new look

Yesterday was hot. Not tropical hot, but it was too hot to not run the AC and I hate having hair sitting on the back of my neck 'cause it makes me sweat. So after a shower and with most of the children watching I took some scissors to my head. Since I cut all the kid's hair as well as keep Tim's military buzz in check I wasn't scared. After several really horrible haircuts as a child I have been mostly snipping my own hair for several years but was the first time I dared cut it so short.

Now I have a simple bob, think Katie Holmes (+ 15 years). All the fake blond has finally grown out and while I was tempted for about 30 seconds to dye it again, I like it.

grey fuzzballs

Last week a very rare set of three wild baby eagle chicks hatched at the Norfolk Botanical Garden. You can watch live footage here as well as link to video clips of Mommy and Daddy Bald Eagles feeding their young eel and fish. Checking out the eagles is now part of our daily routine, yesterday Will and I watched one eaglet go potty!

changes in latitude, changes in attitude

One thing I have noticed in living in both Maine and other places is the difference in attitude toward anything "green." In Maine recycling is a way of life, even tiny towns have dozens of recycling bins for almost everything at the transfer station (otherwise known as the dump), cashiers use as few plastic bags as possible, and nothing seems to be wasted in the trash - no finding antiques out by the curb for sure!

In Virginia, North Carolina, and now DC, every trip to the grocery results in a pile of over 30 plastic bags on my kitchen floor. I hate to throw them away, instead using them as trash can liners all over the house. The baggers at the Commissary are the worst offenders, even though I ask to not have the milk, diapers, etc. put in bags they end up encased in double layers of plastic anyway. My tipping point was yesterday when I went up to the Giant to get a copy of the paper for the coupons, which weren't even there because it was a holiday weekend, and they put the newspaper in a bag!

I guess I will hit the thrift shop while the big kids are at piano lessons Tuesday and pick up 5-6 tote bags to pack up the groceries (my others got left up in Maine by accident). My only question is how long will it take to use up all the plastic bags I already have stuffed under the sink?

One year ago...

I was driving across the Monitor Merrimack Bridge Tunnel with a van filled with my weekly commissary haul when the radio announcer broke into my usual classical music with, "There has been a shooting at Virginia Tech. So far the police confirm 14 dead with more likely." I immediately began to cry for those poor teens, their families, and all my fellow Hokies. One year later I still can't comprehend the hatred and cruelty of the shooter, the enormity of the tragedy.

Virginia Tech is pausing to remember the victims of last year's massacre that left 32 victims dead.
A sea of people wearing orange and maroon flowed onto the school's main lawn, some clutching single roses, on the first anniversary of the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
Virginia Tech President Charles Steger told the crowd, "We remain deeply and profoundly saddened by the events of that tragic day."
Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine ordered state flags flown at half-staff, as well as a statewide moment of silence at noon followed by the tolling of bells. A candlelight vigil is set for the evening.

publication?

This past week I received a letter from Cricket Magazine asking me to rework an article and resubmit it. After getting many, many reject letters, I had given up hope of writing for children, but for the past two days I have been parked in front of the computer ripping out paragraphs, researching, and flipping through the thesaurus to find comparable words for treasure and beach. Please send a little prayer my way that the perfect words simply flow onto the page!

have a lot of kids? you snob you

This article, Three kids? You show offs. , from the Washington Post is amusing looking at it from the perspective of someone who has a lot of children and doesn't think it necessary to hire baby coaches, a nanny, pay private school tuition, or push junior around in a $800 stroller.

...the desire to have another child opens one up to charges of elitism and status consciousness. In many major U.S. cities and their suburbs -- especially New York, where I live -- having three or more children has now come to seem like an ostentatious display of good fortune, akin to owning a pied-Ã -terre in Paris. The family of five has become "deluxe." Last year, novelist Molly Jong-Fast mused in the New York Observer, "Are people having four or five children just because they can? Because they feel that it shows their wealth and status? In a world where the young rich use their $13,000 Birkin bags as diaper bags, one has to wonder."

love my hair, hate my hair

I have had so many bad haircuts in the past 35 years that a few years back I just quit going.

