This music video really speaks to me; I hope others might appreciate it as well.
I love the premis of global-togetherness.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
This is so great!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Benefits of Living in Poverty
I've lived below the poverty level all my life. As a child at school, I was painfully aware of my second-hand, thrift-store clothes. I wanted the cool clothes and toys everyone else had, I wanted to be like everyone else. Today, though, I have no qualms about being different from everyone else. I'm realizing just how truly beneficial this poverty-stricken life has been for me.
Because we were poor (and be mindful that my mom's family, with six kids, were poor, and my father's family, who had seven kids, were poor), I grew up with a firm foundation in how to do without, and how to make the most of every dollar. There were three of us children, I was the oldest. We bought second-hand clothes at the thrift shop, or lawn sales. My mother sometimes made clothes for us, and she taught me how to sew, too. We picked berries (something I always enjoyed and excelled at), and carry with me today. I remember Mom cooking the jam and canning it, though I've yet to get enough berries to follow suit (my 2 boys are voracious berry-eaters). Some of my best childhood memories are of long summer days spent at Mullin Cove--a sandy little beach on the east shore of Embden Pond, in Embden, Maine. It was free, and a simple pleasure to partake in.
My husband and I have chosen to keep one parent at home (namely me), for the sake of our children, as a result we suffer from a reduced income. We're very fortunate to have a lovely little house on a large corner lot in the rural town of Anson, Maine. But even without rent or mortgage hanging over our heads, every dollar is precious to us, and we go to great lengths to stretch every penny. My husband fixes most problems that arise mechanically and technologically--out of necessity (though he does have the inclination and aptitude for it). We buy older vehicles specifically so that he will be able to work on them, and also, by buying used vehicles we're able to avoid an auto payment, and enjoy lower insurance rates. He fixes, cleans, and fixes-again radios, VCRs, telephones, often scavenging parts from spare machine we have kicking around (I actually have found it was worth it to let him keep some of the old tape decks, stereos, and other 'junk' he insists on hanging onto), in order to prolong the life of what we do have.
I bake my own bread, which saves me $3 a loaf, and tastes fresher, better than the stuff from the grocery store. My family loves bread fresh from the oven, with butter on it. But when I decided to stop buying bread at the store I had never made bread before. I remembered a few of the techniques my mother had once shown me, and armed with a few recipes from the internet, I set out to teach myself how to bake bread. It turned out to be a delicious skill to develop, and well worth the effort in savings to our food-budget.
The point is, that being poor has forced us to learn new things, master new skills, in order to get done what needs to be done, and to have the few luxuries that we do have. Because I've always been poor, and because my mother was poor, I can use a sewing machine to make curtains from old sheets, to make my boys' Halloween costumes, to alter my own clothes, or to make my own blouses. Those outings that cost my mother nothing at all, but created memories that have stuck with me, I utilize that, and provide my boys with fun and adventurous outings even when my wallet is empty. We'll take a snack from home (or lunch), water from home, and set out to places unknown (such as scenic rest areas, hiking along a nature trail, visit a park, go to the free playground, etc.)--so long as there's no charge or fees involved.
Because we've been poor since we started out on our own, Keith (my hubby) has been forced to finally learn mechanics, something my father-in-law had long wanted to teach Keith, but waited and waited for Keith to show an interest/inclination. With every broken tie-rod end, and every oil-change, Keith has learned more and more about auto-mechanics. When it became imperative we move, my husband learned how to plumb base-board heating, repair a furnace, and what-ever-else is involved when pipes freeze and burst--the work he did saved us thousands and enabled us to move into our current home.
Being poor has made us unafraid to take on challenges that crop up in our life, to learn what we need to scrape by, to over-come misfortune. It has actually, in some ways, allowed us to succeed. And it is with that same can-do attitude that we homeschool our two boys. A frightening, and daunting (and some days frustrating--)adventure, to turn out two honorable, intelligent men to be a productive part of society. But I have faith in myself, and in Keith, and I trust that my boys will find their way, and will be successful in their own right.
