must.... not.... blog....

So, are you liking all the NCLB stuff, or are you truthfully bored of it all by now? I am enjoying learning (I kinda wish I was still in college! Only not with 4 kids to take care of while squeezing in classes and studying!!!) but I am remembering how much time it all takes. Last week I spent no less than 10 hours researching NCLB. Yeah, in the grand scheme of things, that's not much. But I'm talking, at least 3 nights on the computer for about 3 hours each. Plus little bits here and there. That's just the research time; I'm not even counting the time I used up reading all the other fabulous blogs I follow.

Speaking of following... if you want to be a "Texan Follower" just hop on over to my sidebar over there. It's on the left. Okay, a liiittttle further down. Yah, right there! Just Click "follow this blog" and your pretty little icon will pop up. Yea! I've got Peeps!

And, do you like my new favicon? It's the little icon up there next to my URL address. Isn't it FAB??? If you want to know how to get one, just go here. And, if you look at the comments, you'll notice that I'm a total doofus and had a TON of problems figuring it out. So, if you're the dummy of "blogging for dummies", join the crowd! I might be able to help you! (on this one very specific issue, which must be the exact same process as when I did it or else I will be useless to you.)

Okay, so back to me NOT blogging (it's really working, right?) I have a list that is getting longer by the hour. Here's what it looks like.

In case you can't read it, here's the list:
Braunschweiger
Lunchmeat Vienna Sausages
chips

Call Shelly
Call Penneys
Clean Liv. Rm. Carpet
Vaccuum (notice the misspelling)
laundry
renew lib. books
wrap b-day presents
swingset anchors (as in, install them into the ground)
cut paper for Chris
organize photos
change bed sheets
clean master bath
online GS course
sew scout shirts
Ruth Bible Study
organize coupons

Most of these items are being left undone because I keep checking my gmail. I keep going online to learn more about NCLB. I keep reading blogs, and commenting on blogs, and tweaking my own blog. Many nights last week went like this: Get kids into bed and asleep by 9:00, then get a snack and read blogs. Done by 10:00. Then, go to the Education websites and research NCLB until at least 1:00, then write a post until about 2:00. Finally, after a few days of this, I crashed and went to bed at about 9:00, right along with my kids.

So why am I pouring all this info on you? Because I said I'd have another post about NCLB on Tuesday, then another on Wednesday, and possibly more later in the week. Well, for now, NCLB part 4 will be coming... very soon. When exactly? Dunno. Probably sometime when I can invest in some Red Bull, or Jolt Cola or whatever the acceptable legal liquid amphetamines are nowadays. I must complete my list. I must pay attention to my children. I must talk to my husband other than "uh huh. Yeah. Yep." while staring at the laptop. I must become a living, walking, breathing human. Quite a tall order for a blogging junkie.

I also have a few fun posts in the hopper: My kids and I went camping last weekend. Oh, it was just in our backyard. But it's just about the only family tradition we have. Once a summer, I go out in the tent with all the kids and we sleep in the tent in the backyard. Nothing too spectacular, but it's fun and I always try to do it spur-of-the-moment, so there's no "Hoooowwww many more days until we sleep in the tent? Can't we do it tonight? PLEEEEEEEASEEEEE?" This year I took some pictures. Very cute!

Also, I have an interesting situation I'm working on: Our neighbor across the street put out a flat-screen (NOT flat-panel) RCA 32" tv on the curb. The sign said "FREE working TV". So I got our furniture dolly and wheeled that bad boy over to our house. Well, in the dead heat of the Texas autumn (at least 90 degrees outside) I worked on the TV. It turned on fine, and I could see the snowy picture. I went inside to get an antenna. No help with the snow. Okay, I thought, I'll get the GOOD antenna. It's even an RCA antenna so maybe they'll do a little electrical high-five and start working hand-in-hand. No dice. Still very good pictures of snow. So, I tried to plug in one of my kids' plug-n-play games. Still no luck. I stopped short of dragging the VCR/DVD combo outside. I had to stop playing around because I realized it was nearing 6:15 and I hadn't fixed dinner yet. And of course now I'm blogging... again.... Here's what the back of the TV looks like:

















So basically I can't find my ass from an input hole in the TV. I really AM smart about these things. We have moved enough times that I am a pro at hooking up the antenna or satellite box, the VCR, DVD player, TV, and now we've got digital converter boxes too (no cable in this house!). So when this "home theater" (manufactured in 1992 by the way) entered my garage, I was not intimidated. Well, that little 32-inch snow box has kicked my arse. I am going to have to call in the big guns. Dad-the-dude, you gotta tell me where to put my plugs, and don't tell me to put them where the sun don't shine. I'm not in a laughing mood.

Oh, plus, I just volunteered to be Peppermint Patty's Brownie Girl Scout Leader. I only realized, TONIGHT, that this commitment is really not just for one year but for many years to come. So much for ever reading a book again...

The Education of a Person, Part 3

Part 1: The Question

Part 2: What is No Child Left Behind?

Today, Part 3: Funding and who NCLB affects

In Part 2, I asked the question, Who is affected by the No Child Left Behind Act?

In order to answer that, it is important to understand how public schools receive their funding. Public schools are either TITLE I or NON-TITLE I. What’s the difference? The short answer is that a Title I school is located in an area of financial need (often called “low-income” or “in poverty”) and a Non-Title I school is not. (Schools in poverty are defined by the percentage of low-income students. Low-income students are defined as those meeting free or reduced-price lunch criteria.) Title I schools receive funding from the Federal Government, and are therefore subject to the requirements set out by the No Child Left Behind Act. Title I schools also receive funding from their state and local district; however, because these districts are already identified as being of lower income, it is likely that sufficient funds are lacking. Non-Title I schools do not receive any funding from the federal government under the NCLB legislation. Non-Title I schools funding comes entirely from state and local budgets, and therefore these schools are not subject to the requirements set out by the No Child Left Behind Act. However, many states align their own educational requirements along side those of the Federal government, the very ones that are required for Title I schools to receive federal funding. So, while non-Title I schools may not be penalized for meeting federal educational standards, they may be penalized for not meeting state or local educational standards, and THAT is where non-Title I schools receive all of their funding.

How do I find out if my school is a Title I school?

Just click here. Oh, that link isn’t working??? That’s because there is no national database listing all schools which receive Title I funds. I think it’s stupid too. But, you can go here and get the contact information for your state’s department of education. You can call them and ask. Or, just ask at your school. Likely, they don’t make that information too public unless someone really wants to ask the right person.

So what does a Title I school do with all the funding they get?

Title I schools use Federal money to develop and implement programs for students which have been scientifically proven to encourage learning and produce advancement. These programs include early reading programs, summer school, and special programs for children to raise literacy and help those with limited English ability, as well as programs for kids to develop math skills. Also, Title I schools can use some of the money for school improvement (the physical structure) as well as expanding private school choice and supplemental educational services options for Title I schools that have been identified for improvement. Additionally, funds will be given to schools to improve math and reading instruction K-12 (now that those kids in the younger grades are growing up). You can see the information here.

How much funding do they get?

That’s a good question. You will find different answers to that question, based on what document you read. The problem is that there are so many subgroups that receive funds, it’s hard to get a total. Here’s the best estimate I could find: Back in 2002, the amount was $22.19 billion. In 2007, the amount was $23.66 (which should have been adjusted higher to reflect inflation & enrollment growth. The proposals for 2008 and 2009 are $24.6 billion and $24.72 billion, respectively. You can see some of the specifics here.

How do schools actually receive the funding?

