Wedding Bells

Debby and Bill got married at the 2nd oldest church west of the Mississippi River.  It was a beautiful day and ceremony and we are honored to have Bill in our family.
Anytime a wedding or funeral nears, we realize that we don't have any nice clothes.  So, Avery talked about getting his "costume" on for the wedding.

Aunt Erin and Kids

Missouri Sacred Harp

At the beginning of March, we had a wonderful song-filled weekend in Pinckney.  Just the girls.
Annual Missouri State Sacred Harp Convention
It was lovely seeing friends from all over the country come sing in a tiny, rural church in Missouri.

Moving Art:Flowers

The perfect thing to watch on a cold, snowy spring day!  We found this film by Louie Schwartzberg on Netflix and it chased the blues away.  I couldn't find any shorts, but here is another great one called The Beauty Of Pollination.  Otherwise it is on Netflix.

People With Too Much Power

I am disgusted by this episode of 48 hours regarding the murder of Irene Garza and the suspect, John Feit.
48 Hours The Last Confession
After the murder, Feit was sent away by the catholic church because they knew he was dangerous.  Father O'Brien even told police that Feit had made an admission of guilt.
He attacked another woman 24 days earlier, pleaded no contest and was fined $500, with no prison time.
Instead of being charged with murder, he was sent away for "rehabilitation" at a series of monasteries in Texas, Iowa, Missouri, and New Mexico.
One of the places he was sent, was Assumption Abbey, a place i have been to on a silent retreat.
It was at the Ava monastery that he discussed the murder to another monk, Dale Tacheny, who kept it a secret for a long time.
A month before Feit went to Missouri, he attacked a woman as she got in her car outside New Melleray Abbey in Iowa.

2 of the only locations available for bishops to permanently send dangerous priests are in the St. Louis area. Instead of jail time, they remain priests and live in relative luxury, which is paid for by the catholic church.
KSDK- Missouri retreat for pedophile priests
KSDK-Missouri retreat for pedophile priests (part 2)

What?

Moss and Lichens

I love moss and lichens!

Explorers, i love how Avery is just basking.

Woodland Friends

We had fun breaking through all the ice on the pond.

With his new 22, the BB gun has been moved down the line.  

Judy's Woodsy Photo Shoot

We had a wonderful weekend in Southern Missouri.  

On our way home, the boys said their tummies hurt, but it's a winding road and the kids are prone to car-sickness. i gave them bags.  Avery threw up first, and it went everywhere except the bag.  It was quite and ordeal to clean him up and we didn't have tissues or anything like that, so...

Then Jasper said, "i feel fine now."  5 minutes later, he threw up, on top of the bag, but not in it.  What?  

There aren't a lot of stops on the way, especially on a Sunday.  

We had to throw a few things away.  And no wonder we all got so sick this week.  There was throw up everywhere.  

I also wanted to mention a bit about the latest in Missouri Gray Wolves.  Recently it was confirmed that a canine shot 2 counties south of the cabin, was indeed a gray wolf.  4 wolves have been killed in Missouri in the last 5 years, after being mistaken for coyotes.  The MDC says these were just males looking for new territory.  But this one was a female. 

Crowboarding

I know crows have high intelligence, but i didn't know they enjoyed sports and recreation.  I found this on NPR with the title, "Winter Blahs Got You Down?" 

I actually really like Winters like this.  They help me appreciate Spring more.  Plus, our roof is still leaking and the longer it stays frozen outside, the less anxiety i feel about the leaky roof.  

Monkey Fairness Experiment

We bought the tickets for Shovels and Rope/Hurray For the Riff Raff months ago. The family started getting a monstrous stomach bug on Sunday.  On Tuesday, I felt sick enough to bring a bucket with me in the car. But dumb enough to ignore the inevitable.
i didn't throw up until halfway through the opening band,  At that point, selling the tickets to hoards of desperate fans was no longer an option.  Justin felt "fine", but started vomiting as soon as we got home.  I saved him the embarrassment of public vomiting since Off Broadway was packed and a couple was blocking the men's bathroom.  He never would have made it.
This illustrates how i feel.

Silent Retreat Feb 2014

It was cold, alternating between sleet, rain and snow.  And I was tired.  So, so tired.  It has been incredibly hard lately.  So i did what anyone would do when facing a warm, cozy bed and dark silence.
Slept and read.
I choose books mostly by the cover, and oftentimes they have an unintentional theme.  Last year, when getting to the third book i had picked out at the library that week, i realized they all had some type of fence on the front. We don't have a fence and i really really really wanted one.  I still do.
This particular time, all the books i read involved a character who deceived those around him and then did horrible things.  They were all excellent books.
Rivers: Michael Farris Smith
Pilgrim's Wilderness: Tom Kizzia
Bonhoeffer: Eric Metaxes

Another thing i read is by Madeleine L'Engle, in a conversation between a daughter and her widowed father.

He has been having a hard time and says, "That will pass too.  Do you know how apple jack is made?"
For a moment she thought he must have made himself another drink.
"No."
"You put apple juice in a keg and leave it outdoors all winter and let it freeze.  Almost all of it will turn to ice, but there's a tiny core of liquid inside, of pure flame.  I have that core of faith inside.  There's always that small searing drop that doesn't freeze.  Don't worry about me, my darling.  I'm all right.  And you must get some sleep."

