Make a List with Me #1

LIST THE MOVIES YOU'VE SEEN THAT WERE REALLY WORTH 2 HOURS OF YOUR LIFE.


1. The Man from Snow River
2. The Man from Snowy River Returns
3. Jane Eyre
4. The Hunt for Red October
5. Shawshank Redemptioin
6. The Passion of Christ
7. The Robe
8. The Scarlet and the Black
9. Hitch
10. Pride & Prejudice
11. Hidalgo
12. The Usual Suspects
13. Lord of the Rings (all three)
14. The Princess Bride
15. Return to Me
16. An Affair to Remember
17. The Staircase (about the stairs of Loretto)
18. A Walk in the Clouds
19. The Incredibles
20. Star Wars
21. The Cutting Edge (our first movie date in college; we were the only ones in the theatre, so cool and memorable!)
22. Men in Black
23. Independence Day
24. The Green Mile
25.  Crimson Tide
26. The Lake House
27. Indiana Jones series
28. Hope Floats
29. Bourne Identity - any
30. Bella
31. The Patriot
32. While You Were Sleeping
33. The Manchurian Candidate
34. The Great Debaters
35. A Knight’s Tale
36. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
37. 8 Seconds
38. Chariots of Fire
39. Finding Forrester
40. The Love Letter
41. Sleepless in Seattle


I, too, could have listed many more, but there is a limit to my time!  It’s ironic how many of the movies have the same lead actor or actress.

Thanks for this great meme idea, Allison!  To see more movie lists…

Wordless Wednesday - Best Buds & Good Friends!

Time to Read??

There really hasn't been much time for me to read books the last few months.  That and sometimes a person just has to be in the right mood or frame of mind to read.  After reading Inkheart last week, I was in the mood for reading something.  'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' has been in the reading pile on my dresser for quite some time, thanks to Sarah (I won the book in a give-away on her blog).  I did try to read the book before Louis was born, but I just couldn’t get into it at the time.  Then, the power outage on Saturday gave me time to read.

 

I absolutely enjoyed this book!  It did take me a while to 'catch on' to the style, but then I was hooked.  It's a book about romance, a book about WWII, and a book about books.  And, those topics successfully combine into a worthwhile reading experience.  One of my favorite quotes from the book is: 

"Have you ever noticed that when your mind is awakened or drawn to someone new, that person's name suddenly pops up everywhere you go?  My friend Sophie calls it coincidence, and Mr. Simpless, my parson friend, calls it Grace.  He thinks that if one cares deeply about someone or something new one throws a kind of energy out into the world, and "fruitfulness" is drawn in.

This book made me laugh and it made tears come to my eyes.  I couldn’t put it down easily … and yes, it was finished the day it was started.

Still…

 

Yes, friends, we here at this household are still Vikings fans.  This pic of Zeke was taken this morning – loyal little fan, isn’t he??

 

Monday DayLook - January 25, 2010

For Today: January 25, 2010

Looking out my back porch... crisp white snow blankets everything, but I can't see it yet (it's too early).  It sounds cold becasue of the wind whipping around the house.  I'm sure it'll look cold, too.

I am thinking … it sure is fun to play around with the the picture features on Windows Live Writer!  There are a so many neat effects … I haven’t had much opportunity to play around before.

I am thankful for... health.  I know I keep writing health, but I really am.  We haven’t been sick with colds or any real ‘bug’ of concern for a long time.  Quite frankly, that’s pretty miraculous considering the age of my children!

From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… Louis’ Christmas stocking is still on the table; it’s there to remind me to purchase green lining and to finish it soon!

From the school room... Zeke was given paper planets to use in a craft project about a year ago … or maybe it was during our move … anyway, it was a long time ago!  We finally put them to good use last week and made this planet project.

It’s not perfect, but that’s my fault for not considering the size of the cardboard planets in relation to the size of the poster board.  The important part is that we DID it and that we talked about the planets a bit while gluing.

From the kitchen... lots of homemade whole wheat bread.  I’m on a bread kick still, but have switched from all hand-made to using the bread machine to prepare dough.  I like the shape of a loaf pan, so have been transferring the dough to a bread pan after the first rise in the machine.  Angelina and I made a pound cake on Friday (an ingredient in a pudding dessert she wanted to make).  I hadn't realized pound cake was so RICH or so tasty.