Remember that schools are run by state and local agencies. The Federal Government has no jurisdiction over schools, nor can they make any formal decisions about the running of those schools (although they do control the money that some schools get). Also remember, though, that quite often state and local agencies will align their policies (to which the schools DO have to adhere) with the guidelines of the Federal Government. The Federal Government hands out a majority of the money from their budget to the local education agencies (LEA). These LEA’s decide how the money is spent. (Other funds are used from the Federal budget for education, but those funds don’t have to do with No Child Left Behind. Those funds are used for things like Pell Grants and for funding programs which help secondary and post-secondary students who may be economically disadvantaged or do not speak English as their native language.)

I’m still trying to figure out if the “Highly Qualified Teacher” requirement is only for teachers at Title I schools, or for teachers at any school in the US. If it is required for any school, then it would be reasonable to say that there are NCLB funds available to any school (Title I or Non-Title I) for teacher improvement programs. Also, same question/argument for funds used to develop, improve, and implement standardized tests. However, those funds wouldn’t go directly to schools but rather to state agencies doing the development, so maybe it’s not quite the same question.

What does funding have to do with my kid taking all these standardized tests?

Title I schools receive funding according to whether or not their students in grades 3-8 are making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). States must be able to determine if students are making educational progress, year after year, using an assessment that reflects measurable objectives. When schools fail to make AYP for two or more years, sanctions will be put in place. These sanctions include losing federal funding and adherence to improvement guidelines.

Okay, I hope I’m not boring you with all this information. My purpose of this series of posts really had its genesis in me learning all about NCLB and it grew into sharing with you what I’ve learned. I am finding out how little I really knew about all of this, and it is a fine example of how the media only shares with the public exactly the amount of information that can be used to shock us, inflame us, and keep us reading or watching. I think the desire to inform us may have been passed by years ago. Or, possibly, the saturation point of NCLB has come and passed so long ago that we could have been learning this whole time but we are so sick of hearing about it that we just tune it out.

The rest of this week, I intend to tackle more sides of this subject. Tuesday: student testing and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP); and finally on Wednesday: Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT). I guess I’ll try to wrap it up after that.

If you have any questions, you can always go directly to the source: the US Department of Education. Or you can call them at 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327). I called them and actually spoke to a human person and I didn’t even have to wait on hold. Of course you can always email me a question (tx.mama.4@gmail.com) and I will try to answer it as best as possible.

Looking forward to seeing you back here again tomorrow!

Please don't make it be Monday again!

Last week was a really busy week for us. We had a PTL meeting on Monday night and the kids in grades K-2 were going to be singing (2 of my kids in that group). I think getting some distance from the events of that day were necessary for me to have a clear head about it all. I just have to share my "It's obviously a Monday" experience with you all.

I picked the kids up from school at 3:30. Now, we live about 25 minutes from school and the PTL meeting began with dinner at 6:00 and meeting afterward. Texan Papa was working that evening and child care was going to be available, so I guessed I would be lugging the crew along with me. On the way home, I realized that I'd get home at about 4:00 and have to turn around and come back at 5:30. Sucks, but whatever. Gotta do what ya gotta do. Then, Charlie Brown *HAS TO GO* to the potty, so we stop off at Target. All the kiddos want to come in and look at the toys and Peppermint Patty insists she needs some Littlest Pet Shop pets for a diorama she's working on. SO, in we go. Once inside, and Charlie Brown is done with the potty, and we've inspected the toy aisle, I realize it would really be a waste to go all the way home, then come all the way back. I decide we'll just stay at Target until it's time to go to the PTL meeting. Mistake #1.

The kids are hungry, and I only have $2 and change. I ask, "Do you want popcorn and a soda?" raising my voice at the end of the question and smiling with my eyebrows raised up into my hairline. No, they want icees. So, I dig in my purse and find enough money to buy 2 icees (not 3) and they are satisfied. Linus - my sweet, adorable, ball of energy - decides to get a cherry Icee. Mistake #2. Linus decides to blow through his straw, and the cherry Icee turns into Mt. Vesuvius. Before I know what hit him, he has cherry Icee all over his white shirt, all over his tan shorts, all over his white socks, and his face and his arms and his legs and the floor and the table and the seat .... and he was supposed to be singing that night. One bright spot is that I didn't yell or freak out. I simply said, "Um, You are done with the Icee. I think you know why." And very quietly he said, "Yes, I know." No tantrum! Whooppeeee!!!!

I went ahead and got Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown working on their homework in the snack bar while I pushed Sally in the cart and searched for a new outfit to buy for Linus so that he could sing on stage and not look like a giant popsicle. I found something reasonable, so we checked out and I took him to the bathroom to change. We got him washed up, and returned to the snack bar. Then I smelled something rank. I knew that smell... and investigated.... yes, Sally had pooped. And (you guessed it) the diaper supply was out (Mistake #3). SO, back into the store we go. I take Linus with me (Mistake #4) because the last thing I need is him deciding to get another Icee even though he's been forbidden.

We get some diapers and I remember that, oh yeah, the baby has to eat, right? So I pick up a few jars of baby food. Linus says, "Mom do you need this?" and proceeds to knock a jar of baby peaches on the floor which shatters. Like a true coward, I get the rock outta there and leave the mess. Sorry for people who are annoyed by me but I just could NOT deal at that point.

Upon finally leaving Target and arriving to the PTL dinner, we get our hot dogs and drinks. I am pushing an umbrella stroller and filling two plates. Luckily my older children have mastered this skill by now. I get my hot dogs and chips and go to the table FARTHEST AWAY from the hot dog line. What do you think I do next? Yes, I place the plates on the table too close to the edge (Mistake #5) and baby Sally pulls them off the table onto herself and the floor. So I pick up the mess and repeat, and she pulls it off again. I guess my brain was just fried by then that it took me making that mistake twice to actually figure out how long her baby arms were. By this time, I'm cowering under the table, using my bare hands to sweep up bits of wavy potato chips, and using up my last baby wipe from the diaper bag to clean up a puddle of ketchup/mustard. I start to cry a little - not because I'm sad but just because I am so tired and it's the only emotion I can access at that time.

The kids do their singing (So precious!) and the meeting isn't too long. Thank God! The "available child care"(mistake #6) consisted of 2 adults watching about 50 kids on a playground. When the PTL meeting was over, Peppermint Patty, Charlie Brown, and Linus all came in covered in layers of sweat and dirt. Literally, short of playing in a mud puddle I had never seen them so dirty. I asked, "Why are you so dirty?" "Oh, because we were digging in the dirt pile." HELLO???? Obviously the parents who were watching all these kids are not the ones responsible for laundry in their respective houses. Once home, I got the clothes soaked and bleached and it all came clean (even the icee disaster).

Once the kids were home, they were so tuckered out from all the day's activity that I was able to get them all showered, teeth brushed, into bed, and asleep by 8:45. I guess it's true what they say... Everything comes out in the wash. When my husband got home from work at 9:30, there was no visible evidence of the chaos that was our day. The kids were asleep, the house was picked up (since I didn't have to make dinner), and everything was calm. I couldn't have asked for a better ending to the day.

Just, please Lord, don't make me EVER do that again.

The Education of a Person, Part 2

Part 1

So, when I decided to investigate the No Child Left Behind Act in order to have an informed opinion, I realized that all I had were, well, opinions! I'd heard people rail on George W. Bush; I'd heard people say he's only interested in money, not kids; I'd heard people say that it will finally get our schools going on the right track. I just didn't know who was right. Or if anyone was right. What I did know was that whatever the NCLB legislation had to say, it probably hadn't had enough time to prove itself right OR wrong. I believe that for any program to be judged as a success or failure requires time, hindsight, and reflection. NCLB has really just started to see results, and we need more distance to judge its effectiveness.

