In a few hours, the fifteen year old makes the three hour drive to the city to hang out at the airport until midnight. He is not legal to drive at night without an adult so has to be parked at the airport before dark. The sixteen year old going with him is not a driver. So, they will wait at the airport with no cell phone or tablets to entertain them for about five hours. They will take books and pillows. Meantime, they will be driving around on ATV’s picking rocks for a neighboring farmer. And going to school.
The girls were supposed to spend the night with an older couple as they had lawn jobs yesterday and today, but when the calf became problematic, they had to return and do the milking and feeding of the calf last night and this morning. So they will drive back down this morning (no, they are not authorized to drive the grade so they go the long way).
But there is no baseball today. The first four days of the week have us in at least two places at the same time each afternoon for baseball. I am so glad fifteen year old can drive and they respect the fact that he will rat them out if anything goes awry as he is not willing to lose his driving privileges.
We will be very busy but I am not planning to let husband be more than a few feet away from me the entire two weeks as I need an emotional recharge.
So…prayer for wisdom and sufficient love and time for each child to know they are valued.
Praying mumsee. For decades to come there will be a lot of adults out there in our constantly changing world, doing normal and great things with their lives, becoming parents and grandparents and great-grandparents someday, who will have sweet memories of growing up with you all in that special place. 🙂
Mumsee, you know I’m praying for you and the nest. But I’m confused by
“not authorized to drive the grade”. There are lots of “grades” in NC, but I have never heard of someone with a license not being authorized to drive a grade.
Not being authorized by his parents. The grade is made of dust and gravel with no guard rail, a straight up cliff on the left, a nearly straight down cliff on the right (going down from two hundred to a thousand feet) and many places where only one vehicle can go at a time. It is a state highway. And lots of switchbacks with no trees to hide the view. And lots of drunks driving it. When they do road work, they don’t always indicate it so you might drive down and find a large berm of gravel in the center as a grader runs end to end on the road, with no place to turn around, so your car has to straddle the berm until you see oncoming traffic, at which point you have to put your left tires on the berm while not letting the right tires go over the edge. The other person tries to stay off the berm and out of the ditch and off the wall. Not to be taken lightly. People have been found frozen in fear and had to have others drive the car on down the road while they walked the three miles. I prefer them to make at least ten drives up the grade (on the inside) before trying going down. But it is quite scenic, ask Phos or Kim. I have let some of them ride their bikes down and back up.
Donna: I hope they remember us somewhat fondly. People look at our poor children, being raised by religious zealots and totally stifled in a homeschool envrionment, but I think they realize they have much more freedom than their peers. Even if they do not get to go to the prom. They also know that that freedom is to be treasured and not thrown away with stupid behavior.
“another good interview – I don’t have a clear picture of how well it went, but I walked away feeling peace regardless of what happens next. Also had an interesting conversation with the director in my current area ( I direct reported to her for almost 7 years before her promotion to director, so I have had a different manager for the last year) she usually likes to have the last word, but God gave me the right words to say to remain respectful, but seemed to stop her instinct to rebut”
Oh! I see. I have driven grades, but I don’t like to. And the mention of scenery doesn’t mean anything to the driver because he (I) am always watching the road. Lots of scenery in my vicinity I haven’t seen.
As I said before, The road ahead is not in the same direction your car is pointed.
But all the roads I venture on are paved.
That is another reason they don’t drive it. I saw the seventeen year old girl driving down my driveway while watching me standing two hundred feet to her left. She lost her driving privileges for several weeks. They are still so distractable, it is easy for them to get caught up watching that deer over there….
I sent a photo of the Grade to AJ, but it doesn’t do it justice. My dad started letting me sit in his lap and drive at 10 or so. I wouldn’t drive the grade. It’s a scary place.
Wandering Views 
Sometime about now Mike is coming for a visit. So praying for safe travels for Mike and a good visit with the family at the Nest.
