Pinewood Castle

Appreciated

A big thank you to any readers who have clicked a book title link and made a purchase in the last few months. For me, receiving a little gift card from Amazon to spend on books is almost as fun as receiving your comments. Blogging is a two-way street - thanks for contributing!

 

 

To Blog or Not to Blog

Let's just say I am super impressed these days with homeschooling moms of many who still manage to crank out posts at a steady rate. This endeavor just seems beyond my reach these days. There are so many things to do, I just have to prioritize and think, "What is the one thing I need to do right now?" The possibilities are a endless, but it is usually something like:

help the kids with school

help the kids practice

take a violin in for new fine tuners

read to the older kids

read to the younger kids

fold laundry for the kids so they can go outside and get the sunshine and exercise they need

go outside and walk so I can get the sunshine and exercise I need

make a menu plan

make a grocery list for the menu plan

read the choir boy's newsletter

update the calendar with performance dates

make necessary phone calls like scheduling the chimney sweep

write a thank you note and bake cookies for someone who did something nice for me

place my Azure order

close the pantry door

grade math

order library books

return library books

re-do my grocery price lists and see if Aldi is really less expensive than Costco

make some iced coffee

go to the bathroom!

order snow gear for the eldest

sign up for that field trip

get to a dr. appointment for me

drive to karate

drive to boy choir

grocery shop during choir rehearsal

drive to violin

drive to Ft. Snelling for a field trip

print out the educational material for that Young People's Concert

ask my husband what day he can mow and take the van for an oil change

order beeswax candles for the dark months

talk to my niece about her new baby boy

clean the floor

clean the appliances

change burnt-out lightbulbs

wipe the dust off the light fixtures

get out bigger clothes for the baby

change the outfit on the 4 year old's baby doll

at least do puzzles with the 4yo since we didn't get to doing preschool

let the new butterfly go

pick up the family room again

water the porch mums

pick the lock on my bedroom door after the 4yo locked the baby in my bedroom all by himself

look at what's for dinner tomorrow

make sure I have all the ingredients

You get the idea. You get that "write all those blog posts I have swimming in my head" isn't the one thing I need to be doing unless it's 9pm or earlier, the kids are all in bed, the laundry is all folded and put away, I know what's for dinner the next day, and I am not about to fall asleep standing up.

Patience. And priorities. And all for the love of God and these precious people He put in my life ~

Blogger's Tea - It's a Small World After All!

 Hopefully you have already found everyone's lovely posts about our 3rd Annual Blogger's Tea? If not, just check out my shared items for links.

I really don't have much to add except to tell you that only half the guests on the guest list were able to attend. Can you believe we are really getting to be such a large group? We pondered why that might be . . . cabin fever? It is definitely therapeutic to maintain connection with others when the temps dip below zero!

Here are some individual shots of the ladies (please forgive me for not linking)

Josefa - we recently discovered we are practically neighbors - small world!

Jamie-who-drank-too-much-tea! Do we share a small world story, Jamie? Maybe not, but we do seem to have much in common. Seriously, though, she is sacrificing a lot to have this fifth baby. Send some prayers her way for these last few weeks!

Sarah who won Meredith's book - she lives near my husband's grandmother - small world!

Meredith who won Karen's book. We discovered we are practically neighbors too! And our girls attended the same birthday party last week - small world!

Kristina who went to school with my husband - small world!

And Margaret. Small world - we used to go to the same Bible study way back before we were too busy with homeschooling. We used to see each other at the Latin Mass back then too. I was hopelessly  distracted by her daughter Cate's baby face during Mass. And get this, we both used to wear blue corduroy knickers back when we were on staff at Interlochen. We were there the  same summer but did not know one another. We must have crossed paths, though, because I worked a lowly food service job to be there so I probably saw her at least three times a day as she came through the cafeteria line!

See, here I am with 80's bangs:

Margaret, if you have an old Interlochen photo I would love to see it. You don't have to blog it. But we've already seen your 80's look so you have nothing to lose, right?

