Over the Back Fence

Psalm 5

2009-05-15T23:17:00.002-04:00

¹Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

²Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

³My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

On the third day of Christmas

2008-12-27T17:33:00.003-05:00

Several bloggers have already shared one of my favorite Christmas videos (here is a link to the updated version of it), so I thought I would share from a group I recently found out about. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - School Spirit

2008-09-17T16:55:00.004-04:00

Wacky-Tacky day.

A new place to visit online

2008-07-16T12:02:00.003-04:00

Faith & Family has a new blog written by Danielle Bean, Rachel Balducci, Lisa Hendey, Arwen Mosher, and Rebecca Teti.

A little something about the blog in their words:

As we help each other along the way, we hope that our magazine and blog will affirm something that is already written on every mother’s heart: That motherhood is a privilege. That family life is a joy. And that though being a wife and mother is likely to be the single most challenging thing any of us ever do, it is also likely to be the single most important thing any of us ever do as well.

Make it a daily stop -- it will be worth your while. (And they are having a grand opening giveaway right now.)

Another must read

2008-06-30T10:01:00.004-04:00

Here is just another reason I enjoy the Archbold brothers' blog: I'm A Wii Catholic

If you aren't regularly reading Creative Minority Report, you are missing out on some great stuff. Matthew and Patrick are insightful and humorous. Bookmark them -- you won't regret it.

Blue

2008-06-02T14:52:00.003-04:00

by The 10 year old (brought home among his end of year papers)

Blue is the color of rain water
It's the color of a tranquil sea
Blue's the color of a bubbling spring of hope
It's a downpour of sadness
It's a frozen inlet of a boy's dreams
Blue's a crystal rapid of joy
Blue's a water lily in the early morning
It's a forest mist
It's a thousand little pieces of sea glass
It's a raging sea of anger
Blue's a harbor of defeat
It's an everlasting string of sky
Blue's a seaport of fear
It's a simple bay of reflection

Wordless Wednesday - Scouting

2008-05-21T17:25:00.003-04:00

Last event as a Webelos before becoming a Boy Scout.

Pondering

2008-05-08T08:57:00.007-04:00

Christi recently posted about some of her favorite authors -- which also happen to be some of my favorites. We both enjoy Madeleine L'Engle. I discovered her Time books when I was in school and enjoyed reading about Meg Murry in A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door. At some point after I finished school, I read A Swiftly Tilting Planet and Many Waters. Last week I finally got An Acceptable Time and started reading it last night. I stopped mid chapter (not an easy thing for me to do) when I read this exchange between Polly and her grandmother:

. . . "Grand, why did Mother have so many kids?"
"Would you want any of you not to have been born?"
"No, but--"
"But it doesn't answer your question. . . . If a woman is free to choose a career, she's also free to choose the care of a family as her primary vocation."

Wow. Powerful words for an idea which was not widely accepted in 1989 when the book was published -- and still is not widely accepted.

Being the research geek I am, I looked up vocation. Here is what Wikipedia says:

A vocation is an occupation for which a person is suited, trained or qualified. It is also the inclination to undertake a certain kind of work, especially a religious career; often in response to a perceived summons; a calling. This type of vocation is either professional or voluntary, that is carried out more for its altruistic benefit than for income, which might be regarded as a secondary aspect of the vocation, however beneficial.

And thinking about vocations, especially the second part of the definition, brings me to Christine, who is celebrating the 1000th post of Domestic Vocation. If you haven't visited her before, please do.

Deprivation

2008-04-28T13:47:00.002-04:00

I bought this at a Bob Evans while we were on vacation. When I saw it I thought of Margaret. I had to share it today because of her post.

Manly, yes -- not sure I'd like it too

2008-04-28T09:49:00.004-04:00

Mandles video

I can think of several husbands (mine included) who would rather burn Mandles than "Golden Spice Pear and Seaside Holiday." However, we are in one of the over 50 areas in which this offer is not valid :)

Hat tip: Rachel

Blogging problem?

2008-04-07T21:12:00.002-04:00

Last week Carolina Cannonball had a post about knowing when you have a blogging problem. I commented that you also know you have a blogging problem when you tell people you will be spending your vacation halfway between Bonfire of the Vanities and Pro Ecclesia.

So guess where I am? Yep, halfway between Bonfire of the Vanities and Pro Ecclesia.

I should have some interesting pictures to post later of the drive up here. The kids had control of the camera while I was driving so I am looking forward to downloading everything that caught their interest -- especially based on some of the conversations going on at the same time as the camera clicks.

Saturday we made it to Columbus and yesterday we went to COSI with the cousins. I took pictures there and will share some of those soon -- if I can ever get them uploaded to the laptop! Today, to quote the TomTom, we have reached our destination. Tomorrow we might be here during the day but tomorrow night the kids will be glad to see their great-grandparents.

So what about you? How would you complete the sentence?

You might have a blogging problem if . . .

The Lord is risen

2008-03-23T14:40:00.003-04:00

From the bulletin of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church:

On Easter, the holiest day of the entire year, and for the entire Octave of Easter, Latin Catholics greet each other with the words of Luke 24:34, “Surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia!” (The Lord is risen indeed!”). The person so greeted responds, “Et apparuit Simoni, alleluia!” (“And hath appeared unto Simon!”). Catholics may even answer their telephones with this greeting. An old Ukrainian legend relates that, after His Resurrection, Christ threw Satan into a deep pit, chaining him with twelve iron chains. When Satan has chewed through each of the twelve chains, the end of the world will come. All year long, the Evil One gnaws at the iron, getting to the last link in the last chain -- but too late, for it is Easter, and when the people cry “Christ is risen!” all of Satan’s efforts are reversed. When the faithful stop saying the Easter acclamation, the end of time has come...

Reminiscing

2008-03-07T08:31:00.004-05:00

The message board at a site started by a couple of my high school alumni has been running a Name that Song thread. It originally started with someone trying to remember a song for which she could only recall a line or two. The thread has since become a competition.

This morning the hint was "Once you told me long ago, to the prom that you would go.." As soon as I read it I could hear Marty Robbins singing it. Think about it and then watch the video.

And then I watched another Marty Robbins video.

Marty Robbins was one of my parents' favorite singers. And A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation) was one of the songs my father liked to sing. Daddy's been gone 20 years now and he quit playing the guitar and singing at least ten years before he died, but he is alive and playing in my memory right now thanks to Luanne's Name that Song hint.

Some favorite photographs

2008-03-03T02:31:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure why I'm still awake at 2:31 a.m., but I thought since I was awake, I would share two more images from the Library of Congress collection on Flickr.

Unidentified shelf of kitchen utensils and jars of spices

Unidentified stacks of home-canned food

How I have been spending my winter, part 1

2008-03-01T10:33:00.007-05:00

Midsummer Day, Bronx Park

I have really enjoyed looking through the Library of Congress photosets on Flickr.

From The Commons description:

The key goals of this pilot project are to firstly give you a taste of the hidden treasures in the huge Library of Congress collection, and secondly to show how your input of a tag or two can make the collection even richer.

There are two sets of photographs: News in the 1910s and 1930s-40s in Color.

