Little People on the March

Little People on the March

To My Congressional Delegation

I hear a lot of talk by politicians and pundits that our health care is in a crisis. I truly do not understand what constitutes this crisis. I understand there are many who are not insured. I understand that there are insurance companies that do do hold up their side of the bargain. I understand there are lawyers who want to sue for every medical procedure.

What I don't understand is, what is the crisis? If I drive from New York to Los Angeles I can drop into 99.9% of the doctor offices and get an appointment that day. I can pay for my services and get a prescription that I can fill at a local pharmacy that day. That is not a crisis. A "crisis" is when there is not hospital in your town; there is no doctor in your town; there are no medical supplies in your town. I think that is called a third world country. Is that what we are to become if the government runs our health care?

I have elected you to be my representative in the making of the laws of the land. Are you going to represent me, or are you going to impose upon me?

8 days and counting

This is the sunset from my backyard. I love sunsets. You can always tell when the season is changing by the sunsets. November is my favorite because of all the beautiful colors.

9 days and counting, Wy writes the Preamble

I had a Quill pen that I gave Wy to practice writing. When we had Camp Meme we studied American colonial times and I bought, but not used, the Quill Pen. So I thought I would let Wy get a chance to use the pen. We talked about people during the colonial times having to use the quill pen to write notes, letters, journals and even the Constitution. We even looked up George Washington's General Orders on Profanity written in longhand by Geroge Washington.
Wy began to write using the pen and I watched as he began to write. I thought "Gee, Meme, you are so smart to encourage your grandson to write with this pen." I was shocked when we gave me a copy of the Preamble of the Constitution written by memory with the quill pen non stop. Meme's may be smart, but grandsons are awesome.

13 days and counting, Old books

Yesterday Wy and I went to the Riley Library on the OBU campus. I had gotten some books there before for the boys and I really love the books we can find there. This great little book, Make a World is a drawing book. It doesn't give complicated instructions, it is simple. First it shows a rectangle, so the person draws a rectangle. Then add something to the rectangle and then add something else. No big complicated process, just draw it. In fact the layout is tiny, with no words, just a line of drawing. I loved this book when I saw it because it is so child understanding.

It gives the child respect. Look, copy and create. So many of the books printed now pander. They think children cannot learn with out minutia instructions from adults. Children are very quick to understand and apply. That is why I love these older books. They believe in children's capabilities.

The creation of a child's mind. The blimp, the helicopters, the castle, the fighting men, all came out of a boys imagination and with help from a book's application you have a great picture. J4 showed me one of the pictures he made when he was this age. Just think, when Wy is a man he will bring out this picture and think of his time at his Obi's & Meme's. We should remember this is how memories are made. Simple times with great love.

14 days and counting, and the wy says hello

As much as I tried I couldn't get this turned around, so turn your computer or perhaps turn your head. (this is an interactive site. I am so tech oriented!) Wy says hi to his fam.

Oh, and 14 days and counting.

16 days and counting, Miles birthday day

There are 16 days left until I report back to the office.

Today going to see Mi and give him his birthday gift, Wy and momma put ice cream on the delicious cake.

The birthday boy plays his flute and wears his coon skin cap.

Jerusalem's cute little chair she slip covered. See her blog my little life.
See Vintage Indie for more on her chair.

Her little nook.

Countdown to Work, Oh and the GG's

17 days and counting.

The GGs get together on a mini get together.
Gallivanting Gals have to gallivant at home.

My mom's porch in the village. So relaxing.

We wanted to go to my sisters but family matters prevented that get together.

But never fear the GGs will prevail and gallivant.

The Diamante Golf course in Hot Springs Village.

The first night we ate out. You gotta take a break and take some time to live it up. So we ate at a restaurant in HSV called De Carlo on the Green. An Italian restaurant on the Diamante Golf Course. It was good and we had some good laughs. What we didn't get was lost. We usually go driving around the village to see what is new, but it was dusk and all the houses look the same.


The view of the restaurant. Pretty view and lovely setting. The only thing I missed were my two youngest daughters. [If you have three daughters or sons then the oldest one will always be the oldest and the youngest will always be the youngest, but the middle child could be one of two. The two oldest daughters or the two youngest daughters-so versatile.] One lives in Germany and one lives in a book-summer school at Henderson. I didn't just miss them being there I missed their mix to the tossed salad. Which is why we, all the GGs, can only be together in a confined space for no more than 48 hours. Too much mix to keep fresh.


My mom. She is so cute.

On the second day we ate a late breakfast and watched a couple of movies. Then it was time for crafting. My oldest daughter, Jerusalem is the craft provider. I asked her to do something for us with a tie in to fall and school. She sets the table and we go to it.

Jerusalem explains the rules to us crafty chics. We are not sure how to make a collage clipboard! We aren't cc, craftily challenged, we just don't get this particular one. But we will try.

We can be crafty after all. We just try to do as the teacher says and then ta-da we have a craft.

The next day we have a fine breakfast provided by the matriarch. Bacon and waffles.

The waffle maker my mom has had since she was first married. Still works.

