Boogers Don't Bounce

Floor Space

2011-04-25T21:49:00.002-06:00

It is almost an epic battle around here every day. Not necessarily unfriendly, but a battle just the same, for floor space. You see, I like to be able to walk around without risking bodily injury every time I take a step. My kids, on the other hand, like to stage elaborate playscapes involving (in this illustration, anyway) Pokemon, Hotwheels, building blocks, and doll quilts. Most days a truce is called, and a clear path is made in the evenings so no one gets hurt trying to find the bathroom in low light.

But like an amputee trying to scratch a phantom itch, when my kids are grown and gone I'll still be treading with care, expecting that stray Lego to materialize under my foot. I also expect that I'll miss the mess... and the fun of listening to little imaginations at work.

HEY

2011-04-14T11:26:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm back. It has been almost a year since I posted here last, but I'm thinking that I'd like to start writing again.
Guess I'll have to come up with something to say...

Planning it

2010-05-06T09:56:00.002-06:00

Today this is covered in SNOW.

Too early morning

2010-02-21T04:00:00.002-07:00

Boogers! I have missed you!
Because I pay for my blog over on Typepad, I have been giving it (just a little) more attention. But having tonight read through some of my old posts here, I feel like I want to get back to simply musing and chatting and keeping up with my days.
Stay.See. is losing its focus because I've been posting ramblings there, too, when really I want it to be a crafty blog. Problem is, with all the chaos in our house due to the remodeling project, I have not been a crafty girl since before the baby was born. At that time I made a bib and a bonnet for the baby - neither of which actually got finished. When she was born the bonnet was so big on her I set it aside, and she didn't need the bib either. Now that she's grown some (ok, a lot) the bonnet would fit, but she doesn't much like wearing hats and usually fusses until the hat is removed. The bib would come in handy because of all her drooling lately, but I do have others.
Rambling again, aren't I?

Here's the thing. Have you ever seen what is called a Skinner Blend in the polymer clay world of crafting? It's a color-mixing technique that traditionally gives you a sheet of clay with that ombre' effect of dark to light. It's like a paint-chip sample card, but with no definition between gradients of color - it just all merges seamlessly. This is what my days have been lately, blending together slowly. It's not a fog, just a meld of changes happening so gradually until I suddenly look around myself and say, "When exactly did my navy change to light blue?" And because I haven't blogged or journaled or whatever, I just cannot pinpoint anything.

Now I find myself needing to wrap up this post, but I got nuthin'. I'm reaching for something clever, but at 4:40 on a Sunday morning, having been up since the baby woke me at 2:00, my brain is not cooperating. And so, to bed again.

My Poor Blog

2009-11-29T11:59:00.005-07:00

Dear Boogers Don't Bounce,

I've been meaning to write, but life has a way of changing one's plans.
Among other things:
I had another baby girl!
I'm trying to teach school to three boys.
I'm trying to keep my little girls out of trouble without so much reliance on the tv.
I'm trying to feed my family something other than breakfast cereal or pizza.

And so, dear Blog, I'm afraid you have to keep your back seat for now. Don't worry though. I still cannot bring myself to abandon you completely, so keep up hope!

Your loving Blogmistress,
StacieMakeDo

Got time to...

2009-09-01T23:17:00.003-06:00

...fact check this video?
http://www.pjtv.com/v/2378
I'd like to know if this contains as much spin as so many "factual" liberal diatribes I've heard.

A short commercial plays first; the main video is 15 min. long.
(FYI there is a nasty quote from Bill Maher near the beginning.)
Bill Whittle takes issue with Obama saying America is only exceptional in the same way England or Greece is exceptional. He also takes issue with Maher and his ilk continually referring to Americans as stupid.

I liked this because I am tired of being treated as stupid by the media and the government. I may be uninformed about many issues, but I am certainly teachable. And I'd rather not be taught by malicious propaganda.

HT - Rufus at Threedonia

This Blog is in DRIFT?

2009-08-02T11:11:00.000-06:00

http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2009/07/a-problem-in-happiness-drift.html

http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2009/07/quiz-are-you-drifting.html

Ca(r)p and T(i)rade

2009-06-28T21:54:00.002-06:00

I can't believe this dumb bill passed the House. Even Greenpeace is against it.

If you haven't been praying for our country, there's no time like the present to START.

Thought this article was worthwhile:
http://commentarama.blogspot.com/2009/06/democrats-bust-cap-in-prosperitys-as.html

Father's Day is almost here!

2009-06-19T17:24:00.000-06:00

One more baby, Baby

2009-06-16T15:38:00.003-06:00

Now that I'm into my second trimester I'm feeling better. Chances are if you were looking for me in the past few months, I was sleeping. This mothering stuff sure takes the mickey out of you sometimes. The spring has been full of swim lessons, soccer, birthdays, crazy weather and gardening. Not to mention the laundry and the cooking. Planning every single dang meal is the bane of my existence. And the home education? Uh, can you say "summer school"? Science and history were sorely neglected this year. On the other hand, all three boys are avid readers and have followed their math lessons so things aren't all bad.

Where to (re)start the blog. I just don't know. Part of the reason for my absence is that I have been following politics and news a little too closely. I'm far from ready to become a pundit, but I have been paying attention more than is usual for me. I say "a little too closely" for a few reasons, one being that reading and listening to news takes time and thought away from other tasks, even more so since my brain has been a bit foggy from interrupted sleep patterns. Another reason is that it makes me frown to hear all the downers the media is reporting recently. There was a time when news of mad gunmen, rigged elections or changing weather patterns didn't seem so personal. Horrible, yes, but farther away. I used to take the attitude that "this too shall pass" but now things seem to hit closer to home. I blame the internet for this, by and large. Lately I've started to cut back on the TMI and just listen/look at some headlines. For many stories I then wait a few days after the news breaks before I go seeking more. By then things seem to settle down and the important stuff gets sorted from the biased fuzz a little better. Sometimes. It was easier when I thought I could just take the news reports for fact and assume I was getting a complete picture. Now there is always more to be discovered. Always.

Other drains on time I previously used for blogging are Twitter and Facebook. Still not convinced of the value of those outlets for me, but I'm not ready to make a final decision on them yet. Some days they are the best thing evah. Some days, meh.

For today, this is enough. I have to stop somewhere. TTFN

Looks a bit like a N* episode

2009-03-30T17:24:00.001-06:00

Sorry, Newsbleep, but Chesterton wrote this long before you were born. And now it's a movie.

Yes, another Twilight post

2009-02-23T08:59:00.008-07:00

I'm sure I'm not going to put this well, but I feel like I have to try. Before I start I want to quickly address the Harry Potter/Twilight comparisons. I just don't see it. Sure, they're both fantasy but to me that's like saying apples and oranges are both fruit. Or maybe like chocolate and tofu are both food. I just can't get my brain to compare the two sets of books. So, I'm not going to. Now on to the reason for this post.

Ok, here's the thing.
I understand most of the criticism about Twilight. Really, I do. Stalker boyfriend, not always the best writing, viral teen series, distortion of real love, contrived plots, bla bla bla. It's all there if you look for it, if you want to see it that way. With the series being so popular, naturally people are going to scrutinize. Check out this post at Busted Halo. (H/T Nancy Brown) And I love some of the comments on Hey Lady's review.

But what I want to know is, don't some of these people remember what it was like to fall in love as a teen? Or at least, what you thought was love then? It's a teen book, people. Cut the story a little slack already. I remember how it was for me, and I think Stephenie Meyer nailed it pretty well. And I think that is why the books are so popular. I don't know. Maybe if the critics didn't date much or know any cute boys or were always angelic, maybe then it would not resonate with them. Maybe they had such a pure and snowy upbringing that certain feelings or thoughts never crossed their minds. Maybe they did not experience any teen angst. Maybe they never saw Sixteen Candles or Better Off Dead or Say Anything or Some Kind of Wonderful. Maybe they lived in a protected world. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily, but in looking for reasons to pan the books I think they're brushing over a vital point. This is first love. In high school. In a secular world.

