Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
wearing white for Eastertide.
Now of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs is little room,
About the woodland I will go.
To see the Cherry hung in snow.
– A.E. Housman
For a while I’ve wanted to go on the missions trip to Mexico this summer with some of the people from our church, but I didn’t actively do anything to earn $1300. Now I am paying for it and trying to find ways to earn $600 by the end of next month, I would really, really appreciate suggestions!! I am still hoping I might be able to go although I don’t know how likely it is. Please post suggestions!!!!!
I am amazed that it is only a week and a half till Christmas! Yesterday I spent most of the day finishing Christmas gifts while listening to “Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen. We set up our four foot tall Christmas tree in the evening and enjoyed watching all the gifts our family is giving pile up underneath it. I really enjoyed making gifts and the hardest part for me is waiting to give them!
This Christmas we are going to Washington to visit family and I am really looking forward to it. Usually I am not very excited about long and cramped road trips, but this time dad downloaded hours and hours of audio books to listen to on the way and I am planning to knit myself a nice pair of thick warm slipper socks on the way. It will take four days driving one way to Washington but we will be stopping every night along the way. I am extremely excited about seeing family again, but it is very, very hard to leave our church, especially since we could not get there this week.
On Sunday, seven little chicks hatched that I had put under our broody hen! Two of the chicks did not survive, but five of them did and they are very cute! Unfortunately I was not here on Sunday when they hatched. All of the chicks have a dark brown line running down their bodies and the rest of their backs are light brown. They are so cute!!!
On Thursday we went on a field trip to Sauder Village with some other homeschooling friends, we had lots of fun and when we arrived I realized that I had gone on a field trip there when I was in fourth grade, about five years ago. We all had lots of fun even though it started pouring while we were out in the open. We ran to the nearest shelter to wait it out, and it just happened to be a leaky old lean to that had a canvas roof that leaked, oh well we still enjoyed it!
Yesterday we started school, after much trouble on dad’s part to get the computers working. I am taking six subjects at the moment, we will probably add more electives later on in the year. The classes I am taking now are,
Geometry, English II, World History, Biology, Art, and Band.
I am going a Spanish class, and a basket weaving course.
Wish me luck on the coming year!
This weekend was very long, I’ve seen people from church four days in a row. First we had the wedding, the reception started at 4 pm and we left at 9 pm before it was over. The house that the reception was at was at least three to four times bigger than our house, but very beautiful and filled with antiques. After dinner there was cake and fireworks, it was about three hours between dinner and the end of the fireworks, after which we left. I should probably mention that they also hired a bagpiper and a bluegrass band. Going to the reception was lots of fun but it left me entirely worn out.
On Monday we went to a labor day picnic with people from church. I got to drive go-carts for a while, my friend told me I was to careful, I just know that her driving scared me! We had lots of fun and I was quite ready for bed when the time came.
Tuesday we spent all day working on the tree in the front yard with grandpa, it is nice to see visible progress! Later in the evening we went to church for vespers. I was driving, as I usually do on our way to vespers, and I have decided I don’t like backing up. While dad was saying goodbye to mom I was backing up, I was looking out my rear view mirror and my right hand side mirror, just about to look out the left hand mirror when I scraped against the awkward chunk of cement by the steps, and scraped the right front hub cap off. I feel SO bad! Dad said it wasn’t a big deal, but still! Well anyway I can tell you that I was very nervous driving to church so I went slower than usual, I feel sorry for the people who were behind me. Dad may have me pay for the hub cap, and I will be happy to, it is just a plastic snap on one that isn’t very expensive. That is why I could scrape it off. At least I can thank God nothing worse happened!
We are preparing to start school, but before we can do that we need to get some working computers going. In the meantime I am trying to get lots of crafting and reading in before we start. I just finished a headscarf that I am selling to a friend, I have that ready to give to her tomorrow. All this week I have been listening to music that everyone has recommended, Thank you all!
This weekend I am also singing in a wedding, and then the choir is invited to the reception afterwords. That will be fun, I think I am going with some friends who have two little girls. Since Monday is Labor day we are going to a party at Father Deacon’s house.
I am trying to expand my music library and would like to know what kinds of music you would recommend. I’d appreciate any music and I will listen to it on Grooveshark or Playlist before I decide whether I am at all interested in adding it to my music.
Thank you!
Uncle Nathan, I really liked the music you gave to the kids! 
Now that I am older I am starting to need to earn money, for replacing old clothes and saving up for a missions trip to Mexico next summer. I should probably start saving for car insurance and gas for next year, this year I am lucky, mom and dad are paying for it this year.
I have been earning money by babysitting Kana and a little boy from church, and making embroidered headscarves (bandannas) and selling them. I will try to post pictures, maybe even post some information for ordering one.
If you have any other ideas of things you think I could do to earn some money please let me know. I would be very thankful!
little-alien at shackelford dot org