You've seen the whole group, right? God bless the lady who took seven photos with seven different cameras!

One more thing look what they had for sale there - aprons!

I did not buy one, but I did purchase some loose tea and scone mix for tea time.

Until next year . . .

Go Visit Margaret Today

 . . . because she has published an absolutely snort-and-belly-laugh post covering the highlights of our 3rd Annual Blogger's Tea!

She must have knocked herself out to find a blogging time slot over the weekend.

I, on the other hand, wiled away the day at the St. Paul Irish Fair (after Mass of course), came home, showered, ate pizza and went to sleep early.You see, someone is adjusting to her new toddler bed this weekend and is preventing the rest of us from getting enough sleep.

You know what this means, don't you? Hearing little pitter-pats as late as 10pm, seeing a rascally smiling face and returning the little cherub back to her bed. Ditto at 5am! At least she is not climbing out of the crib anymore and risking potential injury.

So head over and see what we were up to Saturday! It was a wonderful diversion from spending time with my sleep-deprived toddler!

What Happened

It was the Zicam post - the one about the recall due to people reporting a loss of smell that attracted some riff-raff to my blog.

While I do not want to give this situation undue attention I thought it might be helpful to share a little about what I have learned from this experience.

First, I apologize for being so thin-skinned and reactionary. I see myself in my kids when they get upset when things don't go their way. Unfortunately I am both immature and inexperienced with blog troubles. I might still be lacking in maturity but at least I feel a bit more experienced after this.

My main concern before starting this blog was wondering how I would handle inevitable hecklers. In case you are are thinking of blogging, here's what showed up in my com box:

The first was from "Joe Shmoe"

this is the typical "big brother" trying to get rid of something that actually works...it works too good that is the problem so they can't sell their crap cold medicine....it's so typical

I wasn't too happy about this one and his use of the "c" word but the next one from "Think About It" bothered me more:

COME ON! Do you have a brain? If so, USE IT! THINK! 130 cases in 10 years, out of how many milllion doses? Think about it! It's just the FDA trying to kill another great product because they can't find a way to leech $$$ from it. The FDA is NOT in the business of protecting us, it is in the business of killing us! For example, they stall or deny drugs that help cancer patients, which have been proven safe and are used in other countries with incredible success! Yet the FDA won't allow it here because in the big picture, they'll lose $$$ from the other drug companies they leech off of since those drugs are far less successful and will stop being used because we'll all vote with our $$$. Beware of the FDA! Once again, they are using scare tactics to kill a very GOOD and successful product they will lose $$$ over. Don't get caught up in the hype, do the research, use your brain, think. Logic and rational thought is your fri end, FDA scare tactics is not.

That's it. Just two. I know many of you have endured MUCH worse!!!

Chances are, these folks have never before visited my blog and never will again. But still. I will be making some changes:

1. My DH showed me how people search for blog posts linking to major news articles - so I will refrain from linking to major news articles from now on!
2. One wise blogger friend suggested to just "block and delete" the weirdos - easy enough!
3. And yet another blogging veteran suggested turning off comments - I will try this for a while. Comments are nice when they come, but they are not my main motivation for blogging.
4. Topics involving natural health care options have attracted the most "off" comments. I would love to write more posts on the topic but will think twice before I do.

So I hope you have my email address if you want to be in touch. Feel free to use it and I will do my best to reply!

Signing Off

I have received some unsettling comments recently from readers who are unknown to me. This takes the fun out of blogging for me and makes me wonder who my readers are and if these commenters are regular readers or people who search out specific topics to badger people about.

Hosting a personal blog is a little like having an open house but not being there to see who walks through. Some are friends, some relatives, some are honest and supportive readers and the others - I have no idea. The Traffic Meter sometimes shows some exotic locations but does not tell me exactly who is coming by.

