Five for Friday

For some time now, I have been contemplating a post each week which has some kind of category and a list.  Because I am a bear of very little brain, a top-10-type list was too much.  But Five for Friday sounds about right to me.  I invite any of my blogging friends to join me in this Friday posting idea.

Let me start with five things worthy of reinstating the stocks and the pillory.  You know stocks and pillories, Gentle Reader-- those places where depraved persons would be forcibly tethered and their fellow citizens could throw rotten fruits and vegetables at them and discgrace them in public?  It seems to me that there are a few categories of people for whom this would be a just, nay even a gracious, punishment.  And here they are:
1. Computer hackers, who wreak havoc with the time of others for sport.
2. Identity theives, not content to steal from others, but set on ruining lives of others.
3. People who riot.  Whatever the supposed "spark", anger is never a righteous justification for wholesale destruction of property and the livlihood of others. When it comes to people who inflame others to riot,  I am not sure the stocks or pillories is actually sufficient for those folks.  Inflaming emotion rather than reasoning with others and seeking reconciliation is evil.
4. People who vandalize and destroy things of function or beauty just for the sake of the destruction.  Such people are barbarians, and need to be taught what it means to live in a civilized society.
5.  People who write (articles, books, research papers, homework) for others to claim as their own, and the people who pay them to do it.  This is a type of moral theft and deep dishonesty that ought not to be countenanced

What would you add to my list, Gentle Reader?

Christmas Projects- Part 1

Several projects were completed by my DH and me for Christmas giving.  Below are a sampling. Watch for Part 2 to see some more!

Every year I make ornaments for my neices and now for my grand daughters.  This year I made felt owls, or as Emma calls them, "Who whos."

Dave completed a child's step stool for Ada, and I helped by painting her name on it.

Emma will soon be going into a "big girl" toddler bed from her crib, so I made a quilt and pillow case for it.

Emma seemed to take to it right away.

  

Dave built Emma a doll bed which I outfitted with sheets and pillows and a quilt to match Emma's quilt.

Stay tuned to see Ada's activity book and several other projects!

And now for something completely different...

This fellow always makes me laugh...

Come Saturday Morning

I woke up singing this song today for no reason whatsoever, except that it is Saturday, of course.  may you have a Saturday friend to have adventures with, Gentle Reader.  I've been married to my Saturday friend for 32.5 years, and we have been having adventures for more like 36 years.  What a joy.

Sabbath Song-- but only sort of

My pastor encouraged us to watch this.  You have to know my pastor.  It tickled me, so here is something completely different:

On the Last One Leaving

It's that time of year again, when parents are sniffling as they pass the rooms of their children who are packing to head off to college, or feeling a tight sensation in their throats when they contemplate returning to a house without someone precious in it.  With this in mind, a friend asked recently for me to re-post an article  I wrote for our state homeschool newsletter several years ago. At the time, I had just taken my youngest son and put him on the plane to head to college.  We were following later, and would see him in a week or so.  But it felt like a big deal to me!  So, here you go, Teri.  Hope it is an encouragement to those of you with aching hearts this season, Gentle Readers!

On the Last One Leaving

This morning, I drove with my youngest child the two-hours of highway through the desert of northern New Mexico to the airport at Albuquerque.  It was the first step on his 1500 mile journey to college.  In the back of my car were two large backpacks and three large suitcases filled with most of his worldly belongings.  But the most precious assets of the boy beside me could not be found by rifling through the tee-shirts and jeans, books, posters and CDs.

This fledgling young man has been the object of my wrestling and rejoicing in prayer for more than 18 years.  The Lord called his dad and me, first with his older brother, then with him, to leave what we knew behind us and trust God in their nurturing, admonition and education.  That led us often to struggle with them, and in that struggle, we discovered that the real enemy was us: our sin, our failures, our selfishness.  God used this young man, once a child, to make me what He wanted me to be—to lead me where He wanted me to go.  And wonder of wonders, in the process this young man became my brother and my friend.  He now bears the fruit of the journey we have been on with the Lord over the course of his life.

“You know to call when you get there,” I say.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he answers.

“And you will make daily time with the Lord a priority, and get involved with a good church right away?”

“Of course, Mom,” he says with a patient smile that reminds me he has heard this before.

Then he slips off to sleep beside me as he has done a hundred times before.  That gives me a chance to thank God for him quietly, for the privilege of nurturing two young men who now begin their own journeys to stand for the cause of Christ in the world.  Now I can let my heart overflow into tears without dampening the joy of his day.  He is ready and excited.  This is a day we have anticipated, prayed for, and dreamed of together.  And yet how can it be that it has arrived, already, on this beautiful, clear morning with a brilliant sun beating upon us as it has so often done?

It can be a daunting thing to drive back to an empty home which has been full.  And yet this is one more step on that journey from a place of familiarity to a place of trust.  The struggle, sweetness and fullness of the journey behind us makes the pain of leaving it more intense, but also makes the promise of the journey to come more inviting.  As I drive through the high plains desert back towards the Jemez Mountains, I rejoice in the God who has made all things well—the earth, and all those who dwell there—and who once sent out a Son of His own. 

