Promise you won't laugh

I didn't make it to Curves today. Or yesterday.

I didn't skip it out of laziness or busyness, although I am very busy and fairly lazy.
I skipped my workout the last two days because I injured myself badly enough that I'm having trouble walking, let alone working out.

You say you want to know how I hurt myself? After I wrote in my blog Wednesday night I went outside with my kids. It was a fabulous night, with really cool clouds that were turning into dragons, griffins, turtles, and other shapes. Then as it got darker we decided to celebrate the most daylight of the year by running around our yard like lunatics. Bethany made a crown of leaves for her head. Colin even joined us. We were having a great time.

Sometimes when the weather is warm and I'm having fun, I get an overwhelming urge to do a cartwheel. The first one that I did wasn't great. I didn't put enough oomph into it. So I needed to try again. The second one was beautiful. My kids said it looked great. I could feel the extension, especially in my hip as there was this tremendous popping and this jolt of pain through my body. I managed to land it perfectly and then proceeded to hop aound for a few minutes before I sat down on the ground in tears.

I wasn't crying because it hurt. (Even though it did. Really bad.) I was crying because I knew that I had just done my last carwheel. I was crying because I'm 41 and I can't go on rollercoasters anymore because of my neck. I was crying because the only good parts of my day Wednesday were dancing with my husband and running around with my kids and I was afraid I'd just really messed it up.

So I didn't go to Curves. My hip/leg/whatever is feeling enough better that I think it's going to be okay, although I'm still sitting on a pillow and walking very carefully.

Getting older sucks. But it's better than the alternative.
(By the way, you can laugh. I did.)


life
aging
clouds

Whatever happened to nice?

Heck, what happened to polite or civil?

I have dealt with more incivility in the last week than I can remember in a long time.
Starting last Thursday when I didn't rant, I seem to be running into a string of disgruntled, unhappy, or just plain rude people. Here, here, and here. I have had no-shows for appointments. I have a telemarketer who repeatedly calls and hangs up. For the second time I have had a solicitor for a political party argue with me about why I don't want to donate. (That makes me want to help!)

A couple of days ago I started questioning whether it was something about the way I was engaging the world, so I decided to make a point of being friendly, nice, cheerful, polite.... I dunno, maybe it's the weather, but that almost seemed to make it worse. (Besides, my oldest son says people tromp on me because I'm TOO nice.)

Today I was holding a door for a woman with a stroller and a preschool-age child. A middle-aged woman went barging through, against traffic, nearly knocking over the little kid. Today I had a woman at Starbucks get mad at me because my drink was done before hers and she ordered first. (Sorry!) And, most pleasant of all, as I was pulled over waiting for a police car and ambulance to pass, some guy laid on his horn and then went whipping around me, almost hitting the car in front of me as it pulled back into traffic.

There were also the positives--thank goodness--to offset these. I got a sweet smile from the little kid. I got the usual friendly smiles and helpfulness from the folks at my bank, the grocery store, and my favorite clothing store. So I'm going to keep on smiling, holding doors, pulling over when there are emergency vehicles, letting people out of a parking lot instead of stopping at a light in front of them, etc., etc., etc. Maybe some of these rude, unhappy people will get a clue.

manners
society
rudeness

The big weigh and measure

I'm getting all excited because Friday when I go to Curves to work out I will be weighed and measured for the first time since I joined last month. I don't know that I've lost any weight, but I know that I'm already seeing strength and flexibility improvements and I'm betting that I've lost some inches.

I'll report back on Friday!


weight loss
Curves

No, I'm not a Purdue fan

I had an email from a very observant friend asking if I had suddenly become a Purdue fan because I am wearing a Purdue shirt in my profile picture.

The truth is, I didn't even realize I was wearing a Purdue shirt in the picture until someone else pointed it out. I'm not sure why my mother would have done such a cruel thing to me at such a tender age, but there's the photographic evidence.

For the record, I am not now, nor have I ever been, a Purdue fan.
(I am however a big fan of one particular Purdue engineering grad.)


Purdue

.Another family party

My mom and step-dad throw a big family birthday party for each of the kids when they turn 13.
Even though Jonathan was thirteen in April, we couldn't get everyone together until yesterday. It worked out well, because we were able to celebrate Fathers Day, too.
We had a shelter House at Mounds State Park and had a great picnic. The heavy rain held off until evening and the temperature was pretty pleasant.
Some of the dads & kids went on a fairly long hike, while the rest of us sat around and talked. (I would have hiked, but I wore the wrong shoes.)
I'm still having trouble believing that my former chubby-cheeked little sweetheart is a teenager, looking to pass me up in height any day.

The happy hiker

My hubby has the hiking bug. A couple of months ago he went on a four day hiking/camping trip to the UP with our oldest son and a friend from church. Now he's dying to do it again. So much so that my very frugal honey used all of his birthday money plus some for a new backpack, tent, and other paraphernalia. Here he is with his new toys.

By the way, I can tell you one person who won't be sleeping in the tent. Hampton Inn is about as rough as I go!

The hair is back

If you are one of the people (females) who mourned the loss of Patrick's hair back in January, check out the picture on Bethany's blog.

Two fundamental laws

I love Richard Maybury's Uncle Eric books. Even after earning a degree in history with a political science minor and two semesters of economics, this little set of books really clarified some things for me. They helped me develop a framework for looking at economic and political issues that is consistent with America's founders. I have worked through them with my two oldest kids (15 & 19) and they are often helpful in seeing the weaknesses in laws, court decisions, or economic or political moves.

One of my favorite parts of his writing--and one of the foundational ideas--is the value of common law. He sums up the common law in two statements: "(1) Do all you have agreed to do and (2) do not encroach on other persons or their property." Contract law is encompassed in #1 and criminal law in #2.

My son and I had quite a spirited conversation last night about these statements and the implications for society if the were followed. (This came up because I had encounters with people violating both of these yesterday, leading to my deleted rant.)

If you've never read these books, I highly suggest them. The Thousand Year War in the Mideast is very timely.

books
economics
politics

Just couldn't do it

I wrote a long, ranting post tonight, but just couldn't send it.

