Agh! I've Been Absent Too Long!

I was amazed to see, when I logged in to my blogger this morning, that I'm up to a whopping 16 followers! Either I wasn't paying attention (most likely)or I had some new folks jump on the Mawkishness train in my absence. Either way, it's just been too long since I posted something. Wildblue satellite internet doesn't make it easy when they stick me in detention. What is internet detention? Well, it's sort of like an oubliette-where you put people to forget about them. Technically, it's what happens when you exceed your download limit or your upload limit. Since we're not /so/ into uploading stuff, that's never really been a problem for our family. Our problem is the pitiful download limit. We pay $90+ a month for a download limit of 17G. You may be saying, "Wow! That's great!" Not so much. This is the amount per 30 days...rolling. That 'rolling' thing has been a thorn in our side. As some of you know, we school our children at home. I download many resources to use in their classes. If I wanted to put them in an online class, they wouldn't be able to do it. There simply isn't enough download space. Streaming video and music is a no-go for us. It saps the download faster than a frog catching a fly. When our speeds are slow, we can't upload anything at all. So blogging can be really difficult when we're in Internet Detention. Ah, well, enough of that. I said it all to let you know that I'm back up and running at normal speeds after about 3 and a half weeks of slower than snot speeds.

And so, to celebrate this return to higher speeds, I'd like to list ten things I'm thankful for.

1) I'm thankful for my family. My husband and my children, my parents, my in-laws, my grandparents...they all mean so much to me and have contributed to the person I am today. I'm pretty happy being me and I thank them for helping me get there.

2) I'm thankful for the beautiful weather. Now, when I say "beautiful weather", I mean all weather. Last night we had a wonderful and much needed rain shower pass over us. Today the sun is shining and the wind is making the leaves dance in happiness. It just makes me think wonderful thoughts...or situation appropriate thoughts. (It rained when we buried my grandfather and it rained when we had the wake for my pa-pa. That's situation appropriate weather, IMO.)

3) I'm thankful for people like Jason Boyett, Tess Mallory and Matthew Paul Turner who all have fabulous blogs that make me laugh, inspire me and make me think and all from a Christian perspective. It's nice to know there are 'big name' Christians out there that are honest with the public about a whole life experience. Honestly, I just don't believe that we can be on a spiritual high all the time. That's just not the kind of person I am. And people who profess that...well, let's just say I have a very hard time believing they're truthful. Kinda like prosperity preachers-God does want us to prosper and be successful. But it isn't going to just fall into our laps. We have to go out there and work for it. As the old adage states, "Anything worth having is worth working for."

4) I'm thankful for a creative mind. Now, my mind might be sort of like gas molecules with ideas bouncing around wildly, but sometimes I do get good ideas. Putting them into good use is sometimes difficult or trying but if successful it's such a cool thing! I love being able to make things with my hands and using my mind to enhance an idea. I love the freedom that having a creative mind allows me. I find that artists and artisans are more open-minded than most folks. That's just my opinion, btw.

5) I'm thankful for my healthy living support group. You know, I never thought I'd need to be involved in a real support group of any kind but this group has really been an encouragement to me. I've learned about the health benefits of fermented foods and a wonderful website called www.pickl-it.com where you can get recipes and equipment for making those ferments. I've learned about the benefits of raw milk, though I haven't been able to test that out yet. Hopefully, in the future, Louisiana will allow raw milk sales.

6) I'm thankful for the freedom we have in our country, the best country ever! And I'm thankful /to/ the men and women who daily sacrifice for us to keep our freedoms.

7) I'm thankful for the wonderful friends I have who have opened my eyes to the truth of variety being the spice of life. They, too, have contributed to making me the person I am today. I love them for it.

8) I'm thankful for my followers on this blog. You must've seen something you liked. LOL I'm so random in my postings that there's no telling which post snagged your attention. And I'm so sporadic in my posting that you must be quite patient and easy-going. But for whatever reason you decided to join in, thanks! I'm glad you're here.