Because we were poor (and be mindful that my mom's family, with six kids, were poor, and my father's family, who had seven kids, were poor), I grew up with a firm foundation in how to do without, and how to make the most of every dollar. There were three of us children, I was the oldest. We bought second-hand clothes at the thrift shop, or lawn sales. My mother sometimes made clothes for us, and she taught me how to sew, too. We picked berries (something I always enjoyed and excelled at), and carry with me today. I remember Mom cooking the jam and canning it, though I've yet to get enough berries to follow suit (my 2 boys are voracious berry-eaters). Some of my best childhood memories are of long summer days spent at Mullin Cove--a sandy little beach on the east shore of Embden Pond, in Embden, Maine. It was free, and a simple pleasure to partake in.
My husband and I have chosen to keep one parent at home (namely me), for the sake of our children, as a result we suffer from a reduced income. We're very fortunate to have a lovely little house on a large corner lot in the rural town of Anson, Maine. But even without rent or mortgage hanging over our heads, every dollar is precious to us, and we go to great lengths to stretch every penny. My husband fixes most problems that arise mechanically and technologically--out of necessity (though he does have the inclination and aptitude for it). We buy older vehicles specifically so that he will be able to work on them, and also, by buying used vehicles we're able to avoid an auto payment, and enjoy lower insurance rates. He fixes, cleans, and fixes-again radios, VCRs, telephones, often scavenging parts from spare machine we have kicking around (I actually have found it was worth it to let him keep some of the old tape decks, stereos, and other 'junk' he insists on hanging onto), in order to prolong the life of what we do have.
I bake my own bread, which saves me $3 a loaf, and tastes fresher, better than the stuff from the grocery store. My family loves bread fresh from the oven, with butter on it. But when I decided to stop buying bread at the store I had never made bread before. I remembered a few of the techniques my mother had once shown me, and armed with a few recipes from the internet, I set out to teach myself how to bake bread. It turned out to be a delicious skill to develop, and well worth the effort in savings to our food-budget.
The point is, that being poor has forced us to learn new things, master new skills, in order to get done what needs to be done, and to have the few luxuries that we do have. Because I've always been poor, and because my mother was poor, I can use a sewing machine to make curtains from old sheets, to make my boys' Halloween costumes, to alter my own clothes, or to make my own blouses. Those outings that cost my mother nothing at all, but created memories that have stuck with me, I utilize that, and provide my boys with fun and adventurous outings even when my wallet is empty. We'll take a snack from home (or lunch), water from home, and set out to places unknown (such as scenic rest areas, hiking along a nature trail, visit a park, go to the free playground, etc.)--so long as there's no charge or fees involved.
Because we've been poor since we started out on our own, Keith (my hubby) has been forced to finally learn mechanics, something my father-in-law had long wanted to teach Keith, but waited and waited for Keith to show an interest/inclination. With every broken tie-rod end, and every oil-change, Keith has learned more and more about auto-mechanics. When it became imperative we move, my husband learned how to plumb base-board heating, repair a furnace, and what-ever-else is involved when pipes freeze and burst--the work he did saved us thousands and enabled us to move into our current home.
Being poor has made us unafraid to take on challenges that crop up in our life, to learn what we need to scrape by, to over-come misfortune. It has actually, in some ways, allowed us to succeed. And it is with that same can-do attitude that we homeschool our two boys. A frightening, and daunting (and some days frustrating--)adventure, to turn out two honorable, intelligent men to be a productive part of society. But I have faith in myself, and in Keith, and I trust that my boys will find their way, and will be successful in their own right.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
America Broke My Heart
I hesitate to write what I am writing, but this is what I feel in my heart, and I can not deny it.
