Day Two Hundred Forty: Below Freezing Medal of Honor Parade

Ruth has recently become a member of the Color Guard of her branch of the Civil Air Patrol, and they were invited to participate in Gainesville's Medal of Honor parade, which was today. Who would have guessed the temperature would drop below freezing and that freezing drizzle would be falling from the sky a week into a Texas April?! Needless to say, it wasn't quite the introduction to parade participation we were hoping for! But, despite the weather, Ruth and her fellow cadets did their duty and looked great doing it! And the rest of us, sans Weston (who was away on a Boy Scout campout), did our familial duty and withstood the elements to see our girl do her thing. We are so proud of Ruth, and we're thankful to all the veterans, who have given so much to ensure the freedoms we enjoy and often take for granted!

Nighthawk Cadets
(Ruth is carrying the blue CAP flag in the front line)

Bundled up against the elements but still enjoying the parade
(and all the candy filling up their pockets!)

Perfect day for a parade!
(Check out that "feel like" temp!)

Day Two Hundred Thirty-Nine: Not Banana Bread

It so happens that Jeff and I went grocery shopping on the same day with different lists in hand. Both lists contained bananas, and we each bought enough to feed an army. So, we now have a plethora of overripe bananas in the house. My usual go-to in a situation like this is banana bread, but I wanted to try something different this time. (Plus, I'll no doubt still have enough bananas for the old standby.) So, I spent part of my day making homemade banana chips and banana-based ice cream in two flavors--chocolate and chocolate peanut butter. We were very happy with the results of both experiments and were especially excited that neither of them contained sweetners of any kind.

Day Two Hundred Thirty-Eight: New Homeschool Group and a Date with Clay

Since we moved here, we have not been involved with any homeschool groups except CC, but today some of us went to a teen/tween game day at a coffee shop in Lewisville with a local homeschool group. It's always good to meet new people, and I think the kids had a pretty good time.

I also got to go out on a date with just Clay tonight, which may have happened before, but he was sure we had never been on a date before, "just us," and I really can't remember, so we're going to count it.

Day Two Hundred Thirty-Seven: Cauliflower "Risotto"

One of my favorite places to hang out on my writing days is Black Walnut Cafe. They have excellent food and bottomless coffee, and "my" table is right next to an outlet, which is very convenient for keeping my laptop juiced up. They have a blackened salmon with cauliflower "risotto" on the menu, which I have been tempted to order several times but haven't until today. We have used shredded cauliflower in place of regular white rice at home a few times, but we've never done anything fancy with it. This was my first time to have riced cauliflower with any pizzazz, and I thought it was wonderful!

photo credit: https://www.diningwithdeliajo.com/2017/06/jump-start-your-day-at-black-walnut-cafe.html

Day Two Hundred Thirty-Six: A New Stunt

When you are the mother of four, you can often feel like you've seen every stunt a kid can pull. But, this evening, I experienced a completely new one. My youngest child, who is generally one of the most compliant and agreeable children I have ever met, decided to try on a different personality for a while. Just he and I were grocery shopping, and he was pushing the cart and generally being quite helpful. We stopped to pick up something, and he asked for an adjacent item, which he must have known I was going to say no to, and that is exactly what I said. I then continued walking and turned to the next aisle while he lagged with the cart. That little toot went ahead and put the forbidden item in the shopping cart, which I failed to notice during the rest of our shopping trip. Then, while I was busy talking to the clerk and sorting through some coupons, he put it on the conveyor belt, and it was rung up and bagged before I even looked up. And, while I was bringing in groceries, he unloaded his "prize" and put it in the pantry with the label turned so I wouldn't notice it. But, of course, a sibling found it and realized it was something we wouldn't normally have in the house. Busted. This truly came out of nowhere and just goes to show that kids will surprise you, even when you think you've seen everything.

Day Two Hundred Thirty-Five: Letter of Recommendation

A friend and former co-worker/boss of mine contacted me today to ask if I would write a letter of recommendation for her for a new job she is applying for. This is my first time to receive such a request, and I was flattered that she thought of asking me.

Day Two Hundred Thirty-Four: Epictetus and The Art of Living

Sadly, I never read anything by any ancient Greek philosopher until a few years ago when Ruth's literature class introduced us to the works of Plato. I was interested in what we read, but I still never took the time to prioritize reading other Greek philosophers' works. A couple of weeks ago, I saw The Art of Living come up on BookBub and decided to add it to my library, even though I had never even heard of Epictetus. Since it is an interpretation of the original work, it is written in plain English and promised to be an easy read. I was able to knock it out this weekend, though I'm certain if I would have had more time, I could have finished it in a day. I really enjoyed all the nuggets of wisdom and felt the book actually encompassed almost every major principle I want to instill in my children before they leave home. It will now be required reading, and I will be seeking out more works by Epictetus and the other philosophers of Stoicism.