School Begins Tomorrow

We begin school tomorrow. All the books and notebooks are lined up on the book shelf ready to go; pencils are sharpened and the erasers are ready. I love the smell of new curriculum! ;) This will be the last time that the book shelf will look this orderly, that is, until the beginning of the next school year.

We use Rod & Staff for the main subjects, and the St. Joseph's Baltimore Catechism and Reading God's Word with daily reflections for Religion. We also use the Schoolaid curricula. This year, as in past years,  we'll be using their reading program with vocabulary, and the health workbook. We begin these books after we finish with Rod & Staff because we usually run out of work by spring, and the extra reading, vocabulary, and health books are excellent.

Free time reading will include vintage ebooks and books from the library.

I decided to begin Apologia Science(General Science) next year, or the next, Physical Science for eight grade. Rod & Staff Science may be enough preparation for him to jump right into Apologia in the eight grade; we'll see.

We've been using Rod & Staff curriculum since Pre-K/Kindergarten. It has worked well for many years, so we just kept going with it. It's been especially nice for my son who is an independent learner. He has been able to self teach himself with these materials. The only intervention on my part has been to go over corrections with him, identify weaknesses, and fill these gaps with extra study materials.

I guide his free time reading, but most of the learning is tackled by him. A few years ago I gave him a notebook for journaling. At first I had to assign minimum writing requirements, but now he writes long creative stories. I don't correct these, letting him write freely for himself instead.

We've filled in science experiments with trips to our local science museum and summer science camp, but we'll need to do labs at home soon. My husband has volunteered for this task.

Ceramic Ion Hair Dryers

Here is some new beauty technology which actually works! I purchased a Clairol ceramic ion hair dryer last week at Target on sale($10.00 off), and it really does do what it advertises. It came with three attachments; I use the diffuser for my long curly hair. My hair dries very quickly, and with no frizz. I don't have the dry hair problem I had with my old hair dryer which I'm almost embarrassed to say was about 20 years old.

More reviews here.

From Consumer Search:

Ionic, ceramic and tourmaline are the latest buzzwords when it comes to hair dryers. According to Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporter Erin White, " 'Ceramic' is the most important one to latch on to … if a package says 'ceramic,' that means the coil is made of ceramic," not metal. Unlike metal, ceramic heats evenly and is self-regulating, which means it isn't likely to become hot enough to damage hair.
Hair dryers with ceramic heating coils often offer dual ceramic/ionic technology, although many hair dryers offer ionic technology only. Ions are molecules with a positive or negative charge. According to manufacturers, instead of taking the air from the room and heating it, an ionic hair dryer uses negative ions to shrink the water droplets in hair. Manufacturers claim that negatively charged ions help dry hair faster and with less damage, making it smooth and shiny.

Rebatched Soap Results

I finally used my rebatched goat milk soap, and it's some of the most luxurious soap I've ever used. It took about a month to cure. It turned out very creamy and soft on the skin, but a soap is only as good as it's base, so the smelly soap turned out to be very nice. The goat odor was completely gone. I ended up with a dozen cupcake sized soaps which seem to be lasting well.

It was a good save for some soap I may not have ever used due to it's gamey smell.

Healthy Fiber Packed Zucchini Carrot Cranberry Bars

Click here.

Feast of St. Augustine

St. Augustine was an important figure in the history of Christianity. He wrote about topics like predestination and original sin. Some of his doctrines separate Western and Eastern Christianity, with St. Augustine defining some doctrines of Western Christianity. ~ N.S.Gill's Ancient History Blog

Coming This Fall: Cash for Appliances

Well, I missed the boat on this one! I just bought an Energy Star refrigerator this past week. A Cash for Appliances is coming this fall. This program will vary by state. I was hoping for a tax credit, but this may still happen as well.

"Beginning late this fall, the program authorizes rebates of $50 to $200 for purchases of high-efficiency household appliances. The money is part of the broader economic stimulus bill passed earlier this year. Program details will vary by state, and the Energy Dept. has set a deadline of Oct. 15 for states to file formal applications. The Energy Dept. expects the bulk of the $300 million to be awarded by the end of November. (Unlike the clunkers auto program, consumers won't have to trade in their old appliances.) "

Read more here.

Garam Masala Spice

Garam Masala is an Indian all purpose mixed spice blend which livens up meat and vegetable dishes. It is a bit difficult to find, but  Target now carries this spice in their Archer Farm brand! I found a large jar of it for $5.99 in the spice aisle. A little goes a long way.

All Natural Chocolate Peanut Butter

Target is carrying an American version of Nutella! I found some all natural chocolate peanut butter for the kiddos today. It's made by Peanut Butter & Company and priced at $4.29. Now I wish they'd carry my Ezekiel, Food for Life bread. I have to run to another store to get this one.

Coupons coming soon to their site here.

Or make it yourself: Homemade Nutella Recipe

The Greatest of All is Love.

From Elizabeth's blog:

Love in the Home

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everthing in its place, but have not love, I am a housekeeper--not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements, but have not love, my children learn cleanliness--not godliness.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh. Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.

Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk. Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love is present through the trials. Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive. Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection. Now I glory in God's perfection of my child. As a mother, there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is love.

~Author Unknown~

Growing Interest in Traditional Monastic Communities

I saw these images of postulants being received into the Benedictines of Mary order over at Mrs. Pogle's. They were so beautiful that I had to share. Apparently these and other traditional orders are growing.

The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles is a traditional monastic community of women who desire to imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary in the giving of herself to God to fulfill His Will, especially in her role of assistance by prayer and work to the Apostles, first priests of the Catholic Church.
Society in these latter days is in obvious dire need of re-evangelization and sanctification through the ministry in particular of the sacred priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church. Although times have changed, the divine mission committed to the first Apostles, as well as the needs of those to whom they were sent, have not. It is our ideal to imitate Our Lady's retirement from the world in quiet seclusion, as well as her apostolic charity. Consecrated entirely to her and filled with her spirit, which is none other than the Holy Spirit of God, we aspire to be, to the successors of the Apostles in our times, what she was to them in the beginning: behind-the-scenes
encouragement, assistance and support.
Their Echoes of Ephesus CD
Listening samples available.

Clash of Religion and Politics

Religion serves man “as a bridge between the spiritual and the physical.” “A culture that has by and large rejected its religion or secularized itself,” Dawson argued, “has merely substituted some false religion – most likely an ideology of some kind – for its lost faith.” Ideologies are merely “religious emotions divorced from religious belief.”

The recently deceased philosopher Leszek Kolakowski agreed: “Mankind can never get rid of the need for religious self-identification. . . .Religion is a paramount aspect of human culture. Religious need cannot be ex-communicated from culture by rationalist incantation. Man does not live by reason alone.”

See more here.

HT to Elena.

On Apathy

1. from bondage to spiritual faith …
2. from spiritual faith to courage …
3. from courage to liberty …
4. from liberty to abundance …
5. from abundance to selfishness …
6. from selfishness to complacency …
7. from complacency to apathy …
8. from apathy to dependency …
9. from dependency back to bondage

Sir Alex Fraser Tyler (1742-1813)

See more here.

Take Action: Contact Your Congressman
Take Action: Contact Your Senator

End It Now

"Abortion is the greatest destroyer of peace today. Because if a mother can kill her own child – what is left for me to kill you and you kill me – there is nothing between." Mother Teresa

"Better Ten Graves Than One Extra Birth"

"...infanticide was not practiced only in Rome, as demonstrated in part by the legend of Romulus and Remus, or in Greece, but in the entire ancient world.


The bioethicist and animal rights supporter Peter Singer forcefully upholds the idea that this ancient practice should be rediscovered today, together with legal abortion. In fact, if it is true that only Christians forcefully rejected it – Singer argues – why should we believe that they alone were right, while all the other peoples and religions of the past were wrong?


'Killing unwanted infants or allowing them to die has been a normal practice in most societies throughout human history and prehistory. We find it, for example, in ancient Greece, where disabled infants were exposed on the mountainside. We find it in nomadic tribes like the Kung of the Kalahari Desert, whose women will kill a baby born while an older child is still too young to walk. Infanticide was also common on Polynesian islands like Tikopia, where food supplies and population were kept in balance by smothering unwanted newborn infants. In Japan before westernisation, ‘mabiki’ – a word that has its origins in the thinning of rice seedlings so that there is room for each plant to flourish, but which came to be applied to infanticide too – was very widely practiced, not only by peasants with limited amounts of land, but also by those who were quite well off.'


With the spread of Christianity over much of the world, abortion and infanticide became much more rare and isolated phenomena, while legislation, beginning with Constantine, intervened in defense of infants, and works of charity and assistance were developed for abandoned children and for families in difficulty. Up until the return of abortion in communist and Nazi legislation in the twentieth century, and of infanticide with the new law on euthanasia for children up to the age of twelve, in Holland."

Read more here.

Modesty Of Dress

"One must live as one thinks, under pain of sooner or later ending up thinking as one has lived."

Click here.

HT to Esther.

Tabloid Valley: Supermarket News and American Culture

My aunt is the author of this book, and it has gotten a good review at Amazon...thought I'd give her a shout out.

Tabloid Valley: Supermarket News and American Culture by Paula E. Morton, University Florida Press.

Product Description from Amazon:

"With sensational headlines and scandalous photos, supermarket tabloids dish out the dirt on everyone and everything from space aliens and Bat Boy to Elvis and Britney. Although they were once the pariah of traditional journalism, tabloids have gained credibility in recent years and today their lurid style - and sometimes their reportage - is even imitated by mainstream news outlets. In "Tabloid Valley", Paula Morton explores the cultural impact of the sensationalist press over the years, focusing on Generoso Pope Jr.'s decision in 1971 to move the editorial offices of the National Enquirer from New Jersey to Florida. This bold step initiated a mass exodus of similar publications to the Sunshine State where six of the largest circulation weeklies - the "Star", the "Globe", the "Weekly World News", the "Sun", the "National Examiner", and the "Enquirer" - were eventually consolidated under a single owner, American Media, Inc. Florida's favorable business climate and a booming southern frontier created the perfect environment for the tabloids and their writers to flourish. Morton goes behind the scenes to examine every facet of modern yellow journalism: what headlines sell and why, how the journalists gather the news, the recent and ongoing downturn in circulation, what the tabloids are doing to maintain their foothold, and, most important, what the tabloid news says about American culture. This title presents the truth behind supermarket tabloids."