I am hoping... that my parents (Grandma & Grandpa Golden Acres) have a safe trip back to their farm after a long vacation in warmer climes.  The weather is still not calm in ND; a storm is still raging this morning.

State of the house… the toys have been held at bay this past week, so it’s looking good.  Even the dishes are caught up.

I am reading… just finished reading Inkheart (checked out from the library – the young reader section).  I’ve seen this book in B&N and also online.  I wondered if it would be a book my kids could read, and decided to read it myself to find out.  This type of book doesn’t take long for me to read, if I can get a couple hours each day.  The story is intriguing; however, there is a very, very dark character in the book that I do not want my kids to meet (he is dealt with in the end … but this is a trilogy so I wonder what other character might take his place…).  While it is fantasy, there were a couple passages that I marked as problematic for me and my family because the writing touches on religion in a way that could be confusing for kids, especially without explanation or guidance.  At this time, I plan to steer my readers to other books; it’s not the right time and may never be.  Besides, we haven’t even begun to make a dent in all those I consider classics!  Note:  After writing the above ‘review’ I checked out the rest of the series.  In reading the reviews of others, it is quite clear that this series becomes much more dark and even less appropriate for it’s intended audience.  Apparently, the first book even includes profanity.  Missed that during my proofing!

A successful moment… we made it through 5 hours without electricity on Saturday.  It went out at Noon and came back on at 5pm.  Eric and I thought we might loose power, so we prepared for the possibility.  Preparation was key and I am very thankful it was only five hours.

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: Eric is gone all week for the first of many ag-related shows.  Angelina’s dance lesson is tonight.  During Angelina’s lesson, the boys and I plan to go to the town’s public library.
Tuesday: Dash, Angelina, Zeke and I are going to make a plan for completing their 4-H projects in a timely manner.
Wednesday: Need to get bills paid and finances updated today.
Thursday: Feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas
Friday/Saturday/Sunday: Every Saturday morning that doesn’t have a crop judging contest is used for study … this weekend is for studying.

A Picture Memory ...

More Metal

Another child in our house has become 'metaled' in a more visible way.  Angelina had an expander placed this summer and yesterday, the braces were applied.  She chose hot pink and blue bands.  We arrived home around 8:30p last night and the boys were all excited to see her.  She was tired from the day and not much into show-and-tell, so she just went up to bed - to the disappointment of her brothers.  This morning though, she and Dash dished about having braces and all the foods they aren't supposed to eat while wearing braces (and probably trying to figure out a way to still eat sticky, crunchy favorites even though I warned them it'd be a long trip into town with a mom who wouldn't be too happy if brackets were broken in carelessness).  Graham and Zeke were equally excited to listen in on the conversation.

Wordless Wednesday – Cookie Monster!

More frosty trees

Just couldn’t resist taking more pics of the lovely trees.  The wind has knocked some of the thick frost off branches, but it’s still beautiful. 

Even more frosty…

Driving home from Angelina’s dance lessons last night, the fog was quite dense again.  This morning, the frost on the trees is even thicker than yesterday!  I hope to get a chance to take a few pics outside during daylight … the sun is still coming up.

It's been a year...

of blogging at Shepherding My Sheep.  It's definitely been a picture of our everyday family life and a great outlet for me ... in both joys and struggles.  Thanks for reading along.

Changes that have occurred in the past year:

1. Added another child to the family
2. Started building a detached garage
3. Acquired a new vehicle - a suburban - to transport our expanded family
4. Joined the country church as members (still plan to keep our membership at Cathedral, too)
5. Cut back significantly on trips to Fargo
6. Entered a new stage electronically - with the Wii
7. Started praying a family rosary and did really well until our schedule needed to adjust for a new baby ... don't worry, the rosary will come back in once we figure out our new routine


There were many more adjustments and changes, but I wanted to make sure I recorded these ... they seemed more significant to me.

Fog rolled in today ...

and frosted everything.  Visibility was low - we could barely make out the farmyard.  Eric didn't notice any fog when he went out to care for the rabbits between 5:30 & 6:00am.  At 6:30am, when I arose, the fog still wasn't here ... or at least it wasn't as thick.

