Jan. 4, 2007 A New Home for the New Year Oct. 10, 2006 This Brought me to Tears...
because it, of course, hit home. I picked it up over at Mary Our Mother Blog.
F A M I L Y
I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger,
common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."
By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."
I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."
FAMILY
Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days.
But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.
And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family,
an unwise investment indeed, don't you think?
So what is behind the story?
Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU
Pass this message to 7 people except you and me ..
You will receive a miracle tomorrow.
Don't ignore and God will bless you
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Oct. 4, 2006 Articles of Note...
Much to my surprise the other day, I discovered a secret source of great literature.
It was not where you might think it would be...
I discovered that one of the greatest sources of modern literature is the YOUNG ADULT category.
Now, there are some books that are considered CHILDREN'S fiction, that
quite frankly I'd have put more in the young adult category, and vice
versa, but still... there is a well of talent there.
It started with Eragon...
Christopher Paolini was a homeschooled teenager when he started to
write it. The book sits on the Young Adult ficiton shelves, but I
am not exactly sure why, as the book is more than enough to satisfy an
adult mind!
Then I found Philip Pullman and His Dark Materials
trilogy. Pullman is an excellent author, but his book is very
anti-church... coming at it from the viewpoint of someone who reads
profusely and can actully see FICTION when it is written... it was well
done and very inventive.
Of course, I wrote about Harry Potter... you can see that!
Now... why was this a discovery? I remember numerous great Young
Adult authors out there... Diana Wynne Jones (I loved her Chrestomanci
books), Tamora Pearce... there are many others I read and loved as a
teenager and forgot all about until now. For some reason, Young
Adult books always brought to mind the Sweet Valley High and various horror novels I gobbled up. Judy Blume
does not write the kind of Young Adult fiction I would want my kids
reading, and so I tended to lump the whole bunch in with these less
than stellar examples.
It's true, sometimes we want to read what Charlotte Mason called twaddle... and most modern English and Americans call junk. Sometimes junk is the only thing that can calm the worried mind or while away a few hours in pleasure.
Other times we like to read a story that nourishes us. A story
that builds characters and feeling, that allows us to pariticipate in
the story.
I admit, I am not likely to pass by the Young Adult
books at the library quite as quickly as I do now... they definitely
deserve another look!
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Sep. 11, 2006 Five years later
Five years ago, two planes hit the World Trade Centers, one hit the Pentagon and one crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.
I was riveted to the TV with tears pouring down my face, watching as
people jumped from the WTC, as families waited for news of loved ones,
as those who worked there, walked home over the bridges.
I remember the crystal-clear, blue skies, the silence of a planeless sky...
And I remember wondering how everything could be so quiet, seem so normal after such an act.
I remember the rousing speeches by the President, the fantastic leadership of Rudy Giuliani...
The whole incident is very clear in my memory... and it is the reason I
will not watch the TV today... after being driven to tears by the
morning news shows.
In the five years that have passed, I have
lost loved ones, and given birth to new ones. Life has moved on,
even though the memories are very sharp.
Take a good look at the
bloggosphere today... there are some wonderful tributes out there to
people who were killed in the attacks.
Tribute by Dana at Think Pink
Tribute by Alice at Cottage Blessings and her Children's Narrations
Tribute by Elizabeth at Real Learning
Tribute by Cay at Cay's Cajun Cottage
Tribute by Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight
Where were you?
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Sep. 4, 2006 RIP Steve Irwin
It was with sadness that I learned of the passing of Steve Irwin, the erstwhile 'Crocodile Hunter'.
Not for myself, but for the many homeschooled children whom he inspired to get up and investigate their own wildlife outside.
Elizabeth Foss tells us how he inspired her own son.
At least two of my homeschooling friends were having to tell their children that their hero had died, in a freak accident.
I can sympathise... my own childhood heros included among them two such
characters, whose love of life and passion for their subject drew this
girl into their world to look at things she would not normally have
noticed, but David Attenborough and David Bellamy were not the
daredevils that Steve Irwin was.
Rest In Peace, Steve.
