As of September 30, 2010 I've read 68 books. Lots of kid lit. It's fun and quick!
49. Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card
50. Love in a Time of Homeschooling: A Mother and Daughter's Uncommon Year by Laura Brodie
51. The Story of the World – Ancients by Susan Wise Bauer
52. The Story of the World – Middle Ages by Susan Wise Bauer
53. The Great and Terrible Quest by Margaret Lovett
54. The Omnivore’s Dilemna (Young Edition) by Michael Pollan
55. Life in a Medieval Monastery by Victoria Sherrow
56. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
57. The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly
58. Beowulf: A New Telling by Robert Nye
59. Marley and Me by John Grogan
60. Letters to God by Patrick Doughtie and John Perry
61. Isabel and the Miracle Baby by Emily Smith Pearce
62. Just One Wish by Janette Rallison
63. Six Months to Live by Lurene McDaniel
64. Beowulf – translation by Seamus Heaney
65. The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
66. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
67. The Promise by Eva Schloss
68. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A Driver's Manifesto
Dear Seattle Drivers:
You win the award for being the most incompetent drivers in the world. And this is saying a lot, considering I have been a driver or passenger in some of the worst trafficked cities in the world - Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., London, Paris, Rome. You even rival the drivers on the Circle of Death in Lima, Peru. Actually, maybe not. Those drivers are pretty good, considering the traffic.
I especially love you Seattlites who see another car merging into your lane, either from a highway ramp or due to a construction lane closure, and speed up just enough to cause that car's driver to either gun the engine to get in front of you or slow way down in order to keep from hitting you. Like yesterday on I90. What you didn't realize is the dark shadow on the back of my van is not a glare from a rare sunbreak. It's a dent. It's one of the reasons I continue to nurse along my geriatric, 10 year old, 162,305 mile van. So that when amazing drivers like you decide to speed up just enough so that I either have to choose to hit the orange cones indicating the lane closure in front of me, or merge into and maybe hit you, I will choose the possibility of hitting you every time. Especially if you have a BMW, or an Acura or Lexus. That's half the fun of having an old car. And when you honk and finally move into the wide open lane next to you and drive past staring at me, like I'm the idiot who didn't pull off the road so you didn't have to speed up to tailgate me, I really wish I had a sign indicating the award I have just given you. Maybe I should make one. One that's okay for kids to see...
You win the award for being the most incompetent drivers in the world. And this is saying a lot, considering I have been a driver or passenger in some of the worst trafficked cities in the world - Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., London, Paris, Rome. You even rival the drivers on the Circle of Death in Lima, Peru. Actually, maybe not. Those drivers are pretty good, considering the traffic.
I especially love you Seattlites who see another car merging into your lane, either from a highway ramp or due to a construction lane closure, and speed up just enough to cause that car's driver to either gun the engine to get in front of you or slow way down in order to keep from hitting you. Like yesterday on I90. What you didn't realize is the dark shadow on the back of my van is not a glare from a rare sunbreak. It's a dent. It's one of the reasons I continue to nurse along my geriatric, 10 year old, 162,305 mile van. So that when amazing drivers like you decide to speed up just enough so that I either have to choose to hit the orange cones indicating the lane closure in front of me, or merge into and maybe hit you, I will choose the possibility of hitting you every time. Especially if you have a BMW, or an Acura or Lexus. That's half the fun of having an old car. And when you honk and finally move into the wide open lane next to you and drive past staring at me, like I'm the idiot who didn't pull off the road so you didn't have to speed up to tailgate me, I really wish I had a sign indicating the award I have just given you. Maybe I should make one. One that's okay for kids to see...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
I'm moving
Or, at least I wish I was - to a place like this.
Do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong time period? I do. I should have been living in the mid 1800's. Ever since I was a girl reading and watching Little House on the Prairie, I have wished it was me riding along in a covered wagon, making quilts, skipping off to a one-room schoolhouse and battling Nellie. As an adult, I long for a simpler life. I would love my own tiny farm, with a big garden and some chickens. Maybe some alpaca for the wool. No TV. More time. More quiet. Sustainability. Self-sufficiency. Sensing a theme? Oh, and the house above? Well, I can't really live in it. It's just way too small...