Something out of this world

Several years back, when my youngest son, Tim, worked as an undergraduate at Los Alamos National Laboratory, he worked with his mentor, David Lawrence, and other associates, on a project called ChemCam. The ChemCam landed just yesterday as part of the Mars Curiosity Rover on the surface of Mars. So, a little bit of Tim's work is now on another planet!  How cool is that?!  Well done, Tim!  And "hurrah" for all the scientists who have made Curiosity a reality.  What an amazing thing!

Unproductive hyperbole...

I love my hometown.  I love its natural beauty.  I like its geeky people. I like its amazing history, and the things it has contributed to the world.  So I was pretty amazed when my sweet husband brought home this quote:

There is no single institution on earth that undermines the well-being of the world more than the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Northern New Mexico.

 Seems a little bit over-stated, don't you think? I mean, given the institutions this world has seen, to choose this one as the worst in the world is rather breathtaking.  If the USSR under Stalin that killed 20 million of its own people on purpose is not relevant because it no longer exists, how about nominating the Syrian government, or the Sudanese government, with their disregard for their own citizens.  But no, name instead a scientific laboratory that has given the world many major breakthroughs in every kind of science.  And after all, it is right on the top of a web site, so it must be the truth...

I am weary of this sort of over-hyped statement, no matter what the source.  It may be left or right, conservative or liberal. What ever happened to civil discourse and clear, rational thinking? I guess those are relics of a bygone day, and perhaps I am, too.  So ignore this, Gentle Reader, as the deranged ramblings of a bitter old woman.

On Friday, my little home town will be over-run by people who desire to break the law. I keep thinking that there must be something more productive they could do with their time.

Finally finished projects

Dave and I finally finished some projects that were mostly done by the beginning of December, and which were intended to be Christmas gifts. *sigh* Well, now it's March, but they are done. :-)

This is a rocking llama made for Emma by Pampa.  All I did was encourage and paint the eye. As soon as a car travels between here and there, Larry Llama will reside in Tucson. He is beautifully made of black walnut.

Above is a quilt for Ada.  it's rather large for a baby quilt, but I had fun making it, and somehow missed the size when I was choosing the pattern...It is a little wider than a double-sized bed...

And this is an activity book I made for Emma.  Below are a few or the pages.

Amazing Grace

This morning, from the comfort of my chair, I enjoyed the talk that Eric Metaxas gave at the National Prayer breakfast.  I found him funny, winsome, and challenging.  Give it a listen! (HT: Amy)

Happy 400th birthday, KJV (King Jame Version of the bible)

HT: TC

LTCA

I will admit it.  I hate the time changes.  I suppose others do, too.  Did you know that the first workday after this spring change is the most dangerous working day of the year? And apparently it's not just work accidents that increase.  So take care out there, Gentle Readers! And perhaps we need to begin a new grass-roots movement: LTCA: Leave The Clock Alone.  Wanna join me?

My favorite recent flash mob...

Thanks to CM for sending this my way.  It made me smile!

Interesting thoughts on education...

HT: Figaro

The desert...

All I can say about the desert is that it grows on one over time.  Those of you, Gentle Readers, who live in green and verdant places, full of water and humidity, can't imagine the quality of the light in the desert, the subtle (and not so subtle) shades of the earth and sky, and the wild variety of life that thrives there.  The Sonoran Desert is quickly becoming a favorite of mine-- especially in the winter, or from the inside of a air-conditioned vehicle.I don't love the heat.  But I love the light.

I write like...

Thanks to CM, I had fun experimenting today.

I write like
George Orwell

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

The excerpt I used one:

As homeschoolers, we live in a blessed time.  The Lord has provided freedom, abundant curriculum choices, and many avenues of support for our endeavors: this is a far cry from the days many remember of fighting for basic rights.  But even in a time of such blessing, homeschooling is an intense job, requiring parents to work hard and tirelessly in order to provide the best possible Christian education for their children.  Why in the world would an already harried homeschool parent consider a teaching method as teacher-intensive as “classical education”?  And, more importantly, why would a Christian, who understands our most important job is to equip our children to glorify God and enjoy Him forever , choose such a method?


First, let’s begin with a definition of “classical education”.  Indeed, defining just what “classical education” is presents a challenge in itself. It is a methodology and movement that has grown, changed and altered over the centuries.  It continues to be adapted today as many of us seek to reclaim the “lost tools of learning” .  It is all too easy to caricature instead of accurately representing this educational method.  Classical Christian education, according to Andrew Kerns,  is “the cultivation of wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul on truth, goodness, and beauty by means of the liberal arts so that, in Christ, the student is better able to know and enjoy God.”  Classical education is that method of instruction which is the legacy of the Christian middle ages, Christian Europe, and early America.  Its roots lie in both the Greco-Roman and Hebrew cultures.  It is word-centered, rigorous, and has as its goal the practice of Christian virtue--not just the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.   The mentoring of the pupil by the instruction and example of the teacher is its characteristic ingredient, and together, teacher and pupil move towards study of the “queen of the sciences”, theology. 

