Ruminations from the Temple

One day I was telling my beloved on the telephone that I just couldn't take my little blondie to kindergarten registration, then the next day, she is done. A graduate. How is that even possible? No, it wasn't easy. And, no...I didn't do it perfect. But, we struggled through it together. Through the exhausting recording schedule of Bob Jones' satellite program, to hours of collecting just the right manipulatives for the 'school closet'. We endured the frustration of Switched On Schoolhouse computer courses until we finally gave up. Somewhere I found the courage to put together my own curriculum mix. Yes, she was the guinea pig for it all. But it wasn't all drudgery. Homeschoolers have this special bonus of deciding which days are school days and which are, well...not. (Shhhhh! don't tell!) So many times, especially days when the sun was making an appearance, we would forsake the books and pile into the vehicle to see how many parks we could c...

I'm grateful for sunshine and checking things off the do-list. I'm grateful for people of high moral character. I'm grateful for healthy, personal boundaries. I'm grateful for smiles and laughter, the hand that passes the tissue box and a shared moment between strangers in the checkout line. I'm thankful for photography and music. For writers and people who do it better than I do. I'm so grateful for the ability to see my weaknesses and to do something about them. I'm grateful for the option of homeschooling, for voting and for driving at any time of the day or night without passing through checkpoints. I'm grateful for the off-button on the television, the channel changer on my radio and option to wear whatever I deem appropriate for me. I'm grateful I'm not under severe judgment, and for the fact that I do not live today attempting to please those who refuse to be happy. I'm grateful for computers, people who know how to f...

We have all heard the term. If you think about such things as how the human mind processes difficult life events, the word broken inevitably arises. A great metaphor for the pain of love lost; it would seem popular culture has taken control of the word, especially in the arts. However, when we think about the human condition, broken could describe other maladies, as well. Mental discord or temporary trauma-induced behaviors could also be deemed as 'broken'. Deep depression could be indicative of brokenness; the inability to function and hope breaks, or interrupts, the stride of a life lived with purpose, direction and meaning. I like those analogies using the concept of broken, however, I have a different perspective. Human relationship is built on a number of things, both good and bad. We could say that we are attracted to someone, either romantically or for the sake of friendship, for selfish reasons such as a dislike of loneliness or a desire to feel popular or well-...

I'm thankful for Sweetarts. That's right, Sweetarts, the candy. They are sorta like life. They are sweet and tart at the same time, somehow allowing us to appreciate one because of the other. They can be hard and rather crunchy for the most part, but sometimes there is a soft one that urges you on to eat the next, hoping it will be another perfect soft one. Color doesn't seem to matter when it comes to Sweetarts. Oh sure, you can say you like the pink ones or the blue ones, but in actuality, they all kinda taste the same...after all, the different colors were all made to be together in the same box. You always remember Sweetart goodness with a smile, never the dreaded Sweetart-tongue due to over-indulgence. Alright, that's enough of the life analogy this morning...haha! Onto more gratefuls on this very rainy Pacific Northwest morning... I'm grateful Laura is home from the hospital, and is recovering well. Praise the LORD! I'm grateful for awes...

The Promised Review We, Padawan and myself, took the plunge and purchased lower-end sabers from Ultra Saber, LLC . We came across this maker of prop and dueling lightsabers when we met the gentlemen representing the company at the Western Washington Fair. After some investigation, and collecting of necessary discretionary cash, we each purchased blades to be used specifically for night parades where 'light-ups' are required.  I chose the Standard Issue Battle Saber v3 (shown below). Padawan chose the Aeon saber. Ordering was easy and quick. We chose the mid-grade blades , and no bells and whistles; basic sabers for parades and photo shoots, although I did upgrade to the arctic blue blade for an extra $5. (The cost, even with shipping, of both of these sabers was less than one of the blades we purchased from SaberForge a while back.) We ordered these on a Wednesday, received timely email confirmation and shipping information, and had them in-hand the following Monday. Fr...

It's dusky, grey this morning, with the standard dreary accompaniment of rain. I wonder if, on the day my mother was born, what the weather looked like. She was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; back in 2008, the kids and I visited Sioux Falls in her stead. I wish she could have been there. It was rather funny when I told her during a travel-check-in call that we were there. She perkily stated, "that's where I was born!" Yeah, Mom...I know. That's why we're here.  *smile* Happy Birthday, Maggie! Mom would have been turning 68 today, the day after tax-day and twenty years my senior. In years past, her birthday would oftentimes fall during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I would always feel bad that we couldn't share cake with her, although cake really wasn't her thing. She liked breakfast pastries like gooey bear claws and maple bars. On those years she was alright with no cake...as long as we could go out to eat. My foodie Mom enjoyed eating ...

Pet Peeve # 523 : 'that moment' when you realize the one speaking hasn't a clue about grammar, let alone simple sentence structure, while making the assumption everyone else has had the same experience and frustration. Ugh!  Alright, it's my problem. I'll admit it. What is it about these sentence fragments that really gets me? Irritatingly, it is like stepping into the middle of a conversation. It's a rather bold assumption that I, or anyone else, has had the same experience (even if we probably have). How frustrating it is to have the scene described but have no action, no direction, no...anything! The listener/reader is just left hanging, flapping in the breeze, riding an ellipsis and abandoned to experience the frustration and apparent lack of general language skills. Now, I'm all about using sentence fragments to make a point, or to facilitate a better flow of thoughts into the written word. But really...this pushes the bounds for this writer a...

The certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour of death  is a source of grief throughout our life.  ~E. Morin 7: Mirror 8: A stranger 9: Hate 10: Waiting 11: Wheels 12: Fear 13: Pleasure 14: Forty-two 15: Wood 16: Ordinary matters 17: Time 18: Fire 19: White 20: Bird 21: Moon 22: Portrait 23: Fish tales 24: Crowd 25: The future 26: My toothbrush 27: Nude 28: Outlier 29: Lines 30: The Devil

Alright, I don't need to do a whole list of gratefuls today...I only have one. I'm sure there are many, many more things I can be grateful for, but today, this one outshines them all. I'm grateful that my dear friend and sister, Laura, came through the HIPEC surgery..far better than expected. I am so very thankful for talented people who went into medicine, modern technology that makes life so much easier and good friends who pray like the dickens. Baruch HaShem! So, what are you grateful for this week?

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. ~Leo F. Buscaglia 6: Tragedy 7: Mirror 8: A stranger 9: Hate 10: Waiting 11: Wheels 12: Fear 13: Pleasure 14: Forty-two 15: Wood 16: Ordinary matters 17: Time 18: Fire 19: White 20: Bird 21: Moon 22: Portrait 23: Fish tales 24: Crowd 25: The future 26: My toothbrush 27: Nude 28: Outlier 29: Lines 30: The Devil

Waiting for a friend. A special friend. Some places you are so thankful for...but hope that you never have to go there. There are places that are never comfortable enough. I praise our LORD for all the medical knowledge He has imparted. I am so thankful for dedicated souls. They don't know how amazing they are. Transportation. Hospitals have a lot of hallway wall space  for some of the most interesting artwork. Hospital tip #27: take a navigator. Winning is overrated. The only time it is really important is in surgery and war. ~Al McGuire

To live you have to experiment ,  to have the ability to experiment you have to have confidence,  to have confidence you have to be loved,  to be loved you have to love.  5: Power 6: Tragedy 7: Mirror 8: A stranger 9: Hate 10: Waiting 11: Wheels 12: Fear 13: Pleasure 14: Forty-two 15: Wood 16: Ordinary matters 17: Time 18: Fire 19: White 20: Bird 21: Moon 22: Portrait 23: Fish tales 24: Crowd 25: The future 26: My toothbrush 27: Nude 28: Outlier 29: Lines 30: The Devil

The tragic or the humorous is a matter of perspective . ~Arnold Beisser 4: The experiment 5: Power 6: Tragedy 7: Mirror 8: A stranger 9: Hate 10: Waiting 11: Wheels 12: Fear 13: Pleasure 14: Forty-two 15: Wood 16: Ordinary matters 17: Time 18: Fire 19: White 20: Bird 21: Moon 22: Portrait 23: Fish tales 24: Crowd 25: The future 26: My toothbrush 27: Nude 28: Outlier 29: Lines 30: The Devil

There are three forms of visual art:  Painting is art to look at,  sculpture is art you can walk around,  and architecture is art you can walk through. ~Dan Rice 3: From An Ant’s Perspective 4: The experiment 5: Power 6: Tragedy 7: Mirror 8: A stranger 9: Hate 10: Waiting 11: Wheels 12: Fear 13: Pleasure 14: Forty-two 15: Wood 16: Ordinary matters 17: Time 18: Fire 19: White 20: Bird 21: Moon 22: Portrait 23: Fish tales 24: Crowd 25: The future 26: My toothbrush 27: Nude 28: Outlier 29: Lines 30: The Devil

I have been knee-deep in preparation for the biggest event in the biblical festival cycle - Passover. Cleaning, planning, purchasing, taste-testing, more cleaning, cooking ahead, washing dishes and linens, more cleaning...and even still more cleaning.  My house feels remarkably free of chametz at this point! I'm thankful for the china dishes from my mother. I'm ever so grateful for all the work and help of my bestie - thanks, Lis! I couldn't do it without you. I'm grateful for a great hagadah and beautiful bouquets for our seder. I'm grateful for portable tables, a big place in which to set them up and for all the Passover necessities we have collected over the years. I'm grateful for a simpler menu this year. I'm grateful that, when we had lunch yesterday, it rained hard the whole time we were eating, and then when it was time to leave, the rain completely stopped. Amazing! I'm so thankful for true and loyal friends. I'm gra...

After silence ,  that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible  is music.”   ~Aldous Huxley 2: Architecture 3: From An Ant’s Perspective 4: The experiment 5: Power 6: Tragedy 7: Mirror 8: A stranger 9: Hate 10: Waiting 11: Wheels 12: Fear 13: Pleasure 14: Forty-two 15: Wood 16: Ordinary matters 17: Time 18: Fire 19: White 20: Bird 21: Moon 22: Portrait 23: Fish tales 24: Crowd 25: The future 26: My toothbrush 27: Nude 28: Outlier 29: Lines 30: The Devil

Molly is sitting shiva for Picnik... Yes, the long-hated day that our beloved photo site Picnik will be closing it's doors. What's a blogger to do?? No more touch-ups. No more automatic fixes. No more bumpin' up the color, adjusting exposure or adding a border. It was gonna be such a grief-stricken outcry of anguish from heartbroken bloggers and photo aficionados. 'Til now. Take a minute and check out PicMonkey . It is free for now, but for access to this type of site, I would pay. Don't tell Google, but it is suspiciously similar to Picnik. Squeee! before adjustments in PicMonkey   after adjustments in PicMonkey