I know we cannot expect the web to be a safe haven and have to be on guard. So far my blog has been a relatively safe place for this little spot of my own but today I feel . . . like I have some unwelcome and uncharitable guests.

I may resume after a time but for now I think a break is best. Have a lovely summer!

I Caved

And joined Facebook. During Lent?! I realized afterward that I hadn't been out of the house for three days. Ya think that might have had something to do with it? So look me up and we can be friends. Just don't poke me (ouch!) and please no virtual gifts!

New Blogger on the Block

My friend and neighbor, Amber, has begun a blog of her own! Stop by Miracles on Mama Street and give her a big welcome!

A New Year

Do you make resolutions? Seems kind of redundant for Catholics. I mean, we make then during Lent. We make some during Advent. We make them when we pray the Act of Contrition and when we go to confession. And I think at those times and in that context we get the grace from God to actually stick to them.

But it doesn't stop me from making them anyway, along with many plans for the new year. So my list for 2009 is an odd mix of resolutions and plans. It looks something like this:

• exercise regularly (after cleaning the basement and reacquainting myself with my treadmill I already feel like less of a blob!)
• start program with nutritionist/chiropractor I've been seeing after the car accident for health overhaul (further thyroid testing, low glycemic diet, de-tox program)
• get mercury fillings out now that the baby is weaned
• read more
• knit more - learn to knit more than just scarves
• bake more bread
• join YMCA this summer
• cook more meals for the freezer for easier weeknights
• go to the North Shore and Canada this summer
• explore future career ideas for my empty nest years (I need more social security points!)
• more love

The last one is the one that's really been bugging me. I need to take some time to recharge my love batteries.

When I struggle daily to get the kids to obey promptly I think "Love makes obedience easy. How much do I really love them and do they really love me? Do I model politeness and patience or are they just deaf and resistant to remembering the steps of our well-posted routines?"

When my husband and I quarrel or at a stand-off I think, "CLANGING CYMBAL!"

And most of all with prayer and Catholic devotions that sometimes feel tedious I think, "True love of God should really be the foundation out of which these devotions flow" and wonder if my efforts are sincere. More on this later - it's on my heart after reading Called Out of Darkness, conversion story of author Ann Rice (thanks, Sheri!)

So this is a small part of my ongoing conversion - more love. Taking joy in serving my family. With real love for God as the foundation of it all.

Thank you, everyone who reads this, for your support and friendship.

I wish you many blessings and graces for the New Year. Pray for me and I will and do pray for you too!

Tracy

Housekeeping Note

Typepad has changed the commenting format, you may have noticed. You get a little picture or "avatar" by your comment if you have one. The email notification I receive no longer displays the commenter's email address so my easiest way to reply to any questions you ask is to leave a comment myself. What I do not know is if commenters receive an email notification of the reply. Let me know if you do!

So, if you ask a question, please check back with the comments to see my reply. I preferred in the past to email replies privately, but will switch to this for convenience.

And thanks to all of you brave souls who do take the trouble to comment - I love to hear from you!

Advent blessings,
Tracy

As much as I love blogging and staying in touch with friends and family, old and new, I have to do something else with my evenings for a while.

Like this

Or this

My bathroom scale is telling me that my homeschooling life is becoming way too sedentary - I cannot continue to bake cakes and sit on the sofa for hours reading time without balancing it out with vigorous exercise.

The clothes in my closet are telling me by the tight fit that eating healthy organic whole food is not enough. Even after all the fresh local produce we have been enjoying, all the whole grains and smoothies for breakfast, I must also get regular exercise. A good diet (with occasional indulgences) is not enough for this body God gave me.

My doctor has told me in the past to eat a low-glycemic diet but I just wasn't motivated. Looking through the South Beach diet plan was just too overwhelming for me at the time. Now I realize that the low glycemic diet is much like the Eat Right For Your Blood Type diet with with I have lost weight in the past, after baby #2.

So here I am back to a gluten-free, mostly dairy free, high protein and low sugar diet.

