“Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.”

I heard these words at the best wedding I have ever attended, yesterday.
I had been wanting to attend an Anglican, or Reformed wedding for a long time and I was thoroughly satisfied with what I saw. I think it’s amazing that the prayer book service can be used for hundreds of years and hold the same reverence and beauty.
The reception was very nice also. Great food, music, and dancing. Maggie danced until 10:30! It was the first wedding she has been to and she is thoroughly hooked. She told me today “Rachel, YOU need to get married”. “Oh.” I said. I think she had in mind more dancing.

Now for a complete change of subject…..

I have found two sympathizers, apart from my family, on my dislike for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. One is a film review http://decentfilms.com/reviews/charlieandthechocolatefactory.html someone else also saw the Michael Jackson correlation with an extreme dislike for Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Wonka.
My other source was Brian Godawa who does not have a review and never will because he dislikes Tim Burton films, mainly for his poor story lines.

Another subject……

The next most exciting thing to happen is for Friday to come……Wow! I can actually say we are going to Moscow, this week. And as the time approaches and Hannah does more and more peculiar and wacko things. I look at her and shake my head and say “Poor, poor, Anoma!” (her roommate) Which she responds in a laugh.

~R

Lately Hannah has been trying to teach our 21 month old sister, Essie, some simple manners. Today, while I was in the kichen I overheard the following from the next room.

Scene begins by Essie getting into Hannah's wallet, Essie is than disiplined.

Hannah: What do you say Essie?

Essie: Pweese.

Hannah: No no, what do you say for being naughty?

Essie: tank you

Hannah: No, Essie, you say your sorry.

Essie: *with a sniff* sorry Nannie (Hannah).

Little siblings are so funny.

Lydia

Maggie often seems envious of Mary's name, for instance last winter she said: "Mom why can't we say Maggie Christmas?"
Today she was playing the piano and was singing in a flat line "Maggie had a little lamb......."
She also found a new name for playing the piano: Pianoing. Like it?

Rachel

My world seems to be falling apart; I can’t keep up with time or life.

On Thursday I was vacuuming the boys’ room and had to put the bunk bed ladder on the top mattress so it would be out of my way. My mind was not completely focused on my job since I was listening to a cassette tape. As I took the ladder back down I wasn’t looking at what I was doing and didn’t realize it was still several inches to the floor, I dropped it and it landed squarely on my left big toe. For a second I didn’t feel anything, but, a moment later I was flat on the floor clenching my teeth together while trying to hold back the pain. Right away it swelled up and turned blue...so for 3 days I’ve had to limp around, thankfully today I was actually able to walk quite normally. It certainly doesn’t help that I either keep stubbing it or it gets stepped on by other people.

Today I started out by trying to do some math, that attempt failed miserably and has for the last month. Instead I got distracted because I started to look at the school I want to accomplish this fall.

Then Hannah asked me to come out the office and get some more “hours in training done”. But that phrase sounds far too efficient for what really is going on. Hannah is trying to teach me some of the business’ basic paper work since she is leaving in 3 ½ weeks and nobody else knows how to do much of the computer work for it. My attempts so far have not really gone anywhere. I do fine when she explains to me the procedure of how it works and what to do, but, I go back later to do something on my own and I can’t; in other words my memory is zip, zilch, noughta. Hopefully I’ll be able to retain some knowledge of the stuff so we all aren’t left hanging.

Later:

Aww, a little while ago Mother sent me on a mission. So, I armed myself with tennis shoes, a little dust broom and a flashlight and began the march to the basement. Several persons in our family had heard squeaking behind the dryer and Mother couldn’t bare the thought of going down there with that on her mind...and of course the boys would be gone at Tae Kwon Do so I was volunteered by Mother to do the job. After some searching I spotted the little critter; the poor thing was walking back and forth, back and forth. When it came close enough to one side I took my little hand broom and I squished it into the corner.

What I can’t understand is how/why baby mice have to be so adorably gross. The little thing had little ears, a tail and a miserable cry. A little bit later Maggie was dying to see it and her analysis was simply

“DE-GUS-TING!”

Anyway, I’d better get some reading or something done.

Yours sincerely,

Lydia

I have a rather full and weekend but it has been a lot of fun.

First of all Josiah came home on leave and surprised our mom on Saturday. He is able to stay until this coming Saturday.

On Sunday we celebrated the 4th with the R's and B's...We had a great time together. Havilah went home with the B's since they have a daughter her age and she stayed the night.

On Monday, we received a phone call from Mr. B and we found out Havilah had fallen off a miniature pony and broken her left wrist. My mom and Hannah went to the emergency room with her and it is a very bad break, her swelling was so bad that they couldn't put a cast on her.

Today, my mom and Havilah went back to the doctor and the break is so bad that the doctor in town can't do it so we have to go up to the orthopedic in Fargo.

Please pray for Hav's pain and for the healing.

