Oops on the Flamingos

I forgot to say that my Red Hat team raised that amount in 2005. I wasn't able to have a team in 2006 due to my reconstruction surgery. But my fabulous flock is just roosting in wait for the next time they can fly the soop and raise more money. Look out! they may be coming to roost in your yard some time in the future. The Survivor Team needs me now!!! Red Hat and all!

The Calhoun County Relay for Life Crew

Eyeball this "good looking" bunch!
We did the Toby Keith song, "I Love This Bar". Candi was Toby, Carol was a hooker, Darlene was a biker, Sharon was a drunk, Sandra was a psycho hitchiker, Chris was a trucker, Debbie was "girl next door dressed up like a movie star", Cassie was a redneck, & I was a LOSER! We had a blast!



CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!! Calhoun County is known all over the Country... Everybody wants to know" Where is this County"... Well we are can located smack dab in the middle of North Mississippi and what a great County it is.... We are all committed and dedicated to helping find the cause and cure of cancer. We always hear about Meridian, Jackson, Tenn. Tacoma, Wa. Now they can add Calhoun Co. MS to the map... I have to add Ms, because there is a Calhoun in Alabama and I don't want anyone outside of Mississippi to get confused...(smile) Calhoun is #1 in the State and #8 in the Division.... Won the All American Relay Award, State, Division and NATIONAL!!!!!!! WE raised $ 116,824.28. Up from
$ 91,000.00 in 2005!!! The Calhoun County Relay for Life has it going on

We have a great group of volunteers in this County. Carolyn and Mother Relay and Little Rudy Tooty. Carol C. has made it a point to singlehanded fight for the cure! You should see her numbers from the past 3 years! This gal is on a roll. Good thang her husband is a trucker 'cos she just keeps on keeping on! Darlene used her relay work to help her overcome some serious pain in her life. We all know her heartache and stood there for support. Candy will be the Next American Idol after her performance at the Relay Reunion. You go girl! Hit me with your best shot is your song!!!! Dang what talent!!

WE may live in a poor county with very few people but there is not a one of us that has not been touched in someway by cancer. No way could we turn our backs on our brothers and sisters that need this money for research and development. I personally thank you for all you do and I know all the other Survivors do also.

So for 2007 our goal is raise $122,000 and make our little 'star' shine so brightly that we can be seen from space!!!

Caught in the act.

I raised about 2000 for the American Cancer Society with my flock of pink beauties. Good thing I have a flock of 18 of them now that they are no longer being manufactured. I love my little birdies. (I did ditch the colorful potty stool. It had outlived its usefulness. It sure did help loosen the purse strings to get that donation for ACS tho!!!)

I'm an owl not a lark!

Early morning and I are like oil and water. WE don't mix. But in the interest of my students I get up. I am such a bear until I have had that first glass of cold water and then my nice hot comforting cup of coffee made in my French Press. I let my dd#2 sleep. Aren't I the good mum?

The other kids that come here for homeschool trickle in through out the morning. The first one gets here at 7:15. He works steady for an hour and a half then has to run out the door and around the house the couple of times. His anti seizure meds seem to do that to him. Then he comes back in, has him a snack and we play a quick game of dominoes to work on his make skills, then its back to work. While I am 'playing' with him, one of the other students hops on his computer and does her lessons. The 3rd student, a 'senior' girl starts working on her lessons at 9 when she comes dragging in. She only lacks about 5 credits to graduate and I am really having a time getting her to finish. She has to be reminded constantly to do her work and to keep up to a schedule. I tried the unschool appraoch with her and she got so far behind that its taken us a year to finish one subject. She hates to read anything that is good for her such as a classic book. I can't even entice her to read LOTRs of a Harry Potter Book. Now if it was a Harlequin Romance or someother such drival, or something about some boy band, she would read it in a heartbeat. She suffers from sever immaturity issues.

