|
Saturday, April 19, 2008 - my homeschoolblogger.com friend
my daughter, jessie, just recently was able to enjoy the privilege of a blog, and so now i finally have someone else i know on here to play with! she'll have lots more friends than i will, but that's ok. if you'd like to check out her blog it is http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessielovessoccer
guess i'll be back to start posting once again... |
[Comments - 4]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Friday, May 18, 2007 - i lied
i'm not sure anyone is getting a so-called "christmas picture". oh, we took the picture. it's on the computer. we have just failed to print them. i also made out all the envelopes for your christmas cards, but they never got filled out or sent. they are ready for next year, though. and it's maybe not so much a bad thing since now we can get a shot with the new baby and then it will be a complete family. there. i kinda feel a little less guilty. |
[Comments - 0]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Monday, January 29, 2007 -
Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - My favorite verse--expounded upon with deeper meaning
This little gem comes from an Elisabeth Elliot devo that I get each morning
What Can I Do For God?
Most of us would like to do something special in life, something to distinguish us. We suppose that we desire it for God's sake, but more likely we are discontent with ordinary life and crave special privileges. When Israel asked if they should offer some spectacular sacrifice--thousands of rams, ten thousand "rivers of oil," a firstborn child--the answer was, "He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Mi 6:8 RSV).
There is nothing conspicuous about those requirements. It is not a "special" service for which one would be likely to be decorated or even particularly remembered. But it is worth more to God than any sacrifice.
Lord, deliver me from the delusion of imagining that my desire is to serve You, when my real desire is the distinction of serving in some way which others admire.
If you would like to check out more writings of EE or sign up for her daily devotional, click HERE
|
[Comments - 2]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Saturday, July 22, 2006 - A week of aging
I'm not sure how it happens, but whenever one of my kids is gone for a few days, they always seem to come back looking like they've grown up. such was the case with emily when she returned from CIY tonight. this strange phenomenon makes me almost gasp aloud and i find myself staring and trying to pick out what exactly the differences are. 19 years of mothering 5 kids and i still can't figure it out.
i find myself a little threatened by this, mostly because it's an occurance that has gone on without either my approval or my involvement. silly, i know. but the fact remains that i am feeling the first pangs of letting go of my daughter (which is entirely different than that of the boys) and i'm just not quite sure what to make of it. it is more like a part of myself with my girls than it was with the boys, and i am praying that i don't do something stupid like try to ride out my own final teen years through theirs. those of you who are close to me and know me...please don't let me do that, 'k? nevertheless, it has been a really great experience overall, but it does leave me in an odd place that i've not been to for awhile...
|
[Comments - 0]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - I'm back!
I'm working on getting my homeschoolblogger site up-to-date, now that i have firefox installed again. it was giving me fits before, but i never took much time to figure out why, so after a few month's absence, i've decided to give it another go. if all goes well, then i will work on switching my girls' xanga sites over to hsb so they can enjoy a larger margin of safety. the kicker is going to be in convincing their xanga buddies to switch as well, so they can all have their little teen homeschool community over here instead.  some fun things i found today that might be useful for you:
- In the Super Shopper magazine today, there was a coupon for a FREE dozen ears of fresh corn from Shaw Farms when you buy $15.00 or more of their stuff. I'm thinking peaches, so anyone who would like to go in on some with me, let me know. Oh, the coupon is good until 8/31.
- I've been listening to Cindy Rushton's workshop entitled High School! Yes! It CAN BE Easy. She has the most fun, up-beat southern accent ever, and her stuff is amazingly inspiring. Check out her blog (she's a Homeschoolblogger, too!)
- One book that I'm hoping to go through with each of my girls is Beautiful Girlhood, by Karen Andreola (actually, it was revised by her). I found and bought (online for cheap of course!), the companion guide to go with it. It's like a journal that your daughter can use as she goes through the book, writing thoughts on different questions and topics and accompanying scriptures.
