Fresh bread was just out of the breadmaker, and the kids were buzzing around like yellow jackets to get some. Meanwhile, the living room was a disaster. I said, "Okay, y'all!"
They recognized the tone instantly. "I don't WANT to clean up!" Stuart wailed. "I want bread!"
I continued, "I have good news and bad news."
"We have to clean up," Addie muttered. (She really did mutter. Addie enjoys performing the literary conventions she reads about. You should hear her uncertain quavering voice.)
I continued, "The bad news is, we still have to wait about thirty minutes to cut the bread. The good news is, we get to fill up the time by cleaning up the living room!"
And I laughed out loud at my own cleverness, and because their puzzled expressions just made my funny statement even funnier.
For the record, Addie and Stuart didn't laugh at all.
-- SJ
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Not an Einstein
Dear Indignant Parents,
So your righteous indignation on behalf of your children has brought the giant Disney to its knees. You'll get your refund for those Baby Einstein DVDs you bought so your children would get smarter, but that turned out NOT to make your children smarter. Who'd a thunk it?
Before you apply for your refund, I have a little rant to deliver. First of all, please realize that everything today is touted as being educational or good for your health. For instance, I saw an ad for McCormick spices that detailed the health benefits. For SPICES. You know, that ground-up powder you put into your food, 1/4 tsp at a time, to make it taste better? Who needs health benefits? P.S. If you perked up and asked what antioxidants are provided by nutmeg, you may as well stop reading this and go back to applying for your refund.
Anyway, Baby Einstein was billed as educational, because that's what we parents like to hear. The stark truth, of course, is that DVDs don't make your children smarter. Disney just said that so you would buy the product. That's how advertising works, see.
I, personally, have several of the Baby Einstein tapes. (Tapes! Back in the old days, they came out on tapes.) These videos were my salvation when Addie was young and I was pregnant with Stuart. They rescued me again when I was homeschooling Addie and Stuart, and one-year-old Daphne was a Mama-seeking, school-destroying missile. I don't care much for the glitzy Disney versions; I like the original slightly unpolished ones. My kids liked them all. In that sense, they delivered exactly what they should.
But if you, overconcerned parent, thought they'd make your child smarter, and now you want a refund because you fell for an ad campaign... well, um, exactly who is it who needs a little IQ boost?
Take them for what they're for: entertainment. And don't ask for a refund.
-- SJ
So your righteous indignation on behalf of your children has brought the giant Disney to its knees. You'll get your refund for those Baby Einstein DVDs you bought so your children would get smarter, but that turned out NOT to make your children smarter. Who'd a thunk it?
Before you apply for your refund, I have a little rant to deliver. First of all, please realize that everything today is touted as being educational or good for your health. For instance, I saw an ad for McCormick spices that detailed the health benefits. For SPICES. You know, that ground-up powder you put into your food, 1/4 tsp at a time, to make it taste better? Who needs health benefits? P.S. If you perked up and asked what antioxidants are provided by nutmeg, you may as well stop reading this and go back to applying for your refund.
Anyway, Baby Einstein was billed as educational, because that's what we parents like to hear. The stark truth, of course, is that DVDs don't make your children smarter. Disney just said that so you would buy the product. That's how advertising works, see.
I, personally, have several of the Baby Einstein tapes. (Tapes! Back in the old days, they came out on tapes.) These videos were my salvation when Addie was young and I was pregnant with Stuart. They rescued me again when I was homeschooling Addie and Stuart, and one-year-old Daphne was a Mama-seeking, school-destroying missile. I don't care much for the glitzy Disney versions; I like the original slightly unpolished ones. My kids liked them all. In that sense, they delivered exactly what they should.
But if you, overconcerned parent, thought they'd make your child smarter, and now you want a refund because you fell for an ad campaign... well, um, exactly who is it who needs a little IQ boost?
Take them for what they're for: entertainment. And don't ask for a refund.
-- SJ
Monday, October 26, 2009
School as Home
I read recently that the president has suggested extending school days and school years to improve education. I think it's a stupid idea.
Of course I think it's a stupid idea. I don't even send my kids away to school. And when we do our schoolwork here at home, I feel stretched thin and worn out if it goes more than two hours. So it's not like I have an objective opinion here.
I guess it's possible that making the school day longer and going to a year-round school schedule will maximize educational opportunities. Maybe that way a middle school won't have to display student artwork that encourages classmates to get good grades by admonishing: "Don't Loose a Letter! You Can Do Better! Thums Up!" (Our friend Jeremiah has an actual picture of the actual poster.) I'm not involved in public education, so although I don't really think "more hours" equals "more education," it's not a debate I feel like getting into.
Obama mentioned that he also wanted schools open late to give kids a place to go. See, now that's the heart of my objection. School already sets the rhythm and structure for children and their families. Everything is planned around school. Now, in a culture where families are overextended and broken, school is to become a child's haven and home.
If you attend school for thirteen years, eight hours a day, every month of the year -- with only a few weeks' break here and there -- you will forget how to live at home. You'll reach adulthood knowing calculus and (ideally) how to spell "lose," but you won't have any idea how to grocery shop, cook a meal, keep a house clean, and occupy yourself when you're stuck and home and your computer won't work.
You won't know much about functioning as a family, which is very different from classroom management. A generation raised in school can't break the current cycle of dysfunctional families. In fact, such a generation may forget how to make a family at all.
For those who see academic and corporate success as the highest goal, centering a child's life around school seems like a very smart idea. For those with a slower, broader outlook, however, it's a grief to imagine.
Replacing a home with an institution is a very bleak prospect.
-- SJ
Of course I think it's a stupid idea. I don't even send my kids away to school. And when we do our schoolwork here at home, I feel stretched thin and worn out if it goes more than two hours. So it's not like I have an objective opinion here.
I guess it's possible that making the school day longer and going to a year-round school schedule will maximize educational opportunities. Maybe that way a middle school won't have to display student artwork that encourages classmates to get good grades by admonishing: "Don't Loose a Letter! You Can Do Better! Thums Up!" (Our friend Jeremiah has an actual picture of the actual poster.) I'm not involved in public education, so although I don't really think "more hours" equals "more education," it's not a debate I feel like getting into.
Obama mentioned that he also wanted schools open late to give kids a place to go. See, now that's the heart of my objection. School already sets the rhythm and structure for children and their families. Everything is planned around school. Now, in a culture where families are overextended and broken, school is to become a child's haven and home.
If you attend school for thirteen years, eight hours a day, every month of the year -- with only a few weeks' break here and there -- you will forget how to live at home. You'll reach adulthood knowing calculus and (ideally) how to spell "lose," but you won't have any idea how to grocery shop, cook a meal, keep a house clean, and occupy yourself when you're stuck and home and your computer won't work.
You won't know much about functioning as a family, which is very different from classroom management. A generation raised in school can't break the current cycle of dysfunctional families. In fact, such a generation may forget how to make a family at all.
For those who see academic and corporate success as the highest goal, centering a child's life around school seems like a very smart idea. For those with a slower, broader outlook, however, it's a grief to imagine.
Replacing a home with an institution is a very bleak prospect.
-- SJ
Friday, October 23, 2009
Seven Quick Takes Friday, October 23
For Conversion Diary's Seven Quick Takes rodeo.
1. I love reading Leah's descriptions of the differences between life in Africa and life in the United States. Her post this week about the offensive thumbs-up made me laugh out loud.
