Two Hours on a Saturday Afternoon

It's just been Grantley and me here for a few days.  Around 2:00 Gloria calls from Bolivia so I talk with her while making Grantley's tie for the home school formal.  While still talking to Gloria, Linden, Anna and Petra get home Deer Park.  They all get to say a word or two to Gloria.  After we get off with Gloria, Austin calls from Va to say he's at a thrift store and would I like him to buy me a charger for my phone that you can use in a car.  Yes!  Plus he can get an extra regular charger - 50 cents each.  Yes!  Next, Grantley blows into the house from washing Uncle Daryl's car and he's running behind time so I volunteer to go pick up the flowers from the florist.  I get back in time to iron Grantley's shirt and help him with his tie.  Off he goes just a few minutes late.  Anna, Petra and I sit with Grandma on the car port and visit for a while.  Anna has me check her hair for ticks (she's been hiking in the wilds with Julia).

Ah, what a rich 2 hours on a Saturday afternoon!


Some shots Petra took at Deer Park:

Grantley is taking Mary Moyer to the Homeschool Formal.  Nathanael and a friend will first meet them at Cafe del Sol for dinner.  Then on to the event held at Norlo Park.

Grandma has been out of commission for over a week be cause of pain in her arm.  She's on meds to control the pain and had an MRI this morning.  She's been spending lots of time on this comfortable lawn chair.  The roses are from Grace.

Tornado Warning Thursday Eve.

We knew it was something serious because G.P. crouched low and wouldn't budge from the half down step to the basement.  Next he thought he'd feel safer behind the TV stand but that wasn't good enough so he pawed opened the door to the walk-in closet and went in there among all the boxes.

Behind the TV.

Among all the boxes

A of GG Peotry Concert Sunday, May 22

In the book, Anne participates in a poetry concert so we gave a poetry concert for all our families.

Laura - "Angels"

Petra - "Woodman, Spare that Tree"
by George Pope Morris

Shaliqua - Invictus
by William Ernest Henley

Me - The Lake Isle of Innisfree
by William Butler Yeats

Ian - "The Road Not Taken"
By Robert Frost

Gertrude - Lockinvar
by Sir Walter Scott

Grantley - The Highway Man
by Alfed Noyes.

Dexter read part 2 of "An Essay on Criticism" which ends, "Hills peep over hills and Alps an Alps arise."  Shaliqua also read Gloria's favorite Shakespeare Sonnet that starts:  "Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments."
Linden finished the concert with a reading of  "Casey at the Bat."
Good job, everyone!

Following the poetry we had homemade ice cream!

What a great way to finish a great year!

Raspberry Cordial

Part of finishing our Anne of Green Gables class was having a lunch with food mentioned in the story.  I concocted some "raspberry cordial" and even put it in empty bottles which we had saved and brought home from P.E.I. when we visited in 2002.  My cordial was basically lemonade with blended up raspberries.  Turned out quite nice! 

Ian made scones for us and here is Petra's Rubarb jelly and there is a jar of lime curd on the left.

Potatoes!  An important crop grown on P.E.I. 

An iris growing along the Skroban's fence.

Last Science Class

Laura, Miss Beth, Petra, Ian

Tue, May 24 - This is the science class led by Miss Beth they've been doing an Apologia text:  General Science.  This class will continue into next year.  Miss Beth came straight from working at Renfrew in the morning that's why she is in her ol' time clothes.  I happened to have big lolly pops on hand to commemorate the last class.

From Camp Deer Park

Linden took off yesterday for Camp Deer Park (NY) to do the annual audit.  Petra took Gertie along as playmate but it looks like they are being put to work painting the fence.  Linden sent these pics on email this morning.  He has a new camera that he's experimenting with.  Anna went with them too.  She dropped them off in NY and went on to Vermont to backpack with Julia.  They'll be coming back Sat.

And here are the two left at home.
We are working on grades for Grantley.

CVSM Recital Tue, May 24

Another last item for the school year. . .  Another strong finish!  Well done everyone!