It's a drag, but

I've done it before with relative success so I guess I can do it again.

As much as I would like to share all the highlights of our fun-filled week: veiwing the Vatican Splendors exhibit, a trip to the apple orchard, our visit from my family from Oklahoma and our annual birthday date to A Prairie Home Companion show, it will have to wait.

We had third row seats this year, bty (thanks honey!). And we could see the stage dors from our spot in the parking ramp. We waved to Pat Donohue and he waved back! And the Irish band, Solas, was awesome. I totally want the CD.

I also want to tell you how much I love listening to The Days Gone By CD every October. I love every note of it.

And I want to give you links to all this too but I can't right now so I hope you like googling!

I will be back later - pray for me and wish me lots of luck and willpower!!!

Many Thanks

I am having so much fun reading all of your comments and congratulations. Way a great way to count heads and to know who is reading! I am so excited to hear from all of you, especially those habitual lurkers.

Please know that I totally understand, though, and do the same thing even with my absolute favorite blogs. Not from lack of interest, just lack of time. It does take a while to think of something to day, decipher the code and identify oneself.

Ok, twelve down (counting my hubby), 28 to go! Who else is out there?

It's My Blog-o-versary!

Yes, it has been one year since I published my first post and staked out my own little corner of the web. I now have a wonderful record of a year-in-the-life of our family as well as many new friends - both virtual and IRL. What a blessing it has been to get to know more kindred spirits outside of my daily real life world.

Now, it seems to me that discussing comment stats in blogsphere is almost as taboo as revealing one's income. But every now and then I reveal all, so here it is: my stats say I have a grand total of 362 posts, 576 comments and about 40 visitors a day. 

So stop by my combox this week and wish me a Happy Blog-o-versary! If I only get two comments I won't quit or anything, (I don't get enough comments to be addicted to them) but more than one or two will certainly give me an incentive to continue. I love hearing from all of you - old friends, new friends, family and especially the lurkers who visit all the time and never leave a comment - you know who you are ; )

*** Hope you have a wonderful week this week celebrating all the wonderful feasts of St. Michael and the Archangels, St. Jerome, St. Therese, Guardian Angels and St. Francis! Check out my shared items for ideas! If I don't post much it's because we're busy baking cakes like Devil's Food and Angel Food. This year I remembered to save a wine bottle for inverting the angel food cake pan!

The Winner Is

Paula -- A Catholic Harvest. Though she had the advantage of being there. Just not for the photo!



Left to right:
Mary -- Vocation of Motherhood
Margaret -- Minnesota Mom
Me
Anna -- Anna Braga-Henebry's Journal
Jamie -- Lord Make Me a Saint
Erin -- Bearing Blog

Laura the Crazy Mama was there too - maybe with those redheads in the hallway. Or off on the Harley. No wonder I didn't see Laura or Paula at all on Saturday!

I, too, could have stayed all day to talk with you all all the other brave souls who love to read blogs or considering blogging for themselves. Let's pick a date for the 2nd Annual Blogger's Tea at the Mad Hatter, shall we?

Name That Blogger

To Blog or Not to Blog

Did I mention that I recently had the opportunity to see my friend Mary (from Vocation of Motherhood ) at the Mother's Day of Renewal?  Her recent post reminded me of the conversation we had while tending to our babies in the back of the church hall.  We explored questions such as, "Is it self-centered and narcissistic to blog?" and "Are we just tooting our own horns?"

I think it is healthy and useful to ask ourselves these questions and to keep asking them to keep ourselves in check.  Is our blogging distracting us from our vocation as wives and mothers?  Are we spending too much time on the computer to prove something to the world?

Just as Fr. C discussed in his sermon today, the season of Lent is needed to pare down the excesses of what builds up during the course of a year.  Many of our activities and communications are good, but we must ask ourselves - are we serving them or are they serving us?  Do we have proper detachment?

