tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-107941042009-11-07T08:48:21.226-06:00Musings of a frazzled mom, wife, student, and traveller through life in an itty bitty town.Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.comBlogger704125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-82915446087295118952009-11-06T21:44:00.001-06:002009-11-07T08:48:21.233-06:00

Indian summer? Saint Martin's Summer? Gypsy Summer? Brittsommar? Altweibersommer? Ruska? Saint Luke's summer? WHatever you deem politically correct enough to call it, it's here!!! We spent every possible moment in the sunshine and fresh air today, and now I'm tuckered out and ready to do it over tomorrow!

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-17593171768343757232009-11-05T13:34:00.002-06:002009-11-05T13:36:35.476-06:00

It is an absolutely GORGEOUS fall day. Those in the know threw a fire drill on a temperate day to go outside in shirtsleeves. The caveat? Telling the kids to go back inside...

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-37724007642437553252009-11-04T22:40:00.000-06:002009-11-04T22:43:44.831-06:00

see more Political Pictures

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-69423768891044098382009-11-03T23:54:00.002-06:002009-11-04T05:47:49.404-06:00

My six-year-old was reading his Beginner's Bible tonight. I heard him reading aloud and poked my head in to inquire. He said he was reading to the cats. He invited me to sit down and read it together, so I had him read to me. It was the story of Moses parting the Red Sea. The only word I had to help him with was Pharaoh. Then he wanted to show me a particular picture, and started flipping

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-38305203733520234392009-11-02T11:13:00.002-06:002009-11-02T11:17:31.446-06:00

Just finished English 11, and one of my "average" students stayed behind to discuss something she'd found online while looking for some supplementary material(!) about Of Mice and Men on her own(!). She made some good connections and asked some good questions, and as she left she said, "This book is really sad, but it's good. It's like real life." This is why I teach.

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-26792969384266466432009-11-01T20:27:00.003-06:002009-11-01T20:31:35.975-06:00

In order to kick my butt into posting a little more often, I joined NABLOPOMO again this year. No guarantees of quality, but you should see me around here more often, at least for a little while!

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-91803731222219982872009-10-30T15:01:00.003-05:002009-10-30T15:02:57.412-05:00

I've been complaining that it has been so grey and dreary hereabouts. Today is snowed, fluffy white and clean. I think I'll just keep my mouth shut from now on.

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-42431479527034192472009-10-29T06:19:00.002-05:002009-10-29T06:32:13.048-05:00

Ok, I was totally not serious about that whole "see you in a month..." thing, but I just looked at the calendar and realized 3 1/2 weeks have, indeed, slipped past me, and if I'm not careful, my little joke will become true!It seems we can't catch a break at school. A car accident involving a senior and a former student has left us with yet another funeral in the school district family and two

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-30144951223626743362009-10-04T16:09:00.003-05:002009-10-04T16:42:09.531-05:00

Wow. The time, she sure does fly. Let's see what's been going on around here.After the first weird week at school, we rolled into a normal year. Our normalcy hit a little bump last week with a small epidemic of three different family suicides within our district. Follow that with the news yesterday of a substantial layoff at a major employer in the district, and to say the mood is a little

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-90896252580560512032009-09-16T19:55:00.002-05:002009-09-16T20:02:48.554-05:00

We're getting back into the swing of things here at casa del goose. The first week at my school was subdued, to say the least. A sophomore boy killed himself the Thursday before school started. In today's world, most of our kids had word via text and Facebook within the hour, so they had the long weekend to process the news and their reactions. His funeral was held the following Thursday at

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-17632893483425769162009-09-08T22:13:00.001-05:002009-09-08T22:15:22.459-05:00

Everyone survived our weekend at Lifelight, we all got back to school safely, and when I got home today ipastor had baked pie! Life is good!

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-61117399344812411642009-09-02T21:35:00.003-05:002009-09-02T21:51:24.602-05:00

Summer has whizzed past like a kid thru a sprinkler. Today and tomorrow are teacher workshops, then it's Lifelight or bust! After a short recuperation Monday, we're all back to school! Situation normal...

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-7786986020632689162009-08-15T09:40:00.002-05:002009-08-15T09:42:51.708-05:00

Life has been a frenzy lately, with no time to sit and create wonderful and witty writing upon which you, my loyal readers, can feast your brains. Oh, I never did that? Well, everything's normal then. Carry on.

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-20748944011967524772009-08-03T19:54:00.002-05:002009-08-03T19:57:30.133-05:00

New kid picked up and safely ensconsed at home. Rushing like mad to place the last few kids before their Visa windows close. Prepping a theatre workshop for Thursday, when iPastor drives off the other direction to take kids to get their pre-braces spacers. Showing both the Purple Ride and the new kid around to family and friends. A pleasant, busy time, hereabouts.