Today, the water started flowing across 86th St...Gradually were being surrounded! Hopefully the road won't wash out though, like it did in `97.

I hope everyone enjoyed the 4th.

Yours truly,

Lydia

I finished "Joy in the morning". It's a great way to get a good dose of humor. Ha, ha, I laughed over many lines, like:

"Little knowing that Uncle Percy's favorite reading would have been his name on a tombstone".

Or how about "Looney to the eyebrows"! Good stuff for fun.

Now I'm wondering what is the next book, well, not really wondering, trying to decide is more like it. I think maybe Lord of the Rings trilogy would be a good choice to read this month.

Rachel

We annually find a Painted turtle up by the mailbox. Nat was the lucky one this year. ~R

Mom and Dad trolling the horse pasture, I mean, Lake Benton 

Meet Anne Shirley.....and evidence to Lydia's story. ~R 

Hello,

I had begun this summer with great camping plans that Rachel and I were going to lead our younger sibling on, but alas, most have completely failed to materialize. We still plan to go to Medora in July, but not much else. I love tent camping. Bring along some fresh meat and vegetables, bikes, nature books and fun read-aloud story books (nightmare starters are the best!), some fishing poles...well you most likely know the rest. A hammock is good too. The key to fun camping is...
#1: Don't bring too much stuff!
#2: Everyone should have to carry and clean their own belongings.(Is this unreasonable?)
Example: clothes, shoes, plate, cup, silverware, and plastic bags should all be each persons back pack. They all should carry a sleeping bag (and pillow if they have to have one), and only one or two fun items for each person,(balls, cards, games).
Now, this may sound like ridicules planning to some of you, but we have a crew to work with. Good organization is required, or the oldest members are left in a mess. Which I find very unpleasant. :(
Sometime I want to try out winter camping. I believe the work load it heavier, but you don't have the bug problems, and its supposed to be very cozy if you have a good stove. I think you definitely need a good location scouted out, though. I just don't picture our flat, open countryside as much fun for it.
Are you all enjoying your summer? I hope so!
Hannah

A Pathetic Saga

The following tale is not exaggerated in facts by the imagination of the writer, as the last one was, but is an accurate account of what happened or happens when one is working and getting carried away.

My sister, Hannah, and I went out this evening to pick up any loose objects around the farm since the river continues to rise and we didn’t want anything carried off. We made a general outline of the farm and then went to check on the garden which is very water logged.

We got a shovel and a hoe and started making drainage canals in attempt to save some of the vegetables from rotting. The grounds was/is saturated and are rubber boots got suctioned in the thick soup-like mud (more like getting stuck in tar), we were able to get out as long as we moved around so we did not sink to far down.

Everything was going fairly well until I forgot about this and remained in one spot for several minutes. After tugging and pulling on my boots for awhile I got off balance and my hands went down and saved a fall but they did get a thick coat of goop. Hannah wasn’t to enthusiastic about helping me with my goopy hands so I gave another try, I lost my balance again and with a ker-plop I was sitting in the garden with my boots still stuck. By this time both of us were laughing so hard that I could barely do anything but at last I did end up on my feet on solid ground.

For a while I was much more careful and avoided the murky mess and I was once again successfully operating our canals. But what is the fun in falling in mud only once? Of course it must happen again and sure enough it did. This time my only chance of getting out was to grab the back of my boots and pull forward. I did, trying not to pull extremely hard so I could avoid another fall. It still wasn’t working very well so I gave a final yank and scream as I ate dirt. I really couldn’t believe it had happened again and Hannah was doubled over laughing and I was weak from it, bringing little help to the situation.

My fall forward did one good thing...it loosened my boots and I was finally able to stand up again. I went about three steps and then Hannah attempted to help by grabbing my shoulder but that ended with me in sitting position once again. I was quite worn out and so just drove through the rest on all fours...right into the smelly ditch of water so I could get some of the thick goop off me...
...and so ends my pathetic saga.

Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink ~ Psalm 69: 14a

Lydia

P.S. Rachel came across this bible verse and thought of me...

We have been having extremely wet weather within the last month: Rain, rain, and more rain.

We live on the Wild Rice River in the very south-eastern part of ND; our place is on a loop of the river, which is rising rapidly. I have been watching the water fluctuate the last few weeks, but it never struck me at how high it was getting until I saw sandbags, shovels, and a pile of sand in GB, on my way home from music lessons.

In just a few hours the water has risen many feet (in distance, not depth). It is right up to the chicken coop and I think we will need to evacuate the poor poultry to a drier place. The horses are loosing more of their pasture also.
Dad is down to Tewaukon Dam to see if the people there will hold up some of the water. The people there seem more concerned with wildlife drowning, than the farms down river; our neighbors are quite upset. More rain in the forecast: we’ll see what happens.

A bright note about all the rain: Great reading time!