9) I'm thankful for internet resources that help me learn and explore new and exciting things. Where would we be without our sense of curiosity, our need to explore and observe the things around us? A life without curiosity and learning would be so boring! Having said that, sometimes I learn things that I wish I'd never seen or heard or read. But in the end, I have to be thankful for those things, too. Bad things exist in this world whether we accept that fact or not. And I'd rather know about them so that I can fight against them. You can't fight what you don't know. I guess I'm thankful for Sun Tzu, too. LOL I really should read 'The Art of War' for myself. I got my info from my husband who read 'The Art of War For Leaders'. I'd like to read the original book.

10) I'm thankful for the peace in my soul that comes from my personal belief in a God that cared enough to remake, recreate and reform me. 'Born again.' 'Saved.' Those terms are so well used they're a bit ragged around the edges. But they apply to me. The truth of the matter is that the other three words are really /more/ accurate. Choosing to serve God is a life-changing and ongoing thing. It isn't something that occurs once and then you go on as before. It's something that should be constant and never ending.

I've been in a kind of slump lately, feeling like I don't really know what to do next. Wondering what my purpose is. Getting bogged down in "what if's." What I need to remember is that perhaps this is a time when I need to be resting. Perhaps my purpose for now is to take a breather and refocus. Maybe, just maybe, God is telling me to be still for a time. And I have to snicker because I'm just as bad at being still as my 6yo!

What a week!

It's been a whirlwind week! Our kids just finished up a play this week called "Humpty Dumpty Is Missing". If you've never seen it, it's a hoot! They had a lot of fun and considering there was a cast of 25 children ranging in age from 7-14, not a whole lot of altercations. My son was the oldest and of course, he always knows best so there was bound to be /some/ trouble. Turns out, there was only one kid he had real problems with. And his main beef with this kid was that he held up practices with his bratty behavior and inability (or lack of desire) to memorize his lines. Anyway, thankfully the play was over before any real physical harm was caused, except for this kid stepping on my son's foot. I wonder if he knew my son has an ingrown toenail on that foot. The world may never know. I tried to upload a couple of photos but it's not working for me. Maybe I can load some later.

So all week long, we were rushing to get the kids to the play. Friday night was the last night of the play and tonight we had a birthday party to go to. A friend of ours (we met through the first play we were involved with) had a BIG birthday party for her little girl who turned 3 this year. It was a princess party and all the girls were to dress up as princesses. My two went as Indian (as in the country India) princesses. They were gorgeous! I know. I'm biased. :) They had a lot of fun and really enjoyed being a part of it all. Well, I know it's short but I have to get some sleep. My weekend is almost over before I even began it! LOL Hmmm...and my birthday is coming up soon. I better get started planning something for that...

Respecting My Elders

I just got to thinking about something today. I have a few friends who aren't comfortable around the elderly. These same friends may even mock them at times. They are entitled to their opinions and responsible for their own actions concerning this matter. But here is my take on respecting the elderly...in 10 topic sentences.

1. They made it to the age they are.-They must have had some kind of tenacity to get to the age they are today. For sheer determination in surviving the things life throws at all humans, they deserve my respect.

2. They have lived through many experiences.-They have had to deal with many things we can only imagine in today's world of fast everything. In doing so, they've had to make do with what they had, which was sometimes not much at all. For their ingenuity, they deserve my respect.

3. They are or were hard workers.-Back in the day, you actually had to work to get recognition or honor of any kind. Back in the day, if you didn't work, you didn't eat. Back in the day, everything was work and work was constant. Washing clothes, cooking, keeping the house clean, keeping the yard looking nice-all these things meant hard and diligent work had to be done...constantly. For that, they deserve my thanks and respect.

4. They know a few things.-Things may have changed a bit, but human nature remains the same. Trust me. I've learned quite a few things from my grandmother, who is also my hero. I may not always agree with her, but I can still respect her opinion because she may have something-something I probably missed. Last time I checked, I was still a kid to her, still her granddaughter, and still not quite as smart as I think I am. For their knowledge of the world around them, they deserve my respect.

5. They care.-Most people razz you or criticize you because they care. There are indeed a few who do so out of spite, malice and jealousy. But if these people are friends or family, they are doing this because they care. Listen to them. Take the bits of what they say that make sense, those bits that you understand, and apply them. See what happens. For their care and concern, they deserve my care and respect.