Over the course of two or three weeks, I managed to see all 1500 photos in the News in the 1910s photoset. If you are a baseball fan, you will find photos of Cy Young, Germany Schaefer, Russ Ford, James Mullen, John Titus, and many, many more. If boxing is your sport, there are pictures of Jack Johnson, Kid Sullivan, and Mrs. Edwards and Fraulein Kussin to name a few. Interested in politics? How about some pictures from the 1912 Democratic and Republican National Conventions? There are even pictures of the Titanic survivors reaching New York.

There are 1,615 pictures in the 1930s-40s in Color set. I have barely made my way into those, but I am looking forward to finding a lot of great treasures there, too.

By the way, the Library of Congress also has a blog.

I am?

2008-03-01T10:18:00.001-05:00

I saw this at Red Cardigan's and thought I would try it.

You Are a Semi-Colon

You are elegant, understated, and subtle in your communication.

You're very smart (and you know it), but you don't often showcase your brilliance.

Instead, you carefully construct your arguments, ideas, and theories until they are bulletproof.

You see your words as an expression of yourself, and you are careful not to waste them.

You friends see you as enlightened, logical, and shrewd.

(But what you're saying often goes right over their heads.)

You excel in: The Arts

You get along best with: The Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Semicolons are a dying breed of punctuation; maligned, misused, and misunderstood, they are fast disappearing.

I think I rather like being a semicolon. I agree with Red Cardigan when she expresses her admiration for those writers of the eighteenth and nineteenth century and their incredibly constructed sentences. I feel a need to reread some of those great authors.

The view over the fence this morning

2008-02-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

If you were an IRL neighbor chatting over the back fence this morning, this is some of what you would have seen:

And it would be unthinkable for me to be outside by myself.

And after such a cold, wet morning, there is nothing like a nice hot cup of tea.

Thanks for dropping in!

Maybe if you hum a few bars

2008-02-01T12:48:00.000-05:00

One of my new favorite bloggers (that's you, Soutenus!) recently posted about an upcoming total lunar eclipse on 20 February. To celebrate, she and her students are having a moon song contest. They want to know:

"How many songs can you think of that have the word "moon" in them (not just the title but in any part of the lyrics)?"

I've come up with a couple and have some more trying to work their way out of my subconscious. If you know of any, head over and suggest them.

She's moved

2008-01-27T00:34:00.001-05:00

Not Found

The requested URL /sys/main was not found on this server.

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

That's what I have been getting the past few days when I clicked on my bookmarked link to Danielle Bean. If you like her blog and have been getting the same thing I was, don't worry -- here she is.

A question of privilege

2008-01-18T10:32:00.000-05:00

I saw this at Entropy's site and thought I would take part. Having backtracked it through a few linked blogs, it is interesting to note that some -- me included -- are saying this isn't what matters. I knew I was loved. Even though we didn't have a lot, we had what we truly needed: a home and family.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An interesting privilege meme from What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.

Bold the true statements.

1. Father went to college
2. Father finished college
3. Mother went to college
4. Mother finished college
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home -- most of them were mine :)
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children's books by a parent
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively -- maybe the now me, but not the me of childhood
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs -- Grants, scholarships, student loans and work study
16. Went to a private high school
17. Went to summer camp
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels -- What's a vacation? We did go visit my grandmother in Ohio when I was in ninth grade and had to stay at a Holiday Inn. Does that count?
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
25. You had your own room as a child -- maybe for one year after one of my sisters moved out and before she moved back :)
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school -- for that one year of my own room, I had a small black and white TV in my room that wasn't for my use only; mine was the only room it could go in so whoever wanted to watch something different from the rest of the family could
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
31. Went on a cruise with your family
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family

It doesn't look like much -- two definites and two partials -- but I don't feel underprivileged now, nor did I then. I was loved (check number 7 for proof of that!) and somehow we always had a roof overhead, food on the table, and clothes on our back. Anything else is gravy -- and too much gravy isn't good for you :)

~ ~ ~ ~ Because I had to find out more, I tracked down Dr. Barratt's web page about the privilege meme.

My new alarm clock

2008-01-17T16:53:00.000-05:00

Or The son also rises . . .

My day started with the four year old jumping on the bed at 5:30 trying to wake me up because "the sun is up!" It appears we have a slightly different opinion of what constitutes sun up because it was pitch black when I opened my eyes. Just in time for him to cut on my bedside lamp. Ouch.

But it was okay anyway because it was the four year old. Perhaps I should let you in on the fact that yesterday he was the three year old. He's a little excited.

He was also nice enough to go wake up his brother and sisters so they were ready for school with plenty of time.

What's going on here

2008-01-16T15:26:00.001-05:00

This is what the kitchen table looked like in November when the products sold by the family's Webelos scout (popcorn and peanuts) and Brownie (candy and nuts) came in for delivery.

Webelos end of the table

Brownie end of the table

I was thinking about this because it is Girl Scout cookie time and I am wondering what the table will look like next month when the first orders come in -- especially since Marie set a goal of selling 250 boxes.

Saint Michael the Archangel

2007-12-29T20:23:00.000-05:00

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

The history of the prayer to St Michael the Archangel, as well as the long and short forms of the prayer, can be found here.

My new favorite song

2007-12-13T09:31:00.000-05:00

And my new favorite group. These guys are great!

H/T Rachel

11,000 words -- more or less

2007-12-11T02:08:00.000-05:00

The Uncredited Google Image Meme courtesy of Christine.

How to play: Type the answer to the following questions into Google Image, then pick from the first page of images.

1. Age at my next birthday:

2. Place I'd like to travel:

3. Place I've been:

4. Favorite food:

5. Place I was born:

6. Place I live:

7. Name of past pet:

8. Best friends' nickname:

9. My first name:

10. First job:

I tag anyone needing an idea for a post! Just leave a comment linking back to yours, please.

Spread a little cheer

2007-12-10T13:12:00.000-05:00

Check out the Christmas Cheer Challenge at Suzanne's. And if you feel so moved, participate however you can -- even if it's only by spreading the word.

A new holiday

2007-12-04T12:23:00.000-05:00

I noticed this at Domestic Vocation on a day I didn't have time to watch it. Then Jay linked to it on a day I did have time.

I hope you have the time to watch it. And if you have some extra time, check out Christine (at either of her blogs) and Jay. They are both great bloggers and well worth a visit.

Christmas gift ideas and giveaways

2007-12-02T03:20:00.000-05:00

More giveaways can be found at From Dates to Diapers. They are mixed in with her gift ideas. Check it out -- I'm sure you'll find something for someone on your list!

Oh, the humanity

2007-11-23T01:03:00.000-05:00

I had forgotten about this until I saw a link to episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati.

Two unbelievable moments from the Thanksgiving episode of the first season:

Les Nessman live

As God is my witness

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T00:46:00.000-05:00

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving day!

What are you thankful for today? Among other things, I am thankful for my family and friends.

Image made here.

They are at it again

2007-11-21T13:19:00.000-05:00

Susan and Janice at 5 Minutes for Mom are having a Christmas giveaway with a lot of great goodies. Today you can enter to win a craft kit from Hanes. Go check out their other goodies, too.

Well said -- Holiday version

2007-11-08T15:41:00.001-05:00

It's Beginning to Look a lot like ... Holiday written by Red Cardigan at And Sometimes Tea brings it back into perspective.

