7 Quick Takes

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Jennifer at Conversion Diary hosts 7 Quick Takes Friday. As I understand it, the idea is that one can share 7 bits that are interesting but not "big enough" for a real post. I love reading hers, but was sure I'd NEVER try it myself. I usually post a few days a week, and couldn't imagine having SEVEN extra things to write about. Well, never say never...

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In a similar vein, when we moved back to Virginia (more than 20 years ago), I remember laughing with disbelief on learninig that the library's limit is 50 books per card! I was checking out a maximum of three at a time so I wouldn't lose track of them. Fast forward to the homeschooling years. Now I manage 7 cards--14 digit account numbers memorized, placing holds and renewing books online, etc. Our record as a family was having over 230 books on loan at once! (And no, I hardly ever pay fines--due dates are on the main calendar and the ability to manage renewals from home makes it do-able.)

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It was supposed to go up in October, but yesterday I finally put up my fall wreath.

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Speaking of fall, my walking wardrobe has been progressing with the season. First came the jacket, followed by the sweatshirt, jacket, and gloves. Then the hood went up. Now I'm wearing my coziest socks and thermals under my sweatpants. Still to come: the winter coat and scarf/hat combo under the hood.

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Yesterday Len was home so I had the privilege of running errands by myself during school hours--bliss! In under two hours (door-to-door) I made it to five stores, returning, shopping, etc. I hardly ever stray from my grocery store/library/kid activity routes, so making it to so many "out of the way" spots seemed like a big deal.

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But the biggest deal for me lately is my age. Since I have a September birthday, I tend to look ahead, feeling just a little older than I really am. I subtract my birth year from the current one and think, "I'm almost ____." So I just turned 48 and I am still TOTALLY FREAKING OUT. It feels like I'm going to be 50 any minute, even though it's almost two full years away. Turning 30 was nothing; good grief, I only had one child. Even 40 was no big deal. But 50 sounds OLD-OLD-OLD. Time to take a deep breath...

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Fun fact: You know how you can see your breath on a cold day? That's what we notice when a whale is exhaling. It's not spouting water; warm (mammalian) breath is condensing and becoming visible water vapor. I love homeschooling! :-)

Have a great weekend!