2006-02-10 - 9:07 a.m.

I'm a much better talker than writer even though I get praise for my writing and I get in trouble for my talking. Sometimes people just don't feel like hearing talking.

We've made some great dishes lately. We broiled fish and all we did was sprinkle Emeril's seasoning on it instead of some fancy complicated recipe. We had it with Spanish rice and squash and zucchini and onions cooked up sweet. Sometimes the best dishes are the simple ones. Dad cooked steaks on the grill for the Super Bowl and we roasted sweet potatoes and steamed brocolli. I loved it!

Dad said Mr. Conroy is a writer and a cook. Dad showed me his cookbooks on his website.

I felt so sorry for the crying cowboy on American Idol. He'd never been on a plane, seen an ocean, or been to a big city. He lives on a farm and just sings to his turkey. We love him because he's ignorant and he's a tender-hearted fella. I'm not really sorry for him, I'm happy for him in a sorry sort of way.

We have three guitars and five people trying to learn to play. There is one chord that is called a full G that makes my hand hurt because I have to push my pinky really back and keep my other fingers on their strings without touching the strings next to them. I can do it but I can't do it fast or switch to it fast from another chord.

Will and Sarah and Spencer and James have a gift for music but I don't think I do. They can play every instrument they pick up and James is a great singer. Mom doesn't know a thing about music and I'm just like her. She said I'm not like her and I shouldn't get that in my head before I give myself a chance. I just don't want to embarrass myself and look stupid.

I love the sound of the strings up above the end of the neck near the knobs you twist to tune it. If you pluck those they sound like a tinkling chiming sound.

Will hooked up the keyboard to the computer and you can do all sorts of things. We don't know all that we can do yet but we're going to learn a lot! Dad is looking for another guitar to buy us and Sarah is going to buy herself a violin even though she already plays a flute. Spencer plays the clarinet and Will plays the trombone. They all play the tin whistle and they are learning piano. That's a lot of music!

We have a fire in the woodstove here in the classroom since it has been so cold. I love it when I wake up and Mom has started the fires and made the coffee. It smells warm and cozy and homey. I love stoking a fire and making it flame up again. Sometimes I can't take my eyes off the fire, like I'm in a trance.

Lately I've been making the coffee. You take three scoops of Starbucks and put it in the grinder and count to fifteen. Then you pour it in the filter and then add water.

I found my math book! We lost it for months after we cleaned up the classroom. While it was lost, I learned about money. I was ahead in my book so it didn't really matter afterall.

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