Faith, Jess, and I played boggle this afternoon. Did you know that the word "snot" is actually in the dictionary? Amazing... Love to All!!!  P.S. if you want off the mailing list, just let me know. no problem at all!! |
[Comments - 0]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Friday, October 21, 2005 - cleaning up for company--and some REAL news
| ok, so mark (aslan) puts my blog site on his email as an example for setting up your shout out and i panicked, wondering how many people might click on that hyperlink for fun, or even just by accident, and find my pathetic, outdated blog (if you can even call it that). i feel like you do when you find someone pulling into your driveway and it happens to be the one day that you decide to "take off' and hang out in your pjs a little longer! to top it off, my imac won't run firefox fro some reason, so i had to dump it and am now back to no wysiwyg interface and no recall of tags, so it's just one boring font, with word upon word on meaningless drivel...
well, for those of you, friends and family, who happen to read this, my apologies for a disappointing start to my blog. eventually i will get things moving again, even if the interface is dull and uninteresting.
as to my last entry about Dave, I'll give you a brief update: Dave and Becky now live in an apartment in Mariemont which happens to be near another friend-couple of theirs, so there is some convenience for them to actually have a social life. Dave works downtown at Consumer Credit Counseling, a great non-profit company that helps people work out a budge to pay off their debt, and Becky works parttime for the Hamilton County Public Library at a branch on the west side ( i always forget which one). Dave's internship in worship for Student Ministries at the Vineyard in Tri-County is still going well (I think it runs until around Feb.). We hope to get together with them soon--time flies and we all are so busy that we actually have to put it on the calendar, our get-togethers, or they just won't happen!
TODAY: some school work in the morning, Jon has the last bit of his in-car driving school time, then he will catch a ride to work with Didi Bacon, a friend of ours who is having lunch with Hank out here today (Bless you, sir!) and I will take the girls to pick up one of their friends (Maddie Bacon--hmmm... another Bacon!) and head out to do some Homeschool Bowling--much more fun than non-homeschool bowling! Afterward, it's a drop off for the older girls to laser-tag and a birthday party for Julie Otten, drop off Maddie back to her house, then decide how to spend the next 2 hours before Jon gets picked up from work at 6:30 (don't you just love all the details?). the evening is up for grabs, if you can believe it. well, atleast until midnight when i'll pick up the girls from the party. I love my life. |
[Comments - 1]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Sunday, July 31, 2005 - It's Moving Day for Dave!
Today was the official last day of claiming David as a deduction. Bummer. 
Other than that, it was a memorable day in that, all 7 of us were in
the house long enough to have a meal together. I should've taken
pictures...darn, I always forget.
I'm becoming adverse to
blogging recently, only because I have not yet been able to do all the
cool things that the PC users can do (Aslan, are you reading
this??)
 Like, I can't leave you links to really cool sites such as http://www.davidandlaurie.com.
Well, I can tell you about them, but I can't have it do the hyperlink
thing so you don't have to cut and paste. Maybe someday us Mac
folk will get the respect we deserve. In the meantime, check out
the site mentioned above for a really neat FREE homeschool planner for you download.
If I could paste an image here it would be of a portrait that child artist/prodigy Akiane did of Jesus when she was only 8 years old. Read about it at http://www.artakiane.com/akiane_painting.htm. You can also read an interview with Akiane in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Lovely.
|
[Comments - 1]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Friday, July 29, 2005 - Well, apparently, I've been tagged...a while ago.
So
while everyone else is off on a different adventure, I sit here trying
to figure what this tagging means. Guess I'll just cut and paste these
questions I was given and give it a whirl:
Q:What is your absolute favorite book?
A:. Off the top of my head, Little Women. I used to read it once a year, now I get it in every 2 or 3 years.
Q:What is your favorite book to have read to you?
A: I don't know that I've ever had a book read to me, as an adult.
Q:Have you ever started writing a book and not finished?
A:No. But I've started thinking of writing a book and not finished the thought--does that count?
Q:If so, what was it about?
A: A master list of things to do before you die. That was an old idea. I can't remember my more recent one...
Q:Today,
if you were to write a book (assuming you had the time), what would it
be about? (If you've already written a book, what do you dream of
writing about one day?)
A: That's easy. Something simple. And profound. I'm not really sure, actually.
