Throwing Marshmallows

A friend (thanks Dena!) introduced me to American Public Radio’s Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippett program awhile ago and I have been meaning to mention it here. From their website:

Krista takes a narrative, or first-person, approach to religious and philosophical conversation. She draws out the intersection of theology and human experience, of grand religious ideas and real life.

I have been thoroughly enjoying these programs and have been surprised at the effects some of them have had on me. I think the thing that really appeals to me is that it is about people’s experiences with faith and how faith (or lack thereof) has affected their lives. There is no preaching, no trying to convince, no one religion is better than another. Just good honest discussion about meaningful ideas and what they mean. And their webpage for each program contains an incredible wealth of resources for learning more.

I have learned a lot about different religious traditions that I was unfamiliar with as well as found some programs that spoke directly to my heart and have helped me on my own spiritual path.

There used to be an explanation about why they took the approach they did but I can’t seem to find the link now. But here is what I had copied in a previous email I had written about it:

Hearing people talk from their experience, out of their story, is fundamentally different from hearing their conclusions and doctrines first. With Speaking of Faith, we are introducing a new way of talking about religion, one which will be both informative and illuminating as well as complementary to existing religion news coverage.

Journalistic reporting about religion often asks people to speak for a tradition, or for God. And for understandable reasons it favors guests - including religious leaders - who are willing, even bound, to do so. Therefore many discussions about perspectives that religion/faith/belief
could bring to our civic life begin like this:

“Christians believe…”
“Judaism asserts…”
“Muslims insist…”
“The Bible says…”

The trouble is, these kinds of pronouncements put listeners on the defensive. In fact, they even foster division within traditions.

The first-person approach behind Speaking of Faith sidesteps the predictable minefields and opens the subject wide, making it inviting, both in ambiance and substance. It insists that people speak straight from the experience behind their own personal beliefs. How did they come to hold the truths they hold? How are religious insights given depth and nuance by the complexities of life?

This way of speaking also has the effect of opening the listener’s mind. I can disagree with another person’s opinion; I can’t disagree with his or her experience. Because I know where they are coming from, I am capable of some understanding - even compassion - about why they think that way. Moreover, because I have heard their story I am able to attach a person, a humanity, to their conclusions, and I will never quite be able to dismiss that position or denomination in the abstract in the same way again.

Speaking of Faith, however, doesn’t stop at the story. The first-person approach, after all, could be just another dead end if it didn’t move beyond personal confessional. That is where my role as a theologically-trained journalist is critical. I engage people at that personal level, but I also invite them to articulate the important ideas and the deep, relevant perspectives that faith can add to our private and public lives.

I highly recommend checking it out. Some of my favorite programs have been:

• Listening Generously: The Medicine of Rachel Naomi Remin
• The Buddha in the World
• Beyond the Atheism-Religious Divide
• Liberating the Founders
• Brother Thay: A Radio Pilgrimage with Thich Nhat Hahn
• Evolution and Wonder: Understanding Charles Darwin
  
• Quarks and Creation
• Truth and Reconcilliation
• The Religious Roots of American Democracy

And I have not even made my way through half the programs. These programs are very thought-provoking and most importantly to me, very respectful of everyone’s journey. Well worth checking out.

You can listen directly from the website or you can subscribe to their podcast.

I hope that you enjoy them as much as I have!

When I read things like this, I really wish that Benjamin Franklin was still around to remind us that:

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

I find it very ironic that the same George Bush that said in his State of the Union speech “On matters of justice, we must trust in the wisdom of our founders and empower judges who understand that the Constitution means what it says.” seems to totally miss the whole idea of separation of powers and the idea that the president is not above the law.

Hmm….now there is a thought.

I found links on Broadsheet to a whole host of articles with before and after photos of magazine covers. It seems that Photoshop retouching has taken on a life of its own.

Check out these before and after photos of Faith Hill. I mean, we all know that photos are retouched. But it really was not until I read the breakdown of what they changed that I realized how insidious it really is. So many small changes that make a big impact. And make perfectly normal, beautiful women look “perfect”.