I've been teaching other peoples kids for 7 years. At one point I had 17 plus my own 2. Its a challenge because I have to follow a set teaching pattern with the other kids. Most want to do this through the middle school grades and finish up in public highschool. The ones I have left with me now don't want to do that. But they still want 'structure'. I sort of have 'school' at home but its still pretty relaxed. We don't do it every day. Most of the kids do five days of work in 3 days.

I suppose I need to get in the studio and finish what I started yesterday. Its almost clean and organized. I have to sweep and mop now. Why is it that when you start moving things around, you discover that some gremlin has spilled the stickiest substance known to mom on the floors and it has glued things under the furniture or appliances or anything else that might be sitting in the floor? just something to make me go Hmmmmm!

evening blog

MMMMMM. I am enjoying a pumpkin cobbler. Must be the time of year. I will try and eat pumpkin 'something' everyday that I can. I use sweet potatos alot also since I live in the sweet potato capitol of the world. No joke. Just about all the sweet potatoes in the USA are grown right here in Calhoun County Mississippi and shipped out. The 'tater sheds' have tons of boxes from each state that they fill and send back. Louisana sweets are grown in Mississippi. Ahh truth in advertising.

Dd # 2 is plugging along as she learns. She takes her learning in spurts. The other kids that I teach really need the discipline of a curriculum. I am still pretty relaxed in how they do it tho. I do try and steer them in the correct way to write a paper since they are nearing time to take ACT and SAT to get into university.

I have been nesting all day. I am going thru a purge and clean phase. I have decided that if I haven't worn it and I sure can wiggle my matronly Ruebensque shape into those cute little outfits anymore, then out they go. And That goes for all the clutter. I swear I am on the verge of being declared a complusive 'collector'.

I have finally finished all of my reports in my transcription class. Now I am just waiting for my facilitator to grade them. As she grades a folder and returns it I send her another one. I have just one more test and then hopefully I get the certification soon.

My new LIMEX theology class started last week. session two was last night and it went well. This quarters class is on Moral Theology. I am enjoying this one. But I do wish the books were a bit more up to date. Just like the Catholic church not to have books from the current century in the reading list. Last summer (2005) I spent a summer session in Washington, DC studying at Catholic Theological Union. It was a fabulous experience both culturally and spiritually. I was there at the same time as about 20 Bishops and countless number of priests and Sisters. I heard some great lectures. The summer session was on womens roles in the Ancient Scriptures and the New Testament as well as the role of women in the first centuries of the church. It was very informative and interesting.

I have to check on my Mom now. I cooked a huge pot of Great Northern beans and a pone of corn bread. Dd2 took a plate and some cobbler down to her. Mom is slowing down now and that worries me. But that is why I am here. To care for her and my sister as they need me. I don't have time to get down myself. Its a good thing I don't require much sleep.

long time nary a blog

I haven't been here in a while. I've been busy with homeschooling and dealing with oldest dd going back into the public school system. I am one loony mom over this. But she is a good kid and hopefully her 'raising' is rubbing off on some of the other kids.

My reconstructive surgery is coming along nicely. I feel really good about it. I just don't do pain well and it sure doesn't tickle.

now its a count down to Christmas and I have got to get at the drawing board and get a few things done for folks. So far I have decided to do portraits. And as usual I have waited unti the last minute. So what else is new.

I hear the coffee cup calling me and I need to get the beans soaking for supper. DH likes great northern beans and corn bread so that is the menu for the evening.

MOre later I am sure. I am going to start sharing my theology class questions on here. So if you aren't Catholic you might want to close your little eyes. OR better yet open your mind and read and discuss with me. I am quite ecumenical.

The Theology of Cancer

The Theology of Cancer
Vonda Tedford-Keon


A dear friend needed help and I answered her call today. I drove her to the Holy Ground that I will call the Clinic to see if they could ease her pain. As I sit here in the Clinic, I watch all of the people awaiting their treatments, each fighting the Enemy in his or her own way. There are those with lung cancer, breast and liver cancer and some that I have never heard of before. They are the very young and the very old and many ages in between. They are male and female, black and white. They are people and I watch them. Some will win and some will succumb to the cancer that has been steadily and sneakily taking over their bodies. There is one thing that cancer can’t do and that is it can’t take away the soul.

