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Elizabeth
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| Posted: April 11 2005 at 12:46pm | IP Logged
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A phone to call to the park authority has yielded the following exciting information: the bluebells are probably going to peak this weekend or early next week (depending on this week's weather). It's time to plan an outing ladies! This is truly an absolutely beautiful nature day--I can't say enough about it. I'm planning on Bull Run and I might camp Tuesday night...maybe...anybody up for a great big gathering on the banks of Bull Run? Those are bluebells in my avatar picture (taken from the cover of Real Learning) and Irene has an upclose shot of them as her avatar.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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teachingmom
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Virginia Bluebells
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| Posted: April 11 2005 at 4:51pm | IP Logged
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I figured I'd post here so everyone could easily see the close-up avatar of the bluebells. Are you going next Tuesday, the 19th, Elizabeth? Or did you mean tomorrow?
~Irene
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: April 11 2005 at 5:20pm | IP Logged
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Next Tuesday I think. I still have kids with fevers over 102 today...It's going to be a long week here, I'm afraid.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Chari
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| Posted: April 11 2005 at 10:48pm | IP Logged
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I'm game! 
Willa??
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: April 18 2005 at 6:42am | IP Logged
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We'll be at Bull Run no later than 9:30 on Tuesday the 19th. If you go in the main gate and continue down to the pool, park in the pool parking lot and walk acrooss the street and to your left a few yards. The trail head is there and there is a blue blaze on it. We usually hike in just to the water and plop down there. It's often very muddy and not very stroller friendly but it's been pretty dry lately. We're planning on staying into the afternoon. If you want to contact me privately for more information or my cell phone number, please send me a private message or an email.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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teachingmom
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| Posted: April 18 2005 at 11:15am | IP Logged
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We went yesterday (Sunday) as a family and it was glorious! The weather was perfect--75 degrees, clear, sunny. We hiked farther down the trail than we ever had before because it was so DRY! We were even able to take our stroller the whole way with us. I thought we'd have to leave it by the trail when we got a bit in the woods. It is not a jogging stroller, but it does have extra large, heavy duty wheels. Be sure to bring your camera. I took scads of pictures of the girls among the bluebells.
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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JennGM
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| Posted: April 18 2005 at 4:02pm | IP Logged
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Oh, sounds so wonderful, I'm sorry I'll miss it! The only thing I have planned this week is tomorrow, and it's waiting all day for a repairman to come at his time frame, not mine! 
Do any of your children have allergies or asthma to pollen? On outside/nature outings, particularly during this time of year, do you take extra precautions? I'm having a tough time...A/C is already on because I can't handle the pollen (and since I'm pregnant I can't take my regular meds). Ds is showing some environmental allergies, also. We don't hide indoors...but it does curb our activities somewhat. Just wondering what others do!
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teachingmom
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jenngm67 wrote:
| Do any of your children have allergies or asthma to pollen? On outside/nature outings, particularly during this time of year, do you take extra precautions? I'm having a tough time...A/C is already on because I can't handle the pollen (and since I'm pregnant I can't take my regular meds). Ds is showing some environmental allergies, also. We don't hide indoors...but it does curb our activities somewhat. Just wondering what others do! |
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Thankfully, we have no real problems with allergies here. I tend to get sinus headaches fairly regularly this time of year, and I assume it's related to things blooming, but it isn't bad enough to hinder our activities.
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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Lissa
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Elizabeth wrote:
| We'll be at Bull Run no later than 9:30 on Tuesday the 19th. |
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Well, shoot. I got busy busy busy and didn't make it to the boards over the weekend. I TOTALLY FORGOT you were doing this today. Missed it again!
I used to remember everything....
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: April 21 2005 at 12:18pm | IP Logged
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Here's what is written in my nature journal for this day. Ummm, it's a column now so you might see it again.
