At home with the Wrights

After a long egg-recession due to an unexpected 75% reduction of the Egg Plant workforce in May 2008 (aka our flock of 4 turned into a flock of 1 due to our friend's playful dog), we are operating at 75% egg-laying capacity as of today! Our single veteran layer, Feather (1 1/2 years old, Rhode Island Red), was joined by Frisbee (6 months old, Plymouth Barred Rock) and Peaches (5 1/2 months old Production Red) in boosting the backyard egg-conomy. When asked when she would "get in gear" and produce like the other hens, Penguin (5 1/2 months old, Plymouth Barred Rock) had no comment. We hope to see 100% egg-laying capacity within the next two weeks. Fresh brown eggs from left to right: Feather's, Peaches', Frisbee's

We love to discover the little hidden jewels of history dotted throughout Southern Louisiana. One of which, the Plaquemine Lock Historic Site (near Baton Rouge), we visited last Friday. Our friends and fellow homeschooling family, the Lewis's, joined us on our learning trek. Now, I bet you're asking yourself, "What's a lock?" I like to think of it as a gateway between two bodies of water. In this case, it's a gateway between the Mississippi River and Plaquemine Bayou, which ultimately leads to the Atchafalaya Basin (Louisiana's interior). In yesteryears, the Plaquemine Lock connected a booming route of commerce for the heavy logging of Cypress trees in the basin, not to mention a nice shortcut from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. It was closed in the early 1960s after a bigger, wider port (Port Allen) opened 10 miles north of Plaquemine. Plaquemine Lock and lockhouse Lock channel and surrounding park grounds Every year, the Plaquemine Lock ...

Aisling is very proud of the cardboard castle that she made for Note over two months ago. Note really enjoys it; we usually see him jumping on top to admire the view, or hiding inside for some peace and quiet. The castle comes complete with a koi pond (top left corner), archway (Note really likes to leisurely walk through it often), a taco shack (for quick snacks in between mealtimes, of course), and a post office on top. It also offers a surprising feature that Aisling figured out just recently...

Oh, the joy of Chinese fortune cookies! Trevor was the lucky person that happened upon this little gem one night after our family finished eating at China Town (...a Chinese restaurant...in town.) We all laughed really hard because we'd never seen a fortune so...generous and outright presumptuous. (Wouldn't you think in this day and age that the fortune cookie company would be more careful so they wouldn't be sued?) Usually, we get fortunes that say, "A penny saved is a penny earned" or " Confucius say: Be good and good luck will follow", but never a promise of this magnitude. I pocketed it, thinking that I would keep it to show friends and family and have another chuckle later on down the road. Afterwards, I promptly forgot all about it. While cleaning my home, I tend to review my life. I think of my achievements and failures, what I learned from each successful and not-so-successful venture/choice, etc. Today, while cleaning off the kitchen counter an...

No worries. We're still here and doing well. The day to day activities still stand: Homeschooling, housecleaning, working, and chasing our fun and quirky animals (chickens, kitten, and sometimes kids, etc.) Jane Austen has always been a welcome guest in our home, both in books as well as various dramatic representations. Pride and Prejudice will always be a favorite in this household, but I've also discovered the Masterpiece/BBC productions of Sense and Sensibility , Mansfield Park , and Northanger Abbey , as well as any other Austen reincarnation from the past. There is something fascinating and beautiful about period pieces. I realize that I tend to romanticize the past, but there is a picturesque tranquility in the cinematography that I can't help but feel is... truthful to the time period. The mannerisms, thoughts, beliefs, and ideals of the day (particularly the 18th and 19th centuries in England and the US) are so intriguing, and the chivalry and love stories so bea...