Quote

I love this quote by David A. Bednar

"Young people increasingly need to be learners who act and there by receive additional light and knowledge by the power of the Holy Ghost - and not merely passive students who primarily are acted upon."

Okay, here is where my strong ability to be overly opinionated comes out:
I believe that the method of education we use in our public schools  here in the United States largely creates ". . .  passive students who primarily are acted upon."  I think we need to be aware of this and help our children not be passive in their learning.

Elder Bednar also stated (he is talking about learning how to do family history, but I believe this applies to all learning) :
"But, do not overly program this endeavor or provide too much detailed information or training.  Invite young people to explore, to experiment, and to learn for themselves. (see Joseph Smith History 1:20)"

This is from his General Conference address The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn, October 2011

Poem of the Week

My friend has her children memorize a poem every week.  Here is this weeks poem.  It is SO cute.

My Friend The Monster
by LaDawn Jacob

Our vacuum is a monster
Who gobbles up the dirt.
He gulps up paper, strings, and grass
As if they were dessert.
He pokes his nose in corners
And under every chair,
And all the little cookie crumbs
Had better just beware!
He roars across the carpet
And flips his tail behind;
Then sneaks around a table leg
To see what he can find.
And though he’s always gulping
Whatever he can see,
He’ll always be my monster friend
And never swallow me.

Late Summer

By the end of August,  I start to feel like it must be fall.  The air gets a bit nippy, the grain field turn golden and the kids go back to school.  It is really only late summer.

Late summer in south eastern Idaho means cool evenings and mornings; and heat that feels intense in the day.  It is when the zucchini grow out of control in the garden.  We finally get to savor tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn.  The beginning of September brings the last warm weekend holiday - Labor day.  It also brings the Idaho State Fair.

True fall begins September 23.  With that comes lots of exciting things.  I love potato harvest, LDS women's conference, and the LDS General Conference.  Then, it gets cold, hot, cold - like a perimenopausal woman!

Halloween is usually cold, windy, or snowing.  Sometimes it is warm.  I really dislike Halloween in Idaho.

From here on out, I just pray it will snow.  The brown fields are depressing!

So, I will take this late summer and savor it.

Things I want to do

1.  Help build a Habitat for Humanity house in Mexico
2.  Build a modern style house for me.  :)
3.  Live on the beach for 3 months
4.  Go to Germany/Holland - family history
5.  Go to Denmark
6.  Build a house in Idaho Falls over by the temple
7.  Remodel a house in Idaho Falls over by the temple
8.  Go to the East coast of Canada - PEI
9.  Write a book - children's? poems?

Conspicuous Consumption

I read a blog yesterday that featured a tiny Italian kitchen.  A kitchen typical in European countries.

http://smallnotebook.org/2011/03/14/our-italian-kitchen-tour/

Here is what I learned:

1.  I have a time saving device called a dish washer that allows me to procrastinate doing the dishes and to have 3 times as many dishes and utensils than I need.  If I cleaned up completely after every meal, I wouldn't need so many dishes.

2.  I have a spacious refrigerator so that I can put food in it and conduct science experiments about how food rots.  This device also allows me to have a huge collection of storage containers and missing lids.  Now I admit the fridge was so small you would have to shop several times a week.  But, does mine need to be as big as it is?  I would definitely want my fridge to have a small freezer.

3.  I have a kitchen table that we only eat on and do crafts on.  What?  I can use it to prep my food too?

4.  I have always thought it makes sense to have the washer/dryer in the kitchen. Not sure why.  I guess I would sort the clothes somewhere else - or sort as they are taken off. What a novel idea!  My kids can't even get them in the laundry basket.  That is what the floor is for; right?

5.  All of these time saving devices and huge appliances allow me to use a lot of electricity all at once.

6.  And last, but not least, the more I have the more I have to remember, take care of, and clean.  Can I be brave enough to cut back?

This was another interesting link posted in the comments:
http://www.se7en.org.za/2009/01/11/the-cupboard

New Year's Resolutions

     I have always resisted the idea of New Years resolutions/goals.  Why is Jan 1 any different from any day of the year?  I find that I periodically take stock of what has happened, is happening, and what I want to have happen in my life.  It is not something I do on a specific date.  My taking stock coordinates with the seasons, school starting, or the beginning or ending of something significant in my life.  It could happen after a doctors appointment or a meaningful encounter with family or friends.  I like to plan.  I prefer rhythms over schedules.  There seems to be a natural ebb and flow to peoples lives.

Here are some things I plan on happening this year:

1.  Continue reading the young adult books on my shelf and determining if I think they are "keepers".
2.  Going to California at the end of Jan.
3.  Going to Maine and the Caribbean for spring break.
4.  Finding more things to do that I enjoy.  Maybe some classes.
5.  Selling the furniture I don't need after the school year is done.
6.  Finding a way(s) that I enjoy moving my body to keep it working better.
7.  Praying I will keep the weight off I have lost and hope to arrive at a weight that my body feels best at.
8.  Continuing to volunteer at the Hunger Coalition until the school year ends.
9.  Continue making cloth menstrual pads for Days for Girls.
10.  Continue finding enriching classes for Breanna with her love of arts and crafts.

Here are some things that I am waiting to unfold over the year:

1.  What Bret will do for school next fall.
2.  What Breanna will do for school next fall.
3.  What opportunities summer and fall will bring for me.

Can Boredom Make it Happen?

I'm trying an experiment:  How long does it take for boredom to bring out my passions in life?  I was going to take on line classes to get rid of my boredom, but I wasn't sure that would do it.  I was also affraid that it would keep me from carrying out my experiment.  So, I am trying to find things that I truly enjoy to fill my days. I guess an important part of this boredom experiment is that I want to motivation to come internally not externally.  Someone else is not going to tell me what do, when to do it, how much, how long.  I want to get beyond the need to always please people and win their approval.  Is this making sense?


Today has been a great day for seeing if boredom can push me in the right direction.  Nada.  Not a single break through today.  Well, maybe.  I know I can't stand doing the same thing more than about 1 day a week.

Monday is laundry and grocery shopping.  (These are not things I feel passionate about, but are necessary.)

Tuesday morning, I stock sort and stock shelves for The Hunger Coalition.  I like this.
 
Wednesday?  Well this week I sewed Christmas stockings. 

So, that leaves me with Thursday.  I took David to the dry cleaners, to pick up his rental car, and then I walked on the treadmill at the gym.  Then, I took a long nap, had lunch, played on the computer, picked up some wreaths, read, and I am now back on the computer.  It feels like I have wasted a whole day doing very little worth while.

Friday, I should clean the bathrooms.  UGH!  I need to mop the floors. Ugh!  I like to vacuum though.

Saturday I will go to the Papoose Craft fair with Breanna.  I should enjoy this.

And Sunday is church.

Hmm.........

Alone for Lunch

I love to go to lunch alone.  Dinner is okay, but lunch is the best.  If I am going to lunch alone, this is how I like it:

I can't be in a hurry.
I must like the food - something good.
I like to sit by the window or the restaurant has to have interesting architecture.
I don't like places that feel crowded.
I don't like places noisy with music or TVs on the wall.  Noisy with conversation is pleasant though.

I like to go to lunch alone because it is calm.  I only have to worry about me, what I want, and if I am happy or not.  I can listen to and watch other people.  I can think.

Going to lunch alone is feeds me.

Sleep

I love to sleep. 
It is warm, soft, quiet, safe.  
It makes my day shorter.
I don't have to decide what to do.
I don't have to face unpleasant things. 
Sometimes while I am sleeping, I have these amazingly creative dreams.  They are so fun to watch. 
Sleep is an escape.