Well, I feel a bit silly.  Rather than pose this big photo-sharing question on my blog, all I really had to do was ask my teenager.  She didn't know the answer, but she knew how to find out.

(Which, to chase a little rabbit here, reflects the goals of my educating endeavors with my children.  They don't need to know all the answers to everything off the tops of their heads, but I do want them to know how & where to find answers & information when they need it.)

Anyway, SoyCheez grabbed my computer and held my hand just long enough to get me started, then left me to play around and get it all figured out.  Just like a good teacher ought to do.  I'm taking mental notes here.

Teenagers are handy like that for technological questions; that is, provided they are actually around and available.  Which is probably why I went to my bloggy friends rather than the teenager in the first place.  Bloggy friends are generally easier to get a hold of.  :-)  But last night the teenager and I just happened to be talking about the relatives at the reunion, and I just happened to mention a particular picture I'd taken of one of them, and she just happened to want to see it, and while we were looking at it, I just happened to think to ask her my photo-sharing question.  So see, it all just sort of happened.  That's sometimes how it is with teenagers.

Anyway, I just thought I'd mention that.  But I'm not going to turn this into another boring blog post about photo-sharing.  If you are interested in knowing what I found out, go to the comments section of my previous post.  I decided that was the best place to relate my findings.

As for this post, I'd rather continue on this rambling, stream-of-consciousness course by mentioning how much I appreciate those little moments with my little-girl-almost-growed-up.  As she gets older and more independent and closer to the time when she will leave the nest, I've come to cherish little things like sitting on the sofa together looking at pictures and figuring out photobucket.  Not because she is helping me, but because we are doing something together and talking about something other than what chores she needs to do and how much of her own gas she should pay for and whether she should watch a particular movie and all those other potentially-volatile issues of Life With Teenagers.  And I hate it that we have to spend so much time on those not-so-fun conversations, and I realize that I need to work harder at making sure they are far outweighed by the casual, enjoyable moments.  Of course, as I previously noted, those sorts of moments often just "happen".  I just have to set the stage to allow them happen more often.

Which is a good reason for me to get off the computer and get started on my day.  Because the Teenager wants to make hummus today, and if I don't get too far behind on the other things on my to-do list, I can help her.  And then there is that sewing project and that scrapbook project we were going to do together, neither of which will happen during the remaining weeks of summer if I don't start guarding my time a little better.

Besides, I have a little-girl-NOT-so-growed-up-yet waiting for my lap.  And I think I'd better take advantage of that while I can.

Alternate title:
I'm Home, But My Brain Is Still On Vacation...

...which is why my computer time the last couple days has been spent reading other peoples' blogs rather than writing on my own.  I have caught up on all my HSB friends' blogs and will do non-HSB blogs tonight or tomorrow.

Isn't that exciting?  Yeah, I thought so.  Just hold on, I'm going to ask for your advice in a minute here.

Before I read blogs, I finished downloading and playing with my 600+ vacation pics.  (Having two big memory cards & a laptop with me was great, as previous vacations have generally been limited to under 200 photos.)  And I know you'll ask me to post some, and I'm not making any promises, b/c posting photos is time-consuming.  Besides, since we were at a family reunion, many of the pics contain other people's children, and I hate to post those w/o permission and I hate to ask.

All this talk of photos brings up a question.  One of my cousins asked if I would post my pics on a website for everyone in the family to view.  This is where I could use some advice.  What do YOU use for photo sharing?  I have a photo-bucket account which I use for posting pics here on my blog, but it is a private account.  I don't care to make it public.  I could give my relatives my password, but I'd rather not.  That would give them access to all my folders, and the ability to play with the pics.   I doubt anyone would abuse it, but my photobucket folders are for MY use and I really would rather keep it that way.  I'd rather just grant access to specific folders, but I don't think I can do that.   SO... I'm thinking I should open another account, either in photobucket or another program like flickr, shutterfly, or snapfish.  Do any of these programs have a way to make certain folders accessible ONLY to certain people, W/O granting the ability to mess w/the pics?  (Not that I think anyone actually would.  I just don't want viewers having the same access to my photos that I have.)  For example, i could, if I wanted, make my blogposts (all of them or certain ones) viewable only to my friends or HSB users, etc, instead of everyone in the whole world, but that still doesn't mean those people would have the ability to post on my blog.  Kinda like that.

