Need More Cowbell

A childhood friend sent me this link to blast me to the past. Journey has a big part in any GenXer's life, believe me. My friend is single, so I got to have him share in the weirdness when I told him that Boy-A-Thon is very much into classic rock and the hair bands of the 80's and that he plays all the songs from our teen years on his guitar.
(For the record, it is very strange to have songs that elicit memories from your teen years being played by your son.)

This walk down memory lane had me thinking that I really needed more cowbell. Showing this to Boy-A-Thon, we were nearly all wetting our pants.


More Cowbell - Funny bloopers are a click away

I Simply Must Say Something Positive

So, I will share with you the overwhelming warmth and joy I feel right now as I watch my daughter. She is listening to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis as part of her Omnibus I studies. While she listens, she is knitting. Earlier today, she called me in to her bedroom where she was reading. She had the giggles because she had put a ribbon bookmark on the cat's head. He sat there regally, as if all other cats shoud have a bookmark on their heads, too. It was kind of funny, but mostly it was adorable. I am so incredibly grateful for homeschooling. I get to see these aspects of my daughter's personality, and she gets to stay a little girl at the age of 12.

Hello...Complaint Department?

BEWARE.

I am extraordinariy cranky today. A mood like this strikes very rarely. Kind of like a perfect storm, if you will. When it strikes, it makes up for the past days of calm.

First, there is the fact that Lazy-Loser (heretofore "LL") has been given yet another extension to ensure that his right to parent is preserved. I suppose I shouldn't be angry. After all, he has mounted the huge sacrifice and parental effort of 2 phone calls. Surely he should guide and nurture a child with drive like that.

Then, we have voted ourselves a nightmare of a congress and president. He's already got big plans for us all. Apparently taking our money won't suffice. We'll have to have the use of our time directed by Dear Leader, as well.

Add to that a vehicle was stolen from our company again. (For the record, that event happens with enough frequency that it doesn't usually phase me. But today I actually saw the vehicle on the side of the freeway. However, by the time help arrived to the area it was gone again. Of course.)

Finally, I had a day filled with left lane issues.
(A little explanation is in order for you mainland folks--there is a universal problem with drivers in Hawaii. You know how the left lane is "the passing lane" or the "fast lane"? Well, in Hawaii it's just one of two lanes in which you may choose to drive 10 mph below the speed limit--usually side-by-side, thereby controlling the flow of traffic for an entire freeway.)

Well, you've been warned. If you see me today, probably best to cross to the other side of the street. ;-)

Well....Hell.

That's what G-Ma Peterson would say. And I think that pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. However, PalmtreePundit has the right response to the election.

Count Your Blessings

And hold those you love close.
Think about this and pray for our military families.

The Right to Choose (Provided, of course, that you make the Right Choice)

I guess I'm kind of a delayed reaction person... (That's a nice way of saying I'm slow.)

As you may or may not know, Teen-A-Thon gave birth to, and placed her adorable baby boy for adoption early this year. I can't begin to adequately chronicle what that was like for her or for our family, so I have not tried. The emotions that come with seeing a young girl holding a positive pregnancy test are vast, let's just put it that way. Add to that the various health scares, a very long, hard labor that ended in an emergency C-section in the wee hours of the morning, and let me tell ya, Teen-A-Thon has had quite the year.

Here we are today, and we must go to great lengths to ensure that the choice that Teen-A-Thon made is respected by the law. I can't help but get a little frustrated as I realize that, had she made a different choice for her baby, we'd have the law completely on our side instead of having to wrestle with it. And that, my friends is what has caused me to realize that the issue is not choice. I do think (hope?) the issue was once choice, or at least I think (hope?) that's what abortion proponents believed. But that is simply no longer the case.

Because she chose life, her choice is totally disregarded. If she had chosen death for the baby, no father notification would have been necessary, and her choice would be upheld without issue. However, that is not the case. With one 11th hour phone call, her choice is completely overlooked and the birth father's rights supercede hers, those of the family who has cared for the baby from birth, as well as the rights of the baby himself! The message to women is clear: choosing death is not only legal, it's easier and a heckuva lot cheaper. Oh, and upheld by the law.

One last minute phone call warrants greater legal consideration than the choice this young woman made? Seriously? After all the pain, sacrifices, heartwrenching decisions and prayer Teen-A-Thon put into placing her baby for adoption...she poured over profiles of adopitve families, finally deciding on the one family she knew would love and care for her baby. It's truly stunning to think that one phone call would be regarded in the same light, much less in a favored light.

So, I've come to realize that the political question is not whether our country values choice--we know it does(Roe v. Wade isn't going anywhere). The question on a political level is whether it values life.

By the way, the father has done nothing since the phone call months ago. Yet, in the event that he pulls another last minute stunt, the court system behaves as though he has. Therefore, we have to behave/plan as though he has. All of this time/effort/money/stress/even taxpayer money because of the grand show of love and dedication to fatherhood in one phone call. Amazing.

Real Issues

I'm inclined to agree with the Palmtree Pundit. There are bigger issues than a $150,000 wardrobe (which, by the way, is loaned to Mrs. Palin).

Furthermore, is it just me, or do the rest of you find this megabucks election a little odd in contrast to the collapsing economy? I mean the headlines are so weird:
Stocks Mixed as Investors Worry About Economy
and
With $605 Million Already Obama Seeks Only $10 More From Each Of Us

No one has any money except those supporting Obama. That's either contradictory, or a little suspicious...;-)

You've Probably Seen This Already

But it's funny so I'm posting it anyway.
All the plumbers in the house...

New Look

Well, I kinda like the new wallpaper here. I'm not fond of the diamonds on the side, but I L-O-V-E LOVE the red white and black action. What do you think?

Found Some Time

And I need to use it here to apologize. Publicly. To the National Organization for Women (NOW). For a while now, I've been criticizing NOW for being dishonest. I've been known to say things like, "How can they call themselves the National Organization for Women, when they spew such vitriol and hate toward Sarah Palin?" (You know, I was surprised by that because she's a...woman.) I've pondered the hubris of co-opting the idea that you speak for all women, when you actually only support a sub-group of women whose politics are of a particular bent.

I came to realize my thoughtlessness, when I recently saw a "NOW:Keep Abortion Legal" sticker. That's when it hit me...NOLLHMAW would not fit nicely on a sticker, if you wanted to put anything else on the sticker...or T-Shirt for that matter. And let's face it, it's just not a catchy acronym. Therefore, I publicly apologize to NOW for not coming out of the closet as the National Organization of Left Leaning Hate Mongering Angry Women (NOLLHMAW).
(It really loses it's flow in the honest portrayal, doesn't it?)

No Time to Blog

But I have been keeping up with a few things.

Ann Coulter's October 15th post makes a scary observation. It seems that the Bradley effect may actually not be that people are racist, but fear being thought of as racist, thus causing them to lie to a pollster.

Charles Krauthammer is almost always right. This article is no exception.

