Monday, July 30, 2007

Beauty only a Geek could love...

I'm up right now, at 12:24 am...when I should be in bed...we have VBS all week (bright and early) but I had insomnia. I have no idea why. When I got home from VBS today I couldn't wait to lay down and sleep but I didn't because I was too busy with other things...I actually went to bed early tonight only to be wide awake at 11:00. *sigh*

However, it was well worth the lost sleep....you'll see what I mean in a moment.

I just redid my website. Ok, so it was in the works for a while, but I uploaded it after finishing the parts that were finishable, and then I validated it with the w3c.org people (the ones that sort of "rule" the web). Anyway, it's one of those things only a geek could love--a website that validates XHTML1.o strict within 3 tries LOL

For those who have no clue what the sleep=deprived blogger is rambling on about...validation basically says whether or not your site meets their high standards for the document type you chose. Mine validated on the first try for CSS (impressive when you consider that though I design websites I just learned CSS a few months ago, and I did this all by hand), and on the third try for XHTML (also written out by hand.). The whole point of doing that is to make sure your markup was written out as best as it could be written....and to get that cute little logo on your site that identifies you as someone who stays up late at night making sure that markup which no one is going to see (unless they hit rightmouse click/view page source on the page) is actually valid. ;)


Wanna see if your site is valid? Go to www.w3c.org and scroll down til you see "validators" on the left side. Click "markup validator" and then type in your web address. If it is not "valid" it will give you a list of things you need to fix. if you don't understand something, you can click "HTML Tidy" to see how they would clean it up. it's more fun to figure it out yourself though...keeps the mind fresh :-D

Maybe I need to go to bed huh?

The next time I can't sleep in the middle of the night, I'm going to fix the bookstore's template!~!

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Careless Blasphemy

Have you ever noticed how often those around you (maybe even you!) use the phrase "Oh my G--!" or even the sanitized "Oh my Gosh!"?? I'm not sure why I was thinking of this again recently, but today while I was at the bank and then the grocers, I noticed how many people I walked passed, or interacted with (in however remote a way) used that phrase. I wasn't in the store more than 20 minutes and I think I heard it about 100 times, in addition to some other uses of God's name (none of which were in the "reverencing God" context).

I think that most of our culture seems to commit what I would call "Careless blasphemy" on a daily basis (maybe even hourly! or maybe "minute by minute")...I say careless because few people even seem to be phased at all by it or notice it or are bothered by it...if you watch TV or see a movie, chances are that will be rampant throughout.

When I was a new Christian, I didn't even realize this...I think alot of people don't. From birth this sort of thing was so common in our family, that it was just a normal part of speech that I didn't even notice I said...until an older, seasoned saint took me aside and spoke to me about it. I admit to being a little put out over it because I couldn't grasp that I was saying it that much, after all...but sure enough, I started to notice it more and more, and actively work to break that habit!

How do you handle the Lord's name? Carefully, reverently, or carelessly?

Friday, July 27, 2007

Pain....and Life

I hate it when my body refuses to do what it needs to do without lots of pain.

I have fibromyalgia, and if you believe one of the doctors I seen, I also have SLE Lupus (I say it like that because my GP says I'd be "a lot worse off" if I did have it...and some tests say I do and some tests say I don't...whatever...the only thing doctors seem to agree upon collectively is charging a whole lot of money for their opinions). Most of the time....95% of the time in fact...I do GREAT. Woo hoo and praise God. But sometimes I am in serious pain and can't move well...but I still praise God though sometimes it takes me longer ;)

Sometimes I just cry out to God...He hasn't taken the pain away but He usually helps me deal with it. I know I feel better when I exercise gently but when I am flared there doesn't seem to be gentle enough. I know I feel worse if I see the doctor and hear all of his quitter talk "just take these muscle relaxers, these antidpressants, and I won't beleive you if you tell me you feel worse"...(ok, maybe not that bad but soemtimes it seems like that...all of the docs I've seen have this attitude). When did something like prozac become a cure all?? Most of the drugs they've put me on over the years only seem to cause me to gain weight or feel worse, and the ones that make me feel good usually turn me into a zombie which is also pointless. I also try to eat healthy, as much as I am able, and can afford.

