Friday Fill-in #126

1. It's cold and rainy if you live up north. If you live in Florida, it's usually hot and rainy - weird!

2. I love my little cherry tomatoes.

3. My favorite health and beauty product is a lovely lavender Zum Bar of soap.

4. A DVD player and a few Nintendo DSes in the car make for a nice long ride.

5. Well, first of all good grades are not necessarily an inidication of intelligence.

6. I can't quite remember who were the cast of characters in a recent dream, but it was unsettling.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to some yummy homemade chicken soup. Tomorrow my plans include enjoying my lack of plans, and Sunday I want to enjoy some sunshine!

Friday Fill-in #125

1. Moving on up, to the East side, to a deluxe apartment in the sky-y-y!

2. Too many people don't realize they're free.

3. My best quality is patient persistence.

4. I'll come up with the great idea, if you work out the details.

5. In nearly 10 years, all three of my children will be able to drive.

6. Intrinsic motivation is what I need right now!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having some money in my wallet. Tomorrow my plans include buying some new paintbrushes for my mother as a birthday gift, and Sunday I want to enjoy a shrimp boil made by my husband!

Learning All the Time

This was in my e-mail inbox this morning. It describes my view of life and learning pretty accurately. It's a wonderful thing to know that you can learn whenever, whatever, and however you want. The prospect fills me with a joy and excitement that I want to share with everyone. This life of learning is better than any single school could ever be, and the only enrollment requirement is to be alive!

A Life of Learning - Earth School

Life is the province of learning, and the wisdom we acquire throughout our lives is the reward of existence. As we traverse the winding roads that lead from birth to death, experience is our patient teacher. We exist, bound to human bodies as we are, to evolve, enrolled by the universe in earth school, an informal and individualized academy of living, being, and changing. Life’s lessons can take many forms and present us with many challenges. There are scores of mundane lessons that help us learn to navigate with grace, poise, and tolerance in this world. And there are those once-in-a-lifetime lessons that touch us so deeply that they change the course of our lives. The latter can be heartrending, and we may wander through life as unwilling students for a time. But the quality of our lives is based almost entirely on what we derive from our experiences.

Earth school provides us with an education of the heart and the soul, as well as the intellect. The scope of our instruction is dependent on our ability and readiness to accept the lesson laid out before us in the circumstances we face. When we find ourselves blindsided by life, we are free to choose to close our minds or to view the inbuilt lesson in a narrow-minded way. The notion that existence is a never-ending lesson can be dismaying at times. The courses we undertake in earth school can be painful as well as pleasurable, and as taxing as they are eventually rewarding. However, in every situation, relationship, or encounter, a range of lessons can be unearthed. When we choose to consciously take advantage of each of the lessons we are confronted with, we gradually discover that our previous ideas about love, compassion, resilience, grief, fear, trust, and generosity could have been half-formed.

Ultimately, when we acknowledge that growth is an integral part of life and that attending earth school is the responsibility of every individual, the concept of "life as lesson" no longer chafes. We can openly and joyfully look for the blessing buried in the difficulties we face without feeling that we are trapped in a roller-coaster ride of forced learning. Though we cannot always know when we are experiencing a life lesson, the wisdom we accrue will bless us with the keenest hindsight.

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Friday Fill-in #124

1. If we had no winter, we would never discover the infinite beauty of snowflakes.

2. Being a mother is a perpetual astonishment.

3. If I had my life to live over, I'd rather not. I'm not done with this one yet!

4. A LOT can happen inside of four and twenty hours!

5. If you've never been thrilled by the clouds, I wish that for you.

6. To be interested in the changing seasons is practical for living on Earth.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to at least 8 hours of sleep. Tomorrow my plans include swimming, and Sunday I want to ride my bike to a local park!

The Wonders of the Internet and Critical Thinking

Our unschooling lifestyle is so intimately tied to use of the Internet, I can hardly imagine life without it. I initially learned about unschooling, and continue to learn about it from the rich resources found on-line. The potential for almost immediate feedback to questions is unparalleled. Numerous times every day, we "look it up" on-line. We seek answers to questions about such varied topics as the current weather forecast, if a certain game is in stock at GameStop, how to build a half-pipe ramp, and why our cat is behaving aggressively. There is rarely a topic for which we cannot find information on-line.

