Rivers, Recess, and Realizations~

Have had a great day so far!  I just have to say, I think one of the greatest things about home schooling is that flexibility that comes with it.  This morning was special in that , we did our first half of school work, then we went to Riverside for "recess", and now we'll do the other half of school.  I made a new friend , I think, this week.  She homeschools , and I had known , as they say  here in the South, "of her", and knew who she was, but we had never really had occasion to get together, til now. She has a boy about the age of our two, and he was hankerin' for some "boy" company, as he has sisters, bless his heart!  We took him and his mom on our recess trip, and I think everybody just had a good time.  I sure enjoyed visiting with another home school mom, and the boys were hugely excited to have a new friend.  It's always a blessing to meet someone else who believes as you do, and that you have a lot in common with. I realize that some people think that homeschooled children are "unsocialized", but I don't find that true.  Maybe they don't socialize in the same ways, as a lot of their interactions take place with adults instead of children, but that's not entirely a bad thing, I don't think.    I do realize that everyone does need friends, and people that they can relate to.  But, I AM super-picky about what and who I let influence them, so I don't just say , "Sure. Go hang out with those people.",  or "Yes, you may sleep over at so and so's ," if I don't KNOW what kind of people they are.  That's not being judgmental, that's practicing safe parenting.  I realize, too, that it's always better to be safe than sorry, about things like that.  I don't think I have to worry about the boys growing up to be hermits, or anything like that, though.  The boy we met today seems like a good kid, and his mom is doing an awesome job with him and his sisters.  I'm glad I was able to visit with her, and hope the boys and I both have found a new friend!

Ruby Jeanette

Multi-Tasking~

Well, everyone, I think I am to be congratulated!  We just finished our first school day, and it went off without a hitch.  Oh, we had a little bit of the "Oh, man .  Math again?", grumbling, but basically it was great. My 12 year old gathered up his books, and said ,"Alright, let's get smart!"  .  Loved it.  So we've got Algebra this year , which he didn't mind, but my 10 year old was not sure about still.  English , Science, History, Art, Astronomy, History of Inventions, (every boys dream subject!) Bible, and Handwriting.  I am also trying (emphasis on trying), to teach myself a little bit of Spanish until I can afford the Rosetta Stone program.  Although, I must say, trying to learn Spanish pronunciation, while teaching Algebra, might not be the best way to try to multi-task.  Note to self , save Spanish for after finding the value of "X".  Anyway , all in all , a great day, so I'm charting this one with a big smiley face!  Hope you all are having a great day, and may you never stop learning!

Ruby Jeanette

Give a LIttle, Get a Lot! ~

So enjoyed the missionary , Brother Kerry Mauldin tonight at Harvest Time Assembly.  Great message , of "Being 24 Karat for Jesus".  Enjoyed seeing all the faces of my friends also.  Got a lot of hugs , and GAVE a lot of hugs.  Hugs can never be overrated, you know.  I am a hugs person.  I think in this internet age, sometimes we lose that value of human contact.  And a hug is NOT a sexual overture, so keep your minds out of the gutter please, lol! Seriously, I've hugged family , friends, small children , large dogs, old people , young people, even complete strangers! There is medical science to back up hugs, too.  Being hugged increases the "feel-good" hormone , oxytocin, (Not oxycontin, hugs don't jack you up like that, lol) it decreases the level of the stress hormone , cortisol (this hormone causes your body to retain fat, by the way) , and hugs have been proven to improve your blood pressure and heart health!  Church is a great place to get and GIVE hugs!  I notice sometimes that some people just seem down , or seem to be having a bad day, so I break out my secret weapon, HUGS!  One hug can provide enough benefit to last an entire day, so why not? In short , people who give and receive hugs , are skinnier, happier, less stressed , and live longer!  Beat that , pharmaceutical industry!  :) 


