Changing Focus Yet Again

I can't ever seem to settle on a focus for my blog, but then again, right in the heading I say that "this is a place for me to share whatever happens to be on my mind at the moment".  My mind changes it's focus often, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, so that would explain why the focus of the blog changes so much.  I'm going to stop worrying about finding one particular focus and I'm just going to do what my heading says I planned to do in the beginning, use this place to share what happens to be on my mind at the moment.

What happens to be on my mind right now is homeschooling, though I really hate that term.  Maybe that's a blog post for another time.

My baby is 4, turning 5 in November.  Everyone is always commenting to her about her starting school this year.  It drives me crazy!  And it's causing some confusion for her.

In our province children can be enrolled in a public school in the year that they turn 5, so that would be this year for my little one.  You are not actually required by law to register a child for school until the year they turn 6, and even then there is always the option of homeschooling.  An option that we took advantage of for our 3 older children, who are all now over the age of compulsory education and are in the workforce.

Why would everyone just assume that I am going do anything different this time around?

Maybe part of the reason is because, well, I am older.  I had my baby when I was over 40 so if I continue to homeschool her right until she is past compulsory school age I will be homeschooling until I am almost 60.  That does sound old but I think there are at least some older teachers in the public school system.

Maybe part of the reason is because little one is, in a way, like an only child.  All her siblings are basically young adults and she has nobody close to her own age to interact with in our home.  It's the old "socialization" concern again.

Either way, I wish they would stop, but I know they won't.

In the meantime I am gearing up and starting to get excited about starting over again.

Finished Day One of the B90 Challenge!

It's my third time reading this particular portion of Genesis since January 2010.  :)

I had started a Bible reading plan at the beginning of the year and had read all of Genesis, as well as other books.  I did real good with that plan until about April.  I had been doing my Bible reading online and I started having computer troubles and that's when I started to fall behind.

Then, in April I got a new Bible, because my old one was worn out and falling apart and I was afraid to take it out in public for fear of losing pages.  When I got my new Bible I decided that the first thing I wanted to do was read the Bible from cover to cover.  I wasn't following any particular reading plan.  I was instead just reading along, starting from the beginning.  I had made it as far as Exodus 11.  I really wasn't as consistent in my Bible reading as I would have liked.

When I read Life as Mom's post yesterday about the Bible in 90 Days Challenge that was starting today I was intrigued.  I had read about the 90 challenge before and was tempted to try it before but I resisted the temptation.  This time, however, I gave in.  :)  I really liked what she said about wanting to do the challenge because she wanted to spend more time with Jesus and get to know Him better.  That resonated in my spirit.  My time with Jesus has been sadly lacking lately and I decided it was time to do something about it and I figured this challenge would help.  When I popped over to read Mom's Toolbox's post about where this challenge originated I was sold.

I printed off the schedule this morning and started in to read.  I was in the house alone so I started reading out loud, and I really liked that.  I've decided to try to do most of the reading out loud in my house if possible.  It just feels good to have the word actually spoken in my house.  I read for a bit this morning and finished it off this evening.  I even read one extra chapter thinking that it was part of the prescribed reading for today.  So, I'm ready to start with Genesis 18 tomorrow.

Read Your Bible in 90 Days

I just signed up for a Read Your Bible in 90 Days Challenge.  You can read all about it here - http://www.momstoolbox.com/blog/2010/04/05/bible-in-90-days-sign-up-for-the-july-2010-edition/ .  My Bible reading has been haphazard for a while now and I'm hoping this will get me on track again.

It's Bloggiesta time again!

It's been over a month since I posted here.  I kinda got in a slump, but....I'm really hoping that participating in the 3rd Edition of the Bloggiesta this weekend will break me out of that slump.  I completely missed the first bloggiesta but I did manage to participate in the second one and I learned alot while participating.  I'm hoping for the same this time around.  If you are interested in learning more about blogging and getting ideas for things to do with your blog, be sure to check out the Bloggiesta, and let me know that you do.  Now to go find some Mexican treats to enjoy during the party  ....    :)  

If it's not lapbook trouble it's modem trouble!

Been missing posting partly due to modem trouble.  I finally got the laptop up and running again and I started having trouble with my internet connection.  It was coming and going.  DH blamed it on my daughter's new mac but I was convinced it was the modem.  Turns out I was right. :)  Things finally seem to be straightened out.  Sure hope it stays that way.

Happy Scrapbooking Day!

I miss scrapping.  It's been a long time.  I don't know if, or when, I'll ever pick it up again.  I love it, but I don't have the time, space, or money for it.  Most of the time I don't think about it much, but once in a while it strikes me, and today is one of those days.  The first Saturday in May is known as National Scrapbooking Day.

