Things Worth Remembering The three habits that lead to success are: Patience, Application, and Vision.
Take care: The person who will tell others' faults to you - will tell yours to others.
It is always better to be underestimated.
There are three things that are better than riches: Health, Freedom, and Honor.
Think swiftly, speak softly, act wisely.
"The world is neither Scottish, English, nor Irish, neither French, Dutch, nor Chinese, but human, and each nation is only the partial development of a universal humanity." - James Grant on founding the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights, 1862
All from: The Book of Celtic Wisdom
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Han Solo: Hey, Your Worship, I’m only trying to help.
Princess Leia: Would you please stop calling me that?
Han Solo: Sure, Leia.
Princess Leia: You make it so difficult sometimes.
Han Solo: I do, I really do. You could be a little nicer, though. Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I’m all right.
Princess Leia: Occasionally, maybe… when you aren’t acting like a scoundrel.
Han Solo: Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sound of that.
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
My scoundrel is in his 4th hour of interviews, as I type. I – obviously – have the better end of the deal here.
- Vanilla latte. Check.
- Squishy chair. Check.
- Chocolate croissant. Check.
- Scrolling around the internet. Check.
- Free lunch with Dad Windu and corporate representative. Check.
- Not having to answer hard, uncomfortable, or annoying questions that will dictate my future bread-buying power. Double check.
Yesterday after the plane landed, we covered all the basics – rental car, hotel, and office building reconnoiter. After stalking finding the company’s location, we checked into a nearby apartment building – extremely cool and 3 times as expensive as my current mortage payment – and then got a very late lunch. May I just take a moment and tell you how much I love, love, love a plate of Pesto Chicken Pasta done well? Holy distended stomach, Bat Man, that stuff was divine!
Oops, running out of battery. Time to go retrieve the charging cord.
Luke: “I saw… I saw a city in the clouds.”
Yoda: “Friends you have there.”
Luke: “They were in pain.”
Yoda: “It is the future you see.”
Luke: “The future? Will they die?”
Yoda: “Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.”
Luke: “I’ve got to go to them.”
Yoda: “Decide you must, how to serve them best. If you leave now, help them you could; but you would destroy all for which they have fought, and suffered.”
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
We traveled 8 hours on Thursday up to Dad Windu’s old college stomping grounds with another 9 hours to return home yesterday. We visited houses perched on the sides of a valley, perpetually gazing at the narrow lake below. We observed snowmobiles fly along abandoned railroad lines and crossing the bottom level of a lift bridge. We haunted the local library (as we are known to do) and asked about homeschooling groups in the area. We learned of one of those snowmobile riders who, while we were in the library, tried to cross that narrow lake’s ice cover but didn’t quite make it. The owner, terribly cold but fine, now the owner of a sled sitting at the bottom of that narrow lake. We sat in the hotel’s hot tub and talked about high school, hockey, miles traveled, and life in the Great Frozen Midwest with another family of travelers. We saw an eastern skyline blushing pink at the audacity of a brazen orange sunset.
“Remember, a Jedi’s strength flows from the Force.” – Yoda, Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
We did something tonight that we always do after returning home from a trip, we marked the map with our route using dry erase markers. We keep our US map on the wall next to the kitchen table so we see it often. After marking up this trip, we decided to touch up the routes of previous trips as many of them had gotten smudged (and even almost rubbed off completely) over the years. The updated map can be seen here.
 PL marks up the map with our travel route. Padawan Learner drew out the line as Dad Windu and I recalled the route we had taken. It’s always interesting to look back on our trips with this new piece of information. Somehow it’s easier to put a long road trip in perspective when it’s laid out before you on a map. Not including any of the bits and pieces of extraneous driving that we did for side trips, we learned from Google Maps that we drove 4244 miles point to point, over the course of 18 days. Per PL, that’s an average of roughly 236 miles a day. (I’m not one to miss a chance to throw in some math practice when I can.)
Another friend has a large table in her dining room, so her family keeps full-size USA and world maps right on the table with a large, clear plastic tablecloth over them. Because of this, their meals often have geography content. If one of her sons hears a tidbit about Latvia on NPR, for example, the entire family can find it on the map and understand why Latvians get ansy when politicians in Moscow start reminiscing about a return to “the good old days” of the USSR.
Does your family do anything special with maps?
Luke: ”I’m endangering the mission. I shouldn’t have come.”
Han Solo: “It’s your imagination, kid. Come on. Let’s keep a little optimism here.”
Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
Padawan Learner threw his first snowball (more like a snow-lump) yesterday morning before the sun could melt the wee bit of white away. This morning brought more rain and a bone chilling cold that very clearly told us that winter will soon be here. We headed north not knowing if we would be able to stop for the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, IL. Fortunately, the rain slacked to a gentle mist so we were able to enjoy a stroll through the 4 block area and take the Lincoln home tour before watching one of the two visitor center movies. I would have liked to see the second one, but we had pushed PL’s lunch needs too long for that.
When a 14 year old boy is really hungry, he’s REALLY hungry. After a quick lunch at The Feed Store restaurant (adequate but, like all places catering to the tourist trade, over-priced) – which sits right across the street from the Old State Capital - where Lincoln gave his famous “A House Divided” speech. We took the tour inside the Old State House (which isn’t really old, but a reconstruction with only the exterior limestone being original to the 1800’s). The tour guides were informative, seemed pleased to have questions asked, and didn’t make the usual “So, no school today” comment which tends to lead to either a “super-genius” or “uber-fundy” expectation of PL – neither of which he tends to enjoy.
The National Surveyor’s Museum, also across the street from the Old State Capital, which was scheduled to open this spring appears to be on perpetual hold due to a lack of funding. Too bad, DW was looking forward to seeing it. DW and PL are continuing to watch WWII in HD (a multi-night program) and it is just breaking my heart to hear it. I frequently have tears in my eyes, but last night was worse. Perhaps I just know what to expect now, because the content is no less heart-breaking. I wonder if FireFly Mom’s family has been watching it as well. I know her son has a passion for WWII history.
Tonight is our last night on the road. We’re all a little sad to see our trip come to an end, something we looked forward to for so long. But we’re also glad to be getting back to our own beds, our cats, our friends, and our usual routine. Dad Windu is getting apprehensive about what awaits him next Monday, and I must admit that I am as well. He has been watching the schedule from the road (nothing like tech giving you the opportunity to fret while on vacation), and it isn’t encouraging.
I take it back. Tonight is just as horrible as last night. I can’t take listening to it anymore. I’m off to take a bath, with the fan running (loudly I hope) to drown out words that break my heart. I hate what we animals are capable of doing to ourselves and others in the name of power and greed. Safety and peace to you, my military friends and family. May our children, or at least our grandchildren, find a better way to a better world.
“This turn of events is unfortunate. We must accelerate our plans. Begin landing your troops.” – Darth Sidious, Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace
We had rain today. Rain! It took us a few moments to realize what it was when it first hit the windshield. It’s been so hot and dry the past two weeks that we’d kind of fallen into expecting desert weather for our entire trip. Alas, it was not so. As we neared the Oklahoma boarder, the tap, tap, tap of rain began. I guess it was letting us know that we’ve officially entered our third week of the trip, and our time is winding down.
We had planned to visit Dodge City and Fort Larned today, making a wide detouring curve from I-35 at Witchita to I-70 near Salina. With the pouring rain, however, we pressed on straight north toward Salina instead as all the things we wanted to do in both places are outdoor activities. We ended book 4 of the Percy Jackson series yesterday and started book 5. PL warned us that 5 was pretty much a non-stop battle; he wasn’t kidding. I feel slightly battered just listening to it.
We decided to stop in Salina, KS for lunch and to see the animated A Christmas Carol with Jim Carey. Unfortunately, the theater’s computer system crashed while playing it earlier in the day, so there would be no movie for us there. We did the only reasonable thing, we got back in the car and drove 102 miles further, to the next theater on our route, which was in Topeka. We’ll see A Christmas Carol after dinner.
Just to prove the nicest of random strangers, here’s a picture taken of us back at Bandelier that was emailed to me today.
UPDATE: A Christmas Carol far scarier than I was expecting (DW agrees) – please pre-watch if considering for young or sensitive children.
Luke: “Vader’s on that ship.”
Han Solo: “Now don’t get jittery, Luke. There are a lot of command ships. Keep your distance, though, Chewie, but don’t look like you’re trying to keeping your distance.” [Chewie barks a question] ”I don’t know. Fly casual.”
Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
What a strange day. We didn’t see a single amazingly cool thing. Frankly, I’d kind of gotten used to it.
Instead we drove from 10 am until 8:30 pm (552 miles), with a short stop at a rest area for lunch and an hour at a sit-down restaurant for dinner. I even drove for 12 miles today! I haven’t driven a mile (although I have offered) since we left home.
A couple of fun things I did see today were:
 PL hanging from the rest stop over-hang
 - A Texas-shaped waffle maker at our hotel
Yoda: You must not go!
Luke: But Han and Leia will die if I don’t.