This ease of obtaining information always amazes and impresses me. I love knowing that I can find out what I want to know quickly and easily. However, it is just as easy to add to the enormous amount of information on-line too. That requires us to be critical in analyzing the source(s) from which we gather this information. We need the skills that a journalist typically uses in gathering information. We need to check our sources and utilize multiple sources for verification. I just read about the best real life example that clearly illustrates the need for this diligence. Apparently, a sociology student added a quote to Wikipedia entry which was then redistributed by newspapers as accurate, before it was found in error and removed by Wikipedia. The full story is here. This is just one more example of the wealth of opportunities to learn and develop critical thinking skills from our media rich world.

Mother's Day

This was our first Mother's Day without my husband's mom here. I was missing her so much this week. It is such a bittersweet holiday this year. As sad as I am for not having my mother-in-law and my grandmothers here to celebrate, it makes me even more grateful for my own mother still being a part of my life, and especially grateful to actually be a mother myself. I am frequently awe-struck by the fact that I am blessed with children, and they each are so amazing to me! There is no other gift that could ever possibly bring more joy and meaning to my life than my children have, just by being who they are.

To me, that is what Mother's Day is all about, celebrating the gift of each other. Hope you all had reason to celebrate this year!

In Case You Were Curious

Here's a glimpse at some of what we've been up to since I last blogged here.I got a new car! We went skiing with cousins in Maine.
We visited Grandpop in NY.
We celebrated Uncle Joe's birthday with him in CT.

We went to Dave & Buster's for the first and second time ever while in NY. What a fun place! I wish we had one close to us.

We colored Easter eggs.

We hung out with some of our unschooling friends at the park and Jump-N-Slide.

We got a new orange tree from my parents as a memorial to Chuck's mom.

We enjoyed the bounty of the garden Chuck gave me as a birthday gift. Sweet!

Our unschooling friends visited us from AZ, and we joined them for a quick trip to Disneyworld.
We enjoyed seeing our son's band, Horizons, perform at Hot Topic. Too bad the police came and said that they could only play without amps. They only got to play 3 songs.
We sent our son Tom, his girlfriend and their friends to their prom in a limo!

We continue to lead very full and fun lives here in Florida, and we're looking forward to even more! Wishing you a life full of fun too. ;)

Happy Hearts Day!

Friday the 13th Flashback

No, not THE movie, but a short made by my oldest son on another Friday the 13th over a year ago. I couldn't get it to embed here, so click the link and enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYyqxQcz6sY

Friday Fill-in #111

1. It seems like years since it's been clear. Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right.

2. Turn it off when you're done, please?

3. If I thought you were coming over I'd have changed out of my pajamas!

4. Love is what I think of most when I think of you.

5. To me, Valentine's Day means another good reason for eating chocolate, yay!

6. God gives me strength.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a little Valentine's shopping. Tomorrow my plans include enjoying the company of those I love and Sunday, I want to go walking with Nance!

Meet my children's other mother....

Creepy, huh?

My kids had fun at the Coraline movie website exploring, replacing eyes with buttons, and creating flowers, but the button eyes just creep me out! There are also really interesting behind the scenes videos and pictures on the website (which is really quite impressive and worth checking out). I learned what a cool and creative job it is being a "rigger", and how "thinking outside of the box" is such a necessary skill in that line of work.

The movie itself was also quite amazing, especially for stop-action fans like we are. The 3-D effects have become so much more advanced. Now I want to see all movies in 3-D! I don't want to say much about the movie, for those who plan to see it, except that it is not for the faint of heart. It is pretty intense and scary in parts, and it effectively draws you into forgetting it's all pretend. It left a lasting impression that will definitely be on my mind for a while!

