61 books in one year!

Here are the books I read from August through December, 2009:

45. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
46. West of Kabul, East of New York – An Afghan American Story by Tamim Ansary
47. The Freedom Writers Diary – Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers
48. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
49. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
50. Animal Farm by George Orwell
51. Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
52. Room With a View by EM Forster
53. Common Sense by Glenn Beck
54. 13 is the New 18 by Beth Harpaz
55. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
56. Bringing the Boy Home by NA Nelson
57. Gluten-free Girl by Shauna James Ahern
58. The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
59. Agatha Christie Writer of Mystery by Carol Dommermuth-Costa
60. The Trojan War by Olivia Coolidge
61. Say You’re One of Them by Uwen Akpan


So, which ones stand out? For sure "Room With a View". I loved that book. I could picture Florence while listening to the book in the car. RMD listened with me, and loved it. And also "The Gluten-Free Girl". What an amazing journey the author tells about how she thought she was dying. All because of gluten. And I can totally relate. While seeing gastro docs, being put on Nexium, enduring an upper GI, and feeling awful in general, I too felt like I was dying. How lucky I am to be off the modern medical track and on to natural health!

"Animal Farm" was a lot of fun to listen to with the kids. Creepy too - you have to read it to get it.

"Silent Spring" was a difficult one. This was a book club selection, but nobody read it except for me. Well, I also actually listened to this one as well. With the kids, while driving mostly through Pennsylvania and New York, visiting relatives and seeing sites. It was a dry, somewhat boring book, but I liked it. Especially since Rachel Carson lived on the East Coast and described the countryside through which we were traveling.

"Thief Lord" was fun. A kids' book set in Venice. Since I read it just after visiting Venice it was great to have a really good picture of sites described in the book. Of course, it made me want to return.

All in all, some good reading. Although you can tell I slowed down at the end. I guess a 3-week trip out East and a 2 1/2 week trip to Italy will do that to a person...

Can I beat 61 in 2010? Time will tell.

Things I try to keep in mind...

While shopping for holidays, I try to keep things like this in mind...


From CRS.org :

The season of Advent is upon us, and as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, I ask you to read two incredible stories relayed by Catholic Relief Services staff that I must share with you.

First is from Father David Garcia, who often travels around the United States talking to Catholic grade-school children about our responsibility to those in need overseas. He told us of one fifth-grader who asked his parents not to give him any gifts last Christmas and donate that money to combat malaria instead. This boy had learned how malaria, which can easily be prevented, kills thousands of children each year in developing countries. His simple sacrifice helped save lives.

Father Garcia says, "That fifth-grader is smarter than most of us. He certainly is more compassionate and puts his faith into action more than most people. He is one bright sign of hope in an often darkened world. He lives out a spirit of thanks."

Read about one of CRS' malaria programs in Angola, where the disease is the country's number one killer, and how the distribution of nets and medicines is making a difference.

The second story comes from John Rivera of our communications department, who just returned from Haiti—one of the poorest nations on earth. There he met a little girl who proudly carried a High School Musical backpack, and John mentioned that his own daughter was a huge fan. The next thing John knew, the girl had emptied out her books and came rushing back to give the backpack to him to take home to his daughter.

Imagine, this little girl was willing to part with what was surely one of her few worldly possessions to give it to someone she would never meet. I am reminded of our generous donors, who reach out to help families overseas whom they will never know.

And the backpack? John, thinking quickly, gently declined the gift, explaining that his daughter already had a bookbag. Could he photograph the girl holding it to show his daughter instead? The girl agreed.

Children's hearts and instincts are so pure, and they often remind us that the act of giving can help us feel God's love working through us. As you embark on your holiday shopping, I hope you will be inspired by these children to give meaningful gifts from our Gift Catalog for those you love, and help bring joy to the world.

Wishing you a peaceful Advent,

Ken Hackett

President
Catholic Relief Services

Are You a Cultural Creative?

Here's a great website I found - Cultural Creatives.org


You are likely to be a Cultural Creative if you...

