Blind Pig & The Acorn

July 4th & The Pledge of Allegiance

 

I pledge allegiance to the flag

of the United States of America

and to the republic for which it stands

one nation under God, indivisible,

with liberty and justice for all

In my elementary school days I recall saying the pledge each morning-in some grades-but not all. In high school-I don't ever recall saying the pledge-unless is was at a special assembly.

Chitter and Chatter tell me their 4th and 5th grade teachers led the class in saying the pledge every morning-but since they hit middle school they don't say it at all-unless it's at a special event.

On this day, July 4th, my thoughts are of the flag-of what it stands for-of those who fought to give birth to our great nation. I believe I should dwell on these things more often.

Did you say the pledge in school? Do your kids?

Tipper

p.s. Hope you have a wonderful July 4th!!

Economic Downturn Effects Education In Appalachia

 

Chitter and Chatter finished up the school year this week-and are quite happy about it. During their summer vacation they are hoping to do things like:

 

                                  Craft

 

                       Hyder Mountain Stomp

 

                          and Play in the water.

While the Blind Pig family is excited about summer and the fun it holds-everyone in our county isn't as thrilled. Our state government has made drastic cutbacks in education funding due to the economic downturn.

Cherokee County has approximately 3,300 students and approximately 150 teachers. Our student population has decreased by about 100 students over the past year-from families being forced to relocate in an effort to find work.

In the last week, 44 teachers have been given notice that their jobs no longer exist. While folks were expecting some layoffs-no one was prepared for 44 teachers. I can't imagine what the individuals must be feeling-but I can speak as a parent-and I'm left wondering how they will educate the children of our county without those 44 teachers?

I know all of the counties in NC are facing similar education cutbacks-but what about where you live? Has the economy effected education spending in your neck of the woods?

Tipper

Living In A Separate Place

 

I feel as though I've been living on another plane of life. A separate place where you exist and simultaneously you don't.

 

A neighborly place where you sit back and view your world go on without your input.

 

I've watched The Deer Hunter wash clothes, clean, cook, take care of the girls-all the things I usually do. I see he does them better than I do and I wonder if it's because he's doing the chores with a greater purpose in mind-he's doing them for me.

From my separate place I hear the girls-chatting, fussing, laughing-their only interruption being to run and check on me.

As I lie wondering if I'll ever recover from this flotsam of flu-I long to return to my plane of life. I long to return to my chores. I think I'll do them with more purpose-I think if I could just feel well I'll do them forever.

 

The first time I was well enough to shower, I forced myself to check on my seedlings before I took to my sick bed again. I was rewarded with tiny plants-most still encrusted with their tiny little seed caps-reaching for the sky. Spindly, pale, weak-yet reaching for something higher. As I stumbled back to bed I couldn't help but wonder-my first shower-is this my first step on my journey back to my life? Is it my first step at reaching for something higher?

Tipper

p.s. Thank you all for: your well wishes, your thoughts, your prayers, your cards-they all made me feel special and loved-and that's always a good thing!

Crystals In The Red Georgia Clay

 

Back in November the Blind Pig family spent a week in Georgia. Amid all the relaxing,

 

                               hunting,

 

                                 hiding,

 

                                 teaching,

   

                             knife drawing,

 

and silliness, Chatter and Chitter made time for one of thier favorite pastimes-looking for rocks.

  

They started out in a neighbors turnip patch (due to the drought not many of the greens had come up). The recently overturned dirt made it easy to spy choice specimens.

 

Chatter moved into the road to sift through the gravel-picky rock collectors Chatter and Chitter are not. After just a few minutes of searching in the road, Chatter began to find crystals-clear pretty crystals.

 

It took a little convincing to get Chitter to move to the road but...

 

       once she did-she began to find crystals too.

 

The following days found the girls searching the road for crystals.

 

This isn't the first time I've seen crystals ready for the picking in North Georgia. Back in the day before The Deer Hunter and I were married, he camped at a different place-about 20 miles away from the present location. I remember walking around the old lease picking up the big clear crystals-so plentiful they were like gravel.

I've read minerals form crystals-but-maybe that Red Georgia Clay has someting to do with it too.

Tipper

  

Trick or Treat

   

This Halloween has been quite around our house. In years past it's been filled with...

     

   

                      a couple of fairies,

     

                     an angel, an indian,

     

                            a hula girl,

   

                  a very goofy pioneer girl,

   

                     a rocker, a genie,

   

                 a pirate, and Cruella herself.

But his year, no strange characters are hanging out at our house. The girls have decided they are too old for trick or treating. I'm kinda glad-and kinda sad.

