Similarities and Differences

Pre-School teacher and student

First Graders working on Phonics

Baby Katharine Ellis seems to like her new home; either that or she hasn't noticed she's somewhere different.

I spend some quiet time on this outside porch each day. (Our bedroom is through the doors here) and the sunroom porch doors are to the right (not seen).

Well we have had a four full days to explore our new home. While we haven't ventured into the city yet, (that would be an hour to San Francisco), we have explored the small town of Clayton and its neighboring town of Concord which is about 2 miles from the house. We've been to the grocery and the library. We're in the process of getting a library card as well. It was frustrating the other day when we were there. The little ones didn't understand why we couldn't check out books. It will be nice when we get our card and check out and we can read books together and they can look at them for rest time. We are working on a read-aloud for everyone that we brought with us though.

The library is great, nice, and surprisingly large for the size of the town. The grocery store is cheaper on some things and more expensive on others. For instance green peppers were 10 for $1.00. No, that is not a typo. But other things were more expensive than we're used to. Jeff went Sunday pm and got the basics to get us through breakfast and we went Monday and got the large order, enough for the first week and some beyond. It was quite a trip. I did a meal plan through Sunday and got what I needed plus all those ubiquitous supplies you never seem to need at home but are needed for start-up, such as baking powder, baking soda, spices, etc... Some of the basics were here but we ended up with 2 carts of food. Now, why is it with all that preparation I still had to run back out on Tuesday for 2 things? And today for 2 more things and of course more milk?

One difference in the grocery stores is that there are aisles (plural) dedicated to Mexican foods that have Hispanic written over the top. This is only in the larger stores. One store has hybrid car only parking spaces at the front. There are foods that I cannot pronounce and have never seen. Also produce is sold by the pound. You take tongs and fill bags with broccoli, carrots, potatoes, and more, all loose. The other store though had it bagged like we're used to. And like back at home, all the stores vary on prices. For instance, in one, watermelons were $7 but in the other store, watermelons were $4. One store, Fresh and Easy gives you a $6 coupon everytime you come in. When I checked out on Tues. it is all assisted check-out, my cashier used 2 of these and I got $12 off the bottom line and a $6 to use later. So of course today that's where I went to buy my few items needed and came home with another $6 coupon. I'm liking that store. That one I can best describe as a combination between a "GO" (Grocery Outlet) and a Trader Joe's. I know, a weird combination. Safeway is the other much larger store.

The weather was cold and rainy until yesterday when the sun finally decided to come out. Today was very much warmer and so pleasant. It is fairly dry here even with the rain; it is such a gentle rain when it falls. We have gotten to really explore outside now the last 2 days and it has been wonderful. Is it possible to become intoxicated by smelling the roses. Patti (the owner) came by today with Tio (more about Tio later) to bring us a rocking chair for the baby. She had already set up a crib but was looking for a rocker. She keeps asking if I have cut any roses and to please cut them and any flowers for the house. I've truly been so overwhelmed with the beauty of the garden that I walk through it in somewhat of a daze. There is no way ever I could describe it. Maybe it is similar to the Garden of Eden. As well as cutting some flowers to put in the house tomorrow, I will try to take some pictures to post. It is unbelieveable. We have enjoyed it from so many places, the front porch, the sunroom porch, the porch off our bedroom, the porch off of the family room. There is not an undesirable place to sit at all.

Wednesday we eased back into school. Today we eased back in even more. We had to get a feel for how and where. The little ones use the family room for their BJU lessons but we do the paperwork part and their other subjects on the farm table in the sunroom which is also where we are eating all of our meals. Today was nice enough to open the small doors which have screens beside the large french doors for some fresh air. I didn't know those little doors were even there until Scott pointed them out. Everyday I discover something I haven't noticed before. Sarah Kelly and Scott both have a desk in their rooms so they do some work there. Scott uses the computer for both his writing class and his science work so he has to wait until Jeff is here in the evenings for that. So our school days are similar but yet different because there is a lot to do outdoors so we take breaks to feed the horses (there are 2 miniature horses here) and to groom them and Jackson and Elizabeth are light enough to ride them. Sarah Kelly has been learning about these horses from a book in the library so she gave us information on which brushes to use yesterday. I bought a big bag of carrots and each day everyone gets to feed them a portion of a carrot. Grooming, feeding, and playing with the horses (they discovered halters and lead ropes yesterday) adds much excitement to their day. They discovered when Tio comes to feed them hay in the mornings and they are wating to to help. We are waiting for bath day, they want to help with that too.

All in all, this is such a pleasant place to be and God is so good to provide this within the parameters of Jeff's work budget. A week before we left, we had no home to stay in and all I was desirous of was a 3 bedroom house with a working bathroom and a roof. (Some of you know that Jeff and I have not had a master bath in over a year and a half and we all share a bath in Landrum. So a one bathroom house would be manageable. The contractor should be finished by now and hopefully we'll have that bathroom after we get back and Jeff finishes the shower.) I just wanted to know we had a place to live. I knew about this house but it was too expensive and we didn't have the extra beyond his work budget to make it happen. Then she dropped the price and called me back. It was exactly where we needed it to be. God is amazing in that He provided more than we needed and I am so thankful for the beauty of His creation which I see every morning out the window and when I step into the yard.

Tomorrow I'll post some pictures.