Pickin' ...peas, peas, and more peas

This week, we were abundantly blessed with black-eyed peas. We took a little excursion to the Pollock's "Squash Field," where we picked corn, cucumbers, squash, and the above mentioned peas. As you can see, they were quite numerous, and I don't believe anyone associated with the peas has had any sort of lack of them, nor shall for quite some time! Thankfully, we love them! Thanks, Pollocks!

Note: Although squash now merely forms a minority of the the plant population there, that productive bit of ground will always be held by the "migrant workers" of Alturas as the Squash Field. [See earlier posts if puzzled]

Rosie poses with the peas. Not really a classic prop, but it does go well with our current theme.

Say peas!

Here, we are given a sneak peek at what the inside of all those pods look like. Hmmmm... Yup. Just as I expected. They're peas.




Please pass your peepers past this prolific pile of plentitudinous peas.
Sorry. Too much of one thing can really get to you...


Markie and Rosie picking (in the pretty little dresses Sarah made them). I'll spare you another sight of the "p" word.




Mary, Mama, and Aunt Molly. Mama and Aunt Molly are taking this chance to creakily unbend. If you will notice, pickers in the pictures are generally in a bent position, not from any preference, I assure you. However, after a while, one's thoughts begin to warm to the idea of never actually facing the pain of unfolding. After all, the life of a hunchback cannot be all that bad...

What'd I tell you! They're stuck.

Monkey see, monkey do...

Sarah thought this a nice picture, hence the border. I had a different caption but... "Nice pictures get nice captions."

Peter Piper Picked a Patch of Profuse Peas

Now, you'd think this was an action shot. "Girl Vigorously Picks Peas" Actually, notice the grip she has on them? Nobody really picks like that! She'd tear them in half! The sad truth is, this photo was staged!

"Awww!!! A picture?? Of ME??? Ok! Just let me get my look on!! One... two... three!!!"

Mary and I. And, no, we are not stuck. Merely bending for the exercise.

Mary seems to be enjoying her pea. James, however, I'm not sure about...

"Just spit it out, buddy, if you don't like it. Dude! I hate to see anyone's tastebuds in that much pain!"

Liv took a chance and stood up. You can see the agony... Jordan appears rather unsympathetic to her plight.

Sarah - fellowshipping with our Vegetable of the Month

"Mary.... uuuuuuhhhh... How... can I.. pick.. with.. you in... my.. bucket!"

Ariana and Jordan occupied on... peas?

Our own little migrant

"Mercy me! Isn't he funny!!!"

"Gabriel... Get a life..."

All in all, it was a grand day! We ended up with a meal and volleyball at the Stokes'.


The next day???? (to the tune of RAWHIDE!)

Shellin' Shellin' Shellin'
Oh, the peas we're shellin'
Hear the tale we're tellin'
Shell on!!!

Practicin' our spellin',
S-H-E-L-L-N,
Shellin' till the day is gone.

Pick em up,
Snap em wide,
Shoot em out,
Dump em in,
Cook em hot,
Eat em up,
Shell on...

(this was our pea shellin' theme song, along with the ever popular, somewhat repetitious, "The Navy gets the gravy, but the Army gets the beans, beans, beans, beans...")


Amanda and the Franklins were over, so we put them conveniently to work.
Well, actually, Amanda volunteered her slave labour, and she came over for that express purpose. Thank, y'all!!

Lookie there! A pea!

Yeah. Trust me. It's not the only one.



"Ha ha ha! Look at what Gabriel's doing now!!! I've got to reply!"

(Sample video sent to We-all-know-who)

Kitty's script follows..

"We... (Pause for dramatic effect) are shelling peas. (Make what is hopefully a cute little smile, then video-tape bowl of shelled peas) So... what are you doing? (At this point, get sympathetic look on face) I'm sorry your yard was so big. I hope your not too tired from spraying it. (By now, sisters are making disgusted faces, possibly noises. Get mature look on face, and glare at the offending parties in a half-amused, longsuffering way.) Would you guys cut it out?"

The video always cuts off precisely at this moment, so I cannot at this time give an accurate farewell. But... you get the idea...

Peter, Me, Mama, and Kitty

Sadie, Markie, and Rose.

In case anyone was wondering the outcome, the official CPSOA (Champion Pea Sheller Of Alturas) is none other than Miss Sarah E. Discher! (Faint applause in background)

That, ladies and gentlemen, is an accurate account of all our dealings with the peas.

Until next time,

Grace

Memorial Day

After watching "League of Grateful Sons" (Vision Forum Films), I allowed myself to think of all that my grandfathers endured in World War II. My father's father fought in Greece and Italy, and my mother's father at Iwo Jima, among other sites.


It is difficult to think about hardship. We avoid it. It is unpleasant. I tear up. Yet how much more difficult it was for those who endured, who persevered for us. We honor those who gave so much when we take the time to remember, to be inspired by their selfless acts.

