Blogroll Updates

There is a sure-to-be-enjoyable addition to the Lutheran blogosphere for those of us who are fans of the liturgical journal Gottesdienst. The Rev. Dr. Eckardt has titled his blog Gottesblog. I'm sure it will become a staple of my morning blog reading. (This has replaced my morning newspaper, and is lots more fun!)


In addition, Katie's Beer has moved.

I Can Move My Head!

This is the first day in two weeks that I can move my head without fairly excruciating pain. I can also work at my computer, although I can tell that spending too long would not be a great idea.

I have made three visits to Dr. Sell and it has really helped. The first two visits included ultrasound therapy on the muscles of my neck and shoulders. My improvement has been fairly dramatic, although since, to tell the truth, I have had moderate to severe neck and shoulder pain for years, I'm not expecting total relief any time soon, if ever.

I'm also back on a good routine with my vitamins and other supplements. When I take them they help tremendously. When I don't, they don't.

So maybe I'll actually manage to post some of the things I've been wanting to post.

Another Way to Waste the Minutes I Don't Have

There was a link in one of my emails today. I innocently clicked on it. I was trapped.

WARNING: If you love puzzles, words, a challenge--if you can't stand not being one of the top dogs and will get sucked into trying to get a high score--don't go to this site unless you have lots of free time.

Pain in the Neck

I hadn't intended to be absent from this space for even a day, but last Thursday morning I was reminded by what felt like a hot poker at the base of my neck that I have a bad disk. For the first couple of days I couldn't move my head much at all without shooting pain.

Add onto that a fall of the sort caused by not moving normally, and I've been pretty much out of commission for the past few days.

I started feeling better Sunday, but I discovered that typing was an irritant. Now I'm very behind on email, blogging, and my taxes, which I had intended to have done this weekend.

I hope to be back later today with a couple of interesting things that I came across this weekend.

Mutilated Hymns

Anthony Esolen has written an article for Touchstone magazine this month on the mutilation of hymns for the purpose of removing reference to the masculine.

We, at our house are not fans of the modernization of hymns, whether it is to remove "archaic language" or for more politically correct reasons. My 10 and 12 year old sons, who are, I admit, unusual, will spend hours poring over copies of The Lutheran Hymnal and Lutheran Worship analyzing word changes and discussing whether there was any validity or if they were just stupid. Very seldom is there a good (better doctrine) reason for a change. The changes often ruin the poetry, as some of the changes Mr. Esolen discusses did, and for those of us who were blessed to have memorized lots of hymns it is jarring to have the words changed.

One thing that I've noticed at Redeemer is that there is frequently a person or two who just goes ahead and sings the old words. Sometimes I join them.

Bethany spilled the beans

My wonderful 19 yo size 2 daughter has announced to the world on her blog that we are bellydancing. I figured since the word is out I might as well blog about it.

I decided that since I have been enjoying ballroom dancing so much, and I can't ever seem to stick to an exercise routine, maybe another kid of dancing would be good. My mom was taking bellydancing while she was at her condo in Florida, and she recommended a DVD. We got a couple of them by Neena & Veena. I really like them. The directions are simple to follow--even if the moves aren't--and it's definitely a workout.

I don't plan on ever using these moves outside the walls of my house, but it is fun!

Technorati tags:

bellydancing
fitness

Blogroll Finally Updated

I think I finally have the Lutheran Blogs portion of my blogroll caught up!

All of the blogs from Random Thoughts of a Confessional Lutheran on down are freshly entered.

I also have a few new additions. Not Worthy, written by a fellow member of Redeemer, which I can't believe I missed before, looks good, as does Line Drive Down the Right Side, which I found thanks to the Aardvark. He does an amazing job keeping up with changes and additions to the Lutheran blog world!

I also added my friend Lori, from Utah, to the miscellaneous blog roll.

Enjoy!

Feminists don't like some of our choices

In The American Prospect, Linda Hirshman takes issue with the choice of women to opt out of the workforce and stay at home to take care of their homes and families. (She, by the way, is on Bernard Goldberg's list of "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America.")

In her opinion women shouldn't make this choice and that women still consider it a valid choice means that feminism wasn't radical enough. She doesn't believe they are really choosing.

She says:

They don'’t know that feminism, in collusion with traditional society, just passed the gendered family on to them to choose.

--and--

Here'’s the feminist moral analysis that choice avoided: The family -- with its repetitious, socially invisible, physical tasks -- is a necessary part of life, but it allows fewer opportunities for full human flourishing than public spheres like the market or the government. This less-flourishing sphere is not the natural or moral responsibility only of women. Therefore, assigning it to women is unjust. Women assigning it to themselves is equally unjust. To paraphrase, as Mark Twain said, " man who chooses not to read is just as ignorant as a man who cannot read."”

She goes to say later that women who stay home are in some way cheating society. I would argue that women who are raising morally healthy, educated, civilized human beings are making a tremendous contribution to society. Although there are sometimes repetitive physical tasks that need to be done, they are not the totality or the essence of family life, nor are they usually borne only by women.