There was the time I was 7 and the lady at the beauty parlor tried her best to give me a Dorothy Hamill cut- I looked so much like a boy that my mother had to have a t shirt made that read 100% GIRL. There were the bad spiral perm, the red hair dye that stuck and I gave myself swimmer's ear trying to wash it out, and still ended up with pink hair for prom. There was the short wedge that made me look like a female golfer and the $100 haircut that made me look exactly as I had when I walked in the door. Finally I just gave up and grew it out long with bangs.

But the one consistency has been the color: golden blond, a far, far cry from my natural medium mouse brown. Several times I have tried to grow it out or dye it back, but I missed the youthfulness and sparkle the blond brought out and gave up. No more. After reading the book Growing Gray, What I Learned about Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity, and Everything Else That Really Matters a few weeks ago, I finally decided to go natural and a little shorter. I'm still not subjecting myself to the whims of a salon, but armed with a pair of scissors I layered the sides, hacked off 2" and bought some new styling products. My roots are about 3" long with some highlights, but I can no longer stand the expense, the fakery, the time it takes to attempt to look like I'm 22 when it is become increasingly obvious that I am approaching 40. (40? Yuck!) My hair needs to grow up.

Cheer me on my journey of exploration and discovery, 'cause I haven't seen my natural hair color since 1986.

putting organic veggies and the Pill in your basket?

Recently I have stopped buying my hormone-free milk at Whole Foods because I can now get it at Harris Teeter and besides the shorter drive, I can evade the stares and glares from the former's eco-extreme shoppers. "You are single-handedly overpopulating the planet," I can almost hear them saying.

When I see folks putting $4 a pound organic apples and $7 a pound free range chickens in their carts I wonder if they counteract all that by popping artificial birth control pills. And while reading Mother Earth News (just for the agriculture stuff) there is always some real life story about a couple living off the electrical grid, usually in a yurt (a big ugly round tent) and eating veggies they grew in compost made from their own waste (perhaps a slight exaggeration)and how this lifestyle is the most wholesome for Mother Earth, I wonder if they too put artificial chemicals in their bodies to stop their reproductive system from behaving naturally.

After all, the folks at the grocery nor the ones in the magazine seem to have any children. 'Cause we all have been fed the line that children are evil and the cause of all the problems in the world. If children didn't exist there would be no global warming, no acid rain, no suburban sprawl (well...), no crime, no cutting down of trees, no progress. Of course with no children there would be no humanity either, but that seems to be a slight oversight. So it pleases me to see some mention of how the hormones in ABC are dangerous to people and the environment. Maybe by reading this a seed of truth will be planted in those tree-hugger's minds...

Birth control pills, like batteries and baby bottles, have become the latest item in American homes to become a focus of environmental and health concerns. As scientists debate the effects of synthetic hormones that are flushed into waterways, the potential threat has sparked a clash between advocates and critics of the pill.

"I've heard a little bit about the bad things that birth control can do to the environment," said Casale, 26, who lives in New York City. "If it's causing major problems, I guess I would stop.

In 2003, a group of scientists in Washington state made headlines when they discovered that traces of synthetic estrogen in the state's rivers had reduced the fertility of male fish. Hormonal birth control pills and patches were blamed.

David Norris, a physiology professor at the University of Colorado ...said numerous reports show that estrogenic chemicals in water can result in thyroid problems and an adrenaline imbalance. Thyroid inhibitors are of major concern because they affect the nervous system's development and can cause permanent mental retardation. (link to article)

I can't do it

Quit blogging that is.

After a year of writing every day about our trials and joys as a largish Catholic homeschooling family, it seems to have become a part of my life. Perhaps I won't write every day, but I can promise more color since Tim bought me a digital camera and I can post pictures much more easily now.

what are you doing here?

This is what happens when two people who don't follow God's Laws #6, #8, #9, and #10:

WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish man got the shock of his life when he visited a brothel and spotted his wife among the establishment's employees. Polish tabloid Super Express said the woman had been making some extra money on the side while telling her husband she worked at a store in a nearby town.
"I was dumfounded. I thought I was dreaming," the husband told the newspaper Wednesday.
The couple, married for 14 years, are now divorcing, the newspaper reported.