I got my interest piqued when I saw a collection of National Teachers of the Year on Charlie Rose on PBS. Here's just a snippet of the things I heard:



These teachers definitely seem to understand what the No Child Left Behind Act is all about. I got the impression that they were global teachers - not only teaching students but also mentoring fellow teachers, educating the public, supporting the district and community, etc.

So, I went out to investigate exactly what the No Child Left Behind Act was all about. In a nutshell, here's what I discovered: NCLB was a continuation of legislation that began in 1965 as the ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act), and some portions were rewritten to support a high degree of accountability desired by President Bush.

(from About Title I)

Along with accountability, the Act redesigned the ESEA programs to emphasize three other pillars of reform: utilize practices that have been shown to work through scientific research, give states and districts additional local control and flexibility, and give parents expanded options, i.e. school choice or supplemental services.

While the main goal of the No Child Left Behind Act is for every student to meet state academic achievement standards, the Act also has established these five core performance goals:
* All students will reach high standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts and mathematics by 2013-14.
* All limited Limited English Proficient students will become proficient in English and reach high academic standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts and mathematics.
* By 2005-06, all students will be taught by highly qualified teachers.
* All students will be educated in learning environments that are safe, drug free, and conducive to learning.
* All students will graduate from high school.

These goals are repeated throughout the Act, exemplifying that many of these goals are not just specific to Title I, but also to Title II, III, IV and V.

The goals are laudable. The structure of the legislation had some gaps. The method of assessing gains made in each school year seemed to be the lesser of all evils: the standardized test. Schools were to be rewarded, through public recognition and financial grants, for meeting state standards for grade level assesment. Schools not meeting the state-mandated standards would lose funding and face sanctions. Students with special needs were included along with regular classroom student assessment. This created high expectations for students with disabilities (good) but also forced special-needs students to take standardized tests that they may not be able to complete because of their disabilaties (bad). Their overall progress was finally included with other students at the same grade level, so accurate information was available to assess needed further development (good). However, including the standardized test scores from students with disabilities led to some schools being considered as not making acceptable progress for that school year (bad).

Basically, the main thing I want to get to, in the next post, is WHO IS THIS AFFECTING? I want you to know this about No Child Left Behind Act: This law applies only to schools which receive Title I funding. What is a Title I school? Come back here on Monday to find out. OR, if you just can't wait, go here to see a great overview of Title I.

What effect has No Child Left Behind had on your state? Find out here.

So, I figure, I'm finding out my way around this stuff! I'm actually understanding what No Child Left Behind is all about. I'm getting smarter!

Part 3 on Monday!

The Education of a Person, Part 1

I have been involved in education most of my life. I went to school. I played school. I became a teacher. I taught at a rural public K-12 school, a private Catholic high school, and a suburban middle school. I substituted, I tutored, and I volunteered.

In 2001, my oldest daughter was not even 2 years old yet when George Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Legislation. This legislation, co-authored by two Democrats (Miller, CA, and Kennedy, MA) and signed into law by a republican (Bush) seemed like an amazing bi-partisan partnership that would benefit schools and children everywhere. I have to admit that I did not pay too much attention to the legislation, as my child was years from entering Kindergarten. I guess I should have educated myself on this particular piece of legislation.

The No Child Left Behind Act has caused such a stir. It even caused a heated debate between myself and one of my best friends. We are both teachers, but we are on opposite sides of the debate. I felt awful about her situation, but I also felt terrible about my situation. She was a teacher who was hired to teach English to 6th grade middle school students. She taught on a team and after many years at the school, the science teacher on her team left the school. She wanted to teach science, but found she was not allowed to teach it formally until she received proper instruction and became certified in that area. She was mad! She was a good teacher and did a fine job with science in the past, and felt like the NCLB Act was causing teachers to squander their talents just because of a prickly rule. For me, I lived in a rural community. My kids went to a tiny school, and the high school was just as tiny. It was common practice for one teacher to do multiple-duty. What I mean by that is, it wasn't unheard of to learn Algebra from the Health teacher, who also taught Driver's Ed. This happened simply because there were not enough students to require a separate teacher for every single subject sometimes. Or maybe, one teacher plus a half-teacher. Well, the "half-teacher" can teach half one subject, half another. You can probably see why this would create a problem for children getting a quality education. You want a teacher to know their subject matter!

I saw what I thought I knew about NCLB. I still had a lot to learn. Thus began my journey to figure out what all the uproar was about. Why are people so up in arms about this legislation? Isn't it the same legislation that has been around for decades, just with a new name? Are people just pissed so that they can find one more reason to dump on Bush? Or is the new legislation severely flawed?

For so many years, I had been behind the teacher's desk in Education. It was now my turn to become the student. I want to know, to understand, to get all the facts. I want to form an opinion of my own, irregardless of my political ties. I want to educate myself.

Tomorrow, part 2!

The Art of Hanging Laundry on a Line

Picture Courtesy of Google Images

Hanging laundry on the line has been around forever, obviously. I would LOVE to give you a short history lesson on hanging laundry to dry, but folks, I've got as little time as it is, seeing how I hang out my own laundry. Now, there are no hard-and-fast rules about hanging laundry. Some women may argue that there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. I prefer doing whatever works for you. I'm like Outback - no rules, just right. So grab your laundry basket and let's get started!

Image courtesy of Google Images

So, why would a person hang out laundry to dry? There are lots of reasons, and I will name just a few:

• It saves money on your household energy bill (either electric or gas)
• It is better for the environment (using less energy, that is)
• It is a way to get yourself outside and enjoy the weather
• In some cases, the bright sunlight will naturally bleach out stains (like in cloth diapers)
• I guess it could be considered exercise
• Clothes last longer (consider where dryer lint comes from)

Now that you know all the pro's of line-hanging, I will give you a few tools and tips:

What about The Laundry Line? You can buy a laundry line kit from a hardware store, or I bought mine at Big Lots. It came with a bunch (like 50 feet, I think) of woven laundry line rope, two pulleys, one line-tightener, and two line-separators. I hung my line from a tree over to my shed. The distance is about 15 feet. Much longer than that and the line will sag a bunch when you hang laundry out. (Notice the lady in the picture above trying to support her line.) Here is a picture of the pulley and the line-tightener:

I'm not exactly sure what the pulley is for, maybe to help with the tightening of the line. But the line-tightener thingy is really important. It keeps your line taut so it won't sag. Basically you just feed the line into one side and pull it out the other and the tightener keeps the line tight.

What kind of pins are you going to use? Two types of laundry pins are available: the kind that are just one piece, and you just push them on to the line along with the clothing. The other kind is the pincher-type with a spring. The latter is the more popular type, and you'll be hard-pressed to find the former type in stores. The pincher type of clothes pin come in wood or plastic. I recommend wood because they last much longer. The plastic ones are really flimsy, no matter what type you get. And, for some reason, I can never find them when they fall in the grass but I can always see the wooden ones. Whatever type of pins you use, I would suggest taking them off the line and bringing them in every time you are completely done with laundry. If it rains on your clothespins, they will rust. Rust will get on your clothes. Rust is a bitch to get out of clothes.

