Clean-Up

Emily let me know today that she was having a hard time loading my blog! I believe it - wow I had a lot of stuff that had to communicate with different sites. No wonder. I cleaned up my sidebars and hopefully this will help for everyone concerned! Now bring on the comments!

Public Notice Regarding Comments

For future reference, anyone posting a comment without a way to comment back, will be subject to be deleted. This does not apply to people who know me in real life or for those who leave comments worth reading. For more information, I refer you to this post about Learning to Reject and Delete. If this is whining, get over it - this is my blog!

Rejected Commenter

My friend Henry wrote a blog post not long ago about Learning to Reject and Delete. I completely understood and agreed with her line of thinking. I do not have my blog set currently to approve comments before allowing them to post on my blog which has allowed a stinging comment a time or two but that is the risk that I take.
There are some who find it their duty to correct what is in their opinion every wrong thought, opinion, perspective, etc. I often blog as I am forming a completed thought, and wish that those people would understand that I am not saying that everything I blog about is right and true and good or even Biblical. Just being a Christian does not mean that every expression I make as a human being is going to be theologically sound. I am being transformed into His image - I am not already there - and neither are you.
All of this to say, while I agree with Henry wholeheartedly, I have recently been on the other side of the reject and delete button. My comments were benign, friendly and even in support of the blogger whose blog I was commenting on, so I really have no idea why my comment was rejected. I can tell you this, if conversation is not open, I am not likely to comment again. I don't have the time. If I had said something controversial or harsh, I would expect such treatment.
Just as Henry quoted we should say only that which is useful in building one another up (bang rubber mallet into own head 10 times) and get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, malice and slander, we also need to all learn to be slow to be offended. (bang rubber mallet into own head 10 more times).
So there it is - it is about relationships - they are a kind of dance. I step on your toes some and you pull back, then you step on mine. (It is a different thing when someone wears steel toed boots and it intentionally trying to flatten your whole foot, which was more Henry's experience.) But in friendship, with cyber-buddies or real life friends, we dance. Each friendship takes on a rhythm of its own. But we seem to get better at it the more we keep in step with one another, twirling to slow, quick,quick, slow, quick,quick.
I'm definitely going to lose Henry on that quick,quick part, but that's okay, I'll catch her on the next slow!

Adieu Dear Blog

Dear Blog,
You have been a huge part of my life but now it is time to say good-bye. I have loved being here, writing down my thoughts or sharing the events of the day. I've met many friends, most of them are simply cyber friends. Others I've gotten to meet in real life. I've enjoyed making friends and reading about your lives too! The community and connections with other people have been immensely exciting.
Now it is time to move on. Life has gotten too crazy with working, writing, and trying to spend time with my family and a moment or two on house cleaning. Maybe I'll even find time to read a whole book now and then. So, I will just say Good-bye dear blog. Thank you for being a fun part of my life.
Please leave me a comment so at least I will know I'll be missed.

I would like to add just one comment here at the very end. April Fool! Have a nice day and leave a comment anyway! Let me just tell you before you start leaving "hate comments" that it is all Karen's fault! She started it!

Hey Anonymous - Cease and Desist Would Ya?

Through site feed, we can trace the trail of where you've been. Why do you find it necessary to visit the blogs of unschoolers just to ridicule and criticize what you do not understand?
If you feel it necessary to tout the benefits of public school, and the beauty and pleasure that it brings into your life, please feel free to go to Blogger and get your very own blog. Heck, I'll even visit, and if I comment, I promise to at least be signed in so that you'll know I stand behind what I say, and if you so choose, you can respond.
I am okay with a different perspective, and while I may not find your viewpoint to be agreeable, I would defend your right to your own opinion and the freedom to choose a life that suits you and your family - and if you value freedom and liberty - you should defend my rights equally.
This is a personal blog - where I write about my family, myself, my beliefs, my passions. It is horrifying to me that some children spend 12 years of their lives in the public school institution, becoming government cogs, and mindless drones regurgitating often incorrect factoids, and never truly developing critical thinking skills, the ability to talk to adults and socialize with people of all ages, or following their passions and developing personal greatness instead of being bent towards mediocrity. But hey that's just me.
Please don't visit my blog - or the blogs of my friends unless you want to participate in a discussion. That would involve not hiding behind anonymous comments. It borders on stalking and harassment.

Odds and Ends

Okay - just so y'all know - nobody is in trouble - I wasn't upset with anybody and some of you had commented - so the smacking self in the head, and throwing yourselves off of a cliff can cease and desist. I just needed to know you were here, and you came through with dazzling colors. Y'all are the best bloggy buddies a girl could have!

Last night I had a dream in which I was getting down on my knees at the edge of the couch to kiss my husband (yes, this is a PG rated dream), and when my lips got close to his, he turned into Hagrid. In case you don't know, he is an ogre-type from the Harry Potter series - pictured to the right here. I have never been a big fan of "clean-shaven" preferring more of the Marlboro man type, a bit rugged - but Hagrid???!? After a quick kiss, I realized (still dreaming!) that it was my husband in a disguise. If you interpret dreams I would LOVE to know what you make of this.

