A well needed break...

I'm taking a little break from this blog. Too many irons in the fire right now.
I will still be posting on our other blog The Purple Squirrel Homeschool, which is a journal of our homeschool and family stuff. Please feel free to pop in there and keep in touch.
This blog was pretty much made for me... stuff I like. But right now I need to focus all my energy on the family and keep the boat afloat. Oh yes, the link to the homeschool blog can be found on my sidebar. Hope to see you there and peace to all!

Throw us a bone!

Yay! A small glimmer of hope. My husband didn't get laid off as of yet. We are thinking there is maybe 3 weeks of work for him still. So it should be just before Christmas is my guess. Oh, Happy Holidays! Right now, we are grateful for each day of work... one day at a time.

This is Applejack, our dried apple head we made before Halloween.

He's about one inch big now. But he's still smiling!

A Bump in the road...

There's a bump in the road for our family... more like a hill really. My husband is getting laid off on Friday. He's a Union electrician. We've hung in this long and are thankful for that.

My mind is reeling right now, knowing unemployment checks will barely make the house payment let alone pay all the other bills and feed us. I've already cancelled all the extras that we're used too. My husband is quitting the bowling team and we will tighten our belts as best we can. Shop at the discount food stores...blech. Use the library for free entertainment.

I can't help thinking about winter (higher utility bills) and the Holidays fast approaching. Well that is just something I must not worry about now.

You know, we do live in the state with the highest unemployment rate... it really sucks here!

I just have to keep calm and upbeat for my kid's sake right now. I'll think of this as an adventure, a journey, part of life. What really p's me off is how hard I've always worked at paying bills on time and having good credit... I can see that all going down the toilet fast.

Oh well, we'll just keep on keeping on. Hopefully the internet will stay turned on... if I disappear you'll know why:)

Thanksgiving woes...

For the past few years we've been on a journey of seeking the truth. Being homeschoolers we have all the time we need to research the truth. Sometimes not an easy task to do! No more public school history B.S. for us! In doing so, we've learned many things about the beginning of this country, the true meaning of the holidays. It's getting harder and harder to just go with the traditional flow of things.

My husband being half Ojibiwa Indian and our children quarter blood. We have a hard time embracing a traditional Thanksgiving. Every time I hear the story of the pilgrims and the Natives happily sharing a Thanksgiving meal together I have to cringe. (no hard feelings toward anyone with bloodlines running way back to the first white settlers, it's all good.)
We celebrate a bit different. We do have the turkey with the trimmings...as it's my favorite meal of the year. And yes, I know there wasn't a smidgen of turkey on that first Thanksgiving table!
We celebrate it as a Ghost/Harvest Supper, honoring our past loved ones and being thankful for what the Great Father has been so gracious to give us during the past year.

Oh, did you know that November (gashkadino-giizis/freezing moon) is Native American month and November 27th is National Native American Day? I think we'll have our Ghost Supper on the 27th. which is a Friday.
Well, I wanted to give you a few links to the Native American Month proclamation from the President for 2009 and some posts on our homeschool blog from last year... but for some strange reason, (a blogger gremlin or a grumpy pilgrim spirit, I'm assuming.) I cannot link or paste anything on this post. Weird!

Thrifty Finds and a Gift of Ribbons

My grandmother had the most fabulous collection of Salt and Pepper shakers. I loved to look at them when I visited her and sometimes I'd helped dust them.

I have such fond memories of standing in front of the book case looking at all of the whimsical shakers.

I want to have a fun collection for my future grandchildren. So I thought I'd get started now.

Here's the start of my collection of shakers that I found on our trip to Ohio, but first I have to show you this that I also picked up...

Isn't this the cutest darn squirrel vase ever?!!!

Squirrel Salt and Pepper Shakers: of course~

Squirrel with walnut and Tennis playing squirrels.

Coffee pots shakers and a Cat on a rocker with fireplace shakers.

All of these shakers were $1.50 a pair!

My daughter Autumn gave me these lovely ribbons yesterday. I love them all! Thanks Sweetie:)

Happy 18th Birthday!

Happy Birthday Caleb!

He's going to his sister's Day of the Dead party this evening.

Have fun!!!

Love, Mom xoxoxo