Trying to Focus

To be honest I haven't gotten it together much since my last post.  I just put in one of my co-op orders.  It included a one pound bag of hot cocoa.  So, there's still hope.  Seems I'm anticipating this coming winter like I used to look forward to summer.  I am not alone in my longing this year.  Bella has been asking when it will snow again ever since spring began.  A girl after my own heart!

I have some changes in mind that have little to do with our homeschool and more to do with the sanity that comes along with a life more savored than rushed through.  This mindset is bound to effect our approach to education, but for now the planning of our academics remains the same.

We live about 20 minutes from everywhere.  In this diligent planning of excursions is of high importance so as to not waste time or money.  Years ago when it was just us and the first seven children in The Crew I did my grocery shopping once per month.  It's been on my mind to switch to that again.  The funny thing is that I kept that shopping format when we lived in the city where good shopping and frequent sales were plentiful.  It was just nice to knock it out once a month and not have to think about shopping for a few weeks rather than heading out every Sunday, the worst day to shop, gathering up our supplies for the week.  Also, we had a nice produce market within walking distance.  It made replacing perishables on an as needed basis very easy.  This time around we do not have such a convenience.  Where we are now, convenience costs more than I'm willing to pay most times, and it doesn't include anything fresh.  So, I've been giving this some thought.  Maybe once every three weeks would be more realistic.  I'll really have to figure this out soon since I want to get this started next month.

There are SO MANY benefits of shopping monthly as opposed to weekly, or even bi-weekly.  The biggest for me is the savings.  It also teaches you patience and learning to "make do"; the real essence of truly being thrifty.  We can be much more productive around the homestead when the bulk of our time is spent here.  There's time for games, spontaneous creativity, movie nights, baking together, and on and on.  Ultimately, I hope to use my time in the effort of food preservation, cooking ahead, pursuing my writing course, and working more on my love for photography.  Not to mention the natural health course I purchased nearly two years, yes that's YEARS, ago and never even opened yet.

We'll be learning how to over winter animals for the first time this year.  This is our first time ever, like in our whole lives, raising livestock.  We have chickens and sheep now.  Our oldest female is expecting sometime next month, and we're anxiously awaiting the new experiences a new lamb will bring to the homestead.  With the winters we've had these past two years I am a bit anxious about what caring for these critters will entail.  That's a huge change, going out side every.single.day no matter the weather.  Negative 30 can be really brutal.  Keeping them fed, watered, and sheltered will be a chore, I'm sure.  We are, however, enjoying the dynamic they being to our lives despite the work they require.  There is something to be said about raising your own food.

That brings me to the next thing I hope to achieve this winter.  Garden plans!  I managed to grow a little bit of food this year.  I did get 50+ bags of zucchini shredded up and put in the freezer, and we enjoyed the fresh cucumbers.  However, the chickens have managed to destroy the last of my cukes and are working at my tomato plants.  Jerks!  It's my fault.  I know.  All summer they left my small garden alone.  It's the old flower beds around our front porch.  That is, until I picked four zucchini and forgot to bring them in.  Seeing them laying there was just too much temptation for them to resist, apparently.  Ever since then I have been shooing them off the front porch and out of my vegetables.  UGH!

Next year we plan to have at least a few raised beds built with a fence erected around them to protect our food from the vultures, er uh chickens.  I've been drooling my way through my seed catalog and dreaming of the different things I'd like to grow next year.  I'm hoping my mom with partner with me in this project.  God blessed her with two green thumbs, and a couple of toes I think.  She plans to retire after her birthday in March.  Would be SO AWESOME to have her around more.  There are many, many things we can learn from her.  She's a work horse and would not be thwarted as easily as I when it comes to canning pickles on the hottest day of summer or braving the mosquitoes and humidity to harvest the bumper berry crop in the woods.  She has a way of keeping me moving forward.

Come to think of it, too bad she can't come over and get me motivated.  There are so many things eating at me right now.  I have not finished our school plan for this year, and we are slated to start in just a week and a half.  Then there's the housework.  I really wanted to do some deep cleaning.  My windows look like they've never been cleaned, and there are cobwebs giving birth to more cobwebs in the corners.  Oh, and the books!  I did make a lot of progress with my collection, but there is still more to be done.  How I dream of a fully cataloged library.  Key word dream!