6. They take the right things seriously.-I find that most elderly folks are most concerned about their family. I think they have that right. I think family should be the most important thing to all of us. And I think there is a lesson to be learned here. How many of us think we never have enough time to stop? I think I'll take the advice of the elderly and be sure and spend some time with the people I care most about every day...or at least as often as I can make time. For their time, they deserve honor and respect.

7. They've been there. They've done that.-There is no advice like the advice from someone who's been there. Like I said earlier, times may have changed but human nature hasn't. Listen to what the elderly have to say about what they learned in life. Chances are, you will learn something new and helpful. And even if you don't, there's probably a good story to be heard. For their helpful words and advice, they deserve my respect.

8. They can teach others.-Where many of us (the young'uns) have no patience, I find the elderly have it in plenty. And they have so many things they can teach us. For the lessons they are willing to share, they deserve my thanks and my respect.

9. Storytime-I love hearing the elderly relate stories of their childhood or young life. Many of these would be frowned on now because political correctness has torn down so many good walls as well as some of the bad ones. For the stories they are willing to share, they deserve my willing and eager ear and my respect.

10. They are educated in many ways.-Most of the elderly are smarter than we give them credit for. Their school was actually much harder than the stuff we were/are made to learn today. Their teachers were not allowed to go over the test questions before the test was given. Their teachers did not keep the rest of the class hindered because one or two students were behind. They kept up, or they got left behind. There's a reason for that. They had to be strong to survive in the world of yesteryear. Their minds had to be as strong as their bodies. A strong mind has to be worked and stretched into shape just as the muscles of the body must be worked and stretched in order to be strengthened. For their determination to succeed, in order that they may pass on their hard work for the benefit of their children and their children's children, they deserve my heartfelt gratitude, my respect and great honor forever.

And that's how I feel about the elderly.

Ten Things I Learned From My Family

These aren’t like a top ten list of things but rather random things I just remember learning. I either learned these things by watching the example of family members or by hearing them taught in our home.

1. God exists and He loves people. Why do bad things happen? I don’t know. But I /do/ know God /does/ exist and that He loves the people He created. He is everywhere I go, hears everything I say or don’t say and sees everything I do. You can pervert and twist that any way you’d like but it won’t change my mind about this being a good thing. I learned this from my mom and dad and my mom’s parents.

2. We are people of the land. The land is a part of us and we are a part of it. We can’t get away from it. It’s in our blood. When we are apart from it, we pine for it. Home is truly home and a safe haven. It’s not something to run away from or a trap. Rather the traps are set all around us and avoiding them can be a bit tricky. This is a good thing, too, because it keeps me on my toes. Some might call that paranoid. I guess they are as entitled to an opinion as any other person. I learned this from my dad and his mom and dad and brother.

3. We make do with what we have. We choose to be content. We don’t go begging for handouts because we want what everyone else has. We may not have the newest, coolest gizmos and gadgets. We may not have the most outstanding house on the highway. But we have an adequate domicile in which we can live a life that is abundant with the things that count the most-the joy of family living. This is not to say we don’t work hard which brings me to my next item. I learned this from both my parents and both my sets of grandparents.

4. Hard work never hurt anyone. Slave labor has. But hard work, willingly done, never hurt anyone. In fact, my grandfather (my dad’s dad) was one heck of a workhorse. As a farmer, he worked from the time he walked out the door after breakfast until sunset or after. Many are the times I remember bringing a sandwich lunch out to my dad, his brother and my grandpa as they worked the fields. Many were the nights we didn’t see them come home until well after dark, which in summer can be 9 p.m. Another familiar saying that goes along with this is “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” Yeah, you can laugh at that one if you want to. I notice the number of obesity cases is climbing… I learned this from my parents and grandparents.

5. Life isn’t usually fair. Every now and again, you’ll get this really awesome fairness that happens when you least expect it. Cherish it. You might not get another chance. I learned that from my mother.

6. There will always be a few regrets. Learn from them. Move on. Living life with a bunch of regrets weighing you down is no fun at all. Of course, you may look at all these ‘Life Lessons of Mel’ and think I have no fun at all anyway. Stick around. You might be surprised.

