Posted in Balanced Life

Your Life is 48% Green

Your life is pretty green - and you know a lot about how to live an eco friendly life. So congratulate yourself for being good to the earth. And maybe think about implementing some of the ideas from this quiz!

How Green Is Your Life?

Posted in Joy Quest

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DandelionSeeds/416829/

Posted in Church and Ministry

One of my all-time favorite authors, Madeleine L'Engle Franklin, who wrote A Wrinkle in Time, has died. She passed away on September 6th at the age of 88.

http://www.madeleinelengle.com/news/

She wrote over 60 books for children and adults, fantasy-type stuff and straight fiction, nonfiction too--inspirational and autobiography, and poetry. She was my hero. Her Christian religion and her family were both very important to her. She came to her faith as a young adult and it underscores all her writing. (If you're not looking for it, you might not even notice it.) All her work is hopeful, optimistic.

If you haven't read any of her stuff, I highly recommend it. (Duh!) Some of my favorites are: The Small Rain (her very first book), The Love Letters, A Live Coal in the Sea. Also I love to read her autobiographies. The first one is A Circle of Quiet.

For quick reads try her so-called children's books (adults love them, too): A Wrinkle in Time, etc., etc.

For a complete list of her books you can go to her official website http://www.madeleinelengle.com/. If you want to know more about any book (though I haven't read absolutely ALL of them) or about her, ask away and I'll do my best to answer.

But DO go check out one of her books!

Posted in Balanced Life

...to start thinking about Christmas. I think I will wait until October 21st and start the Christmas Countdown http://organizedchristmas.com/christmas-countdown then. :)

Posted in Balanced Life

Is it too soon to start thinking about THAT? I haven't even got my homeschool courses for the year planned out yet! But I am bound and determined to have sacred Christmas season this year. And to me that means getting all the busy done and out of the early on so that when Advent arrives I--and my family--can WORSHIP!

If anyone cares to join me on this journey, you might check out http://organizedchristmas.com/

Merry Christmas! ;)

Posted in Joy Quest

Raise your hand if this has ever happened to you. You have the next few days, weeks, months, whatever... all planned, then God hits you up the side of the head with something completely different, something that turns your plans and your little world completely upside down and is even downright painful. Alright, you can put your hands down now. And it really isn't necessary to jump up and down, waving your arm wildly! (Though it is nice to know I'm not the only one!)

As you've undoubtedly guessed, this has happened to me. In fact, it happened to me this summer. My neatly planned summer that I was looking forward to so eagerly took an ugly turn and I--to coin an expression--belly flopped right into a painful pool of family relationship issues. After a couple of months of floundering around in self-pity and "why me, God?" and downright agony and "what do we do, God?", I think I'm beginning to be able to dog paddle a little now. I think I may be moving on to the learning stage, learning what it is God has to teach me, discovering the way through this morass we found ourselves in. It is still way hard, but a small light bulb went on this morning. This will be the summer that God began an amazing growth in me.

I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

Posted in Balanced Life

In my quest for homemaking inspiration, I have stumbled on a few simply delightful refreshing blogs devoted to the lady's art of lovely homemaking. http://charmingthebirdsfromthetrees.blogspot.com/ has a sort of challenge to loveliness which she calls the "Commitment to Loveliness". You are asked to choose five tasks each week that will increase the loveliness in your life.

I have been feeling challenged in many areas of my life recently and must confess to having developed some very slovenly habits lately. It's not pretty! So this commitment seems very appropriate to me right now.

My Commitment to Loveliness for This Week:

1. Create a list of basic chores that MUST be taken care of daily or weekly (you know, things like feed the family, do the laundry, wash the dishes, make the bed......) and attend to them.

2. File current year's tax papers.

3. Deep clean master bathroom.

4. Wash windows, valances, and blinds.

Cleanliness is good, but where is the loveliness? How about......

