The cover article for the current issue of Atlantic magazine (July/August) is entitled “Is Google Making Us Stoopid?” Hm. Is it?Author Nicholas Carr writes:“As the media theorist Marshall McLuhan pointed out in the 1960s, media are not just passive channels of information. They supply the stuff of thought, but they also shape the process of thought. And what the Net seems … [Read more...]
Leftover Spaghetti? Try a Spaghetti Pancake!
Sometimes the kids slurp up great gobs of spaghetti; other times, they nibble one small bowl and announce that they're finished. Because I never know which response is coming, I make enough for a "great gobs" night. Last week's spaghetti night, however, was a "nibble" night. I had a lot of leftover noodles. We don't mind leftovers for lunch or dinner, so heating … [Read more...]
Bunnies and Clotheslines
I've never been good with laundry. Somehow I end up shrinking my favorite blouses and pulling pants from the dryer only to discover blotches of contrasting dye from a shirt that wasn't ready to be washed with other colors. At those moments, I am especially glad that I shop at Goodwill. Even though the shrunken blouse might have been a favorite, it is somewhat comforting … [Read more...]
Several Summer Solutions to "Mom, I’m Bored!"
To avoid hearing kids exclaim "I'm bored!" in the summer months, it's tempting to fill the weeks ahead with camps and clubs and outings and activities, isn't it? Maybe we think, Keeping them busy keeps them out of trouble. Or, They gain skills they wouldn't have time to develop during the school year. And although not everyone will admit to it, there's the argument, … [Read more...]
A Brief Beach Tour
Look who came along on our trip!The cute shoes you met one Monday FunDay stowed away in a suitcase. They couldn't resist showing off a beach flower:And a bed of shell bits:Also, I wanted to show you the view today.Blue skies. Sun.Very nice.Our room is not exactly what one would call high-end luxury accommodations. The glass knob on the bathroom door looks very Shabby … [Read more...]
Uninterrupted Conversation? This Can Happen?
After 14 years of parenting, I'm about to find out.We parents of four are going on a little outing, just the two of us.Seven years ago was the only time we've traveled anywhere on our own since we've had kids--a short, chilly camping trip. We like camping with the kids, and we hate to complain, but we're hoping to improve on that a little bit.Since then we've tried to go … [Read more...]
Crockpot Broth
** Excuse me...this should be titled Crockpot Stock **Turkey breasts were on sale last week at Kroger, so I bought one and cooked it all day in the crockpot.We enjoyed it as our main course this evening. After dinner, The Belgian Wonder cut every morsel of meat from the carcass. We'll use the leftovers in sandwiches.Then super-frugal, domestic Ann put the carcass … [Read more...]
6 Questions to Ask Yourself
I like to explore why I make certain choices or feel strongly about various issues. So I find that a few questions like these get me thinking and writing and praying. Sometimes I use variations on these questions with my friends, generating some interesting discussion. I'd love to sit and have tea with you so we could explore these six questions. They're not only great … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Enjoy Everyday Fun with Chores
Daily life can be such a drag, so blah. The chores can be tedious. The drive to work, dull. Some days can be reduced to scrub, swipe, fold, wash, rinse, repeat; others, to conquering an overwhelming to-do list or in-box. One way to approach the daily grind is simply to take a deep breath and dig in, applying self-discipline, determination, willpower, and grit. … [Read more...]
7 Keys to a Happier Mother’s Day
Sure, we hope to be honored in some way on Mother's Day. And some of us will. For some of us, Sunday will be a day of extravagant gifts and champagne brunches. Some of us will have creative spouses and industrious children with lots of resources and initiative--we'll have scones and strawberries for breakfast in bed, and chocolate truffles with lunch. Or our … [Read more...]
13 Tips for Finding Free Time for Mom (without multi-tasking!)
Finding free time for mom—at least, for this mom—used to seem impossible. People would suggest multi-tasking as a way to gain time, but multi-tasking simply doesn't work for me. Research reveals the inefficiency of multi-tasking; as quantity of work goes up, something suffers. A 2008 report called "Cramming the Most into Time" on ABC World News with Charles Gibson affirmed … [Read more...]
Five Days of How-To Posts: A blog experiment offering helpful information in bullet-point form
What makes a post popular?On my blog, which is an unfocused mish-mash of ideas that flit through my mind at any given moment, the all-time top posts are as follows: Castile Soap for a Simpler Life (and blemish-free face) Thick and Chewy, Fast and Easy Pizza Dough Overnight Crockpot Steel-Cut OatmealWhat am I doing posting about the perils of my attempts to multi-task?Why … [Read more...]
Multi-tasking Doesn’t Work for Me
Multi-tasking has never really worked for me. I've tried. Over the years, I've felt like there are many times when I've had no choice but to do a dozen things at once. But when I do that regularly—when multi-tasking is my mode of operation, nonstop, every day, from sun-up to sundown, I get agitated. I feel all frenzied and harried. I leave one of the two or seven … [Read more...]
Yann Martel on Life of Pi, Interpretation, Stillness, and Art
A couple of years ago, urged by a friend, I read Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.It left me fascinated, and a little confused. I guess I'm not so good with obscure stuff. So I was quite interested that the Festival of Faith & Writing brought him to speak. Would he explain the book for the slow-of-brain?The evening began with an amusing glitch. Martel was introduced by a … [Read more...]
Little School in the Woods
I've been thinking back on our week of camping and how we were immersed in nature 24 hours a day (excepting the two or three evenings we escaped the mosquitos by retreating to the camp's clubhouse, which was outfitted with a pool table, cable TV, two leather recliners, and two public computers where the kids took turns logging onto Webkinz...can it still be considered … [Read more...]