Thinking outside the box, or, in this case, the classroom ...

Last week, the kids and I tagged along with Ed on one of his business trips. Over four days, we trekked over 1600 miles, stopping in St. Louis, Memphis, and Huntsville. While Ed visited colleagues and clients, the kids and I had a blast, seeing and exploring all sorts of new things. This is one of the reasons I love homeschooling. We have the freedom to go with Ed when he travels, and we don’t have to worry about the school district’s calendar. Don’t worry, though, there were lots of learning opportunities while we were with him. They may not always be in the form of a textbook or workbooks, but the lessons are plentiful.
 

In St. Louis, we explored the streets of Old St. Charles, which is always fun, stopping by Riverside Sweets to sample their homemade fudge. The kids also marveled at the Gateway Arch. They were amazed by its height. The monument is truly an extraordinary feat of engineering. Architects are the dreamers, but Engineers make that dream a reality. OK, yes, I’m a little prejudiced. I am married to a Professional Engineer. However, the story of how the arch was designed and built is really incredible, and someone had to figure out how to make that arch soar 630 feet in the air and not fall down. Go Engineers!

In Memphis, we took advantage of their downtown trolley system, grabbing daily passes for a mere $3.50 each. We spent the whole afternoon taking in the city’s sights. We met 91 year old Blues Legend, Clyde Hopkins. We listened to his music, talked to him, and he even gave the kids pointers on singing the blues and dancing. He also directed us to the best place to eat on Beale Street. I know it was just his opinion, but we wholeheartedly agreed. The Voodoo Chicken and BBQ were amazing at The King’s Palace Café. We had a lot of fun at A. Schwab, the only remaining original business on Beale Street. It was established by Abraham Schwab in 1876, and their motto is, “If you can't find it at A. Schwab, you're probably better off without it!" They have a huge selection of hats to try on and we laughed so hard we almost cried as we played in them. The store also has a museum, giving us a look at the store, street, and town’s history. We finished our day in Memphis at the Lorraine Hotel area, paying our respects to Dr. Martin Luther King and others involved in the Civil Rights Movement.

On the following day, we left Ed to call on a customer and drove a couple hours over to Huntsville, visiting the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (Home of Space Camp!). Yeah, it was that exciting!! It is heralded as “one of the most comprehensive U.S. manned space flight hardware museums in the world”, and it certainly does not disappoint! There were plenty of exhibits and hands-on experiments to please my inquisitive, budding engineers. We took advantage of the special Black Hole exhibit, making space badges to record all the work they did from the activities. Grace’s name was Astro Joker, and Phillip’s name was Techno Scout. When they inserted their badge at a specific activity, their work is saved. Later, you can visit a website that shows all your work, plus has more things for you to do. Very cool! All the museum exhibits were INCREDIBLE, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed the activities. However, I think the biggest highlight for them was walking around the Rocket and Shuttle Parks outside and taking in the Saturn V housed inside the Davidson Center. The sheer size of the rockets and equipment is amazing! It was a wonderful afternoon, even though it started raining while we were there. If you ever travel that way and you have some space fanatics with you, please make this one of your stops!

Our last stop wasn’t planned, but I think it was one of the best we made. As I was saying earlier, it began raining while we were in Huntsville. By the time we left, it was around 5 in the afternoon and pouring. We were planning on driving back to join Ed, but the weather had other ideas. We ended up stopping in Cullman for the night. When we were looking for a map of the area, we found a pamphlet on a nearby attraction, the Ava Maria Grotto. I really had thought we’d get on the road early, so I didn’t think too much of it. The next day, however, started out foggy and Ed told us to wait for it to clear off before we started. The kids were raring to go, so we decided to check out the grotto before we left town. What a gem! Here's a description from their website:

It’s “known throughout the world as Jerusalem in Miniature, and is a beautifully landscaped, four-acre park designed to provide a natural setting for the 125 miniature reproductions of some of the most famous historic buildings and shrines of the world. The masterpieces of stone and concrete are the lifetime work of Brother Joseph Zoettl, a Benedictine monk of St. Bernard Abbey. Begun as a hobby, with various materials he could find, and infinite patience and a remarkable sense of symmetry and proportion, Brother Joseph re-created some of the greatest edifices of all time.” –avamariagrotto.com

I don’t have the words to explain how remarkable this place is! We saw amazing things around every corner. The miniature buildings are incredible, but then you look a little closer and realize how very special they are because you start to notice all the different materials Brother Joseph used to build his creations. You might find a button, a marble, a pottery shard, a brooch, a unique shell, or a pocket watch. It’s absolutely remarkable. Besides the grotto, there is a lovely pathway you can go down, lined with benches and the Stations of the Cross. At the end of the path is a small cemetary and chapel. It's both peaceful and beautiful.

