In case you missed last night's lunar eclipse, KIRO TV here in Seattle caught it on time lapse photography. My kids and I did get to see the eclipse from our backyard, which was an answer to prayer (I prayed it wouldn't be too cloudy to see it, proof that God hears and answers even our "little" prayers). We did get to see the moon turn a muddy shade of red, but that color doesn't come through on KIRO's pictures. My daughter got a somewhat grainy picture of it last night in which the red color is visible, so I'll try to get that posted later (depending on how it looks once I upload it).
Do take a look at the pictures. There won't be another lunar eclipse visible over our continent until December of 2010.
I received some links today by email that I wanted to share with you all. The first one is interesting, in a "Wow, I wonder how the Bubonic Plague started" sort of way. It's a map from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) showing where influenza is currently popping up in the USA. Forty-four out of 50 states are reporting it as "widespread". That's maddening, isn't it? To think of all the people who could've washed their hands, used hand sanitizer, coughed into their elbows or a tissue, or gee, I don't know...stayed home but didn't, it's no wonder this thing has spread like it has. The biggest contributor to the fast-and-far nature of this flu, I'm sure, is air travel. Illnesses are no longer confined to one geographic area. Anyway, check out the map, and show your kids. Tell them, as I did with my kids today, "This is why you have to take precautions when you're sick (and after you've been around other possibly-sick people)." It's a good reminder for us adults, too, to practice personal responsibility.
The next links pertain to a very cool meteor that appears to have landed in a sparsely populated area of our great state of Washington. A pilot with Horizon Air says he saw it go down in the southeast corner of the state, and an Idaho National Guard security camera actually caught it on tape. The meteor explodes twice in the sky and seems to burn out before making landfall. Maybe it's in a bunch of little pieces and that's why they can't locate where it landed...just a thought.
And last but not least: On Wednesday, February 20, there will be a fantastic lunar eclipse -- the last one until December of 2010. The moon will turn a "delightful shade of red" over Europe and the Americas. I'm hoping we'll be able to get a glimpse and not have to wait two more years for the next one.This link will give you the best idea of when you'll be able to witness it in your area. If you do, let me know.
The governors of Washington and Oregon have both declared states of emergency. We've been hard hit up here by a series of storms that have continued to barrel in from the Pacific Ocean. On Saturday, we got snow (about 4 inches here), which began the meltdown process by Sunday evening. It was weird, because at midnight I looked out toward the streetlight and saw snowflakes falling (which I'd prayed for, thank you very much), but at the same time could hear the drip chorus as the rest of the snow melted.
Some rain and wind came in on Sunday -- I remember it being a somewhat mild day for us -- but believe that was the day the coastal areas really got pummeled by the wind (and possibly into Monday?). The Puget Sound area was protected from those heavy winds by the Olympic mountains to the west, but everyone else, from Bellingham down to Oregon, got hit hard.
Monday didn't arrived; it was washed in. Between midnight and 7 a.m., the Seattle area received around 4 inches of rain. Crazy. We've had a number of torrential downpours since then, including into Tuesday.
In Western Washington, during record storms like this, talking about "flood plains" is almost silly. When these storms hit, you've got hills, and you've got flood plains. Unless you live on a hill, the possibility of experiencing some flooding is almost guaranteed. Thankfully, it's pretty hilly around here, so the chance of owning a home above sea level is good.
A number of roads have been closed off because of this week's flooding, and I've including a picture of what's probably the most stunning example -- the closure of I-5 at Chehalis (south of Olympia, I think). This picture is jaw-dropping. Please keep everyone who was affected harshly by this storm -- including the grieving families of three people who lost their lives -- in your prayers.
If you still can't believe this picture, the road in the middle of it is I-5, our "mainline" to Oregon and California. Many of the big trucks bringing in groceries and goods aren't able to get through, unless they come over the Cascade passes...which at this time of year can be quite impassable. The North Cascades Highway, in fact, is closed until further notice.
Alaska's topography is about to change once again. Pavlof Volcano has been very irritable of late and is threatening to throw a major tantrum. In fact, fishermen off Alaska's coast have reported seeing "glowing blocks" falling from the mountain, so the eruption may have already begun.
At my other Homeschooling Anyway blog (the practical side of my blogging activities, as opposed to this one, which can sometimes get a little silly), I've written a post about how to cover the current events side of social studies when life seems a little out of control. I've also put up some great links for you to learn more about Pavlof Volcano with your youngins. Do check it out! You'll then be able to impress your family and friends with how much you know about this somewhat obscure volcano and even why airplanes shouldn't fly through an ash eruption.
Take a look at this article that I found online. Apparently, the word "Municipal" had been misspelled as "Municpal" some twenty years ago and was never corrected...until now.