Like one of those commenting on her post, I remember when Christmas displays went up after Thanksgiving and the sales began in mid-December. Now ornaments and cards seem to pop up in the stores at the same time as the red, white, and blue decorations for the Fourth of July. A few short days ago Santa inflatables were sharing space in front of the grocery store with Frankenstein and Dracula. There's just something Wrong. With. That. Picture -- not to mention the inflatable ghosts hovering near the inflatable nativity scene snow globe.

The children are even picking up on it -- I am being asked to play some of the Christmas CDs in the van. That isn't happening before Thanksgiving, thankyouverymuch.

I'll leave you with some more well said words on the topic:

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

How cool is this?

2007-11-08T14:45:00.000-05:00

Susan and Janice at 5 Minutes for Mom have an incredible giveaway going on. Somehow I didn't see it when it was first posted, but I have found it now and don't want any of you to miss it! The Retro Giveaway is for either a pedal car, suitcase record player, or a gift certificate to use at their retro store.

So what are you waiting for? Get over there and check it out!

1 November

2007-11-01T08:08:00.000-04:00

"Let us rejoice in the Lord and keep festival in honor of all the saints. Let us join with the angels in joyful praise to the Son of God."
Entrance Antiphon

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2007-10-31T23:59:00.000-04:00

This post will remain at the top of the blog through October. Please look below for additional posts.

The Breast Cancer Site was founded to help offer free mammograms to underprivileged women nationwide. With a simple, daily "click" visitors help provide mammograms to those in need.

The Breast Cancer Site is one of the links on my sidebar and a site I have gone to almost every day since I heard about it seven or eight years ago.

Growing up, the understanding was -- on my father's side of the family anyway -- all the men died from lung cancer and all the women from breast cancer. That being said, I'm sure you can guess how I felt when, in 1991, I discovered a lump in my right breast. In January, 1992, I had a biopsy. I was one of the lucky ones. My benign mass turned out to be scar tissue from a severe trauma received in a car accident. Other people (men can get breast cancer, too) are not so lucky.

Mammography is the best screening tool available today for breast cancer. Unfortunately not everyone can afford a mammogram. The Breast Cancer Site is sponsored by firms who donate money for any of several reasons including: every individual click on the Fund Free Mammograms button; clicking on their ad; or a percentage of any purchase on their site when accessed through that ad. Out of fairness to the sponsors, only one click per day is counted per visitor.

Some facts from The Breast Cancer Site:

Each year, 182,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 die.
One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year.

If detected early, the five-year survival rate exceeds 95 percent.

See also: You don't have to have a lump to have breast cancer

Need another good read?

2007-10-09T02:17:00.000-04:00

Our Seven Qtpies is giving away an autographed copy of Love Letters to a Child: A Resource for Parents and Grandparents. This giveaway ends 14 October, 2007. Go check it out and learn more about this book.

Need a good read?

2007-10-09T01:57:00.000-04:00

Biblical Womanhood is giving away ten copies of Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God. It looks like a great read. Entries for a free copy are being accepted through Saturday morning, 13 October, 2007. Check it out.

Do I really want to know?

2007-10-07T14:27:00.000-04:00

"Do I really want to know" seems to be my catch phrase lately. With four children in the house finding any number of things to do, I hope you can understand the reason.

Dead toad in the rotating spice rack? Do I really want to know why? No. I do not. Just take it and throw it outside, please. And don't bring anymore toads in the house, please. Two days later we had a toad in the house. He wasn't allowed to spend the night. I am a mean mommy some days.

I'm going through a decluttering phase right now along with a rearranging furniture phase. I pulled vases out of a pantry and found one in the back with dried chocolate syrup and a wrapper from a stick of butter. Do I really want to know why? Not particularly. However, we will be having a discussion about proper vessels for making chocolate milk and the fact that the recipe for said chocolate milk is milk and chocolate syrup. No butter required.

Here's to hoping not to using the phrase for the rest of today!

Children say things differently

2007-10-07T14:17:00.000-04:00

Children don't always hear things the way we do as adults. This, of course, means they don't say it the way we expect.

Some of our favorites over the past few years have included good night prayers in which "May angels watch me through the night" became "My angels." And we no longer have tartar sauce with fish, instead we have turtle sauce.

Some more recent examples involve my five year old. Olivia has been thrilled to have handwriting homework. She has two sheets: one has her name while the other has the alphabet. She also has a magic marker to write on them. Of course this means the paper needs to be able to be wiped off. According to Olivia, they can be wiped off because they have been lemon-aded.

Olivia has also been singing to me lately. "Oh, my darling, oh, my darling, oh, my darling, Clarinet." One day she will realize the difference between clarinet and Clementine and will correct herself.

Having been through this with Allan and Marie, it seems like the beginning of the end of childhood when these mondegreens disappear.

Boys will be boys

2007-10-07T14:00:00.000-04:00

Boys. I have two of them. Allan, the ten year old, and William, who is heading towards four. They are the source of the greying hairs I see reflected back from my mirror. I have been trying to read Bringing Up Boys by Dr. James Dobson to try to understand why my guys do the things they do. However, they usually do something that interrupts my reading.

I admire women who have had sons only: my husband's paternal grandmother (4), Dana (3), Rachel (5), and Suzanne (5). I have two girls to help balance it out a little, but they are sandwiched between the two boys and have had plenty of time and opportunity to learn about tree climbing and catching toads and frogs among other things. So far the girls haven't joined in some of the more, shall we say, adventuresome activities?

Don't get me wrong. I love my boys. They are caring and considerate. They can also be utterly obnoxious. Especially to their sisters. I feel so proud when I see Allan -- and William on occasion -- hold doors open for people or help carry things or pick up something that someone has dropped. But this is also offset by the times when they are in such a hurry to do and be that they knock someone down.

I grew up sugar and spice and everything nice, but my daily life is snips and snails and puppy dog tails. I have learned to accept and expect smells and sounds that I didn't grow up with as one of three girls. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Not sure what to make of this

2007-10-04T22:13:00.000-04:00

Seen on a few blogs, but most recently at Fr Erik's.

A is for

2007-10-04T12:27:00.000-04:00

Alphabet! As in the alphabet meme I saw at Kimberly's Cup. She is doing hers as an ABCs of Tea. What I gathered from the post/blogger she referenced, this is meant to be a writing prompt -- over the course of 26 consecutive days, a blogger posts about something corresponding to the letter of the day. The writing prompt can be events from your life or, like Kimberly is doing, it can be about a favorite thing. I will admit I am looking forward to seeing where the tea alphabet goes (Darjeeling, Earl Grey).

Angels! Angels are God's messengers to us (see Fr V's post about what they are and aren't; I learned a few things). I believe in angels -- and not just the cutesy images of girls with long hair playing instruments. Think of St. Michael the Archangel whose feast day was 29 September.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host --by the Divine Power of God -- cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

The feast of the Guardian Angels was 2 October.