And lest you think that it is only women who get made over, Andy Roddick did not even recognize himself when his head was put on another body for Men’s Fitness. Did they think that no one would notice?

Shoot, even Katie Couric is not “good enough” as is.

Folio Magazine ran an interesting article discussing this this issue. And all these posts reminded me about the video I posted last year which showed photoshopping at work. Too bad I can not find a video of when Jamie Lee Curtis came out with out being “fixed up” on Oprah to talk about how ridiculous it was. And that was how many years ago?

While all this does make me sigh and wonder what on earth our world is coming to, I also have to admit that it did me a world of good to see that Faith Hill (who is the same age as I am) has bags under her eyes just like me! Whew.

So I saw an ad on Salon.com this morning that definitely caught my attention. It was for the “Washlet”. The first time I saw it, I was amused. But then it kept popping up as I was reading articles and it kept grabbing my attention. I finally just had to see what the heck the washlet was and clicked on the ad (something that I never do).

You can see the ad here at CleanIsHappy.com. I do not plan on buying one, but I do have to give it credit for intriguing me enough to check it out (and even sit through the demo on their site because I really wanted to see what it was all about). That is way more time then I normally give to ads…I just really got a kick out of this one. Check it out for yourself and you will see why.

I admit it. I love the BBC version of Robin Hood. I had seen the previews about this new (to America…also check out the BBC website) series and thought that the boys would find it fun (what boy does not enjoy Robin Hood with sword fighting and archery?) but I am enjoying it just as much as they are (if not more!) Season 1 just ended (we were lucky to catch it at the beginning and tivo’d it…although looking at the episode list it looks like we missed one!) but it is being released on DVD on June 5th and is available through Netflix.

The show is incredibly fun and updated and remarkably well done. There is a lot of humor, great sword fighting and Robin (played by Jonas Armstrong) is extremely easy on the eyes (not to mention the accent!) I especially love the chemistry between Robin and Marian (who is a spirited, take care of herself kind of gal) and the relationship between all the characters (from Robin Hood’s Gang to the Sheriff and Sir Guy). The Sheriff is a real character…mean and diabolical, yet also extremely deadpan and funny…with a very dry, evil sense of humor.

Both boys really enjoy it…they especially love the fight scenes which are impressively choreographed and really enjoyable to watch. There is obviously some killing and violence so if your kids are sensitive, you should be aware of that.

The show has led to some good conversations about the time period and Robin Hood in general (Jason had listend to it on tape, but the story is new to Kyle). I found what looks to be an interesting DVD (also available at Netfilx) by the History Channel called History’s Mysteries: The True Story of Robin Hood. Can’t wait to check it out.

I highly recommend this show…it is one of those very enjoyable, watchable shows and it is fun to be able to watch something with the boys that I enjoy as much as they do!

~Stephanie

Got a call from the University of Virginia tonight looking for Mr. Elms. When I told her that he was not here, she wanted to know a better time to call. Wondering why on earth UVA would be calling us, I asked her what this was for.

She wanted to let Jeff know about his upcoming reunion! After informing her that this must be a mistake as we are both die hard Hokies who bleed orange and maroon (OK, so I put it a bit more tactfully then that), she verified his name…Timothy Elms. Uh, don’t think so….but thanks for calling…

Hopefully he can live down the shame of being mistaken for a wahoo…

~Stephanie

then to shop for winter boots in February. Went to two stores today and all we could find was sandals.

This is one of the drawbacks of living in Virginia…we have occasional bouts of heavy snow, but most of the time do not get much. So you buy boots and maybe wear them once or twice. Up until the last couple of weeks it had been a really warm winter. Of course the last couple of weeks have been really cold but we have only had maybe half an inch of snow.

We are supposed to be hit tomorrow so I figured that I should get Jason a pair of boots (Kyle’s from last year still fit). Should have known better. Let’s hope that it is not as bad as they are saying.

Oh, and that noise you are hearing? That is all my Canadian friends laughing like crazy…

~Stephanie

I finally got the Crumpler Computer bag for my laptop that I have been waiting for (I got the “The Luncheon”) and can I just say that I absolutely love it? I had a nice enough leather bag for my laptop, but it was a bit boring and “business like” and really too big for what I need. But I could not find anything else that was any better. Besides, a computer bag is a computer bag, right?

