Sep. 29, 2009 - Some Cleaning Recipes
I am very interested these days in things we can make instead of buy. Don't know why exactly, but maybe partially because I am more concerened about chemicals and cost. Or it's just a season where I want to be a little more Suzy Homemaker. THIS blog post had several recipes that I might just have to try.
Sep. 29, 2009 - Marriage Communication (From Focus on the Family)
I came across a very good article from Focus on the Family about communication in marriage. It has some really good points. Will cause you to think for sure.
Read it HERE.
Wednesday - High school?
It is finally here. 9th grade is upon us. I thought I was calm, but suddenly fear has gripped my heart. Funny thing is, the fear has nothing to do with doubting my ability to provide a good education, connection to pursuing her interests, or even continuing to share with her about God.
Nope, it is all because of the transcript. I am reading some books about them-formulating layouts, counting hours, Carnegie units. ARRGHHH! I am not interested in what the school districts tell me she should learn.
Are the sweet days of relaxed learning already gone forever? I have been near obsessed with the desire to create my own English plan, based on my knowledge of what she needs- while still counting as credit.
I just want to go with the flow, enjoying each day and looking for what God has planned for her.
Matthew 11:28-30 in the Message invites us to rest and learn the unforced rythms of grace. I am taking that to heart, and trusting God for the future year. He has never let us down before, He won't now.
Jun. 27, 2009 - Michael Jackson's 911 call
By now you have all probably heard that on Thursday two pop stars lost their lives. Farrah Fawcett lost her three year battle with cancer Thursday morning and Michael Jackson died Thursday afternoon of an apparent heart attack.
One of my readers asked if I would be posting about Michael Jackson and, at the time, I didn't think I would be. Communication FUNdamentals is mostly about humor and communication skills. Other than a few media stories in recent years, I haven't really followed Mr. Jackson's life so I wasn't going to comment. However, shortly after his death, there appeared to be some conflicting communication about the cause of his death coming from the transcripts of the 911 tape. It appeared that more was revealed by what was not said and not done.
I heard the 911 tape and was suprised at what it revealed. I have no medical training at all so, at first, I felt I may not be able to properly discern anything from the tapes. But a medical expert on the Sean Hannity Show expressed the same concerns and added one more piece of medical information that further shocked me.
The first thing that struck me about the tape was how polite the caller was taking the time to call the 911 operator "sir" often as if it was his nature. You could tell he was nervous and not sure what to say because he repeated himself and the 911 operator several times. Another thing that struck me odd was that this very polite unidentified man didn't identify Mr. Jackson, but just called him "a gentleman here." Since he did know his age when asked (without having to ask the doctor for that information), it seemed to me that he was told not to identify him by name due to his fame.
The most distressing thing to me was when the 911 operator was told that there was already a doctor on the scene! I was wondering why on earth that doctor wasn't on the phone with 911 instead of this poor man. I thought it would certainly speed treatment along to have the 911 operator briefed by a medical doctor who was with the patient at the time. In fact, we find in the next few lines of the transcript/audio that the doctor was the ONLY one with Mr. Jackson when it happened. The medical expert on the show said that, if it were his patient, he personally would be on the phone with 911 instead of giving that job to someone else.
The caller said that Mr. Jackson was on the bed and that the doctor had already tried CPR and was "trying to pump him." This sounds to me as if the doctor was currently performing CPR on the bed. The medical expert on the show pointed out something that I had forgotten from my one and only CPR training. You're supposed to do CPR on the FLOOR!
Apparently the initial report on the cause of death didn't show any heart disease that would be consistent with a heart attack so they are deferring the cause of death until more tests can be done. The communication from the 911 tape suggests negligence on the part of the attending personal physician. Some reports say that Mr. Jackson had allegedly been receiving regular injections of very strong pain killers which might have caused a heart attack. How very sad.
Farrah Fawcett was only 62 and had been fighting cancer for three years. Michael Jackson was only 50 years old. My prayers go out to their families and to this doctor as well.
Apr. 18, 2009 - Speak Not
“Tis better to be thought a fool, than open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” -Abraham Lincoln
Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” a time to speak and a time to…NOT! Our society values information and we assign value to the person who shares it. In his quest for acceptance and to rise to that level of value, man attempts to share what he knows, even if he isn’t sure he knows it.
It isn’t a crime to be ignorant. All intelligent and knowlegeable men are ignorant of SOMETHING. Great is the man who shares his knowledge with others, but far greater still is the man who possesses the ability to keep silent when he knows not.
Every parent knows the value of the sound of silence. lol Sometimes the most intelligent thing to say is…nothing.
Apr. 9, 2009 - Product Reviews for TOS
The WeE-books
First, let me say I love a good pamphlet. They are little books just chalked full of information on a variety of topics. And the WeE-books for me fit right into this catagory. I read three of TOS's WeE-books.
