Thursday, December 11, 2008

Hooray


Well it has been three years since I have seen snow come down like this.  A rare event in the south, snow in December, has happened in Jackson!  I feel like a true southern girl being so excited by so little snow!  Thirteen years in Michigan left me a little jaded with snow and ice, but I think that is over!

Sunday, November 09, 2008


 My lovely father died three minutes into Monday morning.  It has been a difficult week to say the least.  Healing, loving hands, hearts and friends have been everywhere.  The funeral was Friday in Cleveland, MS.  We had all made our way back to Jackson by Saturday.  Duff, Anja, Meredith, Daniel, Ben, James, Jim and I all went to Chapel Hill Saturday night.  It was lovely to walk in the woods, have a bonfire, and just  sit with these wonderful people; family who knew and loved Dad-some as grandfather, some as friend.  We will all miss him and are blessed to have had him.  My mom, who has loved him longer than their 63 years of marriage said it so completely about his death.  "I am just not ready".  It is true 63 years of living with and loving that man just was not enough for her and my 54 years have not been enough for me.  Dad we miss you.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

We did this in January

We did this in January and burned it today.  Not all that we knocked down but a large pile of it!  It was a beautiful day today.  The fire burned beautifully and the hot dogs we roasted were yummy.  Hooray for wooded property!

Friday, October 03, 2008

my new hero


This is a picture of Spanky.  He is a fabulous dog.  I personally own a small, black, fluffy ankle biter named Dexter.  This is actually Meredith's dog whom I have bonded with since she left for Wheaton.  Dex and I have been out for walks and no less than three times Spanks has gotten between us and aggressive dogs.  The only one I was really worried about was the last.  A large black lab mix charged out of his electronic fence and proceeded to place his large jaws around Dexter's small neck, when I tried to intervene, (I must say I have experience with dogs and am comfortable dealing with them) this dog went berserk.  I really thought I would not get out without injury and I wasn't sure I could get Dexter out at all...then along came Spanky.   He charged in between Dexter and monster dog, totally wowed monster dog with his sheer huge ugliness, and escorted Dexter and I away from M.D.  This bulldog kept himself between us and this dog all the way home!   Needless to say he was well rewarded with hot dogs and hugs.  He now comes to visit most mornings, sometimes shoving open our back door and coming on into the bedroom to say Hi!   He is always welcome and will always be my hero!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Comment to Hilary

I was reading your blog with interest.  The comment on Russian novels caught me.  No longer a mind which is only academic - rather one which has gone with  sorrowful heart through death with friend, grief over people who hurt our dear loves, distress over sickness and debility in one formerly strong and vigorous ... ( For me even simple t.v. car chase scenes  can be hard to take --knowing Lori who was broadsided by a careless driver, years in recovery and still in pain.)  The life of Christ teaches that on this earth the bad guy often wins and destruction has its way.  Grief, the pain which cannot make it right.  The wrong which cannot be escaped.  Christ wept, we weep. Not overcome with evil but overcoming evil with good.   Sometimes working through the things which are actually happening is all we can do.  When we read or watch t.v., a diversion from the sadness is what our emotions need, not an emersion in another set of characters and the pain of their lives.  So enjoy your respites and when the mind is ready, it will approach those novels with an expanded and hard won comprehension, my dear, lovely niece.
P.S.  I really was sick Saturday night!  When I got home my temp. was 101 !

Friday, September 19, 2008

Pearce and his grammy GG


Pearce perceived his grammy G's heart and is here expounding on world peace.  She of course is delighted and amazed, as were we all.

For Best Results

Go down three blogs to begin.  Work backwards.  

His grandmother tries to do the same...


And fails.

Proof


I know that many of you may be astounded at the intellectual prowess of this tiny one.  Here you may see with your own eyes him explaining the meaning of the universe to his Aunt Susan.

Yes, it is true


There is a new wonder in the world.  This little miracle of perfection is my new great nephew, Pearce, with the emphasis on great.  He really is an intelligent little fellow and I do believe him part elvenkind. ( Note the pointed and perfect little ears)  Amy is being a dear mother to her baby boy, Cathy and Dave the proud grandparents.  We all agree he is an exceptional infant.  His Aunt Susan claims special kinship with him since they share the red hair.  

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Wedding Photos



Here are two photos from the wedding.  And yes, Duff had his hat off for the ceremony!  The cake topper was a gyroscope built by Jim.  Jim you need to make a post about that...

Wedding

My son recently married a lovely young lady named Anja.  This is one of my favorite photos of my new daughter.  The wedding was held at Luckett Lodge.  It was our pleasure to have the many friends and family of the Weyants come and enjoy Mississippi.  There was an amazing streak of cooler weather just for the wedding!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

About Meredith


Jim and I just returned from a two thousand mile trek.  We visited some beautiful places and met some fabulous people.  Our first destination was Wisconsin to visit Meredith and get a view of Honey Rock.  Those who know her and know Honey Rock will not need any explanation of how great her summer is and continues to be.  Great people, loving the triune God, great outdoors, revealing a bit of that mighty God's handiwork, great challenges in physical endurance, great opportunities to love little ones, put it all together and what do you have?  Meredith's wonderful summer!
She also has a special friend fellow, Matt Miller.  He was a pleasure to meet.  I have always enjoyed Meredith's friends.  We look forward to getting to know Matt better.  They were both fighting a terrible flu like illness at this time. ( I came down with it later and it was dreadful)  I never would have known it, Matt was quite the gentleman, gracious, manly and kind.  Meredith you show excellent taste in men.  God bless you both as you encourage each other in Christ. 
Hooray for Honey Rock! 