The day Pope John Paul II died was a dark one. I awoke with a start and checked the radio immediately to see if he had survived the night. Rain poured from the heavens and the wind blew mightily. The entire day had an ominous feel of impending gloom. I was talking with a friend on the phone when my son told me the Holy Father had died. She immediately hung up, explaining that she needed to go talk to her husband. I couldn’t reach my husband for six hours. Loneliness enveloped me.
Seventeen days later, a much different day dawned. I awoke singing, “It’s beautiful day, a beautiful day, a beautiful day to play!” [Lissa, when I first keyboarded this I keyboard 'signing' instead of singing--you'll recognize the song and know that I was really signing and singing!] My children scrambled out of bed and into play clothes. A picnic was packed; the dog hustled into the van. We were off to spend the day at my favorite place in the world: Bull Run Regional Park. Every year, in mid-April, we stop the world and hike a short way into the woods to the banks of Cub Run. There, we find the largest crop of Virginia bluebells in the country—God’s glorious herald of springtime blankets the forest in cerulean splendor. It’s really my favorite day of the year.
We were met there by some of my favorite people-- godmothers, godchildren, old friends and new ones. One young lady was celebrating her birthday; she had been born Easter Sunday, thirteen years ago. She told me, as we set up camp, that today was going to be a very holy day. Forty minutes later the phone rang. Her words were prophetic.
Patrick, ten, scrambled for the phone, because he knew that if it rang, it was likely to be my husband who was working from home with the television on, one eye on the lookout for white smoke. Patrick wanted to be the first to hear the news. I slipped running up from the creek and Patrick beat me to the phone. He handed it to me a minute later, disappointed to hear news of black smoke.
As I brushed mud from my jeans my husband said, “Wait a minute, honey; hang on; it looks white now.”
I relayed the news to all those gathered and we all stopped—moms and kids and dogs—to listen for the bells. And when they rang, it was my husband who said to me, “Habemus Papam!” I relayed the joyful news to the gathered crowd and children went yelping the Latin phrase, reveling in the air of excitement.
He telephoned again a short while later and I had the delightful honor of relating to the dear people in the park the news of Benedict XVI. The sun shone; the creek rippled; and the whole world seemed to sing. I was not alone in the joy of day.
Later that night, an exhausted Nicholas, who is four, snuggled next to me as we watched a replay of the announcement on the balcony.
“I see Benedict,” he said.
“Yes,” I encouraged my tender-hearted boy, “What does he look like to you?”
“He has very white hair, Nicholas observed. “And his cassock is white, too. That’s for celebration. He wears white for celebration.”
I waited a moment, watching with him.
“I wonder,” Nicholas said quietly, “what color his hair will be in ordinary time.”
Fighting laughter, I let him wonder and watched him fall asleep. I was so grateful for our beautiful day. My children will always remember the day as one of celebration and they will always have a sense of having participated in a momentous event as members of the Universal Church. A beautiful, holy day, indeed.
Pictures to follow...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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JennGM
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Oh, Elizabeth, you paint such a lovely picture with words! I'm disappointed I didn't see the bluebells with the group, but I had a wonderful time sharing this experience that day, also.
I was waiting for the A/C repairman to come "in the afternoon." My one sister had a c-section March 18 and was making a "big trip" into Manassas from Fairfax. All the famiy wanted to get together for lunch (4 sisters, 7 kids and my mother). I didn't think I'd be able to make it, but I called the repairmen to see if I could get a closer time frame...maybe I could run over for lunch? But even better...the man was in my neighborhood, and since his next call was a town over, he would change and come over now, if I was willing! WAS I!?
So that freed me for lunch across the street at Burger King...and then news came over that it might be white smoke...everyone rushed to finish their food so they could to one house to see the first glimpse of the new pope! Some of us didn't make it fast enough, so I received phone calls from my dh -- "IT'S RATZINGER!!!!" I was so overjoyed...and we were yelling from car to car, "Ratzinger, can you believe it?? Praise GOD!!!" I was able to get home and see our new pope step out onto the balcony and say his humble words and witness his blessing.