A Mother's Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children
I humbly salute you, O you faithful, heavenly Friends of my children! I give you heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. At some future day I shall, with thanks more worthy than I can now give, repay your care for them, and before the whole heavenly court acknowledge their indebtedness to your guidance and protection. Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. Pray, likewise, for me, for my husband, and my whole family, that we may all one day rejoice in your blessed company. Amen

My favorite posts

2007-09-18T10:13:00.000-04:00

We all write things that we like but then they disappear into our archive. This post, which I will add to occasionally, will be linked to my sidebar.

Where I am from

Some views around our neck of the woods

More views from our neck of the woods

You don't have to have a lump to have breast cancer

Mom's Turn

2007-09-17T00:21:00.000-04:00

Mail Mom came up with a wonderful idea -- a blog to which you can post anonymously those things you can't post on your own. Having issues with friends, relatives, co-workers and need to get it off your chest but can't because they are regular visitors to your site? Visit Mom's Turn.

"For most of us, we began our blogging experience with one, two or both of the following goals in mind:

1. As an outlet to vent our frustrations of motherhood, womanhood, and adulthood.
2. To chronicle the everyday life, as well as the milestones and special memories, of our children as so we never forget.

As our blogs grow in popularity, not only strangers (now our "blogger" buddies), but our family and close friends have begun reading and commenting. It is no longer possible to really vent about the things we want and need to in order to maintain some balance of sanity.

We don't want to offend a friend, insult a teacher, embarrass our children or start a family feud ... so we don't write about some of the things we are feeling. We just sit and wonder why we don't feel we have the freedom to write and say what we want on our own blog. Well, guess what? It's our turn. MOM'S TURN ... to let it all out."

Read the rest here.

Remember -- and go forward

2007-09-11T08:16:00.000-04:00

September 11, 2001

And some music videos about this day six short years ago:
Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) - Alan Jackson

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American) - Toby Keith

Have You Forgotten - Daryl Worley

Scripture for children

2007-09-08T14:40:00.000-04:00

A devotional I received in my E-mail today told about a mom, Kim Norton, whose daughter had Cerebral Palsy and a form of autism. She also had a new baby and didn't know how she was going to tell her children about Jesus. She prayed about it and the answer was to sing scripture.

Kim Norton's website, The Kingdom Kidz Club, explains it well:

The Kingdom Kidz Club is, in part, the answer to the dilemma of how to spiritually nourish stressed-out, time-challenged families.

We all remember songs -- including some that we don't want to -- after we hear them enough. Take time to explore Kim's site and make sure you watch the video and listen to the audioclips. You will be singing along before you know it. And these songs are worth remembering.

There are days when only an online test will do

2007-08-30T09:27:00.000-04:00

You're The Hobbit!

by J.R.R. Tolkien

All you wanted was a nice cup of tea when some haggard crazy old man came into your life and told you it was time to do something with yourself. Now you're all conflicted about whether to stick with your stay-at-home lifestyle or follow this crazy person into the wild. While you're very short and a little furry, you seem to be surrounded by an even greater quantity of short folks lately. Try not to lose your ring, but keep its value in perspective!

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

H/T Entropy (who took it a few times).

All things considered, I think I can live with The Hobbit. My sixth grade teacher had us read this as a class. I couldn't stand the pace the class was reading at and finished before the week was over. One of the Best.Books.Ever. And a pretty great sixth grade teacher, too. Thank you, Mrs. Hayes.

Happy birthday . . .

2007-08-29T00:14:00.000-04:00

. . . to me!

I was the last of my mother's miracles. That is what she always called us because as a young woman she had been injured to the point that one of her ovaries was totally destroyed. The doctor had told her she would probably never have any children. She and my father were married five years before my oldest sister was born and then two years later my other sister was born. Five years -- and I don't know how many miscarriages later (Mama doesn't remember anymore) -- I was born prematurely. Soon after I was born, I started to develop jaundice and was lucky enough to get the last incubator available at the hospital. I have heard different stories over the years about just how sick I was and just how long I was kept at the hospital -- I think the last version was that I stayed in the hospital for about a month and had at least one complete blood transfusion.

In a warped tradition that has developed, Lawrence will not wish me happy birthday first thing in the morning. One year (1997) he didn't wish me happy birthday until the morning of the 30th. He had been so overworked he was a day behind and thought he was being the first to remember my day. Unfortunately he was the last. Now it has become standard for him to not wish me happy birthday until the last possible minute he thinks he can get away with before missing it totally. Most years that means 11:45 p.m. We'll see how late it is today -- last year was 1997 all over again with him not remembering at all until I told him the next day I had lost a bet with a friend who thought he wouldn't wish me happy birthday until 11:58 p.m.

I'll add a comment tomorrow to let you know when he remembers this year. :)

Seen today

2007-08-28T23:03:00.001-04:00

Isn't he cute? He was caught in a humane trap which was left outside a friend's house by accident. They were a little shocked to see him this morning.

Now I just have to make William understand it is not meant to be a pet.

Relatives are great

2007-08-27T15:34:00.000-04:00

My darling husband's Aunt Tara E-mailed me last week to ask what size shoes the kids wear. I let her know and today the mailman left a package on our deck:

The kids are thrilled to finally have some Crocs. And they are pleased with the colors and the Jibbitz Aunt Tara picked out. She is incredible. We love her very much.

Posts for 24 August 2007

2007-08-24T23:59:00.000-04:00

More from the musical dad

2007-08-24T16:03:00.000-04:00

I couldn't help it. When I was listening to Pachelbel Bedtime for the nth time, I decided to see if he had any other videos posted. Thankfully, he did. Again, make sure you pause/stop the Project Playlist in the sidebar before starting to play these.

Sneetches

Spoiled Bumblebee

Pachelbel's Canon in D(ad)

2007-08-24T15:02:00.000-04:00

Almost three months ago, I shared Momsense with you. Today it is time to hear a dad's point of view.

Make sure you hit the pause button on the Project Playlist in the sidebar before you hit play on this. I hope you like it as much as I did!

H/T: Kerry

We (sort of) made it

2007-08-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was the first day of school for the (three) big kids. Olivia had been one of the littles up to that point. Now I am down to just one little. Just don't call him that, though. :)

As sad as I thought I would be, William was more upset. I had to go to Lawrence's office that day so William had to go to a sitter. He and I left the house before the others went to school. To say he was not happy with the whole situation would be an understatement. He cried most of the way there and attached himself to me when I tried to drop him off. At some point after he had begun to settle down, he told one of the workers to leave him alone because he was not a baby and didn’t need to be there, he should be in school. When naptime was over, he looked at the other children there and, since they weren't his family, he went over to a corner and went back to sleep, waking up a few minutes before I picked him up. Let me tell you, that five hour nap made for an interesting evening.

Lawrence took the older three to school -- even though we are on the bus route, he enjoys those few minutes of drive time with the children -- and called me to say that even though she said she was excited, Olivia had a deer-in-the-headlights look about her. We went out for dinner that evening to celebrate her first day and heard about some of the friends she made and a little bit about what she had done. She seems to be following in Allan’s footsteps because we can never get details from him either. Marie, as usual, was very forthcoming about what she had done and told us she was happy to see some old friends and to start a new writing journal.

As we did good night hugs and kisses that night, I asked each one what was the best part of the day. Olivia said it was playing. Marie said it was her journal. Allan said it was coming home. If I had asked him, I'm sure William would have agreed with his brother.