7. Being yourself is really, really hard. I learned this from some extended family on my dad’s side. Anytime I tried to be myself, I was wrong. I think they might have been trying to ‘help’ me ‘fit in’ but when ‘fitting in’ wasn’t necessarily going to happen anyway, all that did was make things worse. Still I am more firm in my belief that being myself is by far the better thing to be. It’s worth all the ridicule, teasing, bullying, mockery, etc. Trust me.  No need to be bitter, though. Let that part of learning the lesson go and revel in the breath of fresh air that it is to be YOU.

8. Marriage. Ah! What an interesting thing it has become these days. Do any marriages last anymore? Do people even go into marriage with the idea, no, conviction that this is a lifetime deal? I did. And I learned that from my parents and grandparents. ‘Well, I’m just not happy.’ Or ‘We just don’t get along.’ (sigh) Try looking at things from your partner’s perspective. I remember my mom saying, “It takes two to tango.” It means there are two sides to every story and taking the time to hear both sides is usually worth it. Just because the grass might /look/ greener on the other side, doesn’t mean it really is. Consider that you might be seeing only part of the picture of that green good-looking grass. My mom talked to me before I got married and right after I got engaged. She said this, “Don’t ask yourself whether you can live with him but rather ask yourself whether you can live without him.” I knew. I was convinced my husband was the man for me. And we are still together. Through sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until death parts us? Yeah, I meant every word I boldly spoke that day before God and my family and friends.  I made a VOW.  I’m holding to it.

9. Never break a promise. If you do break a promise, you better have an awfully good reason for doing so. I learned that from my mom.

10. Life is short. Live it well. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Self-control. Do you see anything bad in this list? People who live by this list are few and far between. Some of you will recognize it. You should, and probably are, thanking God for the person who taught it to you. So far as I know, it is still not against any law to use any of these actions. I do not always measure up to this list. It’s a tough one. But it’s worth my time and effort, especially if it means someone gets a bit of help along the way. I learned this from my mom her parents.

This concludes my random list of ten things I learned from my family. Maybe I’ll share some more things later. I have 35 years of experiences to draw from. Maybe next time, I’ll share ten things I learned from going to school or maybe from church social life. I really do hope this list will help someone. It helps me to write things down. This way, I’m less likely to forget. Thanks for taking time to read it. Feel free to share your thoughts but please be courteous. Also keep in mind that these are my perceptions of the lessons taught in my home. They are my firm beliefs. I do my best to respect the beliefs of others and I expect the same respect in return. Thanks!

Special Diet Frustrations

My husband and I have been trying for several years now to eat a more kosher diet.  When we were sticking with the basics of the kosher diet, his cholesterol went down and he felt more energetic and healthier. And I was much happier with the way our health seemed to be going.  We had just moved to Texas when we decided to eat this way.  We are not Jewish. I think that confused people then, and I know it's confusing people now.  We are now in Louisiana where two of the staples are crawfish and pork-definitely not kosher.  What I would like to say is this: Please do not feel bad for me or my family because we have stopped eating things we feel are bad for us.  My husband and I do not feel deprived. We are not sorry we eat the way we do.  We should not have to explain ourselves or our choices to anyone but God.

Another major obstacle to our healthier choices are people who feel that we are depriving our children. To them I need to say:  Please do not give our children artificially colored/flavored candies and say things like, "Just this one time won't hurt."  My children hear you doubt our authority and they begin to lose faith in the people who care most about them, who take care of them every day, who sit with them through nightmares and sickness and emotional upheavals.  When we say our children cannot eat the candy you brought for them or bought for them, please don't take offense. Just ask me before you give them something the next time.  And if our choices for our children are too pricey for your pocketbook, no worries! They don't have to have candy or boxed brownies or frozen cookie dough with m-n-m's in them in order to love you. Really, my children are very loving little people.

And now for the rant...