So, yes, last week we weren’t at home in the classroom doing school, but, don’t worry, we were learning plenty of new things. At the same time, we were making memories that we'll treasure for the rest of our lives. The classroom doesn’t have to be inside. Learning doesn’t have to be from a book or a workbook. It can happen anywhere. You just have to take the time to notice!

Happy Ash Wednesday!

Today marks the beginning of our Lenten journey towards Easter. The word "lent" is an Old English word meaning spring. The days begin to lengthen, and new life begins and blossoms all around us. It's also a good time to renew, strengthen, and grow in our faith.  I like to think of Lent as a time for "spring cleaning" our lives and souls.

On Ash Wednesday, we are marked with the sign of the cross, made from ashes, and challenged to, "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return". Think about that for a moment. It's a sobering thought. We are only here on earth for a short period of time. In God's time, it's a mere blink of His eye or a single heartbeat, a mere second. Thankfully for us, His "second" may translate into many years for us, but that is never a guarantee. We will eventually die, but we never know when our time will come. Although we should be aware of our mortality every day, Lent is an excellent time to take stock of our lives and ask the hard questions. Are we living to our full potential? Are we using our talents in the best way we can? What is our ultimate goal in life? What mark do we want to leave behind? Are we allowing ourselves to achieve our potential or are other things getting in our way? It's a hard thing to ponder our shortcomings and faults, but it's something we all must do if we want to improve on our weaknesses and imperfections. If we are aware of these things, it's easier to overcome them.

Another very important tradition during Lent is to sacrifice. We may give up chocolate or caffeine or television. Our sacrifice isn't something that should be easy. It should be a little painful, reminding us all of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice. Denying ourself can tell us about our self-control, obedience, patience, and discipline. In the past, I've tried to give up many things. Some years have been successful, and other have not. If nothing else, it's shown me how weak I really am, how fragile my willpower can be. It's in these times that I've learned to lean on my Father for extra strength and support. If I can do this with smaller needs, I'll remember to seek Him when times are really tough and things aren't going as I'd like.

We're also called to give to others, whether it be monetarily or of our time. To love others as we love ourselves, and to treat them as we wish to be treated. We are called and challenged to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, visit the sick, comfort the sorrowful, be patient wih others, and forgive those who hurt us. Ideally, this should be something we do all the time, but it's nice to refocus our efforts during Lent, making sure we are doing all that we can. As a family, we've sacrificed "treats" (coffee, ice cream, soda) that we normally allow ourselves, and instead, we've used the money to donate to a worthy cause. We've volunteered in a soup kitchen, making the food, serving the peope that came in, and cleaning up afterward. We've volunteered at the local food pantry. This is something that my son still does with his uncle every week. These may seem like small things, but Mother Teresa reminded us, "do small things with great love". Instead of only thinking of ourselves, we need to learn to turn our focus outward, to concentrate on the plights and needs of others.

Focusing on our faith, sacrificing, and giving alms are all important parts of celebrating Lent and preparing us for Easter. Is this journey hard? Yes. Change is always hard. Will we fumble along the way? Yes. We will fumble, and then we will try again. Is it worth it? Yes! Yes! Yes!

With all this in mind, I wish you all a blessed Lenten journey. I hope it's filled with enlightenment and growth.

Until next time, wishing you Peace and All Good!

Joyce


As I was working on this last night, I came across a Franciscan Benediction. I was drawn to it because it challenges us in many ways we're not prepared or always willing to do. It reminds us to be aware of the world around us and be mindful of the needs of others. It challenges us to do better, love better, and live better. I think this is a fitting reminder to us all as we celebrate Lent.

The Blessing of Discomfort

May God bless you with discomfort

 At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,

 So that you may live deep within your heart.

 May God bless you with anger

 At injustice, oppression and exploitation of people,

 So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

 May God bless you with tears

 To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,

 So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them

 And turn their pain into joy.