And then, reason and logic have become casualties in the quest for winning in forensics, and bettering "race relations".
(hat tip: Uncle Doctor)

Sarah's Big Night

And the most important question I want answered......

What will she wear? ;-) Can you even imagine trying to get dressed and "ready" for this event?

Seriously, though, I am hoping that the good ol' boys who manage the GOP candidates don't tone her down. I hope she stays the Sarah we all loved from the get-go. If she gets too Washingtonized that'll be the death of the McCain -Palin campaign, IMHO.

Will you be watching live? I'll be recording it, to watch as a civics lesson with the Kids-A-Thon

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World

First, there is PETA. Not that they've been beacons of intellect (with Pam Anderson as your spokesperson, the bar is pretty low), but this is down right diagnoseable. PETA has requested that Ben & Jerry's ice cream start using human milk. No, I'm not making that up.

Next is the fashion trend of being homosexual. Yes, it's cheaper than the new Prada bag, and far more forward thinking. Newsflash to no one, Clay Aiken has announced he is gay. And fresh from the "Someone Please Save the Young Girls In Holywood" file, Lindsey Lohan says she is dating Samantha Ronson. Although, she's not exactly sure how long she's been dating her, it's been "a very long time." I wonder how long that is in real people years?

Jesus come quickly.

A Chuckle for the Campaign Season

As Nan-A-Thon said, "I don't care who you are, that's funny right there."

Strength and Grace

This is what they really look like.

SNL's Palin

They've done better work. But there are a few funny moments.

ABC Edits and Chevy and Matt are Disgusted

It seems that ABC edited a decent chunk of Charlie Gibson's interview with Sarah Palin.

Bottom line is that ABC did its best to characterize Palin as not ready for the job of VP and as a Christian Whack Job. If you saw the interviews, you know they didn't succeed among thoughtful and fair minded folk. There were some semi-awkward moments, which now make more sense when you realize they were edited to cause viewers to give pause to thoughts of Palin as VP.

The gist of it is here.

The full transcript is here.


Indicating their utter cluelessness to the lives that most Americans live, Chevy Chase and his wife add their $.02 to the Palin discussion while plugging their "charity" (The Center for Environmental Education, of the "famous" Green School Network) here (Note the arrogance):



I saved my favorite for last. Matt Damon is so stunned by Palin's appeal, that he can barely contain his digust. It's obvious he thinks anoyone who is pro Palin is an idiot. Inititally, he looks like someone killed his dog, then later, like he wants to spit.

But Seriously...

You gotta love a woman who dresses like this

And this

And the Ugliness begins

Well, on the plus side, the news about Sarah Palin's daughter does prove that Mrs. Palin is in fact a mere mortal.

As a "mom" of a teenager who recently gave brith, I can say that the issue just doesn't freak me out like I guess it should. These things happen. That is not to minimize it in any way, but really, they do. Mrs. Palin stated that her daughter will be keeping the baby and that she and the father will be getting married. That should be the end of that story. But we'll see...

Christians Praying for Muslims

This year, the Muslim holiday of Ramadan coincides with the 30 days of September. Here is a link to pray for a Muslim country and its people each of those 30 days. It's a great site with a map as well as political and demographic information, too.

Day one is Tajikistan.

A Note of Praise

The events of this past week--especially Thursday night--are something of which every American ought to be quite proud. Why would I say that, when I am personally diametrically opposed to nearly everything the Democrat party believes in? It's simple, really. You see, no matter where any of us fall on the political spectrum, the fact that 45 years after Martin Luther King, Jr. told America about his dream, that dream is realized. It is not realized because a black man is running for president of this country. It is not realized because of who Barack Obama is. It is realized because of what America is.

America has learned from its mistakes, made the necessary changes and moved forward. Has it been easy? Has it come without pain? Has it been perfect? Not at all. But to think that in 45 years we have gone from the norm being segregated seats on a bus, to the very idea of segregation being absurd, well, that's nothing short of miraculous. And it is something that every American should be proud of.

I hope that you have followed the political talk about Obama and his acceptance speech. Notice that the discussion is about issues, opinions, and the content of his character. Count yourself lucky. You've wtinessed a dream come true.

Classic(al) Rock

One of the syllogisms Boy-A-Thon had to write in Logic class today was a modus tollens. This syllogism follows the pattern:

If P, then Q.
Not Q.
Therefore, not P.

His work:

If I'm back in black, I'll hit the sack.
I won't hit the sack.
Therefore, I'm not back in black.

I love my job!

Maybe I'm wishing for the moon...

...but I'd really appreciate it if the pace and reasoning of the law as it pertains to adoption would be logical and focus on the best interest of the child. That would sure be nifty, neet-o, and WooHoo worthy.

The Ten Commandments

Girl-A-Thon had to watch Cecil B.DeMille's 1956 epic movie for school. The assignment was to watch the film (all 4 hours of it!) and keep track of the differences between the film and the bible text. There were so many, she had to reload her mechanical pencil with lead. The final count was 48 discrepancies.
The film really was a hoot to watch. It is super cheesy with Neferteri calling Seti (The first Pharoh and Ramses' father) "a silly crocodile", and him replying, "Hush, kitten." I'm not particularly strong as a biblical scholar, but I'm pretty sure that was not in the original Aramaic text.

Family Driven Faith

That's the Title of the Book I'm reading. (Seriously, I should have finished it a long time ago, but I only read it on the elliptical, and well, I haven't exactly been consistent with that lately...and a friend recommended another very good book, and...and...)

There are so many goodies in this book. I will share a couple. (I don't agree with everything the author has to say, but then, when do any of us?)

Writing about the rate at which Christian kids leave the faith once on their own (75% after their freshman year of college) the author states that the current thinking in which we parents outsource the discipling of our kids to "the professionals" of the church youth group:

Talk to a college pastor about the freshman fallout rates, and he will tell you, "We do the best we can, but by the time we get them from the youth ministry, it's too late." Talk to a high school pastor and he'll tell you, "We have to do a better job in our junior high ministry." Of course, the junior high pastor is going to blame the children's minister, who will, in turn, pass the buck to the preschool minister. I believe there is a more fundamental question that we must ask. Could it be that we have established systems designed to meet the wrong needs and attack the wrong problems?"

(emphasis mine)

Well, since most youth groups are really competing as an entertainment entity, I'd say, yes, we are after the wrong problems. Last time I checked, kids in this country are not exactly suffering a lack of entertainment options.

And this, about the whole idea of outsourcing that which God has called parents to ensure:

"...you visit a church, your teen goes off to the youth service, your little one goes off to children's church, the baby goes to the nursery, and you and your spouse get a great seat in a plush auditorium with first-class music, professional drama, a relevant, encouraging, application-oriented, non-threatening talk, and you get it all in just under an hour."

Now, in Hawaii, if you get air conditioning you've scored, but you get the basic idea. The problem here is that the family is not together at all--even in church.

Both of these examples highlight the point the author makes which is this:
We can't very well be surprised at who our children turn out to be once they are out on their own, when we have had little or no time/influence with them while they were in our care.