...and that's how I get my blog jumpstarted again.
|
[Comments - 0]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Thursday, June 23, 2005 - Ten Things I Love About MY Guy...
I know the competition out there is fierce, but I have to weigh in on this one:
(Letterman style)
10. his cute bald spot on the top of his head
9. the way he says "man", as in "hey, man, what's up?"
8. how he paces when he's in an intense phone conversation
7. his love for good, hot coffee
6. the inside jokes he has with our 3 girls
5. his laugh
4. the best blue eyes ever
3. he knows more than me
2. he loves me
1. he loves Jesus more than me
|
[Comments - 3]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - Why do I even bother with "summer plans"?
I'm doing it again...thinking of all the things I had planned
to do over the summer and seeing the summer vanish right before my very
eyes. I keep trying to figure out what gives other people so much
more time to pursue those plans and the only thing I can come up with
is...well, nothing. It's like trying to figure out why some
families can live on less than your family does, yet they seem to do
and have more than you do. Come on, surely I'm not the only one
who thinks these things, am I? It's pointless, fruitless, and
infinitely frustrating to say the least. But I still taunt myself
with overanalyzing it all. Every formula fails to give believable
results. So I sit and sulk for awhile, feeling sorry for myself,
and then I move on to the next thing demanding a piece of me.
There are no quick fixes. Just a constant need to trust, move on faith, and keep on living.
|
[Comments - 1]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - Firefox was the answer!
Thanks
to all on the forum (Aslan, Amyjl, Homegrownhearts) for helping me with
my "issues". Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/) did it and I now
have more than I did to start with. For all you Macheads out
there, join with me as I choose to ignore the jibes from the PC users
(cough**aslan**cough) over there. They just tease because they're
jealous. 
|
[Comments - 1]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Monday, June 20, 2005 - My teenagers can read--It's a miracle!
| Don't you hate it when you soapbox one thing and do completely the opposite? Take for instance my disdain for TV and my love for reading. You'd think my kids would all hate the tube and love the library. Not so. They LOVE the television, videos, computer games, internet, etc. And they like the library, too, but mainly for everything other than books. Man, do I feel like a loser-mom sometimes. I realize much of this is in response to what my husband enjoys, too, which is relaxing in front of something visually entertaining after a hard day. And that's great. It's one of my many lessons in wifedom that I have learned regarding honoring my sweetie's choices and preferences and letting go of my own. BUT, in the meantime it is a chore of chores to move these eager minds of my children toward other pursuits. In the end, I know that hanging out with Dad watching TV and having funny inside jokes among themselves is really a mother's dream, but can't I have my own version of Starbucks and Borders right here at home, too? I have begun loosely requiring an hour of reading each day. I don't micromanage it, but I do monitor the balance of their time, make sure there is plenty of good material around to read, and then gently, but firmly, nudge them in that direction. My example in doing the same is the thing I want to work on next. I read in snippets, but I think they really need to see me putting in a block of time to regularly get the picture. But that also requires finding ways to manage my other duties so that my block of time happens while they are awake and can observe! If only I could cook and clean in my sleep... |
[Comments - 1]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - Material Anorexia
| Not to take lightly the use of the word "Anorexia", but this is the best way I can think of to describe an issue of mine. See, I love nothing. I mean, I love the idea of having nothing. Not owning anything, managing anything, buying or selling anything. Just me, getting up each day and seeing what happens next. I love clean lines, no frills, basic, ultra-simple, practical, low-maintenance, solid-colored, even, balanced, wash-and-wear living. I spend time rearranging, cleaning out, getting-rid-of, throwing away, consolidating, paring down, even-ing up, reducing, and purging. It clears space within my line of sight which makes my brain relax and have less to mess with internally. There's probably some pschological term for this, some syndrome of sorts, but as far as I can tell, I'm not dying from it and noone is getting hurt. Atleast not in the short-term.