Freebies: Homeschool Curriculum for Art History

Free samples of art cards. Click here

Salvaging a Tough Cut of Meat

Recently, we got some beef from a local farmer who butchered one of his grass fed cows for us. Natural beef tends to be a bit tougher. I slow cooked one of the tip roasts on a lower temperature, but it still turned out a bit tough. So today I put some cuts through it, and tossed it into a pot with some beef stock and apple cider vinegar, all but covering it with water. It cooked on low temperatures for about three hours, and it tastes fabulous! I seasoned with seasoning salt before turning off the stove, and just let it sit before serving.

Narcissism is repulsive

"English author, C. S. Lewis, pointed out once that when people become Christians, if they are not careful, their sinning often shifts from the overt, outward, visible sins of lying, cheating, stealing, cursing and swearing, to the more inward, hidden, non-apparent invisible ones ... and among them he lists "a critical spirit" ... a spirit of being judgmental, a censorious attitude. So prevalent is it in churchly circles, that it is sometimes labeled "Christian cruelty". All this comes from this me-attitude, this persistent self-absorption."

Read more here, How to Be Miserable.

Giovanni Organic Hair Care Products

I had purchased some paraben free organic Giovanni conditioner for my daughter's hair last year from Vitacost.com. It didn't get the tangles out, but it turned out to be a good conditioner for my fine curly hair. It's very light, and doesn't leave a residue. I found their products at our new Target the other day. I hope they continue to carry this line! I tried their foaming natural mousse, Giovanni Hair Styling Foam, Natural Mousse Air-Turbo Charged, and I really like the way it holds a curl without drying my hair out. In fact it softens the hair without making it flat. I'm not sure how they did this, but it's a first for me.

Another line I'd love to try is Yes to Carrots, an organic paraben free Israeli cosmetic company. I sampled some of their hand creme at Target - very nice. Although I haven't seen this, they also have another line, Yes to Tomatoes(oily skin), Yes to Cucumbers (sensitive skin)

Going natural - what ingredients to avoid in cosmetic and beauty products.

Weight Loss Progress

Despite being sick and not working out this past week, I weighed-in one pound less today. I've noticed a big difference in my energy level now that I try to work out on the treadmill everyday for 30 minutes. I stopped weighing myself daily, so prior to getting this cold, I may have lost even more weight! It's been days since I've felt well enough to get on the treadmill, but tomorrow I shall try again.

I have 21 more pounds to go, but honesty if I loose ten more pounds, I'd really feel much better physically. I'm not sure how necessary getting rail thin would be at my age. I have no plans on wearing a bikini anytime in the future. ;)

Recipe: Home Canned Apple Pie Filling

Click here.

Recipe: Using Up Stale Bread

Mrs. Pogle made a really delicious sounding recipe using up stale bread:

Savoury bread-and-butter pudding

Food Foraging: Find and Enjoy Wild Edible Plants

Click on here.

11 New Tax Laws That You Need to Know About

Click here.

Book & Magazine Coupon Codes

Click here.

Google Checkout Back to School Savings

Back to School Savings: Get $5 off orders over $30, $10 off orders over $60, or $20 off orders over $120 with Google Checkout. Expires 9/1/09.

I'll Be Back...

still sick with a nasty cold, not to mention that a tree fell on our car, and our refrigerator is going. Bad news always comes in threes. The car has been totaled by the insurance company, so the check will pay for the new refrigerator and a little toward a new car.

Our old car was a very reliable 1992 Honda which we bought new. It still ran brilliantly and may have lasted many more years had the tree not fallen on the engine. We are getting another Honda because they last so long. Imagine having a reliable car for over 15 years! We will miss our old car, especially it's excellent gas mileage. My husband has used this car for the past few years just to go to and from work.

We are getting a 2009 Honda Fit. According to U.S. News & World Reports, Honda Fit is rated number one for affordability and reliability among subcompact cars. They sell well because they are priced well and are reliable - free markets at their best! We could have bought another less expensive subcompact, but we'll gladly pay extra for quality and reliability. This will be my car, and my husband will get the older Honda.

The car will be tax deductible for 2009 taxes, and I think the new Energy Star refrigerator will as well. We'll need all the tax breaks we can get as taxes and costs are sure to go up as we head toward a greater reliance on our Federal government.

Mathematics Careers

Career exploration website for applied math careers.

Where Can I Work?

Emerging Fields to Consider

Internship and Career Information in Industry, Research Institutions, and Government Labs

Math Matters, Apply It! Free PDF career exploration printable.