2. After reading Iron Elves (terrific book, by the way), I've started following Chris Evans' LiveJournal. He had a post yesterday about whispering into his Blackberry to remind himself of things to write later. I do this all the time with my cell phone and my work voice mail. Driving home in the evening, I'll think of things that I need to do the next day and leave myself messages to pick up in the morning. Probably not the most efficient way to do things, but it works.
3. In my opinion, one of the tragedies of the modern Christian age has been the decline in vowed monastic living. However, I had never thought of this result. Not being a beer drinker myself, I don't consider this to be a tragedy on the same scale :-)
4. I have watched this commercial 20 or more times this week, and I laugh every single time.
5. I have always been fascinated by the practice of Coptic Christians in Egypt getting little cross tattoos on the wrist. This week, there were two interesting blog posts on this practice. Gene Veith, whose blog is always a treat to read, suggested "Maybe we should do that, sealing a confirmation vow with a tattoo as a reminder that you can’t take it back!" Terry Mattingly at GetReligion.org had another point that I didn't know about: "They make it harder for Muslim extremists to kidnap their children and force them to convert to Islam, including forced marriages of young Christian girls to Muslim men."
6. For anyone out there who is a fan of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, Tor.com has been running a re-read with commentary for the last few months. It has been very interesting to me getting another person's take on the series, especially a reviewer who is so different from me on many levels.
7. I am tired of people in this house being sick.
And that's it! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
--DAJ
1. I love reading Leah's descriptions of the differences between life in Africa and life in the United States. Her post this week about the offensive thumbs-up made me laugh out loud.
2. After reading Iron Elves (terrific book, by the way), I've started following Chris Evans' LiveJournal. He had a post yesterday about whispering into his Blackberry to remind himself of things to write later. I do this all the time with my cell phone and my work voice mail. Driving home in the evening, I'll think of things that I need to do the next day and leave myself messages to pick up in the morning. Probably not the most efficient way to do things, but it works.
3. In my opinion, one of the tragedies of the modern Christian age has been the decline in vowed monastic living. However, I had never thought of this result. Not being a beer drinker myself, I don't consider this to be a tragedy on the same scale :-)
4. I have watched this commercial 20 or more times this week, and I laugh every single time.
5. I have always been fascinated by the practice of Coptic Christians in Egypt getting little cross tattoos on the wrist. This week, there were two interesting blog posts on this practice. Gene Veith, whose blog is always a treat to read, suggested "Maybe we should do that, sealing a confirmation vow with a tattoo as a reminder that you can’t take it back!" Terry Mattingly at GetReligion.org had another point that I didn't know about: "They make it harder for Muslim extremists to kidnap their children and force them to convert to Islam, including forced marriages of young Christian girls to Muslim men."
6. For anyone out there who is a fan of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, Tor.com has been running a re-read with commentary for the last few months. It has been very interesting to me getting another person's take on the series, especially a reviewer who is so different from me on many levels.
7. I am tired of people in this house being sick.
And that's it! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
--DAJ
Thursday, October 22, 2009
P.S.
Related to the post below:
Stuart was listening as the doctor explained about pneumonia. Darren saw Stuart's face blanch, but didn't think much of it.
In the car on the way home, Stuart asked anxiously, "Am I going to die?" It turns out there's this Calvin strip (he's memorized most of those books) where Calvin wants to go outside in the rain and demands to know why his mother won't let him.
"Because," she says, "you'll get wet, get pneumonia, linger a few months, and then die."
Poor Stuart thought he'd heard his own death sentence.
-- SJ
Stuart was listening as the doctor explained about pneumonia. Darren saw Stuart's face blanch, but didn't think much of it.
In the car on the way home, Stuart asked anxiously, "Am I going to die?" It turns out there's this Calvin strip (he's memorized most of those books) where Calvin wants to go outside in the rain and demands to know why his mother won't let him.
"Because," she says, "you'll get wet, get pneumonia, linger a few months, and then die."
Poor Stuart thought he'd heard his own death sentence.
-- SJ
The Swine Flu
Today for Show and Tell, class, we get to talk about someone who is currently experiencing Swine Flu! Or, as is appropriate to call it now, H1N1, which makes me want to pronounce it "heiney."
Stuart was diagnosed this afternoon with the swine flu, but we already knew what it was because he's been sick since Saturday. As in, running a temperature of at least 102 for six days. He also developed a deep cough two days ago. His temperature did drop to 99.6 last night, but shot back up again by morning. The nurse said without hesitation that he needed to come in.
I really didn't see why, because what could they do about the flu? Well, it turns out that it's not really the flu itself they're worried about. It's the pneumonia that sets in afterward. Stuart has a history of respiratory troubles, so although we haven't had any problems for at least three years, we were monitoring his breathing very closely for wheezing or rasping. We heard nothing, but the doctor detected some slight rattling and wheezing through his stethoscope. It was indicative of early, developing pneumonia. He said that the drop in temperature, and then the rise again, also indicated it.
I don't suppose he could know for sure it was pneumonia until it became a full-blown case; but neither he nor we were interested in waiting to confirm his suspicions. Stuart's on antibiotics to kill the pneumonia, and the occasional albuterol if his breathing gets bad.
He's still coughing, although not badly. His fever has gone down to 99. It seems as if he might have kicked the Flu's heiney. And I should have resisted that, but didn't.
Our major concern at this point isn't Stuart: it's Phillip. As with any sickness, especially respiratory, babies are at a very high risk. At the very first indication of fever or trouble breathing, we're to take Phillip in. Meanwhile, the doctor said, the flu is primarily airborne, so keep the boys as far apart as possible. Not that I'm anxious about this, but the whole reason I'm not in bed yet is that I had to come out and put a hand on Phillip's head to make sure it wasn't hot.
My experience with the Flu is that it lasts absolutely forever and the fever is a little worrisome. (Only a little because Stuart's never got above 104.)
Granted, if your child very small (the doctor didn't seem worried about three-year-old Daphne) or has breathing problems, then you have a bit more to concern you. But is it a replay of the flu epidemic of 1918, which took, among others, three of my great-grandmother's children? No. So ratchet down your general anxiety level. The warning signs seem easy to spot -- persistent fever and wheezing -- and we live in a time of blessings and antibiotics. Take a deep breath.
Um, and don't forget to pray for little Pip.
-- SJ
Stuart was diagnosed this afternoon with the swine flu, but we already knew what it was because he's been sick since Saturday. As in, running a temperature of at least 102 for six days. He also developed a deep cough two days ago. His temperature did drop to 99.6 last night, but shot back up again by morning. The nurse said without hesitation that he needed to come in.
I really didn't see why, because what could they do about the flu? Well, it turns out that it's not really the flu itself they're worried about. It's the pneumonia that sets in afterward. Stuart has a history of respiratory troubles, so although we haven't had any problems for at least three years, we were monitoring his breathing very closely for wheezing or rasping. We heard nothing, but the doctor detected some slight rattling and wheezing through his stethoscope. It was indicative of early, developing pneumonia. He said that the drop in temperature, and then the rise again, also indicated it.
I don't suppose he could know for sure it was pneumonia until it became a full-blown case; but neither he nor we were interested in waiting to confirm his suspicions. Stuart's on antibiotics to kill the pneumonia, and the occasional albuterol if his breathing gets bad.
