Sunday, September 27, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Jamaica, here I come!!!
In two days I will leave my lovely Oregon for a few days and trade it in for a Beaches resort in Jamaica, where I'll spend my time with my best friends, cocktails with umbrellas, pools, ocean, and a lovely wedding ceremony.
I am trying to prepare for this, and while I'm going solo, and it should be easy... there is some planning to do, considering the fact, that my family has to somehow survive without their mother, which will be just fine... But the father of my lovely brood wants a schedule for their classes, for their work at home. Aside from that I have some Village Home stuff to take care of. I also have to hit the library, and Michael's for yarn (I have become a sock knitting fool). I found out on the TSA website, that it is in fact alright to take knitting needles on board, and so I shall... because I have plenty of flying time, layovers, and a bus drive between here and the resort. I should challenge myself to knit a whole pair of socks (for a child!!) during that time. Can I do it, if I start knitting right after takeoff at PDX?
I will keep you posted.
Ladies, gentlemen (are there any gentleman?)... take care, and I'll "see" you soon.
I am trying to prepare for this, and while I'm going solo, and it should be easy... there is some planning to do, considering the fact, that my family has to somehow survive without their mother, which will be just fine... But the father of my lovely brood wants a schedule for their classes, for their work at home. Aside from that I have some Village Home stuff to take care of. I also have to hit the library, and Michael's for yarn (I have become a sock knitting fool). I found out on the TSA website, that it is in fact alright to take knitting needles on board, and so I shall... because I have plenty of flying time, layovers, and a bus drive between here and the resort. I should challenge myself to knit a whole pair of socks (for a child!!) during that time. Can I do it, if I start knitting right after takeoff at PDX?
I will keep you posted.
Ladies, gentlemen (are there any gentleman?)... take care, and I'll "see" you soon.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
A blog post on my other blog...
The Humanist Homeschool Mom
A couple of years ago my husband and I started a program for secular families. We taught what we called "Rational Sunday School" to children. I remember our humble beginnings in a coffee shop. We talked about Galileo Galilei, evolution, dinosaurs, and finally about humans and ethics. We made a point not to make this program a religion bashing session. That's not what we're here for.
As a matter of fact, I am now even leaning toward calling it Secular Sunday School rather than Rational Sunday School, as I do not want to imply that religious people aren't capable of rational thought. That is NOT our mission.
The mission is to raise children to be open-minded, freethinking, ethical human beings, who will hopefully manage to live peacefully among their peers, may they be Christians, Muslims, Buddhists or Jews... Pagans, Wiccans or well, Atheists and Agnostics.
In the bigger picture my very own mission is also to promote a more positive picture of atheism. If I can help even in a small way to make people understand, that we are not out to get them, that we are not grumpy and angry (well, some are, but I'm not)... and if in the process I can show the children in my class, that there are more of us and that it's okay to be us, then I know I will have accomplished something, that in the future my children won't have to accomplish anymore. It will already be done for them. Ideally my children will not face the exact same struggles as we do... I'd hate to think that there is no learning curve from generation to generation. ;-)
Well, this fall we will finish up our Six Pillars of Character Curriculum. These six pillars should really be taught to all humans, religious or non-religious, although I must say that most of them we know intuitively. We are born with a conscience, and very quickly we learn what it means to be honest and caring and responsible etc. The Six Pillars are: Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Trustworthiness and Citizenship. It's amazing to see the kids put their minds to the subject, to see a message go through to them. And my hopes are that they do go home and put these lessons to good use.
I'm also working on "what comes next" in our Sunday School journey. I want to teach religious education to the kids. I want them to understand what Christianity is. I want them to understand what Judaism and Buddhism is. I want to try to cover all the major world religions, and then I want to cover ancient religions... the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman gods, and the Norse gods. I hope to instill a curiosity in the kids to find out, how these religions started... and why some just disappeared, while others lived on into modern times. By the time we're done I hope the kids will have a real understanding of religion... in a kid friendly way. It's a challenge, that much is clear. And sometimes I wonder how I ended up being the one to teach this class. After all, what credentials do I have? Am I even capable of teaching religious education to these kids?