This is why I am trying to limit my blogging to weekends during Lent - to make sure I can overcome that pull to the computer that sucks me into a the den, away from my family and daily duties.  I often stay up much later than I should, clicking away on other blogs and message boards to keep abreast with the active topics.  The usual result is that I oversleep, mis my exercise time and start school late. 

The positives of blogging, to me, outweigh the negatives.  Here's a little list of why I would like to keep blogging:

• Blogging and emailing are a great convenience, especially for homeschooling moms. 
• It seems as if there is never a good time to call another mom and the virtual world offers a form of socialization that works with my schedule and can be done from my own home. 
• I have found that having a blog is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends.
• I have met many new friends and enjoy getting to know them through emails. 
• Due to lack of time and money I have not taken up scrapbooking and my blog is a way to record family memories.
• As this is not a season in my life in which I have much time or money to volunteer or donate, my blog is a little something I can do to contribute to "the wheel of life" and show appreciation for all the neat ideas that come my way.
• One more - a confession.  Have you ever heard the quote, "The greatest kind of pride is that which makes you do your best, even when no one is watching."?  Well, I don't always do my best around here when no one is watching!  Blogging helps me to do my best, to have people to whom I feel accountable and at the very least to remember to take more photographs and savor and love my children.

There you have it!  Thanks, Mary for stirring up good food for thought!  I do hope that a certain someone I know might be working on a Prayer for Blogging Mothers so that we may all approach our blogging within the intention of fulfilling of God's will as well as fostering healthy relationships in our somewhat isolated realms.

One more thing here before I go (See -  I am supposed to be having date night with my husband!!!) here are some recent thoughts on blogging from Elizabeth at Real Learning:

A blogging friend told me recently that she only reads three blogs on a daily basis. The rest she saves for an occasional (rare?) time when she might have some unexpected downtime to sit and read a bunch at once. Or she doesn't read the rest at all. My blogs are all on my Google Reader. It's a great tool. It keeps me posted on who has something new to read on any given day. It allows me to organize my blogs according to category:  all the craft blogs in one place, all the gardening blogs in another, and the cooking blogs, and the home education blogs. It allows me to easily share with you on my sidebar any blog posts I have found especially interesting. But my friend who only reads three blogs a day says that those three are chosen because they are the blogs she includes in her prayer time. She reads them to come closer to her Creator and to better answer her call to be a holy wife and mother. This gave me pause. Can I choose just three blogs to be a part of my daily time with God?  Those had better be well worth reading.And if I did and if I limited myself to just those blogs for Lent, wouldn't I be well on my way to avoiding "the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power and idle chatter?"And wouldn't I clear up a considerable amount of time that I could dedicate to those books on my nightstand? Yes, I would.

And y'all know how many books are on my nightstand!!!

Thou Art Dust

I am behind with my posts, I know!  I had a little problem last week that required me to be off my feet as well as out of the computer chair for a few days so the posts in my head did not reach the status of  published posts. 

I did however, enjoy several extra hours of sleep which led me to believe that perhaps I really should go to bed every night at 9:00 pm. 

This earlier bedtime is something I plan to incorporate into my Lenten sacrifices which means that blogging and reading and watching my Netflix will have to take a backseat for, oh, 40 days at least. 

This will be hard for me!  I'll try to get some posts in on the weekends, but in the meantime, have a blessed Lent! 

Homeschool Blog Awards

My friend, Margaret in Minnesota has been nominated for two Homeschool Blog Awards: Funniest Blog  and the Best Nitty-Gritty Homeschool Blog. 

Nitty-Gritty meaning: "the homeschooler who is brutally honest and open about her mistakes and failures. These are the moms that make you feel better and let you know that it is OK that we aren’t perfect."

Click on the links above to vote and in the meanwhile, check out the other nominees - a great way to discover award-winning blogs!

P.S.  By Sun and Candlelight is up for awards too - Best Crafts, Plans, Projects  among others!