A Blessed Journey

We recently took a journey towards the middle of our state and camped at Lane Springs. It is a place we use often when we get off to a slow start on such journeys. The weather was wonderful and the mosquitoes seemed to be sparse. It was a nice time considering all the sickness little knight was going through, throughout the night. We brought our portable water closet to post outside the tent. After many trips during the night to the water closet, we got it down to an organized system of steps. He was a good little trooper. Here are some of us having fun outside the tent.

The New Piano

We now have a piano. We had the help of missionaries and another knight of the WP realm and the King. It is fun to have an instrument once again and it was "light as a feather" in comparison to the piano we left behind in the far far West. It has made musical notes ever since it arrived. No one really hears those keys which have a slight tonal problem as it is just a plain delight to play around on. The Duck Princess has already recorded the King's debut as "piano key plunker". They also had a name that tune game setup for me in the evening. Such fun! I think I knew 70% of the songs played. We are truly blessed in our lives and grateful for it.

Calm Surroundings

I really like where we live. It is so beautiful during each season in its own way. There's a beautiful view out every single window. Right now birds are chirping and the sun is not yet up, but the golden light on the fields and trees is so soothing.... Now, if the views and the neighborhood only came with a little more top soil! But our labors there are another story. Gratitude for what IS here can be as soothing to the spirit as the view!

The Carriage Ride

The Queen allowed little knight to control the steering wheel the other day as the carriage came up along the path. As little knight dismounted he said to Her Highness, "thank you for teaching me to drive."
Once inside the castle, he became thoughtful, proud of his new skill. He announced that now he knew how to drive the carriage, he could probably now take the King off to work if the King so desired.

Work and the New Economy

The "middles" have taken on new responsibilities since the "olders" have gone off on a crusade to California. It is like training the olders all over again. Grumbling, mumbling and "that's not fair" or "this is her job not my job" and "if I assign it to you it is your job". Of course, with the cow Brr is stacking up a nice pile o gold because she is milking early morning and night. Baba is also starting to want to milk and yet she does pretty good @ 1 "shilling" an egg gathered & cleaned. Our economy is booming! ;) (We don't pay for basic family-care chores.)
Change to all of the new responsibilities takes mental effort until they feel more like they can do it or want to and so I instituted a little monetary pinch of golden fairy dust-it seems to help. =)

Old Time Music Ozark Heritage Festival

I have a fun, interesting, and varyied life. One part of that life is to be the creative director/editor of commercials which encourage the surrounding communities to come and participate in the signature festival of West Plains, Missouri, the Old Time Music Ozark Heritage Festival. Luckily we don't have to travel far to tape the festivities for the next year. It is lots of fun to be there and to edit video. =) (click on the title's link to get to the commercial)

I love playing with Lego Blocks!

I really love playing with Lego blocks and creating things, well, okay, it's usually spaceships and having "good versus evil" battles. Here is a ship I made from lego blocks not long ago. I like to go over all the details of engines, guns, escape pods, symmetry (including color when I can), landing gear, speed, etc. Of course, my ship never lasts as the children wish to play with my creation or they need one of the pieces from the ship for their own creation. When I use a lego piece in a way they never thought of before it becomes more valuable to them as it spurs more creative things in them.