I don't want to go all true confession here, but I'll do a little. What I can say is, I do remember. I remember being so nervous to take a phone call I almost couldn't walk across the room to pick up the receiver. I remember the confusion I felt when I could not understand what some wonderful boy saw in me, why he came over to talk to me, and not the gorgeous girl across the room. I remember trying to act cool and collected when my insides had turned to jello. I remember seeing a lot of forgettable movies just because it meant spending time with "that guy", not because I wanted to go to that movie but because he asked me to go with him. I remember cruising around with my boyfriend in his car just because it wasn't time to take me home yet, and then missing curfew after all. I remember my first date, my first dance, my first kiss. And I think Stephenie Meyer nailed that. When I read her stories I get some of those butterflies back. They make me sigh and smile, and remember a part of me that was important.

Minus the vampire-thing and the gorgeous-as-a-god thing, Edward is a lot like my old boyfriends. (Don't tell Mom.) I've had boys compliment my eyes and gaze into them, tell me how good I smelled (Salon Selectives and Touche perfume circa 1988), even (gasp!) sneak into my room at night. (Really, don't tell Mom. It's ancient history now anyway. And it will only make her feel guilty about the sketchy parental supervision I had as a teen. Too late to fix that.) And you know what? It can be a heady thing to be "stalked" , especially if you're in love with your stalker. Does that mean I want my daughters to be hounded like that some day? NO WAY. IT IS STILL CREEPY. But I think my girls should have their crushes and their firsts and their fluttery feelings. I don't think passion needs to be quashed, just directed. How dull if life was only logic and reason all the time. I also had boyfriends who protected my virtue by their own choice. Gentlemen. Yes, they do exist.

And now that I am married and love is deeper and more mature, it doesn't mean that that other kind of love has gone, just that it has grown. It has added dimension - from flat to 2D, then 3D and on. Sometimes the layers change places, taking turns covering each other, but they're all still there. Maybe the whole Edward/Bella thing is less of a stretch for me because I believe in love at first sight and fate. Well, God's plan for my life in my case, but fate in the book. Destiny by choice. Happy endings.

Like I said before, I think kids should be at least in their later teens before they read this stuff. The characters are high school juniors, and the readers probably should be, too.

*********
I don't know where to tie this in, so I'll just tack it on:
Please quit picking on Bella already. She isn't shallow and she isn't selfish. If you look for depth in her character, it is there to find. Edward doesn't fall in love with her only because she smells good, and not only because he can't read her mind. He sees how she sacrifices for her mother, how she takes care of her father, how she sticks up for her friends. She is strong and yet needs protecting. And of course Edward's looks are the first thing she notices. She doesn't get a chance to get much closer to him. But when she really meets him, she does look deeper. And what's all the waffle about them only knowing each other a few days? There is some time passing in the book. More than Romeo and Juliet, that's for sure. And if you still don't get Edward, read the bit of Midnight Sun on Meyer's website. Once he falls in love with Bella it becomes part of him and won't change. Vampire thing.

Art is Life

2009-02-21T19:47:00.003-07:00

Valentines

2009-02-14T16:49:00.004-07:00

To two great Valentines, Grandpa (departed) and my cousin (delightful): Happy feast day!

This is how change brings hope

2009-02-02T15:51:00.001-07:00

1 Being justified therefore by faith, let us have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access through faith into this grace, wherein we stand, and glory in the hope of the glory of the sons of God. 3 And not only so; but we glory also in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience trial; and trial hope; 5 And hope confoundeth not: because the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us.

Romans 5:1-5

A little* about kids, play and tv.

2009-01-24T22:38:00.006-07:00

In my experience, tv changes my kids. I can clearly tell the difference in behavior when we live with little or no tv , to when we go back to having cable or satellite. Most recently, between when we canceled our cable before we moved (and basically lived on a small amount of PBS for several months) to now when we have satellite service and some channels with kids' programming 24/7, the kids are definitely different. Without tv my kids were more patient, listened better, looked at more books, did puzzles, and generally acted like they were more intelligent. Now the first entertainment they want is tv, and they have less patience, have shorter attention spans, and resort to yelling sooner. They're improving again now because we've been cutting back on tv time in the past few weeks, but I think even less screen time would be better.

That is my experience with my 5 kids, but I have found it to be true even when I had only one child. We stayed home together. I didn't play directly with him all day, but he didn't watch tv all day either. We had Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street and Blue's Clues. Then - he did what I did or played with his own toys where I was. Instead of tv we listened to classical music, kids' music, and books on tape. Sometimes we had a picture book to go with the tape, but often we just listened while doing other things. When I was in the kitchen, he played with safe kitchen items. Sometimes he was in his highchair so he could see what I was doing, or to keep him away from the oven. Sometimes he was on the floor scattering measuring cups hither and yon, and banging on pots with wooden spoons, making me more deaf than I was. Sometimes I helped him dump the flour for the pizza dough into a bowl.

My suggestion for moms of just one small child is to turn off the tv as much as you can handle. Make yourself *at least* twice a day (more if you can) during the day, (not bedtime) sit with your child just for one activity - show him how to do something like a puzzle or read a picture book to him, even if he doesn't seem to be paying attention. If he can't leave the book you're reading alone, give him another book to turn pages in but keep reading. Or give him paper and a crayon for 5 min. in his highchair. At 19 mo. my first child learned do a 20 piece board puzzle because my husband would sit with him at our coffee table and they'd do it together while sports highlights were on ESPN in the evenings. Before he was 2 he could cut with safety scissors. Supervised, of course, but that came about because if I was doing a craft project, I found something similar he could do too, if he wanted to. Little kids need plenty of attention, but for many things they don't need undivided attention. Reading them a story book while you are watching the news still counts even if it isn't ideal.

I don't much like playing cars or dolls or other pretend games with my kids. Vroom vroom for about 3 min. is all I can handle. Choo choo is better because then I can build the track, but I don't actually run the trains. The track is done and I'm done. There you go, have fun! I have always been in awe of women who can sit and play Barbie with their little girls. Mind numbing is not my thing. Of course, I didn't even own a Barbie as a kid, but I did have lots of pretend games with my Susie bear and my Raggedy Ann and my baby dolls. But now as an adult I can't really pull it off. If I play Lego with the boys, I invariable have to either build something from a plan or sort pieces. I can't just pick up a spaceship and jump into Exploding Super Nova Bombs vs. Black Hole Ships of Doom or whatever the game is called these days. "No, Mom. The red things are blasters, the yellow ones are transporters." I mean, I can't even figure out the rules to playing Pokemon cards. Maybe because I've never tried.

But really? I don't think it bothers my kids. They seem to get it that I need something different. And when they were little (some of them still are, but I'm thinking of the two oldest ones who are now 14 and 10), they didn't rely on me to entertain them. I did my best to make sure they had a safe but stimulating environment, and I left them to it. And if they wanted to join me in whatever I was doing, I let them as long as it wasn't dangerous and I had the time and patience to let them "help" me. Sometimes that just meant picking them up to show them what I had, and putting them down again.

But back when I only had one kid I didn't have a computer! That is a biggie, but I would equate my computer time with my teaching time as far as attention paid to the little ones. When the older kids and I are doing school work (and/or computer), or I am cleaning, sewing, etc. etc. the two youngest (ages 3 yrs and 21 mos) are still entertaining themselves. Like I said, tv is their first choice, but when I say no to that then they "paint" with water on their chalkboard, stack and stick felt pieces together, cook in their pretend kitchen, do puzzles, play with big magnets on the fridge, or sit next to me and color. They build with Wedgits, try on Mom's shoes, "wash" dishes in a dishpan, or hide under blanket tents. They play separately as often as they play together, so though they are companions, they aren't dependent on one another and they function fine when one or the other is gone to swimming, or the library, or shopping with Dad. What I mean to say is, I think these things work for only children as well as children with siblings. Maybe even better for onlys, because they don't have to share.

