bucket' ", I now know why Ellie had so much trouble.

The Luxury of Retreat - Contemplation and/or Service

2010-08-17T12:16:00.010-04:00

Out of all the topics I said I'd consider writing about in my last post, I thought I would pick an easy one and talk about the luxury of even going on a retreat. First, I want to clarify that I'm not referring to the cost, it was extremely reasonable, if not too inexpensive. I'm mainly writing this as a diary like post, sharing some thoughts, and having them someplace I can look back at them. I'm too lazy to write in a diary, I guess, and I tend to eventually lose my notebooks.

I was reflecting on Sunday July 18th's Gospel, Luke 10, 38-42, which was on Christ visiting Martha's home, along with the Saturday Evening Prayer which focused on hospitality. I was thinking about all that was available at the retreat: a room in a farm house out in the country, along with food provided for the meals. The only responsibility that week, other than a few easy tasks to pitch in, that we all did, was to contemplate Biblical scriptures to bring God closer to us in our daily lives, and to pray. I am thankful for all that, the time, and all that I received from God while I was there (I also look forward to writing about it).

It was nice to have a week to focus on the Bible. With three kids underfoot, I sure don't get enough time at home. But what about balance? If you consider that Gospel, the scene is balanced: Martha was serving, Mary was contemplating, and Jesus was teaching. Even looking at Jesus' life, we see times of contemplation, teaching, and serving. One theme, throughout the scriptures, is the theme of serving those in need, beyond our home. Nowhere in the Bible can I think of any valid excuses being given (like having three kids to care for), but I still haven't researched that.

As far as the retreat goes, I started wondering if there could be a more balanced opportunity. I found something that is worth considering, a Salesian Service Retreat in the urban area of Camden, NJ, the third poorest city in our country. This opportunity sounds like it could be well balanced (there is much more on their website, linked to above):

"Salesian service RETREAT: It is a truism that very often the one who serves receives as much from service as those who are helped---but it really is true in many ways. The retreat aspect of DSW includes opportunity to reflect on the experience of service. We can design a retreat schedule to include Mass, prayer with the Oblate community, Taize, shared meals, and presentations on Salesian spirituality and Catholic social teaching. We use the term “service retreats” because those who come here can work and serve in all the ministries of DSW. This service naturally gives rise to thoughts, feelings, prayer, and reflection. Thus this is also a natural setting for retreat---for encounter with God"

Since I returned from my retreat, I also considered what I might be able to do now. The only opportunity I found so far is with the Trenton Soup Kitchen. They need plastic-ware (fork, spoon and knife) wrapped in a napkin held together with a twist-tie. I plan on incorporating that into our next school year, spending time every week, wrapping plastic-ware and donating it. I may even consider hosting plastic-ware wrapping parties with other families in our homeschooling group. I'll also continue to look for more opportunities.

Garden - Delecious Tomatoes

2010-08-14T13:19:00.005-04:00

We enjoyed our first large tomatoes, today. These are an heirloom variety that I started from seed, but I can't say which variety it is after the seed tray mishap. I can attest to how delicious it is, though! Our tomato plants have grown very large, but, thankfully, not as large as our soybean plants.

The soybean plants are starting to take over the entire 3 foot by 9 foot bed. I have never ever seen soybean plants this big, but you should see all the flowers and beginning pods. Since we love soybeans almost as much as strawberries, I'm hesitant to cut them back at all. I'm losing my onions, green beans, and possibly, some of the bordering ever-bearing strawberry plants. The strawberries have been producing all summer long, despite the heat. I think the afternoon shade from the soybeans has helped them. The carrots, radishes and basil are our other top producers, and unfortunately, the cilantro never took hold (that's my favorite!). You just have to wait awhile for the carrots to get big enough to pull (they are a heirloom variety that are nice and sweet and they come in different colors). It's also getting cool enough (mid 80's) to plant some lettuce for the fall.

Our small yellow pear tomatoes have been producing very well the past few weeks, too. These are almost the size of a thumb, but they just burst in flavor as you pop them in your mouth and bite into them. These do not make it into the house. Even Abby knows to check out this plant for it's yellow fruits when she's in the back yard (along with the strawberry plants, too).

Update: Vegetarianism and Thankfulness

2010-08-13T21:45:00.007-04:00

I had some time and thought I might post a blog post. Sometimes, I think blogs are an opportunity to be able to talk to yourself and not get committed...

Since I recently posted about vegetarianism, I thought I'd give an update. We've been eating meat recently. I'm not sure I'm ready to say we are going to abandon being vegetarians, but we're certainly exploring our options. We've had chicken, burgers, tuna salad, and hot dogs. Next on the list is smoked baby back ribs. Meat is cheaper than the vegetarian alternatives (except ribs) and has fewer carbohydrates. The past two weeks, I've also lost a few pounds without even trying and have felt fuller. Odd.