Ranting and whining aren't me. Instead I just need to work on fixing the problem. Writing the post wasn't a complete waste of time, however. It let me get the anger out of my system.

So now I'm off to bed, hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Blogging Chicks

I discovered the Blogging Chicks on a visit to my friend Jen's site. I found some amusing blogs among them and kept reading. I've decided that since I'm a "chick" and I blog, I'm a natural to join them. I've just added the blogroll to my sidebar.

As with almost any blogroll, I'm sure not to agree with everyone on every blog, so don't take my membership as endorsement of everything they all say. (Which wouldn't even be possible since this is a diverse bunch of women!)

blogs

Party time!

We had quite a good time Sunday afternoon.

Sunday was my dear hubby's 40th birthday. I wanted to surprise him but wasn't sure how to go about it. My good buddy Jacqui suggested that we use the occasion of our church council picnic to camouflage party preparations, and it worked beautifully.

It was probably kind of unusual having him pick up the catering for his own party, but it allowed most of the guests to arrive before him. We had a mixture of our church council--which fortunately includeds most of our local friends--and our family.

I hope to have some pictures to post in the next day or two. My photographer/ daughter didn't get many. Anyway, here's one of Andrew and a cousin:

Back to the blog

I have been away from the blogosphere for the past few days, both the writing and the reading. There are three things that I've been doing instead during my potential blog-visiting time:

• The weather has been wonderful and I've done a lot of yard work. (I now have a tan!)
  

• My daughter is home after a month's absence.

• I've been reading lots of books.
  

Usually I have a fiction book going plus a non-fiction book or two that I read a little at a time, but I have had a sudden influx of books that I had on hold at the library--I hate it when they all come at once--plus several recommended reads.

As I mentioned before I read The Marketing of Evil. I have friends and relatives who I wish would read this book, but I know they won't. Deaconess Emily Carder posted a review at Luther Library that made me go get Women Who Make the World Worse. I'm reading this a little at a time, and really enjoying it. Again, I would love for many of my friends and relatives to read this book and to really take a good look at the underpinnings of feminism and what it has done and is still trying to do to society.

I'm also reading Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher. It's an interesting read. I find myself torn as I read his book because I value many of the same things that he does. I prefer to buy locally when possible and eat organic food & free-range meats. I'm a conservationist and a homeschooler. I despise Wal-Mart. I'm serious about my faith.

But I also find many flaws in his ideas from an economic point of view. He's something of a utopian thinker. Utopians are good on theory but weak on implementation and practicality. He has a much more negative view of business and the free market than I do and is in favor of more government where it supports the things he likes. I'm pretty much always in favor of less government.

It's an interesting book.

I'm also reading Refuse to Choose which is a book for people like me. We'll see if it helps. :)

Between all of these, the fiction books that all came piling in at once, and my must-read magazines (Touchstone, National Review, and Simple Scrapbooks) that all showed up within a day or two of each other, blogs have been slighted.

But I'm sure that before long I'll be back to my old blog habits.


books
feminism
blogging
crunchy cons

I love columbine. I love my yard in the summer.

And now that Bethany is home--bringing her digital camera with her--I can take and post fresh pictures on my blog.

Bethany's on her way home!

I could hardly sleep last night because I'm so excited. Bethany's coming home tonight!
She has had a fabulous trip and I'm really glad she got to go, but we're all ready for her to be home again.

By grace! On this I'll rest...

Until about 15 minutes ago I had completely forgotten that my father died two years ago today. Two years ago several months of my life had been consumed in helping my father through his last painful months. Last year we were still getting mail from hospice and we were tying up the estate. This year life seems the same as it has been since I was 17; my dad is not around. So I forgot.

It makes me feel like a pretty cruddy daughter, even though I know I wasn't.

So for today, the hymn I chose for his funeral:

By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless;
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise?
Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?
No; then this word must true remain;
By grace you too will life obtain.

By grace God’s Son, our only Savior,
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
That Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
That brought him from his heavenly throne.

By grace! This ground of faith is certain;
As long as God is true, it stands.
What saints have penned by inspiration,
What in his word our God commands,
Our faith in what our God has done
Depends on grace - grace through his Son.

By grace to timid hearts that tremble,
In tribulation’s furnace tried,
By grace, in spite of fear and trouble,
The Father’s heart is open wide.
Where could I help and strength secure
If grace were not my anchor sure?

By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;
In Jesus’ promise I rejoice;
For though I know my heart’s condition,
I also know my Savior’s voice.
My heart is glad, all grief has flown
Since I am saved by grace alone.

Hymn # 351 from Lutheran Worship
Author: Korneluis Heinrich Dretzel
Tune: O Dass Ich Tausend Zungen Hatte
1^st Published in: 1742

Reading Books

I have almost finished The Marketing of Evil, which I started this morning. (I used a sore throat and headache as an excuse to be the bookworm I would prefer to always be.) As I read it I realized that most of what I was reading wasn't news to me. I'd read some of it in bits and pieces other places before, and some of it I knew because I have seen the changes that he is talking about in my own lifetime. But reading the whole book and seeing the scope of change in our society documented in one place is somewhat overwhelming.

I think that now I'm going to retreat from the realities of 21st century life and go to bed with ...And Ladies of the Club, a book that I have reread every summer since I was 20. I think that it's just what I need tonight.

books
The Marketing of Evil
society

I'm just a puddle of sweat...

The boys and I have spent the morning working in the yard and things are starting to look pretty good. My daisies are so sweet and have spread quite a bit. The peony bushes are gorgeous and I just bought three more to put in on the other side of the yard where we are clearing grass for another bed. I decided that we all needed to come in for a break from the heat.

We've been drinking lots of smoothies. The one that I made for lunch today was awesome:blueberries, strawberries, peaches, yogurt, skim milk, vanilla protein shake powder, ground flax seeds, ground blanched almonds, and cinnamon.

So now that I've cooled off and sipped my smoothy, I'm heading back out to plant some petunias (my only annuals) and do battle with some weeds.

Added to the blogroll

I've made several additions to my blogroll lately. Just today I made the exciting discovery that another friend has entered the blogosphere: Pistol Packin' Presbytera.
I have also recently added several others. In no certain order they are Living Like a Lutheran, Homestead Lutheran Academy, and Little Mouse on the Prairie.

