I don't like you....

I have a confession to make.  As a Christian I have a struggle I am loath to admit to; there are some people I just don't like (this is different than not loving or caring) and things about them just rub me wrong, or get on my nerves.  Its not that they're bad people, because they aren't.  I have never seen them be anything but friendly.  Yet, I struggle, because they have a certain habit or trait that just drives me batty. So I struggle.  Sometimes it lays real heavy on my heart.  Like the past couple months....

One of the biggest pet peeves I have are people that "name drop"...  By this I mean people that talk about who they know, what they make, what they do.... How great they are or the great things they have done...  There, you see, its just something that bugs me.  No biggie really, except when it makes me not want to be around them and its extra hard if they are a brother or sister.  Yep....  That's where the rubber meet the road. 

So am I commanded to LIKE my brethren?

In 2 Peter 3:9 (NAS) we can read "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."  This is the longsuffering verse.  God is patient toward us.   If God is patient with us and all our myriad of horrible sins, should I not just count this as a difference of personality and move on?  It's not a salvational issue.  By doing this am I forcing myself to like the action?  Should I confront someone based on a pet peeve?  My heart says no.  It's more of an issue I must work on within my self.  Thus, onward I go..... 

I am looking at some Biblical verses and discovering I could fall into this category, perhaps just by being upset with a haughty personality.  By being peeved am I any better than they?  No....  not really. 

Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.  Prov.  16:18

Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility goes before honor.  Prov. 18:12

So what is meant by being haughty?  Its as old as the dawn of time.  Adam and Eve thought they could do as they pleased and found out they couldn't.  Cain thought he could offer up a sacrifice of his own choosing and that God would be pleased with anything.  Abel offered up his best to God, Cain did not.  This led to Cain killing Abel.  Being haughty is being prideful. and that is something all the previously mentioned people possessed.  Something we ALL possess, sadly.  In Proverbs 18 it says that we should strive to be humble.  Not boasting about our deeds and exploits.  We aren't to think that because we did, or do XYZ, that we are somehow better than our brethren; We are not to go around tooting our own horn to bring glory upon ourselves.  All the glory goes to God the Father.

Pride (haughtiness) is a struggle of Godly people.  1 Corn. 13:3-5 says, "And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.  Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act  unbecomingly;  it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered..."  and 1 John 2:16 (and 17 as well) "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world."

We all can fall prey to this idea of haughtiness.  We all have and do succumb at some point in our lives.  Romans 12:3 says, "For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think..."  In fact, while looking at these verses I see I fall very short.  Maybe I don't verbalize things all the time, but the inkling in my heart counts as well.  Is it some sort of pride which makes me batty over someone's perceived haughtiness?  To be 100% honest, I think it could be argued that it is....  so there it is, in black and white.   

We need to MUST guard against haughtiness in our selves.  In ALL aspects of our lives, not just in dealing with those we view as "good enough"... we need to guard our minds and our spirits.  We need to treat everyone with respect and be humble in spirit, but STRONG for God.  We need to not brag, but also to look with more kindness on everyone, knowing that God looks with kindness on those who are called by His name.  Love doesn't dwell on a wrong suffered, or a perceived wrong suffered; Love dwells on the fertile fields of hope and patience.  Love overlooks a myriad of things, forgives much, and rejoices often.

I may love you.... but it may mean that for my own walk that being friends might just make me stumble.  I am still learning and working on this, the potter isn't done yet.

I would love your thoughts on this.

If you have time please visit Connie over at Gifted by the spirit for some spirit gifted and thought provoking poetry.

Linking up with: 

Teacher's of Good Things...

reboot

Sometimes the day is gone from bad to worse and all you want to do is lay down on the floor in a fetal position.

Here are ten ways to reboot the day or week (heck, month maybe?  I know I have been there). 

