I don't really have a standard to compare my mental status with, now do I?

Hiya, gang! I'm checking in to let you know that I've NOT forgotten you! No, not even a little bit! The nice dr. that I saw a couple of days ago tells me that on the 20th of last month (March, if you're keeping track), I had a kind of a stroke. "TIA" I think is what they call it. ("TAI"?) What this means to you, dear reader, is that I've not been able to get enough function back in my left hand (YET) to be able to justify the time it takes to type a little. After 3 weeks, though, other than typing, I've gotten most of the use of it back. If I'm verrrry careful and go verry slowly, I can even write again. (VERRRRY) It took about a week to be able to wash my own hair, about 2 weeks to tie my shoes, and now it's all pretty good except for the fine motor stuff. Doc says it's good that I've begun taking fish oil (for Brain repair), and, being me, I'm thinking I probly shoulda been gulping those suckers down a LONG time ago. lol
Anyway, I did the speech-to-text tutorial this morning on the laptop, and I'm hoping to be able to start blogging again on a semi-regular basis, soon.
I have a whole new understanding of why old people are SO FREAKIN' SLOW!! Jeez. I guess I was due for another couple of  lessons in patience & acceptance.
So, that's the latest. As usual, my Big Guy has been my rock and a big helper ;) through out. (Only lost a FEW chunks of hair when he helped me wash it! lol) I'm pretty sure I'm not a great patient, and I appreciate him more every day.
Oh, and it's worth mentioning that the good Dr. said I need to quit the b.c. pills now, and start taking aspirin on a regular basis. Not so sure the un-hormonally-balanced me is gonna be very good for ANY of us, but....we'll see. I'm taking orders from my superiors, today.
Here's a thought for you, just in case you're curious about how things are, in a little more detail, in Wonderland: The next time you're in the bathroom, try wiping with your OTHER hand. Not feeling that brave? Ok, then just brush your teeth with the "wrong" hand. Yeah, fun, huh? So, it's been a challenge, but nothing God's not been right beside me, for the whole ordeal. THANK God for a sense of humor. : D
Love and clumsy hugs

You may be right. I may be crazy. But...bite me.

I found this recently, and I knew I'D want to read it again at some point. 

 I thought you  might want to, too. 

54 UNIQUE BENEFITS OF HOMESCHOOLING

By Joel Turtel

April 22, 2008

www.NewsWithViews.com

Parents, is homeschooling the right choice for you and your children? Maybe you think you don’t have the time to homeschool because you work. Perhaps you don’t have confidence in your ability to teach your kids because you never took “teaching” courses.

But consider the alternative. Public schools can destroy your children’s self-esteem, destroy their ability to read, strangle their love of learning, put them in physical and moral danger, and wreck their future.

In contrast, here’s 54 unique benefits homeschooling can give you and your kids, as written and explained by Laura B., a smart, wonderful wife, mother of three, homeschooler, and business owner who works from home and still focuses on her family!

Homeschooling (or low-cost internet private schools), can have the following extraordinary benefits for you and your children:

1. Be with Your Family
2. Set Your Own Schedule
3. Vacation When You Want
4. Choose curriculum that best suits the needs of your child
5. Be totally aware of the state and progress of your child's education
6. Keep your child away from un-necessary peer pressure
7. Keep your child away from the bad influence of other children
8. Love, nurture, and teach your child the character and morals you value most
9. Make learning fun
10. Make learning as "experiential" as you want
11. Don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to get your child dressed and fed and off to school where their so tired they don't learn well anyway.
12. Break up the day however you want to fit your child's learning attention span
13. Teach your child without any "assumed limitations". Teach multiple languages, develop one skill or subject--the sky's the limit
14. What you teach an older child naturally filters down to the younger child(ren) making learning must easier and faster for siblings
15. Teach at the pace and developmental stage appropriate for your child
16. Avoid educational "labeling"
17. Keep you child as far away from drugs as possible
18. Never have to worry about bomb scares or mass shootings
19. Allow your child to do think, discuss, and explore in ways not possible in a classroom setting
20. Constant positive reinforcement and gentle correction. No abusive words or actions that scar your child's psyche
21. Don't use the school system as a babysitter. You only need a few hours for learning--the rest of the day is filled with unnecessary "busy work"
22. Develop life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and organizing that are easily learned with the additional time spent at home
23. Spend as much time outdoors as you want to enjoy nature and the world around us
24. Teach the value of responsibility by providing daily jobs
25. To make money management as natural as breathing by allowing even small children to do tasks, earn money, save it, and spend it in an appropriate manner.
26. Never have your child beat up by a bully. Teach self-defense skills that will enable him to deal with any situation but not until he is mature enough to handle the emotional aspects of confrontation
27. No pressure or set "expectations" from teachers on a younger sibling that follows an older sibling in the same school
28. Be around when your child needs to talk
29. Take a break when your child needs a break
30. Bond as a family through family group activities
31. Pass on your religious beliefs and morals to your children and stay away from the "indoctrination" of other school systems
32. Teach sex education when you and how you want
33. Develop your child's imagination and teach diverse problem solving skills instead of one institutionalized method of thinking
34. Unlimited possibilities for extra curricular activities that interest your child having to live up to the expectations or skills of others.
35. Develop the individualism of your child
36. Avoid traditional school "group activities" that may leave one student doing all the work or ruining it for everyone else.
37. Never have your child feel the failure, embarrassment, or teasing from "failing" a grade
38. To keep your children out of the care, custody, and control or people you don't know and who naturally teach their philosophy of life whether they realize it or not
39. No opportunity for your child to "sluff off", "snow-blow", or "just get by" with academics
40. To have your child learn initiative naturally as there's no peer pressure or fear of embarrassing himself
41. Allow your child to have input and say in subject matter and style
42. Allow your child to focus on growth and development--not following the latest fad or being in a certain group
43. So your child will only be surrounded by people who love him, encourage him, and want the best for him.
44. Make sure your child doesn't end up graduating without knowing how to read or knowing other basic skills due to educational failings of your local schools.
45. Keep your child out of private schools that have peer pressure, teacher criticism, drugs, sex, and alcohol that your child never needs to be around
46. Avoid grading scales and testing that gives no positive benefit to your child
47. Not to give the state or federal government control of your child that they assume is theirs
48. To easily pass on your unique heritage or language to your child
49. So your child is not limited by "age" or "grade" to advance or explore academics in which they are interested or gifted
50. To teach your children to enjoy life
51. To allow your children to go to work with Mom or Dad when you all want--not just on the one "go to work with a parent holiday"
52. As many field trips as you want, to places that interest your child
53. To just take a day off when everyone feels like it
54. Flexibility to switch or experiment with different curriculum