Just hearing the words, “you have cancer”, throws you into crisis mode. All of a sudden, those three little words shake your world. All of your neat little organized cubby holes and closets and nicely arranged desks become a house of cards that seem on the verge of collapse. Not only do you have to deal with the mental and emotional shock of the disease, but you must start dealing with the big question that starts looming: “Why ME Lord!” It screams out of your inner being. WHY? What have I done? What didn’t I do? What did I eat? What did I say? Was I bad?

If you live in the South, all through your religious upbringing you are taught that if you have lived the good and righteous life then all will be fine. You will live to be a wise old person and die peacefully in your sleep when your work here on earth is completed. But you know the dark thoughts will start to sneak into your mind; “I went to church every time the doors opened. I gave as much as I could of my time and talent and treasure. I’ve tried to obey God’s Law. It’s NOT FAIR! Why can’t I have a long, healthy, pain free life?” We sort of start sounding like Job did in the Old Testament don’t we?

And then, as if to pour salt into the wounded soul, there is always that one, well-meaning, misguided person that has the audacity to walk up to you and not so subtly say, that if you are ill with cancer then you must have done something to cause God to punish you. Not only are you dealing with pain, sickness, rollercoaster emotions, family and financial worries, now you start to feel let down by Abba, Father! “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?”

Having cancer is the ultimate time for spiritual growth. Yes, I just said living with a cancer diagnosis is the perfect time for discovering the Theology of cancer. While you are struggling with pain from surgeries and sickness from treatments and side effects from medications, you are also working through the uncertainty and difficulty of your life. Your whole routine of day to day is shattered. Your belief system has to be realigned, rethought and refined. Old habits are set aside and new habits developed. You start seeing God in a new light.

Your relationship with God takes on a new meaning. The disease has become the catalyst to help you grow beyond just thought and belief. You begin to search, to yearn, for the first time, what your purpose in life is ultimately about. You begin to realize that God is refining you. You are walking through the fires of purification. Soon He will be able to see His reflection in you. You are becoming more spiritually focused. No, the theological question, “Why Me Lord?” is not answered, but this new found spirituality does create an intimate connection with the Source of all being. You find that you have become more heart sensitive, more attentive, more thankful for what you have been given. You start living in the present, not in the past that can’t be undone, and not in the future for which you have no control. You start to see how special the rising sun is and the glorious moon and the billions of sparkling stars that fill the indigo skies at night.

You find peace through the quietness of sitting in the softly falling rain and the gentle breeze as it wafts through the tender green leaves of the trees in early spring. You see the prayers of thanksgiving that nature provides as each new flower unfurls its blossoms and waves its leaves toward the heavens. You have slowly come to gain the knowledge that the path to God can be found in the beauty of His creation through nature and the music and art and poetry that it inspires. You see the face of God by looking into the faces of others and see His love. You finally realize that a relationship with God is not dependent on church doctrine or how well you have memorized the scriptures or how intelligent you are. Rather it is how you experience God in others and in His creation. He is showing you the multitude of blessing He is giving you.

After finding out you have cancer, you find that you are able to make do. You simplify your life and concentrate on what is dear to your heart. You live for the present and work to forget the past guilt and angers. You learn that you have the choice of how to respond to this ‘crisis’. You could get mad or you could get depressed. But you choose to use the pain and suffering for good. You remember that Christ’s Gift of Love for us was to suffer on the cross. So it is in suffering that you finally understand the gift of cancer and how it Graces you and brings you ever closer to God. And if you are one of the ones that is granted a longer life here on earth then use it wisely to tell others of how you were graced with a gift from God.
VT-K
June 20, 2006

blogging on painting

Every chance I get I go to the museum to paint on the mural. The forest has been an exhausting project. There is so much that has to be depicted and I don't just open up the cans of paint and voila! its a forest. It has to go in layers and then each layer will show me something else that needs to be done. Its a never ending thing! I hope to finish it this next week. Or at least I may just walk away from it and go on to the next 1/3 of the project and work on the school room. That one should go pretty quick because I am painting it to look like beadboard walls and some windows to the out doors. I am eager to try out my new graining tool.