5. Bringing a flower into the house for the dining table everyday.

Here is the post where you can read about the Commitment: http://charmingthebirdsfromthetrees.blogspot.com/2007/04/april-22nd.html

Posted in Lifestyle of Learning

Adolescents see the real you. They know you better than you do yourself. The number one step--the ONLY step really--to parenting teens is to repent and experience revival within. An honest walk before the Lord, living out the joy of serving Him will bring your teens alongside you.

Your teens are your co-workers now. When they sense your honest love and caring, your eagerness for them to have great experiences, your enthusiasm for the Lord's work they will want to join you in that work. Be honest, listen, share, work hard, have fun. Repent and serve the Lord.

Posted in Lifestyle of Learning

Been thinking lately about what I would do differently if I had it all to do again. I feel a bit remorseful and I find myself wishing I had a second chance, wanting to start over and try again. Not productive thinking, I know, but maybe I can glean from such thoughts and come up with goals and strategies to put into practice now!

So what are these things I wish I'd done differently? Focus on my homemaking skills--I did try off and on. I found the Sidetracked Home Executives--a good start. I wish I'd stuck with it and kept my daughters by my side so they, too, would feel it was/is an honor and a privelege to be a homemaker.

Wish I'd spent more time having fun with my kids, teaching them to be cheerful, to enjoy work, to appreciate simple things. And to develop a servant heart. These are obviously all things I need to nurture in myself!

One thing I did right--not worrying about any academics until age eight. I'm not going to say enrolling in our district's alternative learning program was a mistake; I think I needed it then. But if I could start over, knowing what I know now--I would skip it. (Providing my husband agreed!) Dealing with the public school is such a sticky mess. And I would stick with AmblesideOnline--with Charlotte Mason methods, at least!--all the way through! I think if we'd been honing narration skills all along, my daughters would be having no trouble in school right now--they'd be able to focus on what was necessary. And if we'd been "CMing" all along, creating that love of learning, they might even be interested in biology, in history, in geography. That is something I'm really regretting now......

While I can't go back in time and homeschool my kids all over again, I can work on my current relationship with them--growing in myself a cheerful grateful attitude, nurturing a servant's heart. I can develop my homemaking skills and find creative ways to enlist their help. I really really hate to think I'm done homeschooling. 'Cause I'm not ready to quit!

Posted in Daily Life

Thanksgiving was perfect. Nothing went wrong! Hubby's sister and her family came for dinner bringing half the meal, which made ten of us in all. A lovely table was set, laden with all the traditional foods. My mind did a funny thing as I was standing at the bountiful candlelit table ready to sit. There was no representative of the older generation there, neither my mother or hubby's, and I suddenly thought: "We did it all by ourselves!" Like we were playing house or something! We've been preparing meals, even holiday meals for years, decades! Don't know where THAT thought came from! LOL!

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Posted in Balanced Life

I walked 6 days --  50% of my goal of 12 days in September.

Getting sick before I had even established a habit didn't help at all! I'm fine now and now it's October...... Time to set a new goal!  (Am I the only one who spends ten minutes picking out the perfect smiley??)

Posted in Introduction

This came from CoffeeGirl. (Hi!)  Not sure how these work, but I'll give it a go!

What is your favourite movie???

Absolutely favorite? Good grief! Do you know how many movies I've seen in my life, girl?? Well, I suppose most recently I could say The Lord of the Rings movies. (My dd and I are reading the first book now for school.)

Do you prefer Runners, or thongs???

Well, sweetie, you're going to have to explain this question to us Americans. I don't know what Runners are and thongs to the young people are underwear!  (Though to us old folks thongs are flip flops, rubber sandals.)

would you much rather eat: ice cream, chocolate, or bubble gum???

Hmmm, let me think... CHOCOLATE! Even better-- chocolate ice cream!!

do you have an imaginary friend???

No.

what kind of floor do you have??? clean or messy???

Let's just say people live here.

do you have a hand bag or a wallet that you keep in your back pocket??

I carry a purse, as we call it.

can you play an instrument???

I can play the radio, the CD player, etc.

do you have over 30 books in your room???

Probably. Do I get to count 100 or so I have in the school room, too?

if you had a choice would you much rather live in the city or on a farm.???

