Odd Mix

 How much wood would a woodchuck chuck?

If a woodchuck would chuck wood?

 No, we don't do Halloween... which isn't now anyway... but at Grandma's is this really fun closet o' dress-ups which is always the first thing the kiddie-winks check out.  (Incidentally, "Grandma's" is just what we always said when I was growing up even though my grandpa and 2 aunts also lived at "Grandma's".  No offense to any of the other inhabitants of "Grandma's House", even after my grandma died before my grandpa... it was still "Grandma's House") 

 Poppy would make a great football player... agreed.

 Poppy does not make a re-fined woman.

 I wonder who designed the clothing for superheros... I mean undies on the outside of tights?!

 Princess Orc Hunter

 Gimme dat back!

 Yes, we did start school on Monday, then pickles and jellies had to be made on Tuesday, then our Sunday trip to an amusement park was rained out so that is where we are going in an hour.  With Monday being Labor Day, we'll be doing the first week of school in 2 weeks' time. I'm glad.  It gives my hair time to unwind betwixt school days.  Not to mention figure out how re-organize our meal prep/clean-up, and house cleaning and laundry and....

 We made 3 batches of sweet pickle relish.  It is just so good, way better than store-bought.  I remember a day when I chopped this all by hand but these 3 handy gizmos make chopping a breeze.

 Guess who?

 Sam decided to try making some watermelon jelly.  I thought it tasted just like a watermelon Jolly Rancher which was one of my favorite flavors.

Voila! Watermelon Jelly.  As I type plums are being juiced for plum jelly making this evening or tomorrow after school.  Also tomorrow afternoon we'll be making bread and butter pickles which we like on sandwiches.

Back to School

Today was our official First Day back to (home)school.  I think I will just go take a shower and try to get my hair to stop standing on end. 

Marigold

Galadriel decided to make some veils with some lace she found in the fabric box this week.  Shall we make bets how long Marigold leaves hers on?  I give her til the "Ad deum qui laetificat juventutem meam."  (the first one)  Then she'll be down into the cry-basement for Mass training in front of the live video.  Just a guess is all I'm sayin'.

PO-TAY-TOES

Gollum: "Whats taters, precious, whats taters eh?"
Sam: "PO-TAY-TOES, boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew. Oh, a few coneys and some chips, even you couldn't say no to that."
Gollum: "Oh yes we could!"

So, what do you do when you're suddenly are hit with a crash course in finacial-induced frugality?  First, you laugh because God is really funny.  He sends 11 kids to a woman with no patience and no clue about being frugal.  It's always best to laugh first.  Then you go back to your Irish roots and buy boatloads of potatoes. Thankfully our neighbor (1/2 way around the country block) has grandkids who do potatoes... very awesome potatoes I might add.  40-50c a pound.  The big kids ride their bikes there and bring home the bacon potatoes (until Sam had the brilliant idea to order 50 pounds all at once, I learned that potatoes are also add to the household decor). We do 5 pounds for a meal that will fill bellies at least 1/2 way. 13 people for $2.50 plus some meat we raised ourselves and some fruit or vegetables (often provided by our golly green giant next door neighbor!  We have also gotten to be awesome quick-pickle makers!), we're good to go.   My kids are great at making a variety of potatoes.  And secretly they seem to like trying to be frugal. Galadriel is our frugal child who gets it from the other side of the gene pool.  She is perpetually motivated to ask the price of everything and figure out the best deal.  Sometimes I feel a twinge of guilty un-frugal conscience.... sometimes I don't but should. :D

I really like people who make me laugh, perhaps it is the grump in me that wants out.  Well, The Pioneer Woman is very funny and yummy... well, she isn't yummy but her recipes are. Here is her rendition of Basic Breakfast Potatoes. 

For Greater Glory DVD

Pre-order For Greater Glory DVD!  It's coming out on September 11th.  Or just wait and go get it at Wally World or something but it's finally coming!  Hip hip hooray!   It'll make a great Christmas gift!  If you haven't seen it, it is well worth your time.  Viva Cristo Rey!

Miscellaneous Nothingness

 Just because she's cute.

 Eowyn made a blood cell in her Human Anatomy class.  (she and Galadriel started school a couple weeks ago... I'm procrastinating as long as possible :)

 I am christening this sailboat of sorts "Quasimodo", it just seems an appropriate name.  Kind of a hunchback of sailboats anyway.

 Pippin found the greatest treasure of his whole life, a fishhook with a great big gummy worm on it.  I was less than impressed, having been one of those children who had gotten a fishhook in my foot once. 

 Ooooh, another treasture.  Do you call these "cinder blocks"?

 Not sure what I'll christen this little boat, maybe "dingy".

 There was much squealing at this "deer antlers" as I guess somewhere in this picture there was a turtle.

 Meeting of the mindless

Cindy Lou Who