All these thoughts have been rambling around in my head for several years now.  And today I got an email from a friend who was very strong and very loving in her response to a situation like this. Only she has a child that is autistic.  She's chosen a special diet very carefully for him that has improved his health and symptoms dramatically. She let him go to a neighbor's house (who she trusted and who knew about the dietary restrictions) and discovered that he'd had several things which were not included in his diet. I would've gone insane! She calmly dealt with the situation and has resolved to just make snacks for him to bring with him when he goes to visit people.  Why in the world would someone presume to feed a child they know is on a special diet without calling the parents first?  I do not understand this at all.  When a child is diabetic, you have to feed them very carefully.  This woman's chosen diet for her autistic child is no different.

Our children are not disadvantaged by having a diet that restricts certain kinds of fish and shellfish, pork, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, and chemical preservatives.  They are not worse off for using honey to sweeten things rather than processed, bleached sugar.  They are not deprived when they have the choice of home baked goods and home cooked food rather than McDonald's or Taco Bell or something quick out of a box.  Please do not assume that we are insane, uncaring or way too strict concerning our children's diet.  God gave them into our care and we have to choose the diet we feel is best for them.  Think of how you would feel if we came up to you and questioned your authority in front of your children.  Have we ever put any of you in a sticky position concerning your kids and the decisions you make concerning them?  If so, I heartily apologize!  I love all my friends and family, even the family I try not to talk to very often. (That's a whole different blog.)  But I will not have my authority questioned concerning whether or not my kids are going to eat /CANDY/ of all things! You know, if it was veggies or bread, I would possibly understand this better. But it's /candy/ that keeps getting pushed on my kids. "Oh! They /need/ something for the holiday!" Yes. They could use a new shirt, or a new pair of socks or a good book. Please don't give our kids anything without asking us first.  It's just safer and more polite and it reinforces our authority concerning their well-being. Thank you for your patience.

Just a Little About Life

It's been a little bit since I last blogged. I thought I'd take this opportunity to express my thoughts. At present, they're happy thoughts! :) Our garden is doing very well right now but I spotted some red beetles that are not ladybugs and some 'cowboy' bugs, which are actually called 'Leaf-legged' bugs or something like that. I found that out earlier today and it just goes to show how awful my memory is at times. I also found a very helpful site about natural pest control. I'm hoping to implement their ideas soon to see if they really are helpful and if this will deter the cowboy bugs. I don't want sour veggies! I want normal tasting veggies! Here's the site: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/29097/prevent_garden_bugs_no_pesticide_pest.html?singlepage=true&cat=32 I hope that works. You may have to copy and paste it to your menu bar. If not, let me know and maybe I can add that link another way. So far, we've probably harvested 10 lbs. of squash from our little patch. We have approximately 12-15 squash plants, some of which are zucchini and some of which are yellow crook-neck. The purple hull peas are also coming up and I can't wait to eat those but I have to get rid of those cowboy bugs! I read that they will eat peas! Can't have that.

In other life news, we are going to visit the hubby's family soon. This will be fun! We haven't been to see them for quite some time. We are all excited. :)

Later on this month a very good and dear friend of ours (who we consider to be family) is coming for a visit. We are so looking forward to it! :)

There is much to do and school must continue. I just wanted to blog a bit of the goodness that is around me and really put into words how thankful I am for the blessings from my Heavenly Father.

Lots of things have been happening in the political sphere that are pretty scary to anyone who bothers to do the research. I'm not trying to scare ppl with this note. I'm just trying to share information. You are still free to take that information, research it for yourself and make your own decisions concerning that information. I'm just putting it out there.

I teach my kids at home (as most of you know) and it's amazing what you learn (or remember that you forgot) while teaching your kids. Noah's history this year (in addition to Louisiana History) is "History of the World In Christian Perspective". Now before you go off and say how awful it is to teach something in such a one-sided way, you should know that I use as many supplemental items as I can to give my kids a well-rounded and well-informed education, especially since that is lacking in the public school systems of today. There are many good teachers out there but they are so hampered by the guidelines they have to follow...well, that's for another note. Back to what we are learning in Noah's history book. Here's an exerpt from Noah's history book that was taken from The Communist Manifesto:

"When revolution broke out in Germany in 1848, they [Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels] took advantage of the turmoil to issue 'The Communist Manifesto', a pamphlet which laid out a program for Communist revolution. The 'Manifesto' advocated the violent overthrow of all established authority and called for the following measures:
1. The abolition of private property [see the link I posted earlier about the Amish farmer]
2. the redistribution of wealth through heavy, progressive income taxes [watch your 2010 tax spike]
3. a centralized federal bank [guess who owns many of our banks now]
4. government control of all means of communication and transportation [guess who owns GM and who's trying to control the internet b/c its a way to communicate globally, just like your phone]
5. government ownership of all means of production and all natural resources [this 'green' movement that you see them pushing, along w/ all the global warming hype]
6. the abolition of unemployment through social welfare programs [this has been in place for a long time but not fully functioning yet]
7. the redistribution of the population-from cities to rural areas and vice versa- and...
8. mandatory state-sponsored and state-supported education [I'm pretty sure we're heading this way. I'm prepping my kids now.]

It closed with a stirring call to battle: 'The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of the world, unite!'"

It's pretty easy to see why they were able to take over, isn't it? When the government suddenly controls all the means by which a person can successfully live, they can control you. If we give them control of all the guns, if we let them pass a law to get rid of our nukes while other countries are practically encouraged to build them, we are playing into their hands. We /need/ to research before we vote. And by research I mean we need to dig deep and look at the candidates' pasts. After all, its the only way we have to consider how they will act once they get into office. In order to stop this from happening here (and I'm not sure it's possible now but I won't give up easily), we had better wake up as a country. Since I don't know whether fb will censor this or not (simply b/c of the use of the word 'communism') I will also be posting this in a blog. At least for right now, I still have my freedom of speech.

If you doubt anything I've said here, then please research on your own. Don't just dismiss this as fanatical or nonsensical. Don't let yourself be so easily guided by others. Study, study, study! Our schools feed our kids info and expect them to spit it back out. This discourages them from working hard to achieve. Do you remember how hard it was to pass a test if you didn't study? I thank God my parents sent me to a school that wasn't so concerned about where it was going to get its next dollar (at least at the time). This way, I was insured a quality education. I know how to research. I know how to study. I know the value of studying. I feel so sorry for the kids today who've had everything practically handed to them. They will flounder about and never know which way is up. Too bad really because these are the people who will be voting. I have nothing against 18 year old young adults but I do feel that they are more easily swayed to vote a certain way. I also believe that because they've been lulled by the fact that there haven't been any wars fought on our home soil for many years now, they think it couldn't happen. This is a sad and dangerous way of thinking. The president we have in office now is going rogue. Many of the people who put their trust in his empty words promising 'hope and change' are seeing the error of their ways but many are still blinded by his lies. I will continue to pray for this president and our other national and state leaders. They need prayer now more than ever. But I will not stand idly by while my country is torn in two right down the middle. We will have to stand united against such tyranny (and make no mistake-this /is/ tyranny in the making) or we will surely fall. I do fear that some yahoo or group of yahoos will go ape and start killing people but I hope they don't. That would just give the current ruling body a reason to enforce martial law. And you can bet they won't relinquish that power once they have it. I'll stop now. But just think about it. Is this really what you want? If not, you better make your voice heard while you can. That's all I'm saying...

The excerpt is from 'History of the World In Christian Perspective' 3rd Edition (c) 1995 pg 455 Jerry H. Combee, Ph.D. A Beka Book Pensacola, FL

If you have anything to add or corrections to make, please feel free to do so but please keep it civil and for corrections please provide a link or something for others to go and check it out. Thanks! :)

So Blessed!

I really am so blessed. I didn't feel much like being thankful or joyful at all this morning. But I look back on the things that have happened since I last posted and I can see so many good things. I've met so many new and fabulous people online and it's such a joy to have conversations with them. There aren't so many preconceptions or expectations. You don't have to look or be perfect. You just need to be yourself. What is really upsetting to me is the fact that this is the way it should be when you meet folks face to face. Ah, well. Preconditioned to judge as we are, I guess it can only be helped when you actively try to overcome it. This is something I'm still working on. Having said all that, I love my new online friends and wish them joy and peace where ever they find themselves.