1. ...love Nature and are deeply concerned about its destruction

2. ...are strongly aware of the problems of the whole planet (global warming, destruction of rainforests, overpopulation, lack of ecological sustainability, exploitation of people in poorer countries) and want to see more action on them, such as limiting economic growth

3. ...would pay more taxes or pay more for consumer goods if you could know the money would go to clean up the environment and to stop global warming

4. ...place a great deal of importance on developing and maintaining your relationships

5. ...place a lot of value on helping other people and bringing out their unique gifts

6. ...do volunteering for one or more good causes

7. ...care intensely about both psychological and spiritual development

8. ...see spirituality or religion as important in your life, but are concerned about the role of the Religious Right in politics

9. ...want more equality for women at work, and more women leaders in business and politics

10. ...are concerned about violence and abuse of women and children around the world

11. ...want our politics and government spending to put more emphasis on children's education and well-being, on rebuilding our neighborhoods and communities, and on creating an ecologically sustainable future

12. ...are unhappy with both the Left and the Right in politics, and want a to find a new way that is not in the mushy middle

13. ...tend to be somewhat optimistic about our future, and distrust the cynical and pessimistic view that is given by the media

14. ...want to be involved in creating a new and better way of life in our country

15. ...are concerned about what the big corporations are doing in the name of making more profits: downsizing, creating environmental problems, and exploiting poorer countries

16. ...have your finances and spending under control, and are not concerned about overspending

17. ...dislike all the emphasis in modern culture on success and "making it," on getting and spending, on wealth and luxury goods

18. ...like people and places that are exotic and foreign, and like experiencing and learning about other ways of life.


If you agreed with 10 or more, you probably are a Cultural Creative. I think I checked off 16 or 17, so am I an extreme?!!! Probably.

I really like the FAQ section of the website,especially identifying with this:

"A new industry is appearing: Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, and it's $230 Billion in the U.S. this year, and $540 Billion worldwide. And the Cultural Creatives are their entire market.

4. If they're so important how come I haven't seen them before?

a) Actually you have seen them: They're the huge populations who support all the new social movements from the Sixties right up to the present day: Civil rights, peace, environment, women's, jobs and social justice, gay lib, alternative health care, new spiritualities, new psychotherapies, etc.

c) The Cultural Creatives have been invisible to public view:
How can 50 million people be invisible?

1) The national media don't cover the things they care about, or distort them. So, if you form all your impressions from the mass media, you'll never guess that they're there, because the media are really intolerant of world views other than their own.
2) The Cultural Creatives don't talk about what they value in public or at work. In part this is because they draw their conclusions that their values aren't shared by very many people, and they don't want to be embarrassed, put down, or harm their career prospects.
3) Most Cultural Creatives got to where they are in life almost alone. You probably didn't arrive at the values you've got now with your whole high school graduating class."

AND this

" 6. Why have the social and consciousness movements made such a difference?
Or, I don't see how all those movements from the Sixties could make such a difference today - that stuff is forty years old, it's history.
Or, Why do you relate the Cultural Creatives to all those movements?

The reason why this makes such a difference is that all these movements have been doing something new in history. They have been trying to change our minds about what is important and how the world works.

There's a lot more to the movements than just the people on the ramparts, or just the obvious meditators on their cushions, there's also a huge culturally circle around those active people who are reframing how we see the world every day. You have to see what a whole movement is: there's the most active people at the center, but around them like a target, there's a huge population of less involved people who give the money, read the literature, keep track of what's happening, and really believe in it. There may be a few thousand activists, and hundreds of thousands giving money, but tens of millions who are changing their minds and their lives.

We have evidence that a typical CC cares intensely about, and is often involved in, half a dozen of these new social and consciousness movements, while the rest of the country care about none, or maybe one or two. When you're involved in several movements who do reframing, it changes your whole world view. That's where the Cultural Creatives came from. And that's where a lot of our new direction is coming from.

What's more, there's an enormous overlap of all the movements, and the Cultural Creatives are right at the center of all of it. They are the common constituency of all the movements.

It's exactly the opposite of what many pundits have claimed: it really isn't true that if you're dealing with your own personal growth you've dropped out of social life. Or if you're an activist, you don't have time for an inner life. In reality, the more people are involved in ecology issues the more they are involved in spirituality and personal growth on the one hand, and social justice issues on the other hand."