He's still coughing, although not badly. His fever has gone down to 99. It seems as if he might have kicked the Flu's heiney. And I should have resisted that, but didn't.
Our major concern at this point isn't Stuart: it's Phillip. As with any sickness, especially respiratory, babies are at a very high risk. At the very first indication of fever or trouble breathing, we're to take Phillip in. Meanwhile, the doctor said, the flu is primarily airborne, so keep the boys as far apart as possible. Not that I'm anxious about this, but the whole reason I'm not in bed yet is that I had to come out and put a hand on Phillip's head to make sure it wasn't hot.
My experience with the Flu is that it lasts absolutely forever and the fever is a little worrisome. (Only a little because Stuart's never got above 104.)
Granted, if your child very small (the doctor didn't seem worried about three-year-old Daphne) or has breathing problems, then you have a bit more to concern you. But is it a replay of the flu epidemic of 1918, which took, among others, three of my great-grandmother's children? No. So ratchet down your general anxiety level. The warning signs seem easy to spot -- persistent fever and wheezing -- and we live in a time of blessings and antibiotics. Take a deep breath.
Um, and don't forget to pray for little Pip.
-- SJ
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Love, Sara
Dear Editor-in-Chief of Home Magazine's "Outdoor Living with Style":
Stop permitting your authors to use the adjectives "beautiful," "lovely," and "ideal." They make your pieces sound like a 19th century ladies' magazine, which I doubt is the image you're aiming for. Or so I judge from your picture on the back flap, in which your clothes are sophisticated, your smile knowing, and your eyes strong and assertive. Note that I didn't once call you beautiful or lovely; isn't that refreshing?
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Author of Home Magazine's "Outdoor Living with Style":
Does it bother you that you wrote this whole book and gathered all the photos, only to have the final published edition feature the editor's picture and bio on the back flap? Oh, wait, there's your bio, below hers. Good thing nobody cares what you look like, though.
Friendly tip: Don't send this woman a Christmas gift. She'll rewrap it and give it to her aunt.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Walter John Williams,
I complained before about your books. I'm going to complain some more. I wish you'd explain things better so your readers actually know what you're talking about. As it is, we have to recite the Reader's Creed: "I believe in the author, creator of this story; and I believe his plot will work and his story is going where he says it is, even if that is hidden from my eyes. Amen."
It's not that I wish I hadn't read your books. I just wish you'd written them better.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear English Language,
I hate you. I hate having to shatter my smiling daughter's illusions that "capris" start with K and "ginger" starts with J. And let's not even discuss words spelled with "IE" or "EI." Why must you be this way?
Yours, Sara.
***
Dear English Language,
Well, okay, sometimes you're not so bad. Like tonight when we were eating lasagna. We concluded that Darren's didn't have to be suspicious that I've included something nutritious and ambitious.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Flu, Lyme's disease, and Bell's Palsy,
Go away.
Sincerely, Sara.
Stop permitting your authors to use the adjectives "beautiful," "lovely," and "ideal." They make your pieces sound like a 19th century ladies' magazine, which I doubt is the image you're aiming for. Or so I judge from your picture on the back flap, in which your clothes are sophisticated, your smile knowing, and your eyes strong and assertive. Note that I didn't once call you beautiful or lovely; isn't that refreshing?
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Author of Home Magazine's "Outdoor Living with Style":
Does it bother you that you wrote this whole book and gathered all the photos, only to have the final published edition feature the editor's picture and bio on the back flap? Oh, wait, there's your bio, below hers. Good thing nobody cares what you look like, though.
Friendly tip: Don't send this woman a Christmas gift. She'll rewrap it and give it to her aunt.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Walter John Williams,
I complained before about your books. I'm going to complain some more. I wish you'd explain things better so your readers actually know what you're talking about. As it is, we have to recite the Reader's Creed: "I believe in the author, creator of this story; and I believe his plot will work and his story is going where he says it is, even if that is hidden from my eyes. Amen."
It's not that I wish I hadn't read your books. I just wish you'd written them better.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear English Language,
I hate you. I hate having to shatter my smiling daughter's illusions that "capris" start with K and "ginger" starts with J. And let's not even discuss words spelled with "IE" or "EI." Why must you be this way?
Yours, Sara.
***
Dear English Language,
Well, okay, sometimes you're not so bad. Like tonight when we were eating lasagna. We concluded that Darren's didn't have to be suspicious that I've included something nutritious and ambitious.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Flu, Lyme's disease, and Bell's Palsy,
Go away.
Sincerely, Sara.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Overheard at the Jones House
Doorbell rings.
"Addie, I think that's Brooke. Please tell her that we've got sickness in the house and can't play."
Addie: "Sorry, Brooke. We've got a flu invalid ["in-VALL-id"] so we can't come out."
***
Addie: "Oooh! I'm so tired!" [Collapses on the other end of the couch that Stuart has occupied for two days]
Darren: "I'm sorry. Do you think you'll live?"
Addie [being stoic and grown-up] "Yes. I'll be all right. Nobody's ever died of the flu!"
Darren and Sara: [Absolutely not touching that one.]
***
Daphne [all day long]: "I have a little tiny fever! I'm a little tiny sick! I need medicine! I have a tiny fever! I'm sick!"
Darren [5:00 pm]: "Daphne, you can't go outside today. You're sick."
Daphne: "I am NOT sick! I'm NOT SICK!"
***
I played a word game with Stuart and Addie tonight. We got it from Bookworm Adventures. The object is to guess the mystery word in five turns, with only the first letter provided. Stuart guessed my first word (HORSE) on his first turn. Addie had more trouble with DIMES, so I gently led her to the right conclusion, not wanting to flaunt my superior age and word skills.
Then they chose a word for me. Despite my best efforts, I went down in flames.
They'd chosen the word SIEGE.
-- SJ
"Addie, I think that's Brooke. Please tell her that we've got sickness in the house and can't play."
Addie: "Sorry, Brooke. We've got a flu invalid ["in-VALL-id"] so we can't come out."
***
Addie: "Oooh! I'm so tired!" [Collapses on the other end of the couch that Stuart has occupied for two days]
Darren: "I'm sorry. Do you think you'll live?"
Addie [being stoic and grown-up] "Yes. I'll be all right. Nobody's ever died of the flu!"
Darren and Sara: [Absolutely not touching that one.]
***
Daphne [all day long]: "I have a little tiny fever! I'm a little tiny sick! I need medicine! I have a tiny fever! I'm sick!"
Darren [5:00 pm]: "Daphne, you can't go outside today. You're sick."
Daphne: "I am NOT sick! I'm NOT SICK!"
***
I played a word game with Stuart and Addie tonight. We got it from Bookworm Adventures. The object is to guess the mystery word in five turns, with only the first letter provided. Stuart guessed my first word (HORSE) on his first turn. Addie had more trouble with DIMES, so I gently led her to the right conclusion, not wanting to flaunt my superior age and word skills.
Then they chose a word for me. Despite my best efforts, I went down in flames.
They'd chosen the word SIEGE.
-- SJ
Heed the Signs
Spotted by my sister while driving somewhere down home:
"YARD SELL"
"BOILED RAWFISH" (In their defense, the C fell off)
"BOILDED PEANUTS" (No defense, Your Honor)
Spotted by my mom:
NO SHIRT
NO SHOES
NO SWIMSUITS
NO SERVICE
"Darn! I forgot my swimsuit! I'll have to go somewhere else to get some pretzels and a Coke."