Long live the HUG! ~ Ruby Jeanette

Added Ingredient~

Story related to me by my Dad today........
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When he was younger , they used to go to a place where you could get fresh spring water.  I believe he said they called it Cherry Springs, not sure if this was at Dierks or one of the other numerous places he lived as a boy.  He said there was a natural spring there, and it kind of made like a small pond or lake, and everyone used to bring their buckets, jars, and jugs to get the wonderful water.  Someone had covered it with kind of a little shed, and so it was really nice.  Dad said one day they gathered all their buckets and jugs, and went to get their water.  Only when they arrived, there was a hobo swimming in the spring!  Daddy said the man was incredibly dirty and was just having a big old time washing off in everyone's drinking water.  Daddy told me every time after that he couldn't help but think about "reckon had that hobo been in there ?", when they went to get water, and that pretty much killed his hankering for any spring water!

1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3 and 0 equals 2 ? ~

One RV. One boat. One Grandpa. One Daddy. One bucket of crawdaddys.  One lake.  Three fishing poles.  Zero fish.  Cold barbeque loaf sandwiches, and cold pop. Add this all together and, the sum is two exhausted,  sunburned, giddy little boys.  Thanks to my mom, dad and husband for making two boys very happy today! 

Turn the Knob~

God can grant you a merry heart!

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Are you your own biggest stumbling block?  I realize there has been a lot of "positive thinking" gobbledy gook going around.  I want to clarify something here for my blog.  I believe in positive thinking.  But , not in the sense that ,"All I need is the right attitude and thoughts , and all will be well. "  The positive thinking that the world uses is basically a New Age philosophy, of line the mind up and the body will follow.  This is not a Christian concept.  The Bible tells us that , "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he."  And "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.  "  Also, "In everything give thanks. "  This is the kind of positive thinking I am trying to promote.  Not the ,"I can 'think' my way better."  That being said , the thoughts we think DO have a huge impact on our well-being.  I can be feeling physically well, and start having a bad day, and my brain gets stuck on the negative repeat button, and soon I won't be feeling physically well anymore.  I can also be feeling very physically ill, and if I can get my mind wrapped around something other than how I feel in my body, I will start to feel some better.  But this is a mechanism that God has built into our bodies, not something that our own minds can conjure. So the next time you find yourself having a physically, emotionally, or mentally painful day,  check your thoughts........if you're hung on negative repeat, find something funny, uplifting, or even silly, and ask God to help you change the channel in your brain! 

Broiled, Sliced, and Slathered~

I just commented on one of my friends FB posts about how she was going to go tan for a wedding.  So I thought it would be interesting to research beauty rituals , past and future. 
Tanning was really the ideal in the 60's and 70's beach culture, with bronze gods and goddesses reigning on the top of the beauty tower.  People oiled themselves up with cooking oil, and baby oil, and literally cooked themselves in the sun.  In the hey-dey of the 1700's and into the 1800's pale for women was the epitome of beauty.  If you had that buttermilk complexion, you were the cream of the crop, so to speak.  Of course in the early 1600's men AND women painted their faces with lead to produce a completely white complexion, which actually caused the wearer to succumb to lead poisoning.  Of course, there have been different degrees of tattooing , body modification, piercings, and all manner of crazy things people have done to "increase" their physical beauty over the years.  In the 1800's when a 13 inch waist was ideal , women had their lower two ribs removed in order to "whittle" the waist.   Japanese women used bird poop facials to get the "geisha" look.  People in certain parts of the world drink placenta milkshakes to prolong their youth.  I don't know about you, but that 's a little far out even for me, lol.  I guess what I'm really trying to say is that the fads change so fast, I'm not sure anyone could ever really keep up with what is the "standard" for beauty anymore.  And if you think about it, all the really beautiful people that we remember , the classics, they don't really look like the "normal" fad going around anyway!  Cher, Elizabeth Taylor, even the Mona Lisa, they are not typical looking women.  Barbara Streisand , with her classic profile, that's not the "normal" idea of beauty.  Or think of  Clark Gable , with his over-sized ears.  Not what most people today would consider a sex symbol.  So really, I kind of think all this pressure is over rated.  We bake, pull, pluck, shave, pierce, starve, paint and fry our bodies, and hair in all manner of stuff, in order to look "beautiful".  I think sometimes we'd be better off , if we just left it the way God had it to start with.  Am I super thin?  Am I tan and firm?  Am I wearing the latest hairstyle, and the latest outfit?  Nope.  But you know what?   I still think I look pretty good, and isn't that what matters?