The Charlie Schulz Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.
Just read this straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series wi nners.


How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies..
Awards tarnish..
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.


Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money...or the most awards.
They simply are the ones who care the most

Pass this on to those people who have either made a difference in your life,
or whom you keep close in your heart, like I did.
'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia !'

''Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!"

Kiva - Rosario

I just made two loans through KIVA. The best part is that the money came from previous loans that had been repaid. This is a great program.

Kiva - Rosario: "Rosario is 62 years old and is separated from her husband; she has 10 children of which only one lives in her home. Despite her advanced age, she works with great skill a machete and cuts the shrubs of her small farms of coffee and banana crops. Subsequently, she works very carefully, as she fertilizes each coffee plant by herself; this is her favorite crop because it allows her to get a good amount of money in harvest time.

To pick the fruit she calls on her children to help her collect the seeds, because she can’t do it all alone. Rosario likes to work in her small farms, since thanks to all of her effort and work her crops give her good results. With the profit she was able to look after her children’s wellbeing and are now men who work.

This is her second loan with MFP (Kiva’s field partner) and pledges to pay her quotas punctually since she would like to keep counting on this assistance. The money she needs will be used to buy chemical fertilizers for her coffee crops."

Kiva - Teodosio

Another KIVA loan. I like to find people in Peru, after seeing first hand the poverty.

Kiva - Teodosio:

"Teodosio, 64, is a hard-working man. He lives with his life partner, the mother of their four children, in his own house.

In spite of his advanced age, he works his coffee, banana, and bean fields with much agility and energy. Working at this activity is enjoyable for him. He uses his coarse hands to clear the bushes and weeds in order to keep his fields clean.

The crop that he likes the best is coffee. It is very profitable for him, especially from May to July. In this season he works with his wife, who helps him gather the coffee beans. They do this so that they can take one load of the largest quantity possible to the suppliers in the area.

He does not get as much income from beans and bananas as he does from coffee. But, they are very useful for covering the daily expenses the rest of the months. They cover the food and the childrens’ education.

This is his first loan with MFP. He is very motivated by the savings that he will be able to have. He promises to make his payments punctually. He will use the money that he is now asking for to by chemical fertilizers for his diverse crops."

Homeschooling - Still on the Fringe?

Homeschooling - Still on the Fringe?

Here's a blog from my favorite homeschooling author.

New Blog!!!

Check out my new blog - Under the Tuscan Sun!

Gift - ED

I found a great new blog - Project Gift-ED. The home page is cool. Lots of good articles too.

Article from Romanian Newspaper

This was a forward I received by e-mail. Just wondering... How did we go from this to this????


Article from Romanian Newspaper

We rarely get a chance to see another country's editorial about the USA . Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title 'C'ntarea Americii, meaning 'Ode To America ') in the Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei 'The Daily Event' or 'News of the Day'~

An Ode to America ~

Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs. On 9/ll, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the Army, or the Secret Service that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about. Instead the Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand. After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing. On every occasion, they started singing: 'God Bless America !'

I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people. How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put into collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy. What on earth can unite the Americans in such way? Their land? Their history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace, I thought things over, I reached but only one conclusion...

Only freedom can work such miracles.

Cornel Nistorescu
(This deserves to be passed around the Internet forever.)
It took a person on the outside - looking in - to see what we take for granted !
GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!

Pardon me, but were you raised in a barn?

Being gone for 3 weeks, not watching TV and limiting computer use has certainly led to my being out of touch with the media world. So, I was a bit shocked to hear about all the hoopla surrounding the upcoming Obama address to school kids. At a time when the high school drop-out rate is skyrocketing, and kids have no respect for anyone but themselves (and their cell phones / video games), Americans opposing a Presidential address encouraging kids to study hard and stay in school should be ashamed of themselves. I'm embarrassed by our country, yet again.

A friend sent this excerpt from a blog post and it sums up my feelings enough to post it here.


Pardon me, but were you raised in a barn?

This was the phrase that was sure to greet my brother and I whenever we showed disrespect to our parents by disrespecting the house they provided for us. If we left a door open, especially, but also whenever we'd track in grass and dirt, or leave a mess in the living room, or tear something up that didn't belong to us.

