Warning! Guard Wasps!

The house closest to us is vacant, and the owner has asked us to keep an eye on it, which we don't mind doing. He has planted some fruit trees that are near our fence, and last year, the fruit went unharvested.
That seemed sad to me, so I went to take a look at the trees today.
The first tree is loaded with pears. The branch shook as I removed one, and that triggered the unintended security system installed by the local wasp community! Really, the kind that fly and have stingers!
I stood still, hoping that they would loose interest in me. No, that didn't work. How about holding the bag in front of my face. The intimidation continued. I tried stooping down in the three foot tall ragweed surrounding the trees. The onslaught followed me down, but still none of them have actually stung me. However, they were sending a clear message.
I am such a wimp. I took off, with the single pear in my bag.

It isn't anywhere near ripe. I don't really like pears that much anyways.

The Lightbulb Burned Out. Time to Replace the Fixture.

Is this an example of planned obsolescence?
We decided to put a stylish new light fixture into our ugly bathroom about 16 months ago, and we were pleased with the lovely pools of light that could be directed into the dark areas. Within about 6 months, the specialty light bulbs began to burn out, and one of the lamps would not stay lit for more than a few days. We thought we had some bad bulbs (which were more expensive than normal incandescent bulbs, of course.)
The thing about the new bulbs though. They were nearly impossible to replace. There isn't any room for your fingers to manuever the bulb into its place so that it could light up your life. The little suction cup tool that came with the fixture won't work because the replacement bulbs have bumps on them where the original ones were smooth.
We finally got to the point that we functioned with less and less light until the last bulb burned out, and today we put in a new fixture, carefully chosen to avoid that problem of not being able to replace a burned out lamp.
This new one shows signs of similar design foolishness. It took three hands to secure the little shades over the, I don't even know what to call the little things that provide illumination. They aren't light bulbs. But it was a two person job to assemble the unit.

The bathroom is still ugly. At any rate, we once again can find our way in it.

Looking for a Homeschool Planner?

I have been a subscriber to The Old Schoolhouse on and off for years and today they are going to give away a homeschool planner to someone from who enters their contest on The Homeschool Lounge. If you want to give it a shot, you can go here, http://dewgin.blogspot.com/2008/08/giveaway-tos-homeschool-planner.html at least until 9 PM on Aug. 15.

This magazine is a great encourager to me and to other moms who endeavor to train and educate their children at home. It is well worth digging under couch cushions to have it come to your house. They understand the challenges, and are living them as well.
http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/

Here is a link to a sneak peak of the planner.

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/schoolhouse-planner-peek.pdf

Am I dangling the idea of organization like a bar of chocolate to a stressed out mom? Hope so!

Coffee and grocery stores

Our family moved to a fairly rural area almost five years ago, and we love it here. We love being able to see stars on a clear night, and having some elbow room around our home. There are a few things that we miss from Jacksonville. Our church is the first thing on the list. We miss you all at CLC!

Another thing we miss is the grocery store. Publix, please expand to the eastern shore! (And not to the east side. We low rent people need you more than the saturated beach communities do!)

A few months ago on the radio I heard a guy talk about how happy consumers are with various businesses, and he mentioned Publix as the grocery store chain that just far and away has the highest customer satisfaction ratings of all. At the bottom of the list is the store affectionately known as 'Wally World.' Moving to the eastern shore took me away from Publix and parked me at Wally World. Ironic, isn't it?

The past year has brought a good number of new businesses to this town with the grand opening of a new Lowes store. One of the new businesses to come here is Starbucks.
Starbucks is a great indicator of urban civility. I like them for a treat, but not as a daily part of life. Guess what! Our shiny new Starbucks is on the list of stores to be closed. Ah well, just as well that I didn't make you a habit. Or maybe that is why it is closing. No urban civility in this neck of the soybean fields.

Norb and I love our coffee here. Our ritual is normally one pot a day, cleaned between brews, (really important, IMHO) Eight O Clock coffee, French Roast, ground just before brewing, made with filtered water. Drink it black.
Sure wish that Wally World would carry French Roast. Publix does.

My Rant About Oil

Has the national debate on oil begun yet?

How often have you heard the phrase, "We can't drill our way out of this problem!"
Does that make any sense?
It is time to stop the foolishness of the talking point crowd.

The energy resources of the United States is not in short supply. Too many years of policy by politicians who, for some unknown reason, consider oil to be evil, (What's the deal with that?) have left this country hostage to other countries for our energy needs. Canada and Mexico are great suppliers of oil to the United States. We share the same continent. Doesn't it make sense that we also have oil supplies? But you wouldn't know it to listen to the anti oil forces.

"Use it or loose it," we hear them say. If oil is in the small percentage of land where drilling rights have been granted, then companies whose business it is to find oil would be all over it. Just granting a lease does not make oil appear there.
Another obstacle is the courtroom. Lawsuits are constantly being filed by left wing groups to stop the drilling and production.

The money that we have showered on the Middle East to buy their oil for decades is being used against us. They seem to have designs on countries that have oil reserves, and are working to insert their ideology and anti US sentiments into the governments where ever possible. It is time to use US dollars to bring US energy to the US market.

I want to cheer on the Republicans in the House who continued last week after adjournment, despite the lights and cameras being turned off. Keep up the good work, Congressmen!

Summer Thoughts

Has summer just begun or is it nearly over?
I always seem to be two steps behind the rest of the world in enjoying the seasons. About the time I am ready to shop for summer clothes, they are racked up on clearance, so with a little luck I find them marked down, just without all of the best stuff to choose from. Hey, I am overweight and middle aged, so who cares!

One early sign of the demise of summer is seeing school supplies on sale, and that is an event in every parent takes note of, although perhaps in a different way to a homeschooling parent.
Like a virus in the brain of a homeschooling mother is the constant question of whether or not we are doing well enough, and I am no exception. The method my family has been employing for the past two years will no longer be available after May of 2009, so evaluating the options has been heavy on my mind for about the past month.

The process has brought me to a book by the name of "Discover Your Child's Learning Style" and the reading is fascinating. It examines the performance of the public (or government) school system and in attempting to serve all, in reality serves very few, even the students who seem to be successful.
And if by some chance a teacher finds a method of teaching that reaches an entire class, the results don't conform to the bell curve, and will be rejected. The system is sick.

Well, our family is committed to the education of our sons, and we will continue to be homeschooling parents.