Did you hear?

...How many times John McCain mentioned homeschooling as a successful educational choice? Well, I did, and I really appreciated it :-)

That's while he was chatting it up with Pastor Rick Warren, that is. He asnwered his questions so succinctly, that Pastor Warren had to fill the extra time. Obama, on the other hand was his usually wordy self (without saying too much).

Look What Those Russians Started

I'm telling you, people are getting a little too goofy for me. This likely will not make mainland news, but it sure is a big deal here. Interestingly enough, there is another group who is already occupying part of the lawn of palace. They've been there on a permit. As people grow in both ignorance and boldness, it makes me nervous...
Especially when there are witnesses who state that

...three men shoved aside a palace employee as she attempted to allow someone onto the grounds. The incident occurred near the diamondhead-side gate.

A witness, attorney James Wright, said the men struck the employee and slammed her into a gate in front of a police officer. All the officer said is "this is not HPD jurisdiction," Wright said.

Wright said the woman was attempting to escort him onto the grounds when three men began to assault her.

"They hit her and hit her and hit, and the police sergeant stood there and did nothing," Wright said.

While they were not punching her, "they were slamming her against the post and then slamming the gate on her," he said. "And the police officer did nothing to protect her. The cop literally walked away while she was still being pushed around."

(I apologize for the dreadful sentence structure.)
Additionally, one of the group's members claims to be a federal marshall and says that the palace is "now under federal protective custody."
Now, I may be new to the study of logic, but isn't that a bit odd to be seeking protection from the "great overthrower" against whom you are now rebelling?


Check out the entire article with video.

Breakfast of Champions?

That results in this body??



Ok, well that diet paired with swimming nearly four miles in each workout and practicing twice a day with hardly a day off, that is.

(Thanks to PalmtreePundit for the resources)

I Can't Believe I Forgot Joe's Liquor!

This place is in the memories of many former Sweetwater County teens...mainly because Joe's NEVER asked for ID. And yes, that sign does say "Drive-In".

My Wyoming: The Promised photos

Hail!

Rainbow trout fish fry.
There is a town...and a river runs through it...

Oh beautiful for spacious skies...

Serious windmills
No, I'm talking HUGE Windmills. Below are the parts with Dad-A-Thon standing nearby. That is ONE of the three blades.

Close up of the blade where it attaches to the center.

The center motor piece.

Then there are the other pics that warm my heart and let me know I'm back in the country:

To Tell or Not To Tell?

Long ago, I freely shared information about one of my children with people. I was an open book. You asked me, I told. I did this, because I thought that most people would like having as much information as possible when dealing with a child with "differences".



Oh how young and naive....



Yes, people did like having the info. However, instead of this informing and increasing their patience and understanding, it informed them and they never looked at my child with unbiased eyes again. That was painful. Excruciating, actually. And maybe it's my Italian bloodline, or just a hard heart, but I don't like getting burned--at all.
Now, my child never has felt any pain from this, nor is it likely he ever will. He is truly beyond all of it. He sees people for who/what they are. It doesn't offend him personally if someone cannot give him a fair shot. He sees it all as a defect in the other party. And frankly, he is spot on.



I, being a lesser developed soul, have been absolutely heartbroken by such events. Which brings me to the title of this post. At this point--and believe me, it has been a journey and a half to get here--my son is what most people would condsider just "a bit odd". So I am regularly tortured with the dilemma of whether or not to explain his oddities or just move on, knowing that there is that looming question mark.
I've often thought of consulting friends, but most either know how far we've come and rejoice with us, or only know him as he is now, neither of which offer a truly independent opinion.

So, here I am left wondering...I think it is a state that I shall likely live in perpetually....

What would you do?

Boys Will Be Men

Here are some good quotes from Future Men, a book by Doug Wilson that I finished recently. It's short and very interesting. He wraps every chapter up with a keeper.
In the chapter titled "Contempt for the Cool",Wilson contrasts the difference between pop and classical music:

The Music of Bach is of course demanding to perform, but it also makes demands on the listener. This is why the undisciplined mind avoids such music; it invites thought, contemplation, discipline, lots of icky things."

Another laugh out loud line is this from the chapter titled "Christian Liberty" where he discusses, among other things, the fine balance of the freedom of drinking alcohol:

Christian liberty is nothing other than slavery to God. The only alternative
to this is slavery to man and his desires, and this includes the young man in
question and his desires. But with all this said, wine was given to
gladden the heart of man (Ps. 104:15) and one of the duties a father has is that
of teaching his son to drink [responsibly].

And last but not least, a quote from the chapter "Girls and Sex":

There is no way that young men can watch, and be entertained by, movies whch
include displays of nudity, steamy sex scenes and so forth, without being aroused
by them. A boy who tells his mother that he can "handle it" is using what
astute theologians in former ages used to call "a lie."

It's a great book with so many goodies. You can buy it here.

TheGirls Are Back In Town

This is a small gathering of my crowd in high school. Have these gals aged well, or what?

Not Important Enough for the Nobel Peace Prize Committee

Shame on every member of that committee.


Watch this to see why. Have Kleenex handy.

Friday Fun

This is clever. (Hat tip: Palmtree Pundit)

Here is my prayer for the day, based on my personality type:

ENFJ: God, help me to do only what I can and trust you for the rest. Do you
mind putting that in writing?

You can find the whole list here.
There is also an online personality test with fun anecdotes here

The Weather is Normal

Just thought I shoudl tell you that since I did so much complaining before. It's been 81-86 for the highs and 46-50 at night. Yes, that is normal.

That's Why They're Denied Driver's Licenses

Dogs are 8 times more prone to epilepsy than humans. We discovered this last Saturday evening when Nan-A-Thon's little yorkie had a series of seizures. The girls brought him inside and it was clear he wasn't quite right. He walked like he'd been shootin' whiskey, as we say around here, and his tongue was so purple it looked black.
I was holding the dog in my arms. Auntie-A-Thon took one look at him and said, "He's not getting any oxygen!!" Before I knew it, Auntie was performing mouth to snout. It took one other try and then he was breathing on his own. (I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have crossed my mind...and if it had, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have done it. Well, maybe I would have...)

We left the kids at home, and Nan, Auntie and I made an emergency run to the vet. We got exceptional vet care. If you have an animal emergency, being in a place where people spend as much money building barns as they do houses is a good place to be!

All's well that ends well, and the dog is fine. Apparently yorkies can have seizures when they are overstimulated. I guess a house full of pre-teens and teens with water balloons is a bit stimulating for the little guy.

So Much To Say

So little of it appropriate.

So, instead, I'll tell you that I am planning to go on a little photo safari of the area in which I grew up. There are some great old signs (most in need of repair) and some funny places. Lots of wide open spaces--which I had been desperately craving--and some great characters in town.

On another note, I am getting to exercise regularly and am reading a book I have wanted to get to for about 2 years. It's a quick and good read. I'll post about it soon.