Thank you

Daddy's Coming Home

A little boy lay on his bed remembering the day,
His father kissed him, said goodbye, and then he went away.
He’d told him he must go to make the world a better place,
And Johnny still recalled the love that shone from his dear face.
Thus Johnny knew his daddy would be coming home again,
So then he laid his thoughts aside, and dreamed of stalwart men.

The next day Johnny saw big tears upon his mother’s face,
And so he quickly wiped away the path those tears did trace.
He put his arms around her neck and crept into her lap.
He said, “Oh mommy, don’t you cry for Daddy’s coming back.
He told me he would hurry home when duty’s task was done.”
So Johnny’s mother bravely smiled and hugged her little son.

The years passed on, and by and by, the war drew to an end.
Fathers, brothers, husbands, sons, to home their paths did wend.
They’d fought in bloody battles; freedom’s price was paid.
But some brave soldiers ne’er returned, in distant lands they stayed.
Young Johnny’s father never came, he’d sacrificed his life
Like many other noble men for his dear boy and wife.

But in one Land a soldier earned a crown of purest gold,
For giving up his life on earth that others might grow old.
He met his Lord and thanked Him that He’d paid the debt of sin
And purchased life in Heaven for a race of ruined men.
While Johnny and his mother mourned for him, ‘neath sandy loam,
They knew someday they’d follow him, and finally be at Home.

-- Grace Discher


posted by Mama

Wild Blackberries

One of our favorite things to do this time of year is to pick blackberries in Grandmama and Grandaddy Frodge's "Enchanted Forest", as the children have named one particularly lush area of the woods.

We liked how this picture turned out.

"Are you ready to go?" ... waiting for the others to come out

Obstacle # 1 LOTS of thorns...but we will overcome...and build character!

Obstacle # 2...CREATURES

Ah... here they are. One of God's blessings!

Kitty diligently picking

Emma diligently feasting

Grandaddy with his faithful dog

Grandmama stays in the car and helps out with littles

"Giddyup Daddy!"

Emma in her favorite spot... at her Mommy's side

Sweet Cousins

Time to head home!
"Beautiful Berries"

Now it's time to enjoy them! mmm...blackberry crip and pastry!

We are very proud of you, SarahBeth!!!

Sarah on Jamestown Island in June

SarahBeth was very deeply impacted by our study on the founding of Jamestown last year that commenced with a memorable celebration and treasure hunt in June. (see this link for one family's well-done account of the hunt) Consequently, when she heard that Homeschooling Today Magazine was hosting an Essay Contest inviting readers to write about the founding of Jamestown, she was inspired!


Imagine how thrilled we all were when we learned that she had won the contest and is now published in the May/June issue of the magazine!

Congratulations, Sweetie!!!

-- Mama

Here is a her essay in it's entirety:

“What Mean These Stones?”
By Sarah Elisabeth Discher

It was the heat of summer, August 1864, and thousands of men crowded, with little shelter, food or clean water, inside the Confederate prison in Andersonville. Georgia. Many died every day, crying out for water. In the corner, a small group of men were seen praying, beseeching the Lord to intervene and deliver them. They would continue to pray for clean, fresh water until they died of thirst, or God answered their prayers. After some time, a storm appeared on the horizon. Bolts of lightning ripped the sky, and rain poured down. Suddenly, there came a blinding flash, and a tremendous roar shook the ground. Looking quickly toward the sound, what a sight met the eyes of the weary men! Flowing from the ground was a spring of fresh water!

Almost from the time the stream came forth, the men christened it “Providence Spring,” for it was truly the providence of God that was bestowed that day. In 1901, a stone house was erected on the site, bearing this inscription. "The prisoner's cry of thirst rang up to heaven. God heard, and with his thunder cleft the earth and poured his sweetest waters gushing here.” On another side of the building, it reads, “God smote the hillside and gave them drink, August 16, 1864.”
Throughout history, there is seen a pattern of God’s people erecting monuments to His faithfulness. This act is essential to the preservation of history and the advance of Christian civilization down through the generations.

The Old Testament gives us the biblical basis for the raising up of “Ebenezer” stones. In Genesis 22, the Lord tested Abraham’s faith, by asking him to sacrifice his son. When the Lord saw that Abraham was a faithful and willing servant, he provided a lamb to take the place of Isaac on the altar. Abraham called the place “Jehovah-jireh”, or “The Lord Provided”, in remembrance of what the Lord had done there. That became a proverbial phrase, passed down through the generations of Abraham’s descendants, as they remembered what God had done.
In Genesis 32, as Jacob was running from his brother Esau, an angel came from heaven and wrestled with Jacob. The Lord crippled Jacob, and the angel won the match. Jacob was humbled and was given the courage to turn and meet his brother. As a memorial, Jacob named the place “Peniel”, “The Face of God.”