Here's to rockin' the natural look~ Ruby Jeanette

None of Their Business~

Okay.  I just finished reading this really disturbing news post on Yahoo! News.  We all know that there seems to be an "epidemic" of autism in this country.  Although I am not really sure where I stand on the idea of this, (I sometimes wonder if it isn't like ADHD, over -diagnosed), I don't disagree with the idea of it being a crippling developmental problem.  What caught my attention at first was the name of this article.  It's called "Assortative Mating".  First of all , apparently assortative is a made -up word, because it gives me the red line squiggly thing when I type it as it was spelled in the article.  Secondly, the idea behind this concept is that , now get this, is people smart in math and sciences, who marry other people smart in math and sciences, and have children , these children have a higher rate of autism.  Does the article provide all kinds of scientific proof for this so -called phenomenon?  No.  Shocker.  They don't even say WHY they are proposing this as a theory!  But what truly bothers me about this assumption of "two people intelligent in the same way" idea , is that what they are really tiptoeing around is the concept of marriage/child-rearing needing to be controlled in some way to keep this from happening.  This started with those genetic testing things they want couples  to get when they decide to have children.  Not that all of that is a bad thing, but if you follow this strand of thinking out to it's conclusion , you will see where this leads.  NOT good territory , people!  I don't want to see the future play out and have the government, or health care or whoever is leading this country in ten years, decide who my kids can marry , based on some genetic numbers game they are playing!  Do I wish Joseph hadn't been born with a heart condition, that "could have" been detected if they had some sophisticated test?  Of course!  But would I have decided NOT to have him?  Well, I don't know what you ate with your Wheaties this morning, but the answer is NO! Emphatically NO!  There are just some things that can't be manipulated.  Or shouldn't be , anyway.  Science meddles WAY too much in God's affairs , as it is.  This particular group needs to wake up and smell the coffee.  Okay. I have now officially finished my political rant for today, lol. 

Dust 'Em Off!

Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.  ~  John Wayne  

Courage is when you jump off the cliff , and build your wings on the way down.  ~ Ray Bradbury

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Courage.  What does that mean to you?  I used to think I was really courageous when I was young, because I wasn't afraid of anything.  I mean really.  Not afraid of anything.  I was in really good physical shape, and rode the wild horses for all they were worth.  Literally and figuratively.  I had that great sense only found in the young, "Nothing bad could happen right?"  .  I didn't realize that courage was not simply an absence of fear.  Now I realize that real courage is being scared out of your mind, but moving forward.  Courage is being able to spit in the eye of fear, even though your knees are knocking so hard you can hardly stand up.  Courage is when you realize that the news the doctors have is not good.  It's not going to go away, or get any better, and that there really isn't anything they can do, but you get up every day anyway.  Courage is when you know that life is a fatal condition for everyone, but you carry that knowledge wrapped in a smile.  Real courage is knowing that life is full of difficult , gut -wrenching decisions, but knowing that the decisions must be made anyway, by you.  I don't regret my youth.  The feeling of being able to fly without fear.  But I fly now, too.  I think sometimes it makes the flight that much more spectacular.  Yes, sometimes, I fall.  But I'm learning, in my life now, how to fall with grace, land with just a few bruises, and get right back up again. So even if I have to patch them up on the way down, I'm keeping my wings dusted off.  How about you?

Fly On!

Heroes~

 {Credit for the original line in this poem is to Sam Foss' poem of 1894 of the same name.}



Men to Match My Mountains~

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Bring me men to match my mountains,
who'll struggle for the peak,
they'll stand for right unhampered ,
fight for the poor and weak.