Even if you aren't sure about my specific question here, let me know what you use to let friends & relatives view your photos.  Do you like it?  Is it better than others you've tried?  Can you do it w/o making your folders viewable to the general public?

Thanks!!!

Oh, and I have no intention of sharing all 600+ photos on whatever site I end up using.  I will pick and choose 60-100.

Well, for the 2nd straight day I am still in my jammies past noon, so I need to put up the puter and get in the shower.  Yesterday was mega-laundry day, and today is unload-unpack-&-put-everything-away day.  (If you're wondering how I did laundry w/o unpacking all the suitcases, the secret is to put everyone's dirty laundry into one suitcase before heading home.)  No more puter til it's done.  Or so I say.

OK, when I get back to the blog tonight or tomorrow, I hope to see lots of photo-sharing advice.  My relatives will be grateful, and so will I.

Oops-- edited to correct error in gas cost.  I WISH it were only $137-- wouldn't that be nice.

While most of you (and most of the relatives with whom I have been Reunion-ing all week) are sitting in church, I am sitting poolside at a nice Best Western in Cambridge, Ontario.  The kids and I had pre-planned to take an extra day coming home.  Yesterday we walked from one end of Niagara Falls to the other, and today we are supposed to be at African Lion Safari.  But it is raining and we are tired anyway, so we have nixed that plan and are enjoying the hotel instead before we drive the remaining 5-1/2 hours home.

Turns out that the camp at which we Reunioned had wireless internet after all, albeit a verrrryyyy sllloooowwww connection.  It also turned out that I had virtually no time or inclination to be on the internet anyway.  The only real "down time" I had was when I was flat on my back on the sports field after foolishly trying to "kick into high gear" so as not to be beaten in a race by my 61-year-old aunt.  Oh, I forgot to mention that this was a Backwards Race.  Not a good idea for people over 40, although most of the others made it through in one piece.

Anyway, whatever other "downtime" I may have had was spent mostly conversing with aunts, uncles, cousins, & sibs, which is sort of the point of a family reunion anyway.  I also took a couple of afternoon naps, which I rarely ever do but had some need of this past week!  I did take my computer to the pool and the campfire a few times (as did some of my cousins), but the only things I did on it were typing up a Reunion Survey and downloading pictures.  And downloading pictures, and downloading pictures, and downloading pictures.  I went thru both memory cards twice, I think, which means I took hundreds and hundreds of pictures.  I pretty much have a folder for each day, several of which have over a hundred pics in them.  Digital is cool that way.

Perhaps I will post more about the reunion later, but for now, I will summarize...

Gas to and from Machias, New York:  about $237.00
Speeding ticket on the Ohio Turnpike:  $120.00
Cottage rental:  $472.00
Reunion T-shirts for my crew:  $15.90
Backwards race:  Bruised tailbone and lots of ibuprofen
A whole week with aunts, uncles, and cousins from various parts of the country:  PRICELESS!!!

I ought not to be blogging right now.  I ought to be (a) packing, or (b) sleeping.  I am too tired to continue with the former, so I need to just go do the latter.  I am also too tired to be blogging, so this one won't be anything great.  (As I begin this post, by the way, it is shortly after midnight.)

The youngers and I leave Saturday bright & early (I hope) for a week-long family reunion in western New York state.  It is a 7-1/2-to-8-hour trip, depending on customs (we go thru Canada) & traffic, and I will be driving it all.  I have parents & sibs going out as well, but we are neither carpooling nor caravanning because we all sort of want to run our own schedules.  Yeah, I know, I know.