My neighbor Debra came over a bit ago and helped me untangle and hang up last year's icicles! It looks so twinkly and pretty outside. We even threw a few big red lights on one of the monstrous azalea bushes, that are long since out of bloom. We also had a cup of coffee with caramel syrup and real cream. Mmm. That will do wonders for your soul. Later her family is coming over for some potato soup, while the rain starts and the temperatures drop! They really know the highs and lows around here.

Yesterday I stood for about 10 minutes in the detergent aisle at Wally World trying to decide if I should spend $4 something for fabric softener. I concluded this to be a luxury for me - as well as the rest of the population who will now see my hair sticking out from my head like they do on cartoons when somebody gets shocked - cause y'all my hair gets static electricity like nobody's business. I think I maybe could use this to my advantage and end our woes over the high cost of electricity in the state of Texas - if only I could get my husband to figure out how to harness this power that I possess. I also stood there wondering if other women around me were thinking crazy things to blog about. Do y'all ever do that? Wonder if you'll be fodder for the bloggity goodness of some other rabid blogger!???


For those of you who are my friends on Homeschoolblogger or Homesteadblogger, I am reading your blogs on my Google Reader, but I cannot log in there - or even go directly to the site to leave you comments - and that has been for over a week now. This is why I don't blog there anymore. Is anybody else having that trouble? Marsha, Deedeeuk and a handful of others - I am sorry. It is so frustrating.

Anyway - hope this fine Saturday afternoon finds you all well. There are many things to worry about, but much more to be thankful for - so I leave you with this, my new mantra......

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings....
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my bleeeeessssings...

Come Out Come Out Wherever You Are

Hey! It has been a really hard week, and I think I am just needing a little comment-love. I have posted and posted throughout the week and nary a comment received. When I check my stats it appears that I get between 75-100 visits every day. If you are reading this - or anything I have posted recently, would you please take just a wee little second and leave me a comment. It would mean so much! You too lurkers - even if you never comment, just give me a shout out and tell me where you are reading from or how you found me, or any little tidbit.
Some of you who are my dear friends tell me all the time "I read your blog" - but don't be a voyeuristic friend - let me know you're here! Don't make me beg!

Addressing Questions of a Commenter

I got this comment from "Lia" earlier today - and since there is no blog linked - I thought I would take some time to address her concerns here - and maybe we can all learn.

Lia says >>

Isn't it a bit of a contradiction to say that a diet is slavery? Isn't overweight slavery too?
When the Bible tells us that everything God created is for our enjoyment, do you think God also meant eating so much that 25% of all Americans is overweighted and obesity is becoming a major health problem?

My response>>
It is definitely slavery to be overweight. No doubt. But it is no contradiction to say that dieting is also slavery. I was not saying dieting was slavery and obesity is not. However, the diet industry proves that rules and regulations have no impact on righting our hearts. That’s why the average woman in her mid-thirties has been “dieting” since her teenage years in one way or another. What we are coming against here is gluttony – pure and simple. The premise of this Bible Study is to learn to eat the way God intended – not excluding any particular type of food, but enjoying everything in healthy proportion. We will also be learning to recognize the symptoms of hunger and fullness.

I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves – as much of this is explained through the weeks of study. Anyone interested is invited and welcome, but know that it is settled in the hearts and minds of those of us leading the study that what we will learn is truth.

Thanks Lia - great questions! Hope to see you there!

Prayer and Beware

I may be a day late and a dollar short on this - but my friend Karen and her family are ending their journey as missionaries in Romania. You can go to her blog and read all about it - but what I wanted to ask you here is that you would pray for her family as they make a very long distance move. Her most recent post was called "The End of the Story" - but I was thinking about that how it is more like the end of a chapter. As I commented on her blog, the beauty of it is that God is always writing a new one. In our lives I am slowly seeing the ink and letters on the pages of our new life. Please pray for them as God begins writing the new chapter for the Woodwards.

Also, I don't think that Karen would mind my sharing this as a warning to all bloggers. Last week when they were in the process of moving and on the computer very little, someone left some very ugly spam comments on her blog. I found it interesting that the post that was commented on was one giving God the glory for all that He has done for them during this time of transition. (Three guesses who was behind that one!) Anyway, just beware and make sure you have your comments set for moderation. I know it is one more thing to do - but I am telling you - it may save you a lot of heartache. When I saw the comments it was so upsetting that I tried to find a phone number for her in ROMANIA because I felt as if her cyber-home had been vandalized. Take care of your homes peoples!

Comment Moderation

Because of some harassing comments that have been posted this evening – three in fact – I have enabled comment moderation. This is a slight inconvenience, which simply means that your comments will not appear until I approve them. I will be permitting all comments – I will not however, allow my blog to be used as a venue for someone to attack me. Please comment – please feel free to give me your input. I apologize for the inconvenience.

I would also highly recommend that all bloggers get a site meter so that you can have a reference point to check who comes to your blog, how long they stay, etc. I have always had one on my blog - and while I have never had a situation like this before, I found it interesting to see how much this person has visited my blog in the last 48 hours.