Then the other week, folks were talking about Crumpler bags on one of my photography sites and I decided to check them out. They carry all sorts of bags…laptop, camera, iPod, cell phones, you name it. These bags are so cool! They are casual, extremely well made, and very, very comfortable to carry. I got mine in green and I can’t wait to use it. It is the perfect size…lots of protection for my laptop. Not to big, just enough room to throw in a book or two and whatever else I need.

I found a better price at Academic Superstore (who offers discounts to homeschoolers too). Hmmm…interesting…the price listed now is $20 more then what I paid! I guess I got it on sale? Lucky timing I suppose.

I also picked up a bag for my point and shoot digital camera (the “Thirsty“) which is great…fits perfectly and has a small pocket so that I can carry an extra battery with me. I carry my camera in my purse wherever I go so this little bag will be great and offer better protection. And I could not leave out my iPod, now could I (the “Winkler“)? These little bags are just so cute!

Yes, I know that it is just a computer bag…but what can I say? I just really love these bags. Early Christmas presents are just so much fun!

~Stephanie

The buzz is starting for the next HarryPotter movie, Order of the Phoenix, due out in July. You can find an HBO Sneak Peak as well as the movie trailer at the HPANA site.

Jason was totally thrilled and now can’t wait for it to be out.

~Stephanie

I wrote a post a few days ago about how cool it was that I was able to find the name and then download Sting’s incredible new album, Songs from the Labyrinth all in less then 20 minutes and without leaving the comforts of my own home.

So I was looking around for new ring tones for my cell phone and what do I find? My absolute favorite song from this album, Come Again. So not only was I able to download the album (which I now have on my ipod and play regularly around the house, much to the boys’ annoyance) but I also get to hear it every time my phone rings. Ahh technology….

~Stephanie (who gets a kick out of the wide eyed looks I get from the boys when I mention that I did not have the internet or google when I was growing up)

In case anyone forgets, Tuesday is election day across the US. And I have to say that I will be very happy to have it done with finally! Being in Northern Virginia, we have been hit by television ads for not one but two states for whom the senate race is extremely close - here in Virginia and in nearby Maryland (with whom we share a tv market).

I really wonder if anyone truly believes political ads. The spin is incredible…both candidates distorting the others views (and yes, I saw some distortion in the Jim Webb’s ads (I am sure that Allen is not against funding bullet proof jackets for our military) but have to admit that in my opinion, George Allen was way more hypocritical and desperate…in one ad saying that he wants to “stick to the issues” and then in another ad attacking Jim Webb because of sex scenes in his fictional novels. And Allen wants us to think that he shares John Warner’s position on the war? Please, Warner at least has a back bone and will go against Bush when he feels that Bush is wrong. Can’t say anything like that for Allen who just plays the party line…but I digress…can you tell that Allen really irritates me? I could go on for awhile but I will stop now and save you all from a major rant.)

One more thing for Virginia voters…please, please take a close look at proposed Constitutional Amendment 1…and please vote no. Even if you are opposed to gay marriage, this amendment goes way beyond gay marriage and will have implications for any unmarried couple. Marriage is already “defined” in Virginia and this amendment won’t gay marriage any more illegal or change anything…other then creating who knows what future issues as well as writing discrimination into our state constitution. Read the second part closely:

This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.”

This amendment could stop businesses in Virginia from being allowed to offer health benefits to unmarried people (not just gay people here folks, any unmarried person) and bar people in unmarried relationships from going to court to enforce any financial or other agreements. Even if you are opposed to gay marriage, this amendment goes way too far and it is way to vague (actually it goes way to far just in “defining marriage” which I feel is just ridiculous but it is getting late so I will let it go at that for now…).

So be sure to take time to vote…to tie this into homeschooling…don’t forget to take your kids and talk about what you are doing and why!