Where are you going to put the laundry line? Hmm, you may be surprised by what I tell you: Don't put it in direct sunlight, if you can avoid it. WHY? Doesn't sunlight dry the clothes? Sure, the same way heat cooks food. If you like your eggs black and crunchy, just put them in a hot pan and leave them. But if you like your eggs soft and white, heat your pan to medium. Same with clothes. If you leave your clothes on the line in the direct heat of the hot summer sun, your clothes will scorch and become stiff and scratchy. If your clothes are in the shade, they will take a little bit longer to dry but won't be so crunchy. Really, more importantly than the line being in the sun is that you have a windy day. Wind will dry the clothes in a snap. Yes, of course the clothes will dry on a still day too, but it will take longer. One thing to pay attention to: if you have birds you may need to just install your clothesline on a free-standing apparatus, like one of these:

The one on the left is a T-pole. The one on the right is an umbrella line. The umbrella line can usually be collapsed and taken down, so it is great for places where you are restricted from having permanent visible clothing lines. The T-pole is usually a permanent install, so only use it if you plan to commit to the whole clothes-line-drying thing.

Next, the washing cycle: What kind of detergent do you use? I used to be a die-hard Tide fan. I still believe it is the very best at getting clothes clean. However, it is not so much the friend to line drying. I don't know why, but the clothes always seem crunchier when I use Tide. It could be because Tide leaves more soap residue behind on the clothes, I don't know. But since I've started hanging out my clothes, I have switched to Gain. This was at the suggestion of a fellow line-hanging friend. I've found that it really helped. If you have a laundry detergent that you think does even better, let me know.

And, as far as using fabric softener, I guess it probably works. As a rule I don't use it because I have had some problems with the chemicals in it causing stains on clothes (like oil-type marks). But give it a try. And I've never used a detergent with the fabric softener built in. Maybe that would work even better.

Next, after washing, take your clothes out to the line. How do you hang them? Well, first take each item and give it a good snap. No, I don't mean do the three snaps and tell your towel it's fabulous. I mean, grab it on the end and shake it hard, hearing it make a "snap" sound. You should do this with all clothes before drying, whether you use the dryer or the line. It shakes out the wrinkles and gets water droplets out of little creases and folds. Next, the rule for hanging pants and shirts: if you wear it on the top, hang it from the bottom, and vice-versa. So, shirts are to be hung upside down and pants right-side up. When hanging laundry, you can choose to conserve laundry pins and overlap garments using one pin to secure edges of two garments. If you have enough pins, and they aren't expensive (I just bought 50 wooden pins at Wal-Mart for $1.14) then use as many as you want. If you have a LOT of laundry you may choose to layer the clothes. This means that you are hanging the clothes side-by-side and on top of each other on the same line. Let me show you:


First, hang the item on the line. Simple, no?













Then, hang the next item starting from the gap in the middle of the first item.












Hang the next item directly next to the first, which should also be in the middle of the gap of the second item. Continue layering.











Here is a bunch of layered clothes on the line.











Now, realize that this method will take longer for clothes to dry because they are bunched together pretty tightly. The flip side of that, however, is that you can hang up twice as much clothes on the same line. So, you leave them out twice as long, and do less work.

I also do not hang out underwear or socks. You are free to do that and I don't have any reason NOT to do it (except my son Charlie Brown said, "you know Mom you really don't have to hang up the underwear on the line. You know, where everyone can see it?") because it is just a preference thing. I like to keep them just a bit damp for later. Keep reading to find out why.

Some people believe that it is best to hang laundry together as you would fold it; for example, all of Jim's clothes are together, all of Susie's clothes are together, etc. That way, when you take them down from the line, you don't have to sort them. I do not use that method because I put my clothes in the dryer anyway.

WHAT DID YOU SAY TEXAN MAMA???

When I take my clothes off the line, I pop them into the dryer, with a dryer sheet, for about 15 minutes on high heat. This helps soften up the clothes. Underwear and socks that are wet will dry in 15 minutes, and the moisture released helps soften all the other clothes. Some people may say, "That's too much work! That's doing double duty!" Well, not really. When I put the laundry in the dryer for touch-up, I do 3 loads in one hour, whereas if I were drying them in the dryer it would take about 3 hours. Maybe more for towels. And, my bath mats never get all the way dry in the dryer anyway.

I also have never used one of those dryer-ball things that I've seen in Walgreens. They claim to last longer than dryer sheets and fluff the clothes more. If you've used them, let me know. And if you are the manufacturer of them, e-mail me and I will review them for you!!!

So, there you have it. All my trade secrets for laundry. I don't know how helpful they are. Here are some more links that I found that are pretty cool:
How to Hang Laundry on a Clothesline by e-How
New York Times Home and Garden
Associated Content: Tips for Hanging Laundry

Good Luck everybody and remember the last line of Liar Liar Pants on Fire:
"Hang your britches on a wire. Hang 'em High. Hang 'em Low. Hang 'em on a Buffalo."

note: the author of this piece does not suggest nor support the use of a buffalo to dry clothing.

Grocery Cart Etiquette

Hi! I'm happy to welcome you to my little tiny corner of the blogosphere. Sit down and stay awhile. I hope you enjoy what you read and that you'll come back for more.

If you have a minute for prayer today, please click on the "Keep Believing" button on my sidebar for a dear friend whose husband is battling cancer. She really appreciates all the support and prayers from friends and strangers.

Have a fantastic day! Thanks for stopping by here!
**********************************************

Dear Ladies (and Gents),
Please turn your attention to the following information, and adhere to the suggestions as closely as possible. Your cooperation is appreciated. Thank you.

Proper Etiquette when Using a Grocery Cart
1. Please look straight ahead when steering. Please do not push your cart while studying your shopping list. This is tantamount to driving while texting. Don't you know, there are innocent children in the aisle?

2. If you find an item you like on a shelf, please keep your cart near to you or pull off to the side of the aisle, out of the way of others. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, do not park your shopping cart on one side of the aisle while you have a leisurely look at the products on the opposite side of the aisle. The only thing worse than this, is the person who pushes their cart directly down the middle of the aisle and performs the halt-n-gawk.

3. Be observant of other shoppers around you. Be a defensive cart-driver. If you wish to take your time mosey-ing down the aisle, please watch for others around you who may be doing their best to acquire the necessary child-quieting items, lest the Earth implode upon itself. These items may include, but are not limited to: fruit snacks, pop-tarts, Oreos, Goldfish Crackers, Kool-Aid squeezers, and of course 10-inch plastic bouncy balls.

4. Also, if you are the Indy-500 type of cart-driver, please be sensitive to those around you who may be speed challenged. It is possible that they have time to walk down the aisle at a normal step pace, instead of testing the sturdiness of the wheels on a grocery cart that is easily older than your own minivan.

5. A special note to the under-20 employees at Wal-Mart, Albertsons, and other fine retailers who use the motorized cart-collectors. It is not only annoying but also impolite for you to collect the shopping carts and put them into a huge line of carts RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT LANE. You might have noticed that the parking lot is filled with cars. Those cars move people from place to place. The operative word being "move". It is impossible for a car to move when there is a teenager in charge of assembling no less than 50 shopping carts at one time, while he (usually it's a he) decides to take a quick break and text his sick dudes.

6. Finally, if a small child is buckled in to a cart and begins to wave at you, smile at you, or say "hi" to you, please break out of your shopping coma and notice the child. Wave back. Make a funny face. It might even cheer you up.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,
The Grocery Cart Police

What is She (Really) thinking?

Hmm.... just when you're thinking "I have NOTHING to blog about today. I wonder what I'll have to dig up just to keep my readers from yawning." something hits a nerve and POOF! A blog post is born.

We all have one of these friends... you know, the one who really loves you but deep down disagrees with you on some crucial point of your belief system. Maybe it's politics; maybe it's the decision to use dried herbs instead of fresh. Who knows. But you both know to NEVER go there, else the friendship may suffer irreparable damage.