My dad. Although he wasn't actually uninvited to the GGs he did try to be unobtrusive. He and his dogs. But, who doesn't love breakfast on the screened porch. So we let him join us. Aren't we magnanimous. Stay tuned the GGs will gallivant again soon.

Summer at OBU

A summer day at OBU. I took this picture when there were no camps and everything was very quiet. Although I love it serene like this, I must say, I am looking forward to the fall semester. It is good to enjoy the break, and also good to enjoy the hustle and bustle.

I went to Riley Library to return some books I had checked out for the boys at Camp Meme
We had a great time reading and I found some intriguing books. Trying to get good reading material is one of my biggest jobs. Reading just for fun seems to be a thing of the past. When I was a substitute in the elementary schools the curriculum instructs the teacher to pick apart the story in teaching the student what writing a story entails. If I was a student in elementary school, I would dread reading on my own, because of the impression I would have to pick apart the book and thereby kill the very thing I was to enjoy.

As a substitute I had to get the classes quiet and I always tried to read funny poetry. Poetry that makes a point about children's lives without pandering. It is the best 30 minutes of the day. And what shocked me are the kids that I was having the most problem with got the point of the poems. Their laughter at the right time showed me they got irony and puns and they identified with the subject. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for. We should quit making them become robots and let them flourish.

VBS day 5 good times

Painting is always a gamble with children in a fast paced time frame. But, these kids did such a great job and we only had one cup of water tipped over. It was a great time.

I sometimes think we don't do enough art work. I know some schools are cutting back, but I sure wish that the kids who love to paint and draw and sculpt and all that involves art were able to have that opportunity. I know it is messy, but I say to parents,

1. Let them create
2. Teach them to clean up

Jimmy with the VBSers. I really want to thank Jimmy Allen for helping with the crafts. He did more than just help, he created and supplied and got together materials. Plus the last day he had a migraine, and he still helped out without complaint, and that in itself is a sign of devotion.

Watching the kids paint or glue or put together a pouch was so rewarding. These kids never complained about a craft being too hard or too easy, but they jumped right in to get their art craft done. The creative gene must be pretty powerful in man's DNA, because I have never seen a child not want to create.

Knowing that art-work is messy always helps me get the preparation right. You have to know that someone will spill water or drip their paint or throw their freshly painted boomerang to see if it works and spew paint everywhere. That is just kids. The trick in picking out artwork for kids is you want it to be challenging enough so that they feel they can tackle it but you don't want to make it so easy that it is boring. I am always, I mean always surprised at how kids rise to a challenge. And since artwork is subjective in many ways it is always a delight when kids who are sitting next to each other do totally different styles in their project. Yet they themselves are proud of their work. The mind is an amazing thing. We should cherish our children whose minds we are helping to form.

VBS day 4 Singing, Singing, Singing

Our VBS getting into the Boomerang Express Song.

My Workers are the best. First thing they ask me is if there is anything they can do for me. Wow! What a blessing.

The theme is Australia and we are focusing on sheep and of course The Lamb of God.

The Sheep puppets that we are making is fun. It is so much fun to see the people react to the sheep puppet. No matter if you are standing right in front of them, (adults and children alike), and they know you are talking, if your puppet is in their view and the puppet looks like it is talking to you you will react to the puppet not the person talking for the puppet. Amazing how we will suspend reality.

Rosalind and her posse.

So good to know we will see each other in Heaven.

Seems like we have Gremlins getting into the cool drinks. Not good!

Our Hallelujah -Praise ye the Lord ending.

VBS day 3 Boomerang Express

VBS welcomes the Burt's. This is our Associational Missionary come by to see us board our Boomerang Express to the land down under!
After the first class is over it is snack time and boy they always have great snacks from the kitchen crew. Let's give them a great hand. Yea!!!

Now it is recreation time and there is always fun to be had.

Craft time, my job, has been really fun and challenging. These guys are really getting into the scratch art.

Outside time is full of different things to do. The balloon bursting relay is not as easy as you may think.

Try harder!

The Kitchen Crew takes a breather and really knows how to put their feet up.

Hey is the pastor going to clean the kitchen?

One more group of artists getting their scratch art done.

Look how pretty these fish turn out.

Let's all get ready to switch sides for Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Halleluiah, Praise Ye the Lord.

I think the boys need to work on their "Praise Ye the Lord." The girls outdid them again tonight.

VBS day 2 & a garden

When I get to the fellowship hall some of the older kids always want to help out and I really do appreciate it. Sometimes there is a lot of little work to do.
Jackie enjoying watching the kids do Boomerang Express hand motions.

Chris didn't know he was so good at working with crafts.

Jensen know how to handle those pesky glue dots!

Gotta get the right tooth on the right crocodile.

The Garden

This is the garden we started when we had Camp Meme. Looks like something is coming up! Since the boys just dumped the packages of the vegetables into the garden we have no telling what is growing where. It will be interesting to find what these plants are.

Meme is watering the garden and the tomato plant looks like it is going good. Also the sweet potato plants are looking like they will survive.