Yes, I have yet another blog...

Although this will have absolutely no interest for most of you, I had to post that I have started a genealogy blog. Until I figure out some details it is going to be pretty basic, but I wanted to try out Word Press, so that's where I'm doing this blog. I've reserved the same name on blogger in case I don't like it. :)

Blog envy

I have a confession to make, right here in the blogosphere, in front of everybody:
I'm suffering from blog envy. Or perhaps, really, it's more than that. I'm suffering from lifestyle envy. Or, perhaps, it's both.

Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade my husband and children for anything. I like being me. But I am so tired of living in a typical suburban house on a typical suburban lot with oh-so-typical suburban neighbors. I'm tired of driving to the grocery store and buying lettuce in a bag and grainy orange tomatoes and having to pay a tremendous premium for my chicken that is free-range and hormone-free.

I'm tired of spending so much time and energy worrying about the grass being weed-free and the lawn edged. I'm tired of having to get in my car all of the time to go anywhere.

I read the blogs (starting here) of those with homes in the country and chickens, goats, cows and a pantry full of home-grown, home-canned good things and I long to have that. I wish that I could sew and knit and do all those homey domestic things.

Maybe this is just one of my frequent "bugs" that I get. Maybe I'll wake up next week and be glad I don't have to touch the dirt with my freshly-manicured nails. But today I really want a small farm.


blogging
life

Those sheltered homeschool kids...

I did something rude at Starbucks this morning. I was overhearing the (loud) conversation of two women waiting for their lattes and heard the word "homeschooling " so of course my radar went up. I'm always looking for new friends.

As I listened, the blonde was telling--with great horror--about a neighbor's decision to pull her children out of school. ("And--like-- it's just such a good school, too!") The listener was making all sorts of "uh-huh" and "you're right" kinds of noises. As she stepped forward, away from her friend to grab her drink, the blonde exclaimed very loudly, "And I just--like--worry about them. I just don't know how she thinks they'll ever--like--survive in the world. They just won't know how to do anything on their own!"

That's when it happened. I was trying to hold back my laughter and I snorted. Loudly.
They both looked at me and I smiled at them and said, "I couldn't help but hear your [very loud] conversation. I homeschool my kids and it's always interesting [entertaining] to hear other [clueless] people talk about it."

The blonde said, "Don't you worry that they'll be--like--backward? They won't know anything about the real world." They called her friend's drink and they went walking off before I could say anything, but all I could think about was my homeschooled-through-high school daughter who is currently 14 time zones away, traveling alone, on a trip that she partially paid for with money that she earned, and that we could help out with because she has a scholarship that covers her college tuition.

I thought about my 15 year old son who could fly to Florida and hang out with his grandparents and the other snow birds and be an engaging enough companion that people there want to see him again, and who is very handy at all kinds of indoor and outdoor work.

I thought about my two youngest sons, who, as squirrely as they can be sometimes, know how to dress for and behave at a performance of the Bach Collegium or the Philharmonic. Who know that you should look people in the eye and address them directly when you meet them and that you should hold the door for ladies and people with their hands full. And, like their older brother and sister, they are learning to be useful where they can at home and at church.

Ya know, I think they can handle the real world just fine. I just wish the blonde was--like- reading my blog.



homeschooling
blogging

Putting my homeschool mom hat on

I added and updated some content on my website today. I've realized that I've been neglecting it since I started blogging. I did a little more writing on my homeschool page, driven there by a question that I got from a potential homeschooler asking about socialization.

So, if you're interested go check it out.

homeschooling

Bush Lied and other urban legends

One thing that has frustrated me greatly over the last couple of years is the repetition of the "Bush lied" mantra of the left. It reminds me of the demonstrably false playground taunting of a boy in my grade school class, "Chris is a girl! Chris is a girl!" Except in the case of Chris, no one really believed it, no matter how many times it was repeated. Unfortunately, the continual repetition of "Bush lied, " often by those who undeniably know that they speak falsely, has managed to convince not only the far-left loonies, but also many other otherwise reasonable people.

Much of the media has been complicit in this continued rewriting of history, that's why it's always refreshing to see an article like this one in the Wall Street Journal.

I'm not a supporter of many of the things that President Bush has done. I'm far too Libertarian and far too conservative to be pleased by many of his actions. In an ideal world I would prefer an isolationist foreign policy, but being realistic, I know that we are not likely to ever go there. But whether I agree with all of his actions or not, I really makes me angry when I hear the likes of Ted Kennedy calling Bush a liar for stating things that Kennedy himself believed to be true at the time.

It does our society no good to have lies perpetuated by either side. Much of what passes for political speech today sounds far too much like school-yard taunting, and revisionist history puts us in danger now and in the future.

Technorati tags:
Bush
politics

I love redbuds

Your horoscope for today

I feel very confident that these mad-lib style bits of advice are every bit as good as the "real" thing.

Today's Horoscopes

Aries — Ram (March 21-April 19)
Someone you know may be feeling verbose. Stay out of the way!

Taurus — Bull (April 20-May 20)
Don't buy in public. It could prove embarrassing.

Gemini — Twins (May 21-June 20)
Control the urge to clean. find instead.

Cancer — Crab (June 21-July 22)
climbing too many stars will leave you exhausted!

Leo — Lion (July 23-August 22)
A loved one thinks you are crunchy. Do not be taken in by flattery.

Virgo — Virgin (August 23-September 22)
sing in private when possible. It's difficult to concentrate when people are watching.

Libra— Scales (September 23-October 22)
Avoid mending hats.

Scorpio — Scorpion (October 23-November 21)
Never loan money to tall cats! They are poor credit risks.

Sagittarius — Archer (November 22-December 21)
Today is a good day to hug a skillet.

Capricorn — Goat (December 22-January 19)
You may receive some cars from a secret admirer! Water them every day, and they will last a long time.

Aquarius — Water Bearer (January 20-February 18)
Unless you organize your flowers better, you won't get anything done.

Pisces — Fish (February 19-March 20)
A good friend will give you $111 to buy new shoes. Be sure to thank your friend.

To do your own mad lib-type story go here.