Most definitely farm!

does your bedroom door have posters on it??? if so what are they of???

There is one "poster" on my door, a sign my younger dd made me for Mother's Day last year that says: "#1 best Mom!"

if you reach out your left hand what can you feel???

My cluttered desk with my EMPTY coffee cup on it.

if you reach out your right hand what can you feel???

Empty space.

does your cupboard seem to get messy all by itself or is it always clean???

Cupboard? Do you mean bedroom closet? Mine isn't too bad though it seems as though it's getter more and more crowded! (I do share with my hubby.)

what is your favourite animal and why???

Oh, gosh...... cats, horses, dolphins and whales......

Who are you going to tag next???

Hmmm...

What is your favourite subject in school??? or in adults case, what is your favourite subject to teach???

History, no question!

what are you wearing???

Oh, golly, you had to ask, didn't you? Don't you know the glory of this medium is you can present yourself well and no one KNOWS what you're wearing?  (I'm in my pjs and robe!)

are you annoyed that the quiz is so short long annoying fun ect..???

It's fun, but a little long.

do you have a pet???

We have one cat and seven chickens (four are hens).

what is your favourite television show???

Well, I'll tell ya, we haven't had TV for over 20 years. Back then I did love Flambards and I suppose others I've completely forgotten about.

The end!

Posted in German Diary, Summer 2005

Last summer 2005 I had the opportunity of a lifetime. My sister, who has lived in Germany for over twenty years, invited me to come spend some time with her and her family in Stuttgart and provided the means for me to get there. I jumped at the chance! My sister is a singer, trained in opera but at that time was plying her trade with a successful vocal ensemble that performs contemporary music. Her work involved and she had two performances, one in Berlin and one in Cologne, scheduled while I was there and I was privileged to travel with her. She is happily married to a German and they have a delightful son, now seven, who was just finishing up kindergarten when I was there and perparing to start first grade in the fall.

Saturday, July 9, 2005

The countdown has started to when I get to go home. I miss my family. I miss my things and I miss my routines. But I am just now getting to the point where I don't feel quite so bewildered here, at least not all the time. I can see how it would be possible to just step out and make your way around a foreign country. I think maybe My husband has the right of it--you need to stay for awhile. But you need to bring your honey with you!!! :)

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Ludwigsberg yesterday. Esslinger today. I think I am "sight-seed" out!!

Monday, July 11, 2005

A funny thing: in a German village, Esslinger, in a medieval tower, in an Ilatalian eiscafe, listening to Jethro Tull. That is Germany.

Posted in German Diary, Summer 2005

Tuesday, July 5, 2005

Now we are in Koln [Cologne]. I am sitting in the room of a rather quaint hotel--dark wood, marble floors--the Hotel Windsor. My sister is at a rehearsal for her concert. She should be back soon. After we got here, we walked back to the Romisch Germanisch [sp?] Museum, where my sister left me to do that tourist thing while she went on to her rehearsal. That was after a yummy Chinese (!!) meal in a nearby Chinese restaurant ("Big China"--funny name!).

After wandering through Koelnish Rome for a couple of hours or so, I had tired feet and my fill of Roman artifacts. (Though I did find it very interesting! Made me want to read some Lindsey Davis!) So... as we had arranged, I made my way back to the train station which is next to the Dom (the Cathedral--now that is an impressive structure!) which is next to the Roman museum, where I caught a taxi back to the hotel.

It is quite exciting and fun to be here, to see this incredible stuff! to be here... and yet I can't seem to help myself now from thinking "one week from now I will be going home". I think it's because I'm a visitor. I'm not here with my family, trying to set up a home, to set up routines. Because that is what I miss--my family, my routines. And ice! :)

Wednesday, July 6, 2005

It's raining this morning in Cologne. We can hear pigeons cooing. They live in this little courtyard behind the buildings. I see a row of little spikes along the windowsill. It must be to keep the pigeons off!