Last reunion, 3 yrs ago, it was just the youngers and I also, as Huz & the olders stayed home to pack for our imminent move to a new house.  That time, we rode out with my parents.  It was good of them to endure Travelling With Children for so long, especially considering that on the way out, Spaz threw up 45 minutes into the 8-hour trip.  (Yes, we had a very pleasant-smelling ride the rest of the way.)  It was very nice of them to offer to carpool with us, and I so appreciated not having to drive it all, but I felt like a little girl sitting in the back seat with my kids while my parents ran the show in MY van.  So I am back to being independent this year.  No doubt remembering the barf and the continual subjection to Narnia audio-drama CDs, my parents did not object.

The previous reunion, in 2003, Huz also missed due to business issues, but all 4 kids went with me.  My parents and one brother also had to miss that reunion, and there really was no possibility of carpooling.  I almost didn't go, but I so love our family reunions.  Making that trip with four kids ages 4 to 15 was quite the adventure, and not always a fun one, but the olders were a big help.  And Biz was on his permit, so I even had driving help, esp on the way back when I was dead tired.  En route, Buffalo traffic (the city, not bison on the road) just about put me over the edge, so we went home via Ohio.

I'm not sure why I am giving you a history of Family Reunion Travel.  Toldja I was tired.

I may as well continue now that I have started.  We ALL went to the 2001 Reunion, 6 of us in an extended-cab pickup.  (There were only 5 on the return trip, as Biz got to ride home with Grandma & Grandpa.)  It was nice.  I didn't have to drive OR sit in the back seat.  And remember I am going backwards in time here, so I just took those things for granted.

Well, mostly.  Our first reunion was in 1999, and I DID have to sit in the back with my kids like a little girl on the way home, but I was too grateful and maybe too shaken to mind.  Huz & I had driven out with the four kids, then ages 10 months to 12 years, and met up with the rest of our clan partway at a nice hotel in Ontario.  While we were there enjoying the pool, two big trees were falling on our house.  So we had no sooner gotten to the reunion the next afternoon (which also happened to be Biz' 12th birthday) than we had to start making plans to turn around and go home.  Long story short, Huz drove my parents' car home with Biz, and the 3 younger kids and I stayed.  That's how I ended up in the back seat of my own van (well, actually it was a rental van, as the one we owned at the time would not have made the trip) on the way home that year.

So.  Out of our five reunions, Huz has only made it to and through one.  He was planning to go this year as well, but again, business has gotten in the way.  (You people who have normal jobs and paid vacations don't know how good you have it!)  This year it is not that he has too much work, but that he has too little.  Go figure.  I don't feel like explaining.  And Cheez has opted to stay home with him, so it's just me and the littles, again.

So.  This was kind of dumb.  I could have spent this time telling you all about my family and our reunions and why it is so worth it to me to go, even when I have to single-parent it for two 8-hour drives and a weeklong stay.  Or I could have told you about what we have planned for this reunion and what the kids and I have planned for the way home.  But I didn't.  I have just blathered on and on about getting there and back over the previous four reunions. 

Ya think I might be stressing just a little bit over the trip?

At any rate, I am out of time to write anything meaningful.  Because I need to go to bed.  There is much to do tomorrow.

But I will tell you that one of our families (my cousin) drives with four kids all the way from Texas, where they work for a well-known missions organization, and that we love them so much that we all contributed to fund their trip this year so they could come.  I'll also tell you that, since we don't have to hurry home for a job or school or anything, the kids and I are planning some post-reunion fun at African Lion Safari in Ontario.  But that's it.  If I start telling you anymore, I'll be here for another hour.

OK, I capitulate.  Fine; one more tidbit.  I cleaned out the van today and decided I am not allowing them to eat fruit leather in the car anymore, even during an 8-hour trip.