But here's the other thing: I love everything. I mean, I love the idea of having it all. All of the experiences of traveling the world, of outer space, of new frontiers of thinking. I want to know all there is to know about everything. I want to create on every level in every medium available, and then start a new one. I want to read every book, learn every language and master every instrument. I want the most money to do the most things with for the most people. I want freedom to choose and the most time to decide. I want to pursue everything line of reasoning, every trail of thought, and every possibilty until I am exhausted. And then I want to start over.
So how do I manage to love the small town I live in with all my heart yet at the same time manage to drive myself insane craving to jump the next flight to Anywhere whever I see an airplane? How can I live like the Desert Fathers and still carry around the creative chaos in my head?
Well, beyond all the philosophizing, I had to come to a place where I began to survey the damage of my austere thinking and living in relationship to my family. See, if it were only me, no so much of a problem, right? Then I could just be the strange, eccentric woman who wanders the globe with nothing. But with a husband and children, I began to sense a sort of neglect on my part. Was all this nothingness really healthy? Of all the "extremes" I had managed to fling off over the years, this one had somehow managed to escape the long arm of Grace. But I think I've been caught. Or maybe I've just finally surrendered. To what, though? Surrendered to the stuff of living. The mess of being. The chaos of existing. And you know what? I'm actually enjoying it!
Ok. practical application: you see school stuff lying around that is unused, so what do you do? Sell, give, or toss. Those were my methods. Never did I think "keep for another time, just in case, or for when the grandkids start coming". Now, I see their potential to perpetuate life, whether here and now with us or later on in some other form. Next thing: you see a room that lacks atmosphere. "Sterile" doesn't quite cut it. More like "just moved in". (I, in fact, had someone ask me that once, when they came over and saw my bare walls, lack of color, and knicknacks--and no clutter, I might add). Most women would paint, buy, and accessorize. But, not Gloom Room mom. I eliminate it, Goodwill it or Trash it. Too messy to make a decision or to take a risk of ruining something. Better plain than wrong. Are you catching what I'm saying? I was so into having to control my environment and purge the potential failure and mess from it that I completely ruled out any potential living that could take place. Oh, I know some of you may think I am overstating, and in some ways, perhaps I am. But in essence this is what was happening. There were no identifiers on the walls of what kind of woman I was, no personality in my home for people to get a "feel" for. No messes or mistakes to witness (other than the mess of constant piles of stuff to go through, get rid of, or throw away). There were no collections, no memories to view, no raw materials to create with. Ugh. And my children have had to live with this. My prayer now is that is isn't too late. I am making changed a little at a time: allowing projects to stay out and have their place among our lives for a time. Trying new recipes. Buying craft supplies. Beginning some personal persuits of my own. Bringing home more books and less boxes. Resting and enjoying the living that is happening around me.
This weekend I am setting up an area specifically for messes. Projects. Inventions. And I am dragging my bookshelves out of retirement and putting them to use once again, filling them with investments for now as well as the future. And the noise in my family room tonight will not be the din of silence, but instead the sound of music as I play through my favorite classical pieces, even if I mess them up and never finger everything correctly. I hope my kids take after me in these ways. Control isn't what it's all cracked up to be. |
[Comments - 1]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
Monday, June 6, 2005 - Feelings of relief
| Well, here's the weekend wrap up:
- did all of my To-Do List half-way, for that great half-feeling of semi-accomplishment (!)
- yard sale was a succes and yielded us over $200.00 and lots of junk gone.
- youth worship team made it through leading all 3 weekend services with flying colors. couldn't be prouder.
- just returned from Becky's (my daugther-in-law) graduation party where we were able to meet several of her extended family members. A fun, close bunch, which made me realize something that I may share tomorrow...
I would like to expound on an "issue" of mine as wife/mom/homeschooler sometime this week having to do with something I refer to as "material anorexia". I'd like to know what some of you out there think about this, so if you get a chance to comment after I post, I would really appreciate it.
Tonight, as I submit to my husband's wish to turn on the A/C instead of pushing for my usual miser mindset about trying to wait until the 4th of July, I will dream of cleaning the house and getting things back in order for another adventure filled week with my Lord. Hope you'll join me (the adventure part, not the cleaning...) ;-) |
[Comments - 1]
[Post A
Comment!] [Permanent Link]
|
|