Do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong time period? I do. I should have been living in the mid 1800's. Ever since I was a girl reading and watching Little House on the Prairie, I have wished it was me riding along in a covered wagon, making quilts, skipping off to a one-room schoolhouse and battling Nellie. As an adult, I long for a simpler life. I would love my own tiny farm, with a big garden and some chickens. Maybe some alpaca for the wool. No TV. More time. More quiet. Sustainability. Self-sufficiency. Sensing a theme? Oh, and the house above? Well, I can't really live in it. It's just way too small...
Friday, August 27, 2010
A Little House
Rachel and I delivered a replica of the Little House on the Prairie to the Puyallup fair today. We started this project 3 years ago, when Rachel first started homeschooling. She wanted to study pioneers and our intention was to build the Little House and electrify the fireplace using a paper clip switch. Three years later we are finally done! Well, done enough to take to the fair anyway. We still have some work to do.
We started out using a kit made by Dura Craft. However, after reading "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and consulting "The World of Little House" by Carolyn Strom Collins, we realized we needed to completely modify the kit. My intention was for our house to replicate the size of the real little house on a 1/12 miniature scale, but our kit wouldn't allow for that, so our house is a little small (in more ways then one!). We used pictures from the website of the official historic site near Independence, Kansas to replicate where the door and windows would have been.
First, I redesigned the layout of the house, sticking to the size of the wood "logs" as provided on our kit. I did have to cut some to allow for the change in window and door position. Instead of using logs for the floor, as directed in our kit instructions, I used a solid plywood floor, thus allowing for extra logs, which were the ones I cut as needed. Rachel painstakingly glued all the logs together using tacky glue. She did an amazing job. And all this gluing was done three years ago. Then, the walls, floor, roof and door sat gathering dust while we waited to stain everything and put it together. That finally happened last weekend! I mentioned to Rachel that the fair was coming up and asked her if she wanted to enter our little house for judging. Of course she did! So, we had a huge weekend project. We went from pieces to an almost finished house in one week.
We started staining everything on Saturday. It was a big job, and messy!
After the stain dried, I started building the stone chimney. This was a painstaking job, as I could only glue one row on at a time, then wait until it was mostly dry to glue the next row. I used Tacky Glue. If I had a better glue, it would have probably gone much more quickly. The top of the chimney will be made with sticks, and then the whole thing will be grouted, once our house returns from the fair.
We started out using a kit made by Dura Craft. However, after reading "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and consulting "The World of Little House" by Carolyn Strom Collins, we realized we needed to completely modify the kit. My intention was for our house to replicate the size of the real little house on a 1/12 miniature scale, but our kit wouldn't allow for that, so our house is a little small (in more ways then one!). We used pictures from the website of the official historic site near Independence, Kansas to replicate where the door and windows would have been.
First, I redesigned the layout of the house, sticking to the size of the wood "logs" as provided on our kit. I did have to cut some to allow for the change in window and door position. Instead of using logs for the floor, as directed in our kit instructions, I used a solid plywood floor, thus allowing for extra logs, which were the ones I cut as needed. Rachel painstakingly glued all the logs together using tacky glue. She did an amazing job. And all this gluing was done three years ago. Then, the walls, floor, roof and door sat gathering dust while we waited to stain everything and put it together. That finally happened last weekend! I mentioned to Rachel that the fair was coming up and asked her if she wanted to enter our little house for judging. Of course she did! So, we had a huge weekend project. We went from pieces to an almost finished house in one week.
On Friday we put the walls and roof together. We used grout to chink our logs, and let it dry overnight.
We started staining everything on Saturday. It was a big job, and messy!