Everytime I am down there, people come in. They usually just wantder on in and it turns out most are from out of town and they have some sort of connection to the area. I tell them about the museum and that we are looking for more items (give a little plug for the money needs) and listen to their stories. Some of them have been very interesting. I find it tells something that people that left in the 40's are coming back to live out the rest of their lives in this area. Their roots are calling them back to the place of their birth. Most of the folks I have talked to have very fond memories of Bruce. And they remember all sorts of things about the town, like how it looked and who worked in what store. I hope that we can pass on the legacy of our little town to the ones that are after us so that they will want to come back home too.

Things that make you go hmmm

It drives me nuts when a student is supposed to be here and then doesn't even call to let me know that something has come up to prevent them from calling. I could rearrange another childs schedule so that everyone can get their work finished and there won't be any tripping over eachother later on this week.

I've been working hard at learning my medical terms so that I can do the first test. one of the words that I had to learn to spell was 27 letters long. I didn't know I had it in me! Getting these things into spell check is the longest part. I have to make sure they are spelled correctly to start with so that is a slow go at the moment. Its been interesting to see just how much terminology I do know from the root words and the suffixes and prefixes. It is a whole different language.

Darling hubby is on vacation this week. I have to go to the dr. for year mammogram and I don't like driving in Memphis, so he is going along. We get to secret shop a resturant afterwards. I like being a secret shopper. That can be a full time job in itself. I may do that over the summer for some extra income.

The attack of the Latte Frothe monster

I have NEVER used the frothing wand on my coffee machine so I decided that I needed to figure this thing out. How hard can it be? Just read the instructions. Right? riiiiight. took me SEVERAL trys before I finally noticed the part about the steam plug. So I had to dig in the drawers for that little item. Ok. insert plug and lock it in. check. pour in coldwater and lock on that lid. check. turn on the machine. check. have cold milk in large container ready. check. open valve. check check. wait for steam so I can put milk container under the nozzle. I waited and waited. nothing. then I read the part about only putting in 2 oz. of water. oooooops. I put in 4. now what. the expresso that I made earlier was gently warming on the warmer just waiting for some froth. all of a sudden, SWOOSH, there was steam and I stuck that milk under it and man did it make froth. And more froth and MORE froth. It was the attack ofthe froth monster. all over the counter, the floor, the steamer. I made not one, not two, not three but 4 tall lattes! Made a huge mess but by golly I made some good tasting lattes. even had enough steam to clean that puppy out. It would have made a great video for don't let this happen to you!!!! Now on to bigger and better things. Adding flavors and getting jiggy wit it!

Thursdays

I've been checking the gas prices and they are coming down today. I might actually be able to afford to put some gas in the 'Shamu' today.

The Mural at the museum is coming along nicely. People are starting to comment about it. I didn't go and paint this morning because I was feeling just a little puny. Nothing serious just a little under the weather. It is probably because I am converting slowly to a marcobiotic style diet and last night I ate some red meat and boy can I tell my body doesn't like it. So its going to be a rice sort of day today.

Darling youger daughter has expressed an interest in learning to belly dance. I have been checking in on it and found a class in the university town north of us. It seems very reasonable so I think I will sign her up. I might even sign myself up. Lord knows I have enough 'belly' to dance with! At least with belly dancing you don't have to be leaping around. You have excellent posture and graceful hands and those veils cover a lot of stuff .

Random thoughts for Tuesday

The new kittens have all died. I thought they would pull thru but what ever nasty bacteria or virus hit them, it took them. The poor mama kitty is beside herself. She worked and worked to save her little babies.

I've been down working at the museum and getting ready to head out the door again with clean brushes in hand. I am oging this morning while its cooler. Its so hot in there in the afternoon with the sun beaming straight in! I get a sun burn inside! Its coming together tho. I am painting the foreground and laying in the blades of grass and vines. Its looking like a forest for sure.

