tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63032352024-02-19T06:31:58.385-05:00SCHOLA<b>Secular Classical Homeschoolers' Odyssean Learning Adventure</b>Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.comBlogger797125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-59634485178564004462012-05-02T13:24:00.000-04:002012-05-03T21:34:18.152-04:00Hello, again.Well, well, well... Where were we?<br />
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Sarabelle has just finished her first year at college. Proof that an eclectic education doesn't completely screw you up. She's happily pursuing a degree in communications and working on the local radio station. Next year she will have a regular show of her own and will be the station's music director. She established the first strings ensemble at the college and has been invited to join the city's community orchestra. This month she is New York City interning at a major record label and basically living her dream.<br />
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Grice has finished all her dual enrollment college classes for this year and just has a few more weeks of her last high school class: Algebra 2. She was inducted into the college's honor society and is on track to graduate high school next year with her full Associates degree. We're trying to pin down a university for her to follow her interest in zoology. More proof that this works.<br />
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And I'm still homeschooling Elle. For our spine, covering American history, we're reading Howard Zinn's <i>A Young People's History of the United States. </i>We're using Saxon Math 5/4 and plan to jump ahead to the 8/7 book when we finish because, according to the great State of Florida, she should be in sixth grade this year. Though, if you have been following the news of the horrendous state of our educational system, Florida is apparently no expert on that subject. <i>Easy Grammar Plus</i>, which is suitable for high school students, was a good follow-up to the <i>First Language Lessons</i> series. Elle wanted to work on her spelling, so I picked up an appropriate level of <i>Spelling Workout, </i>and since she likes workbooks, <i>Building Thinking Skills</i> was an easy way to start working logic in. We were nearly through <i>Latina Christiana I</i> when I came upon William Linney's <i>Getting Started With Latin</i> and his continuing education website: http://www.linneyslatinclass.com/ and changed course<i>.</i> Again. I was comfortable with the religiosity in the Latina Christiana/Henle progression, that was how I learned Latin, but now prefer to skip that and move on to purely secular studies. And especially ones that can be done without purchasing another series of books. The lessons are very short -- Charlotte Mason's 15 minute suggestion is in play for my little Miss Short Attention Span -- and so far it is all repetition, but Elle likes it and is feeling pretty confident in her abilities.<br />
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In other homeschool news:<br />
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I've had to drag out my copy of <i>Queen Bees and Wannabes</i> for another reading. Elle has been taking ice skating lessons this year. The group of three girls her age were welcoming at first but have turned into a bunch of mean girls. Since the group is predominantly Christian, her lessons have become less about skating and more about hypocrisy.<br />
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Thanks to the current political atmosphere, I have discovered I am a feminist. And an angry one at that. Elle has had the benefit of overhearing the podcasts and news reports I listen to and has a grasp of current events that probably rivals most of the adults she knows. We've been to a few local Occupy events, protesting <i>Citizens United</i>, etc., and Elle really likes these as I count her participation as a full school day.<br />
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With my ability to work remotely, I am beginning to plan a summer trip up to Boston. It may be evolving into another Colonial America/Revolutionary War road trip. Elle was too young to get much out of <a href="http://myschola.blogspot.com/2004/04/st-augustine.html">our last trip</a> other than correctly identifying George Washington in the Capitol's Rotunda.<br />
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Our little town recently announced plans to build a marine research and tourist attraction just three blocks from our house. It will be a great boost to our local economy and just imagine the opportunities for a high school aged homeschooler...Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-66289331551572537632011-12-25T16:57:00.000-05:002011-12-25T16:57:14.854-05:00Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year of HomeschoolingJust received an email from the charter school's administrator advising us that at the board meeting this coming Tuesday, she is going to announce her recommendation to close the school.<br />
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Disappointed. But looking forward to rejoining the homeschooling world. Working full-time but now with the added benefit of a brand new iPad, I should be way more mobile and able to let Elle participate in more of the outside physical activities she craves.<br />
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I have already had some negative feedback from family, but when has that ever stopped me?Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-53901166097125627842011-12-13T21:52:00.005-05:002011-12-13T22:02:42.408-05:00All Apologies to NirvanaWhile updating my 2011 Reading list, the date of my last post sat there taunting me, so here's a quick update:<br />
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The whole Progressive Democratic public charter school thing is imploding. Parents who claimed to have been at all the introductory meetings where the unconventional aspects were explained kept wondering when their kids were going to bring home some worksheets or a report card, teaching their children a valuable lesson about the importance of listening carefully. The dissatisfied parents tried to change the school to something more to their liking, were shot down, left en masse (including all PTA officers), and made disparaging remarks to the local newspaper about the administration and daily goings-on.<br />
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A new PTA was formed and a week later there was another mass exodus after some discipline and safety concerns arose and were not resolved to the liking of many. This time several staff members pulled their kids and gave their notice.<br />
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Will the school still be there after the holiday break? Not if the charter gets revoked.<br />
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I still think it's a great idea. And we're still in for the time being. In this day of instant gratification, people are going to have to understand it doesn't happen all at once; it's going to take time and a lot of effort. But the administration is going to have to immediately address the safety concerns and disciplinary procedures. "Zero tolerance" does not mean a second or third chance.<br />
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Elle tested 12.6 (twelfth grade sixth month) in English and 3.5 (third grade fifth month) in math. Peer pressure has successfully pushed her out of the habit of being a lazy speller and without being assigned the task, she wrote and typed up a three-page essay on Kurt Cobain, in "Party" font (earning her, in her college sister's eyes, 45,972,482 cool points.)<br />
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Her old school books are still on the shelf next to my bed, taunting me...<br />
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<i>Read me</i><br />
<i>Read me, my friend</i><br />
<i>Read me</i><br />
<i>Read me again</i>Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-9165656387364005272011-08-11T17:04:00.001-04:002011-08-11T17:05:45.906-04:00I am an OpportunistJust when I was liking the idea of Elle being tutored, and Elle was actually cooperating, along comes another twist. Years back, right after <a href="http://myschola.blogspot.com/2004/08/were-ok.html">Hurricane Charley</a>, Elle attended pre-K at a nearby school. Set in a beautiful rural environment, it was meant to provide the kids opportunities to garden and raise small livestock. Theoretically it was great. Practically it never came to be, and a few years later the school eventually closed.<br />
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Now, however, the county has taken the property over and is reopening a small, "progressive democratic" public charter school. The progressive part comes from the mixed age groupings, portfolio reviews versus report cards, and focus on mastery. The democratic part is that every student and teacher has an equal say in decision making. The curriculum is project based, working closely with 4-H, and will feature Florida history. All produce raised at the school will be used in the food service and any extra is to be sold to the public. There are peace studies with each family required to attend a 6-hour conflict resolution class as part of the admission process. Right now it only goes up to Grade 7 but they will bump it up each year until it ends with Grade 12. It was no surprise to hear from the director that many area homeschoolers have expressed interest in enrolling.<br />
