Saturday, November 4, 2023

How it All Turned Out

 Back to my poor neglected blog!


Mumpy: no more strokes, but through the process it turned out that she had dementia.  Also, eventually we were to discover, Parkinson's.  She is currently in a memory care ward, but the plan is to bring her home with us after she's no longer mobile (we couldn't keep her safe when she was wandering).  She's doing ok.  We're seeing her three times a week, and the place she's in is super nice, but I miss having her here.

 

 

Pa: My dad passed on peacefully at home. surrounded by love and family in September of 2022, after 3 decades of Parkinson's, and a truly amazing life.  You can read about it on his Wikipedia page



 

Mxyl: Graduated college summa cum laude and is working at Sparksoft designing web apps.  He's living at home while he builds his nest egg and fills his 401k.  He's also doing a ton of Japanese stuff: clubs, fan subtitling, and tokusatsu fandoms.

 

Klenda: Graduated art school, did a fellowship year and is mostly through her first
book illustration contract.  She's also doing some teaching and a whole lot of commissions, often for tokusatsu fandoms.  She's also learned a ton of Japanese.  She's also living at home while she builds up her income streams.

 

Zorg: Is starting his last year at Catholic U with a major in business and a minor in theology.  Turns out being brilliant at game systems translates really well to designing supply chains!  He's also a fantastic DM and nerf weaponsmith.


 

Leena acquired me a fabulous son in law and they just celebrated their first anniversary.  They are living in Virginia and she's finishing a music degree at George Mason while also working as a singer and video editor.  She's also still doing commissions for art, voice acting, composing, and audio editing.


 


Choclo and Oob are dual enrolled at the community college and finishing their last year of high school.  Choclo has his driver's license, and Oob has his permit.  They are nearly done with physics and Calculus, and really could graduate at any time, but we decided to take a relaxed transition year to college.  

Choclo does a ton of DnD stuff and is fabulous DM and artist. He is looking at a career in computer animation and game design.

Oob runs an enormous role play server and is the SPL for his scout troop with an eye on getting his Eagle. And has an eye out for eagles and birds in general.  He plans to be a firefighter and EMT.


If you read this blog, it's probably because you're interested in home schooling, and your main concern is probably: will my kids turn out ok?  There are no guarantees no matter what you choose, of course!  But, after choosing home schooling for the last 20+ years, I can say that I really like my kids. 

I mean, yes, they are set up well for their lives, which is what I thought was the main point all those years ago.  But, more than that, they are each uniquely interesting, amazing, good people, and I'm so grateful to have had the time with them.

Monday, May 3, 2021

Update

 

The good news is that she is going to be fine, but my mom, Mumpy, had a small stroke and we spent most of last week in the hospital.

No permanent damage, but it'll take a while to fully recover.

Blessedly, my sister was still here when it happened, and she is staying a few extra weeks to help out.

Also, we went to the new Adventist hospital in White Oak, and it was "towel swan" level of swanky.  We highly recommend it!

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Poem of the Week: Each Day

 

Each Day

By Anonymous
Translated by Peter Cole

 
Each day as dawn approaches,
the King sits in majesty
and blesses the holy creatures:
To you, my creatures, I speak,
before you I declare—
Creatures who bear the throne of my glory
with all your heart, and willingly with your soul—
Blessed is the hour of your creation,
and exalted is the constellation
beneath which I gave you form.
May the light of that morning continue to shine
when you came into my mind—
for you are a vessel of my desire
prepared and perfected on that day.
Be silent, creatures of my making,

so I might hear my children pray.

HT Poetry Foundation

Sunday, April 25, 2021

Poem of the Week: Spring

 

Spring

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –         
   When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;         
   Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush         
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring         
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
   The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush         
   The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush         
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.         

What is all this juice and all this joy?         
   A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning
In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,         
   Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,         
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,         
   Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning.         

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Poem of the Week: Today

 

Today

If ever there were a spring day so perfect,
so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze

that it made you want to throw
open all the windows in the house

and unlatch the door to the canary's cage,
indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,

a day when the cool brick paths
and the garden bursting with peonies

seemed so etched in sunlight
that you felt like taking

a hammer to the glass paperweight
on the living room end table,

releasing the inhabitants
from their snow-covered cottage

so they could walk out,
holding hands and squinting

into this larger dome of blue and white,

well, today is just that kind of day.

HT: Poetry Foundation

Thursday, April 15, 2021

My Sister is Here!

 

She got the vaccine out in North Dakota, and headed back to see all of us as soon as she was immune.  

Because of the pandemic, it's been 2 years since we last saw her, and because she usually went to NJ to stay with our parents, it's been a while since she's been in Maryland.

But now we're all together and it so good to see her!!

Thursday, April 8, 2021

The Cape!

 

You may have noticed the fabulous cape that Klenda was wearing at Easter.

Would you believe she made it herself?!

I gave her some help, but it's her first major sewing project.

She picked the pattern and the fabric, and I think it came out so well!

Just stunning, really, but it could be the model.

Not that I'm biased or anything (Get it, bias!  Sewing pun!)


Sunday, April 4, 2021

Happy Easter!

 

                        Christ has Risen, Alleluia!

                               Happy Easter from Zoom!