One word, no explanations

2007-08-23T10:59:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of Angela, the One Word, NO Explanation meme:

1. Yourself: tired
2. Your spouse: workaholic
3. Your hair: brown
4. Your mother: lonely
5. Your father: deceased
6. Your favorite item: books
7. Your dream last night: caterpillars
8. Your favorite drink: tea
9. Your dream car: Mustang
10. The room you are in: family
11. Your ex: uncaring
12. Your fear: failure
13. What you want to be in 10 years: healthy
14. Who you hung out with last night: family
15. What you're not: wealthy
16. Muffins: blueberry
17: One of your wish list items: books
18: Time: morning
19. The last thing you did: breakfasted
20. What you are wearing: casual
21. Your favorite weather: autumnal
22. Your favorite book: AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH
23. The last thing you ate: Poptart
24. Your life: changing
25. Your mood: depressed
26. Your best friend: Dana
27. What you're thinking about right now: school
28. Your car: minivan
29. What you are doing at the moment: thinking
30. Your summer: over
31. Your relationship status: committed
32. What is on your TV: Disney
33. What is the weather like: dreary
34. When was the last time you laughed: today

I tag Dana, Christi, and Christine. I'd tag new blogger Nate, but I don't know if he wants to do memes.

sad

2007-08-21T08:21:00.000-04:00

I've been quiet lately because we have been very busy getting ready for school: meeting the teachers, buying the supplies (why must we be so specific as to require a particular size of Post-it notes, a size which turns out to be Not In Stock?), getting a physical, and today's errand will be driving to Richmond to get a copy of a birth certificate we can't find.

But first this morning Olivia and I stood on the deck together waving goodbye to Daddy when he left for work.

And that is why I am sad. The physical, complete with getting shots updated, and the birth certificate are for Olivia.

Tomorrow she starts Kindergarten.

Tomorrow she will be in Daddy's truck with Allan and Marie.

Tomorrow -- since William will still be asleep -- I will stand alone on the deck waving goodbye to those I love, waiting for them to return home.

You don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer

2007-08-12T13:49:00.000-04:00

If you read nothing else today, read Whymommy's post. She has recently been diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly.

I discovered my lump after a bout of mastitis. Thankfully, mine was simply scar tissue from an injury caused by my seatbelt in a car accident. I hadn't been doing monthly BSEs. It's something we all need to do. BUT...

There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Learn about the symptoms and, please, take care of yourselves.

For Christi

2007-08-09T21:20:00.000-04:00

Christi, who has a delightful blog and 12 wonderful children, left a comment and wanted to know how to add a playlist.

Here goes:

Go to Project Playlist and sign up -- it's free (I like free). After you create your account, search for music by title or artist. There are two buttons by each song -- a play button and one with a plus mark. Play the song first to make sure it works; not all songs do. Hit the plus sign to add it to your playlist. You will be asked to again play it to make sure it works.

Once you have the song or songs you like, you can arrange the play order on your playlist. Follow the links for adding your playlist to copy the code. In the Blogger dashboard choose Edit Layout and add the Page element for HTML/JavaScript. Paste the playlist code there, save the change and, voila, you have a music player on your sidebar. Once you have a playlist, you don't need to change the code in your sidebar to update it -- it will update automatically.

See, that's not hard. If I could do it, you can do it.

I'm feelin' hot, Hot, HOT

2007-08-08T18:10:00.000-04:00

That was the temperature display in my van this afternoon when we went to the library and the grocery store.

And for Angela in Canada, here it is in degrees Celsius:

The kids and I were very.very.glad to get home!

Children and food

2007-08-08T10:01:00.000-04:00

I was reading Danielle's blog this morning and followed her link to this. It is an interesting study -- children as young as 3 appear to be influenced by branding.

Sixty-three children, ages 3 and 5, were given five foods to sample: chicken nuggets, a hamburger, french fries, baby carrots and milk. The first three foods all came from a McDonalds; the carrots and milk from a grocery store. All five food samples were split in half to be served in plain packaging and in McDonalds packaging. The foods were exactly the same, but the children thought the foods in the branded wrappers tasted better than those in plain wrappers.

So what? Well, something else I've read recently (and I can't remember the source or I would cite it) said that our children are subjected to one food commercial every five minutes. That works out to a possible three hours of food commercials each week. You can google that phrase and you will get 74 hits for that exact wording. You get about 1.85 million if you don't have the phrase in quotes.

I am not anti-fast food. We've eaten our fair share of it. (In fact, we've eaten enough of it that we gave up fast food for Lent -- and for those people who think that's not suffering, all I can say is you've never been in a van with four children who think a trip into town requires fast food.) Maybe as mothers it's time to rethink our approach to what our children learn about food and marketing. I will be.

Which Disney Princess are you?

2007-08-06T16:09:00.000-04:00

Angela is Belle and wondered who other people were. Well, here I am.

Which Disney Princess Are You?
	You are Cinderella. You are hard-working and never complain, however, your trust is sometimes misplaced and people sometimes take advantage of you. Still, you are beautiful inside and out, and one day you will realize it and find true love.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Who are you?

Sing it with me

2007-08-02T17:02:00.000-04:00

Like I said in an earlier post, I have added Playlist to the blog. Currently there are six songs on my playlist. Most people popping in here will only hear part of one. :) I'm prepared for that.

The player starts with Ave Maria by Schubert. This is a very beautiful song and one I have only learned to enjoy within the past year or so. Schubert composed this when he was 28. He is reported to have written to his father and stepmother that people "wondered greatly at my piety, which I expressed in a hymn to the Holy Virgin and which, it appears, grips every soul and turns it to devotion."

The second song is Deeper Than the Holler by Randy Travis. A rather large leap between the two, I know. This is the first song my beloved sang to me. It is "our" song. 'Nuff said.

Third is El Shaddai by Amy Grant. This was a favorite of several of my friends in college and it became a favorite of mine.

Fourth is Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash. I like Johnny Cash. My father liked Johnny Cash. I grew up listening to Johnny Cash. I also grew up hearing stories of my father as a very young man playing guitar for a group called The Tobacco Tags -- don't bother googling it, I've tried and can't find anything. The Tobacco Tags supposedly did some back up work for The Carter Family from which came June Carter Cash.

Fifth is Wildwood Flower by The Carter Family. Reread the last two sentences of the previous paragraph. This song is also an inside joke for Dana.

Last but not least is Family Tree by Darryl Worley. I like this one a lot. It had been around for awhile but it finally sank into my brain when I was expecting William. It was playing in the background when I let Lawrence know I was expecting William. Is it any wonder he gives me the "Are you trying to tell me something" look when I play this song?

UPDATED: Every now and then I will rearrange the order of the songs and add a few more. I have also switched it so that you must click play instead of it starting automatically.

Little things

2007-08-02T16:26:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, when you least expect it -- especially when you least expect it -- something that you do helps someone else.

I had been feeling bad about not posting anything substantial on this blog. I know I can write; I'm just afraid to write right now. I'm slowly trying to get back into it, but real posts are few and far between. Mostly I've been tweaking the layout of the blog.

There are a few new pictures on the sidebar -- at least they are new to here. They are WWI and WWII posters. V for Victory has several in her sidebar and I googled the phrase on one and found several more that I like. I hope you enjoy them, too.

