Yosemite 2009 Slideshow!

Going Camping

I haven't even posted our Yosemite photos yet, and we are going on another camping trip.  I did make a neat slideshow on Photobucket, and have tried to post it here, on Blogger and Facebook, but it just is not working.  Not only that, but my Nikon is still in the shop.  The good news is, the repair will be covered under the warranty!!  I am soooooo happy about that!  Thankfully, my daughter has a camera so we will at least have that and someday, I'll post pics of this trip.  We are going to Sequoia National Park, our first time ever!  We plan to go see General Sherman, the oldest living Sequoia, about 2000 years old!

I better get to packing, we want to get there before dark!

Homeschool Convention

Last weekend, I went to my first ever homeschool convention.  I can't believe it has taken me nine years since I started homeschooling, to go to one!  It was awesome!  Just being around so many homeschoolers was a great encouragement.  The workshops, with speakers on various topics, were informative, encouraging, funny...  I found some great deals in the used book area.  I got the A Beka Biology set for my high schooler for $12!!  It is about $150 new!  Walking through the vendors was fun and I spent a little more than I had planned, but I pretty much stayed on my list :)  It was very crowded, and  a little difficult maneuvering my small wheeled suitcase around, which  was very helpful in holding all of the books I bought!

What really struck me, was that I had never been with so many homeschoolers before.  And I don't think I  had ever heard speakers talk strictly about homeschooling.  They talked about the trials and joys of homeschooling, and were very encouraging and made me laugh and cry.  If you can ever get to just one homeschool convention, do it! 

 

World's Best Potato Salad

Sorry Mom!  :)  I was at my friend L's house last week.  I was watching her make potato salad for her family's camping trip.  When she was done, she offered me a small bowl.  It was sooo good!  For the next several days, I kept thinking about it, practically tasting it. I needed that recipe!!!  So she emailed it to me, and I made it yesterday.  It was a huge bowl of potato salad! DB loved it, too.  We had a little as a midnight snack.  As we were going to bed, he said, "I can't get over that potato salad!" :)   So I thought I'd better share it here.  Sorry, no picture.  You'll just have to make it yourself to see it :)

8-10 red potatoes (medium) or 5-6 russets
Medium onion chopped small  (I used a couple of green onions)
6 hard cooked eggs chopped
6 big dill pickles chopped  (yes, 6! the secret ingredient!)
4-5 stalks celery chopped, small
Squirt around the bowl of mustard J ( approx. 1 Tblsp.)
½ cup mayonnaise or more to make it nice and moist. (I needed more than 1/2 cup)
Salt to taste – start with 2 tsp.  (L used the kind you pick up with your fingers)
Pepper – 1 tsp.
 
Cover potatoes with water and heat to boil.  Cook for approxx. 20 minutes or until soft, but not mushy all the way through.  Pull out and cool on paper towels.  Peel russets, but don’t have to peel red potatoes.  Cube in bowl.  Add all other chopped ingredients, mix in mayo and mustard well.  Add salt and pepper.

Italics mine.

Happy 4th of July!!

Today, our beloved country is 233 years old!  Such a very young country, but with so much history!  I was telling my kids last night that I remember when we celebrated the Bicentennial way back in 1976.  I was in 8th grade.  I don't remember much except the special quarters with the patriotic symbols on the back.  Can anyone remember what that was without looking? :)  So then we started talking about the Tricentennial.  One of my dear, smart children  asked when that will be, but we won't talk about that :)  They were figuring out how old they will be, and realized that they could possibly be around to celebrate it!!!  (If the Lord hasn't come by then, of course). My oldest will be 81, then 79 (almost 80), 78, 76, & 74. Makes me shudder thinking about them that old!!

Ok, with that, here is our favorite patriotic picture, taken in Sept 2001, about one week after 9/11, while were camping in Mt. Shasta. The giant flag belonged to the campers across from us.