Archive for December, 2007
December 31, 2007 at 3:08 pm · Filed under My Musings
I ran across the blog of Sister Mary Martha via Dumb Ox Acadamy. This woman is a far cry from the nuns I grew up with! I particularly enjoyed her take on wishing someone dead:
Question:
Sister, is it a sin to pray for God to kill someone? If so, are there exceptions?
Her answer, in part:
Yes, that would be a sin. I can’t think of any exceptions. You can pray that people are protected by God from the person you think should be killed. You can pray for the person to stop doing whatever it is that makes you think they should be killed. You can pray that God alleviates the suffering of someone who you think ought to be dead, maybe, by calling the person home to heaven [emphasis mine]. Praying that God kills them is just a breath away from killing them yourself, as sin is all about intent.
I also very much enjoyed this:
So here I am to wish you all a Merry Christmas. I mean that. I hope it’s joyous and pious and holy and all of that. But mostly I hope it’s merry. Get out and get some eggnog while you have the chance. Spike it if you like. We’re not Baptists.
Where were the humorous nuns when I was growing up??
December 27, 2007 at 8:34 pm · Filed under My Musings
A drum set???
December 27, 2007 at 10:06 am · Filed under home education
Since August, my fifteen-year-old son’s website has blossomed and is currently getting between 1,500 - 2,000 hits each day (go check it out - it’s the top link, here). It’s done with a simple WordPress format, but considering that at the beginning of last year he had no clue about any of this stuff, I’m still impressed. He has largely taught himself how to put this site together, with lots of trial and error, a little uploading help from me, and some hand holding from a web savvier friend. Please note that with the website comes another crucial skill - writing. It’s all wrapped up together, this whole learning thing. Next up, he’s trying to figure out how to turn the site into a money maker. Economics, anyone?
December 26, 2007 at 12:45 pm · Filed under home education
If you’ve read Tools of the Ancient Greeks, you may have been surprised to learn that while we are familiar with most classical statues as white marble, it’s likely that those pieces were originally painted in bright colors. The Vatican Museum is featuring some famous sculptures alongside replicas painted to resemble the originals. The Washington Post reports on the exhibit and you’ll find images of ten of the sculptures here.
December 21, 2007 at 3:07 pm · Filed under home education
There’s a really interesting article in the current Mother Earth News about solar energy, including comparisons to other energy sources. You can read it here. It brings up some interesting points that are - I think - discussion worthy, in a way that kids will be able to understand. For instance,
“…while coal is the most abundant fossil resource, the total amount of energy produced by burning all the coal on the planet would only be equivalent to the solar energy that strikes the Earth every six days.”
December 20, 2007 at 10:15 am · Filed under Food, island life
I’ve mentioned it before, but if you want to see it - and how it’s made - head on over to The Tasty Island, where you’ll find step by steps and a comparison of several brands of canned meats.
December 20, 2007 at 6:38 am · Filed under Food
I have the best recipe in the world for fudge. Seriously. You know those fudge booths at the fair where they charge one million dollars for a half pound? Hubby insists on breaking our bank every time he has the opportunity, then proceeds to say, “yours is better.” My kids concur. I was gifted with the recipe eons ago, and now in the holiday spirit I share with you.
Andrea’s Fudge
- 3 Cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 Cup butter
- 4-1/2 Cups sugar
- 1- 7 oz. jar marshmallow cream
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 2 Tblsp. vanilla
- 1-2 Cups chopped nuts (macadamia nuts are *excellent*)
Put chocolate chips, butter, and marshmallow cream in a large bowl. Set aside. In heavy dutch oven, bring milk and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Continue stirring frequently for exactly 8 minutes. Pour hot mixture over ingredients in bowl. Stir until well mixed, then beat with an electric mixer until fudge begins to hold its shape. Beat in vanilla. Stir in nuts. Pour fudge into a buttered 13″ x 9″ pan and refrigerate until solid.
Notes from me:
- I use a 13″ x 9″ plus an 8″ x 8″ pan - using only the one makes a really deep fudge; too deep for me.
- When I grease the pans, I place a piece of waxed paper in the pans so that the edges extend out of the pan on two sides. When the fudge is ready to cut, use the wax paper to lift the slab out of the pan and flip it onto a cutting board for easy cutting.
Enjoy!
December 18, 2007 at 1:16 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
I’m a fan of music for kids. Not Hannah Montana or Brittni Spears, but good music that introduces kids to different tunes than the radio might. This round up of the Essential Dozen: Great Music for Kids over at pixie stix kids pix is excellent. Not sure where to find these at such a late date? Try your local health food store for some of the Putamayo music.
December 17, 2007 at 7:44 pm · Filed under My Musings
A portion of tonight’s dinner conversation:
Teen: Someday I’m going to write a song called Pathway to Hell.
Me: Pathway to Hell??
Teen: Yeah. You know. The opposite of Stairway to Heaven.
December 14, 2007 at 8:09 am · Filed under island life
Gail Maki Wilson tagged me for a 7 Things meme. Since I’ve done this before, I thought I’d give it a different twist and share 7 observations about living in Hawaii, from the eyes of someone who spent most of her life on the mainland.
- You cannot get oversized containers of taco seasoning at Costco. However, you can get li hing mui in the same oversized container.
- It’s commonplace for radio stations to play songs sung in Japanese, English, Hawai’ian, and Tokelau, mingled with Christian praise songs and hot body songs. It’s all good.
- Poinsettias grow here like weeds, and yet at Christmas time, you can buy them in pots at the store.
- Care must be taken when ordering what you think is Mexican food. A taco is a taco, but tako (which sounds quite the same as taco) is squid. Tako is sold dried as a snack or more often, raw. I have tried it both ways. Dried, it’s just fishy. Raw, it is chewy and not among my top choices for a meal.
- It is rare for a new business to open without a blessing. New homes, too, are often blessed. My husband has attended a number of blessings, but I’ll attend my first in a week or two. As I understand it, Kupuna offer a blessing and chant in the Hawaiian language. I suspect that there is often food involved.
- People who live in California are called Californians. People who live in Texas are called Texans. People who live in Hawaii are NOT called Hawaiians. That term is reserved for people of Hawaiian descent, no matter where they live.
- When someone offers you food, it is considered impolite to refuse. No matter what it is. Even tako.
I know that there are many differences between what I grew up with and other regions of the country. Let’s continue in this style. Instead of sharing 7 things about yourself, how about 7 things about the area in which you live. We’ll call it “Local Knowledge - 7 Things”. What makes your region different or unusual or quirky? Maybe we can all learn a bit about the rest of the world.
I don’t usually tag people, but I think I will this time. How about Jody, Theresa, Tammy, Miranda, Stephanie, Larramie, and Jax. (I think I’ve covered a small portion of the globe with that list!)
Here’s how it works:
1) Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about your location.
3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
If you play, leave a comment so I can check it out!
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