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Elle has mentioned several times since we've been back from Australia that she really misses being on a farm. And since that's no longer part of our plans (as much as I ever really plan <i>anything</i>), she is thrilled with thoughts of dressage, raising a steer for the fair, and having some chickens and rabbits to care for.<br />
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And I am thrilled with thoughts of traveling and incorporating it into a school project. We didn't have the time to wander the Smithsonian <a href="http://myschola.blogspot.com/2010/11/schola-classical-academys-insane-field.html">the last time we were in DC</a>, so I'm looking at building a visit around the <a href="http://reasonrally.org/">Reason Rally</a> in March and working it into her studies.<br />
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-34287275430094497582011-08-02T20:43:00.001-04:002011-08-02T21:18:37.379-04:00TAM 9!The Amazing Meeting, the James Randi Educational Foundation's celebration of science and skepticism was such a blast I can hardly wait until next year. It is hard to imagine how they will top the line-up. This year the get together, themed TAM 9 From Outer Space, featured such big names as Neil deGrasse Tyson, Richard Dawkins, Bill Nye (who, I am not too proud to say, I stalked until I got a photo), Phil Plaitt, and of course The Amazing Randi. I got to meet some of my blog heroes: <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/">PZ Myers</a> and <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/">Hemant Mehta</a> among others. Penn Jillette hosted and performed at his private Rock-n-Roll, Bacon, and Doughnut Party, and then offered discount tickets to Penn & Teller's magic show as a fundraiser for the JREF. Paul Provenza presented his <i>Satiristas!</i> comedy show where I was introduced to the adorable <a href="http://teamcoco.com/video/10519/jamie-kilstein-combines-politics-and-laughs">Jamie Kilstein.</a> Aside from all the fantastic talks, especially a workshop on "Defending Evolution in the Classroom and Beyond" by Dr. Eugenie Scott from the National Center for Science Education, the best part had to be meeting fellow skeptics, some from Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Melbourne, Florida, and Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne Australia, and even a homeschooling mom who works for NPR in Washington DC.<br />
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For a look at the full schedule <a href="http://www.amazingmeeting.com/"> go here</a> and for a list of all workshops <a href="http://www.amazingmeeting.com/workshops">click here.</a> Then consider attending TAM X.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/6003287731/" title="IMG_1935 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6025/6003287731_7ed9782020_m.jpg" width="347" height="260" alt="IMG_1935"></a><br />
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Me with Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! and Dr. Eugenie Scott in the lobby of the Rio Theater after Penn & Teller.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-87440625215865362882011-06-24T17:07:00.000-04:002011-06-24T17:07:58.083-04:00Atheism is Entertaining!Sarabelle and I took a quick trip up to Boston to see <a href="http://www.timminchin.com/">Tim Minchin</a> earlier this month. If you get the chance to be within range of one of his appearances, GO. Sarabelle, already a fan of his wickedly clever lyrics, spirited piano-playing, and flat-out hilarity, summed it up when she gushed, "I love him more than ever now!"<br />
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Last night Elle and I watched <a href="http://www.sundancenow.com/film/the-ledge/673?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=the%20ledge&utm_campaign=the%20ledge">The Ledge</a>. I really liked this. It's worth the download. My kids are rather squeamish about sex scenes and Elle found her notebook doodling much more interesting than the two on-screen encounters. It amuses me that some parents are more likely to censor a movie based on sexual content rather than on violence. Make love not war...?<br />
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Counting down the days until <a href="http://www.amazingmeeting.com/">The Amazing Meeting!</a> I decided this year, instead of reading about how informative it was and how much fun everyone had and wishing I had the chance to go, that I <i>would</i> go.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-86255413745350077542011-06-24T09:11:00.002-04:002011-06-24T09:13:20.619-04:00StubbornThe more things change...<i>whatever.</i><br />
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"Homeschooling" is a thing of the past in our home. Not only due to the fact that Elle has an attention span somewhere between ten front flips on the trampoline and four consecutive episodes of iCarly and I cannot keep her engaged long enough to complete one lesson, but because I have the private school set up so we are officially "private schooling." Even that is a bit of a stretch though.<br />
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Working full-time, even from home, <i>especially</i> from home, while trying to manage everything else is not for me. I can chew gum and walk at the same time and can even drive and simultaneously yell at children, but that's about the extent of my multi-tasking talent. Add to this major traumatic changes in our private lives (I am still living in the same house as the last time I posted, which may come as a surprise) and it's a wonder I get anything done at all.<br />
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I had been faced with increasing pressure from grandparents and Jorge to step up Elle's education. It had been pared down to what I considered bare bones: math, grammar, and history, leaving her a lot of leeway to follow her own interests, but they were unimpressed. She needs constant attention to insure she does not wander off at the first opportunity and I am unable to provide that at this time. It was suggested that a teacher, some dominant authoritarian figure, would command more respect and focus, so I looked at the only secular private school in the area, the one Catholic school nearby (figuring she has been properly immunized), and even the local public school. No. Hell no. And over-my-dead-body no.<br />
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We limped along. And the hits just kept coming.<br />
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Then it occurred to me: In Florida, tutoring is only legal for homeschooling with a tutor properly certified in the specific subjects a tutor is requested to teach. But! Private school teachers do not have to be certified in anything! Not even teaching!<br />
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So we got ourselves a tutor.<br />
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Two hours a day, my next door neighbor/formerly-homeschooled-now-college-student/good family friend/Sarabelle's roommate/idol of Elle comes over and supervises her lessons. We even added vocabulary back in (<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/schoclasacad-20/detail/0838822525">Vocabulary From Classical Roots</a>) after dropping Latin. It ends up costing less than half the price of the private and parochial tuitions, I retain control over the curriculum, there is room for flexibility in the schedule, and I will never get stuck having to buy and sell chocolate bars and gift wrap. Yay, me!<br />
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Where there's a will...Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-88760888026964134442011-03-11T13:38:00.004-05:002011-03-11T13:43:50.716-05:00My 2010 Reading<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316066524?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316066524">Infinite Jest</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316066524" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414305400?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1414305400">Left Behind</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1414305400" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1740663128?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1740663128">Living the Good Life: How One Family Changed Their World from Their Own Backyard</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1740663128" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
<div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374500010?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0374500010">Night</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0374500010" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/140007780X?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=140007780X">Einstein's Dreams</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=140007780X" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446693790?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0446693790">Dude, Where's My Country?</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0446693790" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