Classical education is occasionally characterized as the emulation of pagan authors and philosophies.  While study of all of history is important, “classical” education, in its broader historical sense does not necessarily imply that we admire and revere Roman or Greek or pagan theology.  While classical education may include some careful study of the ancient period, it would be inaccurate to characterize it as focused on pagan beliefs.

Then, I decided to use a different kind of writing, and entered the following:

This morning, I drove with my youngest child the two-hours of highway through the desert of northern New Mexico to the airport at Albuquerque. It was the first step on his 1500 mile journey to college. In the back of my car were two large backpacks and three large suitcases filled with most of his worldly belongings. But the most precious assets of the boy beside me could not be found by rifling through the tee-shirts and jeans, books, posters and CDs.

This fledgling young man has been the object of my wrestling and rejoicing in prayer for more than 18 years. The Lord called his dad and me, first with his older brother, then with him, to leave what we knew behind us and trust God in their nurturing, admonition and education. That led us often to struggle with them, and in that struggle, we discovered that the real enemy was us: our sin, our failures, our selfishness. God used this young man, once a child, to make me what He wanted me to be—to lead me where He wanted me to go. And wonder of wonders, in the process this young man became my brother and my friend. He now bears the fruit of the journey we have been on with the Lord over the course of his life.

“You know to call when you get there,” I say.
“Yes, Ma’am,” he answers.
“And you will make daily time with the Lord a priority, and get involved with a good church right away?”
“Of course, Mom,” he says with a patient smile that reminds me he has heard this before.

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

 Oh dear... At least CM writes like Daniel Defoe...

The snake and the frog...

I thought as I took this video that the snake had the frog's leg, but actually, it had a hold on his soft throat underneath the water.  Eventually, in an amazing "turn" of events, the frog pulled the snake out to the water, and turned around like crazy and made good his escape.  It was just slightly creepy to watch from a few feet away, and made me sure i did not want to tip the canoe and go into that water!

A possible rant...

If I wanted to rant a bit about something that doesn't really matter, I might rant about weather forecasters on television. First of all, they have the authoritative tone of the expert, which very few of them are. They are info-tainers. And they have that media mania of making everything seem like a crisis: the driest/wettest month on record; the highest/lowest recorded temperature, etc. And it appears they don't understand the whole concept of average temperature. I heard a news weather man the other day say, "Well, we're a little below average in temperature today." The temperature was 72 degrees. The "average" temperature was 73. Has he ever heard of a margin of error? Or does he understand that there is no such day as "average", if it is an actual average of every day of that date for the last 100 years?

Don't get me wrong. I value science. I just tire of arrogance, ignorance, and over-statement.

Maybe I should stop watching the news at lunch time...

Pixelated...

If you remember playing your first video game on an Atari, saving quarters for playing the video games at the Local Pizza Hut, and a time when you didn't have a computer in your home, this will likely make you laugh as it did me.



(HT: TC)

Fun for a bleak February...

The photo at right shows how it looked on our street early yesterday. Sometimes the bleakness of winter causes us to find relief in unexpected places. This morning in an e-mail with my friend Randy, he mentioned wanting to write a book of "The Lost Rules of Strunk and White". You know Strunk and White, Gentle Reader: that grammar book of pithy rules for keeping your writing crisp and clear? (You can see the updated version here, or find an older version online here.) It recently passed the 50th anniversary of printing in the current version (with both Strunk's original and White's additions) and many wrote of its pros and cons at that time. The book consists of a short rule, followed by examples. For instance:

Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas.

The best way to see a country, unless you are pressed for time, is to travel on foot.

This rule is difficult to apply; it is frequently hard to decide whether a single word, such as however, or a brief phrase, is or is not parenthetic. If the interruption to the flow of the sentence is but slight, the writer may safely omit the commas. But whether the interruption be slight or considerable, he must never omit one comma and leave the other.

Well, Randy suggested a book of the "lost" rules: the ones that never made it into the book. He suggested:

Never use the words "cat" and "stupid" in the same sentence. It is a redundancy.

And the following occurred to me:

Not every noun should be used as a verb for convenience.

My personal favorite example of this was recently seen on a billboard in Tucson, AZ: "If you 'officed' here, you would be home by now." I mean, really...

Or how about:

The manner in which one spells text messages should not be his guide for normative spelling.

If I get one more e-mail that ends with "Thnx"... How long does it really take, after all, to add the two additional letters that would make the spelling correct?

Well, I thought it might be diverting to ask you, Gentle Readers, if you have discovered any of these "lost rules" from Strunk and White. Share them in the comments, and bring some smiles to bleak February!