I have been sad lately-or saddened.... My faith in what I thought our country--the America--represented, has been shaken. And this shattering of my youthful naivity has wounded me to the core of my soul. Maybe it is late in coming. I suppose I should be grateful to have awoken at all, as so many others are still unaware they are lost to the system. Much like Neo in The Matrix, I have learned the truth, and I can not go back to the unknowing. Not ever.
Eight years ago, when my husband and I decided that homeschooling was the right choice for our family, I could not have guessed where my research would lead me. It started with the homeschooling books. Then a series of life-events led me to research autism, sensory-processing, and other neurological disorders (and with a mother-in-law in college who did her senior thesis on the Autism Spectrum, I had a chance to look at and study research papers written by doctors from all over the world). After that I began studying learning styles and how the memory receives information, and so forth. I even studied the history of homeschooling, the 'revolutionists', like John Holt, and Raymond and Dorothy Moore. Then I got my hands on John Taylor Gatto's The Underground History of American Education. He goes into great detail to explain how the whole school and economic system came to exist. And oh what a tangled web it is! So many different threads weaving together the society of a mangled Utopia.
I created a Lens at Squidoo just for this research, it's still a work in progress, as I'm still researching, verifying facts, and such, but it's so fascinating! Here's the link:
Now I see the truth everywhere. And the truth is they created the system to suit what they believed a modern industrial Utopian-society would need. They wanted an army of workers (they call us human resources!) which they could manipulate to suit the needs of the economy. In fact, they prefer us stupid and illiterate, simply because we pose less of a threat to the system-and them (the wealthy elite).
I see it in the people that surround me in every day life. I see it in the news, in the country, in the city. I can't tell you the sorrow I feel for our country. When America was first settled people were thrilled to be free to do as they pleased, to read, to pursue knowledge that had been forbidden or just out-of-reach for them in the old homelands. And so they did. There was a 98% Literacy-rate in the late 1700s and early 1800s, and not just the fourth-grade reading level that is considered literate today. But the 'elite', those of power and wealth, and influence, devised the system (though they did so out of a misguided intention for good), sought to dull-down the American, and today, as we look around, we know they have succeeded.
Anyway, if you want to know more of the details you can read more about it on my squid-lens, also this lens possesses a link to John Gatto's book The Underground History of American Education, which is online in its entirety for free.
I don't know that there's much to be done today to undo this travesty. It seems like a herd of mad elephants running wild, this system. It would take a complete dismantling of this bureaucratic system that has taken on the guise of democracy, and I even feel sad for saying so, because I truly loved my country. Now, how can I?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
My Chronological History of the World; Unit Study for Secular Homeschoolers
This is our first-official year homeschooling our first-born son, in that I have to notify the state, since he will be turning 7yrs this school-year. We've been doing just the three-R's before now, 'unofficially'; but this is the first year I'm to be held accountable to my home state of Maine for my son's education.
I'm ready for the challenge.
We'll continue with our three-R's. But this fall I'll be adding a combination unit-study of history and science. I thought it would be easier for both my children, and myself, to just start at the very beginning, with how the Earth came to exist, and how land masses formed, and how life came to exist and evolve into life as we know it today.
I didn't realize what an undertaking it was going to be when I made the decision.
I had thought I would put the whole entire planetary time-line on one squidoo lens; that was silly. There's just so much to cover, and there are a surprising amount of free resources on-line to pull a program together! Obviously nothing beats good books, both fictional and non-fiction, but to fully flesh out the unit-study, you need to find resources somewhere to create activities, and projects, to ensure that that information gets embedded in those little brains for a life-time. You need printables, worksheets, graphics, pictures, diagrams, timelines, charts, visual aids--aargh! It's a lot of work! And sifting through the innumerable christian-based materials out there can be tedious.
But I've taken all the "leg-work" out of it, and put all of the quality links related to the chronological history of the earth, and incorporated science into a unit-study that will carry you, and me, through at least the next four years. I'm so pleased with it! This is the first in the series, as I mentioned, there's just so much to cover, and so many quality links to utilize, that I've decided to chunk the units into time-periods. I hate to divide them into periods of time defined by civilizations, because this is not meant to be a study of man-kind, but more an investigation into the Earth.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
We Saw Moose at Little Austin Pond!