~R

Recently news has traveled around the farm about the Chicken Movement which I have ignored for the very reason that it was ridiculous. And I was not the only one who laughed at my siblings exclamations of the Chicken Movement.
First of all they had been watching Chicken Run a lot and had let their imaginations carry them away so that they mixed up real life and fiction. When the chickens began burrowing in the sand by there pen walls they claimed the chickens were organizing an escape. The next stories were that the roosters were against them and organizing a KKK to kill us and take over the farm. These tales were dramatically told wide eyed, along with hand motions and voice inflections to convince all of us of the serious situation. I laughed and protested against these claims while I explained to them that chickens enjoy burrowing in the sand and roosters chased people because they were protecting the hens.
But tonight everything almost changed when I collided with the Chicken Organization. Thankfully I retrieved common sense in time before going insane.
It all started when I had to do the chicken chores because my brothers has forgotten about Tae Kwon Do and had to leave in a rush leaving chores abandoned. A while later Mom sent my five year old sister and me to do them. We collected the eggs first and did not have any serious trouble with the chickens except for a broody hen that refused to get off one of the nests. My next task was to give the chickens their grain behind the coop; I did this quite casually but my leisure moments did not last long since a glance behind me warned me of terrible danger. I turned to see a rooster with a terribly sharp beak, spurred legs, and gleaming eyes coming straight at me. Instead of making use of my bucket I tried to make a beeline for the door but my left knee wanted to buckle and relax at the same time making it difficult, at last I managed to get to the door and slam it behind me just in time...I nearly took the roosters head with me. As I had run all my siblings stories about the chickens had come pouring into my head so that I let out a horrified scream and jammed a rock up to the door to hold it closed while I shook off my exaggerated mindset. Mary was digging around behind the barn when this happened and at my scream she looked up and asked what was wrong...I just gulped and croaked “nothing” and turned away to get rid of my last shudder.
I felt very silly for letting my imagination concoct such a funny picture and letting myself believe the silly farm fantasy. In my desperate two second run for life I truly believed in the hilarious chicken KKK...All I can think of is Animal Farm by G. Orwell (except that it ISN”T really happening!)


Lydia

This wheat field was waist high this morning before the storm. We watched the wind rain and hail flatten it in minutes. 

This first post is dedicated to my dear friend Abby R. for her support in getting it up and running. It will be interesting to see how this online journal works with three contributors (a fourth may be added in the future).

I started an online reading class for the first time at the beginning of the month. I chose an author I knew virtually nothing about, Flannery O’Connor. Upon reading the first story in the book (also the title), “Everything that Rises Must Converge”, I was very perplexed. A petty, lazy boy thinks up ways to provoke his fussy mother, and eventually drives her to a heart-attack, resulting in death before his eyes.
I was told she was a ‘Christian’ author and there was much to learn from her. As I have continued reading, I’m fascinated by her writing, and the Christian virtues she displays.
The stories depict petty, but normal people who let their pettiness grow until they do and unthinkable deed, like the murder mentioned above. There is a vast amount of prejudice in her characters, and O’Connor uses it and their pettiness to correlate exactly along the faults of the readers. I have to say, I've been watching my own selfish ways.


"All my stories are about the action of grace on a character who is not very willing to support it, but most people think of these stories as hard, hopeless and brutal." ~Flannery O'Connor


Rachel

Hello,

Think of this...here is my first post!

The other day I was paging through an old God’s World News from last July and I spotted an interesting article entitled “The Last Cluck”. And I quote....

“The memorial service truly was a sad occasion. But it was not sad because of the dearly departed.
It was sad because humans were actually participating. The Solemn ceremony in a Tokyo hotel was sponsored by Japan’s Agriculture Ministry and the nation’s poultry industry. It was a Buddhist-inspired funeral for chickens.
Yes, about 300,000 Japanese chickens had to be destroyed because of last winter’s avian flu. “We wanted to express our regret to chickens for having to kill them,” said Hideyuki Shimada, a director of the Japan Poultry Association. He said the service was also to thank chickens for providing food.
More than 200 mourners bowed their heads to pray for what they claimed were the souls of the dear departed. Then they bowed to an altar arranged with a stack of eggs.
“A memorial service is extremely important,” said one Poultry Association official. Just as important, that is, as the memorial services commonly held in Japan for things like dead computers, television sets, shoes, and kitchen knives.”

My first reaction after I had read the above was to laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole thing, but, after pondering it for a moment I realized that it was truly a very serious situation. The bible clearly states in the 10 Commandments that we are not to make idols, but to worship God alone.
Everything, in the end goes back to God, the creator. Yes, the chicken does provide food. But where and how did the chicken come about and who enabled it to provide food? And the same question applies to computers, television sets, shoes and even kitchen knives. Because, God made man and he enabled man to function with his mind and body. He also provided him with brains to think, build and create.

God fully deserves all glory and praise for what he created and provides.

Lydia