HT: crouching mommy, hidden laundry

This won't mean anything if you aren't a fan...

The Seafood Unwrap is back!

Tonight after our dance lesson--45 minutes of tango and West Coast Swing--my husband and I went to our favorite Friday night spot, Mad Anthony Brewing Co. I had a wonderful, smooth, tasty maibock and Colin had his favorite Irish Stout.

The big excitement of the night for me was the new menu, which brought back a couple of old favorites, notably the seafood unwraps, which we have been sure to ask about each and every time that we've eaten there since they got rid of them. So guess what I had for dinner tonight. : )


beer
Fort Wayne
ballroom dance

Rotten Tomatoes for the DaVinci Code

I really hadn't planned to say anything about the DaVinci Code movie. There's enough hype about it, but I can't help but be a wee bit pleased that it is, apparently, not a very good movie. Most of the reviews have been lackluster and Rotten Tomatoes is rating it as pretty rotten.

I read the book for my book discussion group over two years ago and found it to be mildly entertaining as fiction, but badly written and very draggy. I've always loved a good conspiracy theory, but a good conspiracy theory can't just ignore facts that don't go along with it. The DaVinci Code ignores many facts, as more well informed people than I have demonstrated. When I challenged the factual nature of this book in a conversation with an online friend, she opined that due--of course--to my Christian brainwashing I couldn't be expected to understand the "deeper truths" of the novel. An atheist's analysis of the "facts" in the DaVinci code may convince her.

Suffice to say, I won't be seeing the DaVinci Code this weekend. I may see it later when my Netflix queue is getting empty. We will, however, be heading to the movies with the kidsthis weekend to see Over the Hedge, which is getting decent reviews and looks very funny.

HT: Get Religion, The Burr in the Burgh

DaVinci Code

Pictures from Sydney

Bethany has put up some pictures from her trip to Sydney on a Flickr photostream.

Environmentalism isn't just for libs

I suppose I'm an environmentalist, although I prefer the term conservationist. I recycle. I freecycle. I look for products with less packaging. I don't put my two avacados or one lemon in a little plastic bag at the grocery. I represent a company that produces environmentally friendly products and I use them myself. I belong to a natural food co-op. I pay extra for my license plate to support the IDNR. I groan with my daughter when I see yet another patch of trees completely obliterated for another strip mall.

But I'm not the kind of political environmentalist that thinks you should be forced to be like me.
I'm not in favor of government telling some guy that he has to leave the trees on his privately owned land. I'm not going to try to pass laws to make you re- or free- cycle. I'm not even going to try to force you to use cleaning products that don't have nasty things in them, even though the ones I use are better, safer, and less expensive.

I'm also not tree worshipper, although there is one particular big sycamore that I've been known to hug.

I've always seen conservationism as an issue of stewardship.This view is wonderfully articulated in a great post about Christian environmentalism at The Burr in the Burgh. I would like to quote from it, but I won't because I want you to read the whole thing. He also refers to an article from this month's World Magazine by Gene Edward Veith.

Good stuff!


conservation
environment
freecycle

I thought April showers were supposed to bring May flowers.

This is a picture of my two youngest enjoying the April flowers at Foster Park. We have now enjoyed five straight days of May showers, so I decided that I needed a reminder that the sun will shine again.

How old must they be?

I have been reading much lately on various blogs about the age at which children should be allowed to join the rest of the Church in the Lord's Supper. Why do we wait until age 14? Is this Biblical? Or is it just American pietism once more informing our practice? Should we be witholding this Sacrament, with all that it offers, from our children?

Go read Pastor Petersen at Cyberstones.

Each successive child in our family has been confirmed a little younger. If I had any more they'd be younger still. My 10 year old niece is very jealous that her cousin who is a month older than her is confirmed and she won't be for four more years. I overheard a conversation between them where she explained that she knows just as much as him, and she wishes she could be confirmed. So do I.

No more Idol for me

The American Idol season has come to an end at our house.

I cannot bear to watch Elliot and Katherine for one more week now that Chris is gone.
Maybe if Bethany were here to share the agony, I could handle it, but she is on the other side of the world.

Katherine is pretty and talented, but not at all my cup of tea. I actually am not crazy about female voices, for the most part. Elliot has a nice voice, but watching him is like nails on a blackboard. I don't know why, but he just bugs me.

And, as I've said before, I could take watching Taylor in a bar while I shared Lutheran beverages with some friends.

This is a good thing really, I need to be working as much as possible. Now I have one less distraction.

Brahms would be pleased

The Bach Collegium's final performance of the 2005-2006 season was absolutely wonderful. They performed Johannes Brahms' German Requiem (in English). The Collegium, under the excellent direction of Dr. Daniel Reuning, surpassed anything that I have heard from them before, and offered what is now my favorite performance of the Requiem. I only wish I could have a recording. The text of the Requiem is beautiful, but the thing that really made this performance stand out was the use of period instruments and the smaller size of the group. It was goose bump inducing!

If you are in the area and haven't been to a performance, next year's schedule will be on the website shortly. You really need to hear them. There is nothing like live music well-performed.

To the Other Side of the World

The last couple of days have been full of preparations and shopping because Bethany is leaving Tuesday for Australia for almost a month. Intellectually, I understand that she is going to be gone for 26 days, but I keep wondering at what moment it will hit me that my baby is gone to the other side of the world and won't be back for weeks.

I'm not worried. She has traveled overseas before. She has flown alone to Florida. She is a bit nervous about changing airlines at LAX, but heck, I'd be nervous about that! She will be staying with family. Colin's younger brother and his wife live in Sydney and they have all kinds of fun planned for her.

I suppose it's good practice for me. Her junior year she's planning to study for a semester in Germany. (I plan to visit, of course!) And I guess someday she'll get married and leave home, but I'm hoping she won't go too far away.

Election Day Woes

Primaries were held yesterday in Indiana, and I have served for a few years as an inspector for a precinct. This means that I am in charge of making sure the supplies get there, the machines are properly set up, everyone who is supposed to vote gets to, and that everything is properly finished up. Then I get to take the documentation of the votes cast downtown.

I really enjoy the opportunity to do this, although it can be stressful at the time. It is very satisfying to help people exercise their right to vote.