It's better now, thank goodness!  Eric needed to drive to Fargo this morning.

The view out my back porch at about 8am this morning. 

Monday DayLook - January 18, 2010

For Today: January 18, 2010

I am thankful for... health, family, being able to stay home and homeschool
my kids, and a functional (and also beautiful) roof over our heads.

I am thinking... how truly easy my life is compared to others I know.  My needs, and even my 'wants', are met. 

I am hearing... Eric and the kids playing Clue (yes, I'm writing part of this post on Sunday evening AND I'm not playing Clue because I promised I would play Catan later with the crew).

I am praying for ... a miracle for our friend's, Lori & Ryan: he has brain cancer and has already endured two surgeries.  They have three children under the age of six.  Ryan has decided to discontinue medication ... he's ready.

From the school room... the workbooks for this Latin study from CHC are on order for Angelina, who will be finished with LCI from Memoria Press this coming week.  We already own the books; each book will last approximatley ten weeks ... perfect for finishing out this semester.  Dash will complete LCII by semester's end and then they can both start First From Latin from Memoria Press in the Fall. 

Looking out my back porch... the trails for x-country skiing and snow-shoeing head out from our back yard up to farmyard ... Grandma Green Acres' home ... and to the burn barrel!

From the kitchen...  not sure how many of my readers are familiar with Chipped Beef on Toast ... it's basically diced corned beef in a white sauce served over toasted bread.  Anyway, this week, I threw together a simple white sauce, added diced chicken, chopped bacon, and seasoning for a quick sauce to serve on toasted bread.  The kids and I really liked it!  It's a great way to use up leftovers.

I am reading... quite a bit about politics, lately.  Change is occurring here in rural ND, where change is generally shunned or looked at with skepticism (at least, IMO, politically) .... our state will at least have one new senator after the next election.

State of the house… some of the Christmas decorations were put away; that's always a good way to get a little cleaning accomplished.  The kids also helped clean bathrooms this weekend.

A really cool moment… last week, my husband thanked me for doing the laundry.  He commented that he had noticed when the laundry room was empty last week and thought it looked really nice.  I epmtied and de-cluttered so I could vacuum up all the dust bunnies that had grown!

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: Angelina's dance class this evening.
Wednesday:  Prepare meals for two families with new babies -- to be delivered on my trip to town on Thursday.
Thursday: Angelina 'gets' her top braces applied today and she has a playdate with a friend (ie. girly-time for her and for me).
Friday/Saturday/Sunday:  This is the last free weekend before my husband starts attending a long streak of ag-related shows and meetings.  No kidding .... he has something every week until Easter!  I predict a penance-filled Lenten season.

A picture memory...

My hubby loves to buy flowers for me ... and progress on the detached garage.

The next two are inside shots; part of the garage has floor heat (one pic shows the tubes coming up from the floor) and we have a large storage area up above (accessed by the folding 'attic' stairs - boy! are they narrow).  The second pic is where a future workshop will be located.

This photo doesn't quite do the sunset justice, but it was beautiful when first spotted.

Wordless Wednesday

Pay It Forward

A thank you to Jamie, who sent me these lovely home-made notecards when I responded to her Pay It Foward post.  They are beautiful.  She also included a treat (not home-made, but a surprise and enjoyed, none-the-less!).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is how it works:

Pay It Forward Exchange is based on the concept of the movie "Pay it forward". I will send a hand made gift to the first three people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join the PIF exchange.

All the gifts will be made and posted out 'sometime within the next year'. How exciting to not know when your surprise package will arrive!

What you need to do in return, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. This exchange is only open to those with active websites or blogs.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PROMISE TO POST THE SAME PAY IT FORWARD PICTURE AND THIS MESSAGE ONTO YOUR BLOG, WHICH MUST BE ACTIVE IN ORDER TO PLAY. YOU WILL PAY IT FORWARD TO THREE PEOPLE WHO COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG.

Monday DayLook - January 11, 2010

For Today: January 11, 2010

Looking out my back porch... about 3 more inches of snow added to the depth in the back yard since last Monday; the wind blew it around and deposited the excess in drifts that will now need to be moved once again.