Yeah, that was important.

So all that is to say... you won't hear from me for a while.  The camp where we hold our reunions is in Middle-of-Nowhere, New York, and they barely have cell phone service, let alone wireless internet.

To avoid the inevitable withdrawal symptoms, I suggest you read some archives.  They're all there just waiting to be re-read.  For starters, you could try the March 2007 posts entitled "Adventures Behind the Wheel", Parts 1 & 2.  I'm too lazy tired to link for you, so you'll have to go there yourself via the Archives link somewhere over there. >>>  After that, read some other ones.  And then comment on them, even if they are really old.  That will be fun.  I will expect lots of comment notification emails in my inbox when I get back.

Drat, I forgot to get my laundry off the line today.  It had better not have bird poop on it when I get it tomorrow, because I don't have time to rewash things and I don't care to wear poopy clothes at the reunion or anywhere else.

And with that, I'll say adeiu.  I'll come back to blogland and catch up with all of you in about 10 days.  Happy archive-reading.  I know you can't wait.

Note:  The fact that I am making a new post does not absolve you of the responsibility to comment on my last post.  Go do that now, and then come back.  And don't forget to notice that Cheez (aka SoyCheez) also has a new pic at the top of the blog.  She always hated the old one.

I received a very nice compliment the other day.  We had gone to one of our "Will Work For Food" places, as I call them; that is, one of three eating establishments where Huz has done sign work and as payment, we get to eat free.  This particular one happens to be a new coffee/sandwich shop and, unfortunately, there are rarely any other customers there, even on a Friday night.  Which is why Huz takes us there often-- so that we can get our free food while there's still gettin' to be had.

And no, in case you're wondering, SoyCheez can't eat the food (although she can have a plain coffee).  She either brings her own food or stays home.  In this case she had stayed home, and we had brought along a friend of Spaz & Fuzz'.

Anyway.  On this particular evening, there was another customer in the shop: a very nice older gentlemen who apparently had severe Tourette's or something; I'm not sure and of course we did not ask.  He had such a nice personality that we quickly got beyond his random body movements.  When we first came into the shop, we merely exchanged smiles with him, but that eventually progressed into chitchat.  The coffee shop/deli is not big, and so our tables were close enough for us to converse as we ate.  The kids were at one table, Huz & I at another, and the older gentleman at a third table.

We had only exchanged a few remarks when out of the blue he asked me, "Do you homeschool?"

I was surprised at the randomness of the question, but replied, "Yes, I do."  He then proceeded to explain that he knew another homeschooling family and that their children were very polite and well-behaved.  "Oh," said I.  "I wondered what would make you ask that."

"Well," said he, "your children are so well-behaved and polite, and they don't seem to have had the negative influence of public school."

Now before my non-homeschooling readers click away in a huff, let me insert a few remarks of my own here.  First of all, interestingly enough, one of the children to whom this gentleman referred actually is a public-schooled child-- he was not at that time aware that only two of those three children were actually ours.  Second, I am well-acquainted with many well-behaved, polite public school children.  And third, a child's behavior has far more to do with his home environment than with his school situation.  Not that a poorly behaved child is necessarily the result of poor parenting, but behavior often has little to do with whether or where a child goes to school.  Good behavior is not a homeschooling thing; it's a parenting thing.

Which, by the way, probably explains why my children are not, for the most part, actually well-behaved and polite.  Nonetheless, they were giving that impression. 

So this gentleman remarked that my children were well-behaved and polite, and he attributed that directly to the influence of homeschooling.  Which means he attributed it indirectly to my hard work and efforts.  All analyses and caveats aside, I'll take that as a compliment any day.

I know I beamed.  I hope I said thank you.  I did comment that only two of them were mine and that they weren't always well-behaved and polite.  (To which he replied, "Well, that's good, too."  In other words, at least they're normal.)