Spotted by me:
NO SHIRT
NO SHOES
NO SERVICE
NO PETS
I went into the store fully dressed and came out with a guinea pig!
(I collect bad signs like I do names. If you come across any particularly good bad signs, send me word.)
-- SJ
"YARD SELL"
"BOILED RAWFISH" (In their defense, the C fell off)
"BOILDED PEANUTS" (No defense, Your Honor)
Spotted by my mom:
NO SHIRT
NO SHOES
NO SWIMSUITS
NO SERVICE
"Darn! I forgot my swimsuit! I'll have to go somewhere else to get some pretzels and a Coke."
Spotted by me:
NO SHIRT
NO SHOES
NO SERVICE
NO PETS
I went into the store fully dressed and came out with a guinea pig!
(I collect bad signs like I do names. If you come across any particularly good bad signs, send me word.)
-- SJ
Friday, October 16, 2009
7 Quick Takes for October 16
For the Seven Quick Takes roundup.
1. A giant has passed. On Monday, Chris Klicka, the longest-serving attorney at home school legal Defense Association, passed away in Colorado after a 15 year battle with multiple sclerosis. I will miss him. I worked for him briefly nine years ago before I moved to the litigation department, and his passion for encouraging Christian parents to disciple their children was truly amazing. Of the tributes that I saw on the web, I think I liked this one best. "The era of Chris Klicka" - I like that.
2. Thanks to the generosity of the Morgan family on my birthday, I actually bought a brand-new hardcover book this week. This is rare for me; most of my books are paperbacks that I have picked up second (or third or fourth) hand at library book sales. The book is Prospero Lost by L. Jagi Lamplighter, the wife of one of my favorite bloggers, John C. Wright. I am thoroughly enjoying it -- I like the interaction between old mythology and modern technology.
3. When I was single and living at the Hall house, I was a regular at local high school volleyball games. In fact, when I went away for two months to study for the bar exam, the local volleyball team gave me a signed program saying that they would miss my cheering. (I would usually come home from a game with my throat hoarse.) In the last month, I have gotten to go to two local games, and I have brought Addie with me. It's great fun to hear her cheering loudly for the team, especially when we sit over in the visitor section and cheer for the home team.
4. This week at our homeschool co-op, the military history class I teach was on two battles that I entitled "The Defense of Christendom” -- the Battle of Tours in 732 and the Siege of Vienna in 1683. I am really having fun teaching this class. The boys are very good at asking questions and coming up with interesting solutions to the battles. Next week, we discuss Henry V at Agincourt and Joan of Arc at Orleans. I'm going to show them a clip from Kenneth Branagh's Henry V to show them what a cavalry charge looks like from the perspective of the poor infantry waiting to receive it. I first saw Henry V in a homeschool class that I had in high school, and it's still one of my favorite movies.
5. I always enjoy Gene Veith's blog posts, and I really liked the one he did today about a book burning of Bibles scheduled for Halloween - but done by a Baptist church in North Carolina! I remember running into a King-James-version-only advocate at a homeschool conference a few years ago, and it was a rather unnerving experience, since he was so intense and single-focused. With all the problems and issues of modern Christianity, I just can't get too excited about the alleged perils of the NIV.
6. When I was a senior in law school at Oak Brook, my senior paper was on the International Criminal Court, which didn't actually exist yet, since the Rome Treaty had not been ratified by enough countries. The conclusion of my paper: “It is obvious that the purpose behind the International Criminal Court is valid. Too many dictators and strongmen in the world today are not subject to any prosecution for crimes which are decried by all civilized humans. There is truly a gap in jurisdiction. Under natural law and revealed law, their actions are sinful and should be punished by the civil authorities.
But such a complex problem is not susceptible to easy solutions. The current Statute, while well-intentioned, is an attempted 'quick fix.' The serious attack on sovereignty and the lack of protection for criminal defendants show that the Statute is too problematic to fully address the problem.”
Now that the ICC is actually in existence, I have been in favor of many of its actions. However, it will be interesting to see whether the Court actually decides to get involved in the Israeli -- Palestinian conflict, should the UN Security Council determined that either Israel or Hamas has not sufficiently reviewed their actions in the recent Gaza war. After all, we know that this is a "classic blunder."
7. Last night on NPR, I heard about book that I think could be fascinating. It's called "Buy Ketchup in May, Fly at Noon." It's a book on the best time to do everything. Sounds like it's chock-full of great little trivia. Just my kind of book.
Have a great weekend!
--DJ
1. A giant has passed. On Monday, Chris Klicka, the longest-serving attorney at home school legal Defense Association, passed away in Colorado after a 15 year battle with multiple sclerosis. I will miss him. I worked for him briefly nine years ago before I moved to the litigation department, and his passion for encouraging Christian parents to disciple their children was truly amazing. Of the tributes that I saw on the web, I think I liked this one best. "The era of Chris Klicka" - I like that.
2. Thanks to the generosity of the Morgan family on my birthday, I actually bought a brand-new hardcover book this week. This is rare for me; most of my books are paperbacks that I have picked up second (or third or fourth) hand at library book sales. The book is Prospero Lost by L. Jagi Lamplighter, the wife of one of my favorite bloggers, John C. Wright. I am thoroughly enjoying it -- I like the interaction between old mythology and modern technology.
3. When I was single and living at the Hall house, I was a regular at local high school volleyball games. In fact, when I went away for two months to study for the bar exam, the local volleyball team gave me a signed program saying that they would miss my cheering. (I would usually come home from a game with my throat hoarse.) In the last month, I have gotten to go to two local games, and I have brought Addie with me. It's great fun to hear her cheering loudly for the team, especially when we sit over in the visitor section and cheer for the home team.
4. This week at our homeschool co-op, the military history class I teach was on two battles that I entitled "The Defense of Christendom” -- the Battle of Tours in 732 and the Siege of Vienna in 1683. I am really having fun teaching this class. The boys are very good at asking questions and coming up with interesting solutions to the battles. Next week, we discuss Henry V at Agincourt and Joan of Arc at Orleans. I'm going to show them a clip from Kenneth Branagh's Henry V to show them what a cavalry charge looks like from the perspective of the poor infantry waiting to receive it. I first saw Henry V in a homeschool class that I had in high school, and it's still one of my favorite movies.
5. I always enjoy Gene Veith's blog posts, and I really liked the one he did today about a book burning of Bibles scheduled for Halloween - but done by a Baptist church in North Carolina! I remember running into a King-James-version-only advocate at a homeschool conference a few years ago, and it was a rather unnerving experience, since he was so intense and single-focused. With all the problems and issues of modern Christianity, I just can't get too excited about the alleged perils of the NIV.
6. When I was a senior in law school at Oak Brook, my senior paper was on the International Criminal Court, which didn't actually exist yet, since the Rome Treaty had not been ratified by enough countries. The conclusion of my paper: “It is obvious that the purpose behind the International Criminal Court is valid. Too many dictators and strongmen in the world today are not subject to any prosecution for crimes which are decried by all civilized humans. There is truly a gap in jurisdiction. Under natural law and revealed law, their actions are sinful and should be punished by the civil authorities.
But such a complex problem is not susceptible to easy solutions. The current Statute, while well-intentioned, is an attempted 'quick fix.' The serious attack on sovereignty and the lack of protection for criminal defendants show that the Statute is too problematic to fully address the problem.”
