Free-write part 2: Semi-serious

Wow, are you still reading this??

You just took dedication to a new level. Of course, you already did that if you continued to follow this blog after I didn’t  even explain my 9-ish month absence.

Well, I’ve got time now, I could at least give you an update on what’s happened in my life since then to lead my to where I am now.

Lets see.

 The last I posted about ( I think ) was our dog having puppies. 

Oh my word, that was fun! 

And a lot of work. 

Did I tell yall she had 10? 

Yep, first litter and she pumped 10 of those little fluff-balls out. None died, and all were healthy, except, one, little William, who got something called puppy strangles. However, he made a full recovery, and is now probably one of the most spoiled and pampered of all our dogs. That is, he went to one of the nicest homes. No, we did not keep any. They all went to at least decent homes, but William and Alex get the most pampering. Alex was bought by this artist lady and her husband, and they have a NICE house. It’s an older couple, and you know how they are with their pets. They treat them like grandkids. Which is great! Anyway, we bred Sophie (the mom) again recently, but for some reason she didn’t get pregnant. We’re not sure why…

Shadow, the dad, might be getting to old to be a dad. There are other possibilities.

But back to the recap.

In February, I took a trip to Florida for a big preaching meeting they have twice a year. 

This was at the same church that started the Bible Institute I am now headed for, and the trip that resulted in my becoming more interested in and seriously considering the school.

But instead of going straight to Florida, I decided to stop in Virginia and visit my grandparents. Only I didn’t tell them I was coming (evil chuckle). I had a family friend pick me up from the airport (stayed with them for a day and a half, cuz I love them too, so that was fun) and then they took me to meet my Aunt, who took me to their house, and it just so happened to be the day the family was getting together to celebrate my grandma’s birthday (unplanned, but fortunate coincidence)! We got a video of her reaction. Totally worth it.

Anyway. Spent some time with them, and then popped down the coast in time for the preaching meeting to start. Thoroughly enjoyed that, hung out with some more relatives, sat in on some classes, met some neat people, got excited about the school, went home, prayed, talked to parents, prayed more, decided to go, found out I had roommates waiting for me!

Then came the waiting. Only about 5months, but it was slow.

I was hired to work on this dairy farm five minutes from my house, helping this lady make cheese so she could have more time to sell it. It’s a very interesting cheese. It’s a swiss recipe, but tastes nothing like the swiss you get at the grocery store. If it doesn’t age the right amount of time, it tastes too strong for most people’s palates. But if its made right, you’ll have to search a little while to find someone who doesn’t like it.

So I learned how to make it.

It was interesting for the first week, and then it got old fast.

Part of the reason for this was that I got up at 4 a.m. in order to be there and fully functioning by 5. This is when the milk is fresh, so this is when you make the cheese.

One word. UGH.

I don’t care how much of a morning person you are, you CAN’T be chipper at 4, because it’s NOT MORNING.

You either become totally dependent on caffeine, or you go to bed at 7. Which kinda kills the social life.

Another reason that job got boring fast was because of the complete LACK of intellectual stimulation.

Let me give you a brief description of a day at work.

Once you get there and don your fancy duds (plasctic apron, stylish hairnet), you get a big rubber hose going from the main line the milk is coming through, to a big vat in the cheesemaking room. Once your vat is full, you put flavor and culture in the milk, give it a stir, and let it just sit for 55 minutes. Then, you put rennet in, stir in the cream that has risen to the top, and let her sit another hour and 10 minutes.

Are you excited yet?

This is where it gets complicated.

Now, you cut the curd that has formed with something called a cheese harp and (are you ready?) stir. Stir for and hour and 40 minutes, at a consistent pace. Slow enough so you don’t get worn out in 20 minutes and fast enough to keep the curd from lumping together. Then you separate the curd from the whey, put the curd in molds with weight on top, clean up the mess you made, and you’re done. The whole process takes about 5 ½ hours.

One fun part was learning Spanish from the guy who milked the cows.