This post is a lot longer than I meant it to be. I will just say in closing that if you love playing kiddie games with your little one, that is great. However, if you can't stand more than 4 minutes of flying a toy airplane between the couch and the chair and back again, I think that's ok. But just because your child is small doesn't mean they aren't absorbing things. They watch you and copy you and learn all the time. And a real person is much more interesting than a tv screen in the long run. They need to learn that, and speaking for myself, sometimes so do I.

*Ok, a LOT.

H/T to Cheeky Pink Girl for the idea for this post.

Crabby people make me crabby

2009-01-20T16:35:00.002-07:00

I was a member of a Yahoo group for homeschoolers in my state. I posted an off-topic request for doctor recommendations in my area and the moderator of the group sent me a brusque refusal to post my message because it didn't have anything to do with home ed. The general idea was "Find your own doctor and find another group to help you." Understandable to me if maybe this was a hopping group with lots of activity and postings, but with a total of 8 messages in the last two months? With 7 of those being "Hi, I'm new here" and "Re: Hi, I'm new here"?
Whatever.
I left the group. Then, curious, I googled this woman to make sure she wasn't someone I would meet if I joined a local group. She lives in another town, and from the comments I read of hers on other sites, she sounds quite belligerent. And she has family problems. And job issues.

Trying to remember: charity!

The group where we used to live had a lively Yahoo page with all kinds of messages and banter. It was a hopping group and fun to keep up with the help people got with all kinds of requests, questions and announcements. Including favorite doctors, dentists, or even restaurants. And there was always some fun activity happening.
I miss them. Things in this state are so sleepy.

Awake

2009-01-14T00:01:00.004-07:00

UH. It is past midnight and I should be asleep. But no. I am not. I am here with nothing to say. The furnace is running, the wind is blowing, I think it is probably still snowing... SIGH. Even when the temps are above freezing, and the sun is making a valiant attempt at shining, the wind still blows and takes all the fun out of it. And by fun I mean being able to breathe, because the wind obviously needs to use all the air and will leave none for you. Open your mouth to breathe and the wind says, "No way. And while I'm here you don't mind if I take anything you might still have in your lungs, do you?" So if you go out in it, first take lessons from your friendly neighborhood goldfish on how to gasp gracefully when you are out of water because that is what you look like trying to breathe in the wind. Oh, and watch out for ice. It will appear out of nowhere, especially if you are busy looking up at the snow you are trying to brush off your SUV windows and not down at the ground at all times. The ground which is a gravel driveway and should therefore not be slippery in some spots but not in others. Isn't that in the Gravel Driveway Book somewhere? And then after you catch yourself against the side of your vehicle, which is surprisingly clean after the freezing rain from earlier in the week somehow washed a lot of the salt off, (yes, yes I'm very grateful for that cleansing freezing rain if it saved me from having to wash my coat - but only because I didn't have to be out in it) you will look up to brush more snow off the back windshield and the WIND will blow it all in your face. As if to say, "In your face! "

Besides Mr. Malaprop leaving early this morning, no one opened an outside door today. And now I am sitting here in bed, listening to Jack Johnson, aimlessly clicking around the web and trying to shut off my brain.

First step: shut off the computer. Then read, pray, sleep. Then in the morning pop out of bed HAPPY, durn it. Take a lesson from this guy:

Peeks the Clown says, "Have a nice day!"

That's not fog

2009-01-10T14:05:00.003-07:00

This was the scene from our window the other morning. Yes, the snow was falling horizontally. One more reason to love home school.

Three Kings Party

2009-01-08T19:10:00.003-07:00

We blessed our house 20+C+M+B+09. We ate cake and looked for the three chocolates in it. We pulled crackers, wore the crowns and read the bad jokes.
We had three white chocolate reindeer as prizes.
We had fun together.

The Drama that is In-Laws

2009-01-05T09:47:00.003-07:00

I'm not going into any incriminating details here, but whew! It is nice to be home in a calm and peaceful atmosphere where the worst we have to worry about are the frozen pipes in the kitchen. They aren't broken (yet, that we know of) so that is something to be grateful for. And they aren't frozen in the laundry room - so I'm off to continue the post-vacation washing.

Happy New Year! Where everything is the same, yet different.

Sounds Like a New Year Coming On

2008-12-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

Bells
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
*Alfred, Lord Tennyson*

H/T Dawn

Right Side Up or...

2008-12-30T22:39:00.002-07:00

My kids love The Upside Down Show. I have to admit I find it quite entertaining, also. Can't believe we missed our opportunity to see their live show, the Umbilical Bros., last year. Here are a few classic dance moments, courtesy of YouTube.

Yes, more Twilight.

2008-12-30T15:12:00.003-07:00

I got a little carried away in the comments over at Flying Stars, so I thought I'd share my thoughts here, too, since they're long enough to be a post. Apologies to the non-Twilight-interested. Nancy is comparing Twilight with Harry Potter and Pirates of the Carribean. Very interesting. She had a previous post Twilight vs. Pirates, and promises more to come.

******************************

Hmmm. More thinking to do (: I'll just leave a few points off the top of my head. Hope you don't mind if they're not very scholarly.

Firstly, best quote:
Nancy: "That's not a normal life." Priceless.

Secondly, Maureen saying "Twilight is junk food."
I completely agree. But I have to say, I like junk food. Is it good for me? No. But I am sitting here with a bowl of peanut M&Ms as I type. I do plan to enjoy a healthy meal later. But I can't see eating only meat and potatoes and moral fiber all the time. Even though I should.

Thirdly, these are adult books. They are marketed to teens because the main characters are teens, but I would say you should at least be as old as the character Bella (17) to read them. The youngest main character (Jacob) ages significantly in subsequent books, and Edward is really about 100, and even Bella is called "middle-aged" by her mother. These are not books for kids.

Lastly (for now), I want to say that I mostly agree with Nancy, so I hope you understand what I mean when I say that her viewpoint would have more weight if she had read the entire series. I'm not dissing here, I just think her points would be clearer and stronger. Guess I'm playing devil's advocate a bit. I had no trouble understanding why Edward and Bella love/lust each other - at least, I understand it as well as Romeo and Juliet, which is a story I don't like. All the loose ends seem to be tied up in the final book, but if things still aren't clear the "outtakes" on the author's website help, as does "Midnight Sun" which is partially shared as a rough draft due to piracy.

Brain Warp

2008-12-30T13:22:00.002-07:00

This explains a lot, but not all.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas...

2008-12-29T17:57:00.005-07:00

1. I finished a book.
2. I let the kids watch as much tv and play as many video games as they wanted.
3. I surfed the web a little.
4. I listened to music.
5. I ate Christmas candy.

How was your day?

We are home taking a breather between seeing my family for Christmas and seeing his for New Year's. That right there almost makes it worth it to live in this Podunk town, the fact that it is close enough to come home in between and get some real sleep in our own beds. And breathe (hence the term "breather"). And hide, a little. (In a house of 43 relatives, there is NOwhere to hide. Not even the bathroom, since someone is always knocking on the door. Not even at night when there are only 14 people sleeping in said house -not everyone is asleep at the same time, it seems. Except when you yourself are, in which case you can't really appreciate the fact that everyone else is also sleeping. And then everyone shows up for breakfast.) After a short but sincere discussion with an adult niece, I am happy to say I am not the only one who feels the need to hide sometimes. Not that it isn't terrific to see everyone, because it is. Yes. Very much so. But large family gatherings for me are best enjoyed in smallish doses, like schnapps. Just a jigger now and again. A Tom and Jerry? Ok. But too much, too many? Um - bad. Enter sarcasm and snide remarks. Enter Mr. Hyde. Enter heavy sighs that Al Gore would be proud of, and headaches and a sore tongue from being bitten too many times. Then enter Mr. Malaprop, the best thing that ever happened to me, to be my personal Calgon distributor and take me away for a few days. Rule of thumb: Leave the day before you think you want to.
There's a clever saying about visitors and visiteds, but I can't remember it. Anyone know what it is? And I don't mean the one about the stinky fish, even if it is true. It's something like "Always leave 'em wanting more." First rule of showbiz, right? And if dealing with family ain't showbiz, I don't know what is.