Now that the ICC is actually in existence, I have been in favor of many of its actions. However, it will be interesting to see whether the Court actually decides to get involved in the Israeli -- Palestinian conflict, should the UN Security Council determined that either Israel or Hamas has not sufficiently reviewed their actions in the recent Gaza war. After all, we know that this is a "classic blunder."
7. Last night on NPR, I heard about book that I think could be fascinating. It's called "Buy Ketchup in May, Fly at Noon." It's a book on the best time to do everything. Sounds like it's chock-full of great little trivia. Just my kind of book.
Have a great weekend!
--DJ
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Jones News Updates
<-------------- This little sidebar keeps a running update of new posts on Addie's and Stuart's blog. I think a couple of the posts are pretty funny. Okay, actually, I think it's all pretty cute, but you don't have to agree with me. But you should check it out just to make sure you don't agree.
-- SJ
-- SJ
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Private Diary of Bella Swan
I can't very well apologize to Twilight fans for writing this because I'm not sorry. But I do understand if you don't think it's as funny as I do.
***
Dear Diary,
Well, I did it. I knew that since my mom, Renee, got remarried, she wouldn't have time to pay enough attention to me. So I gave her space by moving out, not that she appreciated this noble action on my part. So anyway, I've moved in with my dad up here in Forks. Yeah, my dad -- the honest small-town sheriff who's still loyally in love with my mom who left him years ago, who graciously agreed to rearrange his whole life so I could come live with him for no good reason. I show my gratitude to him by referring to him by his first name and thinking he's a schmuck.
So I start school, and it's awful, of course. What can you expect from people who live in a town called "Forks"? In fact, "Forks" just sounds so provincial and comically stupid that me and Steph (my author) like mentioning it anytime we need to emphasize how hard I've got it here.
I get to class, and wouldn't you know it, some kids are friendly to me? Can't they see that I'm lonely and feel awkward? I sit with them at lunch, but man I've got it so hard! What a lonely, friendless world for poor Bella!
Dear Diary,
One reason my life is so hard is that Steph (my author) wrote in her character-outline of me that I'm clumsy. So she's always inserting examples of my clumsiness. They usually have no bearing on the actual story, so it just makes my miserable life even worse to have to endure random acts of clumsiness.
Dear Diary,
I saw him today. OMG, I saw him! It's him! HIM! He's so hot! So handsome! His hair! His eyes! And -- oh diary, the bliss -- HE OBVIOUSLY HATES ME! What more could I dream of???!!!1!!!
Dear Diary,
It's been a while since I wrote. That's because I don't have time for diaries anymore. I really don't have time for anything now except His Mr. Hotness, Edward! This is it, diary, the real thing. Love. I love him so passionately that I don't even care that he's undead! THAT'S how real and passionate this love is! And he loves me! Passionately! Also he wants to kill me and drink my blood, but I know he never will because our love is so real. And passionate.
So everything else in Forks is pretty stupid still, but me and Edward, we're so cool. Also I met this guy named Jacob. He's cool, too. He's got this secret that won't be revealed until Book 2, so it's just too bad for all the readers who figure it out by the middle of Book 1.
Dear Diary,
Oh, yeah, and there are these mean vampires after me, so I just run around and do stupid things until Edward saves me. But mostly what life is about is me and Edward being so cool. And passionate. Also, Edward is hot! Fascinating! His skin! His lips! His eyes!
Also what I love about Edward is that we have so much in common! I mean, he's like a hundred years old -- really -- but it's not like he's got all these sophisticated grown-up opinions and stuff. I mean, he could have spent a hundred years learning other cultures and studying other languages and stuff, but instead he hangs around American high schools and his only observation about music is that the 1970s had some good stuff. I can totally relate to him! How I wish we could be 17 together forever!
Dear Diary,
Me and Edward have had to part. And since we aren't boring stupid practical adults who would try to weather this separation by writing or calling -- no, we're WAY MORE PASSIONATE that that -- he's just vanished! I'm going catatonic for about four months so won't be writing for a while.
Dear Diary,
Well here I am back again. Can you believe these stupid Forks people let me hang around them like a zombie all this time? As if I WANT to be with them! And Charlie, my dad, the schmuck, is all worried that I don't have a life but what does he know about DESTINED LOVE AND SEARING LOSS?!?
Two good things, though: one is Jacob, who's pretty cool and gives me something to do other than angst over Edward. The other good thing is that I found out I can hear Edward's voice if I do stupid things like skydiving off cliffs. So that's what I do. I can just hear the schmucky adults saying, "Wouldn't a cell phone be safer?" Whatever. My life isn't about safety, it's about love.
Dear Diary,
I've learned Jacob's big secret, and how he's a mortal enemy of Edward's and all. Serious bummer. But Edward's back in the picture (okay, how was I supposed to know he'd be back?) and that pretty much eclipses everything else. His lips! His skin! His hair! His EYES! And he's so tender but strong and refuses to have sex with me, which I think is SO NOBLE and don't AT ALL question the ability of an undead being to have sex.
Dear Diary,
I can't tell this to anybody. Not even Edward. It's the darkest secret I've ever had. But I have to write it down. Diary, the fact is, I actually prefer Jacob. To put it bluntly, I love him best. But Steph (my author) is obsessed with Edward, so I'm stuck with him.
In fact, it depresses me so much that Steph lives vicariously through me that there's really not much point in continuing this story. Suffice to say that Edward and I continue our improbable relationship, which results in an impossible child, whom we name an unforgivable name, and we all live angstily, passionately, eternally ever after.
Bummer.
***
-- SJ
***
Dear Diary,
Well, I did it. I knew that since my mom, Renee, got remarried, she wouldn't have time to pay enough attention to me. So I gave her space by moving out, not that she appreciated this noble action on my part. So anyway, I've moved in with my dad up here in Forks. Yeah, my dad -- the honest small-town sheriff who's still loyally in love with my mom who left him years ago, who graciously agreed to rearrange his whole life so I could come live with him for no good reason. I show my gratitude to him by referring to him by his first name and thinking he's a schmuck.
So I start school, and it's awful, of course. What can you expect from people who live in a town called "Forks"? In fact, "Forks" just sounds so provincial and comically stupid that me and Steph (my author) like mentioning it anytime we need to emphasize how hard I've got it here.
I get to class, and wouldn't you know it, some kids are friendly to me? Can't they see that I'm lonely and feel awkward? I sit with them at lunch, but man I've got it so hard! What a lonely, friendless world for poor Bella!
Dear Diary,
One reason my life is so hard is that Steph (my author) wrote in her character-outline of me that I'm clumsy. So she's always inserting examples of my clumsiness. They usually have no bearing on the actual story, so it just makes my miserable life even worse to have to endure random acts of clumsiness.
Dear Diary,
I saw him today. OMG, I saw him! It's him! HIM! He's so hot! So handsome! His hair! His eyes! And -- oh diary, the bliss -- HE OBVIOUSLY HATES ME! What more could I dream of???!!!1!!!
Dear Diary,
It's been a while since I wrote. That's because I don't have time for diaries anymore. I really don't have time for anything now except His Mr. Hotness, Edward! This is it, diary, the real thing. Love. I love him so passionately that I don't even care that he's undead! THAT'S how real and passionate this love is! And he loves me! Passionately! Also he wants to kill me and drink my blood, but I know he never will because our love is so real. And passionate.