So...

How am I dealing with this jumbled up conglomeration of dreams, wants, and needs that keep tripping me up on my course to a peaceful and prepared start to our new school year?  Sometimes it feels like I'm not, but I know that isn't true.

I've been giving myself A LOT of grace.  We are often times more hard on ourselves than anyone else, so it is appropriate to be the first in line to cut ourselves some slack.  We shouldn't expect perfection from ourselves anymore than anyone else should.  So, why do we do that?  I am actively trying to quit using the word lazy in reference to myself.  I am not lazy.  Repeat.  I am not lazy!  I am tired, overwhelmed, pressured, and a lot of other things, but I know that I am not lazy.  That negative self talk needs to hit the highway.

I make my morning studies a priority.  I have a collection of small books and bible studies that I like to start my day out with.  It helps a great deal to put my mind in the right place before I begin my day.  When my mind is more on Christ and less on my struggles it helps my feet to be firmly planted facing the direction they should be when I step out to face what lies before me each day.  Being grounded means something totally different to me as an adult.  It's a good thing.

I lean on a friend...or two.  Good friends are a real blessing, and I am thankful to count for myself a few.  It's so nice to have at least one person that will tell you like it is; set you straight when your thinking gets skewed.  Sometimes we just need to vent, or we need to run something past someone before we can more forward, especially when it comes to the challenges of life.  I'm willing to bet that most everyone faces difficulties and trials that they never could have imagined they would in their entire life.  Having at least one good friend that you can trust to protect your heart and guard your soul is more valuable than any earthly possession we could have.  Don't be afraid to learn on someone when times are challenging.

I enlist professional, or not so professional, help.  Maybe someone comes and watches the kids so I can take a day to myself.  Maybe I seek the advice of a therapist.  Maybe I get a massage.  Maybe I hire someone to clean my home a time or two.  Maybe I hire a local teen to do garden work or help me organize.  This falls in the realm of grace as well.  Sometimes we don't want to spend our time or resources on someone's help.  Sometimes we feel we don't have time to take off to take care of ourselves.  Let me remind you of the airplane and the oxygen mask.  Enough said.

I throw out the routine and change the plans.  Well, not every day, but here and there when we need to.  Sometimes the time is just right, and I allow myself to go with the flow.  Those are the best days!  No stressing over what wasn't done.  No worrying about falling behind.  Behind what?  Exactly!  No worries, period.  Just go with it.  Those are the times that make memories and rejuvenate the soul.

Now, I am going to go finish preparing dinner.  I am not going to worry or stress over the things weighing on my shoulders.  I am going to be present in the moment, do what I can, and take life moment by moment.  I will do what I can as I am able.

No worries.

5 on the Fifth - Favorite Blog Posts for December

I've decided that I'm going to stretch myself a bit this year with my blogging; more commitments, new activities, and getting to know more blogs personally.  This is the first step.  I just discovered this link-up, another new to me term, late last night when sleep was eluding me.  That being said, I've obviously not spent the previous month keeping my eye out for blogs to share with you here.  So, what I did was just take a moment and think about blogs I like; some from good friends.  I figured is as good a place to start as any.

Mothering Monday:  Help!  I'm so overwhelmed!

(Home Management Part 2)

The first blog post I'd like to share with you is from my good friend Anna at Where My Treasure Is.  I love her blog and the way she shares her wisdom.  No matter what I read there I leave with a good feeling, and it may even challenge me in a kind and gentle way.  Recently I read her post on home management, and let me tell you how timely it was for me.  I felt encouraged after reading this post, and I hope you do as well.

Make Your Own Calendula Salve

(a quick and easy gift idea!)

As some of you know, I have been on a trying journey to rediscover health and understand more clearly the food that I feed to my family.  This past year has been a year of tremendous increase in knowledge in this area.  One of my favorite discoveries was GNOFGLINS (God's Natural, Organic, Whole Foods, Grown Locally, In Season).  I love when the posts come through my news feed on Facebook, and I even get information from them in my email inbox.  Mind you, I've gotten pretty selective about what comes through that medium.  Am I the only one that can find myself drowning in emails?  Here is a recent post with a helpful, homemade gift idea.  Maybe you'll find yourself inspired.