Posted in Lifestyle of Learning

Well, I am a real homeschooler now, at least in the eyes of the state. (Though I am still a one-quarter homeschooler.  See Homeschool "Fractions" http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JewelSea/130640/ .) Since my eldest was in the third grade we have been enrolled the district's "alternative learning experience" program (district support for homeschoolers). I know many "true" homeschoolers would have considered that government meddling, but it worked for us. I found resources, support, and other homeschoolers there. And I was still the teacher and all our learning was done at home. And we were allowed quite a bit of latitude in curriculum choice, etc.

All that has changed now, though. First the state began tightening up requirements (and drove out many Christian families) and then last spring the district axed the program altogether. It's so odd! At a time in our state when many other districts are expanding their alternative programs, ours cuts it completely! Anyway, we were left high and dry just as my younger daughter was to begin high school. She had been attending middle school part-time, but none of us were comfortable with enrolling her fulltime.

So that means she will be attending high school part-time (they have this strange rotating schedule, so that she will be going every other day) and the rest of the time she will be at-home, a real "honest-to-goodness" homeschooler, because this will be the first time I have ever had to submit our state's Intent to Homeschool declaration!  To be honest, I find it a bit exciting!

So now we are "honest" homeschoolers! At least half the time!!

Posted in Joy Quest

"Self-preoccupation, self-broodings, self-interest, self-love,--these are the reasons why you go jarring against your fellows. Turn your eyes off yourself; look up, and out! There are men, your brothers, and women, your sisters; they have needs that you can aid. Listen for their confidences; keep your heart wide open to their calls, and your hands alert for their service. Learn to give, and not to take; to drown your own hungry wants in the happiness of lending yourself to fulfil the interests of those nearest or dearest. Look up and out, from this narrow, cabined self of yours, and you will jar no longer; you will fret no more, you will provoke no more; but you will, to your own glad surprise, find the secret of 'the meekness and the gentleness of Jesus'; and the fruits of the Spirit will all bud and blossom from out of your life."

--Henry Scott Holland (b. 1847)

Put on therefore, a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye.

--Colossians 3:12-13

Posted in Joy Quest

"[Your cheerfulness] can only [spring up freely and healthily out of your heart] when [your heart] is truly at rest in God; when you are satisfied with His ways, and wishing no change in them."

--Priscilla Maurice (1810-1854)

Posted in Daily Life

Kids are so refreshing.

I recently colored my hair. I just didn't feel old enough for gray hair! And after watching my girls changing their hair color whenever the mood hit them, it seemed a doable thing. They went through a pink phase, a burgandy phase, a jet black phase...... So I took the plunge and went... brown.  Not a shocking color, no, but it seemed a dramatic difference to me, going from salt and pepper with a bad highlight job on top of it.

So did anyone say, "Your hair's a different color."? Did anyone ask, "Did you color your hair?" No. Were they embarrassed? Did they think I would be embarrassed, because I had gray hair and wanted to cover it up? Because it looked bad?

My girls would point it out. "My mom dyed her hair." "I noticed that. It looks good." So why didn't anyone SAY anything??????? Are we adults that stodgy? Was it supposed to be good manners?? I wanted to be able to say, Yes, I just don't feel old enough for gray hair. Or maybe, like my sister has said, A change is as good as a vacation! But, no. Sigh.

It was a 14yo girl who finally said to me, "Did you color your hair?" And I got to say, Yes! Thank goodness for the honesty of kids!

Check it out!

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TRINITYPREPSCHOOL/142499/

Thank you, Maureen!

Posted in Lifestyle of Learning

This really strikes a nerve! Amy tells me ( http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DandelionSeeds/82654/ ) that a clean home starts with clean hearts. It has become very apparent to me that some heartwork is in order in this home. Right! Okay, God, let's have it. How do I start cleaning up these kids' hearts? What? I need to start with MYSELF?!! Gulp. Okay, Lord. How do I begin?

I've known/felt for a very long time that I want to renew my relationship with my Lord. I'm not quite sure how to go about that except just to get down on my knees and start, to "P.U.S.H." (Pray Until Something Happens) as Amy says.