Shall Run And Not Be Weary: August 2017

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Eclipse 2017

We talked about The Eclipse at the beginning of the year-I think-- and we all agreed it was an event we wanted to attend. I figured there would be a few science-y families and maybe a few geeks, but really...

Since we are a large-ish family to travel, I planned the route and reserved motels back in May. I first tried Air BnB places but they were looking expensive--nice, but expensive.

So I started checking for suites at motels, they turned out to be our best option.

We really like Homewood Suites, they have a light supper during the week that is included in your room rate. It was just mac n cheese, pulled pork sliders, and a soup...no dessert, but it was more than adequate after driving all day.

The other note to remember before the Eclipse 2024--get your glasses before D-7...they get a little expensive. We managed to snag some child's sized glasses (that sounds dramatic- they are cardboard and plastic) but the child-sized ones were available and I was willing to do surgery on them if necessary. It wasn't, they fit everyone but me and Joe because we needed to keep on our glasses in order to see the sky.

We headed out Sunday morning after Sunday School and stopped in Roanoke for the night. Cooked spaghetti in our room.

We were in the totality zone by 12 noon but didn't know where we wanted to park.

Did we want to pay $20 to sit in a parking lot without shade? This was TN and I'm guessing the temps were high 90's or 100. We were following a bunch of cars toward a campground and I suddenly spied a turn-off with a few parked cars and I didn't see any signs stating a parking fee.

We parked and it was just what we had in mind...some trees, some grass and not many people along Little Tennessee River off Unicoi Turnpike.

We settled in and made some crescent shapes with our hands.

Ate the sandwiches I had packed.

Tried not to melt.

Took some goofy pics while we watched the moon take a bite out of the sun.

You really can't do this on a regular day.

or this...

Hope managed to get a good picture with an older Samsung camera we have.

Twilight came for about 2-1/2 minutes. Long enough to be awestruck and amazed.

Short shadows but evening light.

These are the shadows of the leaves ....no, you really don't see that on a "normal" day

Really wonder what people thought before they realized what caused an eclipse.

Actually I wonder how people can deny a Creator after witnessing an eclipse.

Reminds me of something I read on Facebook:

In one swoop, God caused the nation to come together to watch Him at work!!!

No protests!

No politics!

Just all people looking up watching Him at work!

It was interesting....we sat in a lot of traffic afterward...A LOT! about 4 hours of parking lot and 4 hours of driving.

There was no yelling

No horn-blowing

Just people waiting.

Now I'm not predicting what would have happened in our van if we hadn't had a steady supply of Adventures in Odyssey and other audio books. The phones even needed to be recharged quite frequently. I managed to crochet about three hats while we drove.

We also learned that Google maps can be misleading....we were at a standstill on roads that were marked as "good traffic" and moving on roads marked "red".

A bit of common sense and good-old paper maps are necessary for that type of a trip too.

Made it to our motel in Lexington at midnight.

The next morning after sleeping in a bit, we headed to Ark Encounter. It is worth the drive as well.

Slept in another Homewood Suites and headed for home.

Then so we didn't lose momentum, we sent them off to school the next morning.

Hope is still homeschooling, but the others are in 7th, 2nd, and 11th.

Sunday, August 13, 2017

This Girl...and Other Thoughts

This child, the one that keeps me young and makes me old.

The one that thinks of interesting ways to dust the furniture.

The one that can throw an amazing tantrum and thirty minutes after said tantrum-when I am still reeling and trying to think what to do about "this kind of thing"- she comes with

the most angelic smile and apologizes.

This girl who worries a bit.

The other night at bedtime--"Mom, I wonder what my teacher will look like this year? (she is new for our school so I couldn't help her out) Do you think she will wear earrings? I hope not, I hope she wears a veil--like you. Do you think she will be strict? Like 'sit down in your seat right now' strict?"

I'm glad you would like your teacher to look "like me" and I think that with twelve boys in your class

you will need a sit-down-in-you-seat-right-now kind of a teacher.

This child who sometimes gets called "handicapped" by well-meaning individuals. One day one of the girls came home from school and asked "Is Shekinah handicapped?" I turned the question around to them and they agreed that some people might think she is, but really, she's not.

I get tired of having to be PC (politically correct) all the time, but in the case of "handicapped", I do think "differently-abled" might be a better description.

The other morning she was DETERMINED to crochet some yarn as she had seen me doing the night before. Quite frankly, I wasn't sure it was possible.

Good old YouTube to the rescue "one-handed-crocheting" Yup, it can be done.

Of course, by the time I had looked up the procedure and we had watched the videos, she was on to something else. I will store the information away for the next time she wants to give it a try.

"Four-fingered-typing" will probably be a search for the near future.

"Left-handed piano pieces"

and "how to catch a softball when your hand is quite small for a glove".

Our school gives parents the opportunity to write a bit about our child for the next year's teacher...I'm just not sure what to write. Depends how the teacher reads into it, she will think Shekinah is helpless. And yet, there are things to think through....

Songs with sign language have been a big hit at our school.

Signs involving the ASL letters are normally done with the right hand.

My daughter's right hand is not her most capable hand.

Please let her use her left hand when doing signs with songs.

Hope is doing school work through the summer and she is taking Greek for her foreign language.

She gained new respect for those first graders that stumbled over lists of words during "Victory Drill"

Might be a good exercise for first grade teachers too?

"Looks like Greek to me"

Another experiment by the crazy lady.

I was determined to try this and see if I can make dress-fitting a less stressful procedure.

I really should give her a name and finish the armholes.

She has been called some not-nice names when she startled some jumpy half-awake children.

It kept them busy for half a day.

They mixed water colors in buckets of water and offered them for sale.

They do have imagination.

QOTD Shekinah "Mom, come sit on this chair" indicating the office chair

Me:" why?"

S:" Just sit on it."

I obliged and she pushed the lever, I sank down to the lowest setting.

S:" Now get off."

Me:"what was that all about?"

S:"Thanks, I wasn't heavy enough to make the chair go down!"

QOTD: Both girls were talking about "smelly socks" in a British accent. I asked what they are talking about. "you know mom, Mrs Collins in 'Pride and Prejudice' , she wanted her "smelly socks"

"Smelling salts, girls...smelling salts!"

Then I had to explain that to them...they thought smelly socks would do...they'd eaten the jelly beans that had that flavor....kids!