I am thinking... babies grow so fast.  Babies make all the other kids seem so big and grown-up, too. 

I am thankful for... snow, my home/house, and friends who share our Catholic faith and are raising their children in a similar way.

From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… glad to report that the piles of folded clothes have been put away and the kids are busy filling up the hampers again.

From the school room... the Wii has been a good thing (ie. a form of reward for work completed) in our home.  The kids have been motivated to get their schoolwork done in a timely manner and haven't complained as much about chores.  Hopefully this week will be more of the same...

From the kitchen... last week was a sourdough frenzy.  Sourdough buns, Sourdough Chocolate Cake, Sourdough Bread, Grilled Cheese on Sourdough, Sourdough pancakes and Sourdough Waffles were sampled by all.  Also made another Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cake to bring to a friend's home this past weekend.  It's amazing how much flour one can use in baking sourdough goodies!

I am reading... just reading to keep up on magazines and newsletters.

I am hoping... for mild temps this week and for an uneventful appointment on Thursday.

I am hearing... small sounds - it's early morning and since Christmas break, the kids have been sleeping in a little later ... and I've been letting them. 

State of the house… good enough for me to be calm about it.  The dining room is put back together - just a few items that need to find a home still remain (the plaster handprints & a new digital photo frame - actually I should just ask Dash to set up the frame and keep it on the dining room table for all to see/view).  The Christmas decor is still up, I plan to take it down little by little over the next couple weeks.

A successful moment… I was up by 7:30a every day this past week.

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: Angelina's dance class is back to Monday nights.
Tuesday: Hopefully we'll get some cleaning done today.
Wednesday: We are at home today, but wish we could be in Fargo for a homeschool field trip.
Thursday: Trip to Fargo for Louis and me.  It'll be a late night ... I hope to drive home after the evening meeting.
Friday/Saturday/Sunday: No big plans for the weekend.  It'll be nice to stay home and get some general house cleaning and organizing completed.

A picture memory...

This was a Christma gift for Louis ... CUTE book!  The story is sweet and it has a lesson even my 3yo can pick out.  In fact, after the first reading, Graham has been asking me to read it just about every night.  The kicker is that he could just about repeat the story by flipping through the pages after that first reading.

One of my favorite Christmas decorations.

We visited Graham's Godparents the first week in January.  This is a pic of Graham with their VERY patient and kid-friendly cat!  The cat is dressed in a newborn baby sleeper ... it reminds me of how my cousin & I used to dress up the kittens and stroll them around in a baby buggy on the farm.

Graham with his Godparents.

What's happening here ...

We plan to visit friends this weekend.  Leo's excited!

THE - one and only one - narcissus will fully open soon ... we just won't be home to see it  ... darn.  The other bulbs are still firm, so they haven't spoiled.  I check everyday because they are pretty much sitting in water.  Just keep waiting for them to 'take' root.

Up close, the flower looks like a bunch of tulips.

Glad to have a flower in the house, because it's so bitterly cold outside.  -40 to -50 wind chills last night and a temp of  -27 ... yep, that pretty much keeps everyone inside and prevents outdoor fun of any kind.

I'm thankful for the Wii and the distraction it  provides!  The kids and I have been doing our daily check-in and two training activities using Wii Fit (amounts to about 10-15 minutes of 'training' on games ... sometimes more if they decide to do the running, which Angelina and Zeke like to choose).

Maple Syrup Recipe

** This is by request ... for Christine!

Suzie's Maple Syrup
Yield:  Approx. 3 cups

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. maple flavoring
1/2 tsp. butter flavoring*

Mix sugars, syrup, salt and water.  Boil 1 to 2 minutes.  Remove from heat; add flavorings.  This recipe will not sugar.

*This is my sole change to this simple recipe, but it makes the syrup taste like Mrs. Butterworths - a childhood favorite!

Art-A-Roni

Pasta Abstract by Graham, above.

Dog House, flowers, tree on the right & sun in the upper left corner by Zeke.

This week's art project for Graham and Zeke.  I gave Graham permission to use 'lots' of glue to make sure the macaroni stuck to the paper.  Thankfully, the artwork needed to be moved or it could have been more permanently stuck to the table!  The glue soaked through the construction paper ... guess Graham & Zeke didn't need quite that much glue.