~Stephanie

Still trying to figure out if the all the technology we have in this day and age is a good thing or not. But I have to say that it is pretty cool most times. After all, it makes this blog possible…

A couple of evenings ago, I was watching Studio 60. Not a big deal, but I was about a week or so behind which was ok, since I had TIVO’d it (side note: TIVO is a great homeschool tool!). For those of you who are not up on Studio 60, it is set behind the scenes of a show like Saturday Night Live. On the show, Sting was the musical guest and he was performing one of his new songs from his new album…it was beautiful…a piece for the lute written in the 1500s. I loved it and wanted to learn more. In the past before the internet, this would have been much more difficult.

But not today! I just hopped onto Google, typed in “Sting Classical Album” and up popped a link to his website with the name of the album (Songs from the Labyrinth). I then hopped over to iTunes to listen to some selections to see if all the songs were as wonderful as the one that I had heard. They were. After a quick check on half.com to compare prices, I decided to purchase the album from iTunes. Another couple of clicks and the songs were downloaded into my iTunes for me to enjoy.  All this took less then 20 minutes and happened around 10pm at night. And since then I have downloaded the album to my iPod and enjoyed the music in my car and wherever I happen to be. Pretty neat.

It really is pretty amazing what we can do with technology nowadays. I have to admit to having spent way to much time looking for the “perfect” ringtone for my phone and I probably have way more shows then I should waiting to be watched on TIVO (although one nice thing is that if a show sits around too long without me watching it, I will delete just delete  it).

One great thing is that I love being able to easily take my audio books with me on my iPod. I was not really interested in an iPod when they first came out…I enjoy my cds and music, but did not see the need for a “new gadget”. And then I discovered that I could download audio books and found audible.com.  That hooked me and I got an iPod last Christmas. I am slowly starting to use it more and more and have just discovered podcasts. I love being able to download NPR stories that I miss to listen to any time I want.

I do wonder about the immediate gratification issues that this technology brings…but I also love the flexibility and control that it brings. TIVO allows us to watch shows that we want to watch rather then having to watch what is on. Podcasts allow us to do the same.

My take on the technology is that it is neither good nor bad. It just is. And like everything it is all in how you use choose to use it.  So I guess that I will enjoy it!

~Stephanie

Check out this Dove video that is making the rounds. I knew that all photos of models were re-touched to get rid of blemishes and whatnot. I did not really realize that they actually change the features (enlarge the eyes etc.) Actually seeing what they do is much more powerful then just “knowing” they do it.

Be sure to read the comments…the guy who worked on this piece gives some interesting  background and information.

~Stephanie

Steph over at A Room of Her Own tagged me for this one. I was looking for something fun to blog about (I have a bunch of things floating around in my mind but nothing gelling) and I think that this will hit the spot.

1. I am an ENFP - Reading about the Idealist personality profile in Please Understand Me II was the first time I ever read a book and said “Hey! That is me!”. I find personality types fascinating.

2. I like even numbers better then odd and my favorite/lucky number is 2.

3. I used to work as an Information Technology Consultant and spent several years as a consultant to the IRS (working on their accounting systems, not tax collection!)

4. I am a cat person. My first cat was a calico named Peaches that I got when I was in fourth grade. Our current cats are an orange tabby named Lapis and a long-haired tuxedo cat named Sammie.

5. I love public libraries. The whole concept of being able to check out an book for free is such a wonderful thing. I worked at the library while at Va Tech and am trying to carve out some time to start volunteering at our local library.

6. I have depression. I have been on and off medication over the years. I have successfully been able to manage it for the past two or so years using homeopathy, herbal supplements/vitamins, acupuncture and a great therapist.

7. I am legally blind without my glasses or contacts.

8. I auditioned for my first play in 6th grade and got the lead in “The Villian and the Toyshop”. My last theater work was running lights when 7 months pregnant with Jason.

9. I like organizing things but never have the time. I am a very cluttery person.

10. My guilty pleasures are Starbuck’s lattes and Gray’s Anatomy.

~Stephanie

Just got back from a reunion for my high school band. I only live about an hour away from where I went to high school, but decided to crash at my friend Denise’s house for the weekend anyways. Three other friends stayed there too, so it was really a blast.