Well, I'm a homeschooler. And almost 4 years ago, when I looked into the "subject" of homeschooling, I didn't hesitate very long. I jumped right into the deep end and started swimming. The same is true for our Secular Sunday School. I had to either jump and swim... or sit at the side of the pool and dangle my feet into the water. And that just simply wasn't an option. I like swimming... :)
A couple of years ago my husband and I started a program for secular families. We taught what we called "Rational Sunday School" to children. I remember our humble beginnings in a coffee shop. We talked about Galileo Galilei, evolution, dinosaurs, and finally about humans and ethics. We made a point not to make this program a religion bashing session. That's not what we're here for.
As a matter of fact, I am now even leaning toward calling it Secular Sunday School rather than Rational Sunday School, as I do not want to imply that religious people aren't capable of rational thought. That is NOT our mission.
The mission is to raise children to be open-minded, freethinking, ethical human beings, who will hopefully manage to live peacefully among their peers, may they be Christians, Muslims, Buddhists or Jews... Pagans, Wiccans or well, Atheists and Agnostics.
In the bigger picture my very own mission is also to promote a more positive picture of atheism. If I can help even in a small way to make people understand, that we are not out to get them, that we are not grumpy and angry (well, some are, but I'm not)... and if in the process I can show the children in my class, that there are more of us and that it's okay to be us, then I know I will have accomplished something, that in the future my children won't have to accomplish anymore. It will already be done for them. Ideally my children will not face the exact same struggles as we do... I'd hate to think that there is no learning curve from generation to generation. ;-)
Well, this fall we will finish up our Six Pillars of Character Curriculum. These six pillars should really be taught to all humans, religious or non-religious, although I must say that most of them we know intuitively. We are born with a conscience, and very quickly we learn what it means to be honest and caring and responsible etc. The Six Pillars are: Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Trustworthiness and Citizenship. It's amazing to see the kids put their minds to the subject, to see a message go through to them. And my hopes are that they do go home and put these lessons to good use.
I'm also working on "what comes next" in our Sunday School journey. I want to teach religious education to the kids. I want them to understand what Christianity is. I want them to understand what Judaism and Buddhism is. I want to try to cover all the major world religions, and then I want to cover ancient religions... the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman gods, and the Norse gods. I hope to instill a curiosity in the kids to find out, how these religions started... and why some just disappeared, while others lived on into modern times. By the time we're done I hope the kids will have a real understanding of religion... in a kid friendly way. It's a challenge, that much is clear. And sometimes I wonder how I ended up being the one to teach this class. After all, what credentials do I have? Am I even capable of teaching religious education to these kids?
Well, I'm a homeschooler. And almost 4 years ago, when I looked into the "subject" of homeschooling, I didn't hesitate very long. I jumped right into the deep end and started swimming. The same is true for our Secular Sunday School. I had to either jump and swim... or sit at the side of the pool and dangle my feet into the water. And that just simply wasn't an option. I like swimming... :)
Monday, September 7, 2009
Random Ramblings
1) It appears that autumn has arrived. We're told that a mini heatwave will hit us here mid-week, with a high of 90F. I have a feeling that will be the end of summer. We had as much rain yesterday as in the previous three months combined, it seems. Ah yes, the beautiful Pacific Northwest. :)
2) The problem I have with this weather is that the cantaloupe I planted in May is just now developing fruits. They are beautiful, but still very very green, and I'm afraid that I will not get to eat them, which is a real pity.
3) I have two kids here, one playing a game on a laptop, the other one playing a game on the DS... each of them making a ton of noise. Meh...
4) I'm going to Jamaica soon, and I still do not have a swimsuit. What'll I do??? I went to the swim wear place in town and about passed out at the sight of their prices. The one swimsuit that "appealed" to me was (even on sale) almost $100. What the heck?? It's a piece of fabric. Why would I spend a hundred bucks on it? Where else can I go to buy swimsuits at the end of summer?
5) I have a little message stuck on my board asking me, "Have you written anything yet?" This is supposed to serve as a reminder that I actually have to sit down each day and write. It doesn't matter what. An article, a story, my book... or just well, Random Ramblings I suppose.