 And may God bless you with enough foolishness

 To believe that you can make a difference in the world,

 So that you can do what others claim cannot be done

 To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

 Amen

Monday Makeover ...

On Friday, I showed you one of my recent "fun finds", a vintage letterpress tray. Now, you get to see what I've done with it!

This is the pinterest idea that started it all ...

Can I just say how much I like the sailor scoping out the area with his monocular? And I love the punk guitar player with his pink mohawk. They both make me smile. We are Lego Maniacs around here. Love, love, love them. :)

I really loved this idea blogged by Kirsty Colquin on her pinterest project blog (365 Days of Pinterest Creations). She saw the idea somewhere else and wrote a great tutorial on how to make it. It's fantastic! Who doesn't want to display their favorite minifigures? I know my kids do! So, I was really motivated to work on this, until I noticed comments about needing a certain type of glue, which is hard to find. I absolutely adore this project, but I did NOT want it to be hard for me to do. I like easy solutions! I also needed to get frames AND the kids wanted the same color blocks for the stands. We have a LOT of Legos in this house. We could probably build a new addition on our house with the number of Legos we have, but no one wanted to sacrifice that many bricks from their stash if they were going to be permanently glued to the board. So, this project was out, and I was back to square one.

Enter the letterpress drawer! It finally dawned on me that one of these just might work. So, I had Phillip grab some minifigs and check to see if they'd fit. Here he is, hard at work!

After we figured out this would work, both kids got to work ...

Suki and I also contributed. She took a nap while they worked, and then she cuddled up to me and gave me blogging support while I wrote. She really tries to be helpful. ;)

The kids finished working on it Sunday, and I really love how it turned out! Here it is ...

What do you think? How fun is this project? I think it turned out great! The kids even sacrificed some of their blocks to make the pedestals. They can change up the arrangement whenever they want. It was easy, didn't cost me anything extra, and the kids are really happy with it. This mama is happy too!

Pinterest is a wonderful tool. I'm addicted, remember? However, if I went out and bought all the materials for all the projects I wanted to do, it would NOT be a good thing. Instead of rushing out to the store or going online to find stuff, I took a little time, thought outside the box, and found a solution in my own home. Saving the money and making do with what I already have is a much easier, more effective solution. Next time you see something you'd love to do, try to think of another way to make it happen. You may have the materials you already need right in your own home.

Until next time, let's try to keep it simple ...

Joyce


P.S. Since we're talking Legos and it's Valentine's Day later in the week, here's a super sweet and easy project I'd like to share with you. It only takes two items, and, if you have Lego freaks at your house like I do, you may have the materials you need right this very moment ...

Super easy, super fast, and super cute! This little heart would be adorable on a key chain, necklace, zipper pull, or bracelet. And who doesn't need a couple cheery red Legos around to make them smile? :)

Friday Find!

A couple of months ago, I found two vintage letterpress trays at Goodwill. I snatched them both up for under $20. Since then, I've been trying to figure out what I was going to do with them. I've seen great ideas: a jewelry organizer, another to display collections of thimbles or trinkets, wall art, etc.

Well, I already have a great way to organize my jewelry, and I don't have an extraordinary number of thimbles. So, I kept thinking, trying to figure out how I could use them. One day, I saw a pinterest project (pssst .... I'm a little addicted) that I really liked, but it was going to end up being too much work (strike one). Plus, I'd have to buy supplies, one of which looked like it was going to be a pain to obtain (strikes two and three). So, the pinterest idea was out as an option, but I still wanted to do something like it. That's when it dawned on me that using one of these might work. It wouldn't cost me anthing extra, and it would be much easier to do! Home run for me. :)

This was a super fun project, and I even had volunteers that wanted to help me. I love the way it turned out, and I can't wait to show you what I did with it on {drumroll, please} ... Monday! Aren't you excited?

Any favorite pinterest projects? Successful ones? Not so successful? Ideas you've built on to make it your own? Please share! We'd love to hear about others that are actually doing projects they've pinned. I, for one, will never get around to doing most of the things I've put on my boards, but a girl can dream, right?

Until next time!

Joyce

P.S. My baseball references throughout are NOT a clue to my finished project. It just happened as I was writing. Come back on Monday to see the reveal. I know the suspense is killing you ...

