First day of second grade Mixie Engineering Primary School

Geology rock kit (Smithsonian)

"It was a bit of work, but then I finally got a prize.  It's like trying to win a contest, but you finally get a prize for your work.  You do hard work at your job and get money for the house -and I got these gems."  She found three of the eleven gems, identified them on the map and wrote a report with me (she said the words and I typed).

We did a lot of other things, too -- math, reading, art and writing in her reading comprehension workbook.  She helped Daddy assemble and mail the bills.  She spent an hour on a 'RV hovercraft ice cream truck' with doors, windows, roof and ice cream symbols inside it for the 'workers counter'. 

She has a great idea for tomorrow - looking up info about cave drawings.

Mama and Esme picture for Nana

Picture by Mark.  My mom's birthday is in a few days, this will be a late send out, but I know this is what she wants in the mail.

The universe continues to surprise me...

A very unique piece of rock
(on a porch chair Ninja cat tore the upholstery off of)

I looked down on my walk with Esme and there it was - looking for all the world like a piece of circuitboard or other man-made item. The first thing I did was turn it over expecting it to be a piece of plastic - but it is chert rock from our driveway. Mark also turned it all over in his hands when I gave it to him - and said 'what in the world - that is worth a picture!' What would you call it, a naturally occurring piece of conundrum? *ducks down before the shoes start flying through the air*. I swear there is a near perfect question mark in there, to top it all off.


My partners in crime, in all their puppyness.

I feel like the day is very early outside - but there is not much I can get done with that time. There are things I can do, of course, but they are not 'big' things... I guess sometimes it is the little things that build together.

Things I would like to get done sometime soon:'
Decide where and plant some more flowers. I saw purple tulips today that spoke to me. Start the tomato seeds for the black prince - the only one we have to start. Make Grandma a simple plank bench in her back yard - hers has fallen to bits. -- I have not mentioned this to her, but consider this a reccommendation? :)

Things I will get done or close to done today:
Sew Esme's sweater together - if there is enough yarn (there was not :(
Wash the towels.
Pick up some toys off of my desk which is swamped in them.
Give Esme a bath. She is filthy from running around outside!

Starring Mouse and some Nameless Smoking Bones

Starring Mouse, the diluted tortoiseshell Manx
Willowpede and Sallymander's older sister

An outside-inside cat has very dirty paws...
dirty, but still cute.

Nose and Whiskers



This skeleton hangs near the doorway of the house here -- he's plastic, don't worry ;o) However, he doesn't have a name -- nothing has 'stuck' yet, as he has very little personality. He has gained a coat and pipe recently though, so maybe he's planning to make a break for it?

In other news : Still working on the weaving, although yesterday wasn't very productive for it. I had a headache most of the day - got quite bad about 9 pm, then let up at 3 this morning. Feeling better now, much better. Working on putting some auctions up on Ebay and have a small Python program that should be worked on later.