On mathematics in general:

Why Major In Mathematics?

Job Satisfaction

In addition to higher pay, a math major's employment promises higher levels of job satisfaction. JobsRated.com ranks 200 jobs according to environment, income, outlook, physical demands, and stress. Based on these criteria, "Mathematician" takes the number one spot on the list -- outranking jobs in medicine, finance, engineering, and law.

Numbers two and three on the list, "Actuary" and "Statistician", are also careers for which an undergraduate degree in mathematics is extremely valuable.

Mathematics Careers

Inexpensive College Degree

This came through my email today from one of our regional Christian homeschool organizations:

CollegePlus!

An online college degree coaching program(a customized degree consultation) initially consisting of about 90 credits earned with CLEP, Dantes, and other exams which transfer to an accredited online university, Thomas Edison State College. Supposedly, it is anywhere from $10,000 -$15,000 for a four year degree, taking only 1- 2.5 years to complete.

Earning credits in high school: Apparently you can also do dual enrollment for children as young as age thirteen.

Endorsements. A few are from homeschool education associations which offer discounts. Ours offers a $250.00 discount.

CollegePlus Store- take a peek at which books they use for test preparation and career guidance.

This is an interesting service, and nice if you need the extra support, but you could do this yourself - study and take the required exams, then get admitted to Thomas Edison State College online. CLEP is only $72.00 a test! The AP test is under $100.

According to the Thomas Edison State College online, they accept college credit by test, prior learning assessment(portfolio), license and certifications, military training, and professional training. Their website is chuck full of information. It may be more cost efficient to do this yourself with the (free) guidance of the college.

Articles about homeschooling college inexpensively, most mentioning the Thomas Edison College degree program:

Colleges without Walls(1993)

Accelerated Distance Learning: The New Way to Earn Your College Degree in the Twenty-First Century

College for Homeschoolers

Finish College Fast, study guides for CLEP

Going to College at Home(1997)

Distance Learning or College at Home

Getting College Credit for Your Homeschool(with AP exams)

The Home School Vision All the Way

Some accredited online colleges that accept any CLEP which fits a degree program:

"Thomas Edison State College, Excelsior College, and Charter Oak State College are all accredited institutions that will accept any CLEP that fits into a particular degree track. In fact, many high school-aged students have enrolled in these colleges without even having a high school degree."

U.S. Catholic Bishops Launch Web Site on Health Care Reform, Their Position and Concerns

From the USCCB:

Genuine health care reform that protects the life and dignity of all is a moral imperative and a vital national obligation" - Bishop William F. Murphy

• a truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity
• access for all with a special concern for the poor and inclusion of legal immigrants
• pursuing the common good and preserving pluralism including freedom of conscience and variety of options
• restraining costs and applying them equitably across the spectrum of payers

Read Letter to Congress to Help Reform Health Care, Protect Human Life and Dignity (PDF)
Bishop William Murphy, July 17, 2009

Call your members of Congress (use the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to contact your Representative or Senators) and tell them health care reform should:

1. Include health care coverage for all people from conception until natural death, and continue the federal ban on funding for abortions;
2. Include access for all with a special concern for the poor;
3. Pursue the common good and preserve pluralism, including freedom of conscience; and
4. Restrain costs and apply costs equitably among payers.
   

What I feel personally:

Federal health care assistance should be extended ONLY to those in need on a sliding scale based on income. This federally assisted system is already in place via social services and community service boards across the country. It should be enhanced; it needs to be enhanced.

I do not want to pay for the health care of individuals who have the ability to pay for private insurance, but choose to put their money toward buying a car every four years, or racking up purchases on their credit cards. This only takes away from the poor or unemployed who need this service. A system such as this could go bankrupt if not managed properly. It should be well funded and reserved for people in need, not sucked dry by people looking for a free ride.

No health care, or anything for that matter, is ever free(except the pre-paid salvation offered by Jesus). Either we pay for private insurance and inflated medical costs, or we pay via increased taxes. My husband and I have insurance through his workplace, but it is not free! It's reduced cost, but definitely not free. I just paid $400.00 out of pocket for an ER visit, and I'll gladly pay it and cut back on my expenses for a few months rather than make the tax payer foot my bill. It's my bill, my responsibility, and I know that some of these inflated ER costs are going for charity patients(ER visits are free for the indigent). I am good with this.

We need to take care of our needy(Christ demands it), but we also need to stand on our own two feet. Not all of us should be given a free ride as it encourages sloth and dependence on government. Personally, I feel big government infantilizes society; that's my Libertarian leanings exposed.

Gran Torino

"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."John 15:13

What a surprise this movie was! If you are Christian, you will enjoy the theme of salvation(you'll GET it) in this Clint Eastwood movie with a nod to Dirty Harry(pure Eastwood), albeit an evolved one. This is a movie with heart. It was hard to see Clint Eastwood so aged, but he has still got it! Good for him for making this movie with such a beautiful theme of mercy, redemption, and salvation. Hollywood can still turn out some great ones. I borrowed this movie from Netflix, but your public library may have it as well. This is not a movie for children. Mature audiences only because of the mature subject matter, and some salty language.