I got a real kick out of reading the story. Read it and see if you can find a typo made by the AP staffer who typed it. Hint: it's somewhere in the 2nd paragraph. If you've had your coffee (if you're alert, in other words), you'll see it right away. It's a little humorous. After you've found it and are feeling smart, test your kids. Call it language arts and be done for the day.
I'm still here! I've had so much this week that I've wanted to write about, and comments to respond to, and other blogs to visit...but when? Things are crazybusy around here right now (like my new word? Crazybusy! LOL). I can't believe Christmas is so close. I so long to be able to slow down and enjoy this time of year. Why is it always so hectic and stressful? How do you, my friends and friends-to-be, slow down and simplify around Christmas, if you're able to?
We've had a horrible windstorm up here -- maybe you've heard about it on the news. Our worst since 1993. Growing up in the Pacific NW, though, I'm used to these storms. Don't like them, but I don't sweat them. You just do your best to get through! We're one of the blessed households: our power is on. It went out on Thursday night around 9 p.m. or so, and stayed off for about 28 hours. We'd stayed up and watched a movie as a family on Friday night, then planned on camping out in our family room by the pellet stove, which was hooked up to the generator outside. Before we could bunk down, though, voila! Lights. I was completely shocked, because I'd heard to not expect any power for at least a few days. "Thank you, Jesus!" was the first thing out of my mouth, as soon as I was able to lift my jaw off the floor. I was also instantly aware of, and grateful to, the crews who were working to restore power to all these hundreds of thousands of homes in our state and Oregon. It was c-o-l-d out there, yet they were working hard for the rest of us. I feel like sending some fudge to the crew who restored our power, if I can find out who they are.
I have to say that I am amazed, shocked, and saddened at the number of trees that went crashing into people's homes. My husband and sons saw one on Friday that had literally split a house in two. I've heard, also, that about 6 people lost their lives in Washington and Oregon because of this storm. Please remember their families in prayer, and also those who've been displaced...all of this so close to Christmas.
There's no such thing as being too careful if you're a parent these days, especially if your kids spend any time online.
My kids have blogs here on HSB, and one of them has a blog elsewhere. I am constantly learning of new ways to protect them online, and am always amazed at the extent to which sexual predators will go in attempting to lure kids and teens.
I found a great article about keeping our kids safe on the internet. It's worth your time to read. I consider nothing online to be completely safe, not even HSB (which is a wonderful site -- it's the predators I don't trust). I regularly skim the blogs of all the other kids my children talk to here, reading comments, etc. So far, I believe everyone my kids are in contact with is on the up-and-up, but I'll never stop being diligent. I recommend you do the same, anywhere your kids are online (as you'll see in the article, this also applies to online gaming, such as through XBox, et al.).
We only get one shot at raising our kids -- let's keep them safe!
Despite 739,989 emails asking the network to cancel Madonna's mocking of the crucifixion of Christ in an up-coming November special, NBC still plans to air the crucifixion mockery scene.
NBC said they found nothing wrong with the scene mocking the crucifixion of Christ. Such was not the case when NBC refused to show Danish newspaper cartoons depicting Muhammad in a negative light. NBC's message? Show respect for Muslims, but it is ok to bash Christians.
In the special, Madonna, wearing a fake crown of thorns, descends on a suspended mirrored, disco ball-type cross.
Madonna has mocked Christ for many years. In 1989 she released a video for the song "Like A Prayer." The video featured burning crosses, statues crying blood and Madonna--representing Jesus--freeing a saint from his sexual repression by seducing him.
Please go to AFA's website by clicking any of the blue words above and sign their petition asking top companies not to sponsor Madonna's program. You will also see two pictures from the crucifixion scene. We must make a lot of noise about this. Jesus did more than we could ever hope or ask for on the cross -- don't let this woman and NBC continue to heap disgrace on that incredible gift.
Are you homeschooling ... anyway? Very few of us, if any, escape the tragedies and other disappointments of life. In the summer of 2004, we experienced a tragedy of our own with the death of our pre-born baby. It was a devastating blow, but that year we homeschooled ... anyway. We were blessed with another little one, but were soon face to face with my husband's cancer diagnosis (multiple myeloma) in early 2006. And like we did 3 years ago, we are still homeschooling...anyway. If you need support, encouragement, or just want to know what "a day in the life" is like for another family who chooses to continue homeschooling in spite of difficulties, stick around! I'm glad you're here, and that I can be here, too, to share the ups and downs (even the days when I feel like I'm skidding sideways) of our homeschooling family: Dad, Mom, two teenagers, a preteen, and a toddler. Any typos I will blame on Bethany, who likes to smack the keyboard while I'm holding her and trying to type one-handed. ;-)