Living on What We Have:  
A Month of No Groceries

This next post is an idea that I've pondered more than a time or two, especially since we've made our big move to the country.  I grew up poor, and I do know how to live with very little.  I am forever thankful for having a mother that taught me how to keep my house stocked with food and essentials like toilet paper, laundry soap, and medicines.  She managed to keep a hefty larder despite a VERY minimal income.  She was, and still very much is, very thrifty.  I suppose being raised on a farm by parents that survived the Great Depression had a little something to do with that.  Now that my hubby and I find ourselves raising yet another generation of children we tend to look at a lot of things differently than we did when we were younger. this is definitely not one of those areas.  My natural instinct is to have a good stock of food, among other things, at all times.  I shop for deals and do my best.  Often, though, I do find myself wondering just how long my stock will last and how much food do I need to put up to meet the needs of my family comfortably.  Leona at My Healthy Green Family took this challenge seriously and put in the very real effort to find out just what she was capable of pulling off, and I thoroughly appreciate the fact that she took the extra step in sharing her experience with the rest of us.  Check out her journey!

Dear Fellow Shopper...

I've had the honor of reconnecting via Facebook with one of my favorite gal pals from grade school, and I am certainly the better for it.  She's a bubbly person that grew up in the Midwest and sports a Southern accent.   (I've not had the privileged or confusion of actually hearing her talk since this transformation.)  One thing I have gotten acquainted with however is her personal blog.  Her writing style is amazing as ever; enhanced a little by age, faith, and hard earned wisdom.  She shares poignantly her exploits and the subsequent growing pains.  She's off the cuff and no holds barred.  She's not afraid to let you see her rough edges.  It's what I love about her.  One day maybe I'll be lucky enough to share a jar of pickles with her face to face again, but this time I think they should be deep fried!

What in the World is Tallow?

Here's another lady I know that loves to share her knowledge with those who are interested in learning and growing.  In the three short years that I've been privileged to know and cultivate a friendship with her, my knowledge has grown greatly.  Honestly, I owe a lot of that to her.  It's empowering when you are fortunate enough to rub shoulders with confident people, especially women when you are one yourself, that are more than comfortable being the person God created them to be.  When we want to grow it's a good idea to put ourselves in the company of those respect and those that challenge us to become better versions of ourselves.  This post has nothing specifically to do with that very topic, but using beef tallow for good things was a bit new to me.  I found the process interesting, and I love the biblical connections she always seems to share.  Those of us that know her personally are glad she's finally taken up blogging.  I think you will as well.

You can visit the rest of the posts here.

Happy Kids Review

We LOVE music in our home.  Harmony, the resident nine-year-old is almost literally ALWAYS singing.  With our plan to include character and virtue studies in our 2014-15 school year the three Happy Kids Songs digital album downloads are a natural fit.  The decades of experience brought to this project with Dr. Mac and Brian Mann is instantly evident.  The songs are amazing!



Each album is true to its title in the most literal sense.  Happiness & Attitude, Friends & Sharing, and Manners & Character are all fun to listen to and teach exactly what the title says.  The entire family enjoys listening to them over an over again.  For me they have a kind of fun, Broadway musical feel to them that makes listening to the songs with the kids even more enjoyable.  Each song is written in its own unique style making each one fun and interesting all on its own.  The songs touch on tough topics that kids face frequently as a normal part of growing up.  The sweet thing is there is always a solution given which models kind and upstanding behavior.  Listening to the songs provides a wonderful platform for discussing possible challenges our children may face before they actually happen.  The music also creates a peaceful atmosphere to discuss a challenge our child may be dealing with in the present.  Listening to the music is a fun way to introduce our children to making decisions and problem solving with respect for others and ourselves.


The Happy Kids Songs Workbook in softcover has already taken its rightful place on our bookshelf that holds all the materials we will be using in our homeschool this year.  The workbook provides complimentary materials for all eight of the albums available.  I love that the words to all the songs are printed in the workbook.  It's helpful to look at while learning to sing the songs with the kids.  I would love to have the actual sheet music just to aid in learning to sing the songs, but the words in and of themselves are helpful.  There are reproducible activity sheets, allowing you to make copies for each child in your homeschool, or even a co-op, to go along with each individual song as well as multiple learning activities to compliment each album.