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In a few hours, the fifteen year old makes the three hour drive to the city to hang out at the airport until midnight. He is not legal to drive at night without an adult so has to be parked at the airport before dark. The sixteen year old going with him is not a driver. So, they will wait at the airport with no cell phone or tablets to entertain them for about five hours. They will take books and pillows. Meantime, they will be driving around on ATV’s picking rocks for a neighboring farmer. And going to school.
The girls were supposed to spend the night with an older couple as they had lawn jobs yesterday and today, but when the calf became problematic, they had to return and do the milking and feeding of the calf last night and this morning. So they will drive back down this morning (no, they are not authorized to drive the grade so they go the long way).
But there is no baseball today. The first four days of the week have us in at least two places at the same time each afternoon for baseball. I am so glad fifteen year old can drive and they respect the fact that he will rat them out if anything goes awry as he is not willing to lose his driving privileges.
We will be very busy but I am not planning to let husband be more than a few feet away from me the entire two weeks as I need an emotional recharge.
So…prayer for wisdom and sufficient love and time for each child to know they are valued.
LikeLike
Praying mumsee. For decades to come there will be a lot of adults out there in our constantly changing world, doing normal and great things with their lives, becoming parents and grandparents and great-grandparents someday, who will have sweet memories of growing up with you all in that special place. 🙂
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I’ll be praying, Mumsee.
I’m leaving again for a while. Anything that comes to mind that you’d like to pray for me, my husband and family, go right ahead.
Thank you.
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AJ, how went the interview you mentioned on yesterday’s prayer thread?
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Mumsee, you know I’m praying for you and the nest. But I’m confused by
“not authorized to drive the grade”. There are lots of “grades” in NC, but I have never heard of someone with a license not being authorized to drive a grade.
LikeLike
Not being authorized by his parents. The grade is made of dust and gravel with no guard rail, a straight up cliff on the left, a nearly straight down cliff on the right (going down from two hundred to a thousand feet) and many places where only one vehicle can go at a time. It is a state highway. And lots of switchbacks with no trees to hide the view. And lots of drunks driving it. When they do road work, they don’t always indicate it so you might drive down and find a large berm of gravel in the center as a grader runs end to end on the road, with no place to turn around, so your car has to straddle the berm until you see oncoming traffic, at which point you have to put your left tires on the berm while not letting the right tires go over the edge. The other person tries to stay off the berm and out of the ditch and off the wall. Not to be taken lightly. People have been found frozen in fear and had to have others drive the car on down the road while they walked the three miles. I prefer them to make at least ten drives up the grade (on the inside) before trying going down. But it is quite scenic, ask Phos or Kim. I have let some of them ride their bikes down and back up.
Donna: I hope they remember us somewhat fondly. People look at our poor children, being raised by religious zealots and totally stifled in a homeschool envrionment, but I think they realize they have much more freedom than their peers. Even if they do not get to go to the prom. They also know that that freedom is to be treasured and not thrown away with stupid behavior.
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Kevin,
Here’s what she posted about it.
“another good interview – I don’t have a clear picture of how well it went, but I walked away feeling peace regardless of what happens next. Also had an interesting conversation with the director in my current area ( I direct reported to her for almost 7 years before her promotion to director, so I have had a different manager for the last year) she usually likes to have the last word, but God gave me the right words to say to remain respectful, but seemed to stop her instinct to rebut”
And thanks for asking. 🙂
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Oh! I see. I have driven grades, but I don’t like to. And the mention of scenery doesn’t mean anything to the driver because he (I) am always watching the road. Lots of scenery in my vicinity I haven’t seen.
As I said before, The road ahead is not in the same direction your car is pointed.
But all the roads I venture on are paved.
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That is another reason they don’t drive it. I saw the seventeen year old girl driving down my driveway while watching me standing two hundred feet to her left. She lost her driving privileges for several weeks. They are still so distractable, it is easy for them to get caught up watching that deer over there….
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I sent a photo of the Grade to AJ, but it doesn’t do it justice. My dad started letting me sit in his lap and drive at 10 or so. I wouldn’t drive the grade. It’s a scary place.
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You’re such a wise mother, Mumsee.
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