A not-so-fun part was learning just how nice is too nice. Apparently in the Hispanic culture, age difference between a guy and a girl doesn’t matter.

Yeah.

Awwwwwkwarrrrrd.

But, now that’s all done; I saved my money, got a car, and I’m out of there.

(4 hours down the road)

Oh my WORD its hot!! We’re not even on FL yet, and Im dyin! Soooooo glad my car has AC. Its an OVEN! I have Mediterranean blood in me, why is it not kicking in? I’m supposed to be born for this weather, but  I’m craving a chilly Washington day right now.
I must be cold-blooded.
We are outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it’s 93 degrees. I am not looking forward to what Florida is like in August.

One word. UGH.

And that brings you up to date on my free-write. Soon I'll let y'all know how it's going now that I'm here in Florida.
Be Thankful, Sarah

freewrite ramblings part 1

 I haven’t done a free write in a while…. Long road trips are boring.  And boredom has always been a major source of inspiration for me. Not necessarily as a writer, but just in general. I don’t totally mind being bored and just sitting and daydreaming to a certain degree, but this is day number three of being on the road, and our 2^nd twelve-hour day.

That is PLENTY of time in la-la land.

So now I’m just going to ramble for a bit.

Im not sure how interesting this post will be for anyone who bothers to read it, but I’m feeling chatty.

So.

An hour or so ago we were smack in the middle of Kansas. 

Not much has changed since Dorothy and Aunty Em. They’ve upgraded to HD color, we are no longer in sepia, which is nice. 

Sepia is nice for variety every once in a while, but it gets old FAST. 

Especially with all the instagram filters you see everywhere. 

So I’m glad some one finally got on that. Also, I’m not sure whether they had this much corn before. I think someone has the monopoly on corn here, and we have been driving through the entire nation’s corn source. I wouldn’t be surprised. That is entirely too much corn for one state. We haven’t seen a TON of the populace here, but enough to know they aren’t ALL heavily overweight, which is what I would expect if the state WAS consuming all this corn, due to it’s high starch content.

The only thing that stops me from accepting Kansas as the nations single corn source is the vague association of Iowa with corn, somewhere in my brain. We wont be going through Iowa, so I can’t test this theory. I suppose it will remain a mystery forever. Or at least until I get internet service, which is basically the same amount of time.

Our next destination is in Oklahoma, where we will be staying with my Aunt’s husband’s mom’s place. So far we have not had to spend any money on a hotel, which is perfectly fine with me. We started in western Washington and are ultimately headed for the western corner of Florida. 

Our first day’s driving landed us in Meridian, Idaho, where we stayed at the mission’s house of a church there. Next, a 15 hour drive to Aurora, Colorado, where we stayed with my Aunt and her family for two nights. It was nice to give my backend a break from sitting in the car and sit on the couch instead.

 World of difference. 

I thought for a little while that they should make cars with couch seats, but then realized this would probably result in more car accidents due to drowsiness. Turns out being uncomfortable can promote safety, if it helps you stay awake. 

Same thing with screechy violin music.

Wow, are you still reading this??

You just took dedication to a new level. Of course, you already did that if you continued to follow this blog after I didn’t  even explain my 9-ish month absence.

 And that's where we'll stop for now. There's more, but it makes more sense than this gibberish, and it's in a different category than this type.  I dont want to confuse you more than I already did. So stay tuned...

Be Thankful, Sarah

New Chapter

If you are reading this, you are the most dedicated follower I have ever heard of!
I have not posted  in.... 9 months!
 I could have had a BABY since I lasted posted!!
Actually, I need to rethink that statement.





No. I could not have had a baby.



BUT. Someone else I know could have had one! In fact, someone did......
Anyway
Since I last posted, blogging has ceased to be a priority.
I never stopped enjoying it, I just stopped having that much leisure time.
And when I did have leisure time, I didn't want to spend it in front of a screen.

And now, blogging is still not really a priority, but I feel the need to document.

I moved out.