After the stain dried, I started building the stone chimney. This was a painstaking job, as I could only glue one row on at a time, then wait until it was mostly dry to glue the next row. I used Tacky Glue. If I had a better glue, it would have probably gone much more quickly. The top of the chimney will be made with sticks, and then the whole thing will be grouted, once our house returns from the fair.
This is how the little house looked the day before we took it to the fair.
We have some really cool details in our house. My favorites are Ma's blue china doll on the mantle and Pa's fiddle. We also have Jack the bulldog, and even the one tin cup shared by Laura and Mary. Our scale is a little off. The house is around 15" long and 12" wide. To be true to Pa's actual cabin, it should be 16" long by 15" wide. We were limited by our "logs". Also, our family is small - probably 3/4 of an inch rather then the 1 inch scale, so some of our accessories are a little large - like our rocking chair, fiddle (which is really a violin), cradle and spinning wheel. We still love it!
In addition to the chimney, there are a few other things to be finished when our house returns home. The front door has to fastened on. I used leather strap hinges fastened with tiny black screws. The lantern hanging from the roof beam needs to be ordered and fastened on. We created a praire grass base on which to display the house. We also have an outhouse which will conceal our mini-generator which will power our fireplace and candles! ( No more paper clip switch.)
We have some really cool details in our house. My favorites are Ma's blue china doll on the mantle and Pa's fiddle. We also have Jack the bulldog, and even the one tin cup shared by Laura and Mary. Our scale is a little off. The house is around 15" long and 12" wide. To be true to Pa's actual cabin, it should be 16" long by 15" wide. We were limited by our "logs". Also, our family is small - probably 3/4 of an inch rather then the 1 inch scale, so some of our accessories are a little large - like our rocking chair, fiddle (which is really a violin), cradle and spinning wheel. We still love it!
In addition to the chimney, there are a few other things to be finished when our house returns home. The front door has to fastened on. I used leather strap hinges fastened with tiny black screws. The lantern hanging from the roof beam needs to be ordered and fastened on. We created a praire grass base on which to display the house. We also have an outhouse which will conceal our mini-generator which will power our fireplace and candles! ( No more paper clip switch.)
It was hard to leave our house. We walked away, picturing it falling or being knocked over. Well, I hope it stays safe. And maybe it will even win!
Friday, August 6, 2010
More Rules
I thought of some more!
Make your bed every morning. You're just going to get back in it at night!
Brush your teeth while camping. Now, if you are going for a week, then yes, please brush! But I always thought it was funny when moms would run around every night nagging their kids to brush their teeth, at Girl Scout camp or a camping weekend. One or two days of not brushing is NOT going to make your teeth fall out. You might wonder why other people aren't talking to you, but your teeth will still be there.
Keep the heat at 68 and the air conditioning at 78. Strike that, reverse it. I love air conditioning! I wish we had it. If we did I would keep it on every single day, and I would make sure I could feel it. None of that half-hearted - maybe we should turn on the air stuff for me. Same with the heat. In the winter I want to be warm. Now I know this does cost extra money, but hey, I can use the money we save on not paying for the boob-tube.
Finish reading every book you start. There are probably hundreds of books that I want to read - really. If I finished every lousy book I started, I would never get to the good ones. If I get a book that is just sitting there staring at me, after I've tried to read it a few times, I bag it. On to something more exciting.
Make your bed every morning. You're just going to get back in it at night!
Brush your teeth while camping. Now, if you are going for a week, then yes, please brush! But I always thought it was funny when moms would run around every night nagging their kids to brush their teeth, at Girl Scout camp or a camping weekend. One or two days of not brushing is NOT going to make your teeth fall out. You might wonder why other people aren't talking to you, but your teeth will still be there.
Keep the heat at 68 and the air conditioning at 78. Strike that, reverse it. I love air conditioning! I wish we had it. If we did I would keep it on every single day, and I would make sure I could feel it. None of that half-hearted - maybe we should turn on the air stuff for me. Same with the heat. In the winter I want to be warm. Now I know this does cost extra money, but hey, I can use the money we save on not paying for the boob-tube.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Rules
Why do people have so many rules?
