Life On The Planet

Time for Tea

Last Wednesday we went to a local Tea Party. As we were running from one event to another, we were a little late for the speeches. However, we made it in time for the sign waving, car-honking portion of the evening. Free speech at its free-ist.  Breathe the clean air, I told my children. We live in a constitutional republic. It's a good thing. 

Favorite signage at the rally:

"Congress: You're Fired!" - The guy holding this one oddly resembled Donald Trump. Go figure.

and...

"We owe WHAT?" - I think that every time I hear the word trillion. My poor future grandchildren.

I'll have to double check this with the CFO, but I don't recall seeing one anti-Obama sign at all. Maybe they were gone by the time we arrived. Mostly, the annoyance was directed at our Pork-Rich Congressmen. We are in Mississippi, after all. Politicians here seem to thrive on pork, and I don't mean barbecue.

We didn't take signs. We just wanted to show our faces and let the kiddos say they were there when. It was a great Civics lesson. Government for the people, by the people, etc. It was all very polite and happy and an overall good experience.

Imagine my surprise to get home to discover that because I attended a Tea Party, I am considered a pawn of that right-wing media, Fox News.

If I'd know that, I would have at least registered Republican.

I guess I missed the memo.

Susan Ryan and Elisheva Levin have write ups on their Tea Party experiences. You might find them interesting.

What He Said.

"The function of education is to teach one to think
intensively and to think critically...
Intelligence plus character - that is
the goal of true education."

                                   Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I happen to agree, and that, my little darlings, is why school is in session at our house today.

My Royal Standard

We were watching a PBS documentary on the Queen's 2007 state visit to The United States on television tonight. This led to a discussion regarding the Queen's Standard (her flag) and the significance of the emblems found on it.

"I want a Standard," I said. "I think when I turn forty I should get a Standard. It can fly over the mini-van."

"Should we put a laundry basket on it," asked Sal?

We Queens know how to deal with the petulant masses.

"OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

Campaign Fatigue

Well, it was a long night. The hopes. The anticipation. The punch spiked with catnip. But the nation has spoken, and alas, it did not call Scratchy-Cat to lead us.

It's for the best, really. Her social calendar is already pretty tight.

Leading the free world would seriously infringe upon nap time.

Having Fun In Korea (I don't think he misses me.)

Here are some shots sent by the merry travelers.

These are taken at a Korean Folk Village. (As one of my friends put it, "A kind of Korean Williamsburg.")

Isn't fall beautiful there?  Apparently, there were entertainers at the Folk Village.

 
Look at this fellow! Wait...is that Sal...? Nah. It couldn't be.

Or could it? 

One thing is for certain, we'll never be able to keep him down on the farm now!

I'm in a Happy Land

No, I'm not strung out on painkillers. Well, maybe I am, but that's not what this post is about.

Butterfly just finished reading the Little House series. She tackled the first four books a couple of years ago, but just got around to reading the rest. I suppose she needed to be a few years older to appreciate them. Whatever the case, it's been Laura Ingalls Wilder Central at our house for the last few months.

One of the best parts of our Little House Fest has been the music. Butterfly has been playing Happy Lands: A Musical Tribute to Laura Ingalls Wilder 24/7.

It includes quite a few of the songs familiar to anyone who loves the books. Arkansas Traveler will get your toes tappin'. You'll think of Mary when you hear Highland Mary. Ma's favorite Hymn, Happy Land is on there, as well as The Big Sunflower which was Pa's "trouble song."

The music has been wonderful and a perfect antidote to my current troubles. It's hard to be grumpy when Oh! Susanna is playing!

The painkillers haven't hurt, either.

Books, Fingers and Biscuits

About two weeks ago I jammed my finger on the kitchen counter. This was an event of no great importance. I do it on a regular basis, klutz that I am. However, after two weeks of pain and swelling, I finally saw a doctor. She sent me to another doctor. It's a wealth sharing plan they devised long ago. The long and short of it is, I damaged the ligaments in the middle finger on my right hand and will now be going to physical therapy. More wealth sharing.

As I waited for an hour for my five minute long consultation, I had plenty of time to enjoy my new books. I  mean, my children's new books. My favorite is The Timetables of History. I love it so. Pick a year, turn to that page and find out events that took place during that year (political, cultural, everyday life, etc.). Did you know that construction on Rheims Cathedral began in 1212 AD? Or that Mount Vesuvius erupted in 1631? This is good stuff. Tiger's favorite new book is the Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia. He has this thing for white blood cells. Well, who wouldn't, really?

While I chicken peck this out, my children have taken pity upon me and are whipping up a batch of Cloud Biscuits (an old family recipe). Nothing soothes the soul -and ligaments- of a southern girl like biscuits. And what the heck, I'll work them off in physical therapy, right? RIGHT?!?

Homeschooling Expands the Mind...

although not always in the direction that I would like it to!

You may recall that we are studying the First World War. Well, last night Salamander came to visit me whilst I enjoyed the peace and quiet of my room. Sometimes, on a very rare occasion, this will happen. I am usually required to be ill before this happens, but we'll let that pass.

Anyway, as Salamander and I were talking, we heard a blood curdling scream. Tiger pounced on his brother in continuation of his never ending quest to "take him down." (Close your eyes and visualize with me...Salamander is fourteen, Tiger is nine. Get the picture?) Salamander flipped him over in 0.1 second and, oh, the horror, kissed him. Well, I won't let him hit Tiger. You must admit, for a nine year old boy it is a hateful punishment.

Tiger was spittin' mad. The more Salamander laughed, the madder he got. He bunched up his fists and thought of the worst insult he could muster,

"You Nasty Hun!"

Who says he doesn't pay attention during History?

History At Homeschooler Savvy

I haven't posted much on our schooling adventures lately. Not that it isn't all related, but you know what I mean. I haven't posted much on the *school* stuff. If you're wondering what we've been doing in the homeschool realm, visit Homeschooler Savvy and take a peek at my running series of posts called History At My House. We're in the middle (well, the beginning) of a World War. It's not just all baking and animal soap operas and trips to Louisiana, you know. We do actually learn something every now and then!

This Day In History

Did you know that on January 15th, 1831 the novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame was finished? Did you know that in 1974 the television show Happy Days premiered, or that in 1559 Queen Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England, or that in 1909 a hearse was used for the first time? Huh, huh, did ya? Life is in the details, people!

If you want to know more about what happened on a particular day in history, check out This Day in History (on the History Channel site). Personally, I'm just stocking up on useless information for the next time I play Trivial Pursuit with my Dad, but to each their own.