Yard Sales and Birthdays

Had problems signing in, so I couldn't update, but not much has been going on here.

We had our GIANT yard sale Labor Day weekend. We got rid of lots of stuff! The remainder went to Goodwill, except a couple of things that I'll ebay. Its so nice having all that stuff gone, but it seems like our house is still full. I need to do another decluttering pass soon.

School is going well. Zach and Maddie are using a new curriculum this year. So far so good, but I need to buy a new printer to accomodate all the books we need to print. Laser printers are much more cost effective, so I'll be ordering one soon. Josh really enjoys the co-op classes. I think he enjoys the time with friends more than the classes, but that's ok. I need to find a program to start getting him prepared for SAT's.

Kate's enjoying her new car. I'm enjoying her new car. She's working a ton and going to school, so we don't get to see her very much these days. We really miss having the whole family together for supper.

Birthdays were fun. We celebrated both Josh and Kate's this past Sunday (the only day everyone was home together). Chips, soda, ice cream cake and tacos. YUM! Josh loved his guitar. Kate loved having her car paid for. Debt free is a beautiful thing. 2000 Chevy Cavalier - paid in full. God is good.

The day is winding to a close. Maddie's taking a bath with her baby Belle doll. Josh is playing the guitar. Tom's installing a new breaker for his shop with Zach's help. Kate's working. I'm going to trace a new shirt pattern out. Haven't decided what fabric I'll use to make it - something from my stash or something new. We'll see.

Today's (non) events

Couldn't sleep last night - Zach woke me up around 2:30 when he crawled into bed with us, and I just couldn't get back to sleep after that (thanks Zach :) ). So I did some cross stitch, did some internet searching, and finally fell asleep around 5:45 am. As much as I really hate not being able to sleep at night, our home is so very peaceful in the wee hours of the morning. It's nice to be able to enjoy them sometimes.

Katie started her classes this morning. So far so good - she likes all her teachers, and other than one inappropriate writing assignment, the classes look like she'll enjoy them. We went out car shopping with her today. Didn't find anything definite, but it's always fun to test drive a car and negotiate, even when you know they won't take your price.

Josh and I cleaned out the attic this morning. We have MORE stuff to sell at our yard sale. Gosh, how does one family collect so much? My goal is to get rid of anything we don't use. I think I have a long way to go.

So, I really didn't accomplish very much today. But it was a good day.

Blessings,
Tanya

My Morning

School has officially started for Josh. Zach and Maddie are impatiently waiting for Friday - they get to take classes at our homeschool co-op. Katie starts on Monday.

So, this morning I was up at 4:00 am. Zach wasn't feeling well and he crawled into bed with us. Out of bed at 7:00, shower, etc. Take Kate to work at 7:30, run into Target to pick up some last minute school supplies for Josh, drive home, get little kids dressed, fed, ready for the day, sew Josh's jeans that he wanted to wear today and were ripped along a seam (he told me last night at about 9:30), make up his daily schedule draft to take to chemistry class as proof that he has time in his schedule to do the work he's going to need to do, drive back into town for dr. appointment (the fun annual physical, blood work, etc. woohoo), hit Big Lots for a magnifying glass set that Josh needs for today that no one else in Texas seems to carry, drive home, call Josh on the way and tell him to be ready to go because there's lots of construction, come home, inhale a rice cake with peanut butter, make one for Josh because he "forgot" to get lunch, get everyone into the van, drive back into town taking the long way because construction is really slowing everyone down, get to enrichment 2 minutes late, but still early (class starts at 12:00, everyone must arrive at the building by 11:50 so as to still have time to get to class), turn around, drive home, get lunch for the littler kids, find the daily schedule draft that I wrote for Josh on the counter because he didn't put it into his bag when I told him to, do the dishes from breakfast and lunch, check email and that brings me to now. Just a typical day in the Blanchard home.

I must say, there is an odd sense of beauty in the busyness of daily life. At least I know I accomplished something today.

