Friday, November 23, 2007



This will never be me... After working for about 10 years in retail book selling biz; I hate Black Friday. In fact, I rather dislike the next four weeks of long lines and meaningless sales. I usually try to be done with my holiday shopping before Thanksgiving but this year I'm not even close to starting. So, I too will brave the long lines, wait in parking lots filled with insane shoppers, and try to enjoy the holiday spirit but I will wait till tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

By Mac



Eli the black Cat


The Cat looked outside.

The leaves fell in a heavy tide.

His eyes would flutter from side to side.

You would think he was the smartest of cats.

Indeed he is quite wiser than rats.

At night he wonders the halls.

His meows resound through the walls as loud calls.

He is Eli the black Cat.



He gently purrs in your lap.

A few hours later he’s taking a nice nap.

He eats with great grace and poise.

If only that were the same for all boys.

He is Eli the black Cat.



He rubs his head against your face.

Then he goes for a race.

He will watch TV with you at night.

Then he’ll go for a bite.

He is Eli the black Cat.

Wordless Wednesday




Tuesday, November 20, 2007








It will be 24 years this Friday. I can't remember a time when this man was not a part of me, my life, my other half. I long for at least another 24 more.

A poem by Mac



Fast it goes one, two, three
Soon it will end like a fallen tree
I look at the world and I see
And yet, I don't
Life is as precious as the golden lore
If only I had enjoyed it a little more

Monday, November 19, 2007

Joyful Noise.. the other kid's turn

It was Mac's turn for her fall recital. I could only fit a small part of the night's music... so here is a piece. For just eight weeks of practice, they did a great job.

Thursday, November 15, 2007



We had yet another fall field trip treat this morning. We went to see the Atlanta Opera and former conductor Yoel Levi host the Houston Grand Opera's production of Hansel and Gretel. This production featured puppets in the style of Japanese bunraku; the witch was more than 12 feet tall. It was so cool how they made the singers look so small as the scale of the puppets and backdrop were huge. The girls loved at the end as all the gingerbread people turned into live kids and sang so beautifully. Hopefully this is a trend for this city to host and share more of the arts. After living here for almost 30 years, I am ready for more world-class events.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Annie

What a great day. Fi had her first recorder recital and she did great. I posted some video below, she's in the back row to the right. It was hard to shoot because the room was packed. I loved to see this in the homeschool community. So often when I go to one of our classes that is mixed with kids from both public and private schools, many of the parents don't show. I just can't imagine not supporting these little people as they grow. Anyway, later on we saw a number of fellow homeschoolers in a local production of Annie. One of Mac's buddies is in the play, it was her first and she did a marvelous job! The musical was performed by area kids in grades 5-12. I was blown-away at the incredible job they did, much better in fact than many adult productions I've seen of late.

Joyful Noise

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Touch the Earth with Native Peoples



The girls and I got a real treat today, to go back in time if just for bit, to learn from Native Americans about their history and culture. The group is called Touch the Earth with Native Peoples. They travel all over the U.S. educating children about the first Americans. The group shared traditional dances from a number of tribes throughout the U.S., demonstrations on falconry, hunting, the use of animals (horse and buffalo), storytelling, as well as listening to the languages of the Lakota, Comanche, Cherokee, and Creek. It was a pleasure to share, what for me has been a life long attraction to the cultures of the native peoples of the Americas. We are lucky to have some quiet reminders that we live in a once rich Cherokee nation. That the river near my home was the life line for this amazing tribe. I hope to continue to provide opportunities for the girls to learn more about this nation's rich past and of the people who walked the very ground we now call our home.
Here is a link to their page if you are interested.

http://www.nativepeople.org/

Touch the Earth

Wednesday, November 7, 2007