Or, am in the process of.
I'm actually on the road right now.
Well not RIGHT now, I mean, I dont get internet on the ROAD, but I'm 9 hours away from where I was this morning.


My dad is driving with me as I move across the country. Literally.
It doesnt get any cross-country-er than this. I'm moving from one corner of the nation to the opposite corner.

The reason for this drastic relocation is a Bible Institute.
Not just a Christian College, that would be too mainstream.


This is a non-accredited, Bible-believing, hardcore place to just study the Bible for three years.

Ya know, I just realized how boring that probably sounds to the average American.
But I cannot tell you how excited i am!!!!

I took a trip in February for a big preaching meeting at the church that runs the school, and got to sit in on a few classes before I went back  home.
Enjoyed it immensely.
Met some wonderful people who invited me to be their roommate before I even made up my mind to come down and attend the school!

Worked and saved till last friday, got a car with good AC and packed up my life into two plastic storage tubs.

Dont be impressed.
They're big tubs. And I had several boxes of overflow.

ANYWAY.
I said all that to say this.

I thought this might be a good time to start blogging again, and record what it's like for a sheltered homeschooler to be out on her own for the first time. I'm even thinking of changing my blog  name to fit better. But I havent' thought of anything catchy. And it took me forever to come up with "Doodlepad".
So I'm still a little attached.
But if you come up with something good, comment!


Be Thankful, Sarah

Everything happens at once.

Well maybe not EVERthing, but perty dern close.
Sophie had a litter of 10.
Dad and Bekah are trying to kill an elk.
Shadow (our male dog) has a disease.
This week is our big preaching conference at church.
Mom will be gone for almost a week.
Gone during the conference so I get to be mom and get us all ready for church 4 days in a row (this includes meals, laundry, hair, outfits, and as much homeschool as possible).
Trying not to get sick.
Looking for plane tickets for less than an arm and a leg.
Trying to convince youngest sister not to get sick.

Sorry folks, the blog is a little too far down on the list of priorities.
It's not like I have nothing to write about, I just need the time to actually WRITE it.

I DO have a few photo's of the puppies:

If I had Instagram

#Dad's Surprise birthday party#long day#awesome sermon#headache
#sleeping in on monday#nevermind#sister shot a buck!#lets clean it#sweet little rack#new hunting unit is open#lets go#Baton Death March#pouring rain#not a thing#im soaked
#hot chocolate#homeade tunafish sandwich#ahhhhh#<3<3<3

Instagram is the newest thing I don't have that I keep seeing around...People link it up to facebook and I see pictures with captions like #cupcakes#coffee#besties#goodtimes#fall.

Why does stupid stuff seem all cool when you see a lot of people doing it??
I guess I'm not immune to the herd-mentality.

Here's an actual picture of the rack of that buck my sister shot:

Never thought she'd beat me to it...
Be Thankful, Sarah
 PS. I meant to post this long ago (if you're a hunter you know deer season is way over) but just now got a pic uploaded.

Hug a janitor

Today, I cleaned our church.
It took me 7 hours.

This is not the first time I have done this.


Actually, I've been filling in for our cleaning lady whenever she needs me to for the past several years.

I got an iPod shuffle for Christmas, so this year, I've had something to listen to while I worked, but all those other years, I was left alone with my thoughts....

NOW, my thoughts have nice background music.

What does one think about while cleaning one's church?
Well, a lot of stuff. Like, why don't janitors get more recognition?
The first thing I think of when I think of a janitor is toilet scrubbing.

Which isn't as gross as it sounds.
Our cleaning lady gets this Clorox stuff you squirt in the bowl (which is fun) and she started buying this purple kind that smells like lavender fields.

Or at least, that's what it says on the bottle.
I've never actually smelled an entire field of lavender so I'll have to take their word for it.

Honestly, cleaning the guys' bathroom is a little stinky because of those pink things they put in the urinals.

What?
You don't know what I'm talking about because you've never been in a guys' restroom?
Count yourself blessed.

Nawww, it's not that bad.