Yesterday had the usual frustration plus a few additions.
First, there was the fact that we had new machines. From my perspective they were great: easier to take down and set up and simple to close out. And for most voters they were not especially difficult to use, and in time will probably be considered downright easy. However, my three precincts were voting at a senior citizens community and many of the older people had extreme difficulties with the new machines.
Second set of frustrations: We had people handing out candidate info within a few feet of the polling place. Voters were complaing. When I asked them to please move to the required 50' distance one man got very belligerent and said that I was on a power trip. I told him that I was going to go inside and make a phone call to make sure that I understood the law properly. I did.
I went back out to ask them again to move. More verbal abuse from this man and from some teens who were handing out info for a schoolboard candidate. Then he went stomping off threatening to "report me."
So I called the election board again and reported the whole incident. We didn't know who he was campaigning for and he didn't come back. I knew that I was right, so I thought it was over. About three hours later I received a call from a member of the election board. A man claining to be a police officer said that he was handing out literature 85 feet away from the polling place and that we went out and told him to leave. Yeah right. I went out in the rain to harrass some guy doing what he had every legal right to do.

Third set of frustrations (this is always the case): People. They want to be able to vote where they want to vote. Precincts shouldn't change. Sites shouldn't change. They should be able to move and vote in the new precinct even if they didn't change their registration. I was very sympathetic, helped people figure out where they needed to be, called voter registration to find out why they weren't in the book, etc., but I was frustrated by the mentality that *someone else* was responsible for making sure that they knew where to go and were properly registered.

One exception to my frustration with people: The precinct where I worked last election was a fairly low-income area. There are lots of elderly people who can't drive and many other residents without cars. The polling place yesterday was outside that precinct by a fair distance, especially for a walk in the rain. The few people from that precinct who were able to figure out where to go and made it there made sure we knew that they were NOT pleased with the new location. Several of them said that they felt like someone was purposefully making it hard for them to vote. I told them that I was sure that that wasn't the case, but I could understand their frustration.

Overall, though, working at the polls is a good experience. The Allen County Election Board does a good job of instructing us thoroughly. There were procedural improvements that made things go more quickly, and the people downtown were very efficient. We were out of there in less than five minutes. And--in spite of all the pre-election angst--not one person at our three precincts questioned the need for an ID. Several even commented that they were glad. And I had people who remembered me this year who had voted in the last election at that precinct. One man even thanked me for coming back.

Promising Youth

There is an excellent article in this month's Touchstone Magazine that our pastor made sure I noticed. Fortunately it's online, so you can read it, too. (Go read it!) He drew my attention to it because the girl in the article--called Promise by the author--reminded him of some girls we know.

I'm pleased to say that my daughter is one of these girls. As I read the article I was amazed by the parallels between the girl in the story and our Bethany. We didn't start out intentionally raising her to be a "Promise." In fact, little about our parenting was intentional early on! But because I had been blessed by attending a Lutheran school for part of my childhood, we sent her to a Lutheran School. Then when that wasn't working out well we began homeschooling "temporarily" out of desperation and I became a stay-at-home mom. In time she became part of an amazing network of friends that she met via a Lutheran homeschool email list that I'm on and through Higher Things. Through these same connections we know lots of teens who give us reason to be hopeful.

We're trying to raise our sons to be the male counterpart of girls like Promise. Our 15 year old is well on his way. Ten & 13 are works in progress. :)

1983 in Music

TK has posted about the Year of Your Birth/Current Hit week on American Idol next week.
In a replay of a former post she lists the top 100 songs of 1978, her high school graduation year. I actually like many of the songs from '78 better than those from 1983, my year, but it was interesting that I can sing a large portion of the songs that were popular from 1978-1982. Many of my favorites: Queen, Boston, Rush, Kansas, ELO, & the Eagles weren't much in favor in 1983. Styx & Journey had hit albums, but I liked previous songs better. I was never a fan of the Culture Club/Eurythmics/Human League kind of music. I'm actually more into the current music than I was the music of the mid-'80's.

SO here are the top hits of 1983 with my faves in bold:

1. Every Breath You Take, Police
2. Billie Jean, Michael Jackson
3. Flashdance... What A Feelin, Irene Cara
4. Down Under, Men At Work
5. Beat It, Michael Jackson
6. Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Bonnie Tyler
7. Maneater, Daryl Hall and John Oates
8. Baby Come To Me, Patti Austin and James Ingram
9. Maniac, Michael Sembello
10. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), Eurythmics
11. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me, Culture Club
12. You And I, Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gayle
13. Come On Eileen, Dexy's Midnight Runners
14. Shame On The Moon, Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
15. She Works Hard For The Money, Donna Summer
16. Never Gonna Let You Go, Sergio Mendes
17. Hungry Like The Wolf, Duran Duran
18. Let's Dance, David Bowie
19. Twilight Zone, Golden Earring
20. I Know There's Something Going On, Frida
21. Jeopardy, Greg Kihn Band
22. Electric Avenue, Eddy Grant
23. She Blinded Me With Science, Thomas Dolby
24. Africa, Toto
25. Little Red Corvette, Prince
26. Back On The Chain Gang, Pretenders
27. Up Where We Belong, Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
28. Mr. Roboto, Styx
29. You Are, Lionel Richie
30. Der Kommissar, After The Fire
31. Puttin' On The Ritz, Taco
32. Sexual Healing, Marvin Gaye
33. (Keep Feeling) Fascination, Human League
34. Time (Clock Of The Heart), Culture Club
35. The Safety Dance, Men Without Hats
36. Mickey, Toni Basil
37. You Can't Hurry Love, Phil Collins
38. Separate Ways, Journey
39. One On One, Daryl Hall and John Oates
40. We've Got Tonight, Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton
41. 1999, Prince
42. Stray Cat Strut, Stray Cats
43. Allentown, Billy Joel
44. Stand Back, Stevie Nicks
45. Tell Her About It, Billy Joel
46. Always Somethmg There To Remind Me, Naked Eyes
47. Truly, Lionel Richie
48. Dirty Laundry, Don Henley
49. The Girl Is Mine, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney
50. Too Shy, Kajagoogoo
51. Goody Two Shoes, Adam Ant
52. Rock The Casbah, Clash
53. Our House, Madness
54. Overkill, Men At Work
55. Is There Something I Should Know, Duran Duran
56. Gloria, Laura Branigan
57. Affair Of The Heart, Rick Springfield
58. She's A Beauty, Tubes
59. Solitaire, Laura Branigan
60. Don't Let It End, Styx
61. How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, Laura Branigan
62. China Girl, David Bowie
63. Come Dancing, Kinks
64. Promises, Promises, Naked Eyes
65. The Other Guy, Little River Band
66. Making Love Out Of Nothing At All, Air Supply
67. Family Man, Daryl Hall and John Oates
68. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Michael Jackson
69. I Won't Hold You Back, Toto
70. All Right, Christopher Cross
71. Straight From The Heart, Bryan Adams
72. Heart To Heart, Kenny Loggins
73. My Love, Lionel Richie
74. I'm Still Standing, Elton John
75. Hot Girls In Love, Loverboy
76. It's A Mistake, Men At Work
77. I'll Tumble 4 Ya, Culture Club
78. All This Love, Debarge
79. Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy, Sammy Hagar
80. Heartbreaker, Dionne Warwick
81. Faithfully, Journey
82. Steppin' Out, Joe Jackson
83. Take Me To Heart, Quarterflash
84. (She's) Sexy + 17, Stray Cats
85. Try Again, Champaign
86. Dead Giveaway, Shalamar
87. Lawyers In Love, Jackson Browne
88. What About Me, Moving Pictures
89. Human Nature, Michael Jackson
90. Photograph, Def Leppard
91. Pass The Dutchie, Musical Youth
92. True, Spandau Ballet
93. Far From Over, Frank Stallone
94. I've Got A Rock 'N' Roll Heart, Eric Clapton
95. It Might Be You, Stephen Bishop
96. Tonight I Celebrate My Love, Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
97. You Got Lucky, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
98. Don't Cry, Asia
99. Breaking Us In Two, Joe Jackson
100. Fall In Love With Me, Earth, Wind and Fire