As for blessings at home, I've been working on a sewing project. I finally tackled a bustier that's been cut out for at least two years. I just finished it today. I finished a matching skirt yesterday and cut out a chemise that will be worn under them. I haven't started sewing the chemise yet, but I hope to finish it by the weekend. It's coming out well. I beaded the ribbon sleeves of the bustier. I also beaded the front of the skirt. I love all the embellishments. They are my favorite part of any project! :) I'll post a pic of it before I beaded it. When I get done, I'll post pix of the completed project.


It's been kinda gray today and yesterday. We saw the sun sporadically today. I went to the library and picked up some more Louisiana books. I also snagged a copy of 'The Jewel in the Skull' by Michael Moorcock. I've never read anything of his before...at least, not that I'm aware of. I've read a lot of stuff over the years. LOL We'll see how it goes. I love what I've read so far. He paints a very pretty picture.

Well, it will be time for a new look soon. I've decided to cut my hair short again. I'm thinking about a similar style to the female voiced by Drew Barrymore in Titan A.E. but not sure how that will work with my face shape. (sigh) Trying out a new hairstyle is so stressful. It'll be different though. I'd love to just be able to run my hands through my hair and go in the mornings. If it's not wash and go, I'm not interested. I have better things to do with my time than spend it on my hair. LOL

Last but certainly not least, the local theater group held auditions for a new play a few weeks ago. My husband, who's never done anything of the kind, read and got the lead role! We were there to offer help where it was needed, whether with sets or costumes or whatever. It was so totally unexpected and he's so totally stoked. It's been a really good thing. Now if he can just survive the performance. :) There is a lot of action involved and it's a comedy. I can't wait to see the finished production.

I guess that's about all for right now. As ever, I'll try to post more often but we all know how that's going to go... LOL!

Laugh a Lot!

Creative Energies! Aw, rats! LOL

If you thought you'd be reading a blog that worked with clock-like regular postings, you were mistaken. Did I ever mention that I have a problem with focus? :) I stay pretty busy with little nothings and many times nothing really gets completely finished. Sometimes that frustrates me to the core but most of the time, I just ignore it and move on.

One place I can't allow that to happen is in my schoolroom. Sometimes I have to really MAKE myself focus on what needs to be accomplished for the day. And thankfully, it works more often than not. We've been doing well with our lessons since we started a new year and we were doing pretty well before the last one ended. I will now pause for a smile. :)

I woke up this morning feeling really good. I mean I felt really good, at peace with myself and my surroundings and just really good. I was ready to jump through hoops this morning! Then my 5 yr. old (The Ro) decided to pitch a major fit. Her brother (NoJo) tried to help her with something she was trying to do. She was making a watery mess. He saved her behind, really. But that was just so totally unacceptable to her so she started screeching at him. I was unable to attend to the situation just right at that moment and my husband was at the college taking care of his classes for the day so he couldn't really help out either. So I yell at them to just be quiet and I'll take care of it when I can get there. The Ro can't wait to tattle on NoJo since she is truly convinced he's wronged her in the extreme. She comes to meet me and I have to get her to look me in the eye. It was quite a job convincing her that her method was fallible and her brother had done nothing wrong. And I still think she wasn't totally convinced I was right. She went right back to telling him to apologize. He replied, "For helping you?" I really do think he was quite confused this time. He's 13 and pretty practical for his age.

"What did she do?" you may be asking. She had wet a washcloth and was washing her whiteboard with it. This doesn't sound really awful, does it? Except she was washing her whiteboard in my living room on my carpet. :) NoJo realized this was a very bad thing. He took the washcloth away from her and brought it back to the kitchen. That's it. That's all he did. Oh! And he tried to explain that she was getting water everywhere and making everything soaking wet. What she didn't realize was that she should've been worshiping at his feet since he'd saved her from 'the wrath of the mom-demon'.