I want to address the people who are disrespecting a different house today. The people's house. The White House.

Were you people raised by wolves or something? Don't you have any honor? What kind of example are you setting for your kids, telling them that they're not allowed to hear the president speak to them?

This is the president of the United States of America! You're treating him like a vacuum cleaner salesman. You don't slam the door on the president. You sit down and listen, and wait for your turn to speak.
I remember in grade school the biggest speaker we had come and talk to us was a police officer. And it was the coolest thing a first grader could imagine. Look at this guy! How cool. He's got a badge and handcuffs and he fights crime. Amazing!

But these kids are getting the opportunity to hear the president speak directly to them? How much more cool is that! That never happened to me. The only thing the president ever did for me in grade school was embarrass me by making me do pull-ups in front of everybody.

This is an opportunity, and you're robbing your kids of it because you don't like this man. But I ask you, whatever happened to "respect the office even if you don't respect the person"? We heard that a lot in the days of Republican presidencies.

If you're that outraged at Barack Obama, save it. Save it for the next election and don't vote for him. That's how it works in this country.

Until then, grant the office of the presidency the respect that you owe it as an American citizen and (I assume) a voter. Hell, this man is the chief executive of the government that is paying for your child's education, and this is how you pay him back? I guess he's good enough to give you free education, but not good enough to speak to your children.

Or is it something else? After all, plenty of presidents have spoken to schoolchildren over the years. Many of them even used schools as backdrops to make some political/policy comments. And there's nothing wrong with that. Such is the bully pulpit. That's democracy at work.

I just can't help but think perhaps there's something different about this president. I've been very slow to think it because I've always considered racism a serious charge that shouldn't be thrown around carelessly.

But nobody's telling me why this man, why Barack Obama? It's certainly nothing in what he plans to say. That much is basic. Stay in school. Work hard. Get along with your classmates. Your future is important. It's the same thing presidents always say to children, and that's good because it means something to children to hear it from someone they respect. But why don't you respect this man in particular?

Maybe you should be asking yourself that question. And maybe then you should ask yourself why you're allowing a petty prejudice to be not only your problem, but your child's as well.

As for me and my family, we respect the president of the United States of America. Because we are Americans, and we're all in this together.

Coasting the East

Here's a link to my newest blog - Coasting the East. Our summer fieldtrip this year is a trip to the East Coast. We will visit Philadelphia, Boston and Washington DC and lots of sites in between.

Should be fun!

Annie, Jr. - Starring Rachel !!!!

Rachel played Miss Hannigan during a summer camp production of Annie, Jr. The class met all day long for 2 weeks and at the end, performed the show for 2 audiences. Rachel was really funny and made the audience laugh out loud. Of course, we think she was the star!

Try this video...

Another Plug for Goodbye Old School, Hello Bold School!

Here's a post from a blog I just found and really like. Sounds like the author and I have a lot in common. Maybe I'll need to get Pat to read the book like her husband. Then, away we can go!!!!
(Oh, by the way, on the posts in which I link to someone else, I always put my comments in black.)


The New Global Student: Kicking My Dragon
July 12, 2009 by SwitchedOnMom

So let’s take a look at my living room bookshelves, shall we? In amongst the volumes of African fiction and non-fiction, political science, voluntary simplicity and environmentalism, biography, classics, personal essays and creative non-fiction (much of it travel literature), there’s Tales of Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman. Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Monkey Dancing, by Daniel Glick

Hmm. I’m detecting a trend here. Person/family leaves everything behind to travel the world/start new life overseas. No, I don’t have any surprises in store for Husband Dear, but I guess I have long entertained the fantasy/dream of ditching everything and moving overseas…or at least traveling for an extended period of time. (Does it say anything to you that I loved, loved, loved The Dove back in 1974?) I’ve spent a total of seven years of my life living overseas (six with Husband Dear) and as I’ve written here before, the only thing I have ever explicitly told my kids they must do is spend an extended period of time living overseas, be it as a high school exchange student, gap year, junior year of college, Peace Corps….