So everything else in Forks is pretty stupid still, but me and Edward, we're so cool. Also I met this guy named Jacob. He's cool, too. He's got this secret that won't be revealed until Book 2, so it's just too bad for all the readers who figure it out by the middle of Book 1.
Dear Diary,
Oh, yeah, and there are these mean vampires after me, so I just run around and do stupid things until Edward saves me. But mostly what life is about is me and Edward being so cool. And passionate. Also, Edward is hot! Fascinating! His skin! His lips! His eyes!
Also what I love about Edward is that we have so much in common! I mean, he's like a hundred years old -- really -- but it's not like he's got all these sophisticated grown-up opinions and stuff. I mean, he could have spent a hundred years learning other cultures and studying other languages and stuff, but instead he hangs around American high schools and his only observation about music is that the 1970s had some good stuff. I can totally relate to him! How I wish we could be 17 together forever!
Dear Diary,
Me and Edward have had to part. And since we aren't boring stupid practical adults who would try to weather this separation by writing or calling -- no, we're WAY MORE PASSIONATE that that -- he's just vanished! I'm going catatonic for about four months so won't be writing for a while.
Dear Diary,
Well here I am back again. Can you believe these stupid Forks people let me hang around them like a zombie all this time? As if I WANT to be with them! And Charlie, my dad, the schmuck, is all worried that I don't have a life but what does he know about DESTINED LOVE AND SEARING LOSS?!?
Two good things, though: one is Jacob, who's pretty cool and gives me something to do other than angst over Edward. The other good thing is that I found out I can hear Edward's voice if I do stupid things like skydiving off cliffs. So that's what I do. I can just hear the schmucky adults saying, "Wouldn't a cell phone be safer?" Whatever. My life isn't about safety, it's about love.
Dear Diary,
I've learned Jacob's big secret, and how he's a mortal enemy of Edward's and all. Serious bummer. But Edward's back in the picture (okay, how was I supposed to know he'd be back?) and that pretty much eclipses everything else. His lips! His skin! His hair! His EYES! And he's so tender but strong and refuses to have sex with me, which I think is SO NOBLE and don't AT ALL question the ability of an undead being to have sex.
Dear Diary,
I can't tell this to anybody. Not even Edward. It's the darkest secret I've ever had. But I have to write it down. Diary, the fact is, I actually prefer Jacob. To put it bluntly, I love him best. But Steph (my author) is obsessed with Edward, so I'm stuck with him.
In fact, it depresses me so much that Steph lives vicariously through me that there's really not much point in continuing this story. Suffice to say that Edward and I continue our improbable relationship, which results in an impossible child, whom we name an unforgivable name, and we all live angstily, passionately, eternally ever after.
Bummer.
***
-- SJ
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Bullseye!
Ha, pun not intended, seeing as there never was a bullseye rash that we ever saw. Nevertheless, Addie's initial lab reports came back "strongly positive" for Lyme disease, hence the Bell's Palsy that's still part of Addie's life.
Fortunately the doctors put her on amoxicillin immediately, so another twelve days of that should take care of the Lyme. We just have to wait for the palsy to disappear on its own.
We got as far as saying, "The doctor called and said you do have Lyme disease," before Addie burst into tears, wailing about solitary confinement, presumably to keep from setting off an epidemic that would destroy all human life on our planet. We settled back with our books and said, "When you're done mourning, we'll finish what we have to say." Eventually, she allowed herself to be comforted by the news that the antibiotic would fight off the disease, and also that she wasn't contagious. But when Stuart added that the disease was inside her body, she threw herself on the couch and wailed again.
Rejoice with Addie, for not only is she sick, but she's got a DISEASE inside her body!
And rejoice with us that we've got a cause and that the solution seems very straightforward.
-- SJ
Fortunately the doctors put her on amoxicillin immediately, so another twelve days of that should take care of the Lyme. We just have to wait for the palsy to disappear on its own.
We got as far as saying, "The doctor called and said you do have Lyme disease," before Addie burst into tears, wailing about solitary confinement, presumably to keep from setting off an epidemic that would destroy all human life on our planet. We settled back with our books and said, "When you're done mourning, we'll finish what we have to say." Eventually, she allowed herself to be comforted by the news that the antibiotic would fight off the disease, and also that she wasn't contagious. But when Stuart added that the disease was inside her body, she threw herself on the couch and wailed again.
Rejoice with Addie, for not only is she sick, but she's got a DISEASE inside her body!
And rejoice with us that we've got a cause and that the solution seems very straightforward.
-- SJ
Monday, October 12, 2009
First Love
Darren and I got some time alone today. Free from constant interruptions, Darren asked me kind of a deep question. It was:
"Do you remember your first crush?"
Oh, wait. What he asked was, "Do you remember which movie star was your first crush?" Which was more suited to Dairy Queen Blizzards anyway.
My first celebrity love wasn't even a person. He was a fox. Robin Hood was handsome, dashing, romantic, funny... ahh. Everything a girl wanted in a hero. I loved Robin Hood.
(Not Errol Flynn. Certainly not Kevin Costner.)
Darren's first crush was Elizabeth Shue from Karate Kid. He was in good company: I recall that my older sister had posters of Ralph Macchio on her wall.
So, assuming you were eating Dairy Queen Blizzards with us, what would you answer? Who was your first celebrity crush?
-- SJ
"Do you remember your first crush?"
Oh, wait. What he asked was, "Do you remember which movie star was your first crush?" Which was more suited to Dairy Queen Blizzards anyway.
My first celebrity love wasn't even a person. He was a fox. Robin Hood was handsome, dashing, romantic, funny... ahh. Everything a girl wanted in a hero. I loved Robin Hood.
(Not Errol Flynn. Certainly not Kevin Costner.)
Darren's first crush was Elizabeth Shue from Karate Kid. He was in good company: I recall that my older sister had posters of Ralph Macchio on her wall.
So, assuming you were eating Dairy Queen Blizzards with us, what would you answer? Who was your first celebrity crush?
-- SJ
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Twenty-Five by Forty - An Update
Last year I posted a list of 25 goals that I wanted to accomplish by the time I'm 40. So, after a year, here's an update:
1. Read Dante’s Divine Comedy - not yet. I hope to start this one during the coming winter. Long winter evenings are good times to read!
2. Start learning Spanish - I tried doing this one by getting some materials out of the library, but ran into the same problem I found when I tried doing Latin II my first year of homeschooling - I need a teacher. I hope to do this one at my local community college in the next few years.
3. Take piano lessons for a year - no time, since I started taking Tae Kwan Do in the spring.
4. Learn how to bake bread from scratch - no, but I've gotten pretty proficient with the breadmaker :)
5. Go to a play - Yes! Sara and I went to see a presentation of "The Christmas Carol" at the local theater. I loved it! I so enjoy plays. Hopefully I'll get to see a presentation of "Pilgrim's Progress" in a month or so - my pastor's daughter is playing one of the characters.
6. Take kids to Disney World - no, but since our good friends the Shaws got back and gave tips on it, we've been thinking this one is actually doable. It may not happen in the next 4 years, though, because Phillip probably won't be old enough.
7. Memorize the seven penitential Psalms - done one (Psalm 6) and have started on another.
8. Witness to a non-Christian - no.
9. Make a deep friend - not a new one, but I've gotten back in touch with a number of people who I hadn't seen since the meltdown/explosion in our denomination a few years ago, and I'm scheduled to have supper with a couple of them who I was very close to, next month.