I've had a lot of fun during National Scrapbooking Day in years past.  I think the most fun was the year I was in to digital scrapbooking and I celebrated the day with Digitals and 3Scrapateers.  Every NSD I'm tempted to visit those sites and play again.

I'll miss my laptop tonight

I've been banned from it for the night.  My eldest son and eldest daughter have booked a hotel room for DH and I for the night, with a couple of stipulations, I'm not allowed to take my laptop and he's not allowed to take any fire department work.  Seeing as the playoffs are on, I think they should have added another stipulation - no hockey.  I'm trying to decide if I'll add that stipulation myself or just take a book to read while the game is on.  Hmmmmm.....

When your children ask...tell them

These words, taken from a passage in Joshua, sum up my philosophy of parenting and teaching - when they ask, tell them.

I remember being struck by these words years ago and I was reminded of it again tonight as our pastor's message was taken from Joshua 4.  In the passage, God divides the Jordon river so that the Israelites can cross to the other side on dry land, but He gives special instructions for them to do something while the river is divided.  He tells them to collect stones from the middle of the river bed and to use them to erect a memorial so that when their children ask about it they can tell them about the miracle of the dividing of the Jordon.   I think it is a lesson in the importance of handing down the stories of our faith and walk with God and how "memorial stones" or items can spark our children's curiosity to ask and remind us to tell.

I've taken the words, even further, however, and I've used them as the basis of parenting and teaching my little one.  I haven't set up a structured learning plan for her yet, but I have followed her leading, while at times putting things in her path to see if she wants to explore them.  When she asks questions, I answer them as best I can and try to expand on her curiosity to make the most of her interest, but I stop when the interest is gone.  This method has been working quite well with her so far.

Blech! I hate hockey play-offs

For quite some time now I have been enjoying some peace and quiet and time to myself rather late at night when everyone else is gone to bed.  Lately, however, my time to myself has been interrupted.  I hate it!  There was a time when I loved to watch hockey, but that was over 20 years ago before I married a man that lived and breathed hockey.  Before long I become totally sick off it.  Even then, for many years I still liked to watch the playoffs, but finally there came a point when I couldn't tolerate hockey at all.  This year it seems worse than ever to me.  I really hate it!  It make it that much worse now because it's cutting into my time to myself.  The over time lately is really, really making me want to scream!  I can't wait for it all to be over and done with.  Hence my six words for this Saturday

Hockey play-offs are wrecking my routine!

By the Rivers of Brooklyn by Trudy Morgan-Cole

The first book I read by Trudy Morgan-Cole was Esther: A Story or Courage and I absolutely loved it.  By the Rivers of Brooklyn is only the second book by her that I've read, and while it is nothing like the first, I thoroughly enjoyed it too.

I am a big fan of historical fiction, and, being a proud Newfoundlander, I especially like finding a good historical fiction book that is based in Newfoundland, or about Newfoundlanders.  In By the Rivers of Brooklyn, Trudy Morgan Cole tells the story of three generations with Newfoundland roots, starting in 1924.  The story concentrates mainly on the women, with the men being mostly in the background.  It tells about how many family members had to leave Newfoundland for work and how some never did come back to stay.

The story starts with a girl searching for the illusive trunk in the attic that holds information about her family history.  I think it's something we all do in one way or another.  She never does find the "trunk" but there is a scene near the end of the book that does tie back to the opening scene in a really neat way.

Though totally different from the first book I read by Trudy Morgan Cole, this book, like the first, has left me wanting to read more of her work.

Today is the Launch of the Get To Know Contest

All children/youth ages 19 and under are invited to submit art, writing and photography to the Robert Bateman 2010 Get to Know Contest.  Check out the official Get to Know Contest rules page for information about the prizes and guidelines as to what is expected.  For inspiration and ideas, check out the past winners of the Get to Know Contest.

The idea of the contest is to get the kids outdoors exploring and learning about the world around them.  They have until the 28th of May to submit entries and they can submit as many entries as they like.  So take advantage of the nice days for the next month and a bit and get out and "Get to Know" the amazing world around you.

Today our local homeschool support group went on a hike and I introduced the contest to the children/youth and they set to work right away.  I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

I'd love to hear from you if you decide to join in the fun.

God Let's You Choose Your Own Adventure

I had a thought today.  Psalm 139 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible and the last part of verse 16 is one of my favorite verses.  It says, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."  I've always loved that thought.  Before I was born, God wrote the story of my life.  He had it all planned out for me.  One thing I never really understood, however, is how to reconcile that thought with the fact that God has also granted me free will to make choices in my life.  The way I've always reconciled it was to think that God knew me so well He knew which choices I was going to make, so that's how He could write the story of my life before I even started to live.  Today, however, I had another thought.

