Tales From Another Planet

Back by popular demand (and because she asked me to keep writing), it's husband's blog post.  Next up in the series of Live Trax album reviews, Live Trax Volume 2. DMB Live Trax Volume 2 09.12.2004 1) One Sweet World 2) What Would You Say 3) So Much to Say » Anyone Seen the Bridge » 4) Pantala Naga Pampa »  Rapunzel 5) Joyride 6) #41 7) The Best of What's Around 8) Lie in Our Graves 9) The Stone 10) Drive In Drive Out 11) Loving Wings » 12) Where Are You Going 13) Hello Again 14) Jimi Thing 15) Warehouse » 16) Sugar Will 17) All Along the Watchtower 18) Stay (Wasting Time) 19) Everyday 20) Too Much After the initial release in this series, LT1, fans immediately began asking (with renewed intensity) for their favorite shows to be released.  12.31.1996, 7.10.2004, 12.3.1998, 2.19.1996, etc, etc.  This pick for the second show, which was performed some three months before, was confusing to fans. Nick-named "Central Park West" as an homage ...

Coming off of the busy holiday season, I've been challenging myself to try to find some time to have a true Sabbath, or rest time during my week. With young kids, it can be hard to truly get away from it all. Now, I'm not saying that I don't "zone out" by watching TV or reading a book or surfing on the Internet. I'm talking about true rest. Time to think deep thoughts, without interruption. Time to enjoy God's creation in solitude. Time to pray deeply and sing loudly and read thoroughly. How do we create this Sabbath rest in the middle of our over-scheduled busy lives? I have a few tips and ideas that you can try to see how they work. Wake up earlier. This would be a lot easier if I didn't end up with my two-year old in our bed almost every night. If I get up, he's sure to realize that his warm snugly (i.e. his mother) is no longer in bed and will follow shortly. However, it may work on some occasions or for other people. Go to bed later. ...

**This is a guest post by my husband. He is going to review Dave Matthews Band Live Trax. There are 36 posts so far, and I will be publishing them on Thursdays, for those who are interested in Dave Matthews Band. His great love for the Dave Matthews Band is to be shared with all.** This post is unlike anything you've ever read on this blog.  That's because for the first time in the history of the Internet on this blog, my wife is not writing a blog post.  The text you're reading was written by her husband. I'm not sure why my wife has asked me to write a guest blog post, nor am I sure why she wanted me to write on any topic I choose, but being the good husband I am I'm taking her up on the challenge. I thought I'd take my blog post (likely, eventually, posts) to avoid anything controversial.  Instead, I'll do a series of reviews on the Live Trax series of albums from Dave Matthews Band.  Why, you say?  I say why not. DMB Live Trax Volume 1 12.08.19...

Normally, I don't post on Wednesdays, but this deal was too good to pass up. Schoola is currently offering an additional 40% off gently used items with discount code HOTSTYLES. I'm not sure how long this sale will last, and if you combine it with a free $20 credit, you should be able to get 2-4 quality used items for free! I don't recommend Schoola if you're paying their "normal" prices (I've gotten some funky things occasionally, like girls pants instead of boys, and 3 month instead of 3T clothing and prices are a little high in my opinion). But if you combine some credit and a sale, you can't go wrong. Also, free shipping! I just ordered a free pair of 3T pants with a very small credit I had left over that was expiring this month. If you haven't signed up before, use my referral link below to get a $20 credit! Click here for a $20 credit for signing up at Schoola! **The above link is a referral link, but no one pays me for my opinion. Thank...

I ordered next year's curriculum "way too early" because I found some great deals on used curriculum that I couldn't pass up. Since it has already come in, I thought I would offer a free "preview" of Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory. As well as how we "plan" to actually use it next year. First, let me say that I wasn't initially planning on purchasing this curriculum. I wanted to do something different for science, and wasn't sure about the price for the curriculum guide since we weren't planning on using the curriculum as written. Then, I saw a seller that listed an "acceptable" quality used guide for $20 + shipping. Considering that I paid $35 for a similar condition used guide at our local homeschool store, I thought this was a great deal and promptly snatched it up. I hadn't had a chance to fully look through the curriculum, so I quickly reviewed it after it arrived last week. Now that I've had a chance to re...