So after that long, drawn-out, dramatic episode, I was /really/ in the mood to enjoy school. We did school and got that done for the day. I got a quick shower, washed a load of dishes and cleaned the hall bathroom. I taught a piano lesson after all that. Here's a bright note. I have one new student and 3 more interested. This is indeed a very bright note. :)

On days like today, I just feel like I need to do something really energetic like planting a garden or herding sheep. Why the snicker? If you knew me really well, you'd know how awful I am at growing anything except bulbs and I'm not really an animal person. They are OK if they live outside and can take care of themselves or if they are behind fences at the zoo. They are just a bit too unpredictable for me. I might do alright herding sheep but I'm really not sure. Anyone else ever feel like the first sentence of this paragraph?

Right now I'm listening to one of my favorite songs by the Newsboys: "Lead Me To The Cross" and I know what some of you may be thinking. But really, it is a great song beautifully written with very lovely lyrics and it really speaks to me. That last bit is what won me over. :) Before that Sting and the Chieftains were singing "Mo Ghile Mear (Our Hero)". As you can see, my taste in music ranges wildly all over the place. That has also been a great topic of conversation with several of our friends and it is really a help when you have friends that only like a certain genre.

Well, I will try to post more often for you, my two faithful followers. LOL And I hope to be able to keep my posts honest and down to earth...OK, well honest. Talk to you soon.

Laugh a Lot

Too MUCH!

It's been almost a month since I last blogged. Too much info is floating around in my head and it's just overwhelming.

Since my last post we've:

1. started hosting Torah studies in our home on Saturday mornings.

2. hosted a Redwall Feast

3. celebrated our youngest child's 5th birthday

4. started teaching piano lessons to an adult

Starting with number 1, it's interesting how the word "Torah" can create such various reactions. We are studying Torah with one person right now but we hope others will join us as we progress. This person's mother (he's in his late 40's or early 50's) had an absolute cow when he told her we were studying "Torah". I couldn't believe it! Just hearing the word "Torah" caused fear? Then I learned what the word "Torah" means, literally, teaching or instruction. It doesn't mean "law". (Power New Testament 3rd Ed. William J. Morford). Just hearing a Jewish word caused our friend's mother to think he was doing something awful and alien! I couldn't believe how she was so ready to jump on his case just because he was...wait for it...studying? I'm sorry. The man is old enough to make his own decisions. And reacting out of fear rarely accomplishes anything good.

Number 2-Our Redwall Feast took place on October 23. The kids dressed up and planned to read, recite or sing something. I cooked all day long. And we had a beautiful and fun time. Our friend mentioned above came, as well as my mom. We all enjoyed a wonderful visit and some really good food, even if I do say so myself! Rotfl! See the photos above. Noah was Zann Juskarath Taggerung from "The Taggerung", Ro was a molebabe, and Shi was Triss from the book by that name. Noah read the poem that tells about his character. Ro sang a song with me. And Shi read a riddle she learned out of a book. John read a song about brewing October Ale. Rotfl!

Number 3-For Ro's birthday, my mom and Noah were out of town helping my grandmother. But we still had some fun. The day before they left, we let Ro open her gifts. Then on her birthday I made a chocolate chip cake (dyed green) and we frosted it with cream cheese frosting (dyed purple). I let the girls put some of those pre-made candies on top. They had a blast and the cake was really cute. Tasted good, too.

Number 4-I'm really thinking I should focus more on teaching adult piano lessons. By the time you are an adult, you are taking things more seriously and you know how much work you have to put into something, even if it is just for fun. My new student is a real joy. She practices and enjoys it! Love that!

Well, better run. Still have other things to do and must also teach school today! Rock on!

Laugh a Lot!

It Just Keeps On

Yeah, life. It just keeps on...for a while anyway...for most of us. I was able to get some of the items I needed for my garden. I've got the basic edging and weed stop fabric. I got my tools and gloves. All I really need now are those pesky plants. Next Saturday seems so far away!

I'll be going to spend some time with my grandmother soon. I'm hoping to cheer her up and help her out with household chores, etc.

I finished all but the sealant on Ro's little rocking chair. Ro is my 4 year old. She is something else. Now I just have to finish Shi's. Shi is my 8 year old. She is telling me that my mother is back from work. The reason she's playing "informant" is because she's ready for supper. Guess I better stop my blogging for now and feed her! Blog more later!