And I added Project Playlist. I have six songs saved to my playlist currently. The first one is Ave Maria. It is an incredibly beautiful song that touches many. Thankfully it touched Angela the other day.

I may not be writing moving, thoughtful, beautiful posts, but at least the music on the blog did something for someone just when it needed doing. And that's what is important, isn't it? I may not have done some great and glorious thing, but God took what was available and did what needed to be done.

Need a TV?

2007-07-30T20:38:00.000-04:00

5 Minutes for Moms is giving one away courtesy of Best Buy. They are taking entries until 17 August on an Insignia® 37″ Flat-Panel LCD HDTV. Head over and sign up.

More views from our neck of the woods

2007-07-27T20:16:00.000-04:00

These are some of the views -- beautiful and not so beautiful -- found on a nature hike the kids and I took recently. I hope you enjoy seeing them.

And the lithograph goes to . . .

2007-07-27T14:43:00.000-04:00

We printed out the comments, cut them into strips, folded them, mixed them up, placed them in a basket and then the blindfolded ten-year-old (by the way, Happy Birthday -- a day late -- Allan!) pulled out a piece of paper.

The lucky person is Janne! Congratulations!

Jumping on the bandwagon

2007-07-25T11:01:00.000-04:00

UPDATED -- Shannon's links are working again. There are almost 500 links!

Shannon can't accept new links to the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway, but I want to give something away, too! Post a comment by noon EST Friday, 27 July, to be entered to win a Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Disney Commemorative Lithograph.

Please make sure I can get back in touch with you if you are the lucky winner. If necessary, include a safe version of your E-mail address in your comment (name at whatever dot com). And please only enter once -- let's be fair to others!

The winner will be drawn, and the result posted, before midnight Friday!

Dog days of summer

2007-07-25T10:38:00.000-04:00

If you have been reading this blog, you know I like free stuff. And giveaways rule! The biggest giveaway I have seen lately is taking place at Rocks In My Dryer. Shannon is hosting the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway. Before her linking system overloaded, it was showing over 400 links of bloggers giving away hand made notecards, books, purses, kids clothes, you-name-it-somebody-is-probably-offering-it! The link system collapsed, but her husband fixed the links in a different way so there is no telling how many there are now.

Check it out -- you won't regret it!

How I spent my Saturday

2007-07-23T12:09:00.000-04:00

This is where the back window of my van should be.

This is why it isn't there anymore. (Apparently the 3 year old and 5 year old thought the window was a horcrux in need of destruction.)

While my husband and I were cleaning broken glass out of the van and the driveway, the older two children went up to the mailbox and brought this back:

Around 8 Saturday night, I finally started to read ~~Without.Interruption~~ with limited interruption. I finished it around 2:15 a.m. Since there may be people still reading it, I will say it was worth the wait. And according to it, my van window was not one of the horcruxes!

And it's a girl!

2007-07-19T07:26:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Matt and his wife. Bridget Mary's momentous birth was Tuesday.

Matt and his cohorts write some great stuff. Check them out at Creative Minority Report.

It's a boy!

2007-07-17T13:08:00.000-04:00

Actually, it's boy number 5 at Testosterhome.
Henry was born yesterday and looks gorgeous.
Congratulations, Rachel and family!

Could this be me?

2007-07-15T17:22:00.000-04:00

I have seen these (theez?) on several sites and decided to join the fun!

Now, how about joining in, Dana? Angela? Lynn?

Join

2007-07-11T14:52:00.001-04:00

The movie is out. For anyone else -- like me -- who won't be able to make it there tonight, you can enjoy the soundtrack (H/T Carolina Cannonball) right now -- but only for today.

And it isn't too much longer before the book will be here. Pre-order through Amazon by July 17, noon Eastern, and select Standard Shipping to a lower 48 United States address, for Guaranteed Release-Date Delivery.

Patient endurance

2007-07-10T10:46:00.000-04:00

"Patient endurance attains to all things. The one who possesses God is lacking in nothing; God alone is enough."

~Saint Teresa of Avila

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

2007-07-04T01:54:00.000-04:00

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock
New Hampshire:Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

For more information on the Declaration and its signers, check this site.

Happy Fourth of July!

2007-07-04T01:40:00.001-04:00

Remarks by Eletia Hubball at the presentation of a flag to the Company of Light Infantry commanded by Captain Nicholas Blasdell, July 1821.

Citizen Soldiers,

You have associated in celebrating the birth day of your independence. In compliance with a request of my female associates, I am about to present you a standard in manifestation of our confidence, & as a tribute of respect to the company of Independent Volunteers. Though the order of society, our daily habits and physical powers, restrict us to less active duties and forbid us a participation in your social, and convivial pleasures, and manly exercises of the day; yet we feel with you a glow of satisfaction. To us as to you, it recalls to our mental view events which inspire us with veneration for the memories of our Fathers of the Revolution, & excite in us, a lively interest for the honor of our common country. May this day be ever dear to the descendants of free men: Our fathers dared to will to be free, and were free: may their sons ever will it. Our motives in addressing you on this occasion are not to excite in you a sense of noble daring, or a just appreciation of your rights as freemen. The songs of freemen want no incentives to action: Liberty and honor are inate principles, fostered by paternal care. They have nobly will'd and bravely dared. The historic page records the noble achievements, and gallant actions in their country's cause; on the ocean and on the land their prowess stands pre-eminent; the haughty foe has struck his proud flag to our brave and hardy tars, and bent his proud crest to the strong arm of your brothers in arms. From pole to pole, the goddess of liberty has proclaimed the merited applause of her sons.

The sons of freedom assuming the manly and dignified attitude of Citizen Soldiers, and emulating each other in the acquirements of military discipline, to enable them in the hour of danger to defend their country, maintain their liberty and protect us from licentious and daring invaders, must ever possess in our hearts an influence superior to the ordinary impressions created by social intercourse. Receive then your flag, and defend it worthy of yourselves and fathers, and we fervently trust that in your pursuit of discipline and military glory, it will never by tarnished with vice or immorality prove to the world that morality and virtue are the concomitants of the Citizen Soldier. Should the tocsin of war be again sounded, and our happy country be invaded by the enemies of liberty, while you bravely march to chide them for their presumption we will offer up to the god of battles our prayers for your protection, relying, that you will ever hold in dear remembrance, your motto, "Columbia, Fortitude and Freedom." (Alexandria Gazette, 7 July 1821, 2.)

Contest and free sample

2007-06-29T13:41:00.000-04:00

As part of the July 4th Giveaway, 5 Minutes for Mom is offering two sets of Memory Cross cards. These look like a fun way to learn Bible verses. If you go to Memory Cross's website, they are offering a limited supply of free samples. And free is always good.

Posts for 27 June 2007

2007-06-27T23:59:00.000-04:00

July 4th Giveaway

Some views around our neck of the woods

July 4th Giveaway

2007-06-27T21:45:00.001-04:00

The wonderful women at 5 Minutes for Mom are at it again. They are having multiple giveaway sign ups for a July 4th Giveaway. Offered so far are an ice cream maker and bowls, a custom swimsuit from Lands End, Momager calling cards, a weekend at Motherhood Redefined, and a Metrowrap from Metromamma.