Auntie-A-Thon Says Hi

Auntie-A-Thon (who, by the way wins EVERY auntie contest becuse she is in fact a child in an adult body) wanted me to tell you all "Hi". There she is chatting up Girl-A-Thon before we left for her surprise birthday party. Notice the similarity in size between the two. It's just not fair. My sister is adorable AND pocket sized!

She and I have marginally different styles ;-)

UPDATE: Auntie-A-Thon did not liek the picture and would like me to tell you all that she does not have a flat face ;-)

How Do You Spell LOVE in Green River, Wyoming?

D-U-A-L-L-Y.

Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me for pictorial proof. But I saw someone's token of devotion in a shiny white dually with the vanity plate that read "4-Reba". Yes, I am from a place where people name their beloved baby girls Reba. On Purpose. Not on a dare. And though I am sure that Ray Jack or Billy Dean or whomever loves Reba so much he just had to give her her very own personalized ride, I must state that for me, the sign below (at the local carwash) says it all.

UPDATE: This is a dually. It's a pickup truck with four wheels on the back axle (two on each side).

A Busy Few Days

In the past few days, we have had some fun. I climbed "Man's Face" with Boy-A-Thon. Man's Face is the same mountain I climbed as a little girl in the summertime. I used to pack a lunch and a jar or two (for blue belly lizards and horny toads) into a backpack, sling a BB gun over my shoulder and head up the hill with my best friend, Keith Hodges. It was really something to share that with my son. Of course, we didn't pack a lunch, we brought water bottles. And my son did not recevie a BB gun for his 5th birthday, so that was missing too. Regardless, we both had a great time. (Note: climbing at 38 is significantly different than climbing at 8! At 38 you end the climb with elevated iced knees and Motrin!)

Did I Tell You?

I have a great husband. He made a surprise trip to see Girl-A-Thon for her birthday. She opened a big wrapped box to find her daddy. He had to take a last minute business trip and was able to sneak over to our neck of the woods for 3 days. What a treat. It had been three weeks since we had seen Dad-A-thon, so we were all thrilled.

Paradise--In Spite of the Weather

You know how you're always wishing you had just a little more time in the day? Well, it is all here in Wyoming. The time really does pass WAY more slowly here. So, I find myself with time to exercise, time to get my makeup on without rushing, time to curl Girl-A-Thon's hair in the ringlets she's decided she wants, and time to help spring clean my mom's house. The kids are digging it because they have time to play, read, and rest. Nan also has two little dogs that love attention, and I have two kids that love little dogs. We are doing a miniscule amount of schoolwork here, and it seems to take 30 seconds of our day. Boy-A-Thon has been playing video games sans time restrictions, and has been running around outside in the "Ninja Obstacle Course" he and his cousin have created in Nan's back yard. (Boy-A-Thon doesn't seem to get that it is COLD outside.) The only bummer so far has been that I still won't let the boys climb the mountain. The wind has been gusting up to 45 mph, and I just don't want them blowing down. :-)

A Nice June Snow

Yes, snow is predicted for the weather here tomorrow. (Does it start to make sense now why I had to move away?) It is currently 36 degrees and was raining earlier. If it continues to rain as the temp drops we will indeed get snow tonight. Whether it will be there when I wake up is another story. It hailed a few days ago when Teen-A-Thon was still here. It was the first time any of the kids had seen--or heard--a hailstorm. The kids thought that was pretty wild.

Anyway...the pies were excellent. Girl-A-Thon and I made them with Splenda, as my mother (a tiny pie person) is diabetic. We've been enjoying dinners together at the dinner table each night which is a different routine for the folks who live here all the time. Everyone seems to like it, though. I know I love cooking for my family--it's a love language of mine, for sure.

From The Road

Well, we have settled a bit and are in Wyoming for the rest of the month. We began this trip in Pennsylvania where we attended a very special baptism. The relationship I have been able to witness between a birth mother and adoptive family is truly amazing. I would never believe it is possible. All of the people involved are truly exceptional, and I suppose that is what it would take to make that relationship work. I've known great adoptive families, but with birth mothers who are, at best, psycho. So it is refreshing to see a truly good scenario. It's a God job, as Connie would say.

We then went to Washington, D.C. for what proved to be way too short of a time. Translation: we'll be back--next time with Dad-A-thon. Through the activities we did with many other homeschool families, we got to meet some great folks. At the end of each day, we were exhausted, and I learned again and again that I really like my kids. It is wonderful to see the fruit of the labor of parenting. The kids are enjoyable people. (WooHoo!)

So now we are in Wyoming, where the weather has decided to stay cold. We should be in Yellowstone National Park, but when I checked the weather forecast, it said the the highs would be 42 and the lows would be 28. Umm...yeah...I don't do that anymore. So, I nixed the camping trip to Yellowstone. My brother, his family, two other women and 10 Girl Scouts are there now. (Sounds like the third circle of hell, doesn't it?) It snowed the day they arrived and the park was closed for 3 hours as they removed snow. Clearly, my decision was a good one.

We are at Nan-A-Thon's where we are enjoying a much slower pace of life. I swear time really does pass more slowly here. I am thrilled, because they had rhubarb the size of a toddler's arm at the grocery store, and two quarts of strawberries for $2.59. The peaches were ripe and cheap, too, so...because I am a big pie person, I'm baking pies today. Wish you were here to share them with. I've got Grandma Peterson's crust recipe, and I'm ready to roll (out pie dough, that is).

My plan is to share my thoughts on "returning home", plus the experience of my 20th class reunion. Just thoughts, and hopefully lots of photos. This really is a beautiful place (even if it is a desert).

We are Mediocre!!

I know it doesn't sound like anything to boast about, but here in Hawaii, the public schools are bragging about "Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP). There is a big sign on the front fence of one of the elementary schools stating "We Made AYP!!!"

The celebration of mediocrity in schools is what has driven so many families here to private schools (ka-ching!) and homeschooling (not exactly free). It is sad, because according to the Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaii spends an average $9876 per student to be mediocre. Couple that with the latest info on the public schools from Honolulu Magazine, and you'll see that even on a survey of satisfaction and success, the surveyors had to grade on a curve in order to get the majority of schools to pass! The highest score was Momilani elementary at 89.40%, and thus that was an A+. The lowest score was a tie between Aiea Intermediate and Hale Kula with 63.68% each. Those were given grades of C+. For the record, in this house, an 89% is a B and a 63% is an F.

The quotes from school officials are truly insane, but I do encourage you to read the article. My favorite is this, "We've raised the bar, and the kids have met the expecatition."

Fun Post

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 7 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

(Hat tip to Erin)

"It's a Werewolf Love Story"

Spoken by Teen-A-Thon while describing a book she is hoping to read next. I am not joking.

My reply to her?

"You are so eighteen."

I love the "Interline"

We homeschoolers are nothing if not obsessive planners.