I actually like cleaning the guys' restroom better that cleaning the girls'.
Why?
Because. The girls' restroom is never really dirty.
I mean, yeah, lots of people use it, so there's bacteria we can't see, and we need to keep everything sanitized so we don't kill off the congregation.

But there's never any DIRT.
 I don't know about you, but it's really boring cleaning something that doesn't look dirty. When I clean something I like to see the difference from before I came along.

When I sweep the floor in the girls' restroom, I don't actually see any difference in the appearance of the floor. I MIGHT see a little dust at the end.

When I sweep the guys' restroom, I actually get a pile of dirt and grass and maybe even a candy wrapper.

When I'm done mopping the girls' restroom, the water is still the same pristine orange (from the orange Lysol) as when I started.
 When I finish the guys', it's actually obtains a brownish tint!
So when I dump it out, I don't feel like I just wasted two and a half gallons of soapy water.

Oh, on a side note, remember whenever dumping out used cleaning water outside, to be facing down hill in order to avoid soggy shoes and socks with a lingering scent of oranges.

But really, the bathrooms only take up about 20% of the time I spend cleaning at the church. I clean a few windows and I wipe a few tables, but the majority of the work it vacuuming.

We have big honkin' heavy-duty vacuums and now we have ones that are self-propelled, but you should see the biceps I got from when they weren't.

And the boys wonder how I beat them arm-wrestling.
(That's a slight exaggeration. I haven't arm-wrestled any boys in quite a while, and when I beat them was when I was still as big as them. I was 11.)
(Let's forget I even mentioned that at all.)

The problem with the self propelled vacuums (we have two) is that I can't decide which is worse: the one that doesn't work very well or the one that works TOO well.
The one that doesn't work is heavy, but controllable.
The one that works too well gives you the dog leash effect. And that can be hard on the toes on the return stroke.

Anyway, it's really not a bad way to earn some money, and I get to browse the church fridge for left-over doughnuts to eat with lunch.
Apple fritters are my favorite doughnut EVER.
If you ever need to get rid of some apple fritters, SEND THEM MY WAY.

By the way, there were no fritters today. But there was a lovely little blueberry-covered AND -filled doughnut that met my needs quite well.

Anyway, I got to rambling, but the point of this post was to raise some awareness about what janitors go through to promote appreciation.
Have you hugged a janitor today?

Be Thankful, Sarah

PS. The reason I filled in today for our cleaning lady is because she's at the hospital.
With her daughter.
Who is gonna have a baby any time now!
Pray it goes well!

Chim-chim Cheroo!

If you have seen Mary Poppins, you understand the title.
If you haven't seen it, you need to get right with God and go rent the classic.

Then you have my permission to come back and read the rest of the post.



Go on, I'll wait.

{crickets}

Okay! Now that THEY'RE gone, the rest of you will understand what I'm talking about.

What is with the crickets tonight??

Remember how Bert says he has a different occupation every day? One day he's a street performer musician person, and the next he's a sidewalk artist, then a  chimney sweep?
I thought that was so cool....I'm still pondering the feasibility of the thing, but I love the spontaneity of it!


Today I was a lumberjack. Minus the plaid. And instead of an ax I wielded a hydraulic log-splitter and mad trailer-backing-up skilz...
 
And if you dont know what a log-slplitter is, it looked amazingly like this cartoon:

The black block (located on the same side as the wheels) forces the log against the sharp wedge on the other end, and basically rips the log in half.

I still cannot get over how awesome it sounds.

As to the mad skilz, if you've never tried to back up a lawn mower with a little trailer on the back of it, you just wont understand.

In conclusion, I give you this enlightening formula:
Leather gloves + the smell of fresh-cut pine + grilled cheese!! + the sound of ripping wood = my awesome day + slightly bigger biceps.

Okay, so that wasn't actually the conclusion. THIS is the conclusion:

Ummmmm Conclusion the Third?

Ok, that really does have to be the conclusion because I need lots of sleep for my morning run and soccer drills.

Be Thankful, Sarah