Bring me men of action,
of morals and of strength.
Men with courage of conviction,
who'd go to any length.

Bring me men to match my mountains,
resolute and strong,
Those old time frontier heroes,
not seen in far too long.

Bring me men to match my mountains,
who knew that Higher Power,
Men of old , men of freedom,
to see us through our darkest hour.

Ruby Jeanette

Pens and Pencils~

I'm done!  Yay!  I finally got all the textbooks, notebooks, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, markers, erasers, folders, and school supplies.  I guess some people might assume because you are a homeschooler that you don't have to buy school supplies, but that would be an erroneous assumption, lol.  I do think we didn't have to buy as many supplies as the public school students, though.  I saw the lists at Wal Mart and just couldn't believe it!  I can remember my kindergarten supply list from 1984.  One box of crayons, two number two pencils, one nap mat, one handwriting tablet, one pair of safety scissors, one bottle of glue, and one plastic tub to keep it all in. 
   This year the boys are going to be doing  regular Math, Pre-Algebra, English, Grammar and Punctuation, Science, American History, Reading, Art, and Bible.  They are also probably going to be doing some wood crafts, gardening, and possibly raising some goats to go along with the chickens that we already have.  Joseph is going to be 13 in November , and has asked if he can start studying the driver's education manual.  I said yes.  So , all in all , we have a busy year ahead, but it's a nice kind of busy.  I am glad to be raising up men, but I wonder sometimes what I will do with all my time when they are grown! 

Here's to learning and growing a little every day~  Ruby Jeanette

I'm Ready! ~

Just thought  I'd revamp the appearance of my blog .  I get tired of always looking at the same backgrounds and pictures, so I like to change it up now and then.  I am kind of getting the hang of working with the Blogger system , and can do a lot more things with it now , then when I first started. 

I tell you what though, I was sure hoping this cooler weather would stick around a little bit longer, but NO! , we're back to the triple digits again today.  Uugggh!  I am ready for fall.  I guess I like fall and winter the best.  Sweaters, chunky boots, pumpkin pie, new school books, crunchy leaves and the snap of the air turning cooler.  Fall has just always seemed kind of magical to me somehow.  It seems to hold the promise of something mysterious and fanciful.  I've always loved walking through the woods, and seeing the deer change color from summer red to winter gray. Or watching the squirrels scurry, scurry putting away their acorn stores.  It's the time of red apples and yellow school buses.  Orange mums, and warm chocolate chip cookies.  But , it's just not the same without that drop in the temperature!  I'm crossing my fingers that it comes along soon!  

Here's to pumpkin patches, leaf piles, and perfect fall weather~  Ruby Jeanette

Is That Really News?~

I think today had probably the most interesting set of news stories to lead off Yahoo! with.  There was a picture of Obama's ridiculously over-priced "tour bus", ( what is he?  a rock star?), the Chinese ambassador buying coffee, ( what? they're not allowed?),  a college recruiter was giving away gifts and  money in recruitment ( like that's the FIRST time that ever happened?) , Taylor Momsen wearing her trashy chic clothes and raccoon makeup, informing everyone she is giving up acting, ( Taylor who??) Chupacabra caught on video( not that I care), and Kate Gosselin's show was canceled, ( Thank the Good Lord!).  But is ANY of that really newsworthy?  I didn't think so, but hey, what do I know about popular culture anyway,lol?  I do seriously wish that sometimes there was an inspirational news page to lead off my internet searching.  You know, kind of like the inspirational stories get first page, and I can read about Obama's ridiculous antics on page 187 in Section X or something like that.  I am so ready for someone else to be President , I might even vote for Hilary Clinton ,(shudder) , if she runs.  Nah, surely God will bless us with someone with an entire brain of their own, although I'd settle for a brain between them AND the VP.  Man, I have done talked myself right out of being interested in politics, again!  Ya'll have a good night ya hear?