As Boy-A-Thon and Girl-A-Thon each continue to develop their interests, I am eyeing colleges. Yes, it long way off, but I know that the time will whip by. Further, one of the (5,472) reasons we homeschool is to have felxibility with tailoring their educations. (This relates to the title, I promise)

All of that is to say that by Googling, I came across an email for Dr. Mary Schweitzer. You may not recognize her name, but you probably do recall the news that soft tissue was found in a T Rex bone and there may be enough cell structure left to find DNA. Well, she's the one who found it. And guess what? I shot off an email to her to ask her to advise us for Boy-A-Thon and she said she'd do it!
I love the "Interline"

Thoughts

Well, I have had so many thoughts I wanted to blog about lately, and absolutely no time to blog. Now I have a little time, and all those thoughts have escaped me. I guess I am getting "old" like Palmtree Pundit ;-)

I did, however, peruse some blogs of other homeschool moms, and saw this thought about worship that I wholeheartedly agree with. Here is an excerpt:

Parents, don't think that the complaints and fooliness(sic)of your own hearts aren't imitated by your children. Instead we should be teaching them the importance of worship, in all things, with our hearts and minds...as well as our emotions. It's an attitude of the heart.

Maybe some day my thoughts and time to share them will eventually collide!

Well Whaddayaknow?

My eyes actually are grey.

Your Eyes Should Be Gray

Your eyes reflect: Intensity and drive What's hidden behind your eyes: A sensitive soul

What Color Should Your Eyes Be?

Blogging Purpose?

I am trying to figure out just what the point of my blogging is. Originally I did this anonymously, hoping to "let it rip" with my thoughts, feelings, opinions. Then I found that I wasn't nearly as crass as I thought I'd be, so I "outed" myself.

However, there have been many times that I'd like to get my thoughts written down, and haven't because I would hate to be misunderstood by those who know me and read this blog.

In the past, I was an avid writer. I have so many stories. Many of them about life in general, and some about things I am learning along the way. But since blogging, my "real" writing has been non-existent. The problem is that blogging just doesn't "feed the bulldog" as my friend Kathy would say.
I guess I was hoping for more interaction? And though I do appreciate any interaction, the reality is that it primarily occurs when I change the look of the blog. Nothing against that, it's just that the bulldog needs something a bit more substantial. I suppose that is why I haven't really blogged a whole lot in general, and recently in particular.

Again, I am just rambling and writing out thoughts as they come....

Mood Adjustment

I was not really looking forward to this day. It is one in a series where I am doing my regular jobs with the added joy of unravelling a big mess. Not only is it a big mess, but it is someone else's mess. Oooh, my favorite.
Yesterday was extra crispy, as I had all my regular respnsibilities, plus the unraveling gig, and I got to call Roto-Rooter! And joy of joys, the cleanout is in our garage. (It was a carport,so I guess that made sense to the architect??) Don't be jealous yet, because I got to clean up sewage in the garage. But it did not end there. No sirree. At about 10PM (still up unraveling the other mess) I discovered my refrigerator stopped working. So *today*, I am doing all my regular jobs, plus hunting down a refrigerator repairman. (We bought the service plan via Sears when we bought the fridge but they can't make it til Saturday. I don't think my yogurt, milk, and porkchops will make it til then, do you?)

So I was going to complain on this post (no, this is not me complaining).

Then I went outside and saw a gorgeous day, 3 healthy kids, a lovely home, and thought the better of it!

Parenting Challenges

Girl-a-thon recently received an email chain letter from a member of her Girl Scout Troop. It was a threatening letter that promised death and eyeball removal--with a fork, at the hands of none other than Mickey Mouse--for those who didn't pass it along. Of course she forwarded it to all her closest friends to spare them, or "not to chance it" as she wrote.

Thankfully, one of the forwardees showed the email to her mother who made me aware of it. Now, we have already discussed appropriate use of email and such in the A-thon house, so I was pretty peeved. Dad-a-thon handled it much more calmly than I would have. Girl-a-thon has sent an email apology to all of her friends, and has informed them of her being "offline" for the next month.

The challenge, though is what to do about the girl who sent the email? Do we let her parents--who are new to us--know?

Any adivce on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated.

New Look

After trying to come up with the time to sit and learn how to truly customize my blog, I have resorted to the cheap and easy fix: I used a gorgeous picture of the sunset. Believe it or not this was just a regular day here when the sun went down. Every now and then I am outside at the right time to see such beauty. When I am, I try to capture it forever. Hope you like the look.

Preservation and Progress

Over on Molokai, people are dealing with the problems that can come from getting what you want. (Or from getting what you've been begging for.) Our pastor has often said, "You cannot just want what you want. You must want also what your wants lead to."

For several years, folks on Molokai have been playing the inevitable tug of war that comes with rural living: Preservation vs. Progress. It's tough in this day to maintain a simple life. (Especially when "simple" includes, a car--with gas, TV, phone service, and utilities at the flip of a switch or turn of a knob. The problem with those benefits of modern life, is that they require people to live in community. Most folks who have sought out a ruggedly rural lifestyle are more the isolationist types. And therein lies the problem.

Now the folks on Molokai are in deep kim chee. The biggest source of employment has quit playing tug of war. In fact, they are taking the rope and going home. (I can't blame them much. It's their rope, and they even made sandwiches, brought drinks for everyone and gave them shade.)

O'Fukunaga

I guess that's what you get when you are Irish/Japanese!

A friend was in the Irish spirit today. As we were both judging a homeschool speech competition we had name tags on. I laughed right out loud at hers: Cathy O'Fukunaga. (Normally She is Cathy Fukunaga.)

The Perv 'Stache

It is gone...finally.

Boy-a-thon dived into puberty this year. It seems that in the fall I had a boy and this spring I am watching a young man emerge. It's a bit disoncerting. Where once was a smooth sweet face is now hair--yes, hair! Tonight Dad-a-thon helped Boy-a-thon with his first shave. It had to be done, because, well, he had that light moustache that looks like a pervert. Hence the name "perv 'stache". (OOps! There goes my chance at mom of the year.) Boy-a-thon didn't much care for the name, so he was all for the big shave. Yes, words are powerful ;-)

Yet again, I find myself thinking that this is my favorite stage. Go figure, adolescence actually has its good parts, too. I do love being with my kids and watching them grow and mature. What a treat.

If Only That Were True

You Are a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven. You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue. You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched. You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions. Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice. (But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!) You excel in: Leadership positions You get along best with: The Semi-Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

(Hat tip: PalmtreePundit)

Addiction

If I had one thing that I would like to remove from this world, addiction would be it. I have a had a front row seat at the trainwreck of addiction. It is just gut-wrenching. The singularly most painful thing for loved ones to endure. With that experience, learning that it is happening to others pains my heart. Please take a moment to pray for those who are gripped by addiction. BUT PLEASE pray for those who are left to live in the wake of it.

Jeanne and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Ok, maybe I'm being a bit overdramatic, but today...well... it su**ed(the opposite of blew).