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Jim says Howdy


Here is Jim on top of one of the downed trees at Mule Jail. Oh if he had only stayed on his feet. But alas, (in more ways than one) he sat. As many of you know the south is swarming with little vampire bugs-- ticks, skeeters, and red bugs. The redbugs at the base of the tree were delighted with Jim's derriere - Yummmm

Sunday, April 13, 2008

More photos of the power of these twisters





The force it would take to splinter healthy living wood like this is amazing. That plus the fact the surrounding trees often were untouched.

The power of wind


Some tornados blew through Mule Jail club. They smashed trees on either side of the cabin. First I am going to post some pictures that display the power of the twisting wind plus its pin point precision. The first picture I will post is of a healthy growing tree with its top twisted off, you can see to the right - behind it, a very dead stick of a tree, whose remains still stand straight and tall. They were about fifteen feet apart.

Monday, March 24, 2008

So many things...


First I must say my son Duff is now engaged to a lovely young lady named Anja. We met her for the first time over spring break. She bravely wanted to marry Duff even after meeting all of the Mississippi folk. Every one here thought she was delightful! Meredith and I look forward to another female in this male dominated family! Hooray! Now for a picture.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Dad is 88 in 08!


I love this picture of mom and dad, taken about three weeks ago. Happy Birthday DAD!

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

on the copying of other artists work continued by me

I think the statement below mirrors my ideas. One of the things that influences American thought is Copyright law; however, the vanity of mind that we are all so original, also plays a role. We do not want to steal, or represent our work as our own if it is not. However we cut ourselves off from a treasure trove of learning if we do not spend time in copy. How to solve this? I don't know, I do copy but always with a feeling of guilt. I make sure to attribute due where it is due and would never sell a copied work, however I need the genius of others. To work their work and see through their eyes gives me eyes I would not have had otherwise. So I seek to copy the techniques of genius , sometimes a whole work, and as I learn and it becomes part of my presuppositional thought, their genius might shine again through me...I could only hope.
The reason I air again these thoughts with which my family is so familiar is the anti-copy attitude I find in a fellow artist with whom I work.

On the copying of other artists work

Below is the material I do not think you have. It is from an article in "The Art Journal", dated 1888 by R.A.M. Stevenson. It is particularly pertinent to the subject of copying the work of other artists with a view toward self-improvement.

From article:


"Not only by looking, but by copying, he became familiar with the works of the Venetians and other painters before he began his professional training as one of the first pupils who came to the studio of M. Carolus Duran. Here he showed himself American rather than English by a practical common sense and a reasonable docility which led him to put himself in reality, and not in name only, into the position of a pupil. He had none of the obstinacy which leads some Englishmen to think they know more than their professor. These false pupils fear the loss of an originality which they may never have possessed, and which, unless they acquire facility of expression, must remain for ever unrevealed to the world. A vague feeling of originality which cannot be expressed is a very doubtful possession, and may only consist in ignorance of what can be done with paint. People who have never seriously grappled with Art fail to realise how much the strangeness of certain works is involuntary, and arises from the inability of the authors to make them correspond to their intentions. Anyhow it cannot but be good practice to learn to keep to an ensemble of a certain kind, even if it be not of one's own discovery. Thus the artist acquires facility, certainty, and a standard with which to gauge success when he would realise an intention of his own....Mr. Sargent devoted himself to the routine of the studio without seeking to appear original."

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Monikins

Well if you haven't heard the Monikins are in the news again. It seems they have been holding celebrations about the warming earth. They have great hopes that their archipelago of kingdoms located near the Antarctic will prosper with the longer summers and warmer winters. What's a little flooding in the lowlands? They have even considered renaming some of their seasons. Such as the season of nuts rather than the season of ice.
Since their currency is not money, but promises (which has the dual advantages of being impossible to burn or steal) - they have a difficult time advertising their cool kingdoms or attracting much industry. This has caused them to be non newsworthy since 1962. That was the year of the last big news splash from the Monikins. As many may remember it was their assertion that man will eventually develop into a Monikin. To this day they continue to insist that humans will one day have their seat of reason in a long lovely tail, rather than the brain. They think this warming trend will help this process along. According to their research this is precisely what is happening. So, if you find yourself near their islands, fly low and quiet, maybe you will hear the yips and yowls of their joy!

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Another pic

New Puppy


Jim and I were taking the scenic route home from Chapel Hill. In Mississippi that means; winding roads, one lane bridges put in 50 years ago, crossing the might Pearl, in other words- deep country. It was in a particularly desolate area that we saw a young puppy on the side of the road. This pup looked forlorn. "Stop, stop the truck" Out I went, the pup was so weak its attempt to run away was easily overcome. As I was gathering her up I saw a dead dog in the ditch, I assume it was its mom? companion? any way it looked as if it had lost a fight with an automobile. The photos I am posting of Ellie Mae are taken after she has been with us six days. She has been to the vet, wormed, and shots given. She has also eaten almost nonstop. I did not want another dog after Pippen, the pee and poop can really get to me. However I think this little girl has won our hearts.

Another tractor photo

Chapel Hill Again


I got some great photos from Chapel Hill. Jim is about as happy as can be knocking down scrub with his blue New Holland tractor. The underbrush is so thick it was knocking the tractor right back...the side grill was knocked off and bush whacked and a tree grabbed the exhaust pipe and gave it a hard yank. Next time we trailer the tractor it will be to the tractor hospital for some recovery treatment after the heroic battle against scrub at Chapel Hill.