Thoughts, Adventures, & Daily Life of a Home-Schooled High-Schooler

         I like taking pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. I have a stash of SD cards ranging anywhere from 4 to 16 gigabytes. And they are all pretty full. I have this habit of not emptying my cards until the very unhandy message flashes across the screen on my camera "Insufficient space on card". Grrr, and it always happens at the most inconvenient times. Then I sit at the computer and slowly determine the fate of each picture. Trash, file, or to-be-determined. The easiest ones are the photos that document the random, and sometimes mundane family functions of everyday life. Those go in the folder "2019". Talk about a generic folder name! The pictures that are blurry disappear in a moment by a few strokes on the keyboard.  Beep, de-dong! The "file" (aka trashcan) just gained another inhabitant.          "Why do you have a picture of a half eaten cookie?" one of my younger siblings exclaims. That's weird."            Well thank y

         On Wednesday, we spent the afternoon on the Susquehanna River. For awhile, tubing and jumping off the rope swing where a big entertainment, but then the fishing started.          All together, we caught 13 catfish. Yes, we're pretty sure they were not the same ones. They were all measured, and several had distinct markings. "The net! The net! Now, quick!" "He's goin' under the boat!" "Keep the line away from the pontoon! If it touches, the line might snap!" And then again, "The net; hurry!" (Its not super easy to see, but 2 of the 3 rods have fish on in the picture) Happy with his catch! This was the first time I had ever caught a catfish. They are really fun to fight! How big is this one? Quote while fishing:          "Hey! I thought you didn't like fishing. There you sit on the boat with your line in the water instead of swimming!"          "I don't like fishi

         Yesterday we took the boat out on the Susquehanna River. We got to a spot where we like to splash, but the river was high, and the current swift. After getting in the water, one of my younger sisters declared that she wanted to "go to the deep shallow part."          Upon further questioning, I determined that "deep shallow" was a place where the water was about 8in deep; she can walk, and not get thoroughly drenched.

I promised you pictures, and if I don't do them now, you might not see them for a very long time. . .         According to Wikipedia ,  "Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from  home in a shelter, such as a tent. Typically participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more natural ones in pursuit of activities providing them enjoyment. To be regarded as "camping" a minimum of one night is spent outdoors, distinguishing it from day-tripping, picnicking, and other similarly short-term recreational activities. Camping can be enjoyed through all four seasons."  So, that is one idea. Tuesday evening, we got to Little Buffalo State Park, and started setting up camp. I had found some recipes for a dutch oven campfire cooking, and decided to try them out. (I now have a new appreciation for our modern stoves.)   They ate it, it must have been ok. Quiet Time was supposed to

         It seems that some people have a whole list (some of them seem strange) ideas about large families.         Large families drive maxi vans or old yellow school buses wherever they go; often they are homeschoolers ("those poor children! How do they ever get any social interaction"?!?! "Uh, hello. . .I DO have 7 siblings"!); the big piles of laundry; and the fact that everything is bought in bulk.        Well, yes. I would say that I agree with most of those ideas. I drove our maxi van around, even the same day I got my permit; our whole family doesn't fit in any another vehicle we own.        Yes, I completed 11 grades as a home-schooled student, but I feel that you can lack social skills even if you go to school.         The piles of laundry are a realistic part of everyday life, if the piles are not kept after.         Yes, we buy a lot of things in bulk; however, I have yet to see milk in Weis or L&L in a container larger than a gallon.