I had a very long, whiny post but I deleted it. (Believe me, that is indicative of much growth and maturity.) The bottom line is this: the least sucky part of my day is that I broke my toe.
A real assessment of this day in the grand scheme of life--I'm pretty darn blessed.

'Nuff said.

"Home" School

Today we have dermatologist appointments for the whole gang. (Living so close to the equator, we see the dermatologist as part of our annual physicals. ) With the kids having been gone for a week, I am anxious to get back on track with schooling. That means school on the road. As I grab the Logic DVDs for Boy-a-thon to watch, and rip the CD of Girl-a-thon's history book and put it on her iPod, I am struck by how much technology makes my life hum. We will actually be able to do our full day's work even though we will spend 2 hours away from home. What techno-goodies make your life hum?

Is this cool, or what?

The most amazing research is going to be done within Army hospitals on soldiers with lost limbs. Limb regeneration. Can you even imagine being able to regenerate a lost lomb? And no, this isn't from embryonic stem cells. It's from bovine bladder cells. Yep. Pig bladders. No worries--bovine tissues have been used in human surgeries for years and with a great track record. Check out this video (click on the video titled "Powder Mends Severed Finger").

There's also a great--but long--article here. An excerpt:

A few days after Lee Spievack canceled his appointment with the hand surgeon,
he received a package from his older brother containing a vial of powder that
looked like Kraft Parmesan cheese. His brother instructed him to sprinkle it on
his finger every other day until the powder was gone. A few days
went by, and Spievack could see something was happening. There was skin growing,
and tissue on the inside, too. His fingertip grew back. He doesn't much
think about his finger anymore, except when he clips his nails. He usually cuts
them once a week, but the new nail has to be clipped every two days.

What I Did on My Winter Vacation

All but Teen-A-Thon and I have been skiing in Utah for the past week. This has given me some much appreciated ALONE TIME. (That along with sleep are the only things I miss from the BK (Before Kids) life. So, not wanting to waste a grand opportunity, I have been having a very pleasant week. It has taken me 38 years, but I believe I have finally learned to balance time between stuff I should do and stuff I want to do. So! Here's what I've been up to:

1. Thanking God for a healthy family.
2. Volunteering at our church's school's open house. At lunch afterward, I realized that I cannot oder food without my husband. This, is a good thing, if you ask me! I rarely go out to eat without him, and I pretty much love all food. So he orders and I eat half of his food :-)
3. Enjoying one-on-one time with Teen-A-Thon as she prepares for delivery and placing her baby with a wonderful family.
4. Shopping for bedding, jeans that fit, and a pasta attachment for the KitchenAid. (AKA: Letting Teen-A-Thon have time alone at the house with her friend who moved back.)
5. Grading school work from the previous week, getting assignment sheets ready for the Kids-A-Thon return.
6. Having a long overdue lunch with a dear friend.
7. Beginning a new Latin curriculum--gotta stay ahead of the students!
8. Having a long overdue dinner with another great friend.
9. Getting a massage
10. Touring Doris Duke's home, Shangri-La, with a dear friend.
11. Pilates. Elliptical.
12. Waxing.
13. Seeing the movie Juno with a great friend--You really have to see that movie.
14. Shampooing living room carpet, Girl-A-Thon's rug, and desk chair. (It really is gross that that is all in there!)
15. Reviewing school schedule for next year.
16. Preparing to form an Omnibus I hui with some of the most fantastic women you could ever hope to know.

Wow, am I blessed in the friend department, or what?

The list is not exhaustive, but as I see it there, it probably does lean a little heavily to the want to do side of life. But I'm okay with that. I know that when my home is again full, that list leans plenty far the other way.

I've also learned or remembered a few things this week:

• I cannot order food out without my husband.
• My entire life revolves around my husband and children--this is a GOOD thing, by the way.
• God has given me a life rich in friendships, full of good work, and blessed beyond measure.

So, any young moms who are at times overwhelmed, know that it is truly a season. We do get our alone time back--in spurts. And I wouldn't change a thing. Before I know it, five or six years will have blipped by, and I will have more alone time than I know what to do with!

If You Can't Say Something Nice...

That's basically why posting has been non-existent for a while. Believe me, I have had plenty to say, just not much organization or order to it. Add to that the fact that I am greatly upset by the topics on my mind, and well...I just don't have much nice to say.

Thankfully, Tricia over at The Well Drained Mind said it for me. And she was very nice about it.

I must agree that I too love my "homeschooling coccoon" and am often surprised by the very things that were a normal part of my own childhood. In fact, unless jolted back to remembering them, I carry on as if none of it ever happened.

In the life my husband and I have made, children matter greatly. We do all we can to rear them in a way that honors and glorifies God. That's why that "jolting back" gets me so very confused and dumbfounded. I can't believe people don't know better. And the truth is, they do know better. If knowledge and information were all that we needed to do the right thing, no one would ever have to be reminded not to drink and drive. No, knowledge won't do it. We need a Savior. And in His mercy, God has provided all that we need. His grace is sufficient--even for witnessing the mistreatment of children.

From the Department of DUH:

College Drinking Games Lead to Higher Blood Alcohol Levels
Women at themed events also drank more heavily than male peers, field study finds

Really? I don't know about you, but I am certainly glad there are thoughtful folks out there to research such surprising phenomena. If you are shocked and amazed by those findings, the whole thing is here.
(Hat tip: PalmPilot)

WWBSMD?

What Would Brittney Spears' Mom Do?
Unfortunately, we'll never know. It seems that Lynne Spears' book is indefinitely on hold. I wonder why? Could it be train wreck Brittney or newly pregnant 16 year old Jamie Lynn? Who knows. (Shamefully the book was being published by a Christian publishing house. What in the world were they thinking in the first place??)

By the way, I shamelessly stole WWBSMD from a good friend.

UPDATE: Girl-a-thon in reply to her friend discussing the pregnant Jamie Lyn--"Well, duh. Same parents, same mess." I guess even an 11 year old gets it.

Something in the Drink

Yes, there is definitely something in the drinks in San Francisco, but I don't think sugar is the problem.

Be Afraid...Very Afraid

I have finally begun to read I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe. A friend gave it to me a very long time ago, and I just haven't had the spare moments to get into it. Now, days before we start our Christmas break from school (can I get an Amen?) I have begun the book.

Tom Wolfe is said to be a keen social observer. A description with which I must agree. His prolific writing includes both fiction and non, and there is no possible way I could tell you who he is, if you don't already know. But if you don't, please go read this.

I read the preface which refers to a study done on cats in which their amygdalas were removed. I am already scared about what lies ahead. (I know this sounds nutty but it all makes sense--I promise.) The book is about undergraduate life at a prestigious American university. Though he did research on several campuses, the rumour is that the story is taken mainly from events on the campus of Duke University. The premise is that peer pressure and the anything goes wild life of undergrads is too much for any young adult to resist. As a parent--and pre-Charlotte Simmons--I believe that we can instill values (and the courage to hold to them) in our kids. I'll keep you updated as to how that goes as I am reading.