Friday Fill-in #110

1. Please don't tell me the gory details.

2. Can you make that a little later in the morning?

3. The color green makes me want to go outside!

4. I have a craving for nothing at the moment, YAY!

5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it and keep rewinding all the times I see my hubby and kids all playing together joyfully.

6. Eyes are the best when they're not buttons. ;P

7. And as for the weekend, tonight (actually this afternoon) I'm looking forward to going to see Coraline. Tomorrow my plans include taking my son to make some pottery, and Sunday I want to read the paper and that's about it!

Friday Fill-in #108

1. Oh, I am so missing my mother-in-law!

2. It is so gratifying to be with my kids everyday, seeing all the changes, big and little.

3. During the funeral, I wasn't the only one laughing when my nephew started asking, "Is Pa being quiet? Is Aunt Fran being quiet? Is Uncle Joe being quiet? Is Daddy being quiet?" and on and on..

4. Drive in this ice and snow and traffic everyday; are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be sitting at the kitchen table having coffee with Mom.

6. My laptop is(was) my favorite gadget.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to being done with laundry and unpacking. Tomorrow my plans include possibly attending the Port Salerno Annual Seafood Festival and Sunday I want to enjoy the warmer weather!

Mom

Over 27 years ago, when I was still in high school, I met and fell in love with my husband. But it was clear from the very beginning, that I fell for his family as hard as I fell for him. My husband has a large, loving, loyal, family that loves to laugh. Before meeting them, I truly doubted the existence of such intact, happy families. I thought they only existed in television sitcoms. I am so grateful that I found out I was wrong, and that I became a part of this wonderfully amazing family.

Last Wednesday, we got the devastating news that Chuck's mother, our Mom, had passed away. She had battled lung and brain cancer for over two years. I was so blessed to have her in my life these past years. I learned so much from her, in so many ways, and will forever be better for having known her. I want to write more, but the tears keep coming. When I can, I will.

Friday Fill-in #105

1. The world is wondering what 2009 will bring.

2. "Okay," was the last thing I said.

3. I wonder who wrote the book of love.

4. May there be peace at the end of all things.

5. There's something to be said for taking your time.

6. Right here is where I want to be.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having a full fridge . Tomorrow my plans include calling a few friends to make plans and on Sunday I want to take my daughter to the mall and the bookstore, and put away our Christmas decorations!

Open the Door to Joy in 2009!

THE DAILY GROOVE ~ by Scott Noelle
www.enjoyparenting.com/dailygroove



:: Is Joy Knocking On Your Door? ::



She knocked on the huge palace door. The peepholecover slid open, revealing the grim face of thepalace guard. "Who goes there?"



"I am Joy," she answered with a smile, "I'm here tovisit the Queen."



The guard shut the peephole abruptly. A few minuteslater, it slid open again and the guard said, "TheQueen is upset because her children are misbehaving.You may not enter until conditions improve."



"But I bring good tidings, and if she would let mein, the children would surely abandon their mischief."



"Sorry," the guard grumbled, "I must do HerMajesty's bidding." Then he locked the door and left.



But Joy did not leave . . . She just kept knocking.



Today, if you feel upset for any reason, askyourself this: "Am I using these conditions as anexcuse to disallow my natural state of well-being?"
Decide that when JOY knocks on *your* door,you'll let it in... no matter what the conditions!



http://dailygroove.net/unconditional-joy
--> Get "The Daily Groove" book! http://www.enjoyparenting.com/book
Feel free to forward this message to your friends!(Please include this paragraph and everything above.)Copyright (c) 2008 by Scott Noelle

What I Learned in 2008

Just a partial list of some of the random things I learned in the past year. I learned:

* That I have a compulsion to have a picture included in every blogpost and that without my laptop, my photo sharing skills are severely limited.

* That I have a very strong attachment to my laptop, and how I have it set up, and I miss it terribly now that it's STILL being fixed.

* That it really is as great as I imagined it would be to visit and stay at other unschoolers' homes.