Gran Torino (Full-Screen Edition)
Description
A disgruntled Korean War vet, Walt Kowalski (Eastwood), sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino.

Feast of the Assumption of Mary

Ambrose says she is incorrupt, a virgin immune through grace from every stain of sin ("Sermo xxii in Ps. cxviii)

Maximus of Turin calls her a dwelling fit for Christ, not because of her habit of body, but because of original grace ("Nom. viii de Natali Domini")

HT to Elena, from The Purity of Mary

Mozarella Cheese Crackers

Adapted from an Amish cook book:

4 cups flour(I used whole wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
3/4 cup butter
Add enough milk to moisten the dough
Not a part of the original recipe, but I added two cups of mozzarella cheese.

Mix together, knead out on jelly roll pan, roll if necessary, and salt the top. Cut squares with a pizza cutter or pie crimper, and poke holes in each cracker with a fork. Bake for about 35 minutes at 325 degrees, or at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes if no cheese.

I was able to fill well greased two jelly roll pans, but one pan still rolled out a little thick. I'd use about 1/4 less four if you want a thinner cracker. You really need to work this dough out from the middle to the edges. It takes a bit of time, but by using the heels of your hand and fingers, it can be pushed out thin. Any holes you create can be worked back together. I run around the edges and push down the sides as well. This should be done a few times while working the dough, and before you cut and pop it into the oven.


These won't be crisp because of the cheese. Delete the cheese if you want a crisper cracker, or add cheese powder. Cheese powder is a bit expensive, but you can dehydrate it yourself in a food dehydrator.

Update: These cook up with brown cheese bubbles, but taste quite good. A more finely shred cheese, like Parmesan cheese would bake more evenly.

Here is the other cracker recipe that I tried recently:

Homemade Cheese Crackers

On Giving and Helping

“He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses”. Proverbs 28:27

Ten Ways To Be Sure Helping Is Helping

7 Attributes Of High Net Worth Individuals

"These 7 attributes of high net worth individuals really expose the framework for living a life based on sound financial principles. The attributes prove that it is possible to live well on much less than you make, and have plenty left over to save, invest and give. It can even be done by individuals who don’t make a lot of money, as long as they are disciplined." Read more here.

Feast Day of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe

"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."John 15:13

From FatherKolbe.com: "The Holocaust is a history of enduring horror and sorrow. The charred skeletons, the diabolic experiments, the death camps, the mass graves, the smoke from the chimneys ...

Auschwitz became the killing center during WWII where the largest numbers of the Jews were murdered. One Christian man who died here became a martyr to the truth of evils of Nazism - a true hero for our time, a saint who lived what he preached, total love toward God and man ...

Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish priest who died as prisoner 16670 in Auschwitz, on August 14, 1941. When a prisoner escaped from the camp, the Nazis selected 10 others to be killed by starvation in reprisal for the escape.

One of the 10 selected to die, Franciszek Gajowniczek, began to cry: "My wife! My children! I will never see them again!" At this Father Kolbe stepped forward and asked to die in his place - his request was granted.

As the ten condemned men were led off to the death Block of Building 13, Father Kolbe supported a fellow prisoner who could hardly walk. No one would emerge alive - Father Kolbe was the last to die .."

HT to Esther.

Freedom of Speech

It's not just noise.

HT to And Sometimes Tea










(Photo: Freedom of Speech, by Norman Rockwell)

Paintings of Saint Thomas Becket Revealed in Spanish Church

From About.com: "The story of how Saint Thomas Becket stood up to Henry II of England, the king who'd appointed him Archbishop of Canterbury, and how some careless words shouted in rage by Henry spurred four knights to murder Becket at prayer, is a classic true-life tragedy of the medieval era. But what are paintings of the event doing in a church in Soria, Spain? Well, Henry's daughter Eleanor married King Alfonso VIII of Castile, and it seems she commissioned the paintings as a way to ask God to forgive her father."

See BBC news video here.

Travel full-time for less than $14,000 per year

This is a long and in depth post with lots of great information for those who want to roam the globe, volunteer, and earn a little money along the way. Definitely for the adventurous and spontaneous. Click here.

How to Sell a Used Car

Click on title.

Saving Electricity: How to Reduce Your Energy Costs

* If you use space heaters instead of central heating, you can save nearly $1200/year!
* If you use fans instead of air conditioning, you can save about $600/year.
* If you dry your clothes on a line instead of in a dryer, you can save $150/year.
* If you wash your laundry in cold water instead of hot, you can save $150/year.
* If you replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescents, you can save nearly $100/year.
* If you get rid of your television, you can save $75/year.
* If you put your computer in sleep mode when you’re not using it, you can save $60/year.


Read more here.

Frugal Decorating Idea with Plants

I saw this over at Apartment Therapy. What a wonderful way to use these sculptural plants as wall art, and easy to make. Trailing plants would be pretty as well.

