Soap Box

Hmmm... Most of my fiction choices out of the library come from the juvenile section. That keeps me safe from "smutty books". We laugh at Mrs Shin in the Music Man and her fear of "smutty books" but I do have a fear of them. In the Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boon there is a story she relates of going to the city with her father as a child and asking him the question of what "sex sin" is. Carefully her father hands her a heavy suitcase full of his watch repair tools and asks her to carry it. She tries and tells him that it is too heavy for her. He takes the case from her and tells her that there is some knowledge too heavy for a child to carry and if she will trust him he will carry that knowledge until she is ready. I feel the same about what our children are exposed to in the books and stories they read. Books enlarge our view of the world and help us to see things through other peoples eyes and have a better understanding of how others deal with and resolve conflict. They help us to connect, but there are some things I don't think that even adults need to connect with. I know to some that seems naive that we need to face reality, but my reality is pretty nice without smut.

I checked our two children fiction books this week that I would be embarrassed to read to my children because I was uncomfortable reading them myself, in fact one of them I put down. Richard Jennings "Ghost Town", was the one I put down. Looks like a great story but the content is definitely unacceptable for a 56 year old woman. The other was one of the "Alice" series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Wish I could remember the name but the story deals with Alice's fifth grade year of school. Admittedly Naylor knows what fifth grade girls are curious about, but I think a parent should explain the facts of life to their children. A child not ready for this information would truly be taken by surprise. It may be that a particular child needs to have their parent carry that suitcase a little longer. I guess I write because we really need to be aware of what our children are reading. The world can say what it will that children already know this stuff anyway, but... We should do our very best to expose our children to those things that virtuous, lovely, of good report and praiseworthy. The world is already too much with them.

Here the arbor is finished unless Mel changes her mind. It will have ivy and clemantis growing on it.

Mel under the new arbor, not yet finished. Thang of course thinks it is too artsy but Dad and Stephen were the big helpers putting it together and carrying stick back from our hike. Hey,you pay big bucks for these at the garden stores.

Minnie thinks any warm body is hers to lay on. I needed a little sunshine nap.

In a jacuzzi with grandpa. Emily has tubes in her ears. I love the system they have for keeping water out. There is a kind of silly puddy substance that goes in the ear and then the band goes around the head. She looks like a 1930's bathing beauty.

We bought three of these trikes from http://www.harborfreight.com/. They are really heavy duty and the children love them. You can also purchase a trailer that can hook on the back of them so the kids can haul things.

Grandpa painted a hopscotch court for the kids this summer. Right now Grandpma is the reigning champion with Diana a close second.

NO PICTURES TODAY

The Chases get here in just a few minutes. YIPPEE! It's raining like crazy of course. Last week Stephen, Rosie and Max were here to lots of rain. They were the first to spend time in the annex, it passed with flying colors. Ernie went into the MTC this afternoon and was able to see his good friend Garret Bennion who will be serving in Arizona. He got off the plane Ernie would be getting on. Tender mercies are everywhere. The sewing room has been transformed into the play room, it will be nice to have a place where the children can play without spreading everywhere.

For the Grandsons (Worms)

Aunt Mel got cold on her walk this morning with Dad so into the jacuzzi she went after breakfast to read a script, then it was nappy time in the purple chair.

Grandpa gathered worms for the garden this morning, they were all over the road. We have had a lot of rain, we are seeing just a little sun today. I have decided that I am buying a reel mower like Ryan and Marian's. Mel is buying her own gas push mower and Dad is getting the riding lawn mower fixed, we didn't know you needed to change th oil filter and the engine has to be replaced. That is why I am getting a reel mower, no gas no engine. Obviously we will use all three but the reel mower will be a great back-up.
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Spring at the Farm

This was a nice surprise on the Jungle Mountain. These are a weed in the garden but they look so pretty here. You do pay for them at the nursery they are called Johnny Jump-ups and they really are a sweet, old fashioned, but very prolific flower.

Michael calls this garden art which he says is too artsy. Humph! I think this is way fun. Dad and I put them together from the junk pile behind the barn for Mother's Day This trellises is going to hold peas and summer squash. The strawberries are blooming and actually starting to set fruit. I put diatamacious earth on them and the broccoli in the cold boxes to deter soft bellied critters from sampling the goods.

Here's a couple of the trellises' we are going to try. The tall on is going to have climbing nasturtium's which I hadn't seen before, they are suppose to get six feet tall.. I'm excited to see how they do. The curved pig wire is for beans.

The garden really is looking fine these days.

Here's the outside of the annex. Dad and Michael finished it on Friday. The last touch was the light shelves on the south. They will bounce light into the space which will be really nice during the winter. Now we need Mel to do a little landscaping.

Here is the west side finished. Yippee. Dad was really ready for this project to be done.

Here is a video of the annex. It would be much more professional if Thang had done it but it gives you a good idea of what is going on.

More Photography

Here is a chicken photo I got up early to take. I was excited about some of the lighting and shadow on this photo. This photo really should be at the end of the blog but I still haven't figured out how to switch pictures.

My friend Kirsten has been helping me with my photography. She takes the most amazing photographs of her four girls. I ask her if she would help me take some photos of Ernie before he left, for his missionary plaque and the missionary map at the church. Hers s are the top two photos mine are the bottom two. She taught me a lot about light. But one thing I learned from her was she uses a telephoto lens for her protraits, it blurs the background. You can see the real differnce between her photos and mine.

The background is much less obtrusive on her photos. This is her favorite of Ernie she thinks he looks like a model.

See how much nicer this would be if the background was blurred. Of course I put up her color up because they are more telling and the balck and white make mine look better. I'm still really pleased with some of my results but I know I can do better. I am hoping to take some good pictures of the grandchildren this summer.

She's right he really is a handsome young man. Kirsten loaned me a book that I think all parents should read on photographing your children. It's called "How to Photograph Your Baby" by Nick Kelsh. By the way these tips are all for point and shoot cameras. Three quick tips from him. Don't be afraid to take lots of pictures, get closer than you think should, and turn off your flash. Check out the book to see what he says on lighting. It was really helpful to me and non-threatening.

Schwitzer and a Dead Tree and a Snake

This is one dead tree. The tractor does a great job and saves some real back work. I LOVE it.

Zoe , caught a snake that was living under the dead willow tree.

A hike to Schwitzer is always on the spring list of things to do. I choose not to participate but the boys have a great time. Cody McKinnon is up from Utah, he goes into the MTC in a couple of weeks for Barcelona Spain. Garrett Bennion goes into the MTC next week going to Mesa, Arizona. Matthew Bouse is working on his medical. Ernie McKay enters the MTC June 16 going to Chicago. Nelson is staying in Sandpoint with me.