Lately I've been crying out again and trying to figure out if I needed to quit some things that I Felt God had directed me to be invovled in..this is especially frustrating for me as my love language is "acts of service" and I hate it when I can't serve...and I also find that if I am laying around waiting to be served by those who love me I get easily discouraged with life...I feel like I am where God wants me but sometimes I wonder and second guess, especially when the pain goes about a 5 on the pain scale. (that's the one where the little dude looks like this: :| ) Most people I know in real life think either don't know I am sick (maybe they all think I'm lazy LOL)...or they think maybe I need to listen to the doctor and take happy pills (and turn into a 500 pound completely useless sofa spud as a result). Sometimes I wonder if they are right.

But then we had a guest speaker at church last week that was a real encourager to me. His name is Bro. John Bishop and he was a pastor when he developed meningitis and lost everything...his wife had to reteach him everything, how to talk, how to read, how to walk, who she was, what it meant to be married (she has acts of service as her love language I bet :-)). He is amazing to listen to, so I strongly recommend you go to his website...www.godissogood.net

Anyway, he said something that I really felt like...THANK GOD someone else who is crazy like me....especially given the fact that this guy is probably in way more pain than I am in, and has all sorts of other "health issues"...he said that he takes things that help him to function but he doesn't just take meds to feel good because he's here to serve (that is probably a very bad paraphrase but that is what I have in my notebook)...and that if things are going to take the pain away but make it so that he can't function, he deals with the pain.

He said so many other really great things Wednesday night...he was preaching on Ps. 37:8, "taste and see that the Lord is good..." it was awesome.

I need that reminder, especially today when I finally went to the chiropractor (now that we have health insurance) only to find that the co-pay for going to the chiropractor is only $3 less than the cost of going without insurance. WHAT ON EARTH??? (I have a few unkind thoughts and words for health insurance companies!). The irony was that if we didnt' pay for health insurance we'd be able to afford to go. LOL

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Ebay Alert!!

I just wanted to let you all know that I have a LOT of stuff on Ebay right now as I get ready to get some homeschool curricula for the coming school year....

There are lots of great items!!! Woo hoo.

Click Here to View my Ebay Items

Homemade Drink Syrup

Last post I mentioned making homemade drink syrups that are similar to Kool Aide and that are made with fruits from the garden. My kids love this and it is very easy to make....there is an insane amount of sugar in there (maybe not quite as much as Kool Aide) but it is made with all natural stuff besides the sugar, so there's that...

to use the syrup you put a small amount (about 1T) in the bottom of a glass per 8 oz. You need to work out the exact amount you prefer...we like it a little more watery.

Supplies:

empty glass bottles (most of ours are from those times when the grandparents bring us cases of creame soda from Canada, but I've also bought bottles at garage sales, and taken used wine bottles from my mom's house)

Corks to fit the bottles (you can get these online--measure your bottle opening to calculate what size you need)

A small funnel and ladle

A kettle

Paraffin wax (you can buy a box of this at the grocers where you get canning supplies....I melt mine down using a small sauce pan with water and a small wide jar, and then I just save the melted down wax in that jar for future use. Be careful--wax does burn, and not only that, it can catch on fire if you don't double boil it).

What you do is this:

Pick fruits. If it is something like apples, you need to cut them in quarters but for berries you can just throw them into the kettle after washing them and picking out the leaves. Cover with just enough water to be 1 inch over the top, and let them simmmer until all of the fruit is soft.

To make herbal syrups, pick the herbs and wash, then make a strong infusion of them by placing them in enough water to cover them, and bringing it up to a gentle simmer. you don't want to harshly boil herbs or it gives off a strong bitter flavor!