So, I have this friend. Let's call her Pig. Now, please understand, I do not think she is a pig. She, actually, gave herself this nickname because she really likes pigs and used to collect pig things: stuffed animals, figurines, pictures, tee shirts, whatever. I have known Pig since our first days of college when we shared a freshman English class. She was the ying to my yang. She helped me to take life less seriously; I taught her how to compose herself in moments when laughter was not appropriate. Yes, me. I was there for her after her first marriage fell apart. She was there for me when I got married, as one of my bridesmaids. Her son and my daughter are born just weeks apart. She is my daughter's godmother.

So, you get it? We're close. And we have stayed close all these years.

She's also a heavy Democrat. I am a Republican. We both laugh because we both say how our votes are a wash. She lives in Kansas (always goes Republican) and I used to live in IL (always went Democrat). Sometimes I like to get her going by making some comment about liberals, or how we listen to Rush Limbaugh, or I simply mention the name "George W. Bush". She loves to debate politics and I think it infuriates her that I refuse to bend, even a little, towards the middle. Not that she's bending either, but she likes to believe that she can change someone's mind with her powers of persuasion.

Now, I was talking to Pig today and we were discussing a mutual friend from college whose children were grown now and in elementary school. She wondered why the friend had not gone back to work? I explained, well, I believe the friend - let's call her Amy (because that's my most favorite girl name and still, why have I not named any of my girls that name???) - that Amy enjoyed staying home and taking care of the house things, being active in her kids' school, volunteering, etc. Plus, Amy's husband made enough money that she didn't need to work. They weren't rich, but his salary was enough to support the family. Pig went on to say that it just didn't make sense. Why wouldn't a woman want to go back to work? What was the point in staying home?

She continued, while I listened in silence, that SHE took her son to and from school every day. That SHE took days off work when her son had field trips so that she could attend. That SHE took time off work when there was a holiday party at school with which she was helping, and not only did she attend but she baked (not bought) cookies. And, she said, I *do* like my job, but I am busy! I take my son to sports practices. I take him to games. I help him with homework.

I tried to explain, "well, maybe Amy likes staying home with her family. Maybe even if she could go back to work, she would choose not to. I can understand this dilemma if they were suffering financially, but they aren't - so what's the big deal?" And I mentioned, "maybe Amy doesn't understand why in the world you choose to work when your husband could easily support your family on his income alone."

Pig then continued, and I think this may have been the source of her frustration, how she was so SICK of bumping into one particular stay-at-home mom in her subdivision who complains that she's SO TIRED. Pig says, "What in the hell is she so tired from? She doesn't even see her kids all day because they are at school!! The kids even ride the bus so she doesn't have to drive them either. How lazy is that? I mean, what else does she have to do?"

I was pretty much stunned.

Pig: "Hello? Are you there?"

Me: "Yes, I'm here. I'm just listening."

Pig: "Oh, I'm not talking about you. I mean, you still have a small child at home. And you have 4 kids! I mean, this lady in my subdivision only has 2. And hers are at school all day."

**crickets chirping**

Me: "Okay, well, I don't know what her situation is. So, how was your son's birthday party?" (me, trying to redirect the conversation away from me putting my foot in my mouth)

Now, before you go and start in with "That Pig is a total rag. Drop her like a hot potato!" I must beg you to please restrain yourself. She is a VERY close friend. Just because I don't see the world the same way she does, doesn't mean I don't love her. We have very different views on parenting, which probably is directly related to our difference of opinions on the working/staying home thing.

Now, all day long, I can't stop thinking about this. Is that what Pig thinks about me? What if I had chosen not to go back to work, would she secretly be clucking her tongue at me? Or making sarcastic comments, set up as just playful jabs but really based in truth? I almost feel like, "Thank God I have a baby at home to justify my Stay-At-Home-Mom status."

That continued the spiral... what do I do all day? Could I be doing what I do, and still go out and have a job? Why not? Many women do it and make it work. Many women do it and are really good at it! And, it's true: I don't see my kids a majority of the day (with the exception of the baby). So, should I be doing something more meaningful? Like homeschooling? (Oh, please don't make me do that. I may have to take a full-time job just to avoid it.) Or volunteering at a not-for-profit agency? Or getting a job that I can do from home? Suddenly, my days of clipping coupons, driving around town to get the best deals from various stores on our needed supplies, folding loads of laundry, picking up toys, and ironing Texan Papa's shirts seems very... insignificant. Like I'm wasting time. Like I'm unproductive.

I am so screwed. I take these little scenarios and hold onto them for dear life. My brain exists only to tumble around the different paths my life could take or should have taken. What if I'd done this instead? Would I be richer? Smarter? Someplace different? Would I have more kids? Less kids? Any kids at all?

Now, I know that every time I meet a working mom, I will be afraid that she's thinking the same thing that Pig thinks. I bet I will (subconsciously) mention that I have a baby at home, and she's only about 1 year old - just to make sure it's understood that I *DO* have someone to keep me busy all day. I will probably never act like I'm busy, but rather offer to relieve any burden she may have because, you know, I have so much extra time on my hands.

The funny thing is, I am not being funny. I DO have lots of extra time on my hands. I DO realize that my job is pretty easy. Because of those things, I purposely avoid asking my husband to do any household chores. I try to support him by allowing him to bring home the bacon without any added stress. I'm not saying that I walk around behind him, picking up his socks and wiping his nose. I just mean, I don't tell him that he has to cook dinner once a week, or that he has to fold laundry, or put away toys, etc. (For the record, he does occasionally do those things without being asked, just to be helpful.) And, in turn, he has never asked me to go out and get a job to help with the income. I have had small jobs here and there, but nothing more than what could cover a couple weeks of groceries. But my point is, I do realize that I have a great life. I enjoy staying home. I enjoy being a domestic goddess. I love teaching and one day hope to return to it. But in the mean time, should I apologize for my husband's and my belief that - for us - it's important to have a parent at home while the children are young? Should I feel guilty that I can - and do - go to yoga class, do bible study, write thank-you notes, and take bike rides while other moms are out there earning the Almighty Dollar? No, scratch that. I don't want to know if I should feel guilty. I want to know how I should justify it to my friends, to myself, to society?

You are invited to a party!

Don't get too excited. It's a pity-party. Join me, won't you?

1. I can't find the bike pump in the garage. Oh, and I guess I haven't mentioned that the garage is so filled with crap that we can only park one car in the two-stall garage. But I searched hi-n-lo for the bike pump all to no avail. I have chalked it up to one more thing that has gotten stolen from us by the crappy neighbors down the street. Of course we have no proof of this. It could be ANYONE stealing the stuff, but we also got my daughter's scooter stolen, and our neighbors on both sides of us got their potted flowers stolen (who steals those? I mean really???) The neighbor 2 doors down got his tools stolen, the neighbor across the street got his air compressor stolen. This is because occasionally we will forget to close our garage door for a few hours or even overnight. I never in my life have lived in a place where robbery runs so rampant. And, I'm tellin ya, we live on a nice street with pretty houses. Unfortunately, there is a not-so-nice area at the end of the street on the other side of a fence. The fence has a gate because the not-so-nice people have to send their kids down our street to catch the school bus. There's your easy access to the suckers (a.k.a. us). Anyway, yes it is my fault for not closing our garage door, but it's just one more thing that I'll have to replace.