</div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465030335?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0465030335">Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring)</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0465030335" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1569756775?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1569756775">Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1569756775" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385720955?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385720955">The Blind Assassin</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385720955" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1448680875?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1448680875">The Zero Calorie Diet: How to Eat Right-or Not at All</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1448680875" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0931779162?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0931779162">Humanism as the Next Step</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0931779162" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZPCYKG?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003ZPCYKG">Eat Pray Love</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003ZPCYKG" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316735655?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316735655">Live From New York: An Uncensored History of SNL</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316735655" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/019512474X?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=019512474X">Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=019512474X" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375834877?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375834877">Scat</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0375834877" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312369816?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312369816">Tuck Everlasting</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312369816" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446540331?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0446540331">Hitch-22: A Memoir</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0446540331" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520267192?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520267192">Autobiography of Mark Twain Vol1</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0520267192" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" />Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-90599818685587454572011-03-11T13:00:00.000-05:002011-03-11T13:00:11.992-05:002010 Read-Alouds<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152058168?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0152058168">Mary Poppins Comes Back</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152058168?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0152058168"></a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0152058168" width="1" height="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316057770?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316057770">The Mysterious Benedict Society</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316057770" width="1" height="1" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689846231?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0689846231">The Yearling</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0689846231" width="1" height="1" />Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-61528683047353332112011-02-08T23:36:00.000-05:002011-02-08T23:36:09.779-05:00AdaptationsWe finished First Language Lessons Level 4, which is good since we should probably be somewhere in the vicinity of fifth grade by now. I'm moving Elle right into Easy Grammar Plus from here. It's considered junior/senior high school level, but we'll take our time, and at the rate we're going she'll be on track to complete it by the end of grade 12. Just kidding.<br />
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I hope.<br />
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I was lucky to catch a screening of <a href="http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/">Waiting for "Superman"</a> at our local college. It's thought-provoking and well done, though it does not tell the full story. As an independent educator, I occasionally found myself snickering out of sync with the room full of pros, but everyone was pretty much in agreement: The system is not working; something has got to change. There were few dry eyes by the end of it all. It'll be out this week on DVD.<br />
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We're celebrating Darwin Day, February 12, with a visit to Dinosaur World along with the group Humanist Families - Greater Tampa Region. Coincidentally, I just happened to receive <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053946/">Inherit the Wind</a> from Netflix for a nice tie-in. "Coincidentally," I say, because if your queue is anything like mine, it's frequently altered without your express written consent. I'm never quite sure what exactly will turn up in my mailbox. Our local theater company is doing a production of Inherit the Wind as well, and Elle has expressed an interest in seeing a live performance.<br />
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Happy Darwin Day!<br />
<br />
And now a word from our sponsor...<br />
<br />
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="405" height="245" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H9uIMR8yCPg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-25120350063939715132010-11-14T17:38:00.007-05:002012-02-29T22:44:26.754-05:00Schola Classical Academy's Insane Field TripGrice and her Young Republican friend, J -- who had overheard our plans on the way home one afternoon and was beyond excited to join us and Keep Fear Alive, and whose parents must be as nuts as I am to actually let him go with a virtual stranger -- were picked up when school got out at 1:45. Good-byes were said, a last minute iPod auxiliary player was located and borrowed, the car fueled, it was 2:30 PM and we (Sarabelle, her roommate A, Elle, and I) were on our way. With only four gas/snack/bathroom stops, we drove straight through the night and were parked in the garage at Ronald Reagan International by 6:30 AM.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5175927174/" title="IMG_1406 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1406" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5175927174_f2d80ac65b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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After a short delay fighting with a Metro ticket machine, we finally arrived on the Mall about an hour later. We could have set up right in front of the stage, it was still that empty, but spread our blanket out a little ways back, up against a First Aid tent so nobody could crowd us.<br />
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Here's the view from our spot:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5175321641/" title="IMG_1407 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1407" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5175321641_8d837f1f54.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Then, while I held our ground, the kids, all armed with cell phones, headed out to find me coffee and to do a little sightseeing. And boy, was there a lot to see.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5175322379/" title="IMG_1418_2 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1418_2" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5175322379_542f4afc6b.jpg" width="373" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5175321857/" title="IMG_1409 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1409" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5175321857_e14e777827.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5175321771/" title="IMG_1408 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1408" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5175321771_9fecaa73b1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5175321949/" title="IMG_1410 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1410" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5175321949_fa7b0359bf.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5175927638/" title="IMG_1416 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1416" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/5175927638_14904dcecd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Elle wanted to see the Washington Monument and the Reflecting Pool, and when we got there she wanted to press on and see the Lincoln Memorial. It was getting close to showtime and we had already walked quite a way, but being the awesome homeschooling mom I am, how could I possibly say no? Plus, my iPhone said there was a restroom there.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5175543423/" title="IMG_1422 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1422" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5175543423_f61949639a.jpg" width="370" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5175927890/" title="IMG_1420 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1420" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5175927890_f61cc29758.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5176148990/" title="IMG_1423 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1423" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5176148990_da3ab387e7.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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We hoofed it back down the Mall to our place and that's when the drama began.<br />