Oh, those bad boys

2008-12-22T18:22:00.003-07:00

I knew the quote I wanted was out there somewhere. I just couldn't remember where I'd read it, who'd said it. Was it Jane Austen? Was it in a movie? Sounds like something a Meg Ryan character would say. I tried Google, but in my mind I had replaced "wicked" with plain old "bad". Finally it dawned on me.

Anne-with-an-e had that thing about "bad boys" too.
She did come around in the end, though, didn't she? Yes, she did.

Of course, this is much deeper than that. I don't want to get into it tonight, but really...
It's just a matter of sinning and not sinning, isn't it. Fighting sin or giving in, or only giving in to certain sins...
And isn't that all of us? Even Diana's Fred. But some boys just wear it on their sleeves, so to speak. And I think that is what makes them so dang appealing. It's the fight we're all fighting, but they do it as a rogue, with a sly half-grin and a wink. Swoon.

"’Oh, no. I wouldn’t want to marry anybody who was wicked, but I think I’d like it if he could be wicked and wouldn’t. Now, Fred is hopelessly good.’
‘You’ll have more sense some day, I hope,’ said Marilla."

— Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of the Island and Tales of Avonlea)

Year end blog swing

2008-12-18T14:39:00.004-07:00

Time for my bi-yearly blog-soul-searching post. Navel gazing at its worst. (Except without lint.) You have been warned. RUN while you still can.

"You know, your [blog] swings are kinda giving me whiplash." ~ Bella

Blog swing. That is my term for the weirdness I feel about blogging lately. LOVE it. HATE it. MEH. Whatever. I seem to go from YAY, GO TEAM BLOG to pitch it all out every 27 min. I have come so close to just telling Blogger and Typepad where to stick it and going back to my LBB (life before blogging). And do you know what I think the reason is? My disorganization. It's everywhere - from my sock drawer to my brain. And do you know what I think the answer is? Vitamin D. Seriously. We're all deficient.

I've been reading bits of Boogers and Stay.See. and wondering why they seem so dissatisfying to me. I think I know. They aren't quite true to my personality. At least, not my complete personality, or even my who-I-want-to-be imaginary personality, online or otherwise. Where is the clever sarcasm? Where is the witty repartee? Where is the fun? And that makes them boring at best and unfulfilling at worst. If I believed in astrology I'd say it's the Gemini in me, making me go all blog-bi-polar. Look out. rant rant rant Oh, did I say that out loud?

I don't have an immediate solution for this, and that pisses me off. I'm like Bert on Sesame Street with his paperclip collection, his love of pigeons and oatmeal. Who really likes Bert? (There's even a blog named for it.) How could you like Bert when Ernie is around? Ernie and his drum set, his rubber ducky, his trumpet. Or bugle. Boogie woogie. Bert wears saddle shoes, for Pete's sake. Ernie sings Dance Myself To Sleep. Even his bedtime is hip.

Or to make another analogy, every blog post is like a craft project. Some days I think, "Now that's art I could display right in the living room." Or even, "I could give this to someone as a gift and they would love it." But most days it's, "I painted better than this in Kindergarten" or "I can't get this into the garbage can fast enough." And then I post it anyway because it seems better than nothing.

Which it is. Because blogging ROCKS. Except when it doesn't.

Now excuse me while I go find the vitamins.

Not a Twilight post

2008-12-16T11:22:00.005-07:00

I'm going to try to update my blogs more often.
Today I'm just sharing some local photos I took.
Isn't our new home state pretty?

Sorry, sorta, not really, but kinda

2008-12-15T21:03:00.002-07:00

Someone stop the ride, I'm getting dizzy!

I have a new infatuation with Supermassive Black Hole by Muse, and I have posted the widget in my sidebar because I entered a contest. Not that I need the song here - I bought the Twilight soundtrack on iTunes as an early Christmas present. That is allowed because I pretty much buy all my own presents. Not Mr. Malaprop's strong suit. At least I get what I want that way. Sometimes - hee hee.

In other news, I lost six pounds over the weekend. Being sick in bed can do that for you, I guess. Any bets as to how many Christmas cookies it will take me to put it back on? Actually, it's probably just because I'm dehydrated.

Aside: Drinking water will often help a headache because many are brought on by dehydration.

(I'm sorry if the music is not your thing, but please bear with my temporary insanity, if that is what it is. {I might have to start writing fanfic...} If you must turn the music off, just scroll over the video and a control bar will appear.)

Vampire or fashion model?

2008-12-14T16:11:00.003-07:00

Ok, does anyone else see the similarity? Or is it just me?

EDWARD CULLEN

ZOOLANDER

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Three-minute Hamlet

2008-12-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

Listen here:
Oor Hamlet.

Lyrics written here. (Not quite the same words, but close enough.)

Twilight, the outtakes

2008-12-12T21:46:00.002-07:00

New Moon still isn't available at the library, but I'm on the list.
Meanwhile, I've been entertaining myself at Stephenie Meyer's website reading bits of Twilight that were edited out.

Don't read these unless you've read the book; they're definite spoilers.
But if you liked the book, make sure to read these because they offer a bit of welcome explanation.

*****************

I want to take just a second to comment on the whole love/lust thing. I've read a few book reviews that complain that because Edward and Bella haven't known each other long, they cannot have fallen in true love, but rather lust. Teenage hormones, yada yada.
While I can certainly understand this view, and I do agree to some extent, I prefer to suspend my scepticism and just go with how the story is written. The book is 500 pages already without adding years to get to know each other well enough to call it love.
I had the same complaint about Romeo and Juliet, and that story seems to be fairly popular despite their whirlwind romance. Hee hee ;)

Twilight, the book

2008-12-09T19:51:00.006-07:00

The film Titanic came out in 1997, but I didn't see it in the theater. Turned out that was a very good thing for me.

I was prepared to hate Titanic. I didn't have a "thing" for Leonardo DiCaprio, and at the time I was of the mindset that anything that was as popular in the mainstream as that movie was couldn't be good. Thought the same about Harry Potter for awhile, and now we own all the books and the movies...but I digress.

Enter a painfully empty weekend circa 1999 and a copy of Titanic borrowed from the library.
That night, cue the nightmares.

I must've dreamed about drowning for a week, maybe as long as a month. Leo did not feature in my dreams, the ship and the water did. It was a vision that also invaded my daydreams (day-mares?) and drove me at times to distraction. To put it mildly, it was unsettling. I can't imagine my poor head if I'd seen it on the big screen.

I don't know why it affected me so strongly. If I believed in reincarnation I would guess I was on the Titanic in a previous life. And that I didn't make it. I still haven't been able to watch it again.

Several years later, enter the book Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. Here was another wildly popular story.
Of course I tried to resist. I didn't have time for it, and respected reviews by other moms that called it simply mediocre at best. I still respect those views.

But it seems like everyone has been talking about it, even more now because of the movie release, so though I have never been into vampire stories at all, I figured I could at least look at the book. It felt like giving in when I decided to read Twilight. With a resigned sigh, I put my card number on the library waiting list. When I finally got the notice that my copy was being held, I managed to wait until our regular library day to pick it up. It was a brand new copy with the new cover, a picture from the movie instead of the hands holding an apple on the original. "Cheesy," I said to myself. But I checked it out all the same.

It sat in my library bag nearly a week before I remembered I had it. As soon as I pulled it out, just held it in my hands and looked at that cover, on a cold snowy evening when I had jobs to procrastinate, I knew I'd better get comfortable because I was going to have to read it straight through. And I did.

Now I have to honestly say....

I liked it. A lot. Loved it, even.
As one blog reviewer labeled women like me, I am now officially considered a "loser housewife". So be it. Make me a badge and show me where to sign the membership card for the should-be-old-enough-to-know-better club.

Mr. Malaprop thinks I am hilarious. Yes, yes I am.