We had a reception on Friday night and then Denise twisted my arm and made me march in the alumni band at the Severna Park High School Tournament of Bands. It did turn out to be fun, although pretty danged cold. Yes, I was and am a band geek.

The best part of the weekend was just hanging out with each other though…it was great to see Denise, Ted (who came up from Atlanta), Pat (who came up from Texas) and Doug (who lives nearby in Maryland). It is funny…we have all changed in many ways, but in others we are still very much the same. And it is nice to be around good friends who remember you from 20 years (yes 20!) ago. I was amazed at how easy it was to pick up with each other even though we don’t see each other often enough these days.

We definitely are not as young as we used to be. But I wouldn’t call us completely old yet.

Now I just need to recover from not having enough sleep…

~Stephanie

In the comments for my prior post about Quick Note to Website and Blog Designers Lesa asked “would you mind giving some examples of what you’re looking for”

Sure! I’ll use LibraryThing as an example. If you go to their homepage, it is pretty clear that they are some sort of Library cataloging system. At the top of the page there is a very easy to find About tab. If you click on that you get the About page and the first heading is:

What is LibraryThing?

LibraryThing is an online service to help people catalog their books easily. You can access your catalog from anywhere—even on your mobile phone—. Because everyone catalogs together, LibraryThing also connects people with the same books, comes up with suggestions for what to read next, and so forth.

Here is something that I can cut and paste easily into my blog or handout or website. I don’t have to write a description of it myself. Of course, if I really love the site, I will probably rave about it and tell why I enjoy it (at least on my blog!). But it seems to me that most sites that are selling things or providing information should want to make it as easy to get the word about their site. And maintain some control over the message.

Here is an example of what drives me crazy. I recently found out about FilmLoop, a new photo utility. I knew a little bit about what it could do, but not much. The homepage gave me some information, but not a concise description and I was still a little confused as to what they really were and how they differed from Flickr. Plus I wanted something to cut and paste onto my blog. So I looked at the menu across the top. No About page. I kept looking around and found it really tiny across the bottom. So I clicked on it. This is what I got:

FilmLoop was hatched over a breakfast of hashbrowns and pancakes in 2004 by Kyle Mashima and Prescott Lee. Since then, the two friends have been working hard with their team to ready FilmLoop for the world.

Interesting information, but still does not really tell me what FilmLoop is or does. The only other information on that page is a list of press releases which I could probably click on and maybe find a description but that is a pain. So I keep looking. To the right of the page, (below the “fold”) I see a link to a Using FilmLoopFAQ. Finally I get to a page where I can click on “What is FilmLoop”:

What is FilmLoop?

FilmLoop is a free photo broadcasting (”photocasting”) network. It lets you tell your story in live photo Loops and broadcast it to all your friends.

Instead of showing photos on a Web page, or including them as email attachments, FilmLoop presents photos in a “Loop” on your desktop. Share your Loop with your friends, and they can add their photos too. It also allows you to set up a Loop as your screensaver (PC only; screensaver for the Mac coming soon).

Now that is more of what I was looking for. It also explains how they are different then the multitude of other photo sites such as Flickr. Now, I did go back and look and found that the FAQ is available if you click on Help but again it is easy to overlook (listed second or third in a list of links on the Help page). Either way you still have to drill around quite a bit to find what you are looking for. And on some websites you can’t even find any kind of concise statement of what they do.

Maybe I am just lazy or tired after having spent quite a bit of time adding links to vendors over at VaHomeschoolers.org and updating resource handouts. But I am finding that I am getting more and more picky about what I look for in a website.

I do a lot of shopping online and a well designed and easy to use website will make the sale for me. I recently bought a hammock online and specifically choose one vendor over another solely because I thought the website was easier to use and had better information which helped me make my decision. The products were the same, the price was a couple of dollars difference (I went with the higher priced site). The website made the sale.

I guess the thing for designers to think about is how can they make it as easy as possible for for their visitors to pass on information about their site. Especially in this day and age with blogs so abundant. I may see a cool site that I want to pass on, but if I have to spend a lot of time writing “copy” then I might choose to put it off. Now of course if the site is just way cool, then I will probably take the time.