[Obi-Wan's ghost appears]
Obi-Wan: You don’t know that. Even Yoda cannot see their fate.
Luke: But I can help them! I feel the Force!
Obi-Wan: But you cannot control it. This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the Dark Side of the Force.
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
Temped to stay there for.e.ver maybe. Carlsbad Caverns were so beautiful, we stayed for hours and hours. Toward the end, it was awesome overload. I’m running late this morning, so I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Be sure to click on the images to get the larger picture.
“I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth.” – Anakin, Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
As written by Dad Windu in his journal:
We stopped at the White Sands Missle Base to see the museum. But, since it was Veteran’s Day, the museum was closed. We were able to see the outdoor display of missles and rockets and such though. After this, we went to the nearby White Sands National Monument, which was one of the stops [Obi-Mom] wanted to make. The gypsum sand dunes were beautiful. We walked the dunhes in our bare feet and took lots of pictures. We saw animal tracks in the sand as well, but no actual animals.
Then we headed to Lincoln, NM, which is another old west town. The site of the Lincoln County War. As I sit here and write, we are staying at The Ellis House B&B. This house is the site where the first shot was taken during the 5 day war between the Tunstell faction and the Murphy/Dolan gang. It is surreal to think that this famous set of events happened right outside my window.
Click to see the pictures from Lincoln
“You have allowed this dark lord to twist your mind, until now, until now you’ve become the very thing you swore to destroy.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi to Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith
For those of you don’t remember me talking about it before, Dad Windu is passionate about roads. Long, straight roads with minimal changes in elevation. Guard rails and wide, paved shoulders would not.be.optional in his perfect world. Forty-four miles (travel time: 2 hours) of switchbacks up to the Cliff Dwellings of the Gila National Forest and another 65 miles (3 hours) of some of the worst switchbacks either of us has ever seen back out (we had to take a different route out for our next destination) had DW frequently exclaiming, “I hate this road!” Thankfully, we had book three of the Percy Jackson series to keep us company.
But even with all the traveling nastiness (I should admit that I spent my time knitting a slipper, so the drive didn’t bother me at all), PL – riding shotgun – and DW both admit that the cliff dwellings were too cool to pass up. I highly recommend that you all put them on your Must See list. Just bring along the Dramamine.
We met two homeschooling brothers that volunteer at the Cliff Dwellings and a very nice German couple that was absolutely ga-ga over meeting three homeschooling kids in one morning. They asked us about why we homeschool (the other boys live in a very remote area), how we homeschool, the benefits to being able to travel at will, and etc.
Obi-Mom Kenobi, secular homeschool ambassador.
“I have decided that we shall stay here.” – C-3PO, Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
Tonight we’re staying in the hotel that we stayed in last night. I know! For the first time in 8 days we didn’t pack up and get in the car first thing. Crazy. Our historic hotel is not exactly luxe, quiet, or even particularly quaint (despite being in the heart of Silver City’s Old Downtown area). But it has one special amenity – a private room for Padawan Learner. We’re all enjoying a little time apart at the present. PL is watching NCIS until his eyeballs glaze over and Dad Windu is “reading” (napping) – and neither is having to bend to the other’s wishes for a few moments. Now that’s luxury.
 
PL and I covered a few hours of lessons this morning at the corner coffee shop while DW walked around town and scoped out the old buildings. He met a curmudeony local bookseller that said, after hearing that he was looking for a book on local history, ”I can tell you all about Silver City’s history. They mined silver here and they treated the Chinese people very badly.” Well OK then. We all took a little stroll through downtown, with DW acting as tour-guide with his new found knowledge of the town courtesy of his new book, Built to Last: An Architectural History of Silver City, New Mexico.
After lunch we headed to the Fort Bayard National Monument this afternoon. What a disappointment. There’s a National Cemetery and a few plaques scattered roundabout covering the myriad uses of the Fort’s land over the years (protective fort for silver miners and settlers, training camp for one of the Buffalo Soldier units, Army TB hospital), but nothing is open. Even the windows are closed up and covered. Oh, well, our first strike out. Attached to the site is a trail for one of the many hiking areas in the Gila National Forest, so we spent a couple of hours there instead.
Another hiker said we had to follow the Big Tree path. “It’s a lovely trail and there’s just the most enormous tree at the end of it.” It was a nice trail – moderated difficult with varied terrain, enough hills to make you glad to find another downward slope, and the (empty) promise of a potential wolf sighting. After the two miles out, we saw this:
 our not so gigantic tree at the end of the trail
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Secular Homeschoolers Unite!
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