<br />
We had been fenced out of our primo location. A volunteer offered to go let my kids inside the fence know where we were, because by then, for whatever reason, there was no cell phone service. He came back to tell me there were only two kids there. Which ones? He didn't know. So I'm missing two kids. Great. And they were still not going to let us in. We waited patiently for someone to exit, "one in, one out," but nobody seemed to be leaving. Elle was with me and the others were in pairs, wherever they were, so I was not overly concerned. But I wanted my spot. The spot I had staked out at the crack of dawn. Speaking to the cops was no help. Until, after watching another mother's success, I too played the hysterical mom card. Elle and I got in and found Grice and A at our blanket. Sarabelle came wandering up a few minutes later. Alone. She and J had been waiting at another "one in, one out" gate to get back into our area, but he opted to find another way in while Sarabelle held her spot in line. J is a clever, resourceful, and highly independent kid, wants to be an admiral in the navy one day, so we knew he'd be okay, and might even end up appearing on stage as his mother warned, so I was still not too worried, just hoping his view was at least as good as ours. The opening acts were through, the announcer had begun his intro, "...and now, please welcome your host..." and suddenly J appears at our side. So while the crowd is wildly cheering the entrance of "...Jonnnnnnnn Stewarrrrrt!" we were wildly cheering the return of J.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5176009689/" title="Rally by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img alt="Rally" height="213" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/5176009689_671aea0682.jpg" width="357" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/rally_to_restore_sanity_and_or_fear/index.jhtml">The show was fun, funny, over the top</a>, and I was ready to hear Jon get serious at the end. "We live now in hard times, not end times..." "If we amplify everything, we hear nothing..." Yes! But I was a bit disappointed that he claimed not to be here to ridicule the Right and people of faith, among others. That's what he does so wonderfully on his show. And since then, watching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYyTCy0somI">Keith Olbermann</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqjh6JyxOlk">Bill Maher</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/40141311#40141311">Rachel Maddow</a> discuss the matter of false equivalency, I'd have to agree with them, that while all the media tends to be shrill and sensationalist, one group is particularly egregious and dangerous, and maybe Jon did miss an opportunity. But he's a satirist, not a politician after all, and he does what he does so well.<br />
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We made it out back to our car in just over an hour, which was amazing considering the crowd at the Metro, and were back home by 9:30 AM, time enough to go to breakfast, take a nap, finish costumes, and get ready for trick-or-treating.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-22780898535337750812010-11-13T22:11:00.001-05:002010-11-14T00:57:12.596-05:00PapaEverybody deals with death differently. My brothers and I tend to find levity in serious situations and this can be a comfort to us but discomfiting to others. And, of course, my mother tends to be one of those people we are always unintentionally offending.<br />
<br />
She did not appreciate our sincere suggestions to dress my dad in one of his favorite Guy Harvey pocket t-shirts, khaki shorts, and boat shoes, the 'uniform' he wore nearly every day since retiring some twenty-odd years ago. The idea to use one of his hideous but treasured Garo Yepremian neck ties, since we had to go formal, was seen as a mockery. She pursed her lips at my brother's suggestion to print on the bottom of the prayer card, "Brought to you by [his company's name]" as an excuse to write it off as a business expense. Heads would have rolled if she had noticed the script printed on the ribbon of the floral spray, "Love the Grandchildrens", purchased from a local ethnic florist. But my dad would have laughed.<br />
<br />
When assembling photos for a slide show to play in the funeral parlor lobby, the best photos, and the bulk of the ones I contributed, showed my dad hamming it up with the grandkids. My mother thought many of them disrespectful, but we gently reminded her that we too had lost someone and this is who he was to us.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5173319234/" title="26604_1423892364237_1440578608_1143291_4419274_n by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/5173319234_68398a7d8f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="26604_1423892364237_1440578608_1143291_4419274_n" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5173319328/" title="2348575300_5a4168e507_b by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5173319328_0206f6f188.jpg" width="435" height="275" alt="2348575300_5a4168e507_b" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5173420578/" title="2347742379_90b1715c2a_b by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5173420578_0f335e82cc.jpg" width="392" height="500" alt="2347742379_90b1715c2a_b" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5172745469/" title="3232_1135658278565_1440578608_344261_7957395_n by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5172745469_62a4d3c090.jpg" width="411" height="375" alt="3232_1135658278565_1440578608_344261_7957395_n" /></a><br />
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The night before he died, the priest had been called. After privately taking my dad's last confession, Elle, Grice, and I, being the only ones present besides my parents, were invited in for prayers. Elle flat-out refused, Grice and I bristled but conceded. We rotely spouted the Hail Mary and the Our Father for my dad's sake, all the while I was hearing the prayers in a new way, wondering that I had never doubted the lunacy of them before. We then had to go around the very small circle and tell my dad what we loved about him and what we were grateful for. I thanked him for always sticking up for me, remembering in particular a high school situation when I got into enough trouble to be threatened with expulsion before final exams and he convinced my mom it was only a minor indiscretion, peer pressure, bad judgment, nothing to worry about, and another occasion where on the spur of the moment he jumped in a car to drive cross-country and rescue me from an abusive relationship. I thanked him for my wanderlust and then inwardly smirked that I'd praised at least one deadly sin in the presence of the priest.<br />
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The next night my brother was trying to fill the funeral Mass roles designated by Father Everyone-Must-Participate. I was chosen to do the second reading. I knew now, after performing a wedding, that I could do it if I focused intently on the material, ignored the audience, and occasionally inhaled. I could read Psalms, they were literary, poetic, I reasoned. Instead something from John had been selected, and regardless of the choice, it would have to be concluded with the line I worried I might actually choke on, <i>This is the Word of the Lord...</i><br />
<br />
My dad knew about my atheism. He was very angry about it. <a href="http://myschola.blogspot.com/2009/10/cold-day-in-hell.html">He publicly criticized and insulted me for it.</a> And I still would have done the reading out of respect for him, though the majority of the people present would know of my apostasy and know I found the whole thing disgusting and some might even think me hypocritical, except that the memory of that episode, dredged up from almost exactly one year before, when he most certainly did not stick up for me, suddenly overwrote all the good memories. I could not do it. I did not want to have that memory of my father at the top of my mind. I called my brother to explain and could hardly speak for the sobbing.<br />
<br />
As my dad was taking his last breaths, my niece reached over and put a homemade SpongeBob on his chest. Papa loved to watch SpongeBob with (and without) his granddaughters and the girls had all made him one for his birthday years ago. It sat in a place of honor on his desk. In an effort to make the scene more solemn, my mother reached over and put the crucifix they had received as a wedding gift on his chest as well. From my place at the foot of the bed I commented that it looked a little sacrilegious, SpongeBob and Jesus holding hands... We all cracked up. And that's the memory I prefer to hold on to: the sound of laughter, and the view of SpongeBob and Jesus escorting my dad out. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/5173319412/" title="IMG_1335 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5173319412_cabdd45c8f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_1335" /></a>Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-88626569251988046732010-10-23T16:09:00.001-04:002010-10-23T16:10:36.606-04:00The Circle of LifeThat was last week.<br />
<br />