So why? Why did I like it? I'm not sure. Maybe I just needed a mini-vacation from reality and this fit the bill. Maybe I liked Cedric Diggory more than I thought (not all that much) and couldn't stop picturing him as a vampire. (Okay, his real name is Robert Pattinson, but he'll always be Cedric to me.) Maybe it's the James Dean/Marlon Brando kind of complex many women have - you know, liking the bad boy, especially when he's trying to be good?

I know part of it is that I was reading the story without analyzing it. Just going along for the ride. Pure entertainment.

Do I want my kids reading it? Well, no. My eldest is 14 and a boy, and when he asked about it I told him what I thought: It's an escapist romance novel written for girls, and I didn't think he'd like it much. I said it has an exciting part near the end, but that he'd have to wade through a lot of relationship stuff that likely wouldn't interest him and isn't applicable in any way to where he is in his life right now. That made sense to him. But it isn't like guys don't read the Twilight books.

Does it have any redeeming value, ala Harry Potter? I don't think so. But so far I've only read the one, and there are four.
Is it well written? Not especially. The narration is first person, which makes for stilted phrasing at times. I was impressed with some of the vocabulary considering the teen audience it's marketed to. And the heroine likes Jane Austen.

Will I go to see the movie, that is supposedly so awful that it's good? Uh, YEAH. But I will go sheepishly and probably by myself.

And I will probably dream about it afterwards.

Be real, but celebrate!

2008-12-06T21:40:00.004-07:00

I have to point you to this post over at Cheeky Pink Girl. If you don't want to click through, here's the gist:

CELEBRATE Christmas. It's a feast! Enjoy it! Give gifts! Be merry!
It's not just for the kids, either, and if you think it is - well, you may be the one needing a present, eh? And if you want cheering up, there's nothing like a gift to do the job.

(Be frugal if you must, but don't get all stoic and stingy about it. Don't be some kind of martyr on Christmas. Be thankful and be of good Cheer!)

But she says it better, and links to others who say it well, too. One more thing I will add. If gifts don't mean much to you, maybe you ought to think of holding back a little more on other days - but not on Christmas, or you are missing the point.

Meanwhile - a blessed Advent to you.

No Muffin Tops

2008-11-14T20:25:00.003-07:00

You Are a Blueberry Muffin

You are a nurturing, domestic, homey person.

Of all the types, you are the most likely to make your own muffins at home.

You don't like to rock the boat, and you're most content when you're making everyone else happy.

You are very loyal. You'll defend your family and friends, even if you secretly disapprove of what they're doing.

You tend to be a bit shy and withdrawn. You don't make friends quickly or easily.

But once you do make a good friend, the chances are high that you'll be friends for life.

What Kind of Muffin Are You?

Like the "You Are Chess" game (in a previous post) this isn't entirely accurate, but I have to say I do enjoy a good blueberry muffin when I can get one - and I do make them myself ;)

h/t Red Cardigan

Take a minute...

2008-11-14T16:01:00.003-07:00

...and please go here to vote for Thomas Peters, aka American Papist. Not that I know him or anything, but he seems to be a smart Catholic kid who could use the scholarship money well.
Ask your friends to help. I know he'd appreciate it.
Thanks.

Mad at Blurb

2008-11-13T14:58:00.002-07:00

I downloaded Blurb's BookSmart and slurped Boogers Don't Bounce a few months ago. Then I messed with it awhile, decided I didn't like what I'd done, and figured the easiest way to fix everything would be to start from scratch. BookSmart told me there was a new version available and that I really, really should update the program to get a bunch of great new features - so I did. Then I erased Boogers and went to re-slurp it and AAAHHRRRRRG! The new version of BookSmart no longer supports slurping from Blogger. So now I'm worse off than I was. I am hating BookSmart and Blurb right now, and am still without a back-up of this blog. I'm thinking I might just have to resort to printing each post and putting it into a binder or something. Guess I could copy/paste into BookSmart but sheesh. Like I have the time for any of this; I am wondering if it is worth it.

How do you save/back-up your blog, or do you?

Bored? game

2008-11-12T02:05:00.000-07:00

You Are Chess

You are brilliant and shrewd. You can often predict what people will do in the future.

You thrive in complex situations. You deal with contradictions well.

You can have many streams of though going on at your mind at once. You keep track of things well.

You are very patient. You have lots of endurance, even when your energy dwindles

What Board Game Are You?

Another Catholic post

2008-11-10T00:58:00.003-07:00

If you are Catholic you might like to check out American Papist.

I especially enjoyed his new interview (in two parts) with Archbishop Chaput, since Chaput was Bishop of my diocese when I was in high school and I got to meet him several times.

American Papist on YouTube.

American Papist blog.

Just what I need

2008-11-03T00:23:00.003-07:00

A new tv crush.
The Mentalist.
It's online at CBS.*

*Ok, so what gives? I watched four full episodes online last week, now there're only clips. Boo on that.

Edited to add:
No luck on Hulu; that's where I had found it last week - Hulu just sends you to CBS, but thanks for the tip anyway.
I did find it here, and no commercials - so lucky me!
After watching episode six, I like Patrick Jane even better. Great ending.

Something for next year?

2008-10-31T17:10:00.003-06:00

Happy Halloween, everyone.

We had one of these at one time, but it became the joke to pass it around our circle of friends because then the person in possession would end up with a new baby within the year. Might've had something to do with the fact that it was purchased in the German Tent, the beer garden doncha know. Lots of beer and lots of chicken dancing. It never did come back to us before we moved, but we had two more kids anyway ;)

It would also be perfect for wearing to a wedding dance, where the chicken dance used to be common. Especially in Minnesota.

Parties are good for you

2008-10-31T09:58:00.003-06:00

Even if you are not Catholic, this article on the art of good parties might hold some gems for your next gathering.

(H/T Karen Edmisten)

Oh, mercy me

2008-10-31T00:08:00.002-06:00

Why can I not ever learn how to go about works of mercy in the right way? I opened my big mouth again today (actually, my big fat keyboard) and tried to clarify something. I was soundly scolded. So then I tried to apologize for my poor clarification... That didn't work out so well.
*sigh*
At least now I know more than I used to...

I feel like I'm in the fable of the old man, his son, and the donkey.

(I got this from New Advent.)
The traditional enumeration of the corporal works of mercy is as follows:

To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.

The spiritual works of mercy are:

To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the dead.

Seeing red about blue

2008-10-28T11:07:00.003-06:00

Warning: Politics, etc. ahead. This'll probably be my only post about this before the elections.

Something has been bugging me for a few elections now. I was sure I remembered watching the Reagan election in '84 and rooting for blue, which on the tv map represented Reagan. But as most of us know, blue now represents democrats and red is republicans. I guess I have Tim Russert to blame. It's too bad, I think, seeing as how blue represents the conservatives in most democratic countries. I'm voting red, but as a color I like blue better.

Why vote red? Because I am Catholic and not a one-issue voter, and I don't much like KoolAid. In part because stuff like this and this scares me. Not to mention FOCA, which will remove all restrictions on abortion including the parental notification laws they have in 44 states. I guess since those parental notification laws are broken all the time, they figure we don't need them. I don't like John McCain much really; I hate it when he says "My friends." And yes, Sarah Palin is inexperienced nationally and internationally, but she seems to have as much executive experience as Obama does at least. Obama is a movie-starish enigma because that is how the mainstream presents him. A pretty face. A talking head. A cult leader. And if I'm going to be the sheep the Dems are hoping I am, at least I am going to follow the shepherd's voice that I know . I'm not afraid to listen to people who know more than I do. Even the president has advisors ;)

But when all is said and done, My President is Dale Ahlquist.

Boo - what?

2008-10-25T22:57:00.003-06:00

Is it terrible that we have absolutely zero Halloween decorations up around this house? No one around here seems to care much. The only planning that has been done is Flowergirl expressing the wish to be a princess. As she has said something about being a princess several times a week since she learned to talk, I don't find this seasonally related. Halloween just doesn't seem to be a big deal to any of my kids. Except for the candy part.