10. Take a retreat at Holy Cross Monastery - not yet. I need to see how Phillip mixes into the family routine before I try taking off for a day or two.
11. Read through the entire Bible in a year - started on October 1.
12. Read Sienkiewicz’s Polish trilogy - not yet, but I did read his "Teutonic Knights" and thoroughly enjoyed it again.
13. Write a good poem - babies and poetic inspiration don't mix in my world.
14. Teach a class on Church history - not yet, but I am getting to teach a class on Great Battles to the upper elementary class in our homeschool co-op. So far, we've done Ai, Thermopylae and Salamis, and Cannae and Zama. Next week is the Defense of Christendom - Tours and Vienna.
15. Go away for a weekend with Sara - we actually got away for a wonderful, fantastic, fabulous Friday and Saturday around Christmas, when our parents were here. Hurray!
16. Memorize the Lord’s Prayer and Apostles’ Creed in Latin - have started, but not completed yet.
17. Go to a performance of Durufle’s Requiem - no.
18. Get to a weight of 190 pounds - Hah.
19. Drive a PT cruiser - Yes! When Sara and I went out (see #15), we rented a Cruiser. It was okay, but I'm actually quite satisfied with my old Honda Civic.
20. Ride in a limousine - no.
21. Have 6 months worth of pay in savings account - Not. But the bank account is Much Healthier since Sara took over the budgeting in the spring. She's really good at it, and we're making progress in this direction.
22. Buy a nice fedora - no. And actually had to throw away the leather jacket that I'd worn for 9 years, because it was getting too many rips in it.
23. Learn to play guitar - I've started. It's hard work.
24. Get article published in Touchstone - no, and not a whole lot of inspiration for one. At least, not this late at night :)
25. Buy a good big seascape - no, but we have a beautiful painting of Harper's Ferry that we bought from a local artist for our anniversary. We love it!
And that's it. I am really looking forward to what the next 4 years bring!
--DAJ (I'm going to start putting all my initials now, because by the time I hit 40, DMJ is going to be blogging too, judging by her siblings' efforts)
1. Read Dante’s Divine Comedy - not yet. I hope to start this one during the coming winter. Long winter evenings are good times to read!
2. Start learning Spanish - I tried doing this one by getting some materials out of the library, but ran into the same problem I found when I tried doing Latin II my first year of homeschooling - I need a teacher. I hope to do this one at my local community college in the next few years.
3. Take piano lessons for a year - no time, since I started taking Tae Kwan Do in the spring.
4. Learn how to bake bread from scratch - no, but I've gotten pretty proficient with the breadmaker :)
5. Go to a play - Yes! Sara and I went to see a presentation of "The Christmas Carol" at the local theater. I loved it! I so enjoy plays. Hopefully I'll get to see a presentation of "Pilgrim's Progress" in a month or so - my pastor's daughter is playing one of the characters.
6. Take kids to Disney World - no, but since our good friends the Shaws got back and gave tips on it, we've been thinking this one is actually doable. It may not happen in the next 4 years, though, because Phillip probably won't be old enough.
7. Memorize the seven penitential Psalms - done one (Psalm 6) and have started on another.
8. Witness to a non-Christian - no.
9. Make a deep friend - not a new one, but I've gotten back in touch with a number of people who I hadn't seen since the meltdown/explosion in our denomination a few years ago, and I'm scheduled to have supper with a couple of them who I was very close to, next month.
10. Take a retreat at Holy Cross Monastery - not yet. I need to see how Phillip mixes into the family routine before I try taking off for a day or two.
11. Read through the entire Bible in a year - started on October 1.
12. Read Sienkiewicz’s Polish trilogy - not yet, but I did read his "Teutonic Knights" and thoroughly enjoyed it again.
13. Write a good poem - babies and poetic inspiration don't mix in my world.
14. Teach a class on Church history - not yet, but I am getting to teach a class on Great Battles to the upper elementary class in our homeschool co-op. So far, we've done Ai, Thermopylae and Salamis, and Cannae and Zama. Next week is the Defense of Christendom - Tours and Vienna.
15. Go away for a weekend with Sara - we actually got away for a wonderful, fantastic, fabulous Friday and Saturday around Christmas, when our parents were here. Hurray!
16. Memorize the Lord’s Prayer and Apostles’ Creed in Latin - have started, but not completed yet.
17. Go to a performance of Durufle’s Requiem - no.
18. Get to a weight of 190 pounds - Hah.
19. Drive a PT cruiser - Yes! When Sara and I went out (see #15), we rented a Cruiser. It was okay, but I'm actually quite satisfied with my old Honda Civic.
20. Ride in a limousine - no.
21. Have 6 months worth of pay in savings account - Not. But the bank account is Much Healthier since Sara took over the budgeting in the spring. She's really good at it, and we're making progress in this direction.
22. Buy a nice fedora - no. And actually had to throw away the leather jacket that I'd worn for 9 years, because it was getting too many rips in it.
23. Learn to play guitar - I've started. It's hard work.
24. Get article published in Touchstone - no, and not a whole lot of inspiration for one. At least, not this late at night :)
25. Buy a good big seascape - no, but we have a beautiful painting of Harper's Ferry that we bought from a local artist for our anniversary. We love it!
And that's it. I am really looking forward to what the next 4 years bring!
--DAJ (I'm going to start putting all my initials now, because by the time I hit 40, DMJ is going to be blogging too, judging by her siblings' efforts)
Pretty Special Day
So I need to come up with a post for today.
It's Darren's birthday, which I suppose is pretty special. His parents think so, anyway. They're always going on about how he's such a good son and all, the way he calls them every Sunday and is always, never fails, available when they need help or advice. So, yeah, they think today's pretty special.
Well, okay, his kids think so, too. They're all crazy about him anyway, the way he plays with them and treats them with respect and answers their questions and rarely raises his voice at them. Pretty much they can't get enough of him. So a birthday of his is a big deal to them.
Actually, he's got a brother and a sister and lots of friends who've got this idea that he's pretty cool. They say he's easy to talk to and a good conversationalist and good at keeping in touch. They think today's all special because of him, too.
I guess I should just come out and say that I think today's pretty sparkly special, too. Thirty-six years ago was the beginning of a fairy-tale story -- the one that ends with me being happily ever after married to a man who fills my life with love and laughter (and the occasional opportunity to build character).
Yeah, today's a special day. I admit it. Happy birthday to Darren! Lots of people love you, but I love you best!
-- SJ
It's Darren's birthday, which I suppose is pretty special. His parents think so, anyway. They're always going on about how he's such a good son and all, the way he calls them every Sunday and is always, never fails, available when they need help or advice. So, yeah, they think today's pretty special.
Well, okay, his kids think so, too. They're all crazy about him anyway, the way he plays with them and treats them with respect and answers their questions and rarely raises his voice at them. Pretty much they can't get enough of him. So a birthday of his is a big deal to them.
Actually, he's got a brother and a sister and lots of friends who've got this idea that he's pretty cool. They say he's easy to talk to and a good conversationalist and good at keeping in touch. They think today's all special because of him, too.
I guess I should just come out and say that I think today's pretty sparkly special, too. Thirty-six years ago was the beginning of a fairy-tale story -- the one that ends with me being happily ever after married to a man who fills my life with love and laughter (and the occasional opportunity to build character).