Oldest DD has finished her schoolwork for the year. Now she is going to do some extra things in preparation for highschool next year. She really wants to attend public schoolfor the 11th and 12th grade. It flies in my face but she has got to try it find out. I would prefer that she not do it but she is old enough to make that decision and I have to honor it.

youngest DD is going to keep homeschooling a while longer. Thank goodness. She isn't ready for the wild world of public school. She is into the summer softball league at the moment. We will have the first softball game and dance recital on the same afternoon! That should be fun! Not!

She is good at gymnastics and would like to cotinue so I guess I will try and see if Ican find someone within a decent driving distance that can teach her. Just one more thing to add to my plate.

Saturdays are Alright with me

I had all sorts of grand plans for today and then scrapped them. I intended to check out the Double Decker Festival in Oxford and the weather was just so blustery and damp and way too chilly. I decided that for the price of gas today was not a travel day. So I stayed in. I was also going to go and paint more on the mural but a college student came by that needed help doing some research for a paper she was having to write and I seem to be the resident Catholic 'theologian'. That is a laugh.

So I started rearranging the studio. I discovered that there is STILL seepage from somewhere because my canvas was dampish and the carpet is a big soggy right along the south wall. Nothing like a basement that leaks and you can't find the leak. I am going to have to cut out a pretty large piece of carpet because there is no cleaning it. It just needs to come up.
Chasing this water around just seems like a constant thing. Every spring just like clock work.

I will start on my medical transcription course as soon as the equipment and the text books arrive. I got the notification from my instruction of record last night. So now I have to really start reading in earnest. Getting certified as an MT will help me. I can do that type of work from home and still have time to do art work for relaxation. A woman my age is not too marketable any more so I need to find something that I can do to pay the bills. There is so much truth to the term starving artist. I would have loved it if the coffee shop could have taken hold but that just is not doable here in this little town. And truthfully I am just not a people person all the time. I am an introvert but I force myself to be extroverted in order to get along in the world. I would really like nothing better than to live in some isolated place and only come out when I needed to. I think that is why I spend so much time downstairs in the studio. It's like being in my own little world. My very own little extreme home within a home.

Thursday is just another day

I feel the urge to move furniture. My studio is still not a studio. At least not eficiently for me. With everything this space needs to be its hard for me to get it the way I think I want it. I want the tables to be where I can just lay things out and leave them as I work. Unfortunately I also have to contend with the hordes of teenagers that come thru here and they don't really realize that this ia my workspace as well as an entrance (well used I might add) to my home.

I am on the verge of a major throwing out binge again. The last one was in february and I got tired. I think the garbage men did too. There were 3 dumpster loads of just pure junk on the street every week. It is just sinful that we have accumulated this much junk and not recycled, thrown out or donated the unused or unusable stuff. Today I make restitution for the crime of packratting.

I walked out this morning and discovered another of the Easter morning kittens has died. The poor little things were just too sick. The mama kitty is just beside herself. First it was the little yellow boy then the little black and white boy. last night the gray girl and now the little calico girl is struggling. They are just too weak. Its been interesting to watch. Before I say that the kittens were sick the mama knew and was isolating the weakest one from the litter. Cruel in human thinking but survival of the fittest in the animal world. It makes the kids happy that I'm not a feline when they are ill!

Dudley's Nature Art class

Last night was Dudley's turn at the art class at the library. I was there for moral support. I am glad there was so much participation! Everyone was having fun making things out of old wood and dried flowers and all sorts of 'found' recycled objects. I could see the old college professor coming out of him. It was a good evening for all involved and I hope gave a little better understanding of what he is trying to accomplish with his nature art.

OH Baby Its a Wild World!!!