I feel it's incredibly important to create lasting memories for my children's childhoods. I will put myself through the great misery of sleeping on the hard earthen ground inside a tent with my boys and hubby--and the dog--in order to cement such lasting memories for them.
I say it that way, and all of that is true; but what is also true is that I actually enjoy being in the great outdoors, in the far-flung reaches of wilderness where nature's beauty and glory are everywhere if only you choose to look--to take the time to slow down and literally smell the flowers. Nature--the beauty of our Earth--inspires me continuously. In everything I do.
We went to Little Austin Pond, which is in an obscure part of north-central Maine, to camp overnight with friends. The kids enjoyed the beach--which was no where near our campsite, but still fun.
And best of all there were Mountains and Moose. In my mind, somehow, the one is synonymous with the other, and I love both with equal fervor. When I see mountains, no matter how large or how small, my heart sings with indescribable emotion, so strong and so powerful that it can not be ignored.
"MOUNTAINS!" I screeched as we were driving the to the pond.
I think Keith, who, despite our nearly-ten years of marriage, had not yet experienced my emotional outbursts over nature (particularly mountains and moose), was shocked and surprised.
"What?" he dared to ask as the kids echoed my screeches from the back seat.
"Mountains!" I cried exuberantly, reaching out the window to gesture at the looming form of the mountain beyond the dirt road and the trees and the marshes. "MOOOOUUUNTAAAIINS!"
I had to actually master my enthusiasm so that I could repeat myself more calmly over the joyful yells of the boys, so that Keith could finally understand what we were yelling about.
And to make the whole trip worthwhile this guy was hanging out in the marshes along the rutted dirt road that winds itself around Little Austin Pond. We'd visited the beach one last time before we had to make the drive back to civilization, and home--and showers!--and there he was waiting for me.
He didn't care that we stopped to gawk; he was too busy with his Brunch. And he was so beautiful. Keith can't understand why they're so gorgeous to me, and maybe many other people would echo his sentiments. But to me, they represent mountains and wilderness. They speak to me on a gut-level, and touch my heart because they represent the mountains that I call home.
Moose, like many other northern-hemisphere creatures, are at risk of extinction now, due to climate changes.
This knowledge gives me great pain.
To think that some day moose will have to be preserved in zoos, as Tigers, and Elephants have been, in order for the continued existence of their species wounds me de
eply. And it only reaffirms my desire and motivation to do all I can in this world to prevent such sacrilege.
eply. And it only reaffirms my desire and motivation to do all I can in this world to prevent such sacrilege.These are good articles discussing climate change and the animals in question. The Forest Ecology Network has plenty of articles, information, and links for you to check out.
I love moose, and mountains, and all the creatures great and small that make Maine home, like me; so I may be a leeeetle biased. Fortunately the internet is a wealth of resources, so you don't have to take my word for it. See for yourself.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The Importance of Nature
I don't know about my readers, by for myself, it is crucially important to me to feel connected to this world around me. I have to feel the wind, the water, and the soil on my skin. I have to touch the rough bark of the trees, and listen to the wind as it rustles their leaves. I like to smell the soil in my garden, to dig in the earth. It is part of me, and I am part of Earth.
I want my boys to have such a relationship with our home planet. We are all connected, and it is imperative that we remember that when we harm our Earth, we harm ourselves as well. So many people in cities, and suburbs, I fear, have lost touch with our Earth. It has been bred out of so many of us. Just to be satisfied with the status quo, and the mundane of every day life.
But not so for homeschoolers. My heart clings to the hope that we homeschoolers can lead our fellow man out of the darkness that has been imposed on the masses by the system. If we can help people to realize this connection between us all, we might yet have a chance to save my beloved Earth.