God didn't give us the Ten Commandments to be mean, he gave them to us so we could be happy. It is said that a married couple who practices NFP cuts their risk of divorce by over 50% and it is said that married couples with many children are less likely to divorce as well. This is perhaps because both the husband and wife are striving to follow God's law and not be selfish. People who give of themselves to God and their neighbor are happier and assured they will never find their spouse working in or patronizing a brothel.

recession? inflation? deflation?

Tim has been reading a lot in the last 6 months or so about the financial health of our country and our dinner conversations have used a lot of words like bullion, hyper-inflation, sub-prime lenders, the gold standard (thought up by Sir Isaac Newton), and debt. Fewer economists are thinking that the economy will remain the same as it has been. Likely something bad is going to happen, but we don't really know what that entails. More frequently are news articles popping up stating the same, including this one:

New-Home Sales Plunge to Lowest Level in More Than 12 Years, Heighten Recession Fears

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The housing market plunged deeper into despair last month, with sales of new homes plummeting to their lowest level in more than 12 years.

"I think you can classify what we are seeing in the housing market as a crash," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. "Sales and home prices are in a free fall. The downturn is intensifying."


Would-be home buyers have found it more difficult to secure financing, especially for "jumbo" mortgages -- those exceeding $417,000. The tighter credit situation is deepening the housing slump. Unsold homes have piled up, which will force builders to cut back even more on construction and look for ways to sweeten the pot to lure prospective buyers.


Foreclosures have soared to record highs and probably will keep rising. A drop in home prices left some people stuck with balances on their home mortgages that eclipsed the worth of their home. Other home buyers were clobbered as low introductory rates on their mortgages jumped to much higher rates, which they couldn't afford.


Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan recently warned that the economy is "getting close to stall speed." The big worry is that the housing and credit troubles will force individuals to cut back on spending and businesses to cut back on hiring and capital investment, throwing the economy into a tailspin.


The most important thing you can do to prepare is reduce the amount of debt you owe. If money becomes worth less than it is today than large debt will become insurmountable, and if jobs become scarce than it is better to be as unencumbered as possible. Just like a smart coastal homeowner buys extra batteries and has an evacuation plan ready during hurricane season, the smart citizen of today will batten down the hatches of his finances for the likely on-coming storm.

women don't need more clothes

I don't know the state of other women's closets, but from watching several episodes of Home and Garden shows where they TV staff purges mountains of stuff from people's homes, I think we might have finally realized that we have enough stuff in our dresser drawers.

I have never understood the fascination with being "in fashion" after spending my hard-earned money in high school for a yellow neon sweatshirt so I could be like everyone else, only to find 2 months later that the exact same item was passe and had to be thrown away. I learned my lesson and have since stuck with classic dress clothes such as wool skirts and sweaters, cotton Liberty of London type summer skirts, and jeans and t shirts for casual wear. I buy almost all my clothes at thrift stores and can't recall the last time I went to the mall.

From high-end dresses to bargain coats, spending on women’s apparel dropped nearly 6 percent during the first half of the Christmas season, compared with the same period last year...
Analysts blamed a rough economy, which has discouraged women — and mothers, in particular — from splurging on clothing for themselves and a lack of compelling fashions this winter.

Even high-end women’s apparel companies like Coach have warned of a slowdown because of higher energy costs, a tight credit market and slipping home prices.
John D. Morris, senior retail analyst at Wachovia Securities, said that with less money to spend on gifts for their families, mothers “pull back on spending for themselves first.” New York Times.

It is refreshing to see an article mention sacrifice, especially for one's own children. After all, gifts for others is much more important than splurging on yourself, unless you are giving up buying yourself new undies so you can by Junior the latest Wii component.

what a blog is, and what it is not

I have been accused of censorship by moderating comments because a disgruntled atheist wants to write nasty things on MY blog. Sorry, a blog is a combination of diary, letter, newsletter, and photo gallery, it is not a government entity or a newspaper. I do not have to present both sides in any debate whatsoever. If you want to express your opinion and it is not something I want to be associated with I suggest you get your own blog.