Check it out and sign up for a chance to win some great stuff. And don't forget to go back every day to see what else they offer.

Some views around our neck of the woods

2007-06-27T20:43:00.000-04:00

It's been a little while since my last post, so I thought I would share a few thousand words with you. Here are some of the sights we have seen this month.

Earlier this month two hot air balloons went over so low the children thought they were going to land in the yard.

Above is one my rosebushes. Jackson & Perkins calls it About Face.

Below is my hydrangea bush.

A Carolina wren. The wrens have been building nests in lots of interesting places -- including our grill.

Thistle and thistle with a tiger swallowtail.

A young garter snake. We have caught glimpses of his older and larger relatives as well.

One of the snapdragons we planted this year.

Our Lady of Guadalupe -- another Jackson & Perkins rose. It is usually the one that blooms first and is still blooming at Thanksgiving.

A rabbit (obviously).

Let's celebrate some more

2007-06-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today is Danielle's birthday!

Danielle is the mother of eight children. Hers is the first blog I ever read and I check it every day to see what she has to share next. She has shared her wisdom -- and she is wise beyond her years; she has shared the joy and laughter of her children and quite a few very tasty recipes. Danielle is one of the bloggers I wish lived just down the road because she seems like she would be a great friend and neighbor.

Danielle is a published author and Senior Editor of Faith & Family magazine. If I'm lucky maybe someone will buy me a either (or both) of her books in time for my birthday later this summer. (And, yes, that was a very blatant hint!)

And what would she like for her birthday this year? Donations to Saint Gianna Maternity Home. Danielle is hosting a fundraiser/raffle on her site. So far over $4,000 has been raised.

Celebrate

2007-06-05T10:03:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite bloggers is celebrating her birthday today. She is in her third trimester and looks great. If you have a minute to spare, check Rachel's blog and wish her a happy birthday.

Apronpalooza

2007-06-04T08:19:00.000-04:00

All this week Nan at Life is Like a Lunchbox will be hosting Apronpalooza, a giveaway of aprons (and who doesn't want an apron? They are making a comeback, you know). The number one rule: "You may enter each contest only ONCE. You can however beg your husband and relatives to enter to win also but they must do so through another computer. Please be honest and only enter once." There will be multiple contests per day, so check them out.

I've said a few of these

2007-05-29T11:48:00.000-04:00

Once or twice some of these pearls have crossed my lips. I hope you enjoy Momsense as much as I do. If you do, check Anita's website. She has some great looking books and videos.

H/T Barbara

A line I would have liked to have seen worked into it? "Don't make me get your father involved." Of course, you know if there was a Dad version it would include "I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it."

Posts for 28 May 2007

2007-05-28T23:59:00.000-04:00

"Bivouac of the Dead"

Memorial Day

"Bivouac of the Dead"

2007-05-28T14:53:00.000-04:00

"Bivouac of the Dead"

Theodore O’Hara

The muffled drum's sad roll has beat
The soldier's last tattoo;
No more on life's parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few.
On Fame's eternal camping-ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And Glory guards, with solemn round,
The bivouac of the dead.

No rumor of the foe's advance
Now swells upon the wind;
Nor troubled thought at midnight haunts
Of loved ones left behind;
No vision of the morrow's strife
The warrior's dream alarms;
No braying horn nor screaming fife
At dawn shall call to arms.

Their shriveled swords are red with rust,
Their plumed heads are bowed,
Their haughty banner, trailed in dust,
Is now their martial shroud.
And plenteous funeral tears have washed
The red stains from each brow,
And the proud forms, by battle gashed
Are free from anguish now.

The neighing troop, the flashing blade,
The bugle's stirring blast,
The charge, the dreadful cannonade,
The din and shout, are past;
Nor war's wild note nor glory's peal
Shall thrill with fierce delight
Those breasts that nevermore may feel
The rapture of the fight.

Like the fierce northern hurricane
That sweeps the great plateau,
Flushed with the triumph yet to gain,
Came down the serried foe,
Who heard the thunder of the fray
Break o'er the field beneath,
Knew well the watchword of that day
Was "Victory or death!"

Long had the doubtful conflict raged
O'er all that stricken plain,
For never fiercer fight had waged
The vengeful blood of Spain;
And still the storm of battle blew,
Still swelled the gory tide;
Not long, our stout old chieftain knew,
Such odds his strength could bide.

Twas in that hour his stern command
Called to a martyr's grave
The flower of his beloved land,
The nation's flag to save.
By rivers of their father's gore
His first-born laurels grew,
And well he deemed the sons would pour
Their lives for glory too.

For many a mother's breath has swept
O'er Angostura's plain --
And long the pitying sky has wept
Above its moldered slain.
The raven's scream, or eagle's flight,
Or shepherd's pensive lay,
Alone awakes each sullen height
That frowned o'er that dread fray.

Sons of the Dark and Bloody Ground
Ye must not slumber there,
Where stranger steps and tongues resound
Along the heedless air.
Your own proud land's heroic soil
Shall be your fitter grave;
She claims from war his richest spoil --
The ashes of her brave.

Thus 'neath their parent turf they rest,
Far from the gory field,
Borne to a Spartan mother's breast
On many a bloody shield;
The sunshine of their native sky
Smiles sadly on them here,
And kindred eyes and hearts watch by
The heroes sepulcher.

Rest on embalmed and sainted dead!
Dear as the blood ye gave;
No impious footstep shall here tread
The herbage of your grave;
Nor shall your glory be forgot
While fame her records keeps,
Or Honor points the hallowed spot
Where Valor proudly sleeps.

Yon marble minstrel's voiceless stone
In deathless song shall tell,
When many a vanquished ago has flown,
The story how ye fell;
Nor wreck, nor change, nor winter's blight,
Nor Time's remorseless doom,
Shall dim one ray of glory's light
That gilds your deathless tomb.

Image

Memorial Day

2007-05-28T14:02:00.000-04:00

I wanted to write an insightful post about Memorial Day because -- I think -- it is important. Being a conscientious blogger I decided to google Memorial Day to get a little bit about the history behind the day. Ignoring the News Results section, the fifth hit goes to a page with this as the start of its description:

Memorial Day and Labor Day are bookend holidays, marking the beginning and end of the summer holidays in the United States. These three-day weekends traditionally are times for celebration and family outings.

Instead, I want to give you this quote from a different site: "Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service." And this also:

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

Three o'clock is rapidly approaching on the East Coast. Please take a moment to remember and respect those who have died serving our country.

Take a moment to appreciate the wisdom behind this song also which is based on something the songwriter witnessed one Veterans Day in Canada:

A Pittance of Time

Arrow of Light and crossing over

2007-05-25T23:12:00.000-04:00

Tonight we went to a cook out. Not just any cook out, mind you; this was the Arrow of Light/crossing over cook out/camping trip for the second year Webelos Scouts. The Tigers were there, too. Some of the Boy Scouts supervised the Webelos in preparing food for their hobo dinners while others manned the grills to cook the food for the family members present.

After everyone had their fill of hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, pretzels, potato salad, and fruit salad, the Tigers crossed over to the rank of Wolf Cub Scouts. And then the four second year Webelos were given their patches and awards --especially their Arrow of Light patches -- and then they crossed over to be received into the Boy Scout troop.