On anther note, I had an opportunity to go for a drive last night (to pick something up). And, while on the drive, I spent the first half hour listening to some good 80's/90's music, mostly dance, at max. Then I needed to turn the volume down, which must mean I've aged slightly since highschool. Anyways, I spent the the rest of the two hours thinking about thankfulness. So here is one of those lists not worth anyone else reading in no particular order (based on the past week):

Dancing - I love to dance. I put on some music for family dance parties, occasionally, but at least weekly. I especially appreciate that the girls haven't noticed I can't dance, yet. Kaitlyn, my six year old, will notice eventually (my wife can easily recall how I mixed up the Chicken Dance at our wedding, but it's funny enough to be worth recalling!).
How often four and six year olds say "I love you" - Those are words your can't hear too much and young kids seem to say it a lot without even thinking about it.
Friends - Whether they're familiar or new, they're priceless.
Sunsets - I was heading west and was surprised how hilly, if not mountainous, Pennsylvania became within an hour of where we live (although, that sunset wouldn't compare to being on the beach in Tampa or Marco Island at that time).

My Retreat (First Post)

2010-08-03T16:10:00.007-04:00

I've been back about two weeks from my retreat and I am finally catching up on some things that had to be done (replace our wall unit air conditioner, take van to be serviced, edge around yard, etc). There is always so much to do around here, it amazes me. How did people do it all 100 years ago without all of our conveniences?

I look at the retreat as an opportunity to put a few Bible verses in a mental slow cooker. The entire week of blessed silence, that is most definitely missing in my daily life, is the secret sauce that the Holy Spirit stirs. When I consider how few Bible verses I read in that week and compare them to how much I received from those scriptures in my notes, I am surprised at how much I have missed in my regular reading of the Bible. I mostly spent the week focusing on and praying a few days each with the Parable of the Sower and Paul's writing on Love in his First Letter to the Corinthians (Ch. 13). I also spent some time on a few other passages as well.

I did pray for everyone on the prayer list I made. When I first thought of the idea to make a prayer list of everyone I ever knew, I had no idea how much of a project it would be or how many people I have known. I didn't expect to have such a long list, but I guess having lived in four different states combined with how transient our society can be adds to the list. It's a list I'm going to make sure I keep, though, and continue to add to it.

This will be a first in a series of posts. I look forward to expanding on my meditations on the Sower and especially on Love. I may also write on a penitential experiment I did while I was there that revealed, at least to me, an analogy on how sin affects life. And, I may also write about some feelings I had about the luxury of this opportunity and whether I should have spent a week serving, living, and working with the poor.

Retreat Starts Tomorrow - Making a List - It's Raining

2010-07-12T20:22:00.005-04:00

Well, my retreat starts tomorrow and I'm making a list. I'm trying to make a list of everyone I knew/know and I'm going to pray for them while on my retreat. For most everyone, I don't have any specific to pray for. I never really seemed to be that good at keeping in contact with anyone, even family, much, although, there's really nothing new to report (no fourth baby on the way, yet ;) ). Everyday is about the same here, kids just keep eating, sleeping, and growing.

It's also raining today. I guess I took all the hot dry weather for granted and laundry sloth set in. This makes me wish I did two loads of laundry, yesterday. I think I'll be able to do darks tomorrow, before I leave on my retreat. For some reason, I seem to have fallen behind on darks. If it doesn't clear up tomorrow, I'll wash the clothes I'll need for the week and then dry them at a laundry mat. I haven't been to one of those in years. I could wash them today and hang them inside on the indoor clotheslines, but it's humid from the rain and I don't really want to add to it.

One Week Until My Week Long Silent Retreat!

2010-07-07T12:39:00.003-04:00

By this time next week, I'll be packing to go on my silent retreat at The Francis House of Prayer. Tamra's mom is coming to stay here and help Tamra take care of the kids. On my retreat, I'll be able to spend a whole week in silence, without any electronics, praying, reading the Bible and enjoying silent meals (our meals are anything but silent).

I went on a retreat there two years ago and found it spiritually rewarding. It was very nice to let go and disconnect from life for a week and give it fully to God. Everyday, I would take a lounge chair out to the farm field and read the bible, pray the rosary or the prayer for the hour and have time to be able to pause and watch a few deer cross the field or an interesting bird singing in the bush next to me or perching in the tree above or rest my eyes on the clouds as they travel across the sky.

I'm praying that the experience will be even more rewarding this time and that I return fully prepared to excel at my vocation. If Tamra and my family are lucky, I'll come back a saint ;)

Little Bunny Attacks Our Vegetable Garden

2010-07-04T09:00:00.004-04:00

The title of this blog post says it all. Last week, for two mornings in a row, we lost a number of soybean seedlings, sweet pea seedlings and a the lettuce plants that were in the garden bed he was attacking. A robin also discovered our strawberry patch. Tamra replanted while I put netting over the gardens. So far the netting seems to have worked. We'll also take a break from planting lettuce until the heat subsides, but the corn is looking great (Today is July 4th and the 1st planting is knee high).

Another PSEG Bill (More Gas Savings (Amazing - see 2nd to last paragraph))

2010-06-24T10:28:00.007-04:00

This months combined gas and electric bill was down another $20, $60.14 compared to last months $81.86. I like this time of year when the bill drops $20+ dollars per month!

