Lest I Forget

The very name birdfeeder should seem to clear up any question about whose it is. However, the squirrels don't seem to understand, or maybe it is callous disregard for the rules. Either way, the battle rages on in the backyard. Each morning, fresh birdseed ( bird seed) is placed in the feeder right after the ritual making of the coffee. Those pesky, and I may I dare say slightly chubbier squirrels have managed to get to the feeder and scarf the seed down in vast quantities, and then expose their wastefulness by jumping from the feeder, sending seeds flying in every direction. The birds are not amused by this blatant thievery. They look at me as if to ask why I allow this to continue. I tell them I wish I knew how to stop this wrong being done. For now, the battle continues while I research the matter. The very annoyed little bird at the feeder Meanwhile the evil plotting continues on the ground This lovely lady stands guard while her husband quickly swoops in for some ...

With the older kids and Tony heading to a bowling tournament in another city, I was searching for something fun for the little guys and me to do, because it is always good to keep them busy! A friend let me know that one of the state parks was having a Revolutionary War encampment, which was perfect. Therese recently studied that era and Peter is just now reading about the founding of the colonies. In a fortunate turn of events, the state park was less than 45 minutes from the bowling crew and they were able to join us late in the afternoon and then have a nice family meal before parting ways for the night. They had all sorts of period games set up for the children to try out and that is where we spent a good deal of time, with a brief break to witness the musket and rifle firing. They made corn husk dolls, too. The couple with a tent full of handmade games left our wallet a little lighter but our minds much fuller, for they shared so much information with us. For anyone t...

A while back, I started researching for another Spring Break camping trip. We had purchased a year pass for the South Carolina State Parks and thought that we could visit a few. Browsing their website, I saw an interesting event. An overnight campout with a park ranger who would teach you camping skills. They only chose a certain number of families, but I figured it would be exciting to try, since the weekend coincided with our Spring Break. Well, imagine our surprise when we were notified that our family was chosen to participate! That was not the only surprise. We got to keep the 4 man tent they were providing! We could stay a second night for free! As the weekend drew near, the weather forecast became not so pleasant. I could only think about last year's camping trip with not so great weather. But God provided perfect weather! It was a great weekend. Seeing my kids' excitement as they got to kayak on the lake in their own boats filled me with a peace I have found so elusiv...

Today was a red letter day for Jack. Me too, I must admit. Some months ago, in a series of random events I can no longer clearly recall, we stumbled upon the Palmetto A's. It is a club for Ford Model A enthusiasts here in Columbia. I contacted the president of the club and told him of Jack's love for antique cars and he invited our family to their annual picnic to see if we would be interested in becoming members ourselves. Well, today was the day. Not only did we meet some amazing people, and see some fantastic cars, Jack was allowed to drive not one, but TWO of the cars! Short of actually owning one of these cars, and who knows, maybe we will one day, I don't think Jack could have asked for any better. I do believe they recruited their newest and most likely youngest member today. We anxiously await the next monthly meet up of this fine group! The start of the day. He took Jack on a car by car tour. Aren't they beautiful? That is Jack driving the c...

Today was the first truly beautiful spring day! We will overlook the fact that everything is covered in green pollen, and just rejoice in the fact that trees are blossoming, flowers are blooming, and the sun is shining. Today was a day for trying to catch a fish in the lake, or pond, for I don't think it really is large enough to earn the title of "lake". The fish were not biting, but we had fun regardless. Inside, Anna made bread, and Jack and I made a white box to up our game of Lego photography. There will be plenty of time this week to clean all the dirt and pollen we tracked inside, right? Peter and his friend. I even braved putting live bait on their hooks. The waiting part is challenging for a 6 year old. Anna had a go at fishing too. Jack setting up for the test photoshoot. Our first test photo. A whole new way of photography. I am out of my element. I clearly need to change the f-stop to get more of the image in focus.