1. Go outside.  Just grab a coat and head out the door.  Of course the littles need to come too.  Go to the park, yes even if its raining (that what rain coats and hats are for).  If you have the forethought, pack a thermos of hot cocoa to enjoy and ward off a little bit of a chill.  Even half an hour can do wonders. 
2. Call it an early night.  Make an early night of it.  The day has been going down hill all day and the steam engine is screaming at lightening speed, just figure you will eat cereal and toast for dinner.  Get each child into a warm bath.  Pull out a feel good family movie and grab blankets and pile everyone on the couch.  Watch a movie and cuddle.  The cuddles make the world feel just a little bit more normal again.
3. Make meatloaf.  I have no idea why, but meatloaf makes everyone happier.  Meatloaf like they made it back before everyone decided it was boring.  Spices and garlic and oh yeah a yummy sauce on top.... 
4. Add water and paper...  If you are home alone or your kids are older, take a bath, pick out a book and figure its quiet time from an hour or so. 
5. Bake cookies.  A spice cookie, oatmeal cookie... even a chocolate chip cookie can slow everyone down.  just one batch....  if you don't feel like baking more than a dozen or so, the dough will keep a few days in the fridge.
6. Get Organized.  Sometimes we need to get organized to relax.  But don't take that to the extreme.  Organize one thing.  Hang a key rack, write birthdays on a calendar, something small that can make a difference.  I use to lose the basement keys ALL the time.  I hung a key hook/rack and it has helped tremendously.  It not fancy, just a piece of molding left over from the kitchen that I put a few hooks into.
7. Time Out.  Yep, mommy time out.  Hopefully you can get all the littles into a quiet time and you take a time out.  Read, pray, whatever you need to do.   
8. Put music on and dance.  Put on something fun, has a beat and sing and dance, with the kiddos.    It will leave everyone in giggles.
9. Go off grid....  Turn off the phone, computer..  all those devices which "connect" us and get back into a real connection with people.  Go for a walk in the mall, let the kids play in the play area while you have a coffee or coke and relax.  Kids don't need constant adult intervention.  Yeah we need to make sure they don't disappear or kill each other, but we don't need to have our fingers in the pie either. 
10. Practice realism.  Make real goals for yourself.  Forget what you think everyone else does, make realistic goals for you and your family. 

I am in the boat with you as I continually strive to de-stress and simplify.  What do you do to de-stress you life?

Linking up with Many Little Blessings Top Ten Tuesday!

Sometimes you need....

randomness....  This is one of those times.  Just some thoughts and ideas that have been occurring to me throughout the week.  Insanity?  Maybe.  How many of us really think only divine and inspirational thoughts all day long?  I don't.  In fact much of my day is just spent in random thoughts and occasionally those random thoughts blossom into an idea and the idea becomes a post, or something worthy of saying.  *grin* 

A quote I heard recently is “We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over!”  ― A. Bevan  I guess sometimes You just see people afraid to say something for fear that they will make someone upset.  My daddy always told me you can't be everyone's friend.  When something is important you need to stand up for it.  Speak up because by silence you let others think you agree.  When you see someone being bullied don't be silent.

The people in Colorado that were killed and hurt at the movie theater.  My heart goes out to them, but I wonder why an alarm didn't sound when the emergency exit door was opened?  I know we can't ever make us safe from all harm.  I am not willing to give up liberty for the idea of safety BUT some common sense things that remove no liberties at all can be done, right?  I really don't think a business having a alarm on an emergency door would violate a constitutional right...  I don't know, who am I?  Just some random woman with a blog. *shrug*

How come good healthy for you yogurt costs so much more? 

I may have to start making Kefir....  Bear likes it.  My child is making me more crunchy, speaking of which, I have some kumbucha starts to give to local friends....  any takers? 

My baby is going to be 5 soon....  FIVE.  I can't believe it!

I need to borrow a couple quilts.....  for Bears birthday party.  I am planing that the girls can eat cupcakes etc on a quilt or two on the ground.  I am also planing to decorate a table with one.  I am really looking forward to the decorating.  Its more simple than years past and less food etc.  It should be a lot of fun, this butterfly tea party birthday.  Each of the girls will go home with butterfly wings!  And that is all I am telling!