Next, strain out the berries/herbs/fruit, and measure the amount of liquid. You may want to strain it a few times using a sieve or cheesecloth.

For every 2 cups of juice you need 1 2/3 cups of sugar (this is going to be a SYRUP not something you drink straight up).

Bring the liquid/sugar mixture up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, set a timer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat when 15 minutes are up.

Pour hot into hot bottles (I usually run the bottles through a dishwasher or leave in a sink of hot water), cork immediately, and after they have cooled enough to easily handle, dip the ends of the bottles into the melted paraffin wax to seal them.

Use one bottle at a time...keep the currently opened bottle in the refridgerator to prevent it from fermenting.

Experiment with different flavors...some of our favorites are:

1. chocolate mint (this is actually a variety of mint you can buy that tastes slightly chocolatey)

2. gooseberry

3. concord grape

4. Mulled Apple (boil apples with some mulling spices)

5. Birne Melissa (boil quarterd pears, then infuse the liquid with lemon balm)

Enjoy!!!

My Summer Update

Summer....how on earth does it get so busy???

What I've done on my summer vacation so far:

Spent way too many hours on my XHMTL Video Curriculum in the hopes of releasing it around December 07, and at the very least having it ready for the 08/09 school year for your children. I know they will love it. I'm hand animating many of the portions (using flash) and trying to think of creative ways to explain some of the more confusing XHTML concepts.

Spent equally large amounts of time working in the garden, only to have a jungle yet again. The good news: the fruits and vegetables are growing every bit as fast as the weeds, but the bad news is htat the weeds are growing insanely fast this year...I seem to have gotten rid of the "lambs' quarters" from several years of weeding diligently, but now there is some crazy vine that I have, and according to The Weed, Disease, and Pest ID guide by Rodale, this one will grow even if a small portion of it hits the ground (which seems pretty obvious if you look at my garden LOL). Last night we had corn on the cob from the garden. WOWIE. There is nothing like it.

I've spent time getting ready for next year's homeschooling co=op. I'm teaching a class on Cartooning and one on playing chess. Lest you think they are two totally different topics....well they are, but playing chess was a prerequiste back in my pre-christian days to create the whole "intellectual artist persona" while hanging out in chic coffee houses. thankfully I've gotten really good at both. :-) Now let's see if I can teach some kids the finer points of both....

I've created my lesson plans for the kids for next school year. They like to have a detailed chart of what needs to be done when...especially my oldest. Normally I say "we do one short lesson per day" but they said it would be helpful for me to write it all out, as I did in my first year homeschooling them back when Ruth was in kindergarten (she's going into 9th grade--yikes!!!)...so I did in Microsoft Publisher. Thankfully now that I have the template all set up I should be able to get this all together easier next year. :P

I had a garage sale for a friend...

I made 17 bottles of drink syrup (sort of like a homemade koolaide but with stuff out of the garden so it is slightly more healthy and definately cheaper!). More in a future post about that. This year we made gooseberry and chocolate mint. We ate all of the raspberries. :-) I plan to make some "birne-melissa" (German for Pear with Lemon Balm) syrup after trying some a few years ago in Austria. That soon became my own personal favorite!!

Canning salsa....that will be ongoing for the next little while.

I joined the Handbell Choir at our church. I love it. Most of my musical talent (word used loosely) comes from playing clarinet and saxophone but with my ongoing chronic bronchitis problems I find it too strenuous to play anything involving my lungs. ;) I'm also taking piano lessons. LOL You can teach old dogs new tricks.

Creating a website for someone from church....www.silverdollarkennel.com

Updating my own website...which will be done soon.

And of course going to the beach occasionaly,and playing at the park, and grocery shopping, and so on and so forth.

What are you doing in the summer vacation?