Brief Idol Chatter

I was so pleased with the outcome of American Idol this week!
My life has been moving at such a pace that I hardly even had time to watch it, but I Tivo'd it and then watched it without the commercials. What a time savings that was!

Chris did quite well, and I continue to believe that I would be very likely to buy his CD. (What can I say? I've always been a rocker. :) ) Kellie was, quite deservedly, voted off.

My mom is here visiting this week, and, after a trip she and I made to Chicago over the weekend, I've decided to commit to really working hard and moving my business forward. So we've been working. A lot.

Bach Ball

Tonight is the Bach Ball. Last year we had a great time with our friends, but I went home with toes sore and swollen from repeated contact with the soles of my husband's shoes.

This year should be much improved. We decided after last year's experience that, if we were going to try to dance, we needed to take dance lessons. It took us seven months to get around to doing it. We took five lessons from one studio in November and December, then we did some looking around and changed studios. We have had five more private lessons since then and gone to some group lessons and dances, and although we aren't good, we can at least dance to several styles of music now without stepping on each other.

That is a good thing.

Tolerance, Free Speech, and the University

I had not been a student at one of our state's large public universities for more than a couple of weeks before I butted up against the liberal orthodoxy. I was unprepared for it and had a lot of difficulty during the two years that I spent at that university because of the pervasive liberalism.

There are two stories in the media right now that each show the lack of tolerance for certain opinions in our nation's universities. (Just ask Lawrence Summers!) The first story (HT: Balaam's Ass) is out of northern Kentucky, not one of the places that I usually think of as a bastion of liberalism. A professor encouraged her students to exercise their freedom of speech by destroying a pro-life display on the campus. She also took part in the destruction. This isn't surprising; but it is very illustrative of the double standard many liberals hold about free speech and tolerance.

The second story is from a regional campus of Ohio State University. A librarian who was part of a group choosing books for incoming freshman was charged with sexual harassment for recommending several conservative books, including The Marketing of Evil. Never mind that the other professors had suggested books written by liberals including Jimmy Carter, intellectual freedom and the discussion of ideas apparently doesn't stretch to conservative ideas.

Aced Out!

I've had a really busy week, so I didn't get to post my review of American Idol this week, but this post at Territorial Bloggings pretty well sums it up. I have to mention how happy I was with Chris's performance. He proved that he can do more than rock, if necessary.

And Ace is gone. Yippee!!

What a weekend!

I have always loved Easter, but in the last several years it has been even more wonderful! Starting with the Tre Ore on Good Friday. We heard a wonderful sermon and also had the Bach Collegium perform the Shutz St. John Passion.

Friday night we went dancing with our friends at the dance studio where we are members. We were trying to decide whether to go or not since it was Good Friday, so we just followed our pastor's lead.

Saturday our youngest son was being confirmed at the Easter Vigil so we had family coming from out of town. We spent the morning cleaning and working on dinner, and the late afternoon enjoying our family and friends. The boys had to leave at 6:00 to go get ready for the vigil, the older two to acolyte and the younger because he was a confirmand. The Easter Vigil is really a magnificent service, and has joined Easter Sunday as a co-favorite for me. The boys were all excited because there was going to be incense. They would have incense all the time.

There was definitely incense! It was a beautiful, majestic, wonderful service, made doubly special for us watching Andrew be confirmed. Pastor picked the perfect confirmation verse for my little worrywart: Isaiah 41:10: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yea, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

And of course, Sunday was Easter. I love Easter. It has always been my favorite holiday. When I was a little kid everyone else at school liked Christmas for the presents, or Halloween for the candy. I was weird even then: I liked Easter for the hymns.

After church we waited while Bethany played the organ for our Spanish-language service, and then we took a drive through the country down to Decatur where we had lunch with our friends at the Back 40 Junction. Coincidentally, my mom and step-dad brought my grandparents to eat at the same time. It was my grandpa's 93rd birthday, so they were having a double celebration.