Our three month electric usage went from 155 kWH, 197 kWH, to this months 244kWH (30.14, 37.27, 43.90). Yes, you can actually see what happens when we run our air conditioner in the afternoon (almost $2 per hour!!!). In May, it was in the upper 80's when we had our monthly party, and in June, we ran it once for my parents (hit 87) and once when Tamra's dad visited for Kaitlyn and Ellie's Dance Recital (hit 88). So far this year, we managed only to run it in the afternoon when guests visited.

Well, we're probably about as low as we can go as far as natural gas consumption. We used 51 Therms in April, 31 Therms in May and 8 Therms this month which is the first month the boiler did not turn on ($69.15, $44.59, and now down to $16.24). Now, our former 1981 boiler we replaced used 12 therms per month to run the pilot light and this month, we only used 8 therms for hot water for a family of 5 plus an additional two guests while my parents visited for two weeks! That's a great savings!!!

While my parents visited, which was halfway through the billing cycle, I installed two controllers for the hot water tank. One controller was installed in the kitchen, which I set for 120 degrees and the other one is in the bathroom set for 98 degrees. I started to leave the tank off, except for showering (at 98) and doing dishes (at 120). The next bill will show if the controllers make much of a difference.

First Garden Bounty

2010-05-18T21:12:00.005-04:00

The kids were able to pick the radishes last week. They put them on their swing for the photo on the left. We also can pick some lettuce now. The picture on the right is the homegrown lettuce on my homemade lentil burgers (love lentils, they're so cheap!)

Shoe and Jean Repair

2010-05-17T15:47:00.003-04:00

Today I made myself useful and earned my keep. I patched my jeans and repaired my shoes, well, the soles at least. For the cost of a pair of shoes or jeans, you can feed one family for three months or a child for a whole year by donating a mere $36 to Food for the Poor. Even just $12 will feed a child for a whole month!

Anyways, so far I'm happy with the repairs and if the repairs hold, I plan on sending Food for the Poor the money we saved (On the shoes, the jeans are a second pair I received as a gift, so I have an older pair of jeans to replace these, when needed, which just show more wear, but no rip). To repair the shoes, I used a clamp, a wood block, Gorilla Glue and two pieces of scrap wood. I included a video below in case anyone wants to try this. I'll post in a month and let you know how well the patch and the glue for the shoes hold up.

Cleanest Floors Ever (Haan SI-35)

2010-05-10T20:51:00.004-04:00

Well, this week we have enjoyed the cleanest floors we have ever had. And, to top it off, no mop or mop bucket. How is that possible? The Haan Slim & Light Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer and Vapor Steamer, Model SI-35!!! It's great. I just put some distilled water in the reservoir (so minerals wouldn't be an issue) and let it heat up for a few minutes and steam cleaned our linoleum floors. The floors never felt cleaner!!!

There is a micro-fiber pad that sticks on the bottom with Velcro and it is machine washable. The Haan si-35 comes with two pads and a mount that allows you to use it to freshen your floors, mattresses, and furniture (put the attachment on and go over whatever needs freshening with steam).

The distilled water is cheaper than any chemical and my house didn't smell like Lysol the rest of the night. And, since I didn't have to deal with a noisy bucket, I cleaned the floors right after I put the kids to bed. This thing is great!!! I purchased it from Amazon.com. And, if you click on see more buying choices, you might find a retailer that has fulfillment by Amazon and get free super saver shipping (I have Amazon Prime and was able to get free two day shipping for a few bucks more by clicking on the see more buying choices link)!

700 Pounds of Sand (and Corn Sprouts)

2010-04-18T20:51:00.010-04:00

All twelve of the corn plants of the first planting of corn have seemed to sprout (Heirloom variety of Peaches and Cream). They look like they are doing well and we planted the next twelve kernels today. I plan on planting at least twelve every two weeks until mid June, On Wednesday, it will be 70 degrees and they should germinate well

With all the planting that has been going on (all the blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry plants planted), I decided to do something for the kids. After building this out of plastic decking lumber, I filled it with 700 pounds of sand.

My seedlings are doing well, too (tomatoes, peppers, cukes, tomatillos, swiss chard, lettuce, basil, etc. (mostly heirloom varieties)). Soon, I'll need to plant them. I need to finish the 3x12 bed this week and build the two additional 3x9 beds, too. I'm hoping for some nice weather and so far, it looks like I'll get it.

More Fruit Plants Arrive (Blueberry, Blackberry, More Raspberry) and More Sprout

2010-04-09T21:19:00.010-04:00

Today the shipment of three blueberry plants, three blackberry plants, and two more raspberry plants arrived via FedEx (left). Also, we have had 13 of 16 radish plants sprout, another lettuce plant sprouted, a swiss chard plant sprouted.

Also, all of the trees we planted have come out of dormancy. From left to right (also, least growth to most growth), the pictures below are from the Bartlett Pear tree, the Granny Smith apple tree and the Red Delicious apple tree.