* That I am shy on-line, like in real life. I am very good with one-on-one conversations, but typically am pretty quiet in a group setting. I realized that I rarely post on all the lists I've subscribed to, because I feel it's just like speaking up in a group converstion. I have no problem, however, in stopping by people's blogs and leaving comments, which seems so much more like talking to just one person. So, I learned that my on-line personna is pretty true to my real life personality.

* That my kids and I can take really long road trips, and have fun in the car!

* More about the nature of God, and my faith.

* That I need to keep on learning how to be more patient, more forgiving, more tolerant and accepting, more bold, and more myself. It will never be a done job.

* That my oldest son would like to go to college.

* That my youngest son seems to have a natural talent for pottery.

* That my daughter was seeing the world in much less focus than most of us, and that she needed glasses. I shared her joy and excitement at seeing the leaves on the trees so clearly.

* How to live more frugally.

* How to knit, again.

* How to foster pets.

* That the current legal "system" can be used to enforce a parent's will (no matter how harmful) on a child.

* A bit about Facebook.

* That I'm not that crazy about Myspace.

* All kinds of new crochet patterns.

* That I'm not as opposed to plastic surgery as I thought I was. (My eyelids always feel so heavy!)

* How to live without prescription antidepressants (at least for now).

* That every year, without fail, I will hide some Christmas present, and not be able to find it for Christmas.

* That I very likely will always need my kids to help me with technology.

* That my son and his girlfriend celebrated their one year "anniversary".

* Embroidery, again.

* That I love looking at the clouds and taking pictures of them.

* That although I don't like apple pie, I love a cut-up apple steamed and topped with cinnamon.

* A little bit about Facebook.

* That I really can't drink coffee without getting headaches

* That I still love living in Florida, despite the appeal of many other places.

* That my true nature is optimistic and hopeful.

* How to make and can kumquat marmalade.

* How to needle and wet felt from wool roving.

* How to play and win at several versions of Solitaire.

* That I could hardly make a comprehensive list of all that I learned in one year, so it would be impossible to record all that my children learn in a year! And that's okay! :)

Happy New Year! Hope it's full of love, laughter, and of course learning(I know it will be. ).

Friday FIll-in #104

1. I must LIVE before I die.

2. You can't stop once you start.

3. I wish I never had to buy a bra again.

4. Unschooling has helped me change my life.

5. I know the song Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton) by heart.

6. If I weren't so afraid, I would scuba dive.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my son's band practice ending. Tomorrow my plans might include strawberry picking, and Sunday, I want to relax!

Hope your holidays are merry and bright! xo

Enough About ME Already,

Let me tell you about my dear husband with this "Husband Meme" I saw on Julie's blog.

1. He’s sitting in front of the TV. What is on the screen? Whatever channel he happened to stop on right before the magic remote put him to sleep.

2. You’re out to eat. What kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Italian

3. What is one food he doesn’t like? Pretty much anything from a box or can.

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? What bar?! If it's the one were we wait for a table to be ready, probably a glass of wine.

5. Where did he go to high school? William Floyd H.S. in Shirley, NY - same as me. ;)

6. What size shoe does he wear? 10 and 1/2

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? He equates most collections with clutter, so anything he collects is useful, ie. tools and cookbooks.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Hmmmm, I'm not sure about this one, but probably a good Reuben, or an italian hero with everything on it.

9. What would the Husband eat every day if he could? Nothing I can think of. He likes variety.

10. What is his favorite cereal? Frosted Mini-Wheats, or the Muesli he had in Switzerland.

11. What would he never wear? A dress, or anything right off the rack. Clothes need to be broken in by the washer before wearing.

12. What is his favorite sports team? None that I know of

13. Who is his best friend? Me?

14. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do? Display "knick-knacks" on the kitchen windowsill.

15. How many states has he lived in? Three: NY, MA, FL

16. What is his heritage? Italian, and possibly Irish(the family history is a little cloudy)

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind? Yeah right! Like I'm going to bake a cake for my pastry chef husband! No, he gets an ice cream cake, either good old fashioned Carvel or mint chocolate chip from Baskin Robbins.

18. Did he play sports in high school? No

19. What could he spend hours doing? Cleaning out the garage and playing with our kids.