Parents, if you are disgusted with public schools and want your children to have the great education they deserve, why not consider homeschooling? Millions of parents now homeschool their kids, and many of these parents are only high-school graduates.

Subscribe to the NewsWithViews Daily News Alerts! Enter Your E-Mail Address:

In the last three chapters of “Public Schools, Public Menace,” you’ll find many ways to homeschool your kids or use internet private schools, even if you work. Homeschooling can be a lot easier, and take a lot less time than you think. It can also bring you great joy in teaching your children.

© 2008 Joel Turtel - All Rights Reserved


P.S. I love my kid too much to put him through the public schools any longer, if I can POSSIBLY avoid it. Knowledge is power.

August

Greetings friends and fam!
This is the first time in over a month that I've taken the time to leave you a note. I apologise. The littler of my boys has begun the 6th grade, which in this small town, means he's now in the HIGH SCHOOL. I suppose there are some hallways that seperate the high schoolers from the middle schoolers-they're in the same building-but, really, I'm not thrilled about it. I know. "Let the boy grow up! Let him be! Stop hovering!!" Shut up. As my last little bird, I do almost consciously have to remind myself every day that he's growing up. Right before my eyes. DARNIT!
The elder of my 2 boys has had as exciting a summer as he ever has, I believe. After rebelling against..."what have you got"? (No, it's not that bad, but sometimes it seemed like it), He began working. Oh, but work wasn't till after he'd flunked the (ALL OF THEM?) classes he was taking @ the local community college.
First it was at a Graphic Design place. (Lasted a few months, I think.) Then at a factory, where the fumes made him sick-possible. (Lasted a week or so.) And lastly, at the restaurant where the Big Guy works. Oh, yeah, now he's quit there and about to have Orientation working at WalMart.
<sigh> I don't even want to start on how many ways I see MY OWN teenage thinking in him. When I reflect back, I'm just astounded at my self-centeredness, impatience and real lack of any kind of motivation to WORK. He talks occasionally about a car, but doesn't have his license yet. At 19. His gf is a very industrious girl, was working 3 jobs this time last year, and going to school. Now she's down to one job that pays a little better, and still working hard at school. I expect her to see the pattern he's developed any time, and dump him. Of course, he's thinking of proposing. No....NO DISFUNCTION running through our families!!
Now you have a tiny idea of why I haven't been here lately. Oh! Here's another reason:

I've been working on crafting, specifically, making logo pendants for a friend's band. There are several variations, but this is the one that turned out the best. I'm pretty sure the resin I've been using is all used up, so I might have a VERY "Limited Edition" of these babies. LOL

JUST in case I have any readers left, you can go here: ABsolutely Charming to see the entire collection, including a few that have nothing to do with a band, but they're just pretty.

Ta ta for now!





Dancing as fast as I can...

Hi there, friends! It’s the beginning of June, so I’ve been out of school for a MONTH! YAY!! I have a piece of paper now that says I’ve put my time in, and I’m at least minimally competent to Serve Humans. And, as I’d promised myself, I’ve been creating things. A LOT. Some good, some iffy, and a few that are actually kinda impressive. : )

I need some kind of identifying moniker to put on the items I’ve been creating, but haven’t come up w/ anything yet. So…I’m fairly obsessively making pendants out of Scrabble tiles. It’s not a novel idea, really, but I hope to have found a niche or two, that will make mine stand out. In the morning, I’m planning to package up several pendants and send them to a friend of mine. He’s a very productive sort, and I approached him a couple of months ago about the possibility of supplying the band he’s in with some one-of-a-kind merchandise. He’s gonna check it out and then we’re gonna talk about money.