My dad finally succumbed to the degenerative lung disease he’d been suffering with the past four years or so. While we knew it was coming, eventually, it still took us by surprise -- he was only home for two and half days with hospice care -- though he held on long enough to give everybody a chance to get home and say goodbye. There was a military burial. We only found out about two months prior that my dad had won a Bronze Star for valor in Korea, a war he was too young to be in (my grandmother artfully altered his birth certificate allowing him to enter the service just after his 16th birthday.) I have mixed feelings about it. Pride that he saved many troops by bravely pulling out of position and driving his landing craft through a Chinese boat armed with machine gunners attacking the shoreline camp; horror that my dad was a killer; sorrow that I obviously never knew him very well.<br />
<br />
The day after the funeral I was on a plane to Boston for the Saturday wedding of a cousin’s son, a trip I had written off when it became clear my father was rapidly deteriorating. It was a joy to see many of my cousins and celebrate the marriage of my aunt’s eldest grandchild, a sharp, handsome kid in the State Attorney’s office, with, what I’m guessing, is a promising political career ahead of him (think JFK Jr. with better morals.) It took me by surprise each time someone would come up and say they were sorry to hear about my father.<br />
<br />
Sunday I headed up to New Hampshire for the surprise baby shower of my high school best buddy and her wife. Only when my friend asked how Aunt B was and I explained that she was actually down in Florida keeping my mom company did a few unexpected tears come to the surface. Those were quickly brushed away so as not to dampen the cheery occasion.<br />
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And now I'm home, having come full circle, feeling a bit dead on the inside.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-78156133316884218762010-09-19T16:31:00.002-04:002010-09-19T16:36:19.480-04:00Road ScholasShow your children democracy in action, rather than <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/schoclasacad-20/detail/0446691860">democracy inaction</a>: Take them to a political rally!<br />
<br />
Perhaps rather insensibly, but with a great sense of spontaneity and duty, I've organized a road trip up to Washington, D.C. to attend Jon Stewart's <a href="http://www.rallytorestoresanity.com/">Rally to Restore Sanity</a>. Sarabelle, Grice, and another friend are all licensed drivers which will make the trip so much easier, and we still have room for one or two more.<br />
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This should be great fun. And so educational!<br />
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<table style='font:11px arial; color:#333; background-color:#f5f5f5' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='360' height='353'><tbody>
<tr style='background-color:#e5e5e5' valign='middle'><td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;'><a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com'>The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</a></td><td style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;'>Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c</td></tr>
<tr style='height:14px;' valign='middle'><td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;' colspan='2'><a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-16-2010/rally-to-restore-sanity'>Rally to Restore Sanity</a></td></tr>
<tr style='height:14px; background-color:#353535' valign='middle'><td colspan='2' style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; width:360px; overflow:hidden; text-align:right'><a target='_blank' style='color:#96deff; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/'>www.thedailyshow.com</a></td></tr>
<tr valign='middle'><td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'><embed style='display:block' src='http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:359366' width='360' height='301' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='window' allowFullscreen='true' flashvars='autoPlay=false' allowscriptaccess='always' allownetworking='all' bgcolor='#000000'></embed></td></tr>
<tr style='height:18px;' valign='middle'><td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'><table style='margin:0px; text-align:center' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='100%' height='100%'><tr valign='middle'><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/'>Daily Show Full Episodes</a></td><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/'>Political Humor</a></td><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/videos/tag/Tea+Party'>Tea Party</a></td></tr>
</table></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table style='font:11px arial; color:#333; background-color:#f5f5f5' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='360' height='353'><tbody><tr style='background-color:#e5e5e5' valign='middle'><td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;'><a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.colbertnation.com'>The Colbert Report</a></td><td style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;'>Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c</td></tr><tr style='height:14px;' valign='middle'><td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;' colspan='2'><a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/359382/september-16-2010/march-to-keep-fear-alive'>March to Keep Fear Alive</a></td></tr><tr style='height:14px; background-color:#353535' valign='middle'><td colspan='2' style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; width:360px; overflow:hidden; text-align:right'><a target='_blank' style='color:#96deff; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.colbertnation.com/'>www.colbertnation.com</a></td></tr><tr valign='middle'><td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'><embed style='display:block' src='http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:359382' width='360' height='301' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='window' allowFullscreen='true' flashvars='autoPlay=false' allowscriptaccess='always' allownetworking='all' bgcolor='#000000'></embed></td></tr><tr style='height:18px;' valign='middle'><td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'><table style='margin:0px; text-align:center' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='100%' height='100%'><tr valign='middle'><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/'>Colbert Report Full Episodes</a></td><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/'>2010 Election</a></td><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.colbertnation.com/video/tag/Fox+News'>Fox News</a></td></tr></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-73479692573186523732010-08-02T20:49:00.000-04:002010-08-02T20:49:02.348-04:00Grade 4 - The Plan ReduxI didn't plan on it, but Elle ended up getting the summer off. I prefer going year-round so that we can slack off as needed, not according to the dictates of the county school board, but this year, with the shift to the temporary house and then the shift to the newly renovated house, it just sort of <i>happened.</i> It concerned me that we would fall behind. So while Elle is busy tearing around with the neighborhood public-schooled boys, I'm getting to know them, asking them how old they are and what grade they're going into, and I come to find out that Elle, if she were enrolled at our local elementary, would this year be entering fourth grade.<br />
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Did I just climb out of some space-time wormhole? Or have I just watched <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/">Donnie Darko</a> one too many times? <a href="http://myschola.blogspot.com/2009/08/grade-4.html">Didn't I do this already?</a><br />
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Well, then, that just makes planning this year so much easier, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
Forget the Foster books. Elle liked it when I printed out the illustrations and she colored them, but other that that the books did not capture her fancy. And now I know why: <i>She was too young for them.</i> They're more middle-school level. And she's not. Lucky for me I still have <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Story-World-History-Classical-Modern/dp/0971412995/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249755292&sr=8-1">The Story of the World</a> and the activity book handy. For all my guilt about giving up our time-tested history spine, here I am, right back where I started. Last August.<br />
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We'll keep chipping away at Level 4 of <a href="http://02bd61a.netsolstores.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=120">First Language Lessons</a> and when she finishes with that I've got <a href="http://www.easygrammar.com/index2.html">Easy Grammar</a> ready to go. We did a couple lessons in <a href="http://www.edudps.com/WWTB.html">Write With the Best Volume I</a> and I need to make more of an effort to include that on a regular basis. Same with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Latina-Christiana-Student-Book-Latin/dp/193095302X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249774733&sr=8-1">Latin</a>. Elle has shown an interest in <a href="http://www.rosettastone.com/offer/ggbt10c/fra?s_kwcid=TC|16819|rosetta%20stone%20french||S||5373594615&gclid=CPGVu9-InKMCFYpV2godhkOhmA">learning French</a>, and I'm open to that, but that will be in addition to Latin, not instead of it.<br />