Meanwhile, my downstairs bookshelf is weighted down with books about education and homeschooling and giftedness. (Mine too!)

Enter The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition and Get a Truly International Education by Maya Frost. Which had me at … the cover. Reading Frost’s book felt like being in a benevolent Vulcan mind meld or chatting with my upbeat new best friend. I devoured it.

Seamlessly combining my longheld vision of a life overseas and all my hardwon “radical” out-of-the-box educational notions/solutions/knowledge, Frost’s book coalesces the ideas and impulses that have been swirling around in my brain–and makes me want to do it all NOW.

Drat you Maya Frost!

Why? She’s kicking my snoozing dragon, that’s why. “The Plan” had always been for Husband Dear and me to bid the suburbs farewell and pursue international careers as soon as M. was in college. We’ve repeatedly told the girls, more than half seriously, “When you’re out of here, we’re out of here.” But after reading The New Global Student I found myself spinning out different scenarios, accelerated timetables. Because if you’re already as far along as I am in questioning the whole educational industrial status quo, and in believing that we are in the midst of a fundamental global and societal shift–then what Frost lays out is simply the next logical move outside the box.

And what exactly is Frost saying?

Step away from the herd. Step away from “doing time,” checking off the “right” extracurriculars and all the other “givens” of high school and college. Step away from the fear. To quote Twain: “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.

It’s a whole new world (pity this year’s graduating journalism and finance majors)–and one that is ready and able to compete with us here in the US on all levels. Creativity, flexibility, initiative … these are the skills to cultivate in our kids, and the ones that will be rewarded in the future.
Total immersion in another culture during the formative adolescent years is indeed crucial.
And here, in an enthusiastic, step-by-step fashion, is how to do it.

C. actually grabbed the book before I started reading it. She has a pretty clear picture of what she needs to do to get where she wants to go. A few things, like IB, she’s already doing. But after reading The New Global Student she did for the first time express interest in doing a homestay exchange experience rather than just going solo somewhere, and she is now talking about wanting to have conversational Spanish in her skill set, something she pooh-poohed before. Meanwhile M. hasn’t even read the book yet, but just based on my oohs and ahhs she has taken to lobbying–hard–for us to move overseas sooner rather than later. In the past week there have been heated arguments with C. over whether we should move to somewhere in Latin America or to Thailand, whether Husband Dear should start a restaurant or be a CPA. “Mom,” she’s intoned, “I’m already out of school. And life here is stressful.”

Dear Husband is now in chapter two. Will be interesting to see his reaction.

The 7 Secrets of Highly Successful Students

Some people may like this article, but I personally find it appalling. It's just another example of how Americans are selfish, egotistical and all about status and money - without putting in any work, to boot. Why can't students go to college to actually learn?!!! Does it always have to be about getting grades (even if you don't earn them) and getting that BIG job? I wish I had actually learned in college and not just worried about the grades. Anyway, here it is...


The 7 Secrets of Highly Successful Students
By Don Asher

What does it cost a student to go to college without any idea of how to manage the process? It may cost a lot. Students who have knowledgeable parents or older siblings to guide them can finesse the process, earn higher grades, get along better with faculty, solve problems with the business office, and so on. But students who are the first in their family to go to college have no one to guide them, and their mistakes can cost them that awesome post-college job, or access to the best graduate schools.

At a recent conference, I sat at a table full of staffers from various undergraduate research programs. We got to musing about how nice it would be if all students knew the insider tips and techniques the best students seem to soak up from the ether.

This is not about being smart. This is about being savvy. So from our notes scribbled on a stack of paper napkins, here is what savvy students know that others seem to miss:

1. Grades are engineered, not "earned" (Pathetic!!!)
A savvy student wants to earn as many A's as possible, as few B's as possible, and avoid C's at all costs. So how do you engineer your GPA? Class-shop at the beginning of each semester. Sign up for more classes than you can possibly take, and drop boring or difficult professors sometime in the first two weeks. (It won't show up on your transcripts.) If you get a bad exam or quiz score, ask the professor what you can do to earn extra credit. Reading an optional book, writing a one- or two-page paper, or even just helping the prof out with mundane tasks such as setting up for class can push you back into the A column.