I need to replenish our freezer meals ASAP.   I think we are now completely out of prepared meals. 

Why does Bear want to tie rope and string to everything?  The poor dog.....

Why does my daughter insist on wearing new clothes the minute she gets them?  Has she never heard of saving something for good? 

My neighbors like to party into the night, I wonder if I should have the Hubs mow the front yard, by their bedroom windows at 7 am? 

I think my laundry really multiplies.  It sure seems like it must.  I swear one basket  ends up being two before you know it......  It's really strange.  *grin*

Have a great weekend, and remember to enjoy what you think are just random memories.  They might turn out ot be meaniful. 

The Dandelion Menance

I have been going through a rough period pain wise.  My back is not always up to working long periods of time and really twenty minutes of weeding at a time is about all I can take right now.  God has at least given me the ability to do that and I am grateful, however that isn't enough for the city.Or else they think my lilies are weeds....

Yard work has been a struggle for us the last couple years.  This year we just recently got our picnic table all cleaned and set up, I mean, just--like this weekend.  Normally, before getting hurt, it was something we had done early every spring, I was able to do it myself, or much of it.  When the hubs has been off to be able to do stuff the weather has not played fair, would the city have him lose his job to help me do things?  We do not live where there is an HOA, I never would.  They have child molesters, drug houses, and pothole filled streets; yet their concern is with my flower bed that has some dandelion weeds?  I would take a picture and post it but its dark out now....  I will later.  Seriously, though the city has got some nerve.  Oh yeah they took pictures through our back gate as well where we were sorting our shed and cited us for that as well. 

The next time the city has anything before the voters asking for money, I AM VOTING AGAINST IT.  EVERY TIME.  If they have money to harass my family, they have money to fund their little pet projects without asking for more from me.  They must have plenty of money and time on their hands since they have decided to worry about my weeds and my neighbors old mattress, yet we still have drug houses in our neighborhood and streets full of potholes.  I have to still worry about my daughter playing in my back yard and pedophiles walking down the alley as the city seeks putting in halfway houses for these sickos.  Drug houses and halfway houses line their coffers.  Yep, worry about dandelions, they are a menace you know.

Yeah......  I am a little upset with the city.

The top 10 questions people ask you about homeschool….

This week I am particpating in a blog hop over at Many Little Blessings.  Please check out some of the other blogs there as well.

So the task for this week was to answer the top ten questions people ask you about homeschooling.  Please note that I have been a little satirical.  *grin*

One big question I am I asked sometimes is if we plan to homeschool throughout her education.  One doen't know what the future brings, so we can't answer that with the certainity that many want.  My answer is we take everything one day at a time.

We cannot discover new oceans unless we have the courage to
lose sight of the shore. 

So, Ten questions often asked are....

1.      Are you insane?     Well sometimes….  Wait oh you mean about homeschooling?  Nah.  It just works for our family.

2.      What about socialization?  We talk to lots of people, all ages and she has lots of friends.

3.      Is your daughter a genius?   No, she likes to make up jokes and dance with butterflies.

4.      What about socialization?  We belong to playgroups, homeschool groups and church groups. 

5.      Do you homeschool because of your religion?  Nope, lots of Christians go to a brick and mortar school building.  It just works for our family at this point in our lives. 

6.      How do you have time to homeschool?  I never really thought about it that way.  Having kids in school seems really time consuming too.  There are teachers meetings, class parties, programs, etc., that parents that don’t homeschool need to do. 

7.      What about socialization?   What about it?  Do you worry about your child’s socialization skills?

8.      Doesn’t your daughter miss having friends?  She knows lots of children in all sorts of age groups.  She has several friends and not all of them are homeschooled.  In fact most are not.  She makes friends very easily.