Dialect Maps

I am fascinated by words and the way people use them. Here is a dialect map that provides a look at how words are pronounced and the words and phrases that are used for things in different parts of the country. There are some words and phrases that show up almost everywhere and others that exist just in pockets. There are a few that show up in a pocket on the east coast, another pocket around Pennsylvaia/Ohio, and then again in Wisconsin or Minnesota. It would be fascinating to trace the groups that use those expressions and the westward migration that very likely resulted in that distribution. (This is the genealogist/historian talking.)

HT: Cyberbrethren

Calvin or Hobbes

Mostly Calvin You are 70% Calvin and 30% Hobbes

Your inner Calvin often prevails, but, as in the image below, you have a significant Hobbesian component. I'm going to try to stretch the visual metaphor here: you have a good head on your shoulders, but when you don't use it, your crazy body gets you in trouble? Does that work? Odds are you're impulsive and imaginative, but it's possible you've collected just enough wisdom to hold your most anti-social urges in check. Most of the time. It's a precarious balance, like a boy on one foot with a tiger head.

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 91% on calvin You scored higher than 1% on hobbes

Link: The Calvin Or Hobbes Test written by gwendolynbooks on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

HT: Territorial Bloggings

Peeps

Peeps have long been one of my favorite Easter basket treats. It's not that they're my favorite in the taste department, but they're just so cute.

In celebration of the upcoming festival of the consumption of the peeps, here is a website that had my daughter and I in tears the first time we saw it.

Idols singing Queen, Part 2

Okay, so tonight wasn't as bad as I had feared. I've spent the last 15 minutes or so reading what various bloggers thought and it's interesting to see the variety of opinion.
Here are my opinions based on my love of Queen's music and my faithful watching of AI with my 19 yo daughter & 15yo son.

Bucky sang Fat Bottom Girls and did really well (for Bucky.) I'm hoping that this performance keeps him around another week, because I like him. He exudes nice.

A couple of performances gave me the nails on the chalkboard sensation. Speaking of which, Ace sang We Will Rock You. This was a blatant lie. Ace doesn't rock. Not even close.

Kellie singing Bohemian Rhapsody wasn't the train wreck it could've been, but I still don't comprehend chopping an almost-six minute song down to 90 seconds. It was just strange. And I don't comprehend that song choice. She's no Constantine.

Most of the blogs I read disagree here, but I liked Chris tonight, just as I have all along. (A large number of those bloggers had never heard Innuendo before, and didn't like the song.)

Elliott sang Somebody to Love. I have liked Elliot since the beginning. He has a great voice, but that song was painful.

Katherine sang Who Wants to Live Forever and was just completely forgettable. She was really forcing some of the big notes and her outfit was boring.

Taylor is the contestant that I change my mind about the most often. Crazy Little Thing Called Love was a perfect song for him. Tonight I liked him a lot!

Last we have Paris. Her rendition of The Show Must Go On was good. But the thing that bugs me about here is the fact that she tries to act and look like a worldly 30 yo.

What will the results be? I don't know, but I'll be happy if Ace or Katherine are gone. I hope that tonight didn't do Elliott in.

Idols Singing Queen

Tonight the remaining American Idol contestants will sing songs by the rock group Queen. I both look forward to this and dread it. I look forward to it because I love Queen's music. I dread it because I love Queen's music.

TK at Katie's beer has posted a bit of a spoiler, listing which songs each contestant will sing tonight. Am I the only one who thinks that Kellie Pickler might be overreaching a bit with Bohemian Rhapsody?

Yesterday was a good day...

(...Now I need to go break out a Journey CD.)


Back to the topic. Some days just stand out, and yesterday was one of those days. I was actually dreading the day because we'd had a busy Saturday with the questioning, and then a dance at the studio where we take lessons.

But we woke up to a beautiful sunny morning, and then got to enjoy the wonderful Palm Sunday hymns and the reading of the whole passion account from one of the Gospels, and an excellent sermon, as usual.

Yesterday afternoon we got to enjoy the wonderful music of the Bach Collegium performing Schutz's St. John Passion. Our enjoyment of the music was enhanced by the fact that our daughter has joined the choir and it was her first performance with them. (If you live in the Fort Wayne area, the next concert is May 7. You really need to hear them!)

After we finished there we drove out through the country and down to Decatur to see my sweet grandma and grandpa. Grandma celebrated her 89th birthday yesterday and my grandfather will celebrate his 93rd this week, God willing. Grandma recently got an electric wheelchair, which has given her a tremendous amount of freedom. She was zipping down the hall of the nursing home and one of the other ladies called out, "Helen, you're speeding!"
Colin and my grandpa played a couple games of checkers and grandma showed the kids and I all of the bird drawings that she's been doing. I thank God that he has allowed my children to have this wonderful time with their great-grandparents!

Confirmation

Our youngest son, Andrew, is going to be confirmed next Saturday night at the Easter Vigil. On Saturday morning we all attended the questioning of the confirmands. Watching and listening to the parents was almost as interesting as listening to the kids. Most of us walked in hoping that they wouldn't "mess up," and were probably more nervous than the kids.

At one point the dad sitting behind me muttered, "He knows this," as his son searched for an answer. I was trying to secretly signal my son to get his hands out of his pockets and spit out his gum. And one friend said that she felt like crawling under the seat while her daughter was answering.

But we all survived, parents and kids alike. And now, next Saturday night at Easter Vigil, our children will be sharing the Lord's Supper with us for the first time. I am so thankful to belong to a congregation and to have a pastor who doesn't make our children wait for some magical age to be confirmed. So often confirmation turns into a kind of "graduation." In my small confirmation class of three, I was the only one who continued attending church through my high school years, and I've seen the same thing many other times.

Being Aunt Jane

My niece, Kate, is on spring break this week, so she is staying with us. Her four year old sister wanted to come to the "Casey's house," too, so she is with us also.

I had forgotten how much work it is having a preschooler around! Everything takes a little longer. Everything takes a little more effort. And the decision about whether to wear Strawberry Shortcake or Dora underpants today was momentous!

She is sweet, though. Very huggy and cute. Every once in a while I wish that I had another little one, but this reminder is good for me. It makes me feel very satisfied with having only kids in double-digits. (Although having one approaching 20 is a bit of a bummer. In my mind, I'm not old enough for that!!)

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.