If you're not earning the grade you want in a class, negotiate an "incomplete" grade, then do whatever it takes to get that I turned into an A or at least a B. (Be warned, some profs won't give an A on an incomplete, no matter what you do). Or, worst case scenario, drop the class before finals. You don't want to do this a lot, but a "withdrawal" or two stamped on your transcript is much better than a low GPA.

Get involved with study groups, and your GPA will likely go up. Take a light load during the semester when you have a known difficult class, such as organic chemistry. And finally, be sure to take enough of a class load that you can ditch a bad class without dropping below minimum credits, especially if you're on financial aid or your parents are strict about the four-year plan.

2. Visit professors outside of class
Professors are people, too. They worry about being liked, whether they're gaining a few pounds and whether or not they're good at their jobs. So go visit them. Ask them for clarification of some point they made in class. Try out your paper or lab ideas on them to see if you're headed in the right direction. Ask them the best way to study for the exams.

It's probably not a great idea to focus on grades only, as in "What do I need to do to earn an A in your class?" Get your professors to help you be a better student. And maybe ask, "Have you lost a little weight?" (Seriously? Give the professors some credit!)

3. Prerequisites matter
Naïve students always want to go around prerequisites and take any class that interests them. This is unwise. Prerequisites are in place to make sure you have the skills you need to do well in a class, so skipping them is perilous. Don't take "Population Biology" until you've had "Math 321" or you'll be sorry. If you think you don't need the prereq, contact the professor and find out before you sign up for the class.

4. Internships are required, not optional
The norm now is two internships, not just one, so you have to build them into your summers starting at the end of the sophomore year. Recruiters look at students without internships as deficient, no matter how strong the GPA and rigor of the curriculum. Earning money on a fishing boat may be great for the first summer, but those other two summers need to be used for internships to support your post-college career or grad school plans. You can find a paid internship if you need the money, or a part-time internship combined with a part-time job. Savvy students know this, and un-savvy students go fishing.

5. Study abroad in the sophomore year, not the junior
The junior year is a time to concentrate on your major and get the most out of your department. If you're abroad, you can't do that. Plus, some students get distracted by drinking in Naples, or that cute French guy or gal in Nice, and blow their GPA during the study abroad. Grad schools and employers care most about your GPA in the final two years of college, and if you go abroad in the junior year those grades are prominent. Finally -- and don't tell anyone -- but most sophomores aren't 21 yet. In most of the world, the drinking age, official and unofficial, is much younger than that. So... (Yeah, great advice. Just what I want to fund my kids doing...)

6. Read your handbook and catalog
How many credits make a full-time course load? How many classes do you have to take to major in X or minor in Y or double major in X and Y? What's the last date to drop a class without it appearing on your transcript? Is there any place to get a short-term, emergency loan? If you retake a class, do both grades appear, or does the first grade disappear? These are the kinds of questions that your catalog and handbook answer.

Here's a massive tip: The rules in the course catalog that's published when you begin your college career often apply until you graduate, even if the rules change. So keep that catalog! Don't rely on your adviser or your professors for rules and regulations. They might not know them very well anyway, and you'll pay the penalty for following bad advice.

7. It takes the entire senior year to get launched from college
No matter what your major, the career center can help you get a job or apply to graduate school. Naïve students don't worry about life after college until they've graduated. They miss a huge chance. You're only a college senior once in your life. Participate in the on-campus interview process, because it's part of the college experience and it's there for every undergraduate. English majors and philosophy majors can get great jobs out of college, but not if they're hiding out in the game room dissecting Kant and Bukowski and griping about how nobody gives them a chance. Spend the entire senior year making sure that come June, you know where you're going. That's what the savvy students do.

Movies

Even though I am thrilled to death to no longer have cable TV, I do still love to watch movies. I really love it when I get the whole family to watch off-the-beaten-path movies. Some of my favorites lately are:

-The Freedom Writers
-Sicko - this is a must watch! Makes me want to move to France or even Cuba.
-Grace is Gone (Rachel's assessment - "I never knew they could make a movie with no happiness in it whatsoever...")
-Children of Heaven
-Duma
-Opal Dream
-Life is Beautiful

Books Read in June 2009

These are the books I completed in June.