Reading , wRiting, and Rebellion?~

Well, it's that time of the year again!  That's right school days officially start again tomorrow.  In our home school we decided to wait and start Monday after next.  I really enjoy when school rolls around again.  You are never too old to learn something, and teaching my boys at home allows me to stay fresh, and learn everyday! I am a second generation homeschooler, and have schooled my boys since Kindergarten.  Back in the late 80's early 90's when my mom started to school us at home, it was very unusual, and we got a lot of negative comments.  Things like,  "Won't they suffer socially?"  and " Every homeschooler I ever met, was weird!"  and my favorite, "Won't they miss prom , and basketball?"  Teaching at home is much more common now, and seems to be more socially acceptable.  I still get comments sometimes, though.  The most common one I get is "How do you stand to be with your kids all day , everyday?"  "I would kill mine!"  Well, maybe it's just me, but I enjoy my children, and spending time with them!  Plus, homeschool has the advantage in that , I choose what information they are taking in.  I don't have to worry that they are learning something in contrast to our spiritual , or moral beliefs.  I don't have to worry that someone is offering them drugs, or beating them up on a daily basis.  And I know people will say that my kids are missing out on a lot of experiences.  But , truthfully how many of those experiences are good?  Peer pressure, drugs, sex , cliques, and just general bad behaviour are rampant in public school.  I don't think I mind that they are missing out on those experiences.  Now, I WILL say , homeschooling might not be for everyone.  It takes a lot of dedication, and a lot of sacrifice.  It adds to the already 24-7 schedule of a mom, and sometimes can be very frustrating.  But I guess I always figured, I've only got one shot with them, so I want to make it count!

Here's to school days and Golden Rule days! ~ Ruby Jeanette

Every Step They Take~

Well, the new school year is just around the corner, so the boys are trying to make the rest of their summer really count.  They've had a good one though, I think.  They've been fishing, swimming in the pool,  swimming in the river, swimming in the water park, lol, went to library club, read some awesome books, spent time with their favorite cousin,  roasted marshmallows, spent a few hours playing video games, and just generally been lazy , grubby little boys.  Of course, that's really what summer is for.  At least when you're little anyway.  Since Joseph is going to turn 13 in November , he is anxious to get a job, and a vehicle of his own.  I guess some people would say "That's sad."  I don't really look at it that way, though.  I guess I always thought that was the way it should be.  Aren't we trying to grow them up into responsible adults?  I 've enjoyed the baby stage, the infant  stage, the toddler stage, the bigger boy stage, and now I'm going to enjoy the young man stage, I think.  I'm so blessed just to have them in my life, that I've been grateful for every single stage, so far.  I don't want to be the mom who wishes that they could just be little one more day.  And I don't want to rush them to adulthood either.  I want to just be grateful for this day, this moment, this stage, and I want to make the most of it. 

Here's to celebrating every step in life~ Ruby Jeanette

Do As I Say, Not As I Do~

Let me just take this moment to say. . . . . . . . .when the medicine bottle says "Take with food."  , you should definitely take them seriously.  I had a bad headache night before last, and did not feel like eating, so I took my nightly meds, and let me tell you, I will NEVER do that again.   Two days worth of my stomach being very sorry was enough.  Repeat after me. . . . . . .take with food, take with food.   