Irish Folklore: The Silkie

Norse and Scottish mythology have similar stories, but this one is about the Irish version of a myth of the seal who becomes a girl.

Free and in public domain: Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts By Patrick Kennedy, Macmillan and Co., 1866.

The Silkie Wife:

Those in Shetland and Orkney Islands who know no better, are persuaded that the seals, or silkies, as they call them, can doff their coverings at times, and disport themselves as men and women. A fisher once turning a ridge of rock, discovered a beautiful bit of green turf adjoining the shingle, sheltered by rocks on the landward side, and over this turf and shingle two beautiful women chasing each other. Just at the man's feet lay two seal-skins, one of which he took up to examine it. The women, catching sight of him, screamed out, and ran to get possession of the skins. One seized the article on the ground, donned it in a thrice, and plunged into the sea; the other wrung her hands, cried, and begged the fisher to restore her property; but he wanted a wife, and would not throw away the chance. He wooed her so earnestly and lovingly, that she put on some woman's clothing which he brought her from his cottage, followed him home, and became his wife.

Some years later, when their home was enlivened by the presence of two children, the husband awaking one night, heard voices in conversation from the kitchen. Stealing softly to the room door, he heard his wife talking in a low tone with some one outside the window. The interview was just at an end, and he had only time to ensconce himself in bed, when his wife was stealing across the room. He was greatly disturbed, but determined to do or say nothing till he should acquire further knowledge. Next evening, as he was returning home by the strand, he spied a male and female phoca sprawling on a rock a few yards out at sea. The rougher animal, raising himself on his tail and fins, thus addressed the astonished man in the dialect spoken in these islands:--"You deprived me of her whom I was to make my companion; and it was only yesternight that I discovered her outer garment, the loss of which obliged her to be your wife.

I bear no malice, as you were kind to her in your own, fashion; besides, my heart is too full of joy to hold any malice. Look on your wife for the last time." The other seal glanced at him with all the shyness and sorrow she could force into her now uncouth features; but when the bereaved' husband rushed toward the rock to secure his lost treasure, she and her companion were in the water on the other side of it in a moment, and the poor fisherman was obliged to return sadly to his motherless children and desolate home.

We picked this CD up at the library last week which is appropriate for younger children: Seal Maiden: A Celtic Musical. A review from Amazon.com:

Using such traditional Irish instruments as uilleann pipes, the low whistle, the concertina, and the violin, as well as some of the purest, sweetest voices to be heard on a children's recording in recent memory, Seal Maiden: A Celtic Musical relates a mystical tale. Despite her mother's warnings, a playful seal pup frolics too close to the shore, magically molts her sealskin, and turns into a human. The Seal Maiden's humanness leaves her heartsick and discontented; she misses her mother and can't shrug off an atavistic affinity for biting off eels' heads and devouring them whole, as well as other strictly-for-the-seals behavior. Eventually, though, she marries and has a son. When he discovers his own hidden sealskin, he becomes her gateway back to the sea and the slippery, song-filled life she left behind. If this Emerald Isle legend sounds familiar, that's probably because it was recently given silver-screen treatment in John Sayles's The Secret of Roan Inish. Narrator and lead singer Karan Casey (of the traditional Irish group Solas) is enchanting, especially on "The Song of the Seal" and "Seoithin." Musicians Martin Hayes (violin) and Dennis Cahill (guitar) display near-magical heart-melting powers on "Port Na bPucal," which captures the Celtic spirit beautifully. And then there's this album's intended audience--kids--to consider. Children ages 6 and up will be left spellbound by the Seal Maiden's fantastic saga, and those under 6 will be lulled into sweet dreams by its gentle-voiced, exceptionally talented singers, whose far-off land of salty waves and endless possibilities they evoke so gracefully. --Tammy La Gorce

And there is a 1995 movie about this as well, The Secret of Roan Inish An Amazon Review:
As one of the most respected American independent filmmakers, John Sayles has created a body of work as distinguished in its diversity as for its consistent quality and inspiring originality. He's never been one to march to the commercial beat, but chooses instead to follow his creative impulse wherever it leads him. The Secret of Roan Inish led Sayles to the beautiful and moody West Coast of Ireland; it is a tale of a girl who discovers that her family has been touched by myth and magic throughout the years. Following the death of her mother, young Fiona (Jeni Courtney) is sent to live with her grandparents on the Irish coast across from Roan Inish, the island where her family once lived. She's told stories about the selkies--seals that can turn into humans--who have been connected with Fiona's family over the ages. At first she's not sure if the selkies are real or mythological, but she later realizes that they hold the key to reclaiming her family heritage.

What's remarkable about this film (which Sayles adapted from Rosalie Fry's novel, Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry) is that it's not told as a cute fantasy for children, but as a straightforward, unsentimental story of a young girl's family history. That gives the film--which was beautifully photographed by master cinematographer Haskell Wexler--an understated charm that is completely absorbing in its atmosphere and subtle tone. There's magic as well, to be sure--you could almost swear that the seals and seagulls in the film took direction from Sayles as well as any human actor! --Jeff Shannon

HT to Anne for the movie! I plan to order this via Netflix.