9.      Do you have to pass a test to homeschool your child?  I have a bachelors degree and I have plans to further my knowledge base as well in education.  I read a lot of books and belong to groups that share knowledge.  In our state, Washington, you do have to meet certain guidelines to be qualified to homeschool your child.

10.  What about socialization?  We rarely go anywhere.  In fact I haven’t left the house in three years, my children won’t speak to strangers nor do they ever leave my sight.  I keep them within six inches of my body at all times.  *grin*

Have a great day gentle friends! 

Learning to fly

Once there was a little girl, she had hair that shimmered in the sunlight and an adventurous spirit.  Little could quell her spirit of adventure or her desire to explore.  Her parents constantly tried to keep her occupied and busy doing what they thought would be good for her, but mostly the little girl just wanted to dance, play and learn to fly.  Her mommy and daddy, without meaning to, clipped her wings just when the soaring would get good, and this would crush the little girl.  Slowly, she learned that flying was not safe for little girls. 

Dancing didn’t hold the same appeal anymore, how could it when you couldn’t fly?  Playing without dancing was mediocre at best.  All that there was left to do was to grow up.  Maybe this is why grown-ups were so grouchy; they never learned to fly because they were told it wasn’t safe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today we made party hats.  Our homeschool group had a little get together of 4-6 year old little girls.  They had a tea party/picnic inside and explored making friends.  Of course they played dress up and I think two of the girls turned into birds that chased fairies.    It was so much fun for all the girls. 

Here is a little tutorial for the party hats.

This has been a really thoughtful week as we have begun some changes.  Has it been easy?  No.  That being said, I have already seen positives happening in our home.  Things are getting done, less stress, and more acceptance. There is no need to try to pretend to keep up, as you read statuses of friends and acquaintances doing this and that and you look at yourself struggling with the little bit you can seem to accomplish daily…. I still contend most people really only do half of what they “dream” they are wanting to do on Facebook statuses.


The little girl danced in secret, dreaming of flying.   She didn’t want to grow up and be in a hurry all the time; forgetting to watch the rain drops land on the flower petals and feeling the breeze from the wings of the butterflies.  Then one day, with a gentle rain of wisdom and the guiding hand of God, her parents discovered her in the garden. The wind was moving her hair and the flower petals were dancing in tune to the chimes and the bubbling sound from the fountain.  Music for the soul.  What her parents discovered was that their little girl was flying.  The little girl suddenly stopped and the flowers paused in mid sway, with wisdom that sometimes only the young possess she said, “sometimes you have to fly like a butterfly before you can dance on the wind.”  With a grin and a bounce she did just that. 

Tending to me...

Yesterday I read something that really nailed home some things for me. 

"Cultivate caring and generosity. Happiness is the natural state of a loving heart."

How often do we, as a society... scratch that, how often do we, personally, cultivate caring and generosity?  What exactly does that mean, to cultivate?  Well, it means to foster the growth of something, to encourage.  How often do you encourage love, caring, and generosity in others?  Sometimes, lets be honest, we get so wrapped up in life that we forget to cultivate anything in others much less ourselves.  This doesn't mean you cultivate caring and generosity by doing for others, although it can help to cultivate it.  When you do something are you doing it with a joyful and giving heart or are you doing it out of a sense of duty? 

The spirit in which you give (cultivate) caring and generosity is important.  I will admit there have been times where I have given but have not cultivated caring or generosity because my spirit has not been in it; I have done it because it has been expected of me, or I perceived it as being expected of me.  Maybe I said yes with every intention of happily doing it but over stretched myself, but in the end the spirit was lacking. 

I have a natural tendency toward being a caregiver or of "servant spirit."  I know this of me and my personality.  It's not a bad thing to have, in fact I would view it as one of the great gifts given by God. That being said, even a caregiver sometimes needs a bit of tender care.  Caregivers rarely ask for things they need.  I think this is because we feel guilty with not being able to give 110% of ourselves 110% of the time to whomever asks, and when we need some special care and don't get relief from being the caregiver, our spirit becomes tainted with other feelings, many of those feelings having little to do with care and love. 

