Ruminations from the Temple

I have been pondering friendship quite a lot lately. It would seem that there are many different definitions of the word friend, in all it's various degrees of intensity. That thought led me to think about what would be the qualities of The Perfect Friend. So, join me in my little, happy bubble as I brainstorm all the attributes of the perfect friend... My perfect friend... has my best interests at heart. wants to spend time with me, even doing the mundane. enjoys trying to appreciate the different kinds of music I'm into at times. laughs at my jokes, even if they are not that funny. likes me for who I am, not for what they think I should be. lets me buy them little gifts, and even says they like them. allows me to postulate the deeper meaning of life, even to the sublime. takes mocking like a pro. dishes it right back like a champ. doesn't talk behind my back... or anyone else's either. doesn't mind if we are wearing the same outfits by accident. ...

So, since this is my personal journal, I guess I can be as revealing as I would like, right? And, where does one write all these random thoughts down, just to get them out of their head? I have thinking a lot about the juggling analogy as of late. How many balls can one keep in the air and still maintain balance? Ball 1 - Homeschooling & Family I’m feeling like I’m just hanging on by the skin of my teeth. The kids want to take every day off, and why shouldn’t they? It does seem the right of the young to try to avoid all that challenges their brains in any way. I just have one question: will my youngest ever remember the rules for vowel sounds? Will I continue to have the patience to tell him those rules over and over? (OK, so that was two questions.) Aside from the schooling aspect, the dynamics of our family has changed so much. The children have grown to the point that they are flexing their ’independence’ muscles, which causes ripples to radiate into the fabric of our da...

When I first entered the strange, new world of MySpace, I made the comment that I would be watching and finding out what was the big draw; what was the big deal about MySpace? I had heard of it’s bad reputation, how it was immoral and even dangerous. I heard the warnings to stay away and, for heaven’s sake, don’t let your children or teens even close. When encouraged to add myself to the growing members of this site, I was wary, to be sure. What would I find? Stalkers and pedophiles? Prostitutes, drug dealers, even criminals? The dregs of society? Well, I have to say that I found none of those elements, although I’m sure they exist here in some form or another. What I found was that MySpace is what you make of it - and why does that surprise me? Isn’t that true of anything you involve yourself in? So, I have discovered and concluded that I am richer due to this site and my participation in it. It sweetens my day when I have messages from my friends waiting for me. It is truly dessert f...