This was Grantley's first solo vocal performance.  He sang "More I Cannot Wish You" from Guys and Dolls.  Gloria, we recorded it for you.  He did very well!  And it was so nice to have Anna on hand to accompany!  Grantley also ended up playing "Tarantella" AGAIN (4th performance) because this recital was added on to the end of the school year and the CVSM office needed to make sure it was at least 30 minutes worth of music.

Petra played Boccerini Minuet on violin and Bach Minuet 3 on Piano.  I'm sure it was her very best performance ever!  No slips or stumbles or galoops anywhere.  Beautiful and so musical, as Mrs Emig said.

Mr Cameron, Katie Williams, me and Grantley played two pieces in ensemble:  a Scherzo by Webster on which Katie played the crazily fast first part and the rest of us accompanied and a Celtic slide, "Banish Misfortune" where Mr Cameron played the first part and the rest of us accompanied.  This was the thrill of the year for me - playing with other cellos is just wonderful!  I am pleased with myself that I managed to keep up my focus and if I didn't play every single note, I did carry my part satisfactorily.  Yes!

Jr. Youth Retreat at Sparkling Springs - May 13 to 15, 2011

Clay is captured!

Notice the wooden fork, Dexter's creation.

Jake ready for another round of the stick and ball game called  "Orange Fungus."

Austin and Ali came out from EMU for lunch and spent some time playing too.

Campfire was an important element.  Glad it rained only during the night!

Where's Waldo?

Dustin, Twila and kids came for supper on Monday.

Best Case Scenario

If there had to be an accident, Grantley and I witnessed one of the best-case scenarios.  First, we came around a bend in the road (Grantley driving) and had to brake hard for a school bus which was stopped.  We were the second car behind the bus.  No sooner than we were stopped than we heard a screech of tires and a car came hurtling by us to our right.  It was skimming along the grassy bank at the side of the road on two wheels until it hit a fence post and flipped over and around finally landing where the bus had just been and the car in front of us had just turned left.  All the cars around stopped, people got out of their cars.  Someone helped the kid (age 17) break out of his car which had ended up on it's side.  Amazing!  No one was hurt and only one car damaged!  Eventually we gave our names and info to police and went on our way to cello lessons a bit late.

Mother's Day and Mystery Solved

Mom went to church with us this morning  and my family made dinner for us:  Chicken crockpot and a specialty called "Live Chocolate Mousse" and chocolate chip cookies! - Excellent!  

Mystery solved:   At lunch Mom casually asked if I had figured out who it was that put the flowers on my door last Sunday.  I had not and didn't know who it could have possibly been.  "I did it."  she said simply.  It was my own sweet mother who surprised me with those May flowers and kept it a secret all week! 

Friday - 3 kids doing yard work

The biggest worm!

Cinco de Mayo - Austin cooked a Guatemalan Dinner for guests.

Elizabeth and Jason had plenty to discuss about Guatemala with Austin.  

Freedom! Sweet Freedom!

Found this adorable piece of embroidery at Good Will today.

Final Tuesday Lit. Class! Wrapping things up for the year.

Nathanael Skroban, Grantley, Hope Long, Kara Ocker

Dexter Heavner, Andrew Weidman, Preston Tabor

Mrs. Long.  Thanks so much for being such an inspiring teacher!  We love you!

May Day! Sunday, May 1

May Day!  We came home after a long day:  church, Hunger Banquet, Awards Concert, to find this sweet little bouquet tied to our back door handle.  Now who could have done such a thoughtful deed?  I wonder.  I wonder if it could have been Emma, Aidan, Liam and Quinn.

I've been trying to put a video of this performance on here but can't get it to work.  He played his best yet!

Three friends:  Grantley, Katrina, and Monica.  Both Grantley and Monica were part of the concert.  Then we went to Montezuma's for supper.

Austin's ride met us at Montezuma's in Chambersburg.  Austin's home for a week!