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Aug. 24, 2006 Only EIGHT Planets???
Oh no... who will rewrite the textbooks? What will the exams say??
So Pluto is no longer a planet... it is a 'dwarf planet' along with
Ceres the asteroid and 'Xena' the furthest know object in the solar
system. As if that is not confusing enough after the idea that
was floated the other day about ADDING those to the list of planets!
Oh well, not something *I* have to worry about. All I need to do is keep on top of the news...
Read more about Pluto Being Downgraded here at CNN.
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Jun. 2, 2006 Further to the Gatto Article Apr. 10, 2006 I am spitting mad...
I don't like to make this blog too political, but the recent rallies of immigrants just has me spitting mad!
Here they are, illegal immigrants, marching on all major cities, protesting their rights and demanding that they be made legal.
So why am I spitting mad?
I spent years and a lot
of dollars to become a permanent resident. It will take another
three years before I am even eligable for citizenship, should I want it.
I came through all the legal channels into this country.
And so should they.
I dont care what nationality you are/were originally. I dont care
what language you spoke or which religion you followed. Everyone
has the right to come here for a better life.
That being said, I do
not believe that a better life is a given for anyone who entered this
country or remains in this country through illegal means.
They tell us that no-one else wants to do the jobs that they do.
I am sorry... the truth is more that no-one wants to do those jobs for the wages that they will do it for.
Quite frankly, I do know legal citizens and native citizens that have willingly done the self-same jobs.
They clean other peoples houses and toilets willingly. They look after their children...
All I am saying is that you do not have a right to citizenship because you come here and do cheap labour. You do not have a right to become a citizen because you snuck across the desert or sat on a crowded boat or overstayed your student's visa.
You do not have a right
to citizenship because you can make a big crowd. Hello people...
you can't even vote! Where is the power in that? You should not get the right to vote because you have been here illegally for years.
I'm sorry... but the reality is some people do things legally and legitimately, and they are the ones who end up getting the short end of the stick.
*Thanks to dana who pointed out a rather embarassing typo ;) I told you all I was mad!!!*
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Feb. 14, 2006 For those who wondered... Jan. 18, 2006 CONGRATULATIONS!! Jan. 10, 2006 Something to think about
My mother got this in her email, and forwarded it to me...
It is not exactly politically correct, or American in origin, but I think many of you can sympathise with the sentiment.
Make note... I am an immigrant to this country... and I think it applies just fine!
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OK, I discovered today that a number of you
who are I.E. Users were having issues with code magically appearing in
my blog... and only in I.E. Apparently, I.E. does not like the
TAB button 
Anyway, I attempted to fix it  let me know if you spot another one!
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Dec. 15, 2005 An Interesting Speech
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There was an
interesting article in the latest edition of Imprimis
it was the
adaptation of a speech made by the former Prime Minister of Spain; Josι
Maria Aznar. In truth, the speech was fascinating. He was talking about his vision for the future of Europe, and he spoke a lot of sense. He
was concerned that the anti American sentiment so prevalent in Europe,
was something that would end up getting the Europeans in trouble, and
in truth, I think he is right. Read it here!
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Nov. 21, 2005 Something to read Nov. 16, 2005 WHAT did you call them?
You
know there is a skew in the media, when anchors persist in referring to
the black youths in France whos death started the rioting, as African American. Which they obviously are not. Perhaps African descent French, or even African French if you want to be pedantic about it... but certainly not African American. Check out the whole story here: http://newsbusters.org/node/2783
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Nov. 9, 2005 Early to bed, early to rise!
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Well the other day I was astonished. My 6 year old son actually wanted to go to bed early. Why? Because I had picked up some audio books from the library, and he wanted to listen to one! I
have said it before, audio books are great! They do wonders for
my son, they can calm him down, occupy him and entice him to bed! If I am feeling low or uninspired, audio books help me out. I love audio books! And that is why last weekend I picked up The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey complete with 'free' audio cd from the store. Check it out!
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Nov. 2, 2005 What is with the media?