What the World Eats

Here's a link to a great photo article. What a big difference between industrialized countries and non-industrialized.
What the World Eats

Here's what this tells me. We American's are fat and spoiled. We eat a ton of processed and prepared foods. We eat lots of white flour products, lots of sugar, and very little fruits and vegetables, then we complain that we're overweight and have no energy. I don't know much about most of the countries listed, but you can really tell which ones are prospering and which aren't. We also spend a HUGE amount of money on food. I personally don't really know how to spend less than I currently do and still eat relatively healthy. I can spend less and eat lots of carbs, but fruit and vegies seem to be our personal budget killers, and meat is even more expensive! I think I'm going to start looking for cookbooks published in the 30's and 40's. The people who lived during the depression knew how to stretch their food dollar.

What I know for sure

Wow, I haven't posted in a while. It's not that I don't have anything to say, God knows I have LOTS to say. I just don't know how to say all the things that run through my head. The summer is nearing an end for us, and I need to start getting my mind back into "homeschooling mode". Zach and Maddie are out playing with friends, Josh is playing the guitar, Kate's at school, Tom's taking a nice long soak in the tub - he deserves it, he works so hard.

I'm enjoying a moment of peace, contemplating the future both near and far. This is what I know for sure:

My husband is the perfect match for me
My children are amazing
Life is too complicated, but we're the ones who make it that way
Paying a mortgage stinks!
Homeowner's associations stink!
I want to live on more land than a 50'X 120' lot
I LOVE fabric
I love fresh garden produce
I don't sew enough
I wish I had my degree
Clutter is distracting
T.V. is a waste of time
The government is out of control
Friends are priceless


Hmmm, maybe I don't know as much as I thought I did.

Our Next Home

My son found this amazing website. A low impact home built by the owners and "help from passers by".

Imagine - No mortgage. No utility bills. No traffic. Just living. I think you have to have an amazing garden if you live there. Its a requirement. You also have to bake bread every day. I'd have to have power to run my sewing machine, but then again, when you live in a house like this you stitch everything by hand. Or you cut out the patterns, and at night while you're sleeping, little fairies come into your home and stitch everything together for you.....

Now to find the land to build it on.

Check out the website here.

Its a Boy!

I'm an aunt again. My brother Bob and his girlfriend Rachel just had their baby. He was born Saturday morning around 1:00 am by c-section. Bob said the umbilical cord was wrapped around his waist and it was holding him in like a seatbelt. The new baby is 20 3/4 inces long and weighs 7 lbs. 12 oz. He doesn't have a name yet, but Bob promises to email everyone once they decide on one. What a beautiful baby. I can't wait to hold him!

Supreme Court Recognizes Homeschooling

"For the first time, homeschooling has been recognized as a viable educational alternative," writes J. Michael Smith.

A case which recently went to the U.S. Supreme Court, Morse v. Frederick, involved whether or not a public school can limit freedom of speech. The case was decided 5-4, saying that the school principal did not violate the rights of a student when she removed a banner of his that advocated illegal drug use.

In his opinion of the case, Justice Clarence Thomas stated, “If parents do not like the rules imposed by those schools, they can seek redress in school boards or legislatures; they can send their children to private schools or home school them; or they can simply move.”

So, the good news, is that homeschooling is finally recognized by the Supreme Court. The bad news is that public schools have ultimate authority over our children if they attend the school.

Read the Washington Times article here.

Which Jane Austen Character are You?

You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

Take the Quiz here!

When I changed an answer that could go either way, I became Elizabeth Bennett. Not so sure about that one. I'm not tremendously attractive, and sometimes I AM the sea of silliness. I am rather judgemental though, so perhaps it is correct.

You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and oftentimes find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of silliness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgement that serves you very ill indeed.

Take the Quiz here!

Uncle Sam Wants Your Children

The Maryland State Board has ruled to allow a curriculum in middle and high schools that will teach children that homosexuality is perfectly ok. The curriculum will also teach children the correct way use a condom. Great. Just what our kids should be learning in school. I guess since they are failing at teaching kids how to read and do math, they've decided to teach our kids more about sex. They've been doing that for a while, and just look how successful they are! The teenage pregancy rate is doing very well. STD's are also doing very well. So finally, the state schools have found something they are good at - corrupting our children.