Hirshman suggests a series of "rules" for women, including "marrying down" and having only one child if you have any. I would guess that as a college honors graduate and the product of a two-career marriage, I am probably the sort of woman Ms. Hirshman can't stand. I think I've broken all of her rules.

I married a smart, ambitious man with the full knowledge that he would have a successful career in his chosen profession, and I'm sure she would be horrified that I waited tables to pay for him to get his masters degree, giving him even more of an edge in the game of money and power that seems to be her measure of worth. My degree was in the distinctly impractical field of history, with minors in the equally unmarketable English and political science. I have four kids and have opted to be a stay-at-home mom with a home business, something that I'm sure horrifies Ms. Hirshman.

I'm glad to know that enough women are choosing to stay home with their children to agitate the likes of Ms. Hirshman. And I'm really glad I'm one of them.

HT: Cranach

Technorati tags:
family
feminism

Another reason I love my kids....

Bethany's post on March 9 illustrates perfectly some of the things I love to see happening with my kids. They like each other most of the time. And most of the time they even like me.

Our neighbors think we're the weirdest family they know.

Homeschool Guru?

I got an email today that made me chuckle.

I am speaking at a homeschool conference this weekend on homeschooling through high school. A lady who is on an email list that I help manage emailed me and said that she's looking forward to meeting a "homeschooling guru" like me.

If she could see my kids and my house right now she would probably give a a title other than guru!

Technorati tags:


homeschool
speaking

Wow! Twenty Years!

Today it is twenty years since Colin and I were married at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Pendleton, Indiana. Eight towns, four kids, three degrees, and14 houses or apartments later, I would do it all over again.
In celebration I've added some new pictures to my flickr photostream. If you watch you'll catch a wedding picture, a prom picture, Colin running high school cross country, and some older family shots including a very small Bethany grabbing the legs of a tall skinny Colin.

Oscars!

Yes, we watched the Oscars. Bethany and I are just too addicted to pop culture--not to mention fashion--to miss them. I've been crazy-busy today and haven't read any reviews of them, so this is my take without any media input.

There seemed to be something missing. The show lacked a certain je ne sais quois. I think that part of it was the less-than-thrilling movies that were being recognized. There was also quite a bit of star power missing, and many who were there were ignored for the endless camera shots of Heath Ledger and George Clooney.

We enjoyed John Stewart's hosting job, but were fairly certain Hollywood would not appreciate him.He skewered them pretty good a few times.

We were pleased that Crash won best picture and that Reese Witherspoon--in her lovely dess--won best actress. We agreed that the guy who played Capote deserved his Oscar. We were glad that King Kong got at least some recognition. But as usual, we can only take Hollywood in small doses before the stars start to annoy us.

In a year like this when we don't really care about the awards, the dresses are why we watch and we definitely had some favorites. Reese was lovely. We loved Keira Knightley's aubergine dress. Jessica Alba had a beautiful dress. Michelle Williams dress was gorgeous, except for the color. And George Clooney was definitely the winner among the men. The biggest yuck of the night was Naomi Watts dress that looked as if it had been put through a shredder.



Technorati tags:
Oscars
movies
fashion

I am Kermit

I was tagged by Lora, so I took this quiz to find out what Muppet I am.
It's not easy being green.


You are Kermit the Frog.
You are reliable, responsible and caring. And you

have a habit of waving your arms about

maniacally.

FAVORITE EXPRESSIONS:
"Hi ho!" "Yaaay!" and

"Sheesh!"
FAVORITE MOVIE:
"How Green Was My Mother"

LAST BOOK READ:
"Surfin' the Webfoot: A Frog's Guide to the

Internet"

HOBBIES:
Sitting in the swamp playing banjo.

QUOTE:
"Hmm, my banjo is wet."


What Muppet are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I tag anyone under 21 who reads this blog. : )

Reality TV

The (un)reality tv shows are back in full force. The Apprentice, unfortunately, debuted opposite 24, so I had to make a choice and picked Jack Bauer over The Donald. The Amazing Race was off to South America this week. (I love that show!) I'm with Mutti, though, about why I could never be an amazing racer. Project Runway, on Bravo, is winding up and we're afraid Santino may beat out Daniel & Chloe, because his final collection just looks superior, but anything can happen. Survivor, of course is moving along, but since it's opposite the American Idol results show, it too has been relegated to the back burner. (And once we stop watching for a couple of weeks the interest dies quickly.)

Of course, if it weren't for the DVR I wouldn't be able to watch any of them, because I'm never home in the evenings. But with the DVR I can watch them in the vast TV wasteland that is Sunday night.

Technorati tags:

[tagname]
American Idol
Survivor
The Apprntice
television
Project Runway

Yes, I'm Still Alive

Yes, I haven't posted in over a week.
Yes, I am still here.
Yes, I will be posting regularly from now on.

I got knocked off track planning for and attending a scrapbooking day last Saturday. Those of us who attended had a lot of fun, and I completed 12 pages in the six hours i was actually scrapping. Not bad.

I think I managed to get my mom hooked, too.