Making Plans and Finishing Others

Everyone is busy after "school"....
   The boys finished up a 75-page workbook for the Boy Scout Catholic Religious Emblem! This has been our goal ever since Dorito finished up his Eagle Scout over a year ago.
    Happily, enough judges have been signed on for the Science Fair, and I've secured a Chemistry professor to come and give a demonstration. I still need to buy a few more prizes, but the certificates are printed and ready for calligraphy. Almost all set with three display boards and projects too.
    Prom plans are already rolling. I found a different ballroom which has cheaper rental fee. We will decorate the Benton Club (under the membership of Mr. Schultz) and likely have an island/beach theme. Voting on themes will be held next week when Homeschool Choir resumes.
   Eli's parents have asked us to host him for a few meals in order to learn social etiquette outside the home. I think our lunch-time routine with read-alouds might work nicely for this autistic friend/Boy Scout. Perhaps on Fridays?
  Yesterday we made a trip to Snow Creek before hockey practice to take advantage of the "real" snow.

Fruits of the Holy Spirit - 2

(Confirmation Prep #2) 
JOY
Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for JOY and I will give thanks to him in song.”

We have so many joyful times together especially when we choose to love one another. I know that God has a special family planned for each of you to love. (And it is worth saving yourself for marriage.) I think you will agree that the happiest times in our family are when Dad is joking with us.  He has taught me to have a good sense of humor. At first (27 years ago), I thought he was teasing me, and it almost hurt my feelings. But then I saw that he was loving me and sharing his love in funny comments and jests. Joy for me is defined by the memories of laughing and giggling and chuckling and smiling!! These are the best parts of our family times together. Open your heart to see how God wants to bring JOY into your life.

Some of the most joyful people are the ones who have suffered a lot.  They have accepted or embraced their suffering or difficulties.  Mother Teresa lived joy even though she did not feel God’s presence for a long time.

--Uncle Clint

Everything in Threes

We started biology lab for the homeschool semester today with three sets of porcine lungs and heart. Captain is a great help and was eager to help with dissection, because he remembers taking Human Anatomy class at K-State.
Dorito said, "Turn on a fan!"
Polar Bear said, "Get me a pair of gloves first."
Winger said, "Yuck."

By the end, they thought it was pretty neat.

If You Build It, Then...

Pro-Lifers will come! Every year (thanks to Nellie Gray) for the past 40 years, hundreds of thousands of pro-life witnesses have marched on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. near the Jan. 22 anniversary of Roe v. Wade. This was my third trip, and the third time it has snowed during my trip, but the first time it was snowing and blowing DURING the actual March. Following our family tradition, this was the year that Polar Bear and Winger went along with me! We joined the 650,000 people who were not on NBC, ABC, CBS, nor in The New York Times. But our voices were heard by our Congressman, by EWTN, by Fox News, and by the angels. We went to the steps of the Supreme Court and prayed for all victims hurt by this social tragedy.

Plus we crammed as much sight-seeing
as we could into three days: Declaration of Independence, buffalo pot roast at the Indian Museum, "David" at the National Gallery of Art, Twins Jazz Club, Youth Symphony at the Kennedy Center, monuments at night, Ford's Theatre, Air and Space simulator ride, Chinatown, Portrait Gallery with Benjamin Franklin, Library of Congress, White House, Willard Hotel, We the Pizza, First Ladies Gowns, and.... Starbucks (that great cultural equilizer).

Apartment Rental Fraud

Do NOT rent lodging from Essential Homes nor Essential Home Management nor Romney Willoughby nor Margie Trotter. Fraud Alert! Text me if you need more details: 816-261-9852.

Bob Calls Them Less Miserables

I did a little poking around on Google today. Happy to discover that I was "there" when history was in the making... The current edition of "Les Miserables" turned out to be the same music as in the original play. I actually expected Hollywood to change/corrupt it.

In 1978 Claude-Nichel Schonberg dedicated his attention to musicals when he and Alain Boublil conceived the idea for a stage musical version of Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables. The original production was staged at the Palais de Sports in Paris in 1980. In 1985 and 1987 respectively, the musical opened in London and on Broadway, to acclaim in each instance. The Broadway production was nominated for twelve Tony Awards in 1987 and won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.

Since I was a slightly naive graduate student from rural Kansas living in London in 1988, I took advantage of as many student tickets rates as I could afford -- probably viewing 6-7 musicals and plays on the various London stages for $5-15/ticket. I didn't realize that it was only the second or third year of "Les Miserables" at Leicester Square. Since it was the most "posh and expensive" theater, I made reservations to take Dale there when he came over to visit me at Christmas time. It was brilliant on the stage :-) and I totally enjoyed the recent movie-musical with girlfriends this weekend too. Here's some eye candy from the Leicester premier of the movie.

Vocal Music Class

Meggar has voice lessons and vocal class instead of Choir this semester. Here is one of the songs she is preparing:  I think you will enjoy the poem by Klaus Johann Groth, which was put to music by Brahms.
Your Blue Eyes
Your blue eyes hold so still,
       I look into their depths.
You ask me what I want to see?
      I see myself healthy again.
One blazing pair of eyes burned me;
     the feeling from it still hurts.
Those - yours - are as clear as a lake
    and, like a Sea, so cool. 

Dein blaues Auge
Dein blaues Auge halt so stillen
     Ich blicke bis zum Grund.
Du gragst mich, was ich sehen will?
     Ich sehe mich gesund.

Es brannte mich ein gluhend Paar,
    Noch scmerzt ds Machgefuhl:
Das deine ist wie See so klar
    Und Wie win See so kuhl.