If parents don't want their children taught this curriculum, well, too bad. The state board wrote, although a parent does have a right to control the upbringing of a child, "that right is not absolute. It must bend to the State's duty to educate its citizens". Nice. Since when is it the State's "duty" to corrupt my children or indoctrinate them with ideas that are not ours?

Read the full article here.

Why Do Americans Get Married?

According to a survey completed by Pew Research, Americans have changed their opinion on what determines a successful marriage. Once upon a time, the reason for marriage was to bear and raise children. Now, by a margin of 3 to 1, the reason for marriage is for mutual happiness and fulfillment over having children. So we've gone from roles of responsibility, sacrifice and adulthood, to "What will make me happy right now?" No wonder the divorce rate is so high! If you wake up one morning and don't "feel" happy, its time to check out and find someone new to provide for you happiness and fulmillment.

In the survey, 62% of respondents said sharing household chores was an important determining factor for a successful marriage. Why not just hire a maid or a handyman service? Why do you need to get married to share chores? Back in 1990, 65% of people surveyed thought children were very important to a good marriage. Now only 41% say children are important. Of course, in this day and age, you can also pay for services to become pregnant or add to your family - IVF, Egg donors, surrigate parenting, adoption, etc. And you don't have to be married. Don't get me wrong, I think the technology we have to allow infertile couples a chance to have a baby is wonderful. And I think adoption is a great way to become a parent whether you can have biological children or not. BUT. I still think (call me old-fashioned), that children should be raised in a home with two parents of the opposite sex who are committed to a lifelong relationship. Its called marriage. Till death do we part.

We, as a society, have a long way to go to return to the things that made our country great.

Read the article here:
Marriage Survey

Rag Curler Result

Yesterday I thought it would be fun to try curling Maddie's hair with rag curlers. You know, the old fashioned curling iron that doesn't damage your hair. Well, this is what she looked like with her hair in rags. Kind of cute, I think.




Here's after from the back. What beautiful ringlets! Of course it helps that her hair has natural curl anyway.




Now if I could find a way to curl my own hair that way without my husband seeing the "before".....

What Flower are you?

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

I am a Canna What Flower Are You?

So, I just took this fun quiz to see what flower I am. I had a couple of answers that could go either way, so I'm both a Canna - ""You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that.", and a Snapdragon, but I forgot to copy what it said about Snapdragons, and when I changed the answers back to my original ones it still came up as a Canna. So I guess that's what I am.

Today I'm experimenting with rag curlers on Maddie's hair. She has such beautiful hair that I thought it would be fun to try. I'll try to post pictures of how it turns out.

Rain

Its raining. Again. I need to check my address, 'cause I thought we lived in Texas now, and I'm beginning to think maybe not. Perhaps we're still in Maine and this has just been a really bad dream. I'll wake up soon, and we'll be in Maine, with friends, my kids will all be happy, my husband won't be, but maybe the dream state will continue and he'd like it there. Hmmm. What is God's lesson in this?

Josh is in Colorado at Scout camp for a week. I miss him. A lot. Just as soon as Katie came home, Josh left. I want all my children to be home. I want all my children to WANT to be home. Oh well, they grow up and move on. At least I still have a few years with Zach and Maddie.

Did I mention that its raining? Again.

Does a fish know its wet?

Why is it so easy to see what other people should do or shouldn't do, and it is SO hard to see that clearly in your own life? Its so easy to tell others (or at least think about telling others), "Just watch what you eat", "Get organized", "Clean your house and stop coming up with excuses", "Go back to school", "Get a better job", etc., etc., etc. So who tells us these things? And if someone did, would you really listen? It's so easy to just get angry, get offended and start listing back all the things THEY should do. How do you look at your own life and really see it? How do you look at your personality from the outside - you know, the way others really see you, not they way you hope you come across? I'm not sure its possible. When you are so immersed in something, you stop seeing it objectively. You start taking on characteristics of whatever is around you, and you don't even realize it.

So, does a fish know its wet?