Sometimes the caregiver is in need things too; but don't wait for us to ask outright for help.  If you have a person in your life that is a caregiver and they are always doing something for others, don't just ask them if they need help in a general way but tell them you are doing something for them.  Sit back and look at all they do in a day to see what area they may need help in.  Surprise them with a kindness.  A friend one time surprised me with a plant, and it meant the world to me and helped me to feel like someone cared about me as well.  It doesn't have to be something big.  A letter in the mail (please don't use electronic means, go out of your way and cultivate something), a phone call, a forzen meal that they can go home and pop in the oven when maybe they have helped someone all day, something to help rejuvenate that caregiver's soul.  Sometimes even the caregiver needs some love.   

Being kind and  showing generosity really does cultivate happiness. 

It's hard to be generous when we feel like someone has hurt us or used us, but we are told to forgive.  It doesn't mean we forget, but we can forgive and when we forgive, it becomes easier to overlook those memories of trying times.   When we learn to forgive those who we think have wronged us we are manifesting the true spirit of Christ's generosity.  In Matthew 5 we can learn about the spirit of Christ's generosity.   It's hard, really hard, to look at someone that has done us a wrong but still show them love.  It doesn't mean you have to bend over backwards doing for them, but treat them with understanding.  How long should we do this for a brother or sister?  Christ addresses this as well, we are told 70 X 7, or in other words, forever.  They may or may not ever acknowledge a wrong they did toward you, but you have to concern yourself with how you feel, not with their lack of apology.  I struggle with this over some wrong I felt was done to me years ago, and it is difficult.  I know it is, so I can understand how difficult it can be, but we can do it and when we do it's freeing. 

Sometimes we are kind and loving, showing generosity toward others, even forgiveness; we might be well thought about by everyone, and they can count on us to always be someone they can rely upon BUT what about those in our own homes?  Have we given so much to everyone else that we neglect those within our own family?  Have we stretched ourselves so thin in a world full of gadgets that are suppose to give us more time that we have nothing left to give to the people that would benefit the most from us cultivating a garden full of love and generosity?  I know I am guilty, and I suspect I'm not alone.  The ones that need to see a generous spirit in us the most are those we love.  We need to remember to cultivate our garden first and the spill over of that love and generosity will carry on into other areas of our life, witnessed by others and reaching them in ways we can't even fathom. 

Cultivating our own garden is where the happiness ingrains itself into our heart. 

As I move forward, I am focusing more on those I love and cultivating my own garden with greater detail.  By doing this I hope that I cultivate happiness not only in myself, but in my husband and daughter.  The spill over of three happy people can move mountains in the rest of the world.  So I leave you, gentle friends, with this challenge.  Simplify, get rid of time wasters and gadgets that are suppose to give you more time, and begin to cultivate your garden first, and the happiness you create within your own heart and family will spill over in to all the lives you touch. 

Linking up with "WHAT WORKS WEDNESDAY" at Upside Down Homeschooling.  (7/11/12)

Ouch, that hurts.....

Some of you know, though many might not, that I suffer from Chronic Pain. Yes, I am one of those people. In 2006 I hurt my back at work and it really messed me up. I "healed" enough to go back to work though, got pregnant and had my daughter and thought the occasional pain flare ups were part of being older and just a fact of life from getting hurt; a couple days off, an adjustment, and I was back to feeling ok. Then in 2008 I reinjured myself.

Photo Credit:  CCPC Organization

The rest of the year and the first 2/3 of 2009 I was hurt more than I was well with several re-aggravations. It seemed every little bend, even bending over beds raised up high, would aggravate my back and I found myself limping and stumbling more with sensation disappearing from my right leg. Then the straw came which forced my doctor to make that final call, the judgment call that would end a career I not only enjoyed, but loved and felt called to do. It was like a death knell had been rung.  I struggled with what happened for nearly a year and now, over three years later I still struggle with the loss of something I felt was integral to who I was.  I felt called to care for people and honestly felt I made a difference in the field and the job I was in. 