We do have one pumpkin we will decorate and/or carve later this week, and we watched the Halloween episode of Max and Ruby. And each year we do spend some time talking about All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. That'll happen in a few days, and then later, yes, we'll dress up and take pictures and trick-or-treat.

It's such a big commercial deal nowadays, and I tend to scale back in inverse proportions compared to the displays in WalMart, etc. (Well, except for Christmas.)

Just wondering what people think. How into Halloween are you?

2008-10-20T21:20:00.002-06:00

I am thinking of trying this. I must be crazy since I know already I don't have time. But one can always make time, right? Like for blogging... Oh yeah, I haven't been doing much of that lately, either. Well, one can always dream.

One of the new neighbors

2008-10-11T23:33:00.003-06:00

We've met a lot of this family since we've moved here. I think they have as many cousins as I do. There was a whole herd including gamboling yearlings right next to our driveway just a few days ago.
Of course, looking outside today all I saw was this:Yup. Snow. Lots of it. And four kids having fun. The fifth (Elle) won't put on her snowsuit so she didn't join in with the sledding or other merry making. She did make a break for it when I was taking this picture, and she walked right out into the snow in her bare feet! I don't know how long it would've taken her to come in by herself - it didn't seem to bother her. But I couldn't handle it so I caught her up and brought her in and closed the door with her loud complaints in my ears. Not sure how long the snow will stay, but it's been coming down much of the evening...

My Chesterton for Today

2008-09-10T22:59:00.005-06:00

"When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude." Gilbert K. Chesterton, author, 1874-1936.

Hello again. Did I say I'd be back in August? Um, yeah - scratch that. Can't believe it's so far into September already. My August was a doozy. I'll blog about it in bits and pieces as I try to process the emotional overload. August was so full. Right now I'm just struggling to get the household functioning and put our routines back together.

Breathe, girl, breathe.

Always later

2008-07-27T22:48:00.002-06:00

You know, moving a household takes a lot of time and energy.
I hope your summer has been more relaxing.
See you later in August, peeps.

Home again

2008-07-11T10:40:00.004-06:00

Well, the family reunion was wonderful and a good time was had by all. Golf, swimming, golf, mini golf, playing tourist, the zoo, the golf tournament, a little education, more golf (for some), lots of visiting, and fireworks. North Dakota - a great family vacation. Thanks for everyone's help with the kids while Mr. Malaprop was golfing!

Hair I am again

2008-07-11T10:15:00.002-06:00

Hair today, gone tomorrow

2008-06-26T20:53:00.001-06:00

Postcard sums up summer

2008-06-24T20:02:00.004-06:00

Reeking havoc. Like that one?

Posts are few and far between here, and likely to be sporadic at least for the rest of the summer due to several factors. To mention a few:

We have a big family reunion to attend this summer. My side of the family, not too far away, big gathering, golf tournament. A real tournament with trophies and everything. This was held every year for 20 years and is now only held in even years. Always over the 4th of July. Now that Mr. Malaprop golfs he is rather keen to attend. Stars have aligned and allowed for a week's vacation. Now if I could only find something to wear! My summer wardrobe is sad.

We are moving again. We have lived in this house almost four years, so I guess it's high time.

We have a wedding to attend the same week we close on our new house. A very long day's drive away; at the same time Mr. Malaprop's side of the family is holding their annual summer campout. We plan to divide and conquer for this one, which will likely be tougher on me than the kids.

I still have hopes of getting some schoolwork done. Fun stuff, but still educational. Right now, I'm not seeing it happening, but I'm still hanging on to my list.

So far I have enjoyed the summer, but now home repair, putting the house on the market, and packing most of the household goods into storage is looming. And there's more, but I'm sure you've heard enough for now!

Cereal tower

2008-06-14T23:31:00.002-06:00

Cereal tower
Originally uploaded by Stacie.Make.Do

What exactly goes on when I'm not home? Do I really want to know?
I found this mysterious photo on my camera; all other evidence had been removed from the actual kitchen.

Big thing spotted

2008-06-11T11:12:00.004-06:00

On a recent trip back home from visiting Wyoming and South Dakota, we passed a truck carrying a huge cylindrical-shaped load. Actually, we passed it once, had to make an emergency potty stop, got back on the interstate and passed it again. The second time I managed to snap a photo which, as you can see, doesn't show the thing itself but does show the name: NaturEner. We had no idea what it was and no idea where it was headed. Now that I know it's part of a wind turbine - maybe here, or here? Probably someplace new, though, and maybe not even in Montana. It was headed west - I wonder, where did it come from originally?

World record?

2008-06-02T14:52:00.002-06:00

This has got to be the largest, earliest watermelon in a Wyoming garden. I saw it myself two days ago. Incredible.

the game

2008-05-30T22:29:00.001-06:00

the game
Originally uploaded by Stacie.Make.Do

Saw this from Domesticali and decided to play along.

Bits of life

2008-05-25T18:47:00.002-06:00

It just keeps piling up.

Plum beautiful

2008-05-24T20:25:00.003-06:00

It has been raining here for about four days. That's good, because we need the moisture for the land, but I've missed the sunshine and flowers.

That was refreshing...

2008-05-16T13:33:00.003-06:00

Spring is finally here for certain, and welcome to it. We spent the afternoon at the park yesterday with our homeschool church group. I was too busy gabbing and following the toddler to get a picture of the nearby ducklings, or to even see them myself, but my boys and others were sure excited to see/terrorize them. I hope the little quackers recover from the shock.

We planted some peas and they have finally sprouted. Anyone want to make book on how long it'll be before the rabbits find them? And my poor tomato sprouts have a bad case of damping off. I planted a whole flat (the entire package of seeds) and only need about five of them to pull through. Go, tommies, grow!

Today feels more like summer here with the temp. nearing 80*F. Time for the sprinkler and some ice cream cones.
TTFN

Batting 300, haha

2008-04-03T13:01:00.004-06:00

Hi, Good People!
Wow. Three hundred posts doesn't seem the right time to announce this, but...

Boogers Don't Bounce is taking a break for a week or three.
Please keep me in your blog reader and you'll see me back here after I've had time to spring clean and air things out, so to speak. No worries. We are all well, we're just enjoying the longer daylight hours.

Thanks, everybody.

TTFN

Spot on?

2008-03-26T09:25:00.001-06:00

You Are a Question Mark

You seek knowledge and insight in every form possible. You love learning.

And while you know a lot, you don't act like a know it all. You're open to learning you're wrong.

You ask a lot of questions, collect a lot of data, and always dig deep to find out more.

You're naturally curious and inquisitive. You jump to ask a question when the opportunity arises.

Your friends see you as interesting, insightful, and thought provoking.

(But they're not always up for the intense inquisitions that you love!)

You excel in: Higher education

You get along best with: The Comma

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Mr. Rogers Sweater Day

2008-03-19T23:03:00.000-06:00

No need to guess...

2008-03-18T12:43:00.003-06:00

...whose truck this is. Keep outta his way! (Click photo to enlarge - he also uses Napa and supports dirt biking.)

Is this is the same Bob I saw at mass Sunday with B-O-B stamped on the back of his leather belt in gold letters? Gotta love living in the Wild West.

Another birthday at our house

2008-03-17T17:33:00.003-06:00

A very Happy Birthday yesterday to my dear husband Mr. Malaprop.
I was finally able to find a Wii - at Target yesterday morning - so guess what he got for his gift? (Along with golf shoes he bought for himself last week.) He was a good sport about it and said the kids could play it any time if I gave them permission. He's actually pretty good at it himself and we're all having fun. I have to add that yes, the kids got their school work done in record time today. What motivation! Not exactly a Lenten activity, but we will give it up for the Triduum.
Now they've got their eye on buying more games.... but phew! Fifty bucks a pop is rather steep. Guess I knew what I was getting in to, but it doesn't make it easier. Good thing they can afford to buy them with their own money or we'd be eating beans every day.