A good mission/purpose statement seems like it should be a basic. So just make it easy to find!

~Stephanie

Please, please, please. If you have a website or blog for informational or business purposes, include a one or two sentance summary of what your site is all about. I am not talking about personal sites, just those that either provide information on a topic or are selling things.

In getting ready for the VaHomeschoolers Conference (in a little over two weeks! You are coming, right?) I have been pulling together links to our vendors and also putting together handouts for my Beginning Homeschool Sessions. These handouts include a lot of online resources. In most cases I want to provide a brief summary of what they can find if they go to this particular site. I can’t tell you how many websites/businesses do not have any kind of brief statement of what and who they are on their website!This to me seems to be something really basic, especially if you want folks to link to you. But I can see where it would be easy to overlook this.

Anyways, I just needed to air my new pet peeve. You should want to make it easy for people to figure out what you are about and why you have a site. Do so in a sentance or two and make it easy for folks to find it. If you don’t have a place for it on your home page, then at least have an About page that is easy to find.

Of course this is not as necessary for personal sites or blogs. But a good About page does help in these areas too. I know that when I find a new blog, I always check out the About page. I like to know a little bit about the person whose blog I am reading. Gives me some insight into whether I think I might enjoy the blog and I am also just a little bit nosy.

Just some quick thoughts before I head to bed! I will probably be really busy the next two weeks but I hope to keep writing here as much as I can.

If you do come to the Conference, be sure to track me down and say Hi!

~Stephanie

Politics was not the main reason that we started homeschooling. But I am becoming increasingly frustrated when I see how much politics influences how our kids are taught and increasingly glad that I do not have to deal with it.

Take the science curriculum debate in Kansas for instance. Without even getting into whether or not Intelligent Design or Evolution should be taught as science (for the record we fall plan on teaching evolution but will probably discuss the controversy over intelligent design), does this sound like a healthy way for kids to learn:

“If future school board elections turn out a different group of motivated voters, the results could shift again, as they have in previous elections.”

“Kansas has been over this ground before. In 1999, the state made national headlines by stripping its curriculum of nearly any mention of evolution. Two years later, voters removed several conservative board members, and the curriculum change was reversed.

Then, a conservative majority took hold in 2004 and revived the issue, leading to the bitter 6-to-4 vote last year, in which the board adopted the current standards.”

You have got to be kidding! This is the problem when you have to try to cater to pleasing everyone in a system that is not set up to allow for individual uniqueness or needs. One group comes into “power” and they get to make the rules. The group without the power then does everything they can to come back into power and changes things. Neither group will compromise because each group knows that they are “right”. We see it on a larger scale with our government. But it happens at the local level all the time with our schools. And our kids get caught in the middle.

And lest you think that this is just happening in Kansas, have you checked out the new Florida state history regulations? You can just see the politics and recognize exactly what motivations were behind these new regulations. Whether or not you like these new laws depends on whether you agree with the politics behind them. Why are politicians micro-managing what is taught in the schools?

There was a PBS show called Testing Our Schools that talked about standardized testing in schools (this was back about 4 years ago before NCLB really took hold and when “accountability” was becoming the buzzword - I remember watching it right when we started homeschooling Jason). In this documentary, they highlighted Virginia as they were coming up with those lovely Standards of Learning (SOLs - I kid you not). Virginia was unique in that instead of using an “off the shelf” generic test, they were developing their own state-specific standards.The show was extremely eye-opening to me and reinforced our decision to homeschool. What I found fascinating was watching the process…how they were trying to determine what was important based on what they could reasonably test on. How they were being lobbied by various interest groups to make sure that their interests were being represented. How little discussion there was on helping the kids learn to think and draw their own conclusions.

