Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Psalm 23


Obama is the shepherd I did not want.
He leadeth me beside the still factories.
He restoreth my faith in the Republican party.
He guideth me in the path of unemployment for his party's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the bread line,
I shall fear no hunger, for his bailouts are with me.
He has anointed my income with taxes,
My expenses runneth over.
Surely, poverty and hard living will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will live in a mortgaged home forever.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Happy 24th Birthday, Laura!

Happy 22nd Birthday, Jon!

Engaged!!!!

Faith and Me Playing in the Mud

Paint "war paint" on each other.

Squaw Faithie :-)

We had to go the whole way!

We look like Shirley Temple on The Littlest Rebel :-)

A mud slide!

Back- Me, Rebekah, Faith
Front-Charis, Lydia, Dylan

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

No Great Loss


Bill Clinton is visiting a school. In one class, he asks the students if anyone can give him an example of a "tragedy." One little boy stands up and offers that, "If my best friend who lives next door is playing in the street when a car came by and killed him, that would be a tragedy."

"No," Clinton says, "That would be an ACCIDENT."

A girl raises her hand. "If a school bus carrying fifty children drove off a cliff, killing everyone inside...that would be a tragedy."

"I'm afraid not," explains Clinton. "That is what we would call a GREAT LOSS."

The room is silent; none of the other children dare volunteer.

"What?" asks Clinton, "Isn't there anyone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"

Finally a boy in the back raises his hand. In a timid voice, he says: "If an airplane carrying Bill and Hillary Clinton was blown up by a bomb, *that* would be a tragedy."

"Wonderful!" Clinton beams. "Marvelous! And can you tell me WHY that would be a tragedy?"

"Well," says the boy, "because it wouldn't be an accident, and it certainly would be no great loss!"

Little Johnny and Pesky Insects

Little Johnny, and his grandfather entered the vacation cabin, and kept the lights off until they were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects.

Still, a few fireflies followed them in. Noticing them before his grandfather did, Little Johnny whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

A Great Quote :-)

I cannot live without books.

~Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Our Garden!

The garlic is starting to show!

Reagan Having a Bath

Today, Jon gave Reagan a bath. She hasn't had one since her birthday, November 14. She enjoyed the first part of the bath, but then she decided she wanted to get out.




I want to get out!


Bach Double Violin Concerto in D minor 1st movement

This is the next song in my book, and I can wait to learn it!

btw Notice the bows; they are baroque.

Walking Reagan

Matthew and I just got back from a three-mile walk with Reagan. We walked all the way up Main St., walked past Second Chance and the Lynden Christian School before we decided it was too much of a walk to go the Van Cleves, so we turned around and walked up front street where we bought two candy sticks from Homespun. When we got back home, Reagan was so tired, she just laid down in the back yard instead of following me all around like she normally does. Here's what it's like walking Reagan:


Well, not quite.=)

Friday, March 5, 2010

Violin Adjudication


This morning I had a violin adjudication. These are the songs that I played. The first song is by Mollerhauer and the second song by Vivaldi .


Infant Paganini

Concerto in A minor

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Lydia Quote

While we were in town today, Lydia was watching one of those human sign holders jigging all around, and she announced, "I wouldn't do that even if they paid me lots and lots of money."

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

So Much For the Image of the Dour Puritan!

This is a story from The Light and the Glory by Peter Marshall and David Manuel. They're saying that so many people today think that Puritans were so holy, sinless, and boring. This story was recoded by the town clerk:


The dedication dinner was had in the great barn of Mr. Hood, which by reason of its goodly size was deemed the most fit place. It was greatly adorned with green bows and other hangings and made very fair to look upon, the wreaths being mostly wrought by the young folk, they meeting together both maids and young men, and having a merry time in doing the work. Though rough stalls and unhewn posts being gaily begirt, and all the corners and cubbies being swept clean and well aired, it truly did appear a well banqueting hall. The scaffolds, too, from which provender had been removed, were swept as clean as broom could make them. Some seats were out up on the scaffolds, whereon might sit such of the ancient women as would see, and the maids and children. The great floor was held for the company which was to partake of the feast of fat things, none others being admitted save them that were there to wait upon the same. The kine [cattle] that were wont to be there were forced to keep holiday in the field.


The follows a detailed account of how the fowls who were accustomed to living in the barn persisted in flying in and roosting over the table, scattering feathers and hay on the august assembly below. Finally, the new pastor's patience was at an end. Normally the soul of dignity and decorum,


Mr. Shepherd's face did turn very red, and he catched up an apple and hurled it at the birds. But he thereby made a bad matter worse, for the fruit being well aimed, it hit the legs of the fowl and brought him floundering and flopping sown on the table, scattering gravy, sauce, and divers things upon out garments and in out faces...this did not please some, yet with most of it was happening that made great merriment.


Dainty meats were on the table in great plenty, bear-steak, deer-meat, rabbit, and fowl, both wild and from the barn-yard. Luscious puddings were likewise had in abundance, mostly apple and berry, but some of corn meal with small bit of suet baked therein, also pies and tarts. We had some pleasant fruits, as apples, nuts, and wild grapes, and to crown all, we had plenty of good cider and the inspiring Barbabos drink [rum]. Mr. Shepherd and most of the ministers were grave and prudent at the table [except, of course, when flinging apples at the chickens], discouraging mush upon the great points of the dedication sermon and in silence laboring upon the food before them. But I will not risk to say on which they dwelt with most relish, the discourse or the dinner.


Most 0f the young members of the council would fain make a jolly time of it. Mr. Gerrish, the Wenham minister, though prudent in his meat and drinks, was yet in a right merry mood. And he did once grievously scandalize Mr. Shepherd, who on suddenly looking up from his dish did spy him, as he thought, winking in an unbecoming way to one of the pretty damsels up on the scaffold. And thereupon bidding the godly Mr. Rogers to labor with him aside for his misbehavior, it turned out that the winking was occasioned by some of the hay seeds that were blowing about, lodging in his eye. Whereat Mr. Shepherd felt greatly relieved.


The new meetinghouse was much discoursed upon at the table. And must thought it as comely as house of worship as can be found in the whole colony save only three or four. Mr. Gerrish was in such a merry mood that he kept the end of the table where he sat in right jovial humor. Some did loudly laugh and clap their hands. But in the midst of the merriment, a strange disaster did happen unto him. Not having his thoughts about him, he endeavored the dangerous performance of gaping and laughing at the same time, he set his jaws open in such wise that it was beyond all his power to bring them together again.


His agony was very great, and his joyful laugh soon turned to grievous groaning. The women in the scaffolds began much distressed for him. We did our utmost to stay the anguish of Mr. Gerrish, but could make out little 'till Mr. Rogers, who knoweth somewhat of anatomy, did bid the sufferer to sit on the floor, which was done by Mr. Rogers, gave a powerful blow and then sudden press which brought the jaws into working order. But Mr. Gerrish did not gape or laugh much more on that occasion, neither did he talk much, for that matter.


No other weighty mishap occurred save that one of the Salem delegates, in boastfully essaying to crack a walnut between his teeth did crack, instead of a nut, a most useful double tooth and was thereby forced to appear at the evening with a bandaged face.


There were further interruptions by invading roosters, staved off by barrages of flying nuts and apples, and in the end a few "maudlin songs and much roistering laughter." The account concludes, "So noble and savory a banquet was never before spread in this noble town, God be praised!"


So much for the image of the dour puritan!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Krista and Me in the Mud


When Krista and I get together, you better watch out!At first, we were Indians, but then we decided to go the whole way.:-)