My 15 minutes

2008-03-17T17:19:00.003-06:00

My 15 minutes of fame may have come today for my Stay.See.Make.Do. blog. I got mentioned here on Angry Chicken and the hits have been slowly adding up. I am not quite interesting enough to warrant any comments, even though I begged a bit ;) but it's fun to see new people visiting.

The photo is a tree stump along a busy street here in my town. The smiley face is painted on and every major holiday someone decorates it. When I first moved here I thought it was a bit annoying and tacky, but it has grown on me and now I like seeing what they come up with next. Apparently so do other people because I've never noticed it having been vandalized or messed with. Do you have anything like it in your town?

St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-15T19:22:00.004-06:00

A very happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you. Poor ol' St. Pat seems to be getting the run-around this year. As a feast day, because the 17th falls during Holy Week, St. Patrick was transferred to yesterday. But as a more secular celebration, the party seems to be all over the place. Today was the big parade in our town and I'm happy to say St. Patrick himself was there. Probably one of the few parades that actually recognized him. Wouldn't you know it was the float from St. Patrick's Cathedral? They couldn't leave him out! I'm only sorry I didn't get a better photo.

Cereal Serial

2008-03-14T00:29:00.009-06:00

We eat a lot of cereal at our house. I should buy stock in General Mills. And maybe also his wife, Betty Crocker. When Flowergirl got the Papa Cornflake a few weeks ago, I had to take pictures. It was exciting.

Today's thrill centered around an uber-frosted piece of Shredded Wheat (bite-size). Pippen had the lucky shake from the box this time, and I tell ya he was the envy of his sibs. Both pieces in the picture look like they have extra topping, but the kids can always tell which has the most. Nothing like even more sugar in the morning.

My traditional Lenten meal

2008-03-10T16:36:00.004-06:00

My aunt makes this stuff called "Black Soup". My mom used to make it, too, but it has been years since I've had it. What's in it? I can't remember exactly, but I think it has noodles and dried fruit. (It is not the icky stuff with animal by-products in it that you see when you google for a recipe for Black Soup.) I remember not liking it as a child (imagine that) but I couldn't tell you if I like it now that my tastes have matured. Of course, I use the word "matured" rather loosely here.

Some people will name fishsticks, some people Hot Cross Buns, some say eggs or mac'n'cheese, but when I think of traditional Lenten food, this is what comes to mind:

I haven't had this for years, so when I found myself alone and about town at lunchtime last week, it was a Shamrock Shake and Filet-O-Fish nostalgia meal for me. It was pretty good, but why I feel like it is traditional is beyond me.

Like it knows.

2008-03-06T21:47:00.002-07:00

Usually I really like the auto-thingummy that helps fill in the blanks for you in online forms. You know the thing. Like when you have to type in your email or your url or something and you start to type a letter or two and the little window appears and you can choose what you want from something you've typed in a similar blank before.

Ok, so I just googled it and it's called Auto-Fill. ("Hi. I'm Auto Phil and I'm in the Blank.")

I just think it's funny that it tries to help you save time when you're on the word verification page. As though it can recognize the random string of letters and numbers from something you've entered before. If it could talk it would be all: "What? You're typing XY09TP and not XTo8SW? Are you sure? Because I feel I could really help you out here."

Thanks anyway, Phil.

Weekend lessons

2008-02-25T12:44:00.003-07:00

I learned a few things this weekend:

A wife can put up with an awful lot in a husband if said husband is a Vietnam veteran and has told her even only a few of his stories. It can make you want to love him.
A lot of people push pro-choice only to encourage abortion, with no provision, discussion, or promotion for the choice of life. Where is the choice in that? If there is only one choice, is it really a choice?
Always call and visit those you love when you are vacationing in their area. You never know when you'll get to see them again.
If you are in a sentimental mood, don't listen to Feed the Birds from Mary Poppins.
Practice charitable thinking. People have reasons and history you might not be aware of, even if you think you really know them.
Crown and water is not that good, unless you like it. Then it is.
Define your terms. Marriage, Christianity, Love, Cheating, Religion - these words do not mean the same thing to everyone. If you want to discuss them, find out what you're talking about first.
A smile, a nod, a handshake, a hug. Each by itself or taken together, these can be enough.
Big extended families are the best. Just.The.Best. Love your family now because you might not end up together later. Hopefully you will.

Bring it back, Kraft.

2008-02-25T12:36:00.004-07:00

Did you know Tang Instant Drink Mix now only comes with artificial sweeteners? I have three favorite recipes that use the old, sugar-full kind, and now I can't make them.

I wanted to sent an email to Kraft Foods, but their "contact us" button on their website only leads you to a FAQ page. What is up with that? And why would they think taking the sugar out of the Tang would make it "healthier"? I think it still has artificial color and flavor which is scarier to me than sugar. Actually, sugar doesn't scare me at all - but artificial sweeteners give me headaches. ARG.

Sorry for the little rant. Anyone out there know a good substitute for Tang, Drink of the Astronauts?

Just a nice post to get you thinking

2008-02-12T23:15:00.001-07:00

Some of my kids are sick and I don't really feel like writing much, so I'm just sharing this because I liked it. And now I'm going to bed. Goodnight.

http://blueyonder.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/middle-of-the-n.html

Seriously cool art

2008-02-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

Check out what this gal does with books:

http://www.sublackwell.co.uk/gallery.php?id=1

just because

2008-02-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

Some bedtimes - in song

2008-02-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

Peg Bracken

2008-02-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

(*Edited to change Hillary to Hilary. (S)he's a man! Sheesh.)

I just read a really funny post over on Notes to Self about Hints from Heloise. Kyran quotes some vintage hints and then adds her astute observations on the validity of said hints.

It reminded me of one of my favorite authors, Peg Bracken. I thought for sure I'd blogged about her before, but a quick search did not show her name in any of my previous posts.

I have three of her books: The I Hate to Cook Book, The Appendix to The I Hate to Cook Book, and I Try to Behave Myself. Next I hope to find her I Hate to Housekeep Book (the others were all thrift store finds).

The reason I purchased The I Hate to Cook Book, when I actually like to cook, is because it has illustrations by Hilary Knight. I simply cannot pass up his work when I find it, except for Eloise. Funny, since he is most famous for Eloise, but I don't own any of those.

Anywhoo... this is not about Hilary Knight, but about Peg Bracken. You can get a good idea about her writing from her chapter titles:

Chapter 2 Leftovers, or Every Family Needs a Dog
Chapter 5 Potluck Suppers, or How to Bring the Water for the Lemonade
Chapter 9 Desserts, or People Are Too Fat Anyway

And, to top it off I found out she was still giving interviews in '03. Unfortunately, she died last October. And to think I could've sent her a fan letter. Well, maybe not.

“I think women can have it all but not all at once,” she says.

I agree with that to a point. I've heard it said before. In fact, I said a variation of it myself just a few days ago. I'm not sure exactly what people mean when they say "it all". She was on her third husband, so...?

What does "it all" mean to you?

Another idea

2008-02-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

"Happy Chinese New Year!" I said to my two eldest. "How shall we celebrate?"
"I don't know," said the younger one.
"Well," said his brother, "We could search through the house looking for lead-contaminated toys."

I will leave it up to you whether that is funny or not.

I laughed, even while knowing we still have some of those offending Thomas train cars.

Prayer request

2008-02-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

...for my husband's father.
He's been in and out of the hospital with heart troubles, and now he's back in with who-knows-what, possibly a mini-stroke. ??? The emails have been flying fast and thick tonight.

God Bless Zip, the farmer, and help him heal. He's only a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday!

Book meme

2008-02-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

1. Pick up the nearest book ( of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

So I glance around my paper-strewn cluttered desk and spy Wisdom and Innocence, A Life of GK Chesterton by Joseph Pearce (still new in shrink-wrap, but not for long).

The fifth sentence on p. 123 is: 'Our friendship with G.K. was the daily bread of life: he made one feel at home in the world and he himself was like a huge comfortable house with great windows opening on to vistas and letting in the daylight...