This started out as simple amazement at one person's comments online, but turned into a realization about sexism (and probably a lot of other -isms). I'm not the type of person who thinks everyone is sexist. I make some comments in jest about "the good old boys' club" or how boys in general do play differently than girls. I think the people who blast Barbie's and "girl" Lego's have too much time on their hands. But I would also shy away from always dressing a little girl in skirts and dresses and treating her differently than my boys. I was a bit of a tomboy growing up, and it didn't hurt me any. I tend not to think that sexism is a big problem in our society today. We have women at least trying to run for president (some of them do scare me to death, although slightly less scary than Donald Trump). We have women who've graduated from Army Ranger school and women who are construction foremen. I'm not naive enough to think that the...

Going through some of my files recently I realized that I had two very similar storylines going on at the same time. Apparently I updated the story (or redid it based on the same fragment of original writing) at some point, but now I can't decide which version I like better. This is the first chapter of "Fighting Destiny", and I've linked to the previous blog post with "Flashes" as well. Read both, then vote for your favorite! Chapter One The trees were in full bloom in Whitney’s neighborhood, proving the subdivision’s name, White Blossom, to be incredibly apt. Although some might think the name a bit prosaic, the tree lined streets covered in April’s snowfall of flower petals touched Whitney’s heart and lifted her mood. She leaned gently into each turn, enjoying every minute of her short drive, and then pulled a little too quickly into her steep driveway. She never used the cavernous and often spooky garage, so she hopped out of the car, locked the d...

I feel pretty good about life right now. I actually completed a craft project with some friends a few weekends ago, and I finally was able to hang it up. The kids played with it for their obligatory two minutes before going back to what Parents magazine called "the game of ouch". If you're not sure what the rules are for the game of ouch, they do vary for each round. The game is over when one of the boys cries loud enough to need attention. Props may include wooden trains, Hot Wheels cars, puzzle pieces and more. House rules (such as playing nicely with our toys and keeping our hands and feet to ourselves) obviously do not apply when playing this game. So, to avoid the game of ouch using Christmas ornaments, I jumped at the chance to make a simple felt Christmas tree for my kids to redecorate. A few friends came over and we all pooled our craft materials together. It took a bit longer than expected, primarily because I'm not that into crafts and we had two ex...

This is officially my 200th blog post, so I thought I'd do a quick run-down of the top 5 blog posts (by page views). Links are included if you happened to miss out or need a refresher. It's hard to believe that this post is already my 200th. I do post frequently, although not always everyday. I've settled into a rhythm of about 4 per week, usually skipping Wednesdays. However, since this is a special occasion, you get an extra blog post just for Hump Day today! Top Five Blog Posts With the most page views by a fairly large margin, we have Cartoon Saving the World  from a Poetry/Fiction Friday post way back in July. I would classify it as an unfinished extremely brief story idea, or maybe it is finished with a choose your own style ending. Coming in at a distant second is  The Problem with a Social Economy. Next we have a tie between  Sick Day  and Roofing Woes . A very close 5th is  Concert Goings  (I keep trying to have my husband guest post about ...

I've decided lately to take a hiatus from Facebook. Despite it's good qualities (I do like keeping up a bit with distant friends and acquaintances) it seems to just turn into a social media trap. The trap is, that we focus so much on whether we agree with someone or not, we don't look at it closely enough to determine if it's true. For instance, I read an article that critiqued almond milk producers because their product was 97% water. Then I looked at the recipe shared for making your own almond milk. Here's a hint, it ended up being about 97% water (you start with a 4:1 ratio of water to almonds, which is already 80% water, then when you're done, you TAKE OUT THE ALMONDS). So, you can spread bad news about a company because you don't like the way their product tastes, or you can think about the actual method of making almond milk and realize that it is actually mostly water, which is why it's so low in calories. My point is, people just leap withou...

