Good morning! Another rainy, cool day here. Kinda gloomy. To do: Get dd15 to bio class Buy bread at bakery? Get ds18 to his class early at the co-op because apparently ages ago I signed up for lunch monitor. Need to dry clean ds 18's suit for prom on Friday Need to make dr appt Need to return very overdue library books This p.m. go and get my hair cut. Dinner is meatloaf, rice, what veggies??? This evening: take V to ESL class and watch little D for her.

Oh boy. Was fighting a headache most of the night. Now I feel like something the cat dragged in. But today was going to be the first day of our 'back-in-the-saddle schedule! 9:00 meet with kids for prayer, copy work clean kitchen shower make phone calls for various reasons dd has to bake brownies for AHG this afternoon dd should work on gov't/math ds has gov't and big paper to write for English class ds has physical training dd has AHG

I am sorry, Stacia. We had a cat death in our family too last week. It cast a gloom over everything and I still can't get used to not having her around. It's a weird feeling. Anyway, I'm sorry!

I am STILL reading City of God even though the group study ended this Thursday. (weeps softly) I'm am chugging through Book XIX. Still got XX, XXI and XXII to go. I am going full strength on my children's lit challenge. I've read 101 Dalmatians, The Children of the New Forest, Bedknob and Broomstick and am almost done with The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. I think I'll be able to squeeze one more children's classic in before the end of April. Not sure which one to pick.

On tap for today: Get dd 15 up to bake cookies for workcamp fundraiser Get bagels Someone has to take dd 15 to workcamp meeting Someone has to take 18 yo to flute lessons finish cleaning and freezing spinach (only got 1 batch done) finish laundry someone must p/u 15 yo 18 yo had physical training MUST meal plan and grocery shop MUST return books to library dinner? both teens need to start working on final papers

Dh is a partner in a law firm, so we don't have a pay day. He gets an estimate monthly amount and then if they did well that fiscal year, we get a 'bonus' or if we didn't then . . well, I don't know what happens because I guess they are pretty conservative about the projected earnings. Usually we get a bonus or not. Dh and I used to pay bills together, but now that everything has gone automated, he does it all. I think I am spoiled rotten! My big splurge, which I've been hinting at for a long time to dh would be to get solar power panels on our roof. The electricity around here goes out quite a bit. The minute there is a flake of snow or some thunder and lightning! I want to be off the grid (at least a little bit) with solar. Once we lost a whole freezer of meat because we lost power for a couple of days during a heat wave. And I don't want noisy generator. I want solar!

Thanks all! I echo the question of SamanthaCarter, when does one compost? Won't that look really icky? We have these big patches of yellowy string looking weeds in the middle of so so green grass. I don't even know what type of grass. In our old yard, we had that zoysia grass, which browns in the winter so it doesn't look so good then, but it is so thick that weeds aren't much of a problem. The problem is our current front lawn is big. We sit way back from the street, but the front yard is part of a pie shape strip of lawn that includes both us and the neighbors. Our neighbors sit closer to the street than us; our house is kind of past theirs and there's no fence between our yards. So you can see where our lawn ends and their beautiful lush green lawn starts. When I was growing up no one in our neighborhood cared about their lawns. Ours was covered with clover and dandelions. We didn't care.

I've been noticing that our front lawn is in bad shape. Our next door neighbor's lawn is very plush and green. Ours has lots of patches, etc. But I really don't wanna go toxic chemicals and artificial fertilizers. Anyone else good at this kind of thing? What do you do? Thanks!

Good morning! It is a rainy, sticky morning but I am have more energy than I have had all week. To do: Clean kitchen Finally, finally, finally prepare spinach for freezing perhaps go to Mass at noon laundry phone calls for various things Need to go to tailor to get prom dress fixed for prom next Friday. 18 yo needs to try on suit and see if it fit. This is last day of spring break!

I've never been anywhere considered exotic. Most exotic - meaning different - to me was staying a week in Avila, Spain. I would like to travel to western Africa. We've made good friends with people from Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire so that has intrigued me. The most exotic food I've ever eaten that I recall is not exotic either. But I once feasted on roasted wild boar in Italy.

yeah, now that I've actually done a little research, I think I need to make some liquid dish soap with a bar of soap add borax, boil, let rest for 6 to 8 hours, then proceed from there to make the bubble solution. Hopefully by making a big jarful, we'll have weeks of fun with it. Thanks for the rely!

I am still on my plastic free quest. I have soap nuts and want to make a bubble solution for our little 18 mo old gust to play with (of course an older person would blow the bubbles; he'd chase them). How to make bubbles plastic free though? Anybody as weird as I am? LOL. I mean has anyone else made bubbles this way?

I got up and wrote a blog eulogy of sorts to my cat we put down yesterday. Today I don't have co-op Latin, so usually I am prepping for that class and driving 45 minutes to and from. This is good because I am still recovering from the cold from hell. I must get new mason jars today and try to rescue the crate of fresh spinach I got from the CSA that has spent far too long in the fridge while I dealt with illness and dying cat. My dd is going to spend the night with a friend at her house on the bay (jealous!!!!), I probably have to get her to her house (the one not on the bay) at some point this afternoon. Also, ds has English class at Comm Coll at 4 Houseguest has ESL at 7:30 I should try to read City of God again. I am way behind but this is the last meeting tonight. I plan to just finish the book on my own. I've already read 849 pages of tiny print. The book ends on page 1091. Can't stop now, even if I've been a bit derailed! Can't think of anything else, though I probably should grocery shop.