Like, sorting clothes before washing. Alex said someone at camp asked him if he could wash a light blue shirt with a dark one. He was like - "sure...". We don't sort clothes around here. Why should we? We don't really have that many white clothes and anyway, I read somewhere a few years ago that clothes are made so poorly now-a-days that they won't last more then a year or two - even with precise washing machine care. So why?
Cats should not go on the table. Realistically, if you have a cat in your house, its fur is everywhere, all the time. Just because your cat is shunned from the table does not mean there will not be any fur on it. If it bugs you, then you will need to wipe the table down everytime before you eat anyway. I do draw the line on cats on the table while I eat. I also really don't like them on the counter - but that's what a squirt bottle is for.
Pots, pans and sharp knives shouldn't go in the dishwasher. Why not? They get cleaner, especially since these are the things that usually are touching meat. They don't get handwashed and then sit for a few days in the drying half of the sink, waiting to be put away. I say the more things in the dishwasher, the better.
Mow the grass every week. Who cares about grass? I really wish all our grass would go away and be taken over by more natural landscape like Oregon Grape or Sallal. Especially in our front yard. If we have to grow grass in the back, then I prefer it to be the type that is healthy for deer and elk and the rabbits who come through here. No fertilizers and pesticides. And if it grows long, there's more for the critters to eat
Kids need to go to school. Enough said.
For rules that might actually be worthwhile, see here.
Like, sorting clothes before washing. Alex said someone at camp asked him if he could wash a light blue shirt with a dark one. He was like - "sure...". We don't sort clothes around here. Why should we? We don't really have that many white clothes and anyway, I read somewhere a few years ago that clothes are made so poorly now-a-days that they won't last more then a year or two - even with precise washing machine care. So why?
Cats should not go on the table. Realistically, if you have a cat in your house, its fur is everywhere, all the time. Just because your cat is shunned from the table does not mean there will not be any fur on it. If it bugs you, then you will need to wipe the table down everytime before you eat anyway. I do draw the line on cats on the table while I eat. I also really don't like them on the counter - but that's what a squirt bottle is for.
Pots, pans and sharp knives shouldn't go in the dishwasher. Why not? They get cleaner, especially since these are the things that usually are touching meat. They don't get handwashed and then sit for a few days in the drying half of the sink, waiting to be put away. I say the more things in the dishwasher, the better.
Mow the grass every week. Who cares about grass? I really wish all our grass would go away and be taken over by more natural landscape like Oregon Grape or Sallal. Especially in our front yard. If we have to grow grass in the back, then I prefer it to be the type that is healthy for deer and elk and the rabbits who come through here. No fertilizers and pesticides. And if it grows long, there's more for the critters to eat
Don't use too much butter. WHAT! Again I say the more, the better. Especially on vegetables, And especially if it is pasture butter.
Kids need to play sports. Again why? I am all for physical fitness, but really. Four seasons of team sports, practices, games - no time for family vacations, or even family dinners. See this.Kids need to go to school. Enough said.
For rules that might actually be worthwhile, see here.
Monday, August 2, 2010
In Defense of Consumerism
I have a question. How can I "know" so many bloggers with the same values (in general - not political) as I, and yet meet so few in person? I guess it could be the blogs I read - blogs of good friends, and blogs like this and this and this and this. But what about the "mainsteam" people? Don't they blog? I'd love to read some blogs of people defending why it is good for your kids to text 24/7. And why shopping at the mall for designer clothes is a family activity. Living life with your "friends" on Facebook instead of, well, living life. (And Farmville? Come on!!!) Watching TV enough so that your kids hear 14,000 references to sex in one year? Playing video games for hours on end instead of reading or playing a family board game - please enlighten me!!! I'd love to read about what is going on with the affluenza set, because that seems to be how most of the people I meet in person think.
If you know any blog sites like this - defending consumerism - please post them as a comment.
If you know any blog sites like this - defending consumerism - please post them as a comment.
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