Lately, I've started considering myself a writer. I know, with almost 200 blog posts, wouldn't I have considered myself that a bit earlier? So, I started thinking about what I thought a writer was, and when you can consider yourself a writer. Creativity I used to think that creativity was  a must when it came to being a writer. In my everyday life, I don't really think about myself as a terribly creative person. I can't draw or paint very well, and I'm not great at designing things with my hands. Then, I think about what this blog was originally designed and named for, to give a glimpse into my crazy, strange thought life. For instance, the other night I woke up from a dream in which a kitchen appliance made an appearance. No ordinary kitchen appliance, this gadget could cook an egg and make coffee at the same time! It also had a separate insert if you wanted to make applesauce or apple butter (don't ask me why). So, maybe I am a bit creative. Unfortunat...

In my work from home job, I've added some more hours recently. Since I'd taken a brief hiatus in order to transition to a new position, and actual tutoring sessions have slowed down with the end of the semester for many college students, I wanted to try to earn a bit more income. A large percentage of the time this week I haven't had many sessions, but I wanted to have some work available to distract my Kindergarten student if I ended up with a session popping up during our "school time". I created a "Morning notebook" with some free printables and my amazing laminator. Essentially, the printables I laminated include one for each day of the week. He practices writing the day of the week, writes down the number, and the number for the day before and after. There's another page for the temperature, time, and what he's wearing. I also have a non-laminated calendar page where he can practice writing the month and fill in the numbers for the days of...

I have a theory that a lot of a person's attitude about life in general can stem from external versus internal causation and blame. If you're curious for a more scholarly look at the theory you can google "Internal versus external locus of control". Of course, I'm not the first person who came up with this theory, but I figure that I will put my own spin on it in this brief blog post. In short, people who don't blame anyone or anything for their situation are more satisfied with life in general. Those who are focused on who is to blame for their struggles or woes, are too focused on the negative rather than moving forward and improving their lot in life. Normally, I would assume that this must apply primarily to people in extreme circumstances, because I have a pretty good life, so who would I be blaming for anything? However, I was recently challenged by some things I've been reading for our small group discussions, and realized that blame is a really...

We have two sets of grandparents interested in gift ideas, and are looking for things for our own children, so I came up with my top list of Christmas gift ideas that you won't see advertised on TV (based on my kids ages and interests, of course). Almost 3-year old boy - STEM - educational toy - Bambino-LUK Starter Pack (approximately $25).  Music - VTech Record and Learn KidiStudio  Art - high quality paintbrushes, canvases, and paints. Preschool kids can use adult art supplies with supervision. The Crayola 5-count art and craft brush set is also a good quality "kids" set. Books - purchase quality children's literature such as The Story about Ping , How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World , or true classics like Winnie the Pooh . Active play - Balance ball for kids (they can "sit" while listening to a story, "play" with it, or exercise with it). Young Elementary School Age STEM - educational toy -  Outdoor play - Anything f...

I've seen a lot of people lately posting about wanting to be "used up" or "emptied out" as parents, Christians, wives, or friends. Giving everything of yourself isn't a bad idea in and of itself, but it is a bit misguided. Because when we give love, we aren't emptied out, we're filled up. When we give gifts we aren't empty-handed, we're open-hearted. The idea that giving of yourself is costly is just slightly off the mark. Giving of yourself is priceless. Yes, there may be times that you feel a bit stretched or a bit pinched in your life when you are working hard or giving generously, or loving fully. However, those moments are inevitably followed by moments of pure and priceless joy and full and complete love. Love is not only self-sacrificing, it is self-replicating. The love you give will be returned. It truly is more blessed to give than to receive. Don't settle for the self-deprecating and self-harming co-dependence that society ...

It's that time of year again. The UPS truck that drove past our house today stopped at approximately 50% of the houses on our cul-de-sac. The UPS driver can now finally say that their job is that of the mail man (going to almost every house on the street). I'm sure that on the next route, they will have the second of my packages that I'm expecting today. If you think this is going to be another guilt-inducing post, it's not. I'm truly thankful that we live in a place where we have so much. In the vast majority of American communities, families get to make decisions this year. Rather than trying to decide what country to flee to, or what to plant in their garden in the hopes of living off of it for the next few months, we can decide between all sorts of other choices. We can decide whether to eat vegetarian or be omnivores. We can decide whether to go on a diet or join the gym. We can decide whether to buy our kids another few toys or throw in a few cheater gifts...