Again, in Joshua 4, the Lord parted the Jordan River and allowed His people to cross over on dry land. Joshua instructed one man from every tribe of Israel to take up a stone from the midst of the Jordan and carry it over to the other side. When all had crossed, Joshua set the stones in a place of remembrance. He built a memorial where the priests, which bore the Ark of the Covenant, had stood. “That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.” (Joshua 4:6,7)

This custom is not only seen in biblical days; examples can be found in more recent history as well. For example, the laying of the Magna Carta stone at Runnymede in 1957 commemorated the signing of the Magna Carta by King John of England. Also, in 1965, an oak tree was planted on Jamestown Island in Virginia to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta.

On December 21, 1620, a boatload of weary travelers rowed from the Mayflower to the shore of Massachusetts. Once on dry ground, William Bradford led them in a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. They knelt only a few feet from the Plymouth Rock. This huge slab of stone stands as a reminder of God’s providential care in bringing the Pilgrims safely to the Massachusetts shore.

The year 2007 is the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia, the birthplace of the American republic. For the last 200 years, Americans have acknowledged God’s providential goodness with celebrations and laying of monuments for the generations to come. In 1807, Revolutionary war hero, John Tyler, and his 17-year-old son John Jr. stood by the James River remembering what God had done for their ancestors at Jamestown 200 years before. President John Tyler, no longer known as John Jr., was a keynote speaker for the 250th jubilee celebration in 1857. In 1907, the Tercentenary observance saw one in every twenty-nine Americans travel to Virginia to honor the settlers of Jamestown and their faith in God. Notables such as President Theodore Roosevelt himself, Booker T. Washington, Mark Twain, William Jennings Bryan and John Tyler’s own son, Lyon Gardiner Tyler attended with over three million other Americans. The 350th commemoration was graced by the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of England. Many memorials, inscribed with Holy Scriptures, were established during these celebrations to insure that the mighty acts of God would never be forgotten.

Is God’s hand in America’s history still remembered today? In this era of political correctness, the culture appears to be more concerned with tearing down the ancient landmarks that proclaim God’s faithfulness. It is ignoring and re-interpreting what God has done for His people to bring them to where they are today. During Jamestown’s official 400th government-sponsored commemoration, the word “celebration” was banned. "You can't celebrate an invasion," Mary Wade, an influential Jamestown 2007 Commemoration planner and Indian activist, stated.

In spite of this discouraging outlook, however, there is hope. A new generation of young believers is being raised up today, and they understand the importance of passing on their godly heritage to their own descendants by erecting memorials, as illustrated in Psalm 78:6,7, “That the generation to come might know them (God’s wonderful works), even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and forget not the works of God, but keep his commandments.”

For months, multitudes of grateful American children saved their pennies for a monument to commemorate the founding of America in Jamestown and God’s providence through the years. On June 15, thousands of these children and their families gathered beside the James River to see the memorial unveiled on the grounds of President John Tyler’s estate. Carrying on the Tyler legacy, Harrison Tyler, grandson of President Tyler, served as Grand Marshal for the event. Beneath the granite stone was buried a time capsule containing the names of every child who made the occasion possible. Also inside were placed letters from faithful fathers, written to their grandchildren. In 2107, on the 500th anniversary of Jamestown, that capsule will be opened.

Just as Psalms 145:4 states, “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts,” the children and grandchildren of those who gathered on the banks of the James for the 400th anniversary will listen to the stories of God’s faithfulness that were passed down from their fathers and grandfathers.

God’s people are admonished in Proverbs 22:28, “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.” Looking back at the memorials throughout the past, God’s hand is evident throughout all of history. It is impossible to deny that the Lord has been with His people wherever they have been. If the truth is destroyed, there is room for revisionist history. If God’s people neglect to acknowledge and document God’s providence in their lives, past and present, accurate history will be forgotten, and the truth will no longer be told.

All Christians must remember those old landmarks. As a grateful people, they must reclaim them by celebrating and raising stones of remembrance to proclaim for generations the greatness of God in the founding of a Christian nation! It is a necessity that God’s people recognize the importance and significance of erecting memorials in remembrance of what God has done. It is imperative that history not be tainted and God’s faithfulness not be forgotten.

Fun

Sometime last week, us girls went to a Pampered Chef party at Mrs. Sykes.

We are on our way!!

We dropped Pete and Emma off at the Pollocks, and picked up the Pollock girls

Liv and a very sun-burnt Julia :)

Lots of fun!

Aren't they cute?? ;)

Mrs Graves and Mrs. Sykes-good friends

The Little Kids raid the food!

After most of the Guests had left, the littles and Mr Sykes were aloud to come out of hiding. (They had been banished to the backyard)

Lil' Lizzie is tired.

Back at the Pollock's House

Two silly little girls
A game of "Mow" anyone??
Intense!
"Failure to say have a nice day!"
A little news from the Millers :)
Mama, Liv, Christi and I

Markie tries to build her 1st floor

Michael carefully builds

The onlookers

Don't breathe too hard y'all!!

Ah! A house of cards. :)

(: Y'all come back now, ya hear? :)

~Posted by Sarah~