Allan was the only first year Webelos and he was recognized and allowed to cross over to the rank of second year Webelos. (We live in a small community so our Pack will have to do a lot of recruiting over the summer.)

After the crossover ceremony, there were s’mores and skits. Finally around 10 o’clock I loaded the girls and William into the van to come home -- but the Scouts were still going strong! The enthusiasm of the Boy Scouts was a wonderful thing to see. They were polite to the parents and siblings of the Cub Scouts. These young men seem to represent all that is still good in our world.

By the way, the crossing over bridge at the top of the post -- it was made this week by my ever talented husband! I am so proud of him for his hard work!

Where I am from

2007-05-23T09:53:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year I followed a comment on another blog and found this post by Heth. I followed the link she provided to the format for the poem and have been working on my own since then. Some parts were hard to come up with and others were much easier. I hope you enjoy learning...

Where I'm From

I am from aprons,
from Ajax and chewable aspirin.
I am from a rented old farmhouse,
later razed and rebuilt to rise Phoenix-like from the damage of another tenant.
I am from the pear tree near two old barns,
the dogwood by the drive whose inviting branches I climbed regularly.

I am from spaghetti for supper on church nights
and chili on Halloween;
from Wendell and Lettie and Bessie.
I am from reading everything you can get your hands on and
reading late into the night.
From see you in the funny papers
and you’ll catch your death of cold.
I am from Amazing Grace (oh, how sweet that has always sounded),
from a Bible all my own earned by memory verses
learned over a hot, hazy summer.

I’m from Highland Springs and good, hardy stock –
some Irish, some German –
from vinegar pie and fried green tomatoes.
From Great Uncle Ira who was gassed in World War One,
from Uncle Cotton’s fruit stand,
and a cold Brownie soda with Uncle Jack.
I am from a Sears & Roebuck boot box of faded

black and white photos
of some whose names are not recorded and of others
loved and lost to Oakwood Cemetery,
whose undulating grounds were explored Sundays after dinner,
keeping fresh the memory of our own and others’ family and friends.

Bandages, bandages everywhere

2007-05-22T08:45:00.000-04:00

The more I stop by 5 Minutes for Mom, the more I enjoy it.

The give away now? Forty-five -- 45!!!! -- boxes of Nexcare bandages! With four kids -- and the youngest two making up injuries when someone else in the family needs a bandage -- I could really, REALLY use 45 boxes of bandages.

Even if you don't have four children or a blog, but you could use bandages at your house, drop over there for a look and sign up. And while you're there for that, check the other features -- including the new 5 Minutes for Books.

Posts for 14 May 2007

2007-05-14T23:59:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day in others words

Mother's Day mayhem

Mother's Day in other's words

2007-05-14T16:12:00.000-04:00

While I didn't have a chance to post anything thoughtful or insightful, I did want to share with you some of the words of wisdom and love I found in celebration of mothers.

Danielle posted a lovely tribute to her mother.

Suzanne shares five things she loves about motherhood -- besides her five wonderful boys. She also shared the way she spent Mother's Day.

Rachel shared her perspective of Mother's Day during the third trimester of her fifth pregnancy. While she is moving a little slowly physically, her writing is as enjoyable as ever.

This year Barbara posted a letter from a friend on her reflections on her daughter with Down syndrome.

Ma Beck shares her thoughts on her first Mother's Day. May she enjoy many more!

Shannon shares a tribute to Helen. Everyone who feels incompetent and incapable as a mother needs to read and reflect on this.

Margaret in Minnesota provides wonderful words and prayers for mothers.

Rosemary remembers her mom.
Angela remembers hers also.

And Carolina Cannonball, who did not have a good day, reflects on not being able to live up to the model of motherhood.

Mother's Day mayhem

2007-05-14T15:52:00.000-04:00

Was your weekend as busy as mine? I'm sure you have already seen these two videos, but if you haven't yet, please enjoy them a day late:

A Mother's Day Moment

and

Mother's Day

For all the moms who drop by

2007-05-11T14:50:00.000-04:00

A Mother's Day card for your enjoyment.

H/T Christine.

Learning something new

2007-05-10T00:58:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Suzanne, I found Moms Who Blog. I haven't had time to read a lot of the posts, but I did learn about putting a signature on posts.

I am looking forward to seeing what else Amy has to share!

Autumn leaf fabric

2007-05-04T22:36:00.000-04:00

This is a swatch of fabric from 1968. My oldest sister had picked it out and someone my mother knew made a dress for her. Someone else (I'm thinking my sister) made a dress for my Tippee Toes doll out of this. I haven't been able to find the doll dress; I'm afraid it was in storage and became a mouse nest with the rest of the doll things I had been saving to pass on to my daughters.

Somehow I fell heir to the last piece of the fabric. There is enough to make a pillow for the couch in my family room. I wish I could find some more of this -- at least enough to make a second pillow. Don't get me wrong though -- I am glad I have as much of it as I do. It brings back memories of my childhood and the sister who loved me enough to share her special fabric.

More from 5 Minutes For Mom

2007-05-03T10:09:00.000-04:00

5 Minutes For Mom has a great Mother's Day Giveaway going on for the next several days. So far the contests are for an iPod Nano and Chocolate gift set from Best Buy and a Mei Tai baby carrier from All Natural Mommies. Additional contests will be added over the next several days so check the Mother's Day Give Away often.

Conversation with a three year old

2007-05-02T17:13:00.000-04:00

Ten minutes after I freaked out about a writhing mass of caterpillars on top of the stroller which was brought to me as I worked at my desk:

William: Mommy, the cadder pillars won't move anymore.
Me: They won't?
William: No. They're dead.
Me: They are?
William: Yea-yuh.
Me: How did that happen?
William: I didn't died them.
Me: You didn't?
William: Nope. I killed them with this boot.

Favorite Things

2007-04-27T11:03:00.000-04:00

Who can think of favorite things without thinking of the Rodgers & Hammerstein song that made the phrase? And, yes, the movie is one of my favorite things.

I was 18 or 19 before I ever saw The Sound of Music. It seems to be on television at least once a year now, but it wasn't regular programming when I was growing up. We have the DVD and the three older children have watched it with me. Marie saw a pamphlet for a local theater that will be hosting two showings of it later this year; we are hoping to go.

Movies like this are few and far between any more. There is no gratuitous sex, violence, or language. Instead The Sound of Music is a love story -- love of God, love of country, love of family, and, yes, the love that develops between a man and a woman. The Sound of Music is also a wonderful example of good versus evil with good winning out.

Today's popular movies -- including ones aimed at children -- are often rife with questionable language, gratuitous violence, and if not sex, then sexual innuendo. Now you can see why a classic movie with a great storyline that entertains and lifts your spirits is one of my favorite things.

Who doesn't want this?

2007-04-23T10:51:00.000-04:00

5 Minutes for Mom is giving away a Digital Photo Frame. It looks great. Reading Janice's description started me thinking about who in my life (besides me) could use/might enjoy one of these. In case my husband is reading this post, this DOES NOT mean you need to rush out and buy one for me from the kids for Mother's Day.

More information on the 9 inch photo frame can be found on the Philips website.