Jinx the Border Collie

Our sweet boy Jinx.

Getting to be a big boy....

To show, or not to show

W. and Miss Maggie pie at her first puppy match. A second out of about 10 puppies. Not bad for doing a 'rearing pony' imitation while going 'round.

I am not a dog show purist. I am not of the mindset that conformation shows are the benchmark by which we should judge breeding dogs. I am of the whole dog philosophy. Call me crazy, but I think it remains important (even in this day and age) for dogs to have something of the original purpose and ability for which they were created. We have to remember that all breeds of dogs are man-made creations. For if they do not have some of that first intention, then really there remains no reason for the endless array of breeds.

That being said, we do enjoy occasional dog shows. It is something we do and enjoy within that context, and with the intent of having a fun dog outing. Just in the amount of time I have been involved, I have viewed far too many inconsistencies and variances to place a significant amount of stock in it. (How is that for a pun? LOL)

B. with the sweet Jenny girl.

A whole new world

After nearly 40 years of having one breed of dog (shelties), I have entered a whole new world. Exciting and scary stuff!
 At the beginning of this year I brought home my first two Border Collies. We still have and love our shelties, but I knew I needed a change. I thought I would chronicle our adventures with them, from puppy hood on. Already, it has been very interesting! Here is our baby girl, Maggie...

 























Wasn't she adorable as a little munchkin? She came right in and stole my heart.

Thanks to a couple of wonderful Border Collie breeders, we have gotten a rock solid foundation.



Here is our Maggie girl during her easy going first sheep exposure- informal herding instinct test. It went great. She showed plenty of eye and no fear, even at this young age. Soon we will start her formal herding training.
Being a sheltie person, the whole scenario felt foreign to me.. becoming accustomed to a breed with eye versus a loose eyed breed. It is different, but I am loving it already.

I will post updates as we begin training and she progresses.


Next up- our beautiful boy!

Day at the beach

We had a great beach day yesterday. We are fortunate to live close to the northcoast. The kids had a great time swimming, building sandcastles, and searching for smooth rocks and driftwood pieces. We found a neat piece of driftwood to place a candle in. It will be fun to set up our seasonal table using the stones and wood. Sitting in the sand just inside the water, the rocking of the waves really brought forth tangible thoughts of this rhythm of life mindset.

Gathering our supplies

I am loving the process of locating books and supplies for our Oak Meadow and Waldorf inspired journey. Moving away from plastic and making a point to focus on natural items. I love hearty wood, fabric, baskets, copper and wrought iron. As I search and gather our school supplies, I am realizing a few very interesting things. Many of the items my mother provided for me, fall so easily into the Waldorf inspired lifestyle. I remember sketch pads, colored pencils, drawing charcoal, watercolors, large chalkboards, wooden tables and chairs, wooden toys and doll furniture, food from the garden, animals, and many, many books. Maybe this why I am so drawn to the Waldorf way, it has been  her way all along.


This is our youngest son gathering tomatoes in the garden. He is really enjoying helping out in the garden this year and eagerly watches his watermelon plant grow.

1967 Ford Mustang GT 390 4 speed Convertible

 Our '67 Ford Mustang S Code GT 390 Convertible. Wimbledon White with red deluxe interior and new black top. Car was completely disassembled and restored from ground up. Engine completely rebuilt. Beautiful underneath. Any rust removed and replaced with new sheet metal. Original 4 barrel Holley Carb sent out and replated. Heavy duty 5 leaf springs installed in the rear. Big block front coil springs. Front end all new, completely rebuilt. New steering and suspension kit. Steering box rebuilt by Roger Rode. Wood grain steering wheel, interior all new. New black convertible top with new glass. Runs and drives fine, needs front end alignment.
Email at javared5@gmail.com   or phone 567-224-3273

"Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
~ St. Francis

Lighthouse Field Trip

A previous field trip to the lighthouse.

On the same day we did this....

Field Trip to COSI

This was a previous field trip to COSI Science Center. The kids had a great time and really enjoyed the exhibits. The water cannon room was very cool.

Today

Amazing talk by Ken Robinson

 http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/66

Homeschooling

Our family began homeschooling three years ago. The first year we pulled our middle son out of public school then began with an online charter school. There were several things we liked about the charter school, and several things we did not. Mostly I just knew it wasn't the path we were looking for.
We met some great new friends who really gave me the encouragement, and confidence, to give it go on our own. The following year we took that canyon leap into homeschooling on our own (or at least it felt like that at the time!). What an adventure!
As our journey progressed, I read about books and programs with mysterious sounding names like Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, and Oak Meadow. What were they? Being the nosy mamma I am, I just had to know! The more I read, the more I knew, this was our way! This was something of how our family viewed the world, I couldn't sit still!
We are now starting our third year schooling at home, and are excited to try a few programs that are new to us, mainly Oak Meadow. Stay tuned!

Another must see...

The Story of Bottled Water