Now I don't know about you, but I don't get comments like that too often.  I don't think we've ever been a poster family for the homeschool community.  Not even close.  My kids are great kids, but they really are not the outstandingly well-mannered children who inspire comments such as, "Oh, what lovely children; they must be homeschooled."  They'd be more likely to inspire comments from the people who do have those types of children-- comments like, "I can't believe they're homeschooled!  Such a disgrace to the movement!  I hope no one thinks all homeschooled kids are like that..."   OK, I exaggerate a bit, but you get the point.

And so I often think to myself, "Why do I homeschool anyway?  It makes no difference in my kids' lives."  Well, maybe and maybe not.  This gentleman seems to think that it does.  And I may as well choose to believe him.

It is so easy to focus on everything I have done wrong as a parent.  And it is so nice to be reminded every so often that maybe I have done some things right.  After all, if a stranger is so impressed with my children as to comment about it, well, I guess maybe I haven't done so poorly after all.

So you understand, don't you, why five days later I am still beaming.

I changed my picture.  See it in the sidebar?  It's right there >>>>>>>>.

I like my hair better in this one, plus it shows my new Old People's Glasses.  (Which I recently acquired after 33 years of wearing Young People's Glasses.  Not that you can tell the dif from the picture.)  This pic, by the way, was taken in May at Antietam Battlefield.

However, Huz and SoyCheez like the old pic better.  You know, this one of me with my laptop:

Of course, I could always switch to the one that SoyCheez so kindly doctored for me a few months ago.  Remember this?

On second thought, I probably shouldn't use that one.  I might scare away potential new readers.  (Besides, as I noted in the original post in which that picture appeared, it is highly inaccurate, as I always remove my wings and horns before settling down in my comfy chair.  Without fail.)

Anyway, Huz & SoyCheez think the new pic makes me look too much like a Homeschool Mom.  Which, as a matter of fact, I am.  Although SoyCheez remarks that I am quite pretty for a Homeschool Mom.  I think that was a compliment, although not for most of you other Homeschool Moms out there.  Sorry.  She obviously hasn't looked at your pictures.  But I don't think she meant it that way.  In fact, a few weeks ago, she mentioned that I am prettier than most of her friends' moms.

I guess I'll keep her after all, despite the doctored photo.

Oops, getting sidetracked again.  So which pic do YOU like better?  The new one or the old one?  (Not the BatLady one.)

While you are contemplating that, surely you will also notice that I have changed the little description under the picture as well.  My love language is affirmation, so it is imperative that you remark on how clever I am.

I eagerly await your comments.

Those of you who suffered mental anguish as a result of my last post will feel smugly vindicated to learn that I have received my just and well-deserved reprimand-- and from my own computer, no less.

I was persuaded to go here to see what my actions had wrought.  And of course I could not resist clicking on the video.  (To get the full effect, you have to turn off the blog's default music player first.)  I had made it almost all the way through will no ill effects, when suddenly Josiah (my computer) proceeded to shut down on me.

I should note that this random computer shutdown stuff is actually a fairly common occurance, especially when I am on the internet.  And unless I am in the middle of posting on my blog or commenting on someone else's, no data is ever lost, so it is generally not a tragedy but simply a minor annoyance.  I have narrowed the reason for these shutdowns down to three possibilities:  (a) The Mac commercials  and all the naysayers are correct and Windows Vista really is an inferior product.  (b)  The computer encounters a virus which shuts it down (which would mean that my AVG Free Virus Protection is actually the inferior product).  Or (c) The computer senses an impending threat and shuts itself down in order to avoid serious damage (which would mean that both Vista and AVG are functioning quite well, thankyouverymuch).

Oh, I'm getting side-tracked here.  This post is not about computer shutdowns; it is about one specific computer shutdown, which is the one that occured the other day as I was viewing the aforementioned video.

I am convinced that the reason for this particular shutdown was none other than option (c): my faithful Josiah was attempting to protect himself (and me) from a perceived threat to his (and my) well-being.