Free Celtic music sampler at Amazon: Celtic Sampler Summer 2009

Parental Rights at Risk

From ParentalRights.Org: You may have discovered first-hand that federal HIPAA (see here too) law violates your parental rights. If you have received notice from your doctor or insurance requiring your child's permission to discuss medical records, we need to hear from you as we prepare to take action. Please email Michael Farris at Parental Rights.org.

THE PARENTAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT

SECTION 1
The liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental right.

SECTION 2
Neither the United States nor any State shall infringe upon this right without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served.

SECTION 3
No treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this article.

Interested? If so, get involved. As of right now, there are 114 House cosponsors and three U.S. Senate sponsors.

Why is this necessary: Read more here about recent legal precedents, and more importantly the UN Convention on the Rights of Children, and how it may affect us in the United States.

Per Michael Farris J.D(also of HSLDA). If this treaty is ratified:

· The laws of all 50 states on children and parents would be superseded by this international law by virtue of a specific provision of the US Constitution which expressly declares treaties to be supreme over state law. Virtually all law on children and parents is state law.

· Good parents would no longer be entitled to the legal presumption that they act in the best interests of their children. Instead, the government would have the authority to overrule all parents on any decision concerning the child if the government believed it could make a better decision.

· Parents could no longer spank their children.

· Children would have the legal right to choose their own religion. Parents would be permitted only to give advice.

· America would be under a binding legal obligation to massively increase its federal spending on children’s programs.

Keep America Free, Support Parental Rights.

Recipe: Saucy Broccoli Chicken Bake

Whenever I run out of ideas for recipes that the children will enjoy, I go over to Tammy's Recipes. Tammy's recipes are always about in-season food, a real help with finding wholesome recipes for using up fresh veggies. See the In-Season Recipe Swap every Wednesday.

I'll be making this Saucy Broccoli Chicken Bake tomorrow night for my picky eaters. I'll be eating salad - too much for my old metabolism.

Update: This was very good! A big hit with the fam. You can add yogurt instead of mayonnaise to make this meal low fat. I will be making this again, for sure.

Tammy has some nice homemade soup recipes this week as well. It's a little hot for soup, but it's fast and easy for the kiddos. Paired with some of my homemade cheesy rye bread, perfect for a light evening meal.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup

Virtual Interactive Fish Aquarium

Click here for free gadget. You can customize the background, fish colors, and size. Use your cursor to feed the fish.

HT to Design Squish

Prayer For Patience and Gentleness

Bestow on me, O Lord, a genial spirit and unwearied forbearance;
a mild, loving, patient, heart;
kindly looks, pleasant cordial speech, and manners
in the exchange of daily life;
that I may give offense to none,
but as much as in lies live in charity with all men.

Johann Arndt, (1555-1621)

The Lending Club

Introduction To Peer-To-Peer Lending: Signing Up To Use Lending Club, by Bible Money Matters.

I haven't tried this yet, but have seen it around the net for a few years. Click through to see the details. There is a $50.00 sign-up bonus, good through 8/15/09. Investments can be a little as $25.00.

Unruly Mobs

Those uncivil colonists!(giggle) HT to And Sometimes Tea: Health care and the unruly mobs

Hagia Sophia Angel Found

Press TV, July 27, 2009: Restoration workers have uncovered the mosaic face of an angel in the world-renowned Hagia Sophia Museum in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

The mosaic, believed to be one of a group of six, was found in the pendentive, an arched triangular section supporting the dome of the monument.

Some experts believe the six-winged figure dates back to the 14th century, but the Hagia Sofia Science Board is set to determine the relic's true age by comparing it to similar mosaics found in 1935.

Built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian[Ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) from 527 to 565], Hagia Sophia was originally a basilica before it was converted into a mosque after Ottoman Turks conquered the city in 1453.

The mosaics were covered with plaster during the conversion process until 1934, when the Hagia Sophia mosque was turned into a museum, TurkishNY reported.

The height of cathedrals and basilicas is to draw your attention up, lift up eyes and your prayers to the Creator. If you attend services in such a place, you are very fortunate.

Western Civ. History Test

Can you answer these questions?

The five history questions:

1 – Who was the general in charge of the British Army at the battle of Waterloo?(Remember the Abba song) ;)

2 – Who was the reigning monarch when the Spanish Armada attacked Britain?

3 – What was Isambard Kingdom Brunel's profession?

4 – Name one Prime Minister of Britain in the 19th century?(Think Queen Victoria)

5 – In what country was the Boer War of 1899-1902 fought?

This was given to 18 year old U.K. students. Click here for answers. We(in the U.S.) should know them too with the exception of #3.