6) Last night I went to see Julie & Julia and loved it. And I was totally inspired to cook more adventurous again. I love to cook and I'm good at it. And no, I'm not going to start a blog, cooking each and every Julia Child recipe for the next year. I might as well shoot myself.
7) I love Stephanie Plum novels. :)
8) I love the song Uprising by Muse. I want to listen to it all day long. It is soooooo awesome.
9) I lost three pounds. Thank you, Michael Pollan. You have changed my life. I want to meet Michael Pollan. How could I have missed his visit to Portland earlier this year? *sigh*
10) My mens lasted 5 days. Hundreds of dollars spent on a couple of doctor's visits... and now everything just goes back to normal? After 6 and a half years everything just simply goes back to normal? Hmph... uh... hooray?
11) Making preserves is fun. Who knew I'd turn into my grandma? Today: apple jelly. Yum!
12) When I was 25 I told everyone that at 35 I'd get a boob job. Reduction and lift. I will be 35 in three days. I am no longer interested in a boob job. How did I become wise? I'm wise, right? Anybody? Echooooooo!!!
13) My birch trees have red and yellow leaves... thanks not to early fall, but to Toothless Fairy, who took the water colors to the birch trees and gave them an autumn makeover.
14) Life is pretty darn good... even on a Monday morning.
2) The problem I have with this weather is that the cantaloupe I planted in May is just now developing fruits. They are beautiful, but still very very green, and I'm afraid that I will not get to eat them, which is a real pity.
3) I have two kids here, one playing a game on a laptop, the other one playing a game on the DS... each of them making a ton of noise. Meh...
4) I'm going to Jamaica soon, and I still do not have a swimsuit. What'll I do??? I went to the swim wear place in town and about passed out at the sight of their prices. The one swimsuit that "appealed" to me was (even on sale) almost $100. What the heck?? It's a piece of fabric. Why would I spend a hundred bucks on it? Where else can I go to buy swimsuits at the end of summer?
5) I have a little message stuck on my board asking me, "Have you written anything yet?" This is supposed to serve as a reminder that I actually have to sit down each day and write. It doesn't matter what. An article, a story, my book... or just well, Random Ramblings I suppose.
6) Last night I went to see Julie & Julia and loved it. And I was totally inspired to cook more adventurous again. I love to cook and I'm good at it. And no, I'm not going to start a blog, cooking each and every Julia Child recipe for the next year. I might as well shoot myself.
7) I love Stephanie Plum novels. :)
8) I love the song Uprising by Muse. I want to listen to it all day long. It is soooooo awesome.
9) I lost three pounds. Thank you, Michael Pollan. You have changed my life. I want to meet Michael Pollan. How could I have missed his visit to Portland earlier this year? *sigh*
10) My mens lasted 5 days. Hundreds of dollars spent on a couple of doctor's visits... and now everything just goes back to normal? After 6 and a half years everything just simply goes back to normal? Hmph... uh... hooray?
11) Making preserves is fun. Who knew I'd turn into my grandma? Today: apple jelly. Yum!
12) When I was 25 I told everyone that at 35 I'd get a boob job. Reduction and lift. I will be 35 in three days. I am no longer interested in a boob job. How did I become wise? I'm wise, right? Anybody? Echooooooo!!!
13) My birch trees have red and yellow leaves... thanks not to early fall, but to Toothless Fairy, who took the water colors to the birch trees and gave them an autumn makeover.
14) Life is pretty darn good... even on a Monday morning.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Disney Fairies revisited
Well, some of you can be proud of me now. :) I allowed me daughter to sign up for Disney Fairies, if she paid for it with her own money. She was excited and sat and played for the next couple of days.
Then she played again after another two days or so. Then again after about a week. She has not signed on for about a week, her initial euphoria about being able to do this and buy that, has worn off, and when I asked her if she wanted to renew next month, she shrugged her shoulders. She's just not quite sure... ;-)
Enter www.girlsense.com! A website for girls, that allows you to create fashion, sell it, buy it, and earn trophies and such. As far as I know it's free. :) My daughter is happy. I am too.
