Priorities

Keeping up with Texas law...

Found lots of juicy nuggets happening in Texas this past week...

How about license plate readers on Texas highways run by the DEA?

District attorneys utilizing public (and non) Facebook pictures for prosecution and sentencing?

Collin county judge ordering the search of lawyers files for evidence? (What?  Client-attorney privilege? Never heard of it!)

If this piques your interest... check out Grits for Breakfast!  A slightly liberal, but very relevant look at Texas law.

One Stop Catechesis

I forgot to mention a real coup in assignment books.

Jeanne recommended Catholic Elementary Student Planner.

Coupled with the Teacher Planner, this agenda is loaded with excellent resources for living liturgically.

If your children's school does not issue an agenda, you might take a look at these.

Ours arrived today, and I am pleased as punch :)

Rita passed on her son's Faith First! CCD materials for grade 3 and 4. These are the workbooks used at St. Joseph's in Commerce.

I can not tell you how delighted I am. They integrate so many wonderous elements of our faith.

Imagine my surprise to see Julian of Norwich!! That's reachin' deep in the treasure chest!

Remember this?

Which Saint Are You?

You are Julian of Norwich! It's all about God, to you. You're convinced that the world has a happy ending. Everyone else is convinced that you're a closet hippie, but you love them anyway.
Take this quiz!








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Gearing Up for Homeschool Version 2008-09

Oh, man. This is the time of year I buy much stuff which is of no practical use.

To offset the binge school shopping, I have

1) Decided to stick with what works for K-5, which is
----MCP math
----Little Angel Readers
----Catholic National Readers
----history based on holidays
----science based on the world around us
----geography based on the lives of the saints. This year, a big ol' map goes up. Yay!!!

2) Mother Goose Time for all 5 - a pre-packaged preschool curriculum. Only subscribed for 3 moths to see how it goes. Historically a great segue into school. Daily art projects, which save me time, money.

3)6th and up will forever more do correspondence school, specifically Seton. I've had my pendulum swinging about this particular program since the eldest was a newborn. Infused with Catholicism from day one (one of my early gripes.)
All grades are extremely challenging. I prefer a laid-back approach in the early years, though. 6th is when I think it's time to move outside the basic parameters.
High school? Focused, rigorous, excellent. Beyond college prep, the insight into all subjects is truly university level work. Mucho AP and CLEP placing anticipated.

4) Adding Spanish, piano, and guitar. "Cause they are just plain FUN!

Definitely our most ambitious year, but I am so ready for this challenge! I always get a bit (!!!) hyped when school starts. My primary objective this year is to channel that energy correctly.

As my teacher friends tell me often, education is an art in need constant fine-tuning. :) How I love you guys for being open about YOUR teaching process. It keeps me uplifted and on task. SUCH A BLESSING YOU ARE!

Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, Ora pro nobis!

I really admire Archbishop Chaput of Denver. He thinks before he speaks.

These two speeches are really thoughtful and thought provoking.

Go ahead and take a gander :)

Mission Possible: This Double-Life Will Self-Destruct
by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.

on the same theme, from last year

Address to the Australian Catholic Students Association
by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.

Music fun!

Found a neat site today... OurStage.com.

It's a fan-ranking marketplace for music (and videos).  I found the quality to be excellent!  If you're looking for some new music... I recommend it!

On a different note... if you haven't found pandora radio yet - definitely give that a try as well!  You start with giving it a band or song - and it "automagically" creates a playlist based on similarities.  

Britian in angst over Google Maps?

I read that google is doing street level maps of London this week... and I was a bit surprised to read in the esteemed DailyMail that the Brits are... upset?

Britain - of all places - is upset about pictures landing on the web?  

I mean, people are recorded on CCTV all over Britian!  It's like a giant video roach kingdom over there.  There's more cameras than eyeballs to watch them!!

Or perhaps it's simply a matter of NIMBY?

I Found It!

Heard this on KETR--- our local university radio--- quite some time ago.

Could NOT remember the name of the band until tonight.

Hope you dig it.

In other news, some horrific yellow creature stung my hand when I was penning the goats up tonite. The Filter (TM) was luckily in place, otherwise my children's vocabulary would have changed dramatically for the worst. Sample outburst: OWWWWWWWWWW!

What I was really thinking: *!*@*#*$*@!*!($*%:@$*@)__%(#$)*(*)(%(#&*&#)($*!!!!!

Anywho... back to the musik

What is Gramm Smokin'????

So, we are ok, yup, but as I've mentioned before, many of our neighbors are not.

Gramm Calls Slow-Down "Mental"

So, what is former Sen. Phil Gramm smoking???
He might want to share with those who really are crushed beneath the weight of mortgages, groceries, and fuel.

EDIT: Marketing has convinced one and almost all that wants are NEEDS. This is a tremendous problem, as most of our friends recognize.

As long as "the drug of the nation" (Do I really need to repost the U2 "Zoo Station" video from D.C. again???") pumps up the consumerism volume, a large majority of people will feel they have a right to buy what ever they want.

Please recognize that home mortgage (ARM?!?), grocery and fuel costs ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE INFLATION INDEX NUMBERS. When these prices escalate rapidly, people feel the pinch, the smack, the knock-out, depending upon their situation.

Know what? If something is uncomfortable, people tend to whine. Yes, I whine a bit when I fill up, or when I see the register total after buying enough food for a family of 7. Gramm is right about this... we have a multitude of other options. After a little "whine at dinner," we tend to do what I suspect Gramm had in mind--- buck up, knuckle down, get to work.

Here's the problem, IMHO. I strongly suspect others might really be crying. The concern becomes not whether or not I have enough things... it becomes, "Do I have any extra tissue, hugs, or dinner on hand." This is a love your neighbor as yourself things for me. Not politics.

Asking Prayers

For Fr. Timothy Heines, former Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Frisco.

I could write a lot about what a wonderful priest he is, but will remain simple.

He is made of the same stuff as saints. Please pray for this man.

Thanks

Just One Reason

My Uncle Bob is sooo cool! "Favorite Lyrics" from his website,

As I walk through this wicked world
Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity.
I ask myself is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?

And each time I feel like this inside,
There's one thing I wanna know:
What's so funny 'bout peace love
& understanding?

And as I walked on through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong and who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony? Sweet harmony.

'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away,
just makes me wanna cry.
What's so funny 'bout peace love
& understanding?

(excerpt from Peace Love and Understanding by Nick Lowe)

Anyone NOT feel that way??? Really, I am so proud to have friends who will identify with this immediately.

Alrighty... so I got to see my wonderful uncle yesterday. I told him I could place the lyrics, but not the tune. The surprise here is, yes, I remembered Elvis Costello singing this song! Ah ha!

However, if I do say so, I prefer Nick Lowe's performance of his song as seen here:

Love

KubotaGrrl

Isn't she CUTE!  Thank you Uncle Sam...

And a happy Independence Day to ya'll!

Sad news leads to impressive discovery

Sadly, Thom and Mark Girard died in an accidental drowning June 30th.

However, learning of passing led to the discovery of a rather amazing program +Thom helped develop.

(Video) Knights of Lepanto: Encampment for Fathers and Sons

+Thom and +Mark, resquiat in pace!

Trifecta strikes again

Little Women (a review of The Lolita Effect)

Even some Catholic Schools leave a lot to be desired

The Wise One Who Builds on Rock