Genealogy Search: The Hundred Years War

Now here is an interesting genealogy service, "the service records of medieval soldiers have been made available in an online database. The website contains 250,000 records of soldiers who fought in the Hundred Years War between 1369 and 1453, and includes the names of archers who served with Henry V at Agincourt." ~ The Independent UK

1950's Gal

50's Time, a blogger living out the 1950's in real life, has a cute blog post about a day in 1955 from one of her readers:

To 50's gal and all: I will be very glad to tell you why 1955 was my favorite year. I was in high school in 1955 and it seemed liked a period of time when everything was exactly as it should be. Have you ever experienced that? While 1955 actually straddled two school years, they were both great. I loved my teachers, my classes, and had some wonderful times with my friends. I had my favorite teacher for homeroom and English class. We were studying Chaucer, lots of Shakespeare, the Globe theater, and English poets and their poems. I loved every minute of it.

Perhaps if I share a favorite weekend it will help you understand. My girlfriend and I had planned a special weekend with me spending Friday and Saturday night there. I always loved being at her home and to this day it remains one of my favorite houses. It was a large two story house with a lot craftsman style. The living room was dark green with a great deal of crisp white woodwork,a white mantel, and white craftsman style build in bookcases with glass doors.

Read more here.

Better Spaghetti

I was making some tomato sauce today with some fresh garden Roma tomatoes which finally ripened for me, and it was taking a while for it to cook down, so to save time, I tossed the spaghetti in the pot to cook in the sauce's liquid. As it cooked down, the spaghetti absorbed the sauce. Yum! This was much better than sauce on top of plain spaghetti; the flavors were blended nicely throughout the entire pasta dish.

Image from Wikipedia

See more tips at Kitchen Tips Tuesday

Homemade Cheesy Rye Bread

My recipe:

2 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 cup Rye flour

I substituted one of the flour cups with a 1/3 almond flour, 1/3 graham flour, and 1/3 flax seed meal. I didn't have any wheat flour on hand, so used organic white.

One packet of yeast
One egg
One cup of sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp each of onion powder and garlic powder
1/3 tsp salt
A bit of sweetener - I poured a tiny bit of agave, pure maple syrup, and black strap molasses into the mix.
2 TSP or more of oil

Mix wet and dry, adding dry a little at a time, add more flour if too sticky. Knead into a ball, and place on flat surface. Knead out with heels of hands for about five minutes. Place in bowl with towel over it for about 40 minutes, or until it doubles in size. Knead out again for a minute, shape, fold once into your baking pan, and bake for about 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees.

Results: Good, but needs more cheese. I'd double the cheese. It tastes like plain wheat bread with a hint of cheese and seasoning. I had a feeling it might turn out like this, but didn't want it to go the other way. Maybe a little dry mustard and/or Worcestershire sauce? Something needs to enhance the cheese. I also forgot to butter the top, but it was just fine.

Store in sealed plastic ware in frig. I put a paper towel on the bottom of my plastic ware under the bread to keep it fresh.

Feast Day of St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein)

"On October 11, 1998, Pope John Paul II canonized St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, a Discalced Carmelite nun known in the world as Dr. Edith Stein. Edith Stein was born to a German Jewish family on October 12, 1891, the Day of Atonement on the Hebrew calendar. She grew up to become a brilliant philosopher and university professor, as well as a feminist. Her purely secular lifestyle eventually brought her to a state of melancholy. She began to search for a deeper meaning of life."

Read more about St. Teresa here.

Library Reads

I picked up four books at the library this past week:

The Centurion's Wife (Acts of Faith, Book 1)

Cold Sassy Tree

The Motley Fool Million Dollar Portfolio: How to Build and Grow a Panic-Proof Investment Portfolio

Uneasy Lies the Head

I'm about half way through Uneasy Lies the Head(Henry VII) by Jean Plaidy, one of my favorite historical authors, and just began The Motley Fool book. It's been a while since I've read a book on investments, so I thought I'd get a refresher. My husband and I have had mutual funds funds since our early 20's, and some DRIP stocks, but I think investing is interesting. So far it's very clear, direct, and readable. I'm in the second chapter, and already I've learned how to logically and systematically pick a stock in a series of steps, without speculating. It's a bit of a marketing device for their website, but still solid information for a beginning investor, or an investor who wishes to build their portfolio beyond CDs and money market accounts. There is a Motley Fool book for the over 40 crowd: The Motley Fool's Money After 40: Building Wealth for a Better Life. I'll have to look for this one at the library, even though in my mind, I am still in my twenties! ;)

Homeschool Social Studies Freebies: Putumayo World Music Children's CDs

I picked this World Music CD up at the library today. My daughter loved it, especially the Cuban and Reggae music. I spent my adolescence in Latin America, so I like this music too!

Putumayo offers CDs from different regions of the world as well. I checked online and they have some free MP3 songs, sample downloads, and free teacher guide downloads. All the albums have a free printable lyrics download. My son is studying Latin America this fall, so I'll be checking out the Latin American CD from the library.

Note: This CD has a song mislabed. There is a Cuban song that has a Congo label.

Putumayo on Youtube.com

Putumayo Children's CDs on Amazon.