After all, how much Shaun Cassidy is too much?  For most of us, about three seconds, but Josiah apparently has a high pain threshhold.  Even so, four minutes and 59 seconds was obviously the limit.  I am pretty sure that just before he shut down, I heard Josiah scream, "Aaagggghhhh!  I can't take it anymore!"

Or something like that.

Most of my computer time these days is spent on my duties as Unofficial Coordinator of the Fifth Sorta-Bi-Annual Floatwad Family Reunion, a weeklong out-of-state event which is coming up in just a couple weeks.  (Grandfather in heaven, forgive me for thusly corrupting the family name.  I don't like to use real surnames on my blog.)

The result of this is that, despite all my wonderful ideas for posts, I don't have really have time to write them.  So in leiu of a meaningful post, I give you this:

Today at the health food store, I was subjected to a most inhumane form of torture.  It had nothing to do with the food I had to buy or the money I had to spend, and everything to do with the music that was playing on the sound system.

When I walked in, they were playing "Come Sail Away".  Not a problem.  (In fact, my 9-year-old was singing parts of that song last night as I helped her clean her room, compliments no doubt of Daddy, who delights in exposing the kids to classic and not-so-classic rock and roll even as I endeavor to shelter them from it.)  No, that song was not the problem.  Styx I can handle.  It was what they were playing about 10 minutes later as I was crouching in Aisle 5 comparing prices on canned garbanzo beans.

Talk about nightmarishly idiotic cult songs from the junior high years.  I had hoped to never have to hear this song again.  But thirty-odd years later, there it was.

And here it still is, running through my brain.  And now, because I am feeling mean and rotten and mischievious, I am going to make sure it runs through yours.  My friend CelticMom was so very appreciative of my reference last week to the Tab Cola commercials and the ensuing residency of the lyrics in her brain for the day, that I am certain she and all the rest of you will appreciate this reference as well.  Especially if you are female and somewhere in your early-to-mid 40's.

Yeah, my heart stood still
Yeah, her name was Jill
Yeah, I love her still
Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron

(Oh my, it's Shau-wun Cass-a-deeee!  Can anybody say, "Like, gag me with a spoon"?)

Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron
Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron...

Bwa-ha-ha-ha!  You can't escape it!  It will loop endlessly through your brain all the day long!  Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

You're very welcome.

Now send me chocolate, or my next post will contain Andy Gibb lyrics.

Well, gosh.  I did not get many Happy Birthday comments on yesterday's post.  Either my readership is way down (and way down from three doesn't leave many), or all of you have old and tired brain cells like mine.

Like, hello.  "On my next birthday I will be 44 and on my last birthday I was only 42."  That can only mean one thing.

*Sigh*

Maybe the secret to getting birthday wishes on one's blog is to throw a Bloggy Birthday Bash and give away stuff.  Some of my friends have done that, and I even won something.  So let's see, what could I have given away?...

I know!  Old, tired brain cells!  Or...  The remote door unlocker to my van.  A Dead Poet's Society DVD.  All the mail in my tote bag, except checks.  A spiral notebook for scribbling out head-blogs.  My laundry.

Um, OK, I'll keep working on it.  Maybe next year.

In the meantime, I'll just have a Bloggy Birthday Pity Party.

I'm going to go pout now.

Wait- drat.  Is 43 too old to pout?

OK, revision.  I'm going to go eat chocolate now.

I'm liking this party.

And in case you're wondering, my two youngest kids got me candy and slippers, and my mom & dad got me flowers for my garden and a Hobby Lobby gift card, and I get more presents on Wednesday for my second party when The Eldest Offspring joins us.  Huz grilled burgers, and my mom brought pie.  I chose not to have a deliciously yummy chocolatey dessert because my poor Second Eldest can't have any sugar all summer and I didn't want to make her suffer any further.  Although I did make her do the dishes.