ITs a Wednesday. Isn't that supposed to be hump day. Well if I worked out in the world with the rest of humanity I suppose so. Since I work from my home based studio that reallyis a 'job' in some peoples eyes. True I don't work 8 to 5 like some folks. But then again I do at times. Art inspiration and creation doesn't always happen during the daylight hours. I am known for jumping up in the wee hours of the morning and frantically painting or drawing. Art is sort of 'when the Spirit moves me' type of work.

I am still trying to figure out arrange my basement studio so that I can get the maximum usage out of it and still have room to move around. I want all of my work tables in the center of the room and the wall space open for hanging large pieces on the wall. So Far that has not happened. I'm just too much of a pack rat. I have got to throw out some stuff.

All these books that I have take up loads of wall space. If I can just get the storage area of the basement organized and throw out the junk I will have more space.

I have worked on the museum mural for the past 2 days. It is finally starting to come together. People can see the progress now when they drive by where before it was just looking like a mish mash of paint. Now they can see the forest for the trees. I hope to finish it this week and get started on the old one room school house mural. That one won't be as complicated as the forest but it may be a just a tad more more technical.

A reporter for WCBI TV was in town yesterday (Tuesday) interviewing Mayor Quillen about the Bruce Store restoration. Then he came over to the museum to tape some shots. He got some shots of me painting. I 'done good'! Not once did I look over my shoulder at the camera and mouth 'hey mom'! I didn't even look as fat as I thought I did and cameras always add about 10 pounds on you. Scott recorded it for me and we watched it after the youngest dd softball game. It looked pretty good. Mom was wondering why I didn't talk on camera. Mainly because I have to get into the mindset of speaking on camera with my 'camera voice'. I really didn't want to speak otherwise because I can sound so hickish if I don't prepare. I just get lazy in the old speech patterns until I need to be precise.

Well I need to light a fire under these kids so they will get their work done.

just another manic monday

Theology class was a trip. all of the things that we discuss and it and get so interesting with all the differing opinions. The one thing I don't understand is that we are supposed to be doing 'reflective' papers on what each course means to our individual ministries yet when we do write something, there 'powers that be' that are grading these papers seem to have their own idea of what our ministries are. Those folks are just out of touch with who we are. We aren't the typical graduate students. We are mostly way over 40's into 60's sort of folks with professional backgrounds that decided to take these classes because we have to do something about the the priest shortage.I am starting a new class in a couple of weeks I hope. I have decided to add Medical Transcriptionist to my repetroire of things that I do. I really don't think I want to continue homeschooling other peoples kids. My oldest is going to go and try public school next year and my youngest will within a year later. It seems that mostly I end up with kids that are emotionally unstable. Heck I tend to stand on the brink myself at times. I don't need anything else to push me on over the edge! ITs the bi-polar kids that scare the bejebbers out of me.I have had to deal with a bi-polar niece for years and its still not a pretty sight. We have lived in that turmoil for too long. And once mentally ill, always metally ill. I taught her her final year of highschool and as long as she was on her meds she was a happy camper and did tons of work for me. But Lord help us when she decided she didn't want to work. It was just a bad deal all the way around. I kept my promise to my sister that I would educate her daughter. I kept that promise. Now I just wish the gal would get a job but we can see that is not going to happen.Well two of my homeschooled students are here at the moment. One wants to do a little and play a lot. The other likes to come in, sit down and work until he finishes. My daughters are upstairs working on their computers. On Wednesday two more students come. I separate the boys and girls because they work better that way.The boys come the first of the week and the girls come in on Wednesday.

Theology class was a trip. all of the things that we discuss and it and get so interesting with all the differing opinions. The one thing I don't understand is that we are supposed to be doing 'reflective' papers on what each course means to our individual ministries yet when we do write something, there 'powers that be' that are grading these papers seem to have their own idea of what our ministries are. Those folks are just out of touch with who we are. We aren't the typical graduate students. We are mostly way over 40's into 60's sort of folks with professional backgrounds that decided to take these classes because we have to do something about the the priest shortage.