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Math? Saxon. We're still in 5/4. Heh.<br />
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Gymnastics, lyrical dance, hip hop, and jazz made up her physical education for the past year. Now we have a great local county facility that offers gymnastics, swimming, taekwondo, and even fencing. Her homeschool girlfriends play soccer and softball and she is very interested in horseback riding (but not formal lessons, just Western-style, or bareback like she did in Australia) so we have plenty to keep her busy.<br />
<br />
Wow. If planning last year was easy because it was simply a case of Do-the-Next-Thing, think how easy it will be this year when we Do-the-Same-Thing.<br />
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Ready...<i>set</i>...DO OVER!Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-49957409390774941642010-07-17T19:39:00.001-04:002010-07-17T19:41:26.893-04:00Calling it DoneAside from a few odds and ends: a vent cover or four, ceiling fans, closet doors, and my whole my back bedroom and office, we're finished with the renovation and are all moved in. Here are a few before and afters. Please forgive the quality of the shots, with my iPhone so handy I hardly bother to drag my real camera out anymore:<br />
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I just cannot believe how small the living room looks in the Before...<br />
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Seems I didn't bother taking any Befores of the two bedrooms as both were vanilla boxes with drop ceilings, though Elle's floor had been covered with the overspray from a hasty cosmetic coat of white latex, but here are some Afters.<br />
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Here's a peek in Grice's room...<br />
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(I'm particularly proud of this closet, it was my first time using power tools unsupervised.)<br />
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<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4803086278_1ea914d01b.jpg"><br />
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...and the attached one-day-to-be-shared-with-my-bedroom/office dressing area and closet space...<br />
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...and here's the room I'm currently sharing with Elle...<br />
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Not a closet door or curtain in sight. Everything on display. And like Meg, this rush to get the majority of the house done was spurred on by the appearance of house guests.<br />
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<i><b>Acta est fabula. -- Caesar Augustus</b></i>Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-7773943363829777222010-06-19T11:32:00.001-04:002010-07-17T19:44:06.011-04:00Work, work, workHow's the renovation going? Four purchases yesterday at Home Depot according to my online and now frightfully low checking account balance. Is God in the details or is it the devil? I'm never quite sure having heard it both ways, but I do know Ben Franklin and Andrew Jackson figure in there quite prominently.<br />
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I'll post some more photos soon. The kitchen is almost finished. According to Jorge, there is a new appliance package in our near future. First though, I have the gas guy coming to give us an estimate for converting. I'm no gourmet chef extolling the benefits of precise heat, I just want to be able to boil water the next time a frequent lightning storm or hurricane knocks out power. I was hoping we'd get our friend to custom fabricate stainless steel brackets for the open shelving, but at this late date these <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S39864148">IKEA brackets and shelves</a> are looking pretty good. I will need three. Say goodbye to another Franklin. <br />
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The back room, which will be my bedroom one day, had the ceiling and old insulation ripped out on a whim right before Jorge left for Nashville, and is now sealed off, unusable with its furnace-like temperatures. It will be slightly less sweltering when I can open all the windows after picking up the new screens. Ben Franklin, Ben Franklin, Ben Franklin. In the meantime I will be taking up air-conditioned residency in what is to eventually be Grice's room. I am also earning her animosity. For <i>15 years</i> she has been waiting for her <i>own room</i>. Can you feel the angst? Good thing she's going away for a week.<br />
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The living room just needs artwork and I haven't quite decided what is going where. Generally I'm competent at hanging pictures on walls. I bang 'em up after eyeballing the space where Jorge requires building permits, tape measures, and levels, but I admit I will need help hanging some of our <a href="http://www.clydebutcher.com/online-gallery.cfm">36 x 48" monstrosities</a>. My cousin is coming for a visit soon. Her husband is handy.<br />
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And what are these "curtains" people speak of? In all our 20+ years of habitation I have never familiarized myself with these items. Venetian blinds on a window or two once, maybe. Am I worried about people peeking in my windows? This is apparently a huge concern to many people as the subject comes up at least once a day. I figure if someone's made the effort to scale the walls and brave my ferocious hounds they've earned it. Even when we lived in town, right on the ground, our next door neighbors were breast-enhanced, liposucked, nipped and tucked nudists. Looking in our bedroom windows would have been a disappointment. Oh, wait, maybe these people have <i>already seen</i> in my windows and are suggesting curtains for their own sake. Huh.<br />
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All renovations have unforeseen situations and unexpected costs. We had a bee infestation.<br />
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See the man in the white suit? The man is removing a "medium to large" hive from <i>a hole cut into the wall</i> outside my soon-to-be laundry room.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-10892174359525867812010-06-04T10:53:00.002-04:002010-06-04T10:56:13.911-04:00DO NOT CALLNothing very notable has been happening around here, oh, except for the pending environmental destruction of epic proportions.<br />
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When the two Jehovah's Witnesses showed up at my door the other day, blissfully oblivious of my rage and depression over the whole BP mess, and started spinning their happy end of the world scenario: Worried about where this world is headed? War! Oil spills! Isn't it wonderful? Jehovah is near!, it was a good thing I was coughing so hard I couldn't speak. I am officially going on the "Do Not Call" list.<br />
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Their idea of complacency made my blood boil. Anyone who looks forward to violent confrontation between nations or the ruination of the planet as the opening chapter of their salvation should do us all a favor and just step off the planet now. Get a headstart on their afterlife.<br />
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We've let corporations get away with murder. And the Supreme Court has gone and lifted limits on campaign contributions which just makes it worse. We know both parties are beholden to corporate graft (though one side's benefits are completely lopsided*) so quit trying to blame the current administration for what it has or has not done in response to the Deepwater disaster, place the blame with those who have allowed these greedy money machines to rule our world, and figure out how to rectify the situation.<br />
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I have been coughing for two days shy of two weeks. The wedding went well, prior to the nuptials I was in total denial about standing in front of a crowd and did not feel the least bit nervous until I was well into the second page of the ceremony when I suddenly became conscious at that point that, Hey!...I'm doing this!...I'm reading this!...I'm actually <i>in front of a lot of people</i>... It was at that point my left leg began to shake. But I willed it to stop and I made myself take a big breath (in case I hadn't had any lately), and didn't pass out and knock the bride into the alligator-infested river. Then the day after the wedding, without any warning, I woke up with a terrible sore throat and without a voice. Not even a croak. The timing was perfect, one day earlier and it would've been a catastrophe.<br />