All is well.
Then she played again after another two days or so. Then again after about a week. She has not signed on for about a week, her initial euphoria about being able to do this and buy that, has worn off, and when I asked her if she wanted to renew next month, she shrugged her shoulders. She's just not quite sure... ;-)
Enter www.girlsense.com! A website for girls, that allows you to create fashion, sell it, buy it, and earn trophies and such. As far as I know it's free. :) My daughter is happy. I am too.
All is well.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
When the good news are bad news...
So, if you've been reading me for a while, you know I have had some health issues, that had me visiting one doctor after another after another. Everyone of these doctors did a variety of tests on me. Blood tests, ultrasounds, x-rays... you name it. I was always sent home with the same information: You are a perfectly healthy woman. Go home. Or well, my very first doctor, upon my complaint that I had 3 weeks of menses, told me that nature hated me, and I had to just live with that.
Well, nature must really hate me a lot. Because six years later I still have that problem. Where friends don't even wear tampons I could open my own factory just for my own supply of tampons.
Recently I added fatigue, weight gain, skin problems and a couple of other symptoms to the list, and I decided it was once again time to see a doctor. I was convinced that he was it. He was awesome. He listened. He didn't blow me off, and he promised that if the blood tests came back normal, he'd stick with me until we figure out what the heck is wrong with me.
Ah yes, here it is, two weeks later... the blood test results are here, and I found at, yet again, that I am perfectly healthy. My thyroid levels: perfect. My hormones, my thises and thats, everything is just wonderful, Mrs. M. Alone my vitamin D is ever so slightly low. Nothing that would cause any symptoms though... and it would most certainly not explain the long menses. My doctor looks at me apologetically, smiles a sheepish smile and announces that he has no explanation, and he can also not help me any further.
Why didn't I bring a tape recorder two weeks ago? Dang!!
My doctor referred me to an internist for women, great doctor, no nonsense, down to earth... blah blah. "Maybe she'll be able to help you."
Oh sure, yeah, she'll help me, just like the long list of doctors before her. More tests that will return absolutely nothing.
I will not go back to a doctor. I have lost faith in Western medicine, and will from now on rely on myself to find the answer to my question. I will no longer be willing to shove money down the throats of people, wearing white coats, "practicing" medicine. Yes, practicing is the right word.
My birthday is in 9 days. I will be 35. The good news is, I get a (rather expensive) gift... a clean bill of health. The bad news? Oh, let's not get started about the bad news.
Well, nature must really hate me a lot. Because six years later I still have that problem. Where friends don't even wear tampons I could open my own factory just for my own supply of tampons.
Recently I added fatigue, weight gain, skin problems and a couple of other symptoms to the list, and I decided it was once again time to see a doctor. I was convinced that he was it. He was awesome. He listened. He didn't blow me off, and he promised that if the blood tests came back normal, he'd stick with me until we figure out what the heck is wrong with me.
Ah yes, here it is, two weeks later... the blood test results are here, and I found at, yet again, that I am perfectly healthy. My thyroid levels: perfect. My hormones, my thises and thats, everything is just wonderful, Mrs. M. Alone my vitamin D is ever so slightly low. Nothing that would cause any symptoms though... and it would most certainly not explain the long menses. My doctor looks at me apologetically, smiles a sheepish smile and announces that he has no explanation, and he can also not help me any further.
Why didn't I bring a tape recorder two weeks ago? Dang!!
My doctor referred me to an internist for women, great doctor, no nonsense, down to earth... blah blah. "Maybe she'll be able to help you."
Oh sure, yeah, she'll help me, just like the long list of doctors before her. More tests that will return absolutely nothing.
I will not go back to a doctor. I have lost faith in Western medicine, and will from now on rely on myself to find the answer to my question. I will no longer be willing to shove money down the throats of people, wearing white coats, "practicing" medicine. Yes, practicing is the right word.
My birthday is in 9 days. I will be 35. The good news is, I get a (rather expensive) gift... a clean bill of health. The bad news? Oh, let's not get started about the bad news.
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