As we show in the program, developing standards turns out to be hard, politically perilous work. Policymakers in Virginia argued for weeks over just what names students should be familiar with in history. If Robert E. Lee is important, what about Frederick Douglass? Does Stonewall Jackson make the list and, if he does, should Jefferson Davis? Abraham Lincoln of course, but what about Ulysses S. Grant? Special interest groups wanted the history standards to include such things as the Armenian genocide (’because it was the first one of the 20th century and made Hitler possible’) or the African kingdom of Mali (’so that African-American students wouldn’t think that their history begins with the arrival of the first slave ship in 1619′).

It seems to me that education should be above politics, but I am having a hard time lately figuring out how you go about doing that in the public schools. Because education is such a personal thing. And each family wants their child taught in a way that they agree with and that matches their families beliefs and values. But you can’t do that with 30 kids in a class and hundreds if not thousands in a school. So parents start pressuring the school board or their legislators. Or sometimes it is not even the parents…it is the law/policy makers trying to score political points.

So then schools try to please everyone and you end up with everything being so politically correct and watered down that you have to wonder how on earth kids can learn to think in that kind of environment. Schools are supposed to be able to stay neutral in politics and religion. But even that turns into a near impossibility because people mistakenly believe that neutrality means that you can not even mention or talk or discuss these things. No one wants to offend anyone.

And even supposed neutrality can be offensive! People like Ann Coulter argue that this neutrality is in effect a type of religion, pushing a “secular” agenda. Others argue that the neutrality is a restriction on their free speech and/or religion.

Part of the problem is the polarization that seems to be taking place in politics and religion lately all across our nation. Red states. Blue states. Secularism. Religious Fundamentalism. Evolution. Intelligent Design. Everyone has their point of view and everyone has dug in and is ready for a fight. Where is the common ground?

Like I said at the beginning, I am glad that I am homeschooling. I get to make these decisions for my family. No, this is not a cop out. I do not see these issues in the schools being resolved in the very near future even if I was active and involved. I am not willing to sacrifice my child’s education to the political whims of whoever is in power.

But more on that in Part 2.

~Steph

I had been secretly gloating thankful that we did not seem to be getting hit with the heat wave that has been hitting everyone else across the country. The past couple of weeks have been very pleasant…in the 80s during the day, even in the 70s in the evening. I actually had to make sure to bring a t-shirt to the beach because it was chilly towards the end of the day into the evening. With the off-shore breeze, the temps are usually at least 10 degrees cooler then inland. It has been really nice.

Then came this week! Yikes! Hot in the 90s but the humidity is the killer. We did not even go down to the beach today, but instead had Jack over to play. I had thought that we would go down later in the afternoon when it cooled down, but it stayed incredibly hazy, hot and humid even in the late afternoon. The boys were having so much fun playing some kind of game they made up that consisted of building lego spaceships and telling an ongoing story that incorporates parts of Final Fantasy and Pikmin (from their video games). I only caught pieces of it, but it is extremely complex, with different parts and each kid contributing pieces of the storyline. Walking seems to play a big piece in this game…they walk around and around while they are weaving the story…around the coffee table, around the dock outside and around the beach when they play down there. They are so eager to play and they can only play with each other. Really fun to eavesdrops on.

Since Jack was over, I actually had most of the day to get things done around the house. I am starting to wonder if that is a good thing! I did get some things accomplished, but I also spent way too much time surfing around and reading different blogs. It was interesting reading up on some of the things that went on at the blogher conference…seems that the mommy wars are going on everywhere. I also found some really neat digital camera blogs and have been immersing myself in trying to learn more about composition and taking better pictures. I did get some Conference related things done which is good (still have plenty more to do though!). And I took care of some little things that needed to be done (like ordering my hammock chair! My Dad gave me a hammock chair stand that he did not want any more and I had been meaning to order one all summer!). But it still feels like I could have gotten more done.

I have been trying to figure out why I always feel like I do not have time to do all the things that I want to do. Yet when I actually get some “free” time, I feel like I fritter it away and am never happy with what I have accomplished. I find it hard to focus on what to actually get done, when I have so much that needs to be done. The whole, not sure where to start thing. But then I also think that I am too hard on myself. Why do I need to always be “productive” to feel good about myself? Why do I feel guilty if I am not? I love the idea of being present in the moment…to enjoy what is. But I also find that very hard to do.