Great Review

Over at Luther Library--which you must check out if you haven't yet--my friend Polly has reviewed Every Young Man's Battle. This is the kind of review which is very helpful to those of us who are moms of boys & young men.

There are other great reviews at Luther Library, including a comparison of the 1953 and 2003 Luther movies.

Keeping My Balance

I am having a really hard time keeping all of the demands of my life in balance right now. It's amazing how it all piles up and how one thing impacts another. I've always liked to keep busy, but it's beyond that now and I need to figure out what needs to go.

I'm trying to look at things through the lens of my vocations as wife and mother and evaluate what supports those and what detracts from them. Homeschooling my kids supports them, but I'm not sure that the level of my involvement in the homeschool community does. (So maybe I need to reevaluate the time I'm spending on that.)

I have a business that often gets neglected and pushed aside, but it, too, is important because the income serves our family and also allows us to give more generously to our church and community. I am fortunate that it is very flexible and very forgiving of my busy-ness elsewhere, but my husband and I both agree that I need to put more time into it. But from where will the time come?

It can't come from cleaning my house, 'cause it's not getting done!

Taking ballroom dance lessons with my husband seems like it should be something expendable, but it is probably one of the best things that has ever happened to our marriage. As for my other hobbies--scrapbooking, genealogy--I spend less than two hours a month on those when I average it out. So those aren't the problem.

I think I know where the problem is, but it's the hardest for me to cure. I volunteer too much. I haven't gotten to the critical point with this for a long time because we've moved so often, but now that we've been here four years I've had plenty of time to find things to do. And they're all worthwhile. But added together they often take as much time in a week as a full time job.

So I need to decide what to weed out, but I'm not sure where to start.

Beggar's All has a link to a hilarious commercial.

HT: The Burr in the Burgh

Ablazing Nonsense

Mutti has an excellent post from Friday the 17th on Ablaze. If you haven't read it check it out.

I think this is my favorite line from the article she's quoting:

Working with a dozen LCMS districts in a pilot project last summer, Altenberger helped develop and train leaders for a six-week Bible study called "Motivation for Mission" that's designed to "shift a congregation's spiritual paradigm."


No thanks, I'm quite happy with our congregation's "spiritual paradigm."

Feeling Blocked

You know, I think I finally figured out today why I've been having trouble finding anything to write. First, most of my blog time has been spent on the seemingly endless job of switching things over. I haven't even been getting to read much. Often my posting is caused by the things that I read bouncing around in my brain.

The other big problem is that the news is driving me nuts. The whole Cheney hunting thing, which was STILL a lead story on a newcast I saw this morning is a perfect example of the media making a huge effort to give a story legs.

I'm not brave enough to post what I think about the cartoons.

And then there's the idea of turning over the management of six major ports to a state-owned company from the United Arab Emirates.

The Olympics are boring. You know when the main thing people are talking about is a fall taken by a Candian ice dancer it is a slow Olympics!

I'm hoping this has cleared the logjam. A little sunshine wouldn't hurt any. Wish I was in Palm Springs with my husband!

More Blogroll Additions

I have finally added some of my favorite homeschooling blogs to this blogroll.


I was pleased to find Sandra Dodd's blog because she was a huge influence on me when we started homeschooling. She's also a very interesting person. A new favorite blog is Dragon Writing Prompts. This isn't just for homeschoolers. It's a great resource for anyone who wants great creative writing ideas.

So check them out, even if you don't homeschool.

Another Blogger Makes the Move

Another of my blogging friends has moved her blog. You want to be sure to change your blogrolls! The Rebellious Pastor's Wife can now be found here.

Okay, Now I'm Really Back

I've hardly blogged for a couple of weeks but my house is no cleaner, my waist is no smaller, my kids are no smarter, and I've missed it. I guess that means that not blogging isn't the answer to all of (my) life's problems.


As I'm getting things moved over I'm happy to announce that the demise of Polly's blog was short lived. As a fellow lover of aprons I'm happy to introduce you to Favorite Apron.

Making the Switch

I'm celebrating my return to blogging by posting over here.

I'm still in the process of getting links moved over. It's time consuming and time has been extremely tight lately. Each month I think, "Next month I'll have more time." But that month never comes. It's February and I already know that July, August, and October are pretty much shot!


So my blogroll is being moved. It'll get here.

The Truth Behind the Lies

Okay, so everyone guessed which was true. But now it's time for the truth behind the lies.

1. When I was 17 I backed my 10-year-old Oldsmobile into my boyfriend's parents new Oldsmobile.
The truth: I was 18 and my boyfriend, aka Colin, backed his parents car into his track coach's car. (But I did drive a really *sweet* 1973 Cutlass Supreme.)

2. I threw up while bungee jumping at Deer Creek Music Center (now the Verizon Wireless Music Center) in May of 1999.
I saw someone else do this.

3. I locked myself out of my running minivan with 18-month-old Andrew inside in his car seat.
One of many less-than-stellar mommy moments.

4. When I was taking trampoline lessons in seventh grade I missed the tramp and broke my wrist.
I *did* take trampoline lessons in seventh grade.

5. I spilled a tray of drinks in Gene Keady's lap when I was waiting on him at Damon's in Lafayette, Indiana.
This is my personal favorite. I *wanted* to! I waited on Mr. Keady many times. He took up the best table in my section all night. His food was comped but he barely tipped. (I did however spill a whole tray of drinks on another guy once and it was not an accident.)

Four Lies

I was tagged by my friend Jennifer, who got this from a page of writing prompts for kids. (WHich incidentally looks like a really great site!)

Write five things about yourself with only ONE of them being true. The other four are fiction, and everyone else gets to guess which one is not fiction.

1. When I was 17 I backed my 10-year-old Oldsmobile into my boyfriend's parents new Oldsmobile.
2. I threw up while bungee jumping at Deer Creek Music Center (now the Verizon Wireless Music Center) in May of 1999.
3. I locked myself out of my running minivan with 18-month-old Andrew inside in his car seat.
4. When I was taking trampoline lessons in seventh grade I missed the tramp and broke my wrist.
5. I spilled a tray of drinks in Gene Keady's lap when I was waiting on him at Damon's in Lafayette, Indiana.

So which one is true?