This n That

Good morning, all.
Random post following:

First of all, since is is "Holy Week", please be directed to my husband's recent post:
And for more info, see here.

Second, what do you see happening in this photo?

Did you guess that we are having devotions?  You are right!  Don't ask me how this activity fit into Acts 3.  I did ask my students to pay attention. (They said they were paying attention, but I think the Bible deserves more respect than this.)  What?  Oh, sorry.  Correction:  We were doing our Bedell curriculum, which one of my children says doesn't deserve quite the same respect that the Bible does.

Third, we city dwellers had a bit of excitement this morning.  A coyote meandered up and down our street.  I know this happens all the time in other parts of our town, but we live IN TOWN, not anywhere near the edge of town.  This is the first time in nearly seven years that we have seen a coyote.  I called Animal Control, but they were not open yet, and the recording referred me to an emergency number, which I promptly phoned while my raisin bran sogged.  The operator answered, "Fire and police..."  I did not realize I was calling 911!  Apologizing, I explained that my situation was probably not that kind of emergency, but there was a wild coyote loose on my street.  The woman assured me that this happens all the time, and that unless the animal was acting aggressively there was no cause for alarm.  Coyotes are very timid.  I said, "Okay, thank you." I hung up and we continued our educational coyote watch from safely behind glass.   Five minutes later Emily spied the  Animal Control vehicle going down the street, presumable looking for that timid coyote.  I imagine they changed their minds when the operator realized we live three blocks from the school. 

(Don't be fooled by that lawn in the photo.  It's fake.)

Also exciting news:
After starting a taco salad for supper last night and realizing I had no cooked chicken, no black beans, no mild salsa, no green pepper, no tomatoes, I made a taco salad anyway.  It turned out really tasty, and everyone wants me to make it that way again!  Husband says I have graduated to the level of master cook.  Now that I can cook like a grandma, he says, we are ready to have grandkids. Alison is ready to get married and be a mother to provide us that privilege.  She just has to find a worthy husband... he will have to fit a mile-long list of qualifications, so you be praying for her.  There just might not be a man on earth who will pass her dad's scrutiny.

Making a Volcano

Billions and billions of years ago... no, not really.  Probably about 4500 years ago (give or take a few hundred years), around the time of the great flood, this county went up in smoke.  Volcanoes erupted and spewed ash and lava all over the desert.  We can see several of the old craters on our way to my parents' place, along with the black rock that is left over from way back then.  What an educational place we live in!

We decided to make our own volcano.  Normally I run from hands-on educational opportunities, but this was okay.  It turned out about like all of our other hands-on science projects, so the making of it was a lot more fun than the actual explosion.

First, make salt-based playdough.  Knead til smooth.

Cut a circle in the top of a small box, big enough to hold a 16 or 20-oz water bottle.  Fill the water bottle half full with water. (Or half empty, depending on your mood.) Tape the box down to keep it stable.  We covered a board with a trash bag, to make the whole assembly portable and gunk-proof.

Make a mound of newspaper around the bottle in a mountain shape, and tape it down.

Now take your playdough blob, pat it out to about 1/2" thickness, and mold it around your newspaper mountain, leaving the top of the bottle open.

Be sure to landscape your volcano and plant some vegetation on it.

Some people go all out and paint their volcano realistic colors, but vegetation was all the realism that we had patience for this day.

Next, using a funnel, pour about 1/4 cup of baking soda into the water bottle.

Add a few drops of red food coloring, if you like, and taking careful aim, pour in white vinegar.  KABOOM! (Or maybe, fizzzzz.) Pretend you are in Pompeii or at Mount St. Helen's , or in the Mohave Desert, and take cover!

Made With Love

"Emily, what can I get you for lunch today?  Peanut butter and jelly made with love?"


"Yummm!  Yes!"


I slap together a sandwich.  She takes a bite.


"MMMM!" she says, "This is good!!!"


"Yes, peanut butter and jelly is always better when it's made with love, isn't it."


Emily nods.  After a minute she gives me a suspicious look.
"Do you always make them with love, anyway?"


I smile at her and nod my head.  She found out my secret.

...by love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13

Emily's Craft

Lest I die a slow death from persistent nagging, I patiently taught Emily how to backstitch and how to sew on a button.  (I'd have been happy to do this when she was say, eight or nine.) She took over an abandoned project of mine which was supposed to become a sock monkey for her, oh, two years ago. Meet Melanie Melody Peterson.  (She is a worm.)  I don't know where the name came from.

First, Melanie Melody Peterson in her skirt and blouse:

And now, in her nightie:

Note, this worm has two feet, unlike Lowly Worm, who has only one.  Melanie Melody Peterson is blessed to have two feet. 

And I am blessed to have a little girl who can't wait to learn something new.

The Wind Won

Pants Armstrong finally rolled in at about 8:30 pm with 24 miles to go, and he called it quits.  After grinding down one mountain in a headwind, going only 9 mph, and flying down another mountain highway in the pitch dark (except for his headlight) at 36 mph, and then fighting the wind home for another 6 miles, AND nearly being run over by a bad driver even though his big headlight shined right in her face, he couldn't think of any good reason to ride circles in our neighborhood until he had racked up another 24 miles to make 200 for the day.  (Smart man.)

