Yes, today is a two-for-one special - two posts on the same day. The purpose of this post is to spread the word about the Hunger Hike that Micah and I are taking part in on September 21. The goal of the Hike is to raise money for the people in the Greater Lafayette area who don’t have enough to eat. It’s amazing to us that so many people have so much (Senator McCain has, apparently, more houses than he can count!) and yet there are children that go hungry. Not in Africa (although they do, there, too) or China (as our mother’s have so often informed us) but here at home. In the middle of the US.

On Sunday, September 21, the man-child and I will be walking with our homeschool group, Lafayette Secular Homeschoolers, under the banner (if I get it made in time) of Homeschoolers Against Hunger. Click here, or on the icon below to sponsor us. It’s easy, secure, and it doesn’t matter how much you donate, just that you do. Can’t you give up one latte in the name of feeding hungry children??? I know, shameless guilt inspiring dialog…I know no boundaries!

Seriously, though, sponsor us. Not only will you be helping hungry people in the Greater Lafayette area, but you’ll be showing an impressionable 13 year old man child that there really are good, caring people in the world.

Thank you!

Now, for your viewing pleasure…the man-child’s recent self-photo shoot with extra pictures of our daughter…

…and yet I have not much to say. Knitting is slow, the shoulder is giving me problems. But my plain brown socks are in the toe phase.

 This picture doesn’t really do them justice.  It’s a nice warm, nutty, tweedy brown from Knitpicks.  Knitpicks Essential Tweed, to be specific.  In Russet - which on the website looks more burgundy, but is really a brown with a reddish touch to it.  My friend Cheryl will know exactly what I mean.  Apparently there is some thing that some women have in the cones (I think it’s cones) of their eyes that allow them to see many more shades of color than other people.  She and I share that ability.  It makes picking an orange color MURDER!  And browns.  And greens.  Really anything that has a red color in it.  It’s annoying sometimes.

On the political front, I’m rather disappointed that Barack didn’t choose Hilary.  Realistically, he couldn’t have chosen her and won, but still…it would have been historic.  I’m still voting for him, even though he didn’t choose the running mate I wanted him to choose.

One last topic left - Micah and I are going to do the Hunger Hike on September 21 that benefits Lafayette Urban Ministry, Food Finders, and a couple other charities in the Greater Lafayette area.  You can sponsor us (please do!) through the link I put on the blog, or by clicking on this:  Sponsor Us!   Yes, I’m making the man child walk THE ENTIRE WAY!  C’mon!  It’s only a couple of miles!  I’d better get him into training now…

Well, if the measure of a parent’s success is the extent to which one’s children are independent, Jeff and I have succeeded in our parental endeavors.  Not only do all except for the youngest live on their own, independently, but they frequently make large life choices without asking for our input!  For example, Sandy (who is in the Navy Reserve and lives in San Diego) didn’t tell us he was joining the Navy (he was in the regular Navy, stationed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise) until I came home from work one day to find the Navy recruiter sitting in my livingroom.  Now, his Navy reserve unit has volunteered to attend fire fighting school in Maryland for six weeks.  He claims he thought he told us.  Not!  Going to Maryland?  Didn’t know!  Fire fighting?  Clueless about this life choice!!  Here he is with his gear on:

Cute, but fire fighting?  I guess it’s the young man’s passion for excitement and new experiences.  He never was one to sit on the sidelines.  Always up for a challenge, that one!

Not to be outdone, our daughter Susanne is moving back to California.  Not only that, but she also tatooed “California” complete with palms on the top of her foot.  I’ll see if I can get a picture for you.  Tatoos are her thing, though, so that didn’t surprise me.  She’s going in just 5 weeks.  We’re so going to miss her!  It isn’t going to be the same without having her a few blocks away.  Micah will especially miss her.

The others are also moving forward.  Scott is going back to school to get a bachelor’s degree in IT, Katie has moved with her two little darlings to a new apartment in Birmingham, and Jason and Ashley are all settled into their own house after the honeymoon.

Micah will be in his first play tonight - Pirates of Penzance Jr.  It has been a month long intensive camp - 9-5 Monday through Friday for four weeks.  He’s loved it, hated it, wanted to quit, refused to quit, loved it again.  Pictures will be forthcoming.