Homeschoolers spend time outside. They do nature studies. They realize the importance of conservation and recycling. Homeschooled children are not incarcerated all day, so they have time--and the inclination--to play outside, exploring, and discovering things about our world that you cannot learn in a book in a schoolhouse.
So many traditions from childhood have been all but lost. But homeschoolers keep them alive. Catching fire-flies. Watching turtles bask on a log in a bog. Inspecting the lichen on a tree. Building a fort in a brush pile. Attempting--and/or succeeding--in constructing a clubhouse.
The most simple--and free!--things in life are right outside our doors. The whole world is a homeschooler's playground, and it's waiting for us...
Find out more about homeschooling in nature, and encouraging your kids to get outside, at my squid-lens at: http://www.squidoo.com/naturalhomeschooling
I want my boys to have such a relationship with our home planet. We are all connected, and it is imperative that we remember that when we harm our Earth, we harm ourselves as well. So many people in cities, and suburbs, I fear, have lost touch with our Earth. It has been bred out of so many of us. Just to be satisfied with the status quo, and the mundane of every day life.
But not so for homeschoolers. My heart clings to the hope that we homeschoolers can lead our fellow man out of the darkness that has been imposed on the masses by the system. If we can help people to realize this connection between us all, we might yet have a chance to save my beloved Earth.
Homeschoolers spend time outside. They do nature studies. They realize the importance of conservation and recycling. Homeschooled children are not incarcerated all day, so they have time--and the inclination--to play outside, exploring, and discovering things about our world that you cannot learn in a book in a schoolhouse.
So many traditions from childhood have been all but lost. But homeschoolers keep them alive. Catching fire-flies. Watching turtles bask on a log in a bog. Inspecting the lichen on a tree. Building a fort in a brush pile. Attempting--and/or succeeding--in constructing a clubhouse.
The most simple--and free!--things in life are right outside our doors. The whole world is a homeschooler's playground, and it's waiting for us...
Find out more about homeschooling in nature, and encouraging your kids to get outside, at my squid-lens at: http://www.squidoo.com/naturalhomeschooling
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
We Study History Chronologically
I'm in the process of gearing up for the up-coming school year. Our first official year of homeschooling our first-born. I'm so excited!
We've been doing school-sessions for years now anyway, and already we study the three R's. William is probably reading at a first-grade level. He struggles with handwriting, but has made significant improvements. And he has a good grasp on adding and subtracting sums, the concept of time, and money.
Fortunately we're a very sciencey-sort of family, so that has come naturally, and largely through life's experiences (and maybe a little help from mom or the library). I have already a great program called REAL Science, Level One, that we started, and will likely take back up at the end of summer.
We will be taking up the subject of history soon, and so I find myself trying to pull together resources wherever I can get them, regarding the chronological history of the world from a strictly secular point of view.
NOT easy.
I'm trying to put everything together on a new lens at squidoo, I can't wait until it's finished. Until then you can check out my newest lens, regarding companion planting and my fav. ten allies in the battle against garden pests.
http://www.squidoo.com/toptencompanionplants
We've been doing school-sessions for years now anyway, and already we study the three R's. William is probably reading at a first-grade level. He struggles with handwriting, but has made significant improvements. And he has a good grasp on adding and subtracting sums, the concept of time, and money.
Fortunately we're a very sciencey-sort of family, so that has come naturally, and largely through life's experiences (and maybe a little help from mom or the library). I have already a great program called REAL Science, Level One, that we started, and will likely take back up at the end of summer.
We will be taking up the subject of history soon, and so I find myself trying to pull together resources wherever I can get them, regarding the chronological history of the world from a strictly secular point of view.
NOT easy.
I'm trying to put everything together on a new lens at squidoo, I can't wait until it's finished. Until then you can check out my newest lens, regarding companion planting and my fav. ten allies in the battle against garden pests.
http://www.squidoo.com/toptencompanionplants
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