Downloading the songs is relatively simple, especially if you are familiar with doing this sort of thing.  For me it was a bit of a learning curve.  My first lesson was that all burnable CD's are NOT created equal.  You simply MUST have the appropriate burnable CD for the playing medium you plan to use.  It also is possible to listen to the songs directly from you computer without having to play them individually.  It took me a little more effort to figure out how to create a playlist, but once I did that listening to the songs was a snap.  The kids can have them playing in the background while they do their math on my laptop.  We love to have them playing in the background while we work on projects, especially learning activities from the Happy Kids Songs Workbook.

The Happy Kids Songs Workbook is available to purchase for $12.56, and you can choose how you purchase the songs.  If you would like to just get a few individual songs they can be downloaded for $.99 a piece.  Alternatively, you can purchase each five-song CD for download for $4.95 which includes FREE downloads of the corresponding lyrics, coloring, and activity pages.  Samples of the songs are available on the website so you can listen before you decide on your purchase.

The songs and materials are geared for ages three through eight years old.  However, children outside of that age range are likely to enjoy them as well.  Mine are three, four, and nine, and it was an absolute perfect fit.  With our age gap it is so nice when we find products like this that appeal to such a wide age span.

All three of the kids enjoyed making the name mobile from page 91 of the workbook.  It corresponds with the song Bye, Bye Bully which is NOT a song from one of the albums in our review, but the lesson was applicable enough.  It helps children reflect on what it's like to be a new kid in the neighborhood and helps them think about positive things they can do to make someone new feel welcome.  We discussed this together, and then we made the mobile together.  The little ones, with a little help from me, got to cut, glue, and use glitter.  Bonus!  Harmony was able to create hers 100% on her own.

Happy Kids Songs and the Happy Kids Songs Workbook has a secure place on our curriculum bookshelf.  We will be learning about character and virtues for years to come.  Having this as a resource will provide the element of fun that we are always looking to incorporate in our adventures in learning.

To learn more about Happy Kids Songs you can check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.  Also, be sure to check out the other Crew Reviews to see how other homeschool families are using Happy Kids Songs in their homes.

Healthy, Happy, Homemaker

This month's topic for our local homeschool support group was Healthy, Happy, Homemaker.  The idea was to share something that you've learned over the years that you practice within your home to contribute to the health and happiness of yourself and/or family, or something that contributes positively to your role as a homemaker.  I really enjoyed the topic this month and loved learning from the other ladies in the group.

I am so thankful to have a connection to such a wonderfully supportive group of families.  Great things come about when good people group together for the greater good.  I am always richly blessed when I gather with this group in any combination, and I surely take away more than I contribute.

One of the new things we've been doing is taking turns giving the devotion at the monthly meeting.  This month was just the second time we've done it this way, and I missed the last meeting to spend the evening with my hubby for his birthday.  So, I had no reference point as to how these things are to go.  It's all new, and it's all good.  I was asked to give the devotional this month.  Aside from tripping all over myself during my opening prayer--What was with that anyway?--it really was a good experience for me.  I struggle with being the center of attention and can be quite uncomfortable with "all eyes on me", but I know it is good to put myself out there and stretch myself a little bit.  Besides, God doesn't call us to do only those things that which we are comfortable with now, does he?  I chose to look at my prayer "fumble" as an example to others that God hears all prayer, even those that are not beautifully rhythmic and elegantly spoken.  (But, I sure do feel better when my words come out like a song as opposed to sounding like someone choking on a piece of dry cornbread.)

Any...who...

I decided to focus my devotional on what I do to take care of myself and nurture the happiness within me.  I did learn from my granddaughter that I am not perceived as happy.  Ouch!  Guess I need to work on that.  This momma has A LOT on her shoulders and tends to be quite serious most of the time.  Trust me.  Inside I am happy.  When you get to the core, I feel content and settled.  I do get thrown off course quite a lot, but I get right back on track.  I don't waste time in the muck and mire.  I pick myself up, dust my knees off, and go back to the good work of living my life to the best of my ability with the help of my God and the love of my family and friends.  So thankful!