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Listen to Grace Talk Soup

I almost feel famous :-)

I had the unique pleasure of being a guest on Jo Jo Taberes' Podcast, Grace Talk Soup today. You can download it either from her website or through I-tunes.

It is always a pleasure to share my testimony and to talk about what God has done in my life, so this was a blessing to be sure. :-). I was rather nervous--writing and illustration are much easier methods of communication for me at times, and so I was praying for the wisdom and grace to say what the Lord would have me say, and though I think I sound nervous, I'm happy with how it turned out.

It's sort of funny...today we were having a garage sale...lol...long story. A friend was moving out of state and because her house was down a dirt road in the middle of no where, she didn't do to well with her garage sale, so I said I'd try to have one for her...I was going to do it next weekend, but then I found out there was going to be a community wide garage sale going on in our neighborhood, so I figured this would be a good time to do it (someone else doing the advertizing). I no sooner had my sign at the street, than I had five people all buying things, which is of course really awesome :-)). While I did the interview with Jo Jo, I left my oldest in charge, and told her that if there is any question of what something costs, just say a quarter and let them have it...but whatever you do, don't let there be any obnoxious background noise (keep in mind, my one book is called Quiet Times in LOUD households...for a reason too!). Anyway, I also bought a box of Fudgesicles with which to bribe not only my own children but also the neighbor's kids as well. I told them that everyone gets a popicle only if everyone is quiet...to encourage them to help each other be good ;). By the time the interview was over, I had 9 faces in the window with a sign that read, "WE WERE QUIET :-))" ...of course I had to deliver on my promise :-))

Blessings,
Kimberly

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Awesome site!

I just watched this online video that I think every Christian must see...

I love Ray Comfort, and the logic he uses when he talks to others about about the things of God and how he gets people thinking. What a blessing!

Mr. Comfort discusses blasphemy and other topics in Hollywood films in the video here:

Hollywood and God

Let me know what you think!

16 years ago today....

Sixteen years ago today, I got baptized at Baptisten Gemeinde Salzburg (Lehen).

God is so very good, isn't He?

I am overwhelmed with the way He has led and guided my life up to this point, and this despite some of the huge, godless mistakes I made before I accepted Christ and called on Him to be my Lord and Savior! WOW.

This week for my Reformer's memory work, I am working on learning Romans 2: 4. It has really cut me to heart too...let me tell ya!

"Or despist thou the riches of His goodness, and forebearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"

How many times do we do that? I know I am guilty of being irritated when I see God giving someone I deem "unworthy" one more chance....sometimes I think, come on, God, do something!!! and I realize He is doing something--showing that person the riches of His goodness, forebearance, and longsuffering, knowing that the Goodness of God will possibly lead that person to repent....

How many times did I NOT deserve those same riches of His goodness, and yet He dished them out anyway?? He's so good to me!

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Helping a Family in Need

I know that some of you may still be enjoying your Independence Day holiday,
but I just wanted to take a moment this morning to let you know
about a very special event that we would like to invite you to be a part of.

You may already know the Estes family, who operate www.handsandhearts.com.
We're taking part in an online benefit to bless this fellow homeschooling family,
who have seen far more than their share of trials and difficulties this past year. You can read more about it here on their blog .

In fact, dozens of the Estes family's friends & associates have contributed a truly
HUGE package of wonderful homeschool and family resources as a
"thank you gift" to folks who can help us in this worthy effort, including me!

Here's the site that explains all about this online benefit and how it works:
http://www.chirotoons.com/benefit

You truly won't believe all the resources that have been donated for this.
It is really an amazing outpouring of love and support.
Please take a look... YOU can be a real blessing to a family in need...
and in return, YOUR FAMILY will receive can also receive a blessing from
the wonderful selection of resources that you'll find there.

This benefit will only last for eight days, so take a look now...
and then please tell a homeschooling friend or two about it!
http://www.chirotoons.com/benefit

Thanks so much,

Kimberly Eddy