The light at the end of my tunnel for understanding was when I was enrolled in a pain clinic, not a clinic that helped you manage meds (which they did for people that needed that) but a real honest to goodness top to bottom pain clinic.  One that not only helped us with our new physical limits but also mentally recognizing that YES we have pain and yes it hurts and here are some things we can do to COPE.  We learned it will never go away, but we can, through strength training and mental outlooks, find ways to lessen its impact on our lives and the lives of our loved ones.  We were encouraged to do something I call finding a NEW NORMAL.  Maybe weeding takes longer now because we have to rest more and maybe we have to sit to do it, but we can still do it. 

We also learned about Biorhythms.  Are you looking at me cross-eyed yet?  Yes BIORHYTHMS.  It takes the mind off pain, increases oxygen to your muscles, and well, it just relaxes you.  By the time I graduated the four week intense 40 hour a week program I was able to see a lowering of my blood pressure and pulse rates.  During our exercise I was able to actually remove myself from my setting and visualize a different place in my mind.  Afterwards I was able to sleep better and that right there is the whole reason why I thought it was good.  Of course I see other spill overs, when I practice it, I am calmer and able to cope with my wild child better.  Do I still have pain after all this?  Yep, remember, I said it will never go away we just find ways to cope and continue on in an active life.  My goal was to be able to play with my daughter.  Yes I have backslid, we all do and I am attempting to get my strength back up.  I have been asked what my pain is like; Try having a natural birth every day, without the aid of pain killers.  Good days are mild labor; the bad days are full labor pushing the baby out x 2.  I know what labor without aid of pain killers is like, so that is the best way I can describe it.  I guess for a man to understand, it’s like passing a kidney stone.  How do I cope?  Massage and occasional adjustments work wonders to helping me and refocusing my mind.  Mostly I just COPE. What else can someone do?   I don't take pain medication unless it is very bad.  I am not tooting my own horn, but when I take pain medication most of the people reading this would be begging to be put out of their misery.  I have learned other ways to help me cope and resorting to narcotics is a last resort for me. 

Why have I gone into all this?  I have several friends around the country lately that have mentioned pain.  One I am back in contact with after a couple years apart (Thank you Heather).  She was there for me when I first got hurt and talked me through a lot, helping me in ways she may never fully grasp.  I am grateful for her and I guess for the two of us I just want to explain what chronic pain is and is not.  I have went into all this to explain Chronic Pain because, odds are you know someone who has it and understanding it can help you understand your loved one or the coworker that often looks tired and worn. 

Acute pain is what you feel after a surgery or breaking a bone.  It is not something long lasting, though you might feel it for weeks at time.  It might be relieved by medication effectively.  Personally I can attest to chronic pain not being relieved by a variety of medication. 

Chronic pain is something lasting more than 6 months with little to no relief (though some claim 3 months).   With chronic pain the problem is the signals of pain remain active in the nervous system. This causes both a physical and emotional strain on the sufferer and the loved ones, especially the immediate family. This is why I am writing this, to explain to you what it is so you can understand it better.    

Often times people with chronic pain suffer from a variety of depressions, sleep disorders—which accentuate the depression, lack of life enjoyment, hopelessness, distrust, anxiety, and a general deterioration of health over all.  We often get colds more frequently, because we have deprived sleep.  We may suffer more from weather changes because our injuries may end up being affected by barometric changes.  Sometimes we get angry more easily—to which you ask why?  Because we are often in some form of pain, be it mild or intense and our sleep may go for weeks on end being fitful at best.   

So each day is a new day and those of us with CP wake up and go forward.  Someone that recently hurt their back asked me how I can function daily and do what I need to do, and my answer to them is what I answer to you now:  I just do it, it hurts sometimes but I can’t let pain control my life.  By moving, even when its hard, I am kicking it to the curb and telling it that I am in control. 