Have you seen any characters around your place this Halloween?

Tipper

Two Shadows

In this season of lengthening shadows-I have 2 to share with you. The first is an original poem written by Chitter. I found 2 self portraits to go along with the poem-I believe she took the photos during the same time period she wrote the poem. You can see what was on her mind.

                           My Shadow

     

                   My shadow is small in size

                       Perfect in disguise

                     Stays close behind me

                      So no one will see

                           Day by day

                       And step by step

                          All the way

                       With me it walks

    

                         I love to hear

                         It's footsteps

                            So near

                       Right behind me

                      My shadow stays

                                              Chitter 2007

The second shadow is brought to you by way of Paul and Guitar Man. This week's Pickin' & Grinnin' Spot In The Kitchen is an old Hank Thompson song I Cast A Lonesome Shadow.

Before you start the video, go to the radio and pause it by clicking the first "button" starting on the left under the title. You need to do this-so you can hear the video. If you have dreaded dial up service (like I do)-I would suggest you click the button to start the video and then go do something else until it loads. Once it has downloaded then you can start it back to the beginning and watch it through. 

                    

Hope you enjoyed both shadows-the poem and the outstanding pickin and grinnin!

Tipper

p.s. This week winds up my last Acorn Giveaway and the final winner is Christina from The Joy of Christina.

    

She wins a little treasure box- made by me! Hope you like it Christina. And hope all you Acorns enjoyed the month of giveaways! My usual Spread the Love Giveaway will end on Halloween-so comment! 

Gomming With Mud

Since cooler weather has arrived in Appalachia-the girls have been enjoying one of their favorite pastimes-gomming in the mud.

      All you need is-water, dirt, willing hands, and an

      imagination. Just look at some of their creations-

             -a flower mud pate with leaf garnish,

            mud salad served with stacked mud balls

                    and a side of mashed mud,

                and lastly-my personal favorite-

           mud pudding served in a mushroom cap.

Usually when I make pudding-I love to lick the bowl. But I think I'll pass on this one.

Making mud pies and using flora for fake salads was something I enjoyed as a kid. Sometimes the girls will make up a whole meal and ask me and The Deer Hunter to come as their special guests. It always amazes me-they put so much effort into the creations-just for us to throw them over our shoulders as we pretend to eat them.

Hope you enjoyed the gomming-you can at least be glad it didn't take place at your house right?

Tipper

Twelve Years Ago

        Once upon a time The Deer Hunter and I

            thought we had it all figured out.

      Twelve years ago today-that all changed...

  when 2 screaming bundles of joy came into our lives.

                   From the first birthday...

                            through

                                 all

                                 the

                               years...

we are so glad our perspective on life was changed forever! Happy Birthday Chatter and Chitter!

Tipper

In the Pines

Over the weekend, I looked out my window and saw the Three Indian Princesses in the back yard. I grabbed my camera and snuck out to see what they were up too.

As I followed them, I realized they were on the move-leaving their summer camp by the creek for their fall camp-high above the house in the tall pines and thick mountain laurel.

     As I walked along the steep trail up the ridge-

        I came across the first sign of their camp.

          A large circle used for tribal meetings.

    As I crept ever closer-through the understory,

  I could see the Princesses working on their camp.

While I was busy spying on the girls, I was caught by Princess 1 who let me know-I was trespassing on Indian territory. I assured her I came in peace and only wanted to document their fall camp.

  After a short pow wow with the other Princesses,

    it was decided I could stay and look around.

              Princess 2 showed me her home-

             and her two friends Ruby and Bill.

Princess 3's home was deeper in the woods. The flat shelf like area (she's sitting in) is where an old growth tree stood before it fell and rotted away.

  Princess 1 would only let me photograph what was

      above her home-I think she was still mad-

                      about my spying

After spending some time at their fall camp-I realized I liked it as well as the summer camp-even though there was no water nearby. The views from the high ridge are truly spectacular.

                View from the front of camp.

              View from the back of camp-

            Not a bad place to hang out uh?

When I was young, I had a hang out at the bottom of a huge old pine tree up above Granny and Pap's house. Now the tree is gone along with the bank it stood on-all in the name of progress. Makes me long for the tall pines of my youth.

Ever spend time in the pines?

Tipper

Clogging Fun

Over the weekend we enjoyed some Clogging Fun!

                               Cadent

                                 Lace

                                Orderly

                               Graceful

                                  Gait

                               Intricate

                               Neatly

                               Gaiety

                            Flamboyant

                                Unruly

                                   Nice

Now that you've seen all the fun we had- What did you do over the weekend?

Tipper