Cultural Clarity

I passed by a self-storage place today (they are popping up all over this island) and the signs struck me: Climate Controlled Self-Storage. Is it just me, or does that pretty much sum up the culture at large?

Control freak? No worries. You can even control the climate now, baby.

Have enough stuff? Good. Too much stuff? Even better.

And the most glorious word of all...SELF. Who needs anoyone else? After all, you are most important to you, right?

Another One Bites the Dust

I admit it, I am a movie junkie. It's the cheapest therapy I've ever known. And now, sadly, it's on the endangered cultural items list. It seems as though Will Smith and his family can be added to the the ranks of those duped by Scientology. I know, I know--what do I care? It's just that it's getting harder and harder to have some mindless entertainment. I can't even see a trailer for a Tom Cruise flick without getting major heebie-jeebies. And don't get me started about the Travolta nightmare.

Conspiracy Theory

I was all set to title this "Anyone...Anyone?" But Palmtreepundit beat me to it :-) Any way, here is a movie that I am anxious to see. (Hat tip:Anne)

A Very Very Good Day

Today was a busy day with a long morning appointment, and a longer than planned for afternoon appointment. The Kids-a-thon really were solo for much of the day and they did such a good job staying on task, I was amazed. That made it a good day.

The morning appointment was spent with Teen-a-thon and I am so proud of her. She has faced some very tough decisions in the past few months, and I am always amazed at the maturity and thoughtfulness with which she makes them. Today, especially, she made a very loving, wise decision, and I am so proud of her. That made it a very good day.

The afternoon was spent with a friend who asked for my advice on some very tough issues in her life. She too, is facing some hard decisions. She said she saw things very clearly after we talked and said that I helped her out. I am grateful that God can use my "brass tacks" personality to help such a dear woman. That made it a very very good day.

Bella

Dad-a-thon and I went to see this movie last night. The subtitle is "True love goes beyond romance." Well put. It was very very good. Bring tissues, but please do find it and go.

Update: Here is the trailer.

A Very Very Bad Hair Day

I decided to shape up the 'do. So I had chosen two hairstyles--one that kept the length and one that returned to my very short hair. I decided to go with the longer one for now. That way, I could always go short afterward. My stylist and I also thought it would be good to make my hair dark and put in some big chunky dramatic highlights.

HMMMM......

Somehow a hairstyle that looked fabulous on the model looks like some kind of trailer trash-barfly-rodeo queen combo. It's so very sad. Thankfully my stylist is a gem. She told me to come back tomorrow (today) and we'll go for the very short, very blonde look I have had before and know works well on me. In the mean time, YeeHaw!

(Mahalo to Girl-a-thon for the photography.)

Fun and Beautful Jewelery

My friend makes this gorgeous jewelery and I thought you might like to take a peek, since Christmas is coming up. I have a couple of her creations, and have given them as gifts, too. They are unique and creative and very individual. She is a stay at home mom and makes all the jewelery herself. She ships to the mainland, too. I added her website to my links but here it is as well.
UPDATE: She has named her pieces, and you just might recognize a few :-)

So Many Topics...

So little time.
Blogging is somewhat of a therapy for me. (It is probably a big therapy for my husband and friends, too, in that I (might) yack a little less at them!) Lately, I have had a plethora of things to mull over through this medium of blogging, and conversely no time to do it. The result is that I am fried.

I am learning--through the cactus and glass route--that I am a mere mortal. For the first time in my life I am finding myself saying, "I just can't do it all." Generally I have been able to finagle my life in a way that I can do just about everything that I take on. I have learned not to take on as much as I used to, but even that seems to be a steep learning curve for me.

The problem, as I see it, is that I have lost my groove. I'm in a funk. Not depressed, just...well, something's not quite right. It's like a little sand in my shorts, or a small rock in my shoe...something's not quite right with Mama's world. And you know how THAT goes!

I'm deep in scripture, so that's a plus. I'm even making myself read something mildly funny and interesting that will likely not grow me in any way. I'm trying to get some exercise now and then. I don't know what it is, but something's not right in my world....Until I get that straightened out, my heart just won't be in my work. And that is simply unacceptable to me.

So! To recap: I have an unidentifiable issue that is frustrating my ability to think and focus on my work and responsibilities, which causes me to do them half way. In turn this is frustrating because I hate to "phone it in."

OK then. Welcome to the crazy train :-) Keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times.....

Busy Busy

It has been a very long time since I posted. There have been so many things I'd like to post about, but not the time to post. Sadly, I think that the things that make life the most interesting to blog about are also the things that keep me too busy to post! Hopefully that will change soon!

WooHoo!!

I feel like running out to my back yard, waving my arms wildly and hollering, "WooHoo!!!" They are here. They are praciticing for the show this weekend, which just happens to be right next door to my house. So they are flyimg over at mach whatever, and it is pretty awesome to see.

I think I'd better rent Top Gun this weekend ;-)

Words Mean Things (Right?)

Did you know that the term "single" has nothing to do with marriage? It refers to a person's relational status. Apparently, teens and young adults who have had a regular "hook-up" (defined: boyfriend/girlfriend situation for more than a week) do not consider themselves to be "single". This was news to me. It was news to the 19 year girl I was talking with that anyone who is not married is single. She had never heard that before.

The conversation started with her statement, "I have five friends who are pregnant and all but two of them are under 18." She said this so matter of factly I was stunned. I asked her what she thought about that, and she replied, "What do you mean?" I asked her if she had any thoughts, feelings, or opinions on the news that five of her teenage girlfriends are single and pregnant. That's when she told me that two of them were not single. I asked how long they'd been married, and she said, "Oh, they're not." Slightly confused, I asked, "How is it that they are not married and not single?"
"They have boyfriends!" She said, obviously frustrated that I could be so...slow. Trying to get back to the question at hand, I again asked her what she thought about her pregnant teenage single freinds. She said, "I don't know...glad I'm not [pregnant], I guess."

There is an entire population of kids heading for adulthood with this frame of mind. The uphill battle for their hearts and minds is made all the more difficult when we literally speak different languages.

String Theory

You have heard of the "Promise Ring", right? Apparently girls have been convinced that they only need a "Promise String".
Yes. String.

At this rate, there will soon be the "Promise Kleenex" or "Promise Dryer Lint".

Have we really de-valued women and marriage that much? Say it isn't so.

What Does One Do To Receive This Award?

If you look closely that is a golden speculum. I couldn't help but take a picture of it when the genetic counselor left the room. As I told Teen-A-Thon, "What in the world did he do to get THAT?"
Then I couldn't help but think that someone--seriously--someone should have told the good doctor that this plaque belonged in a drawer and not on his office wall.

It was an adventurous day, indeed.

Quote of the Day--Beware This One Stings

"[D]emocracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man's life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these will soon mould itself into a system of subordination of all the moral virtues and intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth, beauty, wit and science, to the wanton pleasures, the capricious will, and the *execrable cruelty of one or a very few."