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-82270029340305199072009-07-31T19:21:00.003-05:002009-07-31T19:30:11.672-05:00

So, you know how things go. It started out innocently enough. With two exchange students, we should upgrade to an 8-seater or drive two cars anywhere we need to take the whole family. As long as we're looking, might as well find a big van, like an old daycare or church van, so we can haul our camping gear as well. Found one we liked, but it sold. Feeling a little dejected, iPastor resumed the

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-70860797591971165782009-07-18T23:19:00.002-05:002009-07-18T23:30:22.455-05:00

Scare anyone? Scares me...Those of you loyal readers (yes, that was plural, I know you're out there lurking about...) who've been around awhile know that we host exchange students with the EF Foundation roughly every other year. When speaking with someone new, iPastor gets a real kick ut of telling folks we're expecting our 10th kid and watching reactions. To his credit, he's easily

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-48789475240833758382009-07-14T16:12:00.001-05:002009-07-14T16:14:10.946-05:00

With three daughters off at camp, Thing 4 is feeling alternately like master of his domain, or kinda lonely. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Just gotta get used to it, I guess.

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-67978709893993211992009-07-09T15:15:00.007-05:002009-07-09T16:18:20.858-05:00

I seem to be in the same slump as nearly everyone else I read regarding interesting subject matter to post. I'd like to think my life is far too busy and important to allow me time to chronicle all the fascinating and wonderful insights in my brain, but, nah. No sense trying to blow smoke up yer skirt.We've been busy buying the dentist a new boat. Things 1 and 2 required significant dental

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-20697255996539251012009-06-30T14:52:00.004-05:002009-07-01T22:30:35.510-05:00

The first month of summer has buzzed by at its usual rapid pace. I've been doing a whole lot of nothing, which is how it should be, at least a little bit. I do fear arriving to about August 15 and thinking, "Holy @(*&^! I haven't gotten anything done this summer!!" I guess I'd better kick it up a notch, then.As previously mentioned, a dear old friend came to visit for a short afternoon, but

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-59798505374654936832009-06-18T07:42:00.000-05:002009-06-18T07:43:52.145-05:00

"Stop licking your sister!"

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-14725844128766366572009-06-17T08:22:00.002-05:002009-06-17T09:10:50.995-05:00

Back in action at Casa del Goose after a long weekend in Jamestown, North Dakota. Our van has been starting 9/10, so we opted to take the car, since we were down a kid and could all fit. It was good news/bad news all weekend, as we spent the bulk of it visiting pawn shops, thrift stores and rummage sales. It really limited our cargo space, which prevented us from buying items like trap sets

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-19017833764946141952009-06-08T10:03:00.002-05:002009-06-08T15:15:44.807-05:00

After taking forever to get here, summer is upon us. Wow. The kids hosted a last-day-of-school bonfire, we've done a little putzing about the house, we took a day trip to Sioux Falls to hang with friends and take in the Siouxland Renaissance Festival, and we have a 4-day weekend planned. Next week a friend is back in Minnesota from the east coast, so I'll work in a visit. If it continues to

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-39937230052094580202009-05-28T18:48:00.007-05:002009-05-29T09:19:34.406-05:00

The weekend was pretty mellow around here. No major plans, just putzing around the house and a quick trip over the border for a day at the zoo with SIL. iPastor worked Saturday overnight, so we cleared out of the house to let him sleep in peace. We came home, and I let the kids monkey pile in the living room and watch movies. iPastor woke at about 4am and wandered down to discover they had

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-9388839271481840092009-05-23T19:10:00.004-05:002009-05-23T19:33:19.464-05:00

Poking my head in here so you all know I'm alive and kicking. Although I do write lovely things in my head to post here, they're usually gone by the time I get to a keyboard. I'm much more active, albeit quite short and pithy, on facebook and twitter. Such is life, I guess. Feel free to "friend" or follow me (that was fun to write) there for more frequent updates, but I do plan to keep this

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10794104.post-8331770796850173102009-05-10T21:02:00.003-05:002009-05-10T21:23:41.182-05:00

Most folks would think that doing yard work on Mother's Day is some sort of heresy. I, however, was glad to be home for the day with no plans and no agenda. Once the lawn finally started greening in, we had plans or commitments every afternoon and evening, so I didn't have a chance to mow until today, and it was plenty thick and green. I opted to bag, and the darn thing needed to be emptied

Gettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353094400938089023gettej@gmail.com2