Just Come Read This. (please?)

Hello! If you live in Va or NC, haven't these past few days been glorious? I feel quite spring-y, and I am extremely ready for flowers! I found a few pansies and wore them in my hair during church, but... like an analogy of how we feel about winter...they wilted. :) Some of my goals for this week are: keep working as Dad's office manager, WORK ON MY STINKIN' SCOTTISH DRESS, and read some of the nine books I am in the middle of! There you have it: Quite enough for one week besides school work and household things, don't you think? You may ask why I am in the middle of so many books? A simple answer: I love to read! The other answer? I kept losing the book I was in the middle of and so I'd start a new one! :)
The little goats are doing well- still name less! Please pray for Daniel this Tuesday (I think?) because he is addressing our county's G.O.P about Generation Joshua with another boy. They are the official speakers, so a bit nervous, also because Randy Forbes's wife might be there!
Do you ever imagine out conversations with yourself? I do. And I make the most witty and sparklings repartees, only to find myself in a similiar conversation with a real person, and make commonplace remarks about the weather, and Great Aunt Fanny's old milk cow! ;)
Well, hope you all have a great week! -Rachel

Goaties!

Hey Everbody! I was just gonna post some pics of the new baby goats! There is a boy and a girl(as Rachel said) and they're adorable!!! The boy got his longer hair from his dad and his "prettiness" from his mom, and the girl is black and tan on her face and legs and is black with a white splotch on her back!!

Do you like em? I sure do!! :) :)

Okay, well I've gotta go, but I just watched Pride and Prejudice last night and I absolutely loved it!!! Mr. Darcy and Lizzy are my favorite!

Gotta go!(matthew says hi)

-Sarah

The World's Youngest Grandmother!

Hey everybody! My nine year old sister Anna is the world's youngest grandmother! (Finally!)
Her La Mancha goat, Daisy Sofia, had twin kids! They were born about an hour ago! As of yet, we don't know whether they are bucklings or does... or both! We are just letting Daisy get used to them. She's being the perfect mother and licking both of them. One is a bit bigger than the other, and I'm guessing it's a male. Maryanna and I (a friend) were going out to feed her, and saw 3 goats in the pen! :) The principle people interested are both absent. (Sarah and Anna) so they were slightly outraged that after tarrying two weeks, Daisy had her kids without them!
Well, pictures will come soon! -Rachel

Can I Turn Him Into A Mr. Knightley? I Wonder.....

Yesterday my lovely grandmother saved my hide by lending me a sewing machine! Yay! *great big sigh of relief*! Now I can finally start sewing for real on my Scottish dress. Grandmama is a seamstress, and sews for local theatres, ballet studios, etc. She used to own the ballet studio that she sews at, and I took lessons there as a really little girl! Anyway, it is undoubtedly a handy thing to have a grandmother who can make wedding dresses, chinese dragon costumes, and reenacting clothes! ;) We were over her house for lunch yesterday. Nobody makes meatloaf like Grandmama! Here is a tradition that is in it's second generation at least: whenever the grandkids come over, you serve them vanilla bean icecream with chocolate syrup. That has been going on for so long (With Mama, Uncle Lon, and Uncle David, and now us) that I can remember the chocolate syrup coming out of a can! :)
All this to say, thank you Grandmama for lending me the machine! I have it up my sleeve, (if Daniel pays for the materials) to make him a period costume. I'm thinking one like Mr. Darcy's or Mr. Knightleys, because we already have the pattern for his size in that. I can just see him in a navy-blue or brown coat. Then he'd only need high-top boots and a top-hat to make the ideal "Gentleman From Virginia". Or change it to be "The Gentleman from The Colonies" to sound more British! ;) So I'm thinking I'll make him either that, or, if he insists, I think we may have one that is rather Pirate-y. I'm not sure.
I'm slightly frightened at the idea of one of those tailored coats.....hmmmm....well, we'll see how far my creative-streak takes me, and whether I get my nerve up!
We girls are comissioned by Mama to make our swim-suits from a pattern The King's Daughter made her's from this spring! It is really neat, because while very modest, it is also stylish! I'm excited, but wondering about the slippery material.....? Anyway, just some sewing ideas!

"A Duel"

"A Duel"

Long ago in a valley green,

Where a thriving hamlet once had been

Was a rubb-ly castle, hidden well

By maples tall, in a shady dell.

The penants, fluttery once, and gay,

Now hung in shreds- a faded gray;

The tower was crumbly, the dias leaked,

And in the dungeon the mouses squeaked.

Now, Squire Cliff and Baron Bim,

(Both plum full of peppery vim)

Engaged in a duel on the weedy lawn

As the edge of night gave way to dawn.

The Baron, (insulted) and the Squire (quite red

With anger) their stout hearts quivered with dread.

None wanted to fight, they dallied and stalled,

"3 Paces!" which words their courage dulled.

But neither would give it up as a joke-

"What we need s'for Bim (th'old Baron) to choke!"

The sun had climbed higher, now quite in the sky,

They drew swords and poised, "Hark! Where comes that cry?!?!"

Repeated! And from the dell came a maid,

With basket and blanket, their arms she stayed-

"Kind Squire! Good Baron! You mustn't fast!

Come, bury the hatchet, enjoy this repast!

Reluctant, but grateful, each laid down his arms,

Exploring instead, a beef-pasty's charms.

They kissed and made up o'er a cup o' darjeeling,

And surely there was quite a brotherly feeling.

And so the adage shall henceforth be,

"All's well that ends with a cup of tea!"

That poem, though not at all perfect in the sense of poetry, was made up by something Leah said while we were taking our "constitutional". (a walk- English wot-wot?)

All she said, in talking about Mama or something, was the last line of the poem. It struck my fancy, and I decided to make an overly-dramatic poem about two cowardly men. It worked out quite nicely, though not the best example of my poetry! -Rachel