You never think when you sign up for the monthly e-mails to chart your baby's growth that they will keep sending them. And then you never get around to un-subscribing, even though you never have time to read them. So imagine when I finally clicked on one today for my youngest child and saw 33 to 34 month old at the top of the page. I thought to myself, this must be wrong, I don't have a 33 to 34 month old. Then I did the math in my head and couldn't believe it. In 3 short months, I will actually have a 3 year old and a 5 1/2 year old. I can tell you that my two boys keep me busy, and they do. I can tell you that I am so ready for my husband to come home every night, and I am. But I'm not sure I can describe how quickly these months have flown by. I won't share some sappy poem about how this is the last day your child will be the exact age they are now, but I can tell you that your newborn will be walking before you know it. I won't promise you that the road ...

I decided to post my current thoughts on scheduling our 1st grade year for a young 6 year old boy, starting in August of next year. Science - Apologia Science (either Exploring Creation with Botany or Zoology 1) Young Explorers, with Junior Notebooking Journal. This may be overkill for most 6 year old kids, but my oldest kid is a science fiend. They do science in co-op as well, so I may adjust this to go along with what they are doing in co-op, but the Apologia science curriculum is amazing. Math - Singapore Math (1A and 1B) Grammar - First Language Lessons of a Well-trained Mind Reading - read aloud quality literature outside of "school time" (we've already made it through the first Boxcar Children book in the last week). Explore various genres of literature as in-school read-alouds - biography, non-fiction, historical fiction, folk tale, poetry, mystery. Encourage him to read on his own for pleasure, using reward systems as needed. Vocabulary and spelling - add t...

I overheard a conversation at a party recently, by a self-professed "Church-hopper". I didn't hear the whole conversation, but the gist of it was, that she had been looking for a church for awhile, but it was just too difficult to find a good one. I've been there before, especially if you're in a new town, or in an area where there just aren't a lot of Bible-based churches. However, I think we have to be careful not to look too long for a "good" church. Why not? Should we settle for less than perfect in our walk with Christ? No, in our personal walk with Christ we ought always to be seeking to grow and mature in our faith. However, in our walk with our fellow believers, we have to keep one very important thing in mind, they are all human and failures just as we are. You can search for the perfect orator in a pastor, only to find out he is careless with his flock. You can search for the perfect children's ministry, only to find out that the ad...

God help me think of You best Not going over my to do list Or my who's better than who fest Or my self-centered subconscious When waves of life cross my path And no one knows my name You hold Your face towards me And wipe away my shame No gift of mine No guilty scribe No praise I lift Can cross the rift Until Your blood Grace like a flood Washed me whole Cleansed my soul Made me new And more like You So today I sit here Thinking of You

I have a 5-year old son. Needless to say, he's finally starting to wonder a little more about this Santa person. He knows that Santa isn't real, but we still read books about Santa, and talk about the idea of Santa, and a general "Christmas spirit". We also talk a lot about the reason for the Season. Of course, he's also very interested in receiving gifts, especially toys, and even video games. As a side note, it's a bit hard to believe that my 5 year old can beat certain levels of Mario Kart, I'm not sure I could even do that. So, what's the big deal about Santa and wanting gifts? Isn't that part of what Christmas is all about? Let's talk about the real reason behind the gifts that Christ was given by the Wise Men (which by the way was not at his birth, but probably 2-4 years after he was born). We know that Jesus received, at a minimum, gold, frankincense, and myrrh from the wise men. Why these three? I believe there was a very practica...

I overheard, and tried to participate in a Facebook conversation recently (I know, even I am amazed that we can call what takes place on Facebook a conversation) about the price of food and groceries for an average family. After the conversation, I started thinking a little more about the average cost of food across the world. Thinking of the millions and billions of people living on what most of us would consider "spare change". It's fine to compare your organic, vegetarian, super food grocery budget to my conventional beef and rice, and canned vegetable budget, but it's also not a fully valid comparison until you compare it across the world. Especially around Thanksgiving, it's important not only to give thanks for what we've been given, but to give back to those who don't have as much as we do. Maybe you can donate a farm animal through a charitable organization. Maybe you can contribute to a microfinance company to enable more people to be self-emp...