• The Story of My Life – An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky by Farah Ahmedi
• The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition and Get a Truly International Education by Maya Frost
• The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• Bringing Up Geeks by Marybeth Hicks

Every one of these is amazing. Here's my not-so-brief rundown:

The Story of My Life - this is a memoir written by Farah Ahmedi, a 19 year old Afghan girl. After stepping on a landmine at age 10, losing her home and almost everyone in her family, and taking refuge in a Pakistani camp, she and her mother qualify for resettlement in the Chicago-area through the World Relief organization. For a complete synopsis, click on the link above. My thoughts about this book are numerous. First, it is hard to believe that we in the US are actively allowing, and even contributing, to the slaughter and suffering of innocent human beings. Contrary to what we want to believe, not all Afghan people are terrorists. Second, while I believe that organizations such as World Relief are necessary and beneficial, I wish that they could offer their humanitarian aid a little more humanely. There is too much bureaucracy involved, and too many unreasonable requirements of those people suffering most. Farah writes about standing in line all day, every day for weeks, just to get an initial interview with World Relief. After making the first cut, they had to attend 4 more interviews - all with the same woman and the same questions. This does not sound that bad at first glance, but for a girl with one leg, a mother with severe asthma, no money, no food, no transportation, no home - it was quite a hardship to get to the office. After passing the 4 interviews, they then had to make their way 100 miles to the American embassy - again with no food, money or transportation. It's almost like World Relief was testing the resettlement applicants to see if they could negotiate their own way. And while I'm all for tests and proving yourself, sometimes enough is enough. Either really help people or don't. Don't put them through exhausting hoops. Other things that I felt were unfair - World Relief assigned 5 familes to travel to the US together. Once in the US, they sent 4 familes together to California and sent Farah and her mother to Chicago on their own. Imagine being dropped alone on a Martian settlement and how scary that would be, because that is what it was like for Farah and her mother. They were settled into a suburban apartment with no phone, no furniture, and no easy access to public transportation. They were given help for 3 months and then told that they must navigate the way on their own. Nevermind that they were disabled, hardly knew English, were often cheated by cabdrivers and denied medical appointments. I guess my main point is, I wish people / companies / organizations did not have to make everything so hard. All it takes is a little extra effort and follow through to make a world of difference for people who are desperate.

The New Global Student - This was excellent on so many levels. It's a great affirmation of homeschooling. It has also inspired me to spend time looking into education abroad, either as a family sabbatical plan, or exchange program for the kids. (I like the first one better!)

My favorite review: "The New Global Student recognizes the truth of the American kindergarten through college education conveyor belt–-it is preparing children for the last century's economy. Fortunately, the Frost family has blazed a trail for crafting a 21st-century education that is personalized, global, non-traditional, relevant and affordable. Parents owe it to their children to read this book."
Bob Compton
Venture capitalist
Executive producer of the documentary, "Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination"

Some of my favorite quotes interspersed throughout the book-

• Goodbye Old School, Hello Bold School! - Maya Frost, author
• I have never let schooling interfere with my education - Mark Twain
• Not doing more then the average is what keeps the average down - William Winans
• Freedom lies in being bold - Robert Frost
• Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise - Horace

The Mysterious Benedict Society - We read this book for the Mother-Daughter book club. It was a great book. The story is suspenseful and fun for kids. As an adult reading the book, I noticed quite a lot of hidden commentary on modern-day society and a lot of symbolism. Basically, an evil genius / dictator wanna-be (named Ledroptha Curtain -Iron Curtain reference???) has started a school for gifted kids, in order to take over the government. His students are brought in by Recruiters (who look just like businessmen), and then completely brainwashed during classes. Students are encouraged to watch television constantly - secret messages are being subliminally transferred (kind of 1984-ish). Students who show high aptitide are promoted to Messengers and then Executives. The Executives are portrayed as bullying buffoons who cannot think for themselves for fear of demotion (Hmmm...) Sounds alot like my days at Arthur Andersen...