I think part of it stems from my own perfectionism. I am so worried about not getting something done, about dropping the ball, about letting folks find out that I really don’t know what the heck I am doing. So I am always thinking about what needs to be done next and worrying about it. Because if I am worrying about it, then I am doing something about it, right? I can’t be faulted for messing up, because I tried…look at all the worrying I did after all.

Ok, so that probably is not really the healthiest way of getting things done! And I usually only get like this when I have a bit too much on my plate. Which is the way things have been most of this summer. It is all a matter of taking things in little steps and prioritizing what needs to be done. Which is why I sometimes think that I work better under pressure! Not as much time to think and easier to see what fire needs to be put out next. But also a very exhausting way to live one’s life.

I think that is one reason that I enjoy having kids. While on the one hand, they add a heck of a lot more “things you have to do” to your life, they also help you slow down and live in the moment. They give you an excuse to spend the afternoon playing a game or reading a good book. The shameful part is that we need an excuse.

Where did this “gotta be productive” message that is ingrained in so many of us come from? I am actively working on countering it with varying degrees of success. I find it strange that I am have workaholic tendencies even though I don’t technically “work” (yeah, yeah I know, work for money yadda, yadda, yadda). I have made conscious steps to getting off the mainstream treadmill…I chose to be home with my kids. I chose to homeschool which simplifies our lives considerably. Yet there is still this underlying feeling that I have that says I can’t truly relax.

I guess that being aware of it is the first step. Consciously slowing down even when the world is saying, gotta go faster. Breathing. And putting the focus back on my kids. Because they know how to live in the moment. Maybe that is the lesson that I need to learn from them.

Well, this turned into a very stream of consciousness type post. Thanks for coming along for the ride and I hope that I did not loose to many of you along the way!

~Steph

We made it to Chicago! The trip went relatively smoothly and we met up with Jeff’s folks and had a great time with the rest of the Elms’ today. Here is what we have learned on our trip so far:

Air Travel is about waiting in lines: The boys were great, but I think that they were surprised at how much waiting in lines we had to do! A huge line to check in (good thing that Jeff dropped us off while he parked the car!), another line to get through security, another line to get on the plane, another line to check on the rental car and then a final line to get on the bus to get the car!

Computers should be removed from the bag before going through security: This is supposedly a commonly known thing to everyone (including Jeff) except me. I put my bag with the computer through the xray machine, resulting in the need to do a “bag check” which consisted of a security person wiping my computer down and doing a computer analyzation (I am assuming to check for bomb residue?). The boys found it fascinating and it led to a discussion of why they need to do this. What fun.

Airline security is allowed to open and go through my bags at will: I found a note in my suitcase that I was randomly chosen for a search required by their security measures. It was a good thing that I did not lock my suitcase because they are allowed to break in if it is locked.

There are now cell phone waiting parking areas: We saw this both when we left Washington and when we arrived in Chicago. I am guessing that is a place that folks can wait until the passenger they are picking up calls and lets them know that they are here. Beats circling the airport over and over or paying for parking I guess.

Four personal pan pizzas cost $26 at the airport: This does not include drinks!

I am totally spoiled by wireless internet access: I have to plug the computer in here at the hotel to get internet access and I do not have a long cord, so I am stuck in an uncomfortable chair. Of course, maybe if I was more uncomfortable back home, I might not spend as much time online! I am very spoiled and miss blogging while lying in bed or on the couch!

Flying is much easier with a 9 and 6 year old then with a 3 year old and 6 month old: Which was how old the boys were the last time they were on a plane. Just not having to carry them was a great improvement!

I do not need to pack near as much stuff for the airplane as I thought: I packed way too much stuff for the plane and we did not need half of it.

Flying is way more enjoyable when seen through the eyes of a 9 and 6 year old for the first time: The look on the boys faces when they realized that we were flying higher then the clouds was priceless. It is easy to forget how really awesome this realization is!

Wish us luck on the return trip! The reunion was fun…met lots of folks, listened to lots of good stories and the kids met some of their cousins (2nd cousins? Cousins once removed? Not sure, need to go google it…)

~Steph