Please Google Chronic Pain and read more about it. 

Here are a few sites to get you started:

Web MD
Chronic Pain
Understanding Chronic Pain

Thank you gentle readers.  I had written this sometime ago, but haven't had the "courage" to publish this, but I think the time has come.

A Review of an Unmanual

Little children love the world.  That is why they are so good at learning about it.  For it is love, not tricks and techniques of thought, that lies at the heart of all true learning.  Can we bring ourselves to let children learn and grow through that love?  --John Holt

While walking down our homeschool path I recently read a small book.  The Unschooling Unmanual.  Actually, it is the first book I have read regarding what is popularly called unschooling.  Rather than a dry text of words and theories, overlaid with how’s and whys, the various authors in the small book approached it more like a diary or a letter to an old and trusted friend.  It was an easy read, dry at times, but lively overall. 

Now, onto the review.  When I first heard the term unschooling we had just let it be known we were homeschooling Bear to the general public.  She was just three years old.  We were nearly certain before she was born that homeschooling was the path we wished to travel but we were not convinced until it came time to search for preschools.  The thought of my baby girl being away from me and in school being taught by a stranger just didn’t set well.  I know that sounds odd to some but the emotion was very strong.  I never tire of spending time with her, sometimes I get tired and want a break, but I still love spending time with Bear.  We have fun together learning about all sorts of things and her mind and knowledge about the world just blows me away sometimes, I can’t imagine stifling this freedom of learning.  Anyway, the term, when I first heard it, frightened me.  I was told about all the negatives, lack of parental oversight, or unparenting.  I was glad to see in this little book that the majority of parents have boundaries based upon the age of the child.  It’s more about how one approaches education,and that approach filters over into life. 

The idea that was a thread throughout all the essays was that parents were not so much teachers as facilitators.  In his essay, “What is Unschooling?” Earl Stevens wrote:

Unschooling does not mean that parents can never teach anything to their children, or that children should learn about life entirely on their own without the help and guidance of their parents.  Unschooling does not mean that parents give up active participation in the education and development of their children and simply hope that something good will happen (65). 

These words were a salve to my worried heart.  Those first negative utterances to me about “unschoolers” and the lack of hygiene and boundaries put fear in my heart.  This salve of words  helped to comfort this momma’s heart.  What welcome words they were. 

The essay by Daniel Quinn, “Schooling:  The Hidden Agenda,” is a thought-provoking piece with his correlation between culture and education and how education has progressed throughout recent history.  While he doesn’t give proof of his allegations, there is a strong ring of truth there. 

This small book gave a reader an opportunity to glimpse inside the private domains of the unschooler families; a rare chance to see what really goes on and like one essay stated, show that every family does something a bit different and that there is no ‘recipe’ for unschooling.

Check your local library for the book. 

“Unschooling isn’t a technique; it’s living and learning naturally, lovingly, and respectfully together.”—Jan Hunt

The Natural Child Project—More information on Unschooling

Occupation and my thoughts.....



At Occupation Tacoma



The time has come to state my thoughts on this new movement that is afoot.  Most of you know, if you have been reading my blog for some time, and understand that I am not just a homemaking, homeschool blog, sort of person but I also a blog about being me and my adventures in life.  This is why, occasionally, I branch away from the "home arts" and venture into some current event topics or what is bugging me. 

I first heard about those "wacko hippie liberals" marching and occupying back in mid September once they took root in Seattle.  I will admit that I believed what everyone else told me about them.  I thought they were liberal people bought and paid for by the big powers that be to create a sense of disharmony in the world.  I also thought they were a bunch of layabouts, nar-do-goods (is that a word?) and ruffians.  You know, SCARY DUDES.  