2. My husband might have Lyme disease. Or he might not. We can't get a straight answer from our doctors. We've seen a general practitioner, a rheumatologist, and an infectious disease specialist. Hubs has had many vials of blood taken from his arms, and he's not so good with needles. We keep waiting, and asking questions, and talking to friends and "experts", and wait some more. Texan Papa has already missed a month of work and really isn't back to 100% but he can't miss any more work. Basically, he went from feeling just normal and fine on August 2, to having such severe joint pain and swelling in his knees, hands, elbows, ankles, and shoulders that by August 6 he couldn't get up from a sitting position. By August 10, he was in so much pain that it hurt for him to lie in bed. He would have to lie on something that was hurting, then eventually roll over onto something else that was hurting. The only medicine that helps with the pain is covered by our insurance at 50%, which means over $100 per month. That's just for one prescription, not counting all the others and the doctor visits, and the lab tests. It's not that we have crappy insurance... we chose this plan from about a dozen that we were offered because the monthly rate was low. We knew ahead of time that we could've gotten better coverage from, say, United Healthcare or Blue Cross Blue Shield. But when you don't know what's coming in the future, health-wise, it's just a gamble.

3. I can NOT seem to get a handle on my household duties. Every time I turn around, I see one more job that isn't done. One more thing to add to my never-ending "to do" list. Probably my blog doesn't exactly help matters. But I don't know how to reconcile that. Writing gives me a lot of pleasure, but so does reading and so does Bible Study. The latter two are taking a back seat right now and I am not okay with that. But I'm not quite motivated to change anything yet...

4. My body image is in a slump. I am not unhappy with myself, per se, but I am not fitting into the same clothes that looked great on me 2 years ago. Having my 4th child has just done in my body from about my armpits down to my hips. I do sit ups. I do crunches. I do leg lifts. I run on the treadmill. No change. What happened to my twenty-something metabolism???

5. My #1 most hated chore in the whole house is paying bills. I hate it hate it hate it! So, of course, I put it off until, inevitably it is too late. Two of my credit card bills are overdue. We always pay them in full every month, but I hate calling them and trying to say, in my nicest sweetest, most naive voice, "Um, I don't know how this happened, but my due date just came and went right by. I completely forgot to send my payment. Can I pay it now with you? And, by the way, can you please waive the late fee and finance charges? Please??? I promise... this won't ever happen again." Until about 4 months from now when I forget again.

Now, I guess I can't just leave this post all gloomy. Here goes;
My Blessings
1. My husband has something, though painful, not terminal. Well, not that we believe to be so far anyway. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
2. While Texan Papa has been off work, he was able to take advance sick leave that he hasn't even earned yet. His employer was REALLY understanding. No worries about income.
3. We do have health insurance. We have a really big network of doctors to choose from.
4. We just got a jogging stroller free from our neighbor. It had a small crack on the axle, but I fixed it with Super Cement, a few cable ties, and a scrap piece of metal.
5. To get the credit card thing straightened out, Texan Papa has to be the one to call since it's his card (I didn't want one that he was applying for - Cabela's Visa - I don't need any Cabela's stuff!) so HE is the one who has to call and do the grovelling with the non-American phone jockey. Sa-weet!
6. I have been blessed with so many wonderful new friends and church acquaintances. They are attentive to Hubs' illness and have been praying for us.

So, have your own pity party if you must. But mine is in Texas and you know, everything is bigger in Texas. But if you come you must bring a dust cloth because my #2 most hated chore is...

Doing things the Old-Fashioned Way

I love to do things that just aren't done anymore. I can (some of) my own food. Well, truthfully, I did a lot more canning when I lived in the midwest because we had a gigantic garden. Now, I have grass on a slope, so the only food source for canning would be the farmer's market. And I could, indeed, go there to get the fruits and veggies for canning, but my other reason to preserve food by canning, besides that I just enjoy it, is to save money. Going to the farmer's market, then buying all the preserving supplies, well it all adds up and I end up spending as much if not more than if I bought the products at Albertson's.

I also love to sew. I would say I'm an intermediate - I can sew (and have sewn) curtains, clothing, dolly dresses, Halloween costumes, bathrobes, pajamas, as well as doing alterations on just about anything. I can NOT, however, sew a garment by eye without a pattern. I think that is pretty hard. Or else it just takes a person with that kind of intuition, like a gift - they can just see the garment and how it's put together. My mom taught me how to sew, but I never really got interested until I saw a shirt at the Limited in 1994 that I LOVED and wanted so badly. But it was $34. I was not going to pay that much for a shirt. I knew it would eventually go on sale, but it was May and I wanted that shirt right away so I could wear it all summer long. That desire fueled my drive to figure out how to run a sewing machine. I made my first dress all by myself, then quickly set out on that shirt. I finished it by mid-June and I loved wearing it. I also loved the fact that if it didn't fit quite right in the arm holes, or the waist, or the bust, I could just alter it instead of passing up a beautiful piece of clothing or paying too much for something that didn't fit well.

One thing I do, but don't particularly love, is to hang my laundry on the line. I do it to save money on energy. I do it because I stay home and I figure, I have the time so I should try whatever I can to help the family save money. I also do it because I love spending time outside and it's a good way to enjoy the nice weather. Hanging out laundry isn't exactly rocket science, but I'm going to do another post soon about all that I've learned about hanging laundry on the line. There are good ways and bad ways to do it. There are things that can make it work and things that can make it fail. I'm gonna share my trade secrets, God help us all.

I think a lot of these activities are like a lost art-form. There are many others I can think of but I don't do myself - quilting, vegetable gardening (oh, I do that but I'm not very good at it), using cloth diapers, woodworking, I could go on and on. My mother taught me many of the things I can do now. And her mother taught her. The skills I have were passed on to me in the same way things were passed on from mother to daughter for years and years. In some cultures, this is still the practice. But in today's fast-paced world, where everything is simpler the modern way, these old-fashioned ways are fading from popularity.

Another place I learned many skills was in the rural community my husband and I and our family were placed for 4 years. We lived in rural Illinois, surrounded by farmland. The "town" in which we lived had about 25 houses/farms, a grain silo, a grain weighing station (for the grain silo), and a church. The dairy cows outnumbered the people 2 to 1. Pets and children ran without barriers, the roads were made of gravel, and every summer closed with an ice cream social at the church. One month later, every fall opened with the members of the town cooking apple butter in a 60-gallon copper kettle over a wood fire, stirring the beautiful burgundy consistency with the same wooden paddle that had been used for 50 years. When we were first asked to come to this church, my initial reaction was "No way in hell." I told my husband to tell them no. But after the Lord worked on my conscience a bit, I decided to follow my husband wherever he felt the Lord needed him. Off to rural America we went.

It was a shock to my system. There were no women my age nearby. We lived next door to a dairy farm and had to get used to the constant flies and the strong smell when the wind was coming from the north. I had to drive 10 miles just to get basic necessities like gas or milk. Our kids had only 1 or 2 neighborhood friends, neither of which were very close in age to our kids. I missed going to Target. I missed shopping at a 24-hour supermarket after the kids had gone to bed. I missed having choices of where to shop. Basically, if Wal-Mart didn't carry it, you were SOL. (sh** out of luck)

I would say, I actually grieved. I was pretty depressed for about a year. Then, by no small miracle, I met a wonderful friend named Joni. She saved me. She showed me around the county and told me where to go for fun with my kids. She and I would meet for coffee or soda. We became so close. And I also began to discover the beauty of the world around me. My children could explore without my fear of being hit by a car or kidnapped. They dug in the dirt, played on a swing that hung from a tree, and ran through a cornfield like it was a maze. Everyone knew everyone else's business, which meant that everyone was watching out for your child. We received some of the best beef we've ever tasted from a friend who butchered a cow. We received homegrown goodies from neighbors who had too much to eat for themselves. We enjoyed the experience of walking our dog around town, with our kids on their bikes, and people sat on their front porch and waved to us, shouting "Hi! How's that garden of yours coming?" or "Hey, want to come in for some iced tea?"