So, here goes.  My devotional reworked for written format on The Zoo Crew:

There are so many directions this topic could go, Happy, Healthy Homemaker, but it kept  boiling down to one thing for me; happiness.

As home educating homemakers we are a unique group of individuals, and even among us happiness can mean so many different things.  Just like our homeschools, there are as many different definitions as there are of us.  Happiness may mean something totally different to me than it does to you.  Have you thought about what it is that makes you happy recently?  Is it part of your consciousness on a regular basis, or are you just going through the motions? 

As mothers, wives, home educators, and homemakers we are accustomed to giving a lot of ourselves.  We know what it means to give until it hurts, and even then some.  I would venture to say that we on occasion give more than we actually have to give.  We wear ourselves out, and we forget that everything we do stems on us being happy and healthy.  What are your priorities?  Do you rank the care and keeping of yourself among them?  I would like to share with you some things I do to take care of me so that I can take care of my family and strive to be the Daughter of the King that God would have me be.  Trust me.  I fall short each and every day.  The newest lesson I have learned is to cut myself slack, a lot of slack.  Of course, some days are better than others, but on the days that are less than stellar I ask forgiveness, and I forgive myself, which is not necessarily an easy thing to learn to do, and I move on.  Each day, each moment, is a new opportunity to start again.

God’s timing is perfect, and he places things in our paths just at the right time.  No one ever said that being a follower of Christ would make our lives easy.  In fact we are taught the exact opposite.  So, I am here to tell you tough times will come.  Burdens heavier than we ever knew we could survive will be placed on our shoulders.  But, the load is lightest when we share it.  Firstly, we must spend time with our Creator each and every day.  Everything boils down to relationship, and as Christian wives and mothers we MUST nurture our relationship with God.  The more time we spend in His Word the lighter our burden.  Does that mean the trials and the difficulties and the heart break and the challenges will go away?  I can attest that it absolutely does not.  What it does mean is that Christ can work in our hearts and our minds, and in so doing he shares our load.  Have you ever tried to move or carry a heavy piece of furniture on your own?  I have, and it does not always turn out so well.  It can even end in disaster.  What about moving a piece of furniture with someone that is not so experienced?  I have been in that position as well, and the load can seem even heavier than it actually is.  However, when a nice, strong, experienced person lends a hand the load becomes so much lighter and easier to bear.  That is what God does for us.  He shares the load, and suddenly it becomes bearable.  If we spend regular time in prayer and study of The Word our load does become lighter.  We are carrying the very same thing, but we get help from the strongest handy man there is, our Father.

I have learned that it is very important to care for myself so that I can care for my family (Kind of like the oxygen mask on the plane.  What good are you to someone else if you cannot breathe?), and it is okay for me to do things that nurture my soul.  It is okay for me to take time out for myself.  My family will survive without my direct attention for a time, and actually everyone will be better for it.  They will do much more than survive.  In the long run they will thrive; we will all thrive together. 

Is your cup full, or is dust gathering in the bottom of your glass?  Maybe it is time for you to think about what makes you happy.  What feeds your soul?  What area of yourself has been neglected and could use a little tender care?  If it has been so long that you cannot think of anything or figure out where to start, and I have been there more than once, might I suggest journaling as a method of connecting with Christ as well as connecting with yourself.  When I journal I focus on gratitude, and I make it a point to write three pages.  It may seem daunting at first, but in order to journal one must write, right?  First, I list five things I am thankful for, and it can be as simple as ‘daisies’ or ‘prayer’.  It does not have to be elaborate.  It can be, but it is not necessary.  Then, just start writing.  You’re not trying to write a best seller.  You are just putting pen to paper, and it is for your eyes only.  You can write a prayer, write about your day, vent, or just ramble about whatever.  It really does not matter.  What matters most is that you write.  It is very therapeutic.

Another thing that is helpful in the care and keeping of ourselves is to have a plan.  It does not have to be elaborate, but life does go much better for our home if we have some sort of plan for our day.  When I was a younger mom raising our oldest bunch I wasted a lot of time fretting about the care and keeping of my house.  Now, I focus on the care and keeping of my home.  What is the difference?  A house is just walls and rooms that contain things.  A home contains people, a family; in our case a very active, very messy homeschooling family.  I don’t know exactly how your homeschool functions, but I know ours is active.  Creativity is everywhere.  Each and every meal is prepared at home, and we don’t have a dishwasher.  It gets messy, and again that is okay.  So today’s plan included washing, drying, and putting away the dishes, but it was so sunny outside, or the toddler needed more one on one attention than normal, or that ever pleasant monthly visitor showed up, and energy was on short supply, and (((GASP))) the dishes did not get done.  Again, it’s okay. 