Lord of the Flies - Until now, I had never read this book, but heard about it often. A group of prep school boys is being evacuated before the World War when their plane crashes on an island and all the adults are killed. "Free from the rules and structures of civilization and society, the boys on the island descend into savagery. As the boys splinter into factions, some behave peacefully and work together to maintain order and achieve common goals, while others rebel and seek only anarchy and violence. In his portrayal of the small world of the island, Golding paints a broader portrait of the fundamental human struggle between the civilizing instinct—the impulse to obey rules, behave morally, and act lawfully—and the savage instinct—the impulse to seek brute power over others, act selfishly, scorn moral rules, and indulge in violence." (Sparknotes)

I've always heard how disturbing this book is, but I did not actually find it so. Well, at least I did not find it much more disturbing then I find what most people currently define as normal society. There are bullies everywhere and most people today think that's just how it is. I guess it's easier to live that way - it doesn't require a sense of responsibility for living a moral, civil life. I mean, if everyone's doing it, or if you're only picking on the "unpopular" people, it's okay right? (Sheesh!) Even at the end of the book, the officer who finds the kids just in time to stop a murder says ..."Fun and games."

My question is this - why does it seem that so few people have a sense of justice???? And is the lack therof why most people find this book so disturbing? They don't want to be reminded that it's a short road to the dark side???

Let kids be kids!

I just finished an awesome book - Bringing Up Geeks by Marybeth Hicks. It's fantastic. My only complaint is that I did not write it first! Then, since I embraced this lifestyle before it had a name, I could be the one making money blogging and discussing anti-media child-rearing strategies. And maybe people would listen! Anyway, it's a great book and very affirming. If you want your kids to be kids and not cool-culture, media-driven robots, read it!

Happy Father's Day!

For Father's Day, the kids decided to cook Dad a gourmet dinner. Alex started dinner off with homemade French onion soup, complete with baguettes and Gruyere cheese. Rachel prepared a 4-course dinner, virtually by herself! It was really impressive. She spent almost 4 hours making homemade potato gnocchis, broccoli rapini, stuffed flank steak and soft-shelled cannolis - all gluten-free, too! The only time she needed help was in pounding the flank steak to thin and tenderize. She is a really amazing little cook. And, she also did all the prep work herself, including choosing the recipes, making a shopping list and helping find things in the store. I was so proud, I told her many adults cannot even cook a 4 course dinner. Way to go!

Arizona Pictures - March 2009

We went to Arizona in March, 2009. It was so nice to get away from the rain. I would seriously move there! It is sunny and beautiful.


We stayed in Pat's cousin's house in Anthem.

This is a jumping cactus in the yard. It seriously jumped onto my shoe. Ouch!

We visited the Capitol building - another one checked off.

Alex bought these really expensive cactus candies - they were awful.



On our second day, we visited a Native American castle.

This picture is funny, because Rachel was paranoid about seeing a rattlesnake during our whole trip until the last day. That's when our captain (?? - you'll see!) told her they were not out yet - it wasn't hot enough!

We also drove up to Sedona. I wanted to continue up to the Grand Canyon,
but everyone wimped out.








Our friends arrived on our 3rd day. While they were in Arizona,
we went to a Cubs game - they won! Since the friends are Mariners fans
they were not very happy.

Rachel was able to get an autograph from Jeff Samardzija. She gave her hat to cousin Brock - a Samardjiza fan.

After the game we went to Spinato's for pizza, and then mini-golfing at the Family Fun Center - I think in Mesa.

Our favorite meal of the trip was at El Encanto. This was the best Mexican food I have ever eaten. The only problem with it is I somehow convinced Alex to try the guacomole. Now he loves guacamole and wants to eat it constantly!

The best part of the trip, besides the sun, was a huge surprise. We woke the kids up at around 5:00AM, and bundled them into the car. We drove about a half hour and arrived at our destination. The kids still had no idea what we were doing. We gave them the choice to look or not. Alex decided to find out where we were, but Rachel chose to wait. We loaded on to a van and drove further out into the desert. We got Rachel off the van and revealed the surprise - a hot air balloon ride! It was amazing! We spent about an hour in the air and celebrated with a traditional champagne breakfast. We'll never forget the ride.