In many ways, that small town did things the old-fashioned way. And now that we've moved back to suburbia, I have to admit that I really miss it. Right now, I would trade almost anything for some homemade strawberry jam, on top of some vanilla ice cream made by the church youth group, served along side some sponge cake from my neighbor Norma.

All photos are courtesy of Google Images

Musings about Food

Hey out there... Anybody a fan of Apple Jacks? Well, I am. And every time I crack open a new box, I am ripe with anticipation to discover if the bag is the plastic-ey one or if it is the waxy- silvery-one. If you are an Apple Jacks aficionado, like myself, you know what I'm talking about. Why do they always switch 'em up? I have tried for years to figure it out. Is it the place I buy them? No. Is it where I live? no (I have lived in 4 different states and the mystery followed me to each locality). Is it the season of the year? Nope. I should write to Kellogg's....

And what about Diet Coke? Okay, I love the stuff. Maybe as much as some people love coffee. I have a very hard time limiting myself to 2 cans a day. Sometimes I have to go to bed early to avoid drinking a 4th can. But think of it this way: if each can is 12 ounces, how would that be different from going to McDonalds and getting the soda that comes with a value meal, drinking it, and getting one refill? Those cups are 20 ounces, times 2, equals 40 ounces. Minus a little bit for ice, and we're talking the equivalent of 3 cans of soda just at one mealtime. And how 'bout folks who drink 1 or 2 cups or even a whole pot of coffee with breakfast? Then have a soda with lunch or dinner? Same?

Just some random thoughts for hump-day!

Baby Got Back

Here's a collection of women I love because:
1) they are great at what they do, and
2) they don't apologize for their bodies.

Really, why should they? What does body shape have to do with your job description unless you're a model or personal trainer? In today's media world, everyone is cutting carbs and doing pilates and going on the Zone diet or South Beach diet or whatever diet Jennifer Aniston is doing. But the last time I was at Old Navy, the size 2 jeans never sold out before the size 12. So, these beautiful women have my respect and I love me some strong beautiful ladies...

First up, the modern-day Mary Poppins: Supernanny herself, Jo Frost. "Jo-Jo", as she is called by her young misbehaving charges, is so much fun to watch in action. She really knows her stuff. While I must say that she is a bit too organized for our family, I think she does a terrific job at straightening out the delinquents of tomorrow. And why is it that a British Accent always makes a person seem more sophisticated? Well, at least to us Yanks it does, anyway.


Next up, the bubby, beautiful, and brilliant chef Rachael Ray. She can cook up a meal in 30 minutes flat and still her kitchen looks way cleaner than mine does after just making mac-n-cheese. But not only does she cook, and have her own cooking show, she has a daytime talk show, and a magazine, and numerous books. Oh, and she does charity work too. She is perky. She is a genuinely nice person. And she doesn't mind laughing at herself every once in a while. I want her to be my new best friend!

Okay, now do I even really need to say who this is a picture of? If you don't know, then please put your teeth back in your mouth and pick up your banjo and move out of the United States of America. Because please, people, there may be an election coming up in November but we all know who runs the country.


This foxy chick, Sara Ramirez, plays Dr. Callie Torres in Grey's Anatomy on ABC. She actually won the role after execs from ABC saw her in the stage production of Monty Python's "Spamalot", and offered her a place on any ABC show. She chose Grey's Anatomy because, of course she was a fan. We're YOUR fan, Sara!



Oh no you di-int just call her fat!!! Tyra Banks is a money-making machine. She was a top model for Victoria's Secret, besides being on the covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition (1997) and Harper's Bazaar. She has her own daytime talk show. And have you heard of a little weekly segment she does called America's Next Top Model? Dare I say it's more popular than Survivor? Yeah, she's a model and supposed to be thin. But if 163 lbs is fat, especially for a 5'10" woman, then I don't mind being fat.


Remember the cute little Olivia from the later years of The Cosby Show? Well, cute little Olivia grew up to be big beautiful Raven Simone on That's So Raven on Disney Channel. She plays a teenager who has psychic powers. I love that she is a teenager but she doesn't look emaciated or unhealthy. She is providing an image of a teenage girl who is fun, happy, confident, and sweet but isn't trying to squeeze into an itty bitty wardrobe. Her show is geared at exactly the audience that needs to see someone like her. I only wish there were more teen role models like her.

America Ferrera won our hearts with her role in the movie version of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Then, she was snapped up by ABC to play the lead role in Ugly Betty. Actually, I am amazed at how they are able to get her to look less amazing than her normal self. And she showed her maturity when she told In Touch Weekly about her body image: "For me, it's not about looking like a supermodel - it's about feeling good about who I am naturally."


And, last but certainly not least: the queen. Queen Latifah, that is. This woman has been on the music scene for almost 20 years, starting out back in the days of Yo! MTV Raps (does anyone remember that? I do!) She has moved on to acting, including being an Academy Award nominee for her role in Chicago. And, of course, Cover Girl cosmetics recognizes her beauty and uses her as one of their national spokesmodels. If that's not validation for women with a few curves, then I don't know what is.

Other notables:

• Jennifer Hudson (American Idol, DreamGirls Academy Award winner)
• Kathy Bates (Misery, Fried Green Tomatoes, she even did a nude scene in About Schmidt)
• First Lady Barbara Bush (Okay, I know she's not really in the media, but for 4 years she certainly was under the media microscope)
• Melissa McCarthy from Gilmore Girls, who plays Dragonfly Inn Chef Sookie St. James

Now, I don't want this post to be anti-skinny-people. I mean, if you're naturally a size 2, well then, great for you. But please don't go shopping with me for a bathing suit and you better NEVER even suggest that you have a muffin top. Anyway... I only put this list together to bring to light all the awesome women who are not only accepted in today's media spotlight, but even celebrated. These women prove that beauty comes in all sizes, and that success does not come at the expense of dessert.

I'd like to thank the Academy...

Whoa, I feel like I am blushing.

I really can't stop smiling.

Photo Courtesy of Google Images

I finally got my very first shiny brand-new Blog Award.

Thank you, Thank you very much.

Okay, I know these things aren't really so much about earning them, as they are about finding some flipping reader that you haven't already passed one on to yet.

But I got an award! Me!!! Someone actually picked me!!!!

Okay, yes I know the person who picked me is a long-time friend and probably knew I'd been in the corner in a fetal position, rocking, and waiting to finally be picked for some award - any award - and she took pity on me.

Here it is:


My very own "Sunny Funny Happy" Award.

I have been advised to pass this on to someone who is Sunny, Funny, and Happy. That is no small request. How 'bouts I just split the list up?

Sunny - well the first blog I ever read, after Angie's of course, I found by googling "children eating a lego"; it's a long story but you can read about it here if you're interested. Anyway, Earthmama and Bridge co-host Ride the Waves of Life. They both regularly post the most amazing stuff - cool photos, poetry, cute anecdotes, etc. Definitely sunny.

Funny - Karly at Wiping Up Snot cracks me up. Every time. I wish I had her sense of humor. And her camera. I'm envious.

Happy - Stephanie (Bad Mom) has probably gotten a zillion of these awards because, simply, she is the epitome of happy. Have you seen the pictures of her family? All deliriously happy. Have you heard her talk about her job? Her marriage? All happy. I wish some of that would rub off on my crappy disposition some days. Reading her blog makes ME feel happy.

Now, people, pass on the love.

Stuff I Don't Get - Again

I am so sick of the politics already. I don't understand why everyone has to hate so much. I mean, I know who I'm voting for, but I don't HATE the opposing candidate or his running mate. I think both candidates have issues which are good, and issues which are bad. For me, it will come down to voting for the person who most closely matches my beliefs. He won't agree with my point of view 100%, but I don't think that's part of the job description.