I am starting a new class in a couple of weeks I hope. I have decided to add Medical Transcriptionist to my repetroire of things that I do. I really don't think I want to continue homeschooling other peoples kids. My oldest is going to go and try public school next year and my youngest will within a year later. It seems that mostly I end up with kids that are emotionally unstable. Heck I tend to stand on the brink myself at times. I don't need anything else to push me on over the edge! ITs the bi-polar kids that scare the bejebbers out of me.

I have had to deal with a bi-polar niece for years and its still not a pretty sight. We have lived in that turmoil for too long. And once mentally ill, always metally ill. I taught her her final year of highschool and as long as she was on her meds she was a happy camper and did tons of work for me. But Lord help us when she decided she didn't want to work. It was just a bad deal all the way around. I kept my promise to my sister that I would educate her daughter. I kept that promise. Now I just wish the gal would get a job but we can see that is not going to happen.

Well two of my homeschooled students are here at the moment. One wants to do a little and play a lot. The other likes to come in, sit down and work until he finishes. My daughters are upstairs working on their computers. On Wednesday two more students come. I separate the boys and girls because they work better that way.The boys come the first of the week and the girls come in on Wednesday.

Just another Manic Monday

Theology class was a trip. all of the things that we discuss and it and get so interesting with all the differing opinions. The one thing I don't understand is that we are supposed to be doing 'reflective' papers on what each course means to our individual ministries yet when we do write something, there 'powers that be' that are grading these papers seem to have their own idea of what our ministries are. Those folks are just out of touch with who we are. We aren't the typical graduate students. We are mostly way over 40's into 60's sort of folks with professional backgrounds that decided to take these classes because we have to do something about the the priest shortage.

I am starting a new class in a couple of weeks I hope. I have decided to add Medical Transcriptionist to my repetroire of things that I do. I really don't think I want to continue homeschooling other peoples kids. My oldest is going to go and try public school next year and my youngest will within a year later. It seems that mostly I end up with kids that are emotionally unstable. Heck I tend to stand on the brink myself at times. I don't need anything else to push me on over the edge! ITs the bi-polar kids that scare the bejebbers out of me.

I have had to deal with a bi-polar niece for years and its still not a pretty sight. We have lived in that turmoil for too long. And once mentally ill, always metally ill. I taught her her final year of highschool and as long as she was on her meds she was a happy camper and did tons of work for me. But Lord help us when she decided she didn't want to work. It was just a bad deal all the way around. I kept my promise to my sister that I would educate her daughter. I kept that promise. Now I just wish the gal would get a job but we can see that is not going to happen.

Well two of my homeschooled students are here at the moment. One wants to do a little and play a lot. The other likes to come in, sit down and work until he finishes. My daughters are upstairs working on their computers. On Wednesday two more students come. I separate the boys and girls because they work better that way.The boys come the first of the week and the girls come in on Wednesday.

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday

The Flamingos Nest
Another Sunday morning put to rest. Being a member of an extremely small church is hard. We never know when people are actually going to show up. I am the song leader or cantor as its called in the Catholic Church. Sometimes it feels like I am the soloist tho. I really don't like singing alone in front of people. its not a performance. But at times it sure does seem like that's the only way its going to be.

Now as my lunch is baking in the oven I have to study for my theology class this afternoon in Tupelo. This quarter we are studying the sacraments. This has been one of the hardest things I have ever studied. Sooooo much reading! Its like I need a dictionary for the dictionary. This is all a part of the LIMEX program out of Loyola University, New Orleans, to help educated the laity in the Catholic Church so that we can function in a priestless church. There need to be a lot of changes in the church but I am not sure what they should be. I feel like any man that wants to become a priest should be give the opportunity to make the decision to be a married or unmarried priest. Either way, they would still take on the vow of chastity. But it should be a decision for the individual to make. personally I think it would be hard to have a full time ministry and a family. especially on the amount of money those guys have to live on.

ON another note, the mural is coming right along. I got the tree trunks laid in and started on the leaves yesterday before I got so hot that I could not stay in there any longer. I know that people think I should just be able to twitch my nose and voila its a mural but each step takes time and I want it to look good even if it is a freebie!