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Formal studies have ground to a halt. Yes, we theoretically go year-round, but when the neighborhood kids are knocking at your door and your best friend wants you to sleep over for days at a time, calculating perimeters and area becomes less of a priority -- unless you're building a prison cell for your captives (Geneva conventions and all.) And just when I think I'm dropping the ball again, self-led learning kicks in. Elle, my reluctant reader, has surprised the heck out of me and chosen <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689846231?ie=UTF8&tag=schoclasacad-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0689846231">The Yearling</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=schoclasacad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0689846231" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/>, a hefty book I've attempted more than once due to the frustration of reading dialogue in a redneck drawl, as our next read-aloud. What really stunned me, besides that fact that she actually likes speaking in character puzzling out what the backwoods Baxters are saying, is that she has decided to read it to me, as my bedtime story. If she never finishes it I will still consider it a triumph that she even gave it a go. Last night, to hear it aloud, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings description of Florida flora and fauna brought a little tear to my eye, not just for it's spot-on accuracy and beauty, but for what we are about to lose.<br />
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* From <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/">OpenSecrets.org</a>:<br />
Oil & gas industry political contributions:<br />
2010 (to date): $11,572,527 70% Republicans, 30% Democrats<br />
2008: $35,595,537 77% Republicans, 23% Democrats<br />
2006: $20,364,856 82% Republicans, 18% Democrats<br />
2004: $26,077.264 80% Republicans, 19% Democrats<br />
2002: $25,037,766 80% Republicans, 20% Democrats<br />
2000: $34,323,192 78% Republicans, 21% DemocratsLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-32667613376078783952010-05-07T09:07:00.000-04:002010-05-07T09:07:53.806-04:00SpillFirst it was 1,000 gallons. Then they upped it to 5,000. Now estimates of the oil gushing from the Deepwater Horizon well are 200,000 gallons. Per day. And as they drop the containment chamber over the biggest vent, <i>seventeen days later</i>, there are worries that this procedure could cause further damage by blowing out smaller adjacent leaks making it worse.<br />
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Tony Hayward, BP's CEO, seems to have magnanimously done an about-face after an infuriating interview I heard on the BBC days ago where he stated, “This was not our accident...This was not our drilling rig. This was not our equipment. It was not our people, our systems, or our processes. This was Transocean’s." Class act, Tony, blame your subcontractors, except legally, the general contractor is ultimately responsible.<br />
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How about the news that the formulas for various dispersants being employed on the surface are unknown <i>even to the EPA</i>? Trade secrets. Proprietary information. Bull. Shit.<br />
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Today's reports finally mentioned the presence of deep water cross-currents which may explain why only a tiny fraction of the oil has been accounted for on the surface. Much of it may be swirling around in different directions, potentially ending up in the Caribbean.<br />
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All those endangered loggerhead hatchlings we helped on their way, good luck to them.<br />
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Time to get back on the bike.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-64646472523455381362010-05-05T10:14:00.002-04:002010-05-05T10:20:28.043-04:00Floating alongNot completely slacking, contrary to the prior post, as a little time travel through my calendar and email accounts shows that we actually have had a few quality lessons lately...<br />
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Grice had to attend and critique a live concert performance for her dual enrollment music appreciation course. Fortunately for us, our local symphony had one last show, "Classical Spice," before the end of the season, featuring Bizet's "Carmen," Ravel's "Bolero," Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez," and, what turned out to be our favorite, Gershwin's "Cuban Overture." We arrived an hour early for the pre-show lecture where we were introduced to several of the unusual horns used in "Bolero" and the 19-year old special guest harpist, Greta Ásgeirsson, whose instrument was once owned by Harpo Marx and used in the movie <i>A Night at the Opera</i> (Becky, I thought of you!) The best part was that our little local symphony has free admission for children with a paid adult, not one child per adult either. I took my three girls and the older two's best buddies for the price of my ticket alone, a very reasonable $30.00. I will definitely be supporting this cultural gem next season.<br />
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Another great night, and school-based event, was a picnic under the stars. The Parent Teacher Organization invited the collegiate high school students and their families to enjoy some food and games and then a telescope viewing and highly entertaining lecture from the astronomy professor at the college's observatory.<br />
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The next bit of 'accidental' learning came by way of this terrific resource, <a href="http://jldunbar.com/JLDunbar.com/View_BANG%21.html">BANG! The Universe Verse Book 1</a>. Author Jamie Dunbar explains the origins of our universe with comic book-like illustrations and Seuss-like verse and has graciously made it available for free. Anything that makes science so accessible and fun for the kids while helping science-challenged me get it as well gets two big thumbs up. I'm looking forward to enjoying Jamie's other titles.<br />
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Jorge traveled down to Haiti. I'd like to say it was for purely humanitarian reasons, but that's only if you count trying to keep our own head above water altruistic and charitable. He headed down looking for work <i>and</i> to try and help, stimulating the economy as he went. We've always been interested in Haitian art and he just could not refuse this strange post-earthquake canvas from the poor artist who chased him down the street. It was only later Jorge's traveling companion looked at the painting more closely and noticed the bodies. Like a tragic Highlights hidden picture, we've found three so far.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlynne/4580732273/" title="IMG_0837 by marlynne5, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4580732273_d5113714f3.jpg" width="375" height="303" alt="IMG_0837" /></a><br />
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Plans were to return soon with Elle -- we both think a dose of third world reality will make her less susceptible to any princess tendencies; unlike her sisters she was too young to remember Belize -- after determining the risks involved (it is both very safe and terribly unsafe at the same time.) Instead Jorge is being redirected to Nashville where one of his brother's real estate investments is currently under the Cumberland River.<br />
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And I overcame my hesitation about gun-toting crazies and stopped in at our town's Tax Day Tea Party for a little education of my own. Because, really, who could resist rubbing elbows with the likes of these people?<br />
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The fun began with an introduction disavowing the evil left's charges of racism, an introduction met with hearty cheers and lots of flag waving (including one from the oh, so obviously not local, Culpeper militia), but as the first guest began to speak, a heavily accented Cuban immigrant campaigning for a spot on a future ticket testifying to his firsthand account of the horrors of socialism and communism, members of the group next to me murmured, "Is he even a 'Merican citizen?!" and when the second campaigner got up there, a black man from Miami, they stomped off in disgust.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-60453039016923276462010-04-27T13:41:00.000-04:002010-04-27T13:41:02.484-04:00UpdateTime for a post methinks. I surprised myself by remembering the email address and password for this account after apparently cleaning out my cookies. On the first try too! So here I am, ready or not...<br />
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School for Elle (and here, finally, I'll plug my little online umbrella school, <a href="http://scholaclassical.com/">Schola Classical Academy*</a>) has been extraordinarily lax. Yes, even more than my usual disorganized blasé approach. (How's that for an endorsement? Come to our lazy-ass school!) In fact for the past three days she's been on the east coast doing what I like to refer to as an 'apprenticeship' with her father: Processing permits, managing a crew, playing with Post-It Notes. Tomorrow we have a big day of learning planned: Swimming at a friend's. And then dance class. I have been seriously thinking that with her high social requirements she might be better off in school, but this business with my brother beckons and being flexible enough to travel wins. For now.<br />
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Sarabelle is still up in the air about college. Currently she is considering a degree in audio engineering and putting her fine arts as a secondary pursuit to her music. She is shopping around for an upright double bass and aims to play with the local symphony. If she is still undecided about her major come July, she will be enrolled at the local state college to work on her Associates. We've got another campus tour coming up on a Sunday in May -- the day after a big wedding that I am performing.<br />