I am so sorry. May you have the strength to get through the next phase. I know it can be rough. I wish him and all of you peace!

I recently read One, Two, Buckle My Shoe and really enjoyed it.

I bought this a year or so ago and stuck it where the driveway meets the walk to the front door. Haven't had anyone bother me since!

I am not sure what blend I like most. I think I tend to find dark roasts too burnt flavored for me, so tend to choose medium or light. I have been trying to find bulk coffee that is also fair trade. Anyone been successful with that? We spent three nights in Paris on a houseboat on the Seine! It LOOKED very charming. And indeed did have its charm, BUT it was also incredibly muggy with no A/C. I fought a sinus headache the whole time. LOL. Our AHG troop spent a weekend treehouse camping. It was gorgeous fall weather and a magical, relaxed weekend for everyone. Time truly slowed down and everyone had so much fun just cooking over the campfire or going for a hike. This was at a campground just outside of Harper's Ferry.

The cat got sicker in the night and still can't walk, so we are going in in about a half hour to say goodbye. The crazy thing about my 18 yo is that he went to his lesson and the driving instructor said at the end, he's ready to take the test! What he wants us to do is have 18 yo take an hour long lesson with him and then right afterwards go over to the DMV and have him take the test. He says that ds is very nervous when starting to drive but after about 1/2 hour he begins to loosen up and then he drives just fine. Thank God for understanding, experienced homeschooling fathers who happened to have started a driving school in their retirement! That what this driving teacher is, so he is completely understanding about teaching ds to drive. We just want ds to be able to drive to the community college and back by himself. We think it will make him feel much more independent and give him a boost of confidence.

I actually feel better this morning! Alleluia! I felt like death warmed over for a couple of days there. But it seems our cat had a stroke. She can't move very well. My dh decided to give her one more day and if there is no improvement we'd euthanize her. So today is the day we decide. Everyone was so gloomy yesterday. My 18 yo on spectrum son started regressing. . . . he is having anxiety attacks over learning to drive. We were so hopeful this time he could do it, but I don't think so. Anyway: Get 18 yo to driving lesson by 10 Get 15 yo to math tutor (remember to pay math tutor!) Get them home again rest take 15 yo to voice (remember to pay voice teacher!) If I have the energy, I need to get some wide mouth bell jars and start freezing fresh spinach (plastic free!). Figure out something for dinner.

Still feel like death warmed over from this cold/flu thing I have. I stayed in bed all day after getting home from taking ds to his class in the a.m. Woke up this a.m. to one of the cats being very ill. She can't lift her head. She weakly scoots herself across the floor a few inches and then falls over and lies theres panting for a while. Won't take food or water. Dh and dd just took her to the emergency vet. My ds once again let his meds run out without calling in for new ones or telling me. Also, he was supposed to have a follow up drs appt before the dr refills, so I am going to have to call and beg dr for refills and then set new appt. But I can barely talk . . . I bought a crate of spinach from the CSA but I am too sick to freeze it right now. I can't waste all that spinach!!! Ugh. (feeling very sorry for myself right now . . . )

I have a the cold from hell. First I fought a headache for 3 days, then I got a cough and now I am wheezing and sneezing, with sore throat and stuffed up head and nasty cough. Can't sleep, can't function, can't breathe. Today: 24 yo son is off to Boston but dh is driving him to the airport 18 has percussion lesson at 10:00 - that's my only outside obligation today. Otherwise: Sip chicken broth watch TV rest drink lots of water and tea Try not to breathe on my family too much.

Still sick with this nasty cough. Didn't go to vigil last night. Done: hid eggs make coffee To do: Egg hunt at 9:00 Mass at 10 (the kids all went to vigil) Brunch of matzah brei, easter eggs, cinnamon rolls and fruit my CSA is actually selling today - so wanted to walk there and get food roast leg of lamb, make scalloped potatoes daughter and son in law are coming over for dinner Wish I felt better!

Today my in laws are coming over for Passover. So much to do, as I've been fighting allergies/cold and very low energy! Laundry clean kitchen Shop for last minute stuff make brisket make charoset (I think I'll ask someone else to do this since I don't want to breathe on all those apples!) tidy and vacuum living room and dining room set the table keep cats from getting on the table hopefully son who is flying down from Boston this a.m. will get here (I just texted him to make sure he doesn't miss his flight -which is has done on a couple of other occasions!) eat our Passover meal hang out with in laws boil and color eggs have a light supper put up my feet for a bit before we go to Easter vigil tonight

I always wondered about the "Good" in Good Friday too. I mean I know it leads to good but really it should be called 'Sad' Friday or something. . . 1)I drive a Honda Odyssey. I love it. I can't get used to driving regular cars after having driven a minivan for so long. 2) I have never lived on a island but once I vacationed on Sanibel Island in FL and it was gorgeous. 3) I like the convenience of everything and that I am close to the rest of my family here. I live right down the road from where I grew up. (but don't get me started on the cost of living or the traffic!)

That's right! I still use his Memory book he published on Lulu and Latin-centered Curriculum (the 1st edition) was my favorite resource of all.