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I have been reading
the book Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, because PBS has been
showing the TV show. I have been
surprised, and a little disappointed at how far from the book the show had
strayed because it has definitely
been changed into something more politically correct.
This bothers me,
because the truth is history is not politically correct. Political Correctness
did not exist in history. Women and people of colour were discriminated
against, and the truth is, that in some parts of the world, that is still the
case. There are countries where people who are not in the majority race, colour
or creed are discriminated against. It is a fact of
life.
And so, I was a
little idignant when I discovered, that one country, which has been very
critical of Britain and the US, is much less racially diverse, and much
less racially tolerant than either country. The report is very
interesting and quite enlightening.
In addition to that
report, whilest perusing my 'great debate' sites, I was astonished to learn that
in Ethiopia, there had been violent protests, clashes between supporters of the
opposition and the police. It kind of put into perspective the self centered
attitude of the media in this country. Not all the media outlets are bad, but
the attention paid to who did what in the president's staff, or the local news
stations focus on house fires really annoys me. The truth is, fire is terrible
and devastating to people, but not every fire is a news story to me. I would
like to hear more about what is happening in the world. I dont want to hear
more stories about potential pandemic influenza. That is
POTENTIAL not an immediate reality. I dont care to hear report after
report on the bird 'flu. It either is a danger or isn't, and unless it is
harmful, why hype it up. And face it, is the visit of Charles and Camilla
really that important? And I am a royalist through and
through!
Do you remember the
widespread panic about the 'flu injections last year? And do you know how much
surplus there was?
I think the media
has gone on a rampage to hype things up so often.
And what's worse
than that? Disturbing news on too early at night! I don't think it is entirely
appropriate for my children at ages 6 and (almost) 2 to see the images so often
shown on the evening news. It would be nice to have the evening news on
later... at a time I can watch without fear of my children seeing something
bad. Yes, right before the local news. Then maybe the reports of fires wont
seem so self centered to this mother.
My theory is that with the increase in media outlets, all the media is
out for itself in a desperate bid for survival. If only they were
after the news!!
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The Blogger's Choice Winner was Kathy at Through it All...
you just have to read her winning entry... click on the blog name and
read her intro post before following the link to her winning entry...
very inspirational!
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See the blinkie on the sidebar?
The lady in the blinkie passed away yesterday morning.
She was fighting breast cancer, and lost her battle with it.
Could her death have been prevented? Maybe.
The doctor ignored her two years ago when she went to him, pregnant, with a lump in her breast.
But that does not mean that she could have been saved.
My faith tells me that we all have a time when we are called to go, by a higher power.
My faith tells me, that I should pray for her soul, and that perhaps she has gone to heaven.
My faith offers some comfort... but like a friend of mine said today,
I tell people all the time--it's not DEATH I fear--it's dying
She is a breast cancer survivor. She has seen the edge of the abyss in a way that many of us can not. I can believe that the lady who died today, went to a better place, but the sadness, the fear still linger.
Why are we afraid to go on to a better place? Is it fear of the
unknown? Maybe fear that 'what if we are wrong'? What if we
are not wrong? Someday, it will be my time to go, and I am sure I will approach it with a heavy heart full of fear. Today, I am just grateful, that I am alive, and still with my family.  Christ
our eternal King and God, You have destroyed death and the devil by
Your Cross and have restored man to life by Your Resurrection; give
rest, Lord, to the soul of Your servant (name) who has fallen asleep,
in Your Kingdom, where there is no pain, sorrow or suffering. In Your
goodness and love for all men, pardon all the sins he (she) has
committed in thought word or deed, for there is no man or woman who
lives and sins not, You only are without sin. For
You are the Resurrection, the Life, and Repose of Your servant (name),
departed this life, O Christ our God; and to You do we send up glory
with Your Eternal Father and Your All-holy, Good and Life-creating
Spirit; both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen
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About Me
I'm a 29 year old mother of two, who loves to read, bake, knit and homeschool... You can also read my husband's 'rantings' at the link below ;)
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I am currently having problems blogging here. Please check
my nature blog for more information.
Nature Blog
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