Thank you to all of my friends who left me comments on my last post.  It always makes one feel special to know that someone is out there reading and that someone takes time to leave a comment.    I even left a comment there for all of you who commented. 

Now that Monday is nearly over, I guess I could tell some of what we did today... other than the usual music practice:

• I read Genesis 14 and 15 aloud to our 9 yo dd
• I helped 9 yo dd with some spelling and handwriting
• Our almost 7 yo dd did some math problems
• 9 yo dd stepped on something that was sharp enough to make her heel bleed  (We think she'll live.  )
• Almost 7 yo read aloud some to me and to her 9 yo sister
• 9 yo dd and I worked on different ways to make 'change' for a quarter
• Both girls watched "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", a DVD we checked out from the library
• Almost 7 yo listened and danced to the music for our VBS this year
• 9 yo watched a few Andy Griffith episodes after her heel incident  ("To get my mind off of it, Mommy.")

So, how was your Monday?  Please comment and let me know!!!

I cannot seem to come up with something on my own to blog.  I wish that I had a "way" with words so that I could "dazzle" my readers' minds and thoughts.  LOL!

Back in December, I mentioned that I was taking a hiatus from the Internet.  Well, I still have limited access to the 'net, but I'm trying to blog from time to time... if for no other reason than to enter giveaways. 

If you're reading this, I wish you'd leave a comment... even if you want to remain "Anonymous," I'll be glad to know that at least SOMEone is reading my blog.  (Perhaps you could leave a nickname or pseudonym.)

I originally thought my 'Internet Hiatus' would last until at least March, but I wanted to share a quick note.

We joined the Y earlier this month... during the time they "waive" the "start-up" fee (or whatever it's called).

I've been enjoying going and swimming lap... no that's not a typo!!!  After about one lap, my legs (and lungs) cry for mercy. 

froggy and ducky from Cute Little Pixels

Y logo from the YMCA website

Be the first to leave me a comment on this post, and you might 'win' something!    (Your comment should include your favorite gift ever received... whether for birthday or Christmas and some way for me to notify you.)  Notice:  MIGHT is the operative word.  It's a bit disheartening to have a blog whenever you receive very few comments.  But, perhaps I'll get more if I leave more. 

Hope all are enjoying getting ready for Christmas!  I enjoyed some time away ALL BY MYSELF to a beautiful bed and breakfast called the Calico Inn in Sevierville, Tennessee.  I highly recommend it!  So if you're looking for a great place to get away, let me know.  The 'inn keepers' are wonderful Christian people who walk the talk.  (The pictures on their website do not do it justice.  It's gorgeous!)

Okay, I'm really frustrated right now!  What's the deal with HSB "kicking" JenIG's blog out of their system?!  It makes absolutely NO SENSE!  Forgive me for SHOUTING with these capital letters, but I'm mad and upset that they would do this to someone who was one of the "founding mothers" of HSB & TOS, or so I thought.

Thanks for reading this and for commenting.

You can find JenIG over here, if you're still interested in reading about her adventures in raising goats, chickens, and squash. 

I may be thrown off, too.  Although I hope not.  I still have lots of friends here, and I truly enjoy the set up here at HSB.

I feel like I've not been around lately for any of my "on-line interests" - the blogging scene, the homeschool lounge, my little hobby of meeting (& chatting with) pixel and graphic artists, nor even with my interest in Wikipedia. (I became a contributor/editor/user for Wikipedia in March 2008. It can be very addicting!)

Yesterday, I did spend some time working on Wikipedia, but alas... I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't get out of my "Cat Nap" jammies all day long.

Amidst all of this, where is my time with the Lord? And, where is my time with my family? It seems as though I care more about the Internet than I do about the people I love. And, that's certainly not my intention... or is it? Search me and try me, o Lord... (my rough translation of Psalm 139:23)

Then, I think of the MercyMe song that has a line in it, "I long for Your embrace", and I sing it in my head. Or, I sometimes hum it.

I think the Internet and the World Wide Web are wonderful tools. Never before has the whole world potentially had the opportunity to travel to every nook and cranny of Earth... not to mention the universe! We can take a ride on the Amazon River or climb to the top of Mount Everest. We can chat with someone in Singapore, or email someone in Spain. And that's "just" geography!

Information overload is an understatement for me. I just looked it up on Google, and there's links to pages on anything and everything you'd ever need or want (or not need or want) with regards to "information overload." (There's information overload about information overload. -- Ugh!)

So, how does one balance all of this in the "real world?" If I had the answer to that question, I could at least have my own website!   I'm sure if I typed that question in a search engine that I could come up with beaucoups of information on how to overcome my addiction to information overload.

Sometimes I think I'll just "ban" myself from the Internet and the computer, but I nearly did that when we went out of town last month. And, it hasn't changed the gnawing draw toward them that I have. I justify much of my computer time with several thoughts floating around in my head... some way in the back!

• Something I do on the 'net might be an encouragement to someone
• Somehow, someone may be interested in knowing more about Jesus
• It'll only take a few minutes
• I might find the perfect
  • meal plan
  • lesson plan
  • devotional
  • organizing technique
  • fill-in-the-blank

Does it all boil down to ME and my self-centered nature?!

Here's a couple of videos I found which may help describe how I feel sometimes.

1. Fat Christian - Christians who "eat" too many good things like conferences, Bible study, etc. without doing anything with what they've learned
2. Wall of Me - building up things in our life that separate us from God (I don't deal with all of these "bricks," but addict, guilt, lazy, doubt, greed, envy, and pride are a few that stepped on my toes.)
   

It's bright and sunny outside, and I'm depressed.  I don't even want to go outside.  What's wrong with me?!  I think the time change effects our emotional well-being more than we care to admit.  Or, perhaps we'd admit it, and I've just not heard of others admitting it.

I have the radio on in the background.  I just heard Greg Wheatley say that we've been in Iraq for five years.  It's hard to believe.  I've known several people who've served there.  Thankfully, I haven't personally known any of the victims.  Unfortunately, that's not the case for many people.  I pray that God will grant you (who've lost loved ones) grace and peace.

Oh brother!  Life is so frustrating sometimes.  I decided to write in a journal or perhaps on my blog in order to keep a record or log of what I've been thinking about... especially this day.  However, I just put the laptop on a in "system restore" mode.  So, it's taking its sweet time.  I decided I'd write in one of my many journals that I have sitting around, but I couldn't find any either one... except this one which I keep thinking I'll use to record thoughts from our trip to Russia with Buckner in November 2004.  Yea, right!  I wasn't spiritually prepared for and/or during the trip to actually do the journalling then... or, perhaps it was that we were constantly on-the-go.