Yeah, today's a special day. I admit it. Happy birthday to Darren! Lots of people love you, but I love you best!
-- SJ
Friday, October 09, 2009
The Jones News
Stuart said he wanted to do a newspaper about our daily life. He also said he wanted to sell it and make lots of money. Not sure what I can do about the latter, but I did set up a blog to satisfy his reporting urge.
The Jones News
Take a look, if you've got a minute. It won't take long -- he may have grand ambitions, but it takes too much time to type them all out.
-- SJ
The Jones News
Take a look, if you've got a minute. It won't take long -- he may have grand ambitions, but it takes too much time to type them all out.
-- SJ
Seven Quick Takes Friday, October 10
Even if Conversion Diary isn't doing seven quick takes today, I thought I would.
1. For I think the first time in my life, I agree passionately with a stand that the National Organization for Women has taken. Except I’d go farther. Dave should be fired. Think about it. If a boss exhibited this type of behavior in any workplace that I have worked, he would be out so fast there would be skidmarks.
2. Now here is an interesting twist. Usually when I read stories about a noncustodial parent taking kids and fleeing to a foreign country, which then enforces its laws to deny access to the other spouse, it's the father who did the taking and fleeing. However, in this case, apparently Japan has a reputation for only allowing the mother to have custody, and even refusing to let the foreign ex-husbands visit the children.
3. Go Red Sox!
4. Good move, Miley. Maybe you can set a good example for millions of people who should do the same thing.
5. Question: “Will sequel equal original 'Phantom of the Opera' for Andrew Lloyd Webber?” Hmmm. Coney Island instead of Paris? Opening a year late? Answer: Nope. Not a chance.
6. I have been reading a book entitled The Deacon Reader recently. It's an excellent book, tracing the renewal of the Catholic diaconate after Vatican II. However, I picked it up to read last night before bed, and ran across this sentence: “In any virtue ethic, a person's character is formed by aligning one's actions with the moral truth so as to reflect one's inherent human dignity.” Which, as I told Sara, I agree with -- but it's a little too much to take at 10 o'clock at night. So I went and watched a movie instead.
7. This is a very odd story. Reminds me of the Helen MacInnes books I used to love reading in high school. Oh, who am I kidding? I still love to read them. The Cold War just made for better spy stories.
--DJ
1. For I think the first time in my life, I agree passionately with a stand that the National Organization for Women has taken. Except I’d go farther. Dave should be fired. Think about it. If a boss exhibited this type of behavior in any workplace that I have worked, he would be out so fast there would be skidmarks.
2. Now here is an interesting twist. Usually when I read stories about a noncustodial parent taking kids and fleeing to a foreign country, which then enforces its laws to deny access to the other spouse, it's the father who did the taking and fleeing. However, in this case, apparently Japan has a reputation for only allowing the mother to have custody, and even refusing to let the foreign ex-husbands visit the children.
3. Go Red Sox!
4. Good move, Miley. Maybe you can set a good example for millions of people who should do the same thing.
5. Question: “Will sequel equal original 'Phantom of the Opera' for Andrew Lloyd Webber?” Hmmm. Coney Island instead of Paris? Opening a year late? Answer: Nope. Not a chance.
6. I have been reading a book entitled The Deacon Reader recently. It's an excellent book, tracing the renewal of the Catholic diaconate after Vatican II. However, I picked it up to read last night before bed, and ran across this sentence: “In any virtue ethic, a person's character is formed by aligning one's actions with the moral truth so as to reflect one's inherent human dignity.” Which, as I told Sara, I agree with -- but it's a little too much to take at 10 o'clock at night. So I went and watched a movie instead.
7. This is a very odd story. Reminds me of the Helen MacInnes books I used to love reading in high school. Oh, who am I kidding? I still love to read them. The Cold War just made for better spy stories.
--DJ
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Mostly for the Grandparents
I unearthed a couple of charming pictures of Phillip, who is currently going by the names Phillipy Dillipy, Pip, and Pipper.
And, Mom, here we are reading one of your essays together (printed on repurposed paper, in case you're wondering if I read music in my spare time).
-- SJ
And, Mom, here we are reading one of your essays together (printed on repurposed paper, in case you're wondering if I read music in my spare time).
-- SJ
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Double Score!
So what we thought was Addie's sinus infection turns out to be "Bell's Palsy," a nerve infection following a viral infection. "Did she have a fever?" the nurse asked. "Well, yes," Darren said. "A low-grade one yesterday." And she complained of a headache a few times this week, but nothing that interfered with her normal function. Mostly all we noticed was that she fell asleep early two nights in a row.
Addie's an interesting study in contrasts. She's melodramatic and overstates any sort of cold or sickness (such as her painful disease). As far as actual pain is concerned, however, she has a surprisingly high tolerance level. This, folks, is the same child who was hospitalized as a baby because she was dehydrated. And why wasn't she eating? Because the long-running UTI she'd been suffering from, possibly for weeks, finally got to her enough for her to indicate she was hurting. Where Addie is concerned, we take complaints of pain seriously. Reports of deathly sickness, on the other hand, we usually ignore.
So, anyway, a round of steroids and antibiotics should keep the Bell's Palsy under control until it clears up... in two or three weeks, oh dear. She's getting tested for Lyme's just in case. Evidently it's not too serious but it's rather unsettling.
You may rest assured that Addie's going to milk this for all it's worth.
-- SJ
Addie's an interesting study in contrasts. She's melodramatic and overstates any sort of cold or sickness (such as her painful disease). As far as actual pain is concerned, however, she has a surprisingly high tolerance level. This, folks, is the same child who was hospitalized as a baby because she was dehydrated. And why wasn't she eating? Because the long-running UTI she'd been suffering from, possibly for weeks, finally got to her enough for her to indicate she was hurting. Where Addie is concerned, we take complaints of pain seriously. Reports of deathly sickness, on the other hand, we usually ignore.
So, anyway, a round of steroids and antibiotics should keep the Bell's Palsy under control until it clears up... in two or three weeks, oh dear. She's getting tested for Lyme's just in case. Evidently it's not too serious but it's rather unsettling.
You may rest assured that Addie's going to milk this for all it's worth.
-- SJ
I Win
Addie woke up this morning with what we assume is a sinus infection: the left half of her face is slightly, but noticeably, swollen.
"I have a sinus infection!" she wailed.
Not to be outdone, Daphne pointed to her skinned knee and said, "I have a knee ache."
Stuart said, "Well, I have a cold sore, and that hurts the most."
Phillip (via Daddy) piped up: "Well, guys, mine is worst of all. Because last night I got PUT DOWN."
Yup, it's pretty grim around here this morning. Rejoice with Addie, though: normally of an iron constitution, she is mournfully, tragically delighted to be sick.
-- SJ
"I have a sinus infection!" she wailed.
Not to be outdone, Daphne pointed to her skinned knee and said, "I have a knee ache."
Stuart said, "Well, I have a cold sore, and that hurts the most."
Phillip (via Daddy) piped up: "Well, guys, mine is worst of all. Because last night I got PUT DOWN."
Yup, it's pretty grim around here this morning. Rejoice with Addie, though: normally of an iron constitution, she is mournfully, tragically delighted to be sick.
-- SJ
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Saturday Evening Blog Post
Had fun picking out a post for this month's Saturday Evening Blog Post. Join in! Or don't, fine, be that way, but don't come crying to me that you don't have any friends.
-- SJ
-- SJ
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