Who is the much loved first cousin of planning?  Why flexibility of course!  Flexibility is essential in the sanity of each and every homeschooling homemaker.  Life happens.  If you ask me my favorite thing about homeschooling I will tell you, “Its flexibility.”  The key to flexibility is in allowing it to exist in your plan in the first place.  Flexibility is freeing if you embrace it and cut yourself some slack.  I have a sign hanging up by my desk that I think is a good reminder for us all.  It says:

  

“The Proverbs 31 Woman…

          …isn’t so much a lesson on getting up early, sewing clothes, 

          buying a field, or achieving perfection.

          The heart of the matter is that she was dedicated to walking 

          in virtue.  She cared deeply for her husband and children.  

          She put the needs of her family before her desires.

          She was a woman of noble character who walked by faith.

          My guess is, she wasn’t perfect—none of us are.  

          But she was ready and willing to be perfected by God.”

                                                            ~ Darlene Schacht

By beginning each day with prayer and the study of The Word we are opening our hearts to God and allowing him to perfect us.  Everything is baby steps.  If you get up tomorrow and get caught up in the day and realize half way through dinner that you never spent time in quiet study, do it before bed, or try again tomorrow.  The important thing is that we remember to go to Him, that we keep our feet firmly planted in The Word.

Much like love, happiness is a choice.  If we choose joy on a regular basis, genetics or not, old habits or not, big mistakes or small, eventually we will learn to reside in joy, and our hearts will be so full that happiness will pour out into all areas of our lives.  No matter the challenges we face, when we are grounded in The Word and focused on things above we can always reside in happiness.  That’s not to say we never get angry, grieve, or have momentary lapses in judgment.  What it does mean is that we don’t wallow there.  We return to the throne, we dust ourselves off, and we start again.  We make the conscious choice over and over to actually BE happy.

The bible tells us in Romans 5 to “rejoice in our suffering”.  The old saying, “In every cloud there is a silver lining”, comes to mind.  There is always, without fail, good amidst the bad.  Christ DOES use all things to his glory.  Our suffering as well as our joy will not be without purpose.  Even suffering is a blessing as it does produce fruit.  Romans 5 goes on to explain that, “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope…”.  In Romans 8:26-28 we learn that, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

**I will share my list of resources later this week.  God bless, and choose happiness!

Feeling Blah

Do you ever have those moments, days, weeks, months; you know the ones where you just feel blah? I don't know that there is any better way to describe the feeling. Blah just about fits it perfect. Any idea what I am talking about?

I have been working through Healing is a Choice by Stephen Arterburn. I told you all about this book before. It's great, and I just love studying with a group. My husband and I are actually doing it simultaneously and attending the group studies together. I am so thankful! If it were not for learning about the process of healing I am most certain I would feel insane. Lord knows I have felt that way in the past. Isn't growing and learning the greatest thing?

I'll have to make it a point to visit some of your blogs that discuss marriage issues. I know that is what has me down. My husband and I have been together for over 11 years now, and we still have no idea how to communicate. I am most certain that life could have been much more pleasant if we only knew how to talk to each other. It has become my priority to learn how to maintain stability even when someone treats me in a way that I may deem not so nice. It is much more difficult than it might sound to stay centered even when you are feeling attacked.

I am so thankful for my best gal pal. If it were not for this one person that knows me totally and completely, accepts me for who I am, and listens to me even when I sound like a broken record I have no clue how I would survive. Thank you, God, for best friends! It has crossed my mind on more than one occassion how a good friend is such a gift from God and how lonely it must be not having at least one friend that you can tell absolutely anything at all.

So, even though I am feeling a little alone, I know I am not. I have God. I have my gift from God; my best friend. I have my family. I have my dog, Gypsy. I have a circle of friends. I have my church family. I may feel sad and alone, but I know that I am surrounded by supportive, friendly people.