So, the conclusion of the matter is, while Pants Armstrong did NOT make 200 miles, he did top his own record by 51 miles (his previous record of 125 set in 1984), AND, he beat his dad's personal best by 1.3 miles, which is the most important thing of all when you are in a competition with your dad.

Add to the food total:

16 oz more Coke
 1 chocolate shake
2 large fig newtons
4 lemon cremes
3 chocolate chippers

I'm certainly glad he doesn't eat like this every day.  I wouldn't be able to afford to keep him.

WAY TO GO, PANTS!! 
WE LOVE YOU!!

Double-Century Updates

Second Update:
Pants called at 5:30pm.  The south wind picked up and it's a dog.    He is about 30 miles from home and making his way back.  BUT, when he gets here, he will only have 28 miles to go to make 200, and that's too close to quit.  So he will be out late tonight, cycling by moonlight.

First Update:
Okay, Pants Armstrong rolled in just a few minutes (12:30pm-ish) ago with 99 miles to go.  Add to the food total:

1 glazed old fashioned donut
15 oz orange juice
1 Clif bar
3 large fig newtons
1 banana
3 chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
4 lemon cremes
30 oz Coke
1 tapioca pudding
1 big ham and cheese sandwich
1 apple
2 blond brownies
gallons of water

We're just about to leave for the truck brake check point at the top of the mountain, and cheer Daddy on!

Go Daddy, Go!!!

He had to cross the highway here, and no, he did not ride against the traffic!!



I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me!
Philippians 4:13

Double-Century Day

This day has been in planning for a long time, the most important variable being the weather.  It had to be just perfect.  Not too hot, not too cold, not raining, and, relatively speaking, no wind.  It's here, the perfect day, and it's even my husband's day off!

At approximately 4:30 this morning, Pants Armstrong started a 200-mile ride on his bike (spell that b-i-c-y-c-l-e).  The ride consists of three big loops right here locally, so that he can stop in Sal's Kitchen at strategic points for food, fresh batteries (for lights), and a shower.  He is now 42 miles into the ride, and so far he has consumed:

2 waffles with syrup
2 bowls of rice pudding
3 fried eggs
2 pieces of toast
and 2 glasses of milk

It might be more... I wasn't up at 4:30 to witness his first breakfast.  He took more food with him for the next leg, a 66-mile ride up and over the hill and back, across the dam, down the Nevada side, across the river again, and back home.

He'll be home for a shower, then we girls, his support team, will supply him with a lunch to eat on the road,  then we'll take him and his bike to the truck brake check point on the highway on the NV side, from whence  he will embark on the second century.  He will be equipped with lots of cookies and Clif bars to keep him going.

We expect him home around 8 pm, barring any flat tires.

And we'll keep you posted.

Forgiving AND Forgetting

Have you ever found yourself repeatedly asking God’s forgiveness for the same sin?  Sometimes it is very hard for a woman to forgive herself for the sins of her past. We lose our joy even though we know what the Bible says about God’s wonderful forgiveness:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Hebrews 8:12

So why do we find it so hard to quit reminding God how badly we have behaved?

The Lord brought this home to me in a very personal way.  Once upon a time, someone I especially love hurt me profoundly.  Okay, you’re all wondering who it was, and guessing it was my husband. Okay, you’re right, it was. He’s a good man, and I love him. He was oblivious to my feelings in this situation and he really didn’t mean to hurt me. But for days I cried in secret, actually grieving, and my heart felt like it had been ripped open. Because I knew that I was being overly sensitive, and because I knew he didn’t mean what he said, I tried to keep my pain to myself. I resolved not to mention the offending words even though I felt he had bludgeoned me with them. My anger and indignation was gone; I was read to forgive. I had forgiven him. But long after my hormonal over-sensitivity was gone, my heart was still bleeding profusely. I cried to the Lord; the pain was still there.  And I was trying, with God’s help, to forget the whole thing.

One day, what started out to be a casual conversation evolved into a pouring out of my heart.  All the tears I had kept back suddenly gushed out, and so did my accusation.  When he knew what he had done, my dear husband felt like so much scum. “I’m so sorry,” he told me, “That was a terrible, awful thing for me to say. I am soooo sorry!”  I felt a million times better after coming clean with my hurt feelings. Suddenly my heart was healed (99%) and I felt like myself again. Life was all better.  And I loved him more than ever!

For several days, out of the blue, my husband would say, “I am so sorry I hurt you like that. Please just punch me, or something!  I feel so bad!”  I didn’t want to hit him.  I wanted to forget the whole thing.  As long as he didn’t say anything more to me about it, I was reasonably happy. But his apologies kept reminding me, rubbing salt into the wound of my heart.

Suddenly the thought came to me, This is what it’s like when I tell God that I’m sorry for the same sin over and over again!  Jesus Christ forgave me at Calvary!  Why won’t I let him forget?  I now had a new resolve.  I would let go of my sins and completely accept God’s love and forgiveness, as well as his “forgetfulness”!

Again, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9.

"All" is all, and that is all that "all" will ever mean!

Knowing our sins are GONE is a wonderful source of joy for the Christian.  Believe the God who loves you when he says, "It is finished.  I forgive you."