Seattle



I took the time though to learn and listen and not just listen to what the news was telling me or people that believed they knew best because they are "well learned" or greater educated in the matters of politics.  I attempted to learn for myself and keep a truly open mind, so I could make an informed choice after I sat down at a park in Seattle during one of their "rallies."  I was tired, my back hurt like hot pokers were stabbing me and my leg was dragging.  It was not a good weekend getaway.   It was yucky and I spent some of it just in tears.  That being said, I heard a few people speak and listened to a few people in the crowd that really made sense.  I will admit, there were a few "Marxist" wanna be's but those were not the majority.  They were very much the minority. 

As most know I am a Christian Conservative.  I try to treat others as I wish to be treated, though I falter more times than I care to count.  I know I am covered though, so it gives me the strength to forge ahead and do better next time, hopefully learning from my mistakes.  I say this because I want you to know where I am coming from.

Seattle (10/9 & 10/10/11)

So why have I  joined with the occupied ranks?  What does that mean and does it mean I am now a socialists wacko as well?  I know I sound like a broken record but I contend that the Occupiers I talk to do not want everything given to them, despite what we are told via the news outlets. That includes me, I don’t want nor expect to be handed anything. I have awoken and have recognized that something is DREADFULLY wrong with our nation.

What changed in our nation in that past 50 years? Why did it change? Those are the questions I ask as I gaze at my sleeping daughter and wonder what future will await her. I ask them as I look at you and wonder, “What questions do you ask?” What questions do those around you, that have yet to open their eyes to see and their ears to hear, ask? Why do many remain in the media induced coma? God gave me a brain, and I intend to use it.

Bob



Our nation needs a stable, sound, and sustainble economy.  We need to stop outsourcing our labor to other nations.  We need to buy and make things built by Americans.  The Occupiers I meet and talk with are patriots. They are occupying for a cause they believe in, they want better for our country. They are trying to make a difference.  They are giving more than lip service as they speak out against health care and insurance companies kicking a woman down just because she now is recovering from breast cancer, or throwing the child that now has cancer to the curb as his parents struggle with issues beyond the comprehension of most of us. 

The large corporations WANT person-hood yet hide behind a veil of boards and nameless identities. This is not just or lawful (it might be legal but it is NOT lawful). As a conservative I understand that what we have today is in NO shape or form what our founding fathers intended.   We fought against a large corporation that day when on that green a group of men said “HELL NO. WE WONT TAKE IT ANYMORE” and fired their guns. Or those rabble rousers in Boston that woke up one day and took the boat out and boarded a ship and tossed all the cargo over board. They were fighting corporate greed that day as well. The only difference is, in the 1770’s it was a king and today it’s a nameless and blameless entity. I imagine they were ridiculed and despised by the masses as well. I suppose many people believed what the king’s men reported. They stood fast however and their cause was just, even when all seemed lost that winter at Valley Forge. Some might have looked at them and snickered and said, “Is it worth the fight? You agreed to pay those taxes when you bought that tea (paraphrase of what actually occurred).” Or “You agreed, when your ancestors sailed over and worked as indentured servants to the crown and Hudson Bay that you would pay high taxes and work yourself into the grave…” well those that forget history are bound to repeat it. We forgot, as a nation, and we are now repeating the fight of unjust and unequal representation and the resulting issues that follow.

Time fails me to go on. I just remember what I heard one time and will paraphrase here, in the beginning of change a patriot is a scorned and hated man, but when his cause succeeds the masses join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. I don’t want to be like that proverbial frog in the stock pot that doesn’t realize he has been cooked until it’s too late.

Children at Occupation Park



So why am I occupying?  I am occupying for my child, for your child and the child down the street. I am generational in my thinking. I am looking ahead and seeing the future and hoping and praying that it will be better for our children. My hope is that our FREEDOMS will not be LOST due to ignorance and greed. This is why I feel compelled to OCCUPY

Ok, so I will close by saying, seek truth in all things and don't let someone do your thinking for you.

 

Blessings and Happy Tending!