And, one quick comment about George W. Bush: For pete's sake, people, he is not God. He is not perfect. He has made some mistakes. But come on. Is everyone out there going to continue to insist that he did NOTHING good while in the White House? As my husband would say, "You can't tell me the sun didn't shine on that guy at least once in 8 years." So cut him some slack already. Will all the name-calling, complaining, and offending other people really change what has already happened? Um, no. So, back off already.

Okay, you may be surprised to read this but today's "Stuff I don't get" actually doesn't have to do with politics. Well, not directly. It has to do with church.

Now, y'all may realize that I am a Christian. A Lutheran, no less. And my husband is a pastor. I am not going to wax poetic about the wonders of the Almighty or His saving grace, I am just going to pose a question or two...

How many of you, when you got married, held the ceremony in a church/synagogue/temple? Let's just call it a house of worship, K? And further, if you have children, how many of you had some sort of baby dedication/baptism/christening/baby naming at a house of worship? How often do you attend that house of worship now? Is it regularly? Occasionally? Sporadically? Rarely? Never?

Another question: How many of you go to church only on the big holidays, like Christmas & Easter or Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashana, and Passover?

Before I tell you what I don't get, I have to make sure that I am clear: I am NOT judging anyone for their choices. I am not chastising anyone for not attending regular worship. I can't make a person a believer any more than the obnoxious guy from the gym can get me to lose another 15 pounds. I believe that faith comes from the Holy Spirit working in a person, not from someone else saying something to magically convince them to believe in God. So all my "Amen"s and "Hallelujah"s wouldn't make a difference. So, on with the question:

Why do folks go through the bother of getting married in a church, taking their newborn to church for a ceremony, and attend only twice a year, if they really have no intention of taking part in that religion? As parents, aren't we supposed to practice consistency with our children? What kind of message does that send to them when we take our kids to church only 2 weeks out of 52? And, why would anyone choose a church/temple/synagogue to stand up in front of all their friends and family, to have a minister they barely know declare them to be husband and wife? Why not just go to a park or City Hall? Or how about at the threshold of the hereafter?
Why do people who don't go to church, and their parents don't go to church, suddenly want a church burial when a loved one dies? Does that really represent their last wishes??? And what is the minister supposed to say? "This person had a deep faith.... a Godly follower... " That's just patronizing to all the people who really know the deceased person.

Wouldn't it be easier to chuck the church altogether? I just want to know what motivates people to connect themselves to a house of worship, only to abandon it so quickly.

So do people do this sporadic attendance of church just to set an example for the children? Because I feel, if anything, it's setting a BAD example. Like, "We are just going because we're supposed to, even though we don't want to." What is that teaching children? To tolerate church and hate is instead of trying to enjoy it? or "I know we don't go all the time but we go when it's important." So, would it be okay for your kids to only use their seatbelts when they think it' important? How about only twice out of every 52 car rides?

Another thing I don't get is when those folks who go to their house of worship - and by belonging to a house of worship I would say that you are joining them in their beliefs - call politicians who share those beliefs as crazy, or religious zealots, or fundamentalists. I just don't get it. If someone really feels that way, why in the world would they want to associate themselves with that house of worship at any time, including Christmas, Easter, weddings, baptisms, and funerals?And, last I heard, no political candidates are supporting a single religion for all of America. So why can't a candidate make up his/her mind on an issue and stand up for that issue without being called a religious zealot or Christian fundamentalist? Aren't those candidates just practicing freedom of religion? Yeah, people don't have to want that agenda in office. They also don't have to vote for that person. But why call the person names?

Again, I am not making judgments. I just don't get it. Maybe I'm more of a black-and-white type of person. Like, either commit to going to church or commit to NOT going to church. Do it whole hog and don't vacillate. Make a choice one way or the other and stick to it.

It's funny... some people are SO passionate about political candidates (and the president too) and their positions on anything having to do with values. Some folks are so determined to get others to see how one candidate or another is too religious. But do they look at themselves? If you hate people who are religious, why did you get married in a church (if you did)? And what do you think will happen when you die? (note: heaven is a biblical concept. Other "afterworld" ideas are also religious, like Nirvana.) If you think you'll go to heaven when you die, why do you think that?

Just wondering. I am going to LOVE all the comments.

Everything I know about Being a Friend

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Cor 13:4-8

This passage, from 1 Corinthians, is typically read at weddings. You've probably heard it a bunch of times. But the author, Paul, wrote it to describe God's love for us (agape) and as an example of how we should love our fellow man. It is not about romantic love, but rather brotherly love. So, I would like to use it to describe some pretty important people in my life:

Everything I ever needed to know about being a friend, I learned from my girlfriends

(Love is patient, love is kind) Sometimes we need to wait for a true friend to come to us in her own time. That doesn't mean she doesn't care. It just means that she has other things on her mind. She might not always call you back right away - Maybe she's not a phone person. Or maybe she forgot. But she still loves you. If you wait, she will be there at exactly the time you need her. (Angie)

(Love does not envy. It does not boast, it is not proud) Sometimes a friend has what you want. Sometimes you have what she wants. A true friend is generous with what she has and is sensitive to what her friends don't have. (Janet)

(Love is not rude) Sometimes the thing a friend needs most is just a listening ear. Not advice, or a drink, or a bitch session. Once in a while, she just needs to know that she can unload without anyone judging her or interrupting her. Sometimes, really listening - not talking - is the hardest thing to do. (Nicole A.)

(Love is not self-seeking) Some girlfriends will always put you before themselves. That is just their way. Don't take advantage of that or take it for granted. (Candace)

(Love is not easily angered) There will be times that a girlfriend says things that she doesn't mean. There will be times that she takes things out on you. If you really know your friend - REALLY know her - you'll be able to see through her anger into the source of the anger, and forgive her. (Kris)

(Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth) A girlfriend may not really be as strong as she puts herself out there to be. She doesn't need to be told that - she already knows it inside. What she needs is someone who accepts her for who she is, and cheers her on to be the person she wants to be (even though she might not quite be there yet). (Nicole W.)

(Love does not keep a record of wrongs) A great friend will, from time to time, do something that she's not particularly proud of. She will need a friend who can be trusted with her failures, knowing they will be kept in "the vault". She also needs to know that your opinion of her won't change just because of some stupid immature choices. After all, we all need forgiveness. (Elena)

(Love always protects, always trusts) Having a true friend means a deep trust of all things: privacy, honesty, and unconditional acceptance. That trust is not to be taken lightly. Trust, once broken, is not easy to repair. So handle with care. (Joni)

(Love always hopes, always perseveres) Some friendships are like an old stuffed animal - you got it so long ago, just seeing it makes you happy. You may not visit often or take good care of it, but it is always there just the same. And you know you can always depend on it, and it can always depend on you. (Kathy)

Love never fails!

More great stuff I've read/heard/been told/found:
God gave us 2 ears and only 1 mouth. So we should listen twice as much as we talk.
Be friends with the person who has no friends - they need a friend the most and will be most loyal.
Every relationship needs attention. Like a plant can't grow without sunshine, a friendship can't survive without both people feeding and nourishing it.
Friends can respect each other as people without agreeing with the other person's opinions.
It is a truly humbling experience to ask for help. A friend never makes you feel humbled. When the chips are stacked against you, she is ready to help, no matter what, no matter when.

Today, go and find a friend you love and tell her, or him, or them. Don't waste today.

Elena, Nicole A., Candace, and Texan Mama
Girls Getaway 2006