A nice while back I heard about these Choose Your Own Adventure books where the reading could determine what happened in the story by making choices along the way.  Now, I have to admit that I have never really seen one of these books.  What I've heard and read is that at certain points in the book the reader is asked to make a choice between a couple of ways that the story can proceed and, depending on the choice they make, to turn to certain pages in the book to continue.  The choice they made would determine what happened in the story.

I have always been fascinated with the "if..then" statements in the Bible.  Some great examples can be found in Deuteronomy 11:13-17.  God sets before His people a couple of different paths they can take and tells them the results of each path, and the results are quite different, depending on the choice they make.

My thought today was that maybe when God wrote the story of my life, He wrote it like a Choose Your Own Adventure book.  He gives me choices to make along the way.  The choices I make determine how the story goes.  But He doesn't leave me stumbling along not knowing which way to go.  He provides direction, but it's up to me whether I follow His directions or not.  That's doesn't mean that every path leads to the same ending.  It doesn't.  The ending is determined by the choices I make.  I must choose carefully.

Fun, Colourful Newfoundland Art

 A day or so ago I came across The Grumpy Goat Gallery blog and I spent a lot of time checking out the fun, colourful artwork displayed on it.  Go take a look.  Be sure to read some of the blog posts, too.  They are quite entertaining. The blog, and artwork, is the work of two artists living in Upper Island Cove, Newfoundland and on their blog they extend an open invitation to all to drop by their studio.  How I would love to do that!  Maybe some day.  For now I have to be content with a virtual visit via their blog.

I came across their blog thanks to the Newfoundland and Labrador Blogroll, another site which I very recently discovered.  Being the proud Newfoundland that I am I had to add the blogroll to my reader so that I could discover other Newfoundland blogs to boast about.  The blogroll has a blog of the week feature and I can't wait to see which great Newfoundland blog will be featured next week!

I Don't Like that She Reminds Me of Me

Have you ever seen yourself in a character in a book you read?  That's what's happened to me, and I'm not happy about it.  I don't like this character.  She's a good woman that's been dealt a hard hand in life.  She tries to make the best of it but she makes some big mistakes.  She tries, really tries, to make things right but reaches a point where she doesn't want to try any more.  She becomes bitter and unhappy and she doesn't realize how much it affects those she loves.  I don't want to be like her, but I am.  Is it too late to change?  Can I make up for the damage I've caused?

Straight Out of the Camera

Here's the photo that I used in the banner I created.  This is what it looks like straight out of the camera.

As you can  see, there's isn't much colour in it but I wanted a black and white, with shades of gray colour, scheme for my blog so I totally striped it of all colour before using it in the banner.

post inspired by

Can't wait!

Less than a month before conference!

No more snow...

... at least on my blog, but there was plenty outside my window when I got up this morning.  Blech!  It was snowing and blowing most of the day.  The snow seems to be disappearing fast, though, and I'm hoping we don't get any more.  I'm also happy to finally have managed to clean the snow flakes off my blog.

Here's what it used to look like:

It was a great look for the winter but winter is over, at least it's supposed to be.  :)

I did a lot of playing around with my blog today.  I just couldn't get a background that I like but I'm finally satisfied.  Having said that, however, I don't know how long I will keep this look.  It's okay for now but I might want something more summery for summer.  We'll see.

I created the blog banner using a photo I took a while ago while little one and I were checking out our favorite summer haunt.  The sun was starting to go down and it looked so nice.  While playing around in my graphics program I discovered the tree graphic and thought it went well with the picture.  I used it in the banner and also in the background.  I decided to make the trees white in the background graphic to contrast the tree in the banner and also because the silver birch tree is my favorite tree.  I created a number of different background graphics before I finally settled on one that satisfied me.

So, what do you think?

Working on a new look!

Tonight I managed to find some time to play around and recall out how it was I gave my blog a new, personalized look a while back.  I know it would be so much easier to just use templates that are available but I like to use my own graphics and really personalize it.  I'm not quite ready to publish the new look yet but I do have a new banner designed and hopefully I'll find the time tomorrow to design the new background.  If all goes well my new look should be ready to publish before next week!  Yeah!!

Kind of ironic though, I'm trying to get rid of the snowflakes on my blog while the weather man has forecast snow for us tonight and tomorrow.  Blech!  I love snow and wish we had more this winter but I do not want snow now!  Guess we'll see what happens

A great local band makes the big time!

A big shout out to some friends!  Anyday is a local band that has made the big time - today they went to Nashville!  My girls and I are big fans of theirs.  We go to every concert we can.  My eldest girl took photographs for them at their first concerts.  It was really nice of them to give her a chance to work on something she enjoyed.  The band members have great talent and great hearts.  Check out their music on their website and if you ever get a chance to see them live, don't miss it.  They are great!

How do you choose what CD to buy?

I recently discovered that my daughter chooses which CDs to buy based on how cool the band members look on the CD cover.  Is that weird or what?