Having NO business sense, whatsoever, I’m feeling rather vulnerable, but like I said, he’s a friend, and I believe his integrity is above average. Actually, more than that, but I can’t think of a good word that describes how highly I think of him. I guess it speaks of how solid my relationship is with the Big Guy, b/c almost every other day I’m telling him something impressive about my friend, and it occurred to me recently that anyone else would be insecure or worse, but Big Guy gets it.

I’ve been way isolated of late., so having more than a 2-sentence text with anyone is really unusual, and an INTELLIGENT, conversation about real stuff, that just thrills me.

News: My Sweet man has encouraged his employer to hire my eldest and his gf. She has lots of experience waiting tables and has a decent head on her shoulders. My boy, on the other hand…well, I think he’ll do fine. He’s just not gung ho about working 6 days a week. (Breaking your heart, ain’t it? Yeah, mine too.) He’s not going to get much pity here, especially since his gf is working AND attending classes. It’s been entertaining when she comes over after training and tells that all the servers have a mad crush on the Big Guy.  It makes me giggle thinking of the little (and NOT so little, I understand) girls crushing on my Man. Big Guy said it himself: a lot of the attraction is probably the fact that he’s a NO-DRAMA kinda guy, and that makes him REALLY stand out there. The gf said the first training day she got an unwanted earful of all the boys her “Trainer” had slept with…(I guess that generation isn’t really familiar with the words “Cheap” “Prostitute” “Ho”…or at least the negative connotation has not yet sunk in for them. Geez.

So, as I’m typing this up at home, I’ll be sending/posting this for you in a little while. PLEASE tell me what you think of my pendants, and yes, the pics are not nearly as good as I’d like them, but everything is subject to revision and improvement, right?

I don’t think I want to get in the E-bay pool, and Etsy is really intimidating, too. I’m thinking of maybe just creating an email address and selling online…?



Scrabble Tile Pendants pre-silver-plated bails



I think I need a business manager.

So, O, Silent Ones, how have things been in YOUR neck of the woods?

OH, and just so ya know: America’s Got Talent is back on and it’s just as awesome as ever. I love me some Howie Mandell, and the Stern isn’t nearly as much of an ass as previously thought. Those of you who’ve successfully disengaged from your tv’s, you can get the clips online. Please let me know what’s new in your worlds.

                               

Last one before the Holy Night!

Hey, friends! I hope you've gotten all the stuff you needed to do, done, to be ready to celebrate the Birth of the Christ-child!  We're packing up things to take to my Sweety's parent's home, North of here. The running joke is "This time, I think I'll bring some of HIS clothes, too!" If you have or know folks with ADD, you probably can imagine what that's all about. <sigh>

Anyway, we're making a quick trip up & back, but I have to say that I hit In-law paydirt with his parents. They are the nicest and most accepting people ever. It's like when I was getting to know my Sweet man, he kept FREAKING ME OUT, b/c he's SO unlike the idiots  others. They are in the same category. I get all stressed out at the thought of spending time with his folks, and then when we're together, I realise that my imagination has gone wild again, and I feel kinda silly. (Yeah, that's a pretty familiar feeling for me!) SO, tonight we'll try to sleep, and at about 6:30 in the am, we're heading out. UGH. I'm just hoping the cats will be ok. We've been having pretty obvious wrestling for the Alpha Cat spot, of late. ; ) Idk who I want to win. Just no blood-shed!!
I hope your holidays are calm, peaceful, maybe even joyous, and much less crazy than you (I) imagined they would be.
Blessings
Abbie

Wonderful Land

Hello, friends!
It's Wednesday, and it's really quite grey outside. I sincerely hope it's not going to remain this way throughout the winter, but experience tells me that it's likely. Thank God for vitamin D. Among other things, I seem to deal with "Seasonal Affective Disorder". I've heard of people buying a sunlamp or something like that, to combat the s.a.d., but vitamin supplements are much more within my budget.
I'm so tickled that you're here!! I'm feeling SO MUCH MORE LIKE MYSELF, since the Dr. put me on some appropriate meds. I hate depending on all that to function at my best, but I suppose it is what it is. And today, I can accomplish much, even FINISH projects-no, really, I CAN! 
I've been creating coiled-paper crosses for Christmas presents, and yesterday for a change of pace, I fashioned a couple of little ornament/tags...I guess I'll have to get a picture & show you. I'm not entirely sure of my crafting abilities, but as logn as I keep in mind that PERFECTION is just NOT necessary-nor is it going to HAPPEN, EVER-I tend to do alright. 
I just remembered that I want to post a link here on fb. I'm hoping to get back to the library tomorrow and if I do, there will be pictures for you to admire (or scoff at, whichever you prefer). ;)
In the next week or so, I plan on getting a lot more things on here to look at and interact with; suggestions? 
ttfn!

P.S. Here's the little snowman thingy...kinda cute, huh?