The next three sentences continue: For us he belongs (it is impossible to think of him in the past tense) not to the limelight, but to the firelight. ' Barbara Nicholl echoed the sentiments of her sister: 'I shall never be grateful enough for knowing him. It is not only what he did and meant at the time, but what he meant later, remembering it in a more grown-up way.'

Now I am supposed to tag five people. Do I even know five people? Just kidding. But like Paul who gave up tagging for Lent, I will not tag anyone, but will let you play along if you want to.

Oh, waiter...

2008-01-31T22:13:00.001-07:00

... there's a camel in my soup.
Shhh... or everyone'll want one!

Originally uploaded by Candlestring

Bilibo

2008-01-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

Santa brought two, a red one and a green one.
See them in use in this promotional video.

Catholic Schools Week

2008-01-30T22:42:00.001-07:00

I forgot to ask who these people are supposed to be. But although one looks worried and one looks unimpressed, they are all happy. Just for the record.

Why is it that only the Catholic homeschoolers seem to remember that we are Catholic Schools, too?
Happy Catholic Schools Week, everybody!

Anne-with-an-e-iversary

2008-01-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

My favorite ornament is kept out all year long, and recognizes an important anniversary:

Many thanks to SMR for this wonderful gift. I think of you, S., every time I see this. It now hangs in a holder on my desk and makes me so happy! Someday I will get there, too. Maybe even with you since I'm sure you'd be willing to go again...

Tomorrow's the Big Day

2008-01-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

They are going to have a great life together. They already do.

275

2008-01-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

Two hundred and seventy-five posts. This feels like a milestone to me. Three hundred is coming up fast - I'm thinking of a give away or a contest or something - to celebrate. But seeing as how posting is so irregular around here lately, we'll just sit on that idea for awhile.

I have so many things I want to share! I made a bunch of gifts for our two goddaughters for Christmas, and I have an anniversary to point out to you, and my kids also received some fun gifts that I think you'll be interested in. And I took pictures. I've also made several fabric purchases lately, and re-discovered some great pieces in my stash.

This whole blogger/typepad/two blogs thing is not working the way I hoped it would, so Boogers Don't Bounce might be moving to the Stay.See.Make.Do. site. I don't know if the membership I have on Typepad allows me to do that, or if I have to upgrade. I don't know if I want to keep this blog or just concentrate on my craftiness.

I think most bloggers I read love to share the pretty side of their lives, but the "real" side, not so much. Unless, of course, they need validation, support, a second opinion, etc. This blog has been full (too full?) of the rambling, and not enough of the joy and creativity and loveliness that I would like to highlight. I hope that if I focus more on the things I really love in my life, like will beget like and life will become even better. But then again, I will still need to vent occasionally, and then where would I go?

I am going to make some decisions over the weekend, and I'll let you know what I come up with. Anyone willing to chime in? What do YOU choose not to tell? How do YOU decide what to write about? And what not?

Not Alone

2008-01-21T00:49:00.001-07:00

It's so nice to see I'm not the only one.

Lidmen

2008-01-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, but I just think these are cool. I'd hang them outside, maybe.

H/T : whipup

another list for women

2008-01-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

I have to second this blogger's recommendation of the movie The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. It's about family but not for little kids.
Here's a link to her list of movies and books.

Chesterton done well

2008-01-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

Harvest the Day

2008-01-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

Carpe diem from wikipedia.

Yet one more

2008-01-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

...vanity license plate from MT. One of my favorite sayings:
KRPAYDM.

Seize it and throttle it, as Calvin would say.

Whoosh

2008-01-07T01:57:00.000-07:00

Wow. Where did '07 go? Happy New Year to you.

I'm still here, just quiet for awhile. Lots of things to do, and blogging at 2AM shouldn't be one of them.

After all, I'm still doing laundry from the holiday traveling.

Hope you're well, as are we.

TTFN

Chesterton's poem A Little Litany

2007-12-21T21:05:00.001-07:00

To answer your question in the comments of the previous post, Nancy - she is 7 years old and adorable.

Here's another of my favorites for this time of year:

A Little Litany

When God turned back eternity and was young,
Ancient of Days, grown little for your mirth
(As under the low arch the land is bright)
Peered through you, gate of heaven--and saw the earth.

Or shutting out his shining skies awhile
Built you about him for a house of gold
To see in pictured walls his storied world
Return upon him as a tale is told.

Or found his mirror there; the only glass
That would not break with that unbearable light
Till in a corner of the high dark house
God looked on God, as ghosts meet in the night.

Star of his morning; that unfallen star
In that strange starry overturn of space
When earth and sky changed places for an hour
And heaven looked upwards in a human face.

Or young on your strong knees and lifted up
Wisdom cried out, whose voice is in the street,
And more than twilight of twiformed cherubim
Made of his throne indeed a mercy-seat.

Or risen from play at your pale raiment's hem
God, grown adventurous from all time's repose,
Or your tall body climbed the ivory tower
And kissed upon your mouth the mystic rose.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Frodo's nativity

2007-12-21T16:23:00.001-07:00

Frodo's nativity
Originally uploaded by Candlestring

The goose is getting fat...

2007-12-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

...please to put a penny in an old man's hat.

Wow. It's been awhile.
I have been busier than I thought I would be this month. I had everything calm and under control and was plodding along at a steady pace and then - croup. The three youngest. Bark, bark, bark. Vaporizers, pillows, lots of couch time, lots of tv, lots of pacing the floor in the dark with a baby who can't get comfortable and can't nurse because she can't breathe through her nose.

And then, wellness! There's still the odd runny nose here and there, but we are past the contagious part. So what do I do to celebrate? Plan a party, of course. Yesterday we had here in our home about 25 extra kids and six moms and lots of royal icing and graham crackers and CANDY. Whew. What a good time. And what creativity! Not just houses but little shrines and many, many nativity scenes. The party didn't end until 4pm so I had to take pictures with the flash, but still. I think it is safe to say a good time was had by all.

The highlight of my afternoon? A little "gift" from my friend J's daughter, R. She stood before me during a hard-won moment of (relative) calm and recited Chesterton's poem A Christmas Carol:

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap,
His hair was like a light.
(O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s breast
His hair was like a star.
(O stern and cunning are the kings,
But here the true hearts are.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s heart,
His hair was like a fire.
(O weary, weary is the world,
But here the world’s desire.)

The Christ-child stood on Mary’s knee,
His hair was like a crown,
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down.

Now I am off to finally wrap a few gifts for under the tree, and maybe get a few finished that I'm still making, or planning to make!

I hope your Christmas preparations are coming together, with a nicely tied bow on top.
Enjoy these last few days of Advent, which means "to come to"; the Christ Child is coming to us.

Vanity plate today

2007-12-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

Again with the golfers:

L84TTYM

Way too cold for that these days. I don't care if the sun is shining, 28F is no weather for sticking the links.

Do I look like....

2007-12-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

...someone who needs Viagra? Below is part of yet another email I got today with the subject line of "Hi", and though I didn't recognize the name, I thought maybe I knew the person. But no, order Cialis or whatever from this link-to-somewhere which will provide you medication from who-knows-where. At least the spam-fooling text was interesting:

the hair on his temples upwards, in the way affected by the Emperor Alexander, and, having assured himself sent his family away, was alone at Bald Hills and was sitting indoors reading the Lives of the Saints. On to find that this inner freedom, which was independent of external conditions, now had as it were an Yes, here in this forest was that oak with which I agreed, thought Prince Andrew. But where is it? he

Time for the Cinnamon Bear

2007-12-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

A few years ago we bought the Christmas mp3 CDs from Homeschool Radio Shows , and part of the set was the Cinnamon Bear series. It is a fairy tale meant to be listened to one episode each day until Christmas. Read the synopsis here. Personally I don't care for the story all so very much, but my kids really like it.
Last year I also bought the 2005 year's set on CD from Kiddie Records Weekly. I opted to buy them at the time because I didn't have access to a high-speed connection, but you can get them as a free download.
There is a lot of free old audio available on the web. Do you have a favorite free site?