(again I don't want this to be a debate board, there are plenty of those out there in internetland. This is a place to express my thoughts and to participate in the exchange of ideas among other moms who have large families, homeschool, are Catholic, or just like to read about our lives.)

instant justice?

MICCOSUKEE TRIBE INDIAN RESERVATION, Fla. (AP) - A man who jumped into a lake to flee police was killed by an alligator more than 9-feet long, officials said Tuesday.
The man, whose name has not been released, was allegedly burglarizing a vehicle in the parking lot of the Miccosukee Resort and Convention Center on Thursday. He ran when police arrived at the scene, said Dexter Lehtinen, one of the tribe's police legal advisors.

A sign at the lake warns people: "Danger Live Alligators." Wood said in other alligator habitats, signs also warn people not to feed the creatures.

comments again

Oh! I am sooooo sorry that I haven't been moderating very well. I assumed that the only comments I was getting were coming to my email box, so I published those. However, there were tons sitting in the moderate comments box in blogger. I'm not the most computer literate person around so please forgive me.

Isn't it true that we only learn from our mistakes?

comments comment

I have a troll writing nasty things so I will have to switch over to moderation.

pick me up

Barbara nominated little ol' me for a Blogger Reflection award on her blog, Praying for Grace. Isn't that sweet? Thank you so much!

I can post pictures!

Though the computer's loading capability is slower than molasses in winter.

Here are some of the famous lupines in Maine. The road crews do not mow the edges where there are clumps so the seedpods have time to dry and scatter their seeds for next year. We like to read the lupine lady storybook, Miss Rumphius, about this time every year.

Here is a post about my newest quilting project, a king-size split 9 patch in blue and white, now with a photo.

Here is a post about our new 12 passenger van.

Here is a post showing our yellow and white kitchen painting project.

Here is a post showing the lovely blue paint on the kitchen table and benches. This was taken before the rain came and made the paint peel off the top. They are now all fixed and in the kitchen. Due to a little seridipidy we might have a tenant for the house this fall. So, I hit the hardware store again this morning and bought 2 more gallons of blue and green, time to start the bedrooms!

my worst fear

I replay this sort of scenerio everytime I go over a bridge, "How would I get 5 kids out of the car and to safety if the car went over the edge?" I guess the answer is, "You can't." Please pray for the families of these poor children.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - A woman chased her minivan as it rolled down a steep hill and jumped in before it sank into a pond Wednesday, killing her and two children inside, authorities said. A third child was in critical condition.
The woman, who was the mother of at least one of the children, had gotten out of the van, then noticed it was rolling away and jumped back in before it went into the water, Police Chief Bryan Norwood said.
The van rolled about 60 or 70 yards into Bunnell's Pond at Beardsley Park, where many people had gathered to celebrate the holiday.
The victims were trapped inside in 15 to 20 feet of water for 20 to 25 minutes before members of the Bridgeport police scuba team were able to pull them out. Rescuers tried to revive them before they were taken to local hospitals.

As Will and Mary prepare for another summer of sailing lessons, this is the kind of news that I like to read:

Children swept from boats in squall
DUBLIN, Ireland, July 5 (UPI) --
The Irish Coast Guard said everyone was rescued after a sudden storm capsized 91 small sailing boats during a junior regatta Thursday.
The Irish Times reported 110 children, ages 10 to 15, were participating in the regatta in Dun Laoghaire harbor in County Dublin, operated by four yacht clubs.
A sudden change in the weather caused the small sailing yachts to topple. Helicopters, ambulances and fire department water rescue teams managed to save everyone and a number of the youths were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, the Times reported.

Happy 4th of July

In Laura Ingalls' Little House books she mentions going to picnics on the 4th and hearing someone read aloud the Declaration of Independence. We are going to follow that same spirit by attending a bicycle race and holding our red, white, and blue pinwheeels this morning and posting part of Thomas Jefferson's writing here.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States...

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.