Broken Bells

Broken Bells on Morning Edition

Great Blue Heron

When we were leaving the house, we were surprised to see this standing in the yard.
Great Blue Herons stand very tall at 3.2-4.5 feet tall.  But they can also hunch up and make themselves seem short and fat, like this one did when i got closer.  They have wingspan of up to 6 and 1/2 feet and are impressive to see on land or in the air.
Not sure why it was in our yard, which is in St Louis city, with no water nearby, except Forest Park.  It seemed like it was hiding out from bill collectors.  It hung around all day, but was gone this morning.

First Aid Kit

My favorite gals from Sweden.  In winter.  

And summer too.  

Meramec State Park

Prehistoric Indian Rock Shelter

 Hamilton Iron Works

Back in October, the kids and I went to Meremac for the day.
There are over 40 caves, numerous springs and several hiking trails, 4 of which we hiked.

We also searched out the Hamilton Iron Works, which operated in Hamilton Valley in the 1880's.
"Hamilton Valley is in a remote section of the park."  I'll say.
Mining started here in 1796, and this operation smelted iron ore to create pig iron, a brittle and impure form of iron that is usually refined before use.
John Hartford, the famous Ozark fiddler and riverboat captain, named his last album Hamilton Ironworks after this location.
When we finally found it, the sun had almost set and a trio of teens came running out of the woods screaming, while each holding 2 fists of empty tallboys.  They grabbed refills and sprinted back with shrieks, settling into the first ruin on the trail.  So i took a picture of it, and told the kids we'd come back and explore with Papa.
I am adventurous, but...

I Think We Need To Hire New Help

Someone has been stealing the firewood Justin split last winter.  Calling it a "woodpile" is kind of cutesy, since it is really 2 giant trees worth.
I am not that happy with the job Judy has been doing.  And this picture tells you a little more.  She really is sleeping on the job.  I won't give anymore examples, just know she is.

At least she is creative though.  The ball was in her way on her favorite rug, why not use it as a headrest?

Update:  The culprit has been apprehended. It is a friend that asked to take a little.  When Justin checked to see if he got some, he said he took enough wood that we should think someone was thieving it.  Oh, did we have a riotous laugh on this!  Case closed.

Little Yellow House

Once upon a time, there was a little yellow house.
Along came a surgeon, a therapist, and their child.  They decided they wanted to live in the yellow house.
So they did and the house welcomed them.  It was glad to have a family again.

Not long after, the family happened upon another house, and they fell in love!  It was the house of their dreams!!  They had to have it.
And so they did.

While they waited for their luxurious Grand Dame, they lived in the cute yellow house. They preferred not to pay for so many houses, so they didn't.  After all, $434,000 is a lot of money.
They didn't pay the little house and she was nearly lost.

And while they were waiting, they decided they wanted a puppy.  The yellow house didn't allow pets, but they really wanted a dog to call their own.  They must have one!!
So they did, deciding on two adorable puppies.

While the puppies chewed the little yellow house, it became tired and worn.  While the family readied themselves for the move, the house was sick with the smell.
And it was more than just the puppy poop and pee.

The family is finally gone and the little yellow house is relieved.

The exquisite manse is beautiful, belying the stench inside.

Memories

Happier Now

Jolly Junco

2 Birds On A Wire

With 12 inches of snow, frozen pipes, -35 wind chill, and livestock indoors, it feels a lot like growing up in an old Iowa farmhouse.
The kids and I have had fun making forts and lying in the snow.  Everything is quieter in the snowy cold except the birds, who are appreciative of the new bird feeder i received for Christmas.
Some birds we saw today:
Dark-Eyed Juncos
Cardinals
American Tree Sparrow or Song Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
White-Crowned Sparrow
The chickens seemed fine in the cold, but last night Chip was unresponsive, so I thought it would be best to put them in Judy's kennel.  She seemed to perk right up.  They are in tight quarters, but laying their eggs in the bucket like good girls.

Wilma Irene Stam

Memorial for Wilma Irene

My Grandma passed away.  She was a good strong woman.

Paper Whites

This morning, the buds were still closed, and by afternoon 3 had opened.  A beautiful example of how quickly things can change.
Thank you April!

Jasper Says,

"When I grow up, I will be a hippie and call Eric to smoke the peace pipe."

We went sledding today, and Jasper got a bloody snow burn.

Alabama Public Television

The kids and I are "in" this documentary about Shape Note Singing.  Which means that you can see small parts of us throughout.
Alabama Public Television

Bye Bye Trampoline

We have a leaky roof and had the insurance adjuster come to check for storm damage.  He was very friendly and asked many personal questions.  He told me what he took pictures of and how they determine

storm damage.  The next day, we received notice that our backyard trampoline was a violation of our homeowner's policy.  At some point, it would have been helpful to hear, "i took a picture of your trampoline as well, you receive notice of the violation tomorrow."

So today is the last day of operation.  It was fun while it lasted!

Oh, and there wasn't any storm damage.