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I've never used my notary stamp once in the 10 years or so that I've had it, ever since Jorge's aunt signed me up in order to legalize her papers and then promptly changed her mind, so at an Easter picnic, when the hostess, a dear friend, asked if anyone knew a notary, I admitted I was one thinking she needed a document processed. She then announced to the crowd that she had found her officiant; I would be marrying her nephew and his fiance. I, who when forced to do a Bible reading at my grandmother's funeral, took one big breath and never stopped reading until I nearly keeled over from asphixia, I will be the one standing up in front of a whole crowd of strangers on this momentous occasion performing the ceremony. On a pier. Under a burning hot sun. You might see me on YouTube.<br />
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Grice continues to breeze through her honors classes and is nearly finished with her freshman year of high school. Wow. That was fast. I have been drafted as secretary for next year's PTO (Reason #42,620 why you should homeschool.)<br />
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Still waiting for the finishing touches on the renovation. It looks like we might be in sometime before Christmas...<br />
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* Disclaimer: The entire premise is pompous and conceited and probably offensive to anyone with a hint of religion, but it's for those of us, the loosely-structured, classical, secular homeschool devotees, who want a serious-looking, non-parochial name on a transcript without authoritarian interference. The end.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-63974728157540822552010-03-29T02:11:00.000-04:002010-03-29T02:11:24.960-04:00GravityHow did my great-great-grandfather, the last of many generations born on the family's Virginia tobacco plantation and later raised in staunchly southern Baltimore after the early death of his father, end up a Union naval officer in the Civil War?<br />
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How did that apple fall so far from the tree?<br />
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How did I, born to Republican Catholic FOX News-watching football-obsessed parents, end up a bleeding-heart liberal freethinking NPR-listening bookworm?<br />
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My apple was drop-kicked.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-80380836909329932312010-03-17T08:03:00.004-04:002010-03-17T08:57:26.123-04:00The Washington PostIt's interesting having notable neighbors. Not celebrities, but Googleable, and in some cases, Wikipedia-listed personalities.<br /><br />Like our current landlord/mortgage holders, a former senator and UNESCO education director and his museum director wife; and our old island next-door neighbor who is more notorious than famous for her real estate shenanigans.<br /><br />And then we have our new island next-door neighbors. He being Army Corps brass and she being a, well, here are just a few highlights from her webpage:<br /><br />"...architect of Heritage's 2008 national radio campaign with Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham and the 2009 partnership with Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh."<br /><br />"...vice president of communications for WorldNetDaily.com"<br /><br />"named one of the nation's "Top Ten Evangelical Women," and one of the 12 "Great American Conservative Women."<br /><br />Oh, give me strength.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-6817839151591246942010-03-11T07:30:00.010-05:002010-04-07T00:30:39.622-04:00I Still Don't Know What I Want to Be When I Grow UpSarabelle takes her second round of SATs Saturday. It's not to improve her admission applications, it's to try and boost her 75% Florida Bright Futures Scholarship to the full 100%.<br />
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Ready for a big confession? We've been downsizing further education plans. We've gone from the nearby private "Yale of Art Schools," to the not too far away State University With a Good Arts Program, to the neighborhood state college. We're thinking of a two-year Associates and a transfer to whatever art program she favors later on.<br />
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And the guilt! Oh, the guilt.<br />
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Jiminy Cricket is sitting on my shoulder chirping, "Cheapskate!" in my ear, but it's not about the money. Not entirely, anyway. It is going to be a bit of a stretch as Jorge's work is now beginning to slow down and he has clients who can't afford to pay him for work he's completed and we have real estate investments meant for such expenses that are unfortunately currently unmarketable, but we do have relatives willing to underwrite the venture and I have a fund to tap (only as a last ditch effort unless I want to go straight to <strike>Hell</strike> the head of the Black Sheep line. Again.) Part of it is my belief that a college education is hardly worth more than the parchment proof it's printed on. Is there even a parchment commodities exchange these days? I don't know. It's expensive, but is it <i>valuable?</i> I'm hearing stories from people, like the girl I used to babysit, who at 35 has nearly finished up her Masters to teach art history in connection with a museum. The debt? Is it worth it the financial and psychological stress? And the cost in terms of years lost? Let me reiterate: <i>She's 35</i> and just now looking to get on with her life after graduation, finally in a position to be competitive in her job market. Life's too short, I think. I might have recommended volunteering as a docent after learning a lucrative trade. Had she asked.<br />
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Mostly, Sarabelle <i>just isn't sure.</i> About what she wants to do, about where she wants to go, about what she wants to study... And Jorge and I wrestle with the fact that we felt very undecided in the same situation and had no one offering us any real guidance. Do we push? Do we stand back and let her twist in the wind?<br />
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Then there are the ghosts of our ancestors, my Yale Gramper and Sarah Lawrence Grammy, and Jorge's Columbia professor Grandmother and University of Miami Law School Judge Pop, haunting me along with a whole slew of living, breathing attorney and teacher relatives and their Ivy league and almost-Ivy League prodigies, persuading me that this is the only ticket to a successful life. And let's not forget the husband who agrees with them.<br />
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Did I mention guilt?<br />
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I know everyone has their own place. I'd rather have the girls follow their passions. I'd prefer not wasting money. But there's that whole second-guessing thing going on. Am I a realist? Am I a slacker? And the clock, with its incessant infernal ticking, I hear it.<br />
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In the meantime, I'm calling her graduated after the SATs -- I might even hum a little "Pomp and Circumstance" to make it official -- and for her graduation present she is flying to New York to see the <a href="http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/313">Tim Burton exhibit at the MoMA</a> before it closes, have a quick visit with her cousins, and hang with Cool NYC Animator Uncle at his place of business.<br />
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For all you torturing yourself with similar decisions, check out the posts over at <a href="http://mentalmultivitamin.blogspot.com/">Mental Multivitamin</a>: <a href="http://mentalmultivitamin.blogspot.com/2003/11/about-college.html">About College</a>; <a href="http://mentalmultivitamin.blogspot.com/2005/05/paying-for-college-rant-of-modest.html">Paying for College: A Rant of Modest Proportions</a>; <a href="http://mentalmultivitamin.blogspot.com/2010/02/paying-for-college-revisited.html">Paying for College, Revisited</a>; and <a href="http://mentalmultivitamin.blogspot.com/2010/03/community-college.html">Community College</a>.<br />
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And good luck.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6303235.post-47398274864294568212010-03-04T17:37:00.005-05:002010-03-11T11:10:19.595-05:00US vs. ThemIs it just me, or is anyone else more than a little concerned about the evidently increasing polarization of Americans, with one side willing to negotiate, progress, insure one nation with liberty and justice for all, and the other side, sure this is all a conspiracy, running apoplectic for their guns and bibles to shove their freedom down our throats and send us back to the dark ages? One side rational and the other bloody insane? Or have I just been reading too many articles like these?<br /><br /><a href="http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/03/oath-keepers">Oath Keepers and the Age of Treason</a><br /><br /><a href="http://kunstler.com/blog/2010/02/rehearsals-for-a-civil-war.html">Rehearsals for a Civil War</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/science/earth/04climate.html?hp=&pagewanted=all">Darwin Foes Add Warming to Targets</a><br /><br />Divide and conquer? We're making it way too easy for our enemies.<br /><br />United we stand, people.Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641344807315265133noreply@blogger.com3