Hope everyone is having a great Sunday!  ~ Ruby Jeanette

Just Listen~

I was just rearranging the songs on my playlist for my blog.  I got to thinking about how certain songs become the "playlist" of our lives.  The song "WildWood Flower" is one of my mom's favorite songs, and it's one of the first things I ever remember hearing her play on the guitar.  When I was little we had one of those "entertainment" centers in our family room.  Does anyone else remember those things?  Huge wooden boxes , which now make me think (creepily, actually) of coffins.  Ours had a radio, a record player, and .....wait for it.......an 8 - track cassette player.  I can remember spending many hours laying on the brown shag carpet, (flashback), reading and listening to the Statlers sing "Turn Your Radio On", Johnny Horton sing "North to Alaska", and the Oakridge Boys singing , "Elvira".  Daddy had an old 65 Chevy with an 8-track in it , too.  I remember driving down the old dirt backroads, windows rolled down, singing Johnny Cash's "One Piece at a Time" , which at the time I thought was just about the coolest song ever. ( It's still a pretty good song.)  Of course my childhood was also filled with church songs.  So many life memories attached to those!  Altar calls with "Are You Washed In the Blood?".  Sunday night worship with, "He Paid a Debt, He Did Not Owe".  Wednesday night prayers with "They That Wait Upon the Lord".  Revival, and singing for all we were worth, "Our God is An Awesome God!". I don't think when we are young we think about the fact that all these things attach themselves to certain memories.  I look back now, and think I am so glad that my life has had this particular soundtrack, because it's mostly happy and uplifting.  I have a few sad songs attached to a few melancholy memories, but they are very few and far between.  I hope when I am old, the happy songs and the memories they recall, far outweigh the sad ones!

Here's to making your own life playlist~  Ruby Jeanette

In the River~

Washed Away~

The river beckons,
excitement , wonder.
Two little boys go in.
Splash, scream!
Two little boys shout,
joyful, carefree.
Big brown dog shakes,
water flies.
The river calls,
quiet, low.
Two rocks skip,
splash, flip.
Crawdads scatter,
scurry, hide.
Water cold,
boys grow bold.
The river travels,
swift, wild.
The river rolls on,
gone the child.
Two young men emerge,
as Summer ends.


Ruby Jeanette

How Can I Help?~

I have something that I would really like to say today.  And I don't want it to offend anyone, so I'll say up front , that upsetting anyone is NOT my intention.  Okay.  So, here goes.  When people post something on FaceBook, and they are OBVIOUSLY upset, I don't think people should jump on their status , and start posting scriptures, and telling them NOT to be upset.  I am all for sharing the Word with others, but when someone has posted something and you can tell they are hurting, wouldn't it be better to FIRST find out if they are okay, and if you could DO anything , rather than immediately start razzing them about how they are obviously lost, and start  slamming them with the Bible?  In my opinion, if people really are lost, a lot of them know it already, and have problems going on that are so huge that they are having difficulty dealing with their lives.  Yes, they need God, and yes, His Word is amazing!  But sometimes, what some one really needs is a listening ear, or a "I'm sorry. How can I help you?"  .  Jesus had this amazing idea.  When people were hungry, He fed them.  When people were sick, He healed them.  When people were hurting, He wept , too.  Then , people were drawn to Him for their greater spiritual needs.  If someone 's physical or emotional needs are not being met, it is VERY difficult for them to hear the scriptures you are trying to use.  Just a thought.  Maybe a little compassion is in order sometimes, before we start bashing people over the head with the Bible. 

Ruby Jeanette~

What, again?!?~

It is here. Again.  It's very persistent, I have to give it credit.  It comes every week at the same time.  Yep.  It's Monday.  I'm feeling it today, too.  Not really sure why, either.  Might be because I have a cold sore nearly the size of my head on my lip.  Or the fact that my computer generously alerted me that the temperature is supposed to be 105, not counting the heat index.  With the humidity 83 % , but with no rain.  Soooooo, for those people who think I am ALWAYS chipper, and chirpy, please read my blog today, and feel better about yourselves, lol.
Nah, I don't really know why .  Guess I'm just having an off day.  I suppose everyone is allowed one .  I think I'll take today as mine.  Although I changed my lead song on my playlist to "Monday, Monday", by the Mamas and the Papas, it's very hard to be depressed to '60's folk music.  Or the BeachBoys.  It's just so catchy, and summery.  Makes you think of  big cheeseburgers, classic cars, and surfing.  Sunshine, and waves.  Good looking guys in board shorts, lol.  You know, the little things.  Well, dang it, if I haven't talked myself into a better mood!  Ya'll have a great Monday everyone!

Here's to psyching yourself out~ Ruby Jeanette