The first one was Easy Fund-raisers for Homeschool Organizations. I was familiar with a few of the ideas presented, however I did learn about a few new ones. It gave enough information to make an informed dicision about wether or not to persue it any further for my homeschool organization. It gave me links to check further on things of interest.
The second one was Homeschool Conventions. I was re-affirmed with this one. It said a lot of the things I have been saying for a couple of years now about conventions. Anyone who has not gone to convention could greatly benefit from reading this one before going. It helps you to get into the right mind set for what will see and hear. Conventions are awesome and this little book gives some great insight.
The third one was Writing Essays. This is one of those pamphlets I love so much. It was just chalked full of information. It had wonderful explanations about different kinds of essays and writing drafts, making sure the meaning was clear. In fact, this could be a mini refresher coarse for those of us who have not written an essay in sometime. A great little resource to have around.
The TOS Homework Juggling Home, Work, and School without Losing Your Balance.
This one surprised me. The stories that are told are delightful, heartfelt, and informative. The things that these women, children, and families have accomplished is mind boggling. They support each other and teach each other. If you are wondering, "What can I do to help out the bottom line in our family budget?" this is a must read. These families have turned everything from bluejean recycling to freelance writing into a money maker for the family. You will learn about finances, bookkeeping, and organization as well when you read between the "covers" of this ebook.
April 8, 2009 - Full Calendar Update
Life as a missionary in Romania had it own set of stressful situations. We had busy days. But for the most part, whatever was going on, I was at home. The kids were younger. John was at home. We did things - family things, ministry things - together. Now I am a "single mom" whose husband comes home on the weekends. The busy-ness of my life is stressing me out.
Life for the past several months has been a countdown until April 24th - Family Day at the State Police Academy and the end of phase 1 for John. I posted this entry on my other blog a few weeks ago and thought I'd update it here. That blog has issues at the moment. My dad thinks it has to do with a password which sounds rather simple. But it hasn't been a priorty during John's 48 hours at home on weekends.
Here's what is on my calendar. This does not include routine housework, homeschooling and regular activities like church, skating, meal preparation and sleeping.
Gabriel's dentist checkupYearbook committee meeting for HannahDentist appointment for me to get a fillingAmerican girl party for Holly - KirstenUltimate blog party- My second dentist appointment for a second filling – postponed until June due to busy schedule
Gabriel's 18th birthdayGabriel's drama performanceHolly's other book club with some girls from churchGabriel and Hannah take the ACTOur 22nd wedding anniversaryMoms' homeschool meetingHolly's 11th birthday- Easter egg hunt for Holly with our homeschool group - tomorrow
- Dermatologist appointments for Gabriel, Hannah and me – postponed Hannah’s appointment until May due to scheduling conflicts
- Visit a friend that I haven't seen in many years in Williamsburg – Tuesday!!
- Easter
- Sing a solo at church on Easter Sunday
- Clean house because company’s coming!!
- Attend Family Day at the State Police Academy
More later with an update on phase 2.
April 5, 2009 - Ants
We have a problem with ants in this apartment. Actually, it seems like we've always dealt with ants here in Virginia. If Holly leaves wrapped candy in her purse, the ants find it quickly. And we are on the second floor of an apartment. Talk about industrious! Anyway, I don't leave food on my desk but it seems daily that I find a little ant searching just the same. The poetry prompt for day 4 was to write about an animal. I don't know if I have ever written poetry about any animals before. I thought I would try a non-rhyming form called Shadorma. Shadorma is a Spanish 6-line syllabic poem of 3/5/3/3/7/5 syllable lines respectively. Here is my attempt:
Small black ant
searching for some food
on my desk.
Go away.
The kitchen’s the place to eat.
Better yet, the park.
April 5, 2009 - The Problem with Dishes
Have you ever written a poem and couldn't decide if it's finished or needs more? Well, that's where I am with this one. But, like housework that's never quite finished, so is this poem.
Today's prompt: Take the phrase "The problem with (blank)" and replace the "(blank)" with a word or phrase. Make this the title of your poem and then write a poem to fit with or juxtapose against that title. For instance, you could have poems with the titles of "The problem with government," "The problem with advanced mathematics," or "The problem with bipolar penguins." You know the drill: have fun, be creative.
The Problem with Dishes
The problem with dishes -
My family wishes
That they would be magically clean.
But after we eat,
That thrice daily feat
Leaves a mess that shouldn’t be seen.
© Karen Woodward 2009
April 5, 2009 - An Outsider
Today's prompt: Today, I want you to write an outsider poem. You can be the outsider; someone else can be the outsider; or it can even be an animal or inanimate object that's the outsider. As usual, get creative with the prompt and don't be afraid to stretch the limits.
My Poem -
Outside the box
Understanding what others do not
Thinking original thoughts
Sharing ideas
Imagining great accomplishments
Daring to be different
Excelling
© Karen Woodward 2009