-- John Adams (An Essay on Man's Lust for Power, 29 August 1763)

Reference: Original Intent, Barton (338); original The Papers of John Adams, Taylor, ed., vol. 1 (83)

*ex·e·cra·ble [ek-si-kruh-buhl]–adjective
1. utterly detestable; abominable; abhorrent.
2. very bad: an execrable stage performance.

It's No Coincidence...

...that I am in this bible study right now. Nor is it random that the chapter we are studying deals head on with persevering faith. Like I told a friend in an email:

I've been alternately frustrated with and grinning about the subject of this week's work in the study, and the week I am having. Why can't I just download the info and forego the struggle? Why is my will in need of such harsh training? I wish I could just make myself get over it and persevere already!!

(Yes, I am aware of the irony of those comments)
;-)

Sand and Sea

OK. That's the look I'm going for with this latest Blog makeover. I really don't have the time to fool around with this thing, however, the need to make it look nice (combined with an inability to do so )is a symptom of my greater disease: Zero Creativity.

My previous attempt brought unfavorable comments from a friend.
(BTW, Girl-a-Thon thought it was due to your age and that you probably have "old eyes";-)

Seriously?

Yes. Seriously.
The powers that be think it is a very good idea to put a criminal mental health facility across the street from an elementary school and preschool. (As if sharing a fence with the sewer wasn't enough.)

As usual, following the money trail is very enlightening. For starters, the medical director of CARE Hawaii, Inc. is also (well, whaddayaknow?) the owner of the property where the facility would be. I'm sure there is plenty more dirt to uncover, but I have other pressing issues tonight.

The acting administrator of the State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) informed my state Representative of the criteria that are used to determine whether the state will allow a facility to exist. The major criteria are: "relationship to the sate plan, need and accessibility, quality of service/care, cost and finances, relationship to the existing healthcare system, and availability of resources". The full criteria are listed here. **Note that "impact on surrounding community" is not one of the cirteria.

If you live in this area, please get involved and contact Darryl D. Shutter, the Acting Administrator of SHPDA. This is really a challenging assignment, as all of your comments must deal only with the aforementioned criteria. No reason, or logic allowed. The email address is shpda@doh.hawaii.gov, the fax number is 587-0788.

If you don't live in the area, please pray that this facility would not be allowed to be located at this address, or any other so near to children.

Back In Black

I wish I had more creativity, but this is about as good as it gets for me. I go from black to grey and back again for my blog. I suppose I could take an art class, or something... any advice for good blog designs?

Oooh! Wow! Good Night.

It was awesome, but that is what happened at our house. It was perfectly clear and beautfiul to see. But it was, uh...12:51 AM.

Ouch!

It looks like I'll have to make another Amazon order soon. This book sounds like a must read. Check out the excerpt over at Between Two Worlds.

(Hat Tip: PalmtreePundit)

But of Course

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Reverend Countess Jeanne the Encompassing of Waldenshire under Throcket Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

(Hat Tip: Empress Anne the Decent of Much Bottom )

Oh No You Di'int!!

"Catholic churches in the Netherlands should use the name Allah for God to ease tensions between Muslims and Christians, says a Dutch bishop."

The problem, of course, is that we are not calling upon the same God. It's short,so give it a read.

I do agree with the bishop, that God is above the names we try to give Him. However, we should not decide what to call Him based on an effort at appeasement of those who have a tendency toward violence. Every believer should call upon the name of the Lord their God in the culture of their own. In my middle class American lifestyle, it's God, or Abba, thankyouverymuch.

Nifty Stocking Stuffer?

"It resembles a hand-held electric razor and is available in metallic pink, electric blue, titanium silver and black pearl.

But it gives out a 50,000-volt jolt that short-circuits brain signals and momentarily incapacitates."

Of course, Amnesty International thinks it's mean.

It's a Tazer for the common folk. The whole story is here. What do you think about this?

It's My Blog And I'll Cry If I Want To

Today was the start of week 2 of school at our house. Simply put, it wasn't pretty. I was in tears--and shivering because our A/C is malfunctioning--by 8:30 AM. Considering that I actually break down and cry about 3 times a year (including funerals) this does not bode well for our little academy in the sun.

I got to pull myself together just in time to take a pregnant teenager to her first OB appointment, while being on the lookout for her abusive ex-boyfriend. Interesting. The appointment took 2 hours. Of Course. Actually the appointment took an hour. We waited for an hour.

All of this follows an exceptionally rough Sunday, which was anything but restorative.

God Answers Prayers

That may seem like an extreme title as you continue to read this post, but I don't think so. I have been praying for this to happen longer than I have even been a Christian! People, Whole Foods is coming to my town!!!!
An article detailing it is here, but it really does not do this momentous occasion justice....Allow me:

Whole Foods Saves Woman
Finally, after nearly 12 years of having to piecemeal a quasi-organic and natural foods diet for her family, one woman's dream has been realized. Whole Foods is setting up shop in her very own town. Gone are the days of schlepping two babies into that wretched Down To Earth on King Street. No more scary, scuzzy,3 foot wide parking structures. 'Finito' to hauling the babies in the urine scented elevator, plopping them into a "shopping cart" that would then be full--of babies, not food!
'Basta' to the half rotted produce that passes for organic at the markets!
It is all coming to an end, and I will wear a red dress to the funeral. HOORAY!

Shameful

In homage to the Emperor and his fine new clothes, the U.S. has withdrawn from the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The study is an international measure of high school seniors' abilities in algebra, geometry, calculus and physics. Get a load of this:

In the past, the American results have been shockingly poor. In the last survey, taken in 1995, students from only two countries—Cyprus and South Africa—scored lower than U.S. school kids.

No kidding. Cyprus and South Africa. We should be very proud.

Conspiracy theorists suggest that the U.S. government withdrew from the study without making any announcement because it anticipated another poor showing.

Ya think?

But, wait--

Federal officials deny the charge. Mark S. Schneider, the commissioner for the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, says the decision was made after a number of other countries decided not to participate. “We looked at the countries who are participating, our scarce resources and our overextended staff,” says Schneider, “and we decided to give it a pass.”

Ironic choice of words, don't you think?

The full article is here.

Ex Duco

This is the source for the English word educate. It means to lead out of (one's self).

That was never truer to me than it is this week. We have begun our school year here, and it is definitely leading me out of self.

For starters, this year marks my sixth year homeschooling. (That is amazing to me!) Most of you who are homeschooling know that every year is different. (This year is especially different in that I am adding another child to my roster of students. I am now teaching 6th, 7th, and 12th-ish grades.) For me, each year is different, and also intimidating. Each time I consider all that is to be accomplished with each child, I am overwhelmed. I think to myself: There is simply no way I am going to be able to make all this happen!

You know what? Without the strength of Christ, my fears are well founded--I can't accomplish the year ahead in my own strength. Luckily, I am reminded by good training and good friends, that we serve an awesome God.

So, I have decided to anchor myself to Phillipians 4:13--I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me--and trust that God will be the same God this year that He was, and will be throughout eternity.