That evening all my family in town joined at local restaurant to celebrate our new pope...then back to one house to toast with some German beer. I keep thinking how blessed I am to be surrounded by family who is just as enthusiastic and in love with our faith as I am. To share this wonderful moment in our history and our faith with the ones I love most makes the event even more special.
So, no bluebonnets or breathtaking backdrops, but just surrounded by love and wonderful people. That was my day!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Jennifer C
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| Posted: April 21 2005 at 4:16pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth - thanks for such a lovely description of the day. I will always remember where I was and who I was with when Pope Benedict XVI was elected and greeted the faithful.
I feel a special thankyou note to modern technology is necessary - to comment that God has given us so much that can work together for His good. As Christians, we love to deride the popular culture and the products of modern technology. I want to say thank you for cell phones - we put this technology to use to bring God's people together (I was late to pick up Bonnie, what did she want me to buy her kids as I drove through McDonalds...) I took the wrong exit (called Mike at home to get Elizabeth's cell phone.) Is there a bathroom in the park? Where are you? This was all prior to meeting up w/Eliz & co.
Once we were united in the midst of the cerulean blue splendor we got the call on the smoke. 4 women with cell phones were calling husbands, the Chancery, and calls were being returned (the smoke is white, the bells are ringing). It was a great example of God's creation working together to work and will for HIs good pleasure.
Jenn M. - I'm so sorry you didn't make it. I've been looking forward to meeting you. Another day! Many blessings, In Christ, Jennifer C. in Arlington
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teajmj
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| Posted: April 21 2005 at 8:36pm | IP Logged
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Dear Friends:
The CCM group is amazing! Where else can one make contact at a moment's notice with a fellow Catholic HS mom from clear across the country? And arrange a meeting? And spend a fabulous day among the bluebells?? And be together with a group of faith filled new friend while a new Pope is proclaimed??? This was surely a memorable day for me and my children. Like Jennifer C., we'll always remember where we were that day! Thanks so much, Jennifer and Elizabeth, for making it possible for us. It was the perfect crowning event for a very special trip. The bluebells were awesome!! I have many pictures locked in my digital camera, but still have a learning curve to climb before I know how to retrieve them. I plan to assign this to dd Katie as a "learning experience!" But even if we never learn to retrieve the pictures, the ones in my heart will always remain. Thanks ladies! Bonnie in TX
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: April 25 2005 at 6:41pm | IP Logged
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The Day of the Election of Pope Benedict XVI
by Patrick Foss
The day that Pope Benedict XVI was elected, we were at Bull Run park and my dad called. I answered the phone and asked what color the smoke was and my dad said it was black, so I gave the phone to my mom. The next thing I knew, my mom was shouting, “Habemus papam—uh, maybe, maybe not.” There was white smoke but no bells? But when the bell of St. Peters started to chime, we knew that it wouldn’t be long until the famous words “Habamus papam!” were spoken from the balcony in St. Peters square. But who would it be?
I went down to a beachy area and I saw Mary Beth running toward us. She told us that the new Pope was Josef Cardinal Ratzinger. We stayed a little bit longer and went home and watched the whole thing on TiVo.
Patrick gets the news...black smoke 
Kirsten Foss (Katie) and the Beardsley's puppy, Daisy
Elizabeth gets the news...HOLY smoke--it's white! 
Stephen Foss and Ronan Beardsley
Stephen dancing in the bluebells
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alicegunther
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I am just reading this thread for the first time now, but I had to say "WOW, what pictures!!!"
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Love, Alice
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~Rachel~
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| Posted: April 26 2005 at 9:32am | IP Logged
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how beautiful...
It makes me wish there were a park a little further south down here in central Va with bluebells... I really miss them from home (England). It's always a blue carpet in the woods then!
Loved Patrick's narration, and the pictures are wonderful!
THANK YOU!
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Virginia Bluebells!