Make the decision to choose joy ...

Yesterday, I really needed an attitude adjustment. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. I was having a bad day. School didn’t go as I’d planned. The state of my house is distressing. I was having one of my usual bad hair days. My “to do” list was overwhelming. I never seem to get in a workout. The kids weren’t exactly listening to me. I really don’t like the coffee creamer I have right now. My school room isn’t finished, and I don’t really like the way it's arranged. I had a blog due, but I didn’t have anything to say. I needed to get bills paid. My laundry is piling up again. We don't have a car right now because its in the shop. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but we live in a small town with few services. If we run out of anything, we have to drive 20 minutes to get it. We’re practically stranded, and I don't like that at all. UGH!

See what happened? All these thoughts just snowballed. Even the little things, like my hair and coffee creamer, were stressing me out. Everything little thing I could think about was making me sad. I literally had to tell myself to snap out of it. What in the world do I have to pout about? Nothing! In view of others problems and struggles, these things are very minute. I am truly blessed, and instead of thinking of all the things I don’t have, I need to start thinking about all the things I do have. I need to be grateful for all God has given me. I 'm rich in bessings, and, instead of focusing on being thankful, I was caught up in a cycle of negativity that just wanted to drag me down, down, down. I decided this wasn't how I wanted to spend my day. Instead, I chose to find the positive in things, not focus on the negative. I chose to find joy.

Let’s look at a few things on my list again with a different, more positive outlook.

School didn’t go well … First off, I should be thankful that we have the ability, the resources, and the legal right to educate our children at home. Some days don’t go as well. That’s just a fact, whether it’s in here or a traditional school setting. Things don't always go the way we expect them to. As I thought about the day, I realized the kids finished everything they needed to for me. Plus, they did other, extra special things. Seeing that I was stressed out, they cleaned the kitchen, picked up a little around the house, and did some laundry. Later, Phillip volunteered at the food pantry, and Grace stayed home to help me. Does this really sound like an unproductive day? Not at all. My kids not only got their studies done, but they also showed they are honing their hearts to be servants and to care about others' needs, whether it be in our home or at the local food pantry. How can I be negative about that?

Bad hair day? … But, I have hair! In the past my health hasn’t been the best, and, at one time, I lost quite a bit of hair due to side effects of the medications I was taking. Then, when it began growing back, it came in really curly, so I had both straight and curly hair. I also gained a lot of weight, my face was very puffy, and I had bad acne. All the side effects of my meds. Take a moment to imagine that person? I didn't feel very pretty. My self esteem and confidence were at an all time low, but it gave me clarity. It taught me that you can't judge someone by the way they look. The way they look is not an indicator of their worth. Their heart is what counts. I remember people staring at me and saying things to me that were not kind, all because of the way I looked. I'm blessed to have learned that lesson, and I pray that I never judge someone else unfailrly or make them feel badly about things they can't control. Worrying about a bad hair day seems pretty petty now, doesn't it?

No workout … This is something I struggle with a lot. I just need to learn to be thankful that I can actually work out if I choose to. There are a lot of people that can’t. Medically speaking, there was a time when I was one of those people. At one point in my life, I had a debilitating muscular disorder, called polymyositis, that prevented me from moving as I’d like. Miraculously, I was healed. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I choose to be thankful for the ability to move.

Kids weren’t listening … This is also a tough one. It really irritates me when the kids don't listen, but, in reality, I should be thankful I even have children! When I was dealing with my illness, Ed and I were told we wouldn’t be able to have kids. That was a really hard thing to hear, and I had a tough time dealing with it. I prayed for healing and pushed hard to get off my medications. I even changed doctors to find someone who was willing to help me make that a reality, to even consider it a possibility. After I recovered, I was able to have two beautiful, healthy babies. Since then, I’ve suffered three miscarriages. After the last one, they ran some tests and my results showed that I have a severe B deficiency. Again I was told I should never have had any children. Yet, I am blessed with a daughter and a son. They are truly my miracle babies! Twice I’ve been told that they were an impossibility, yet here they are. I pray that I never again lose sight that my kids are a true testament of God’s hand in my life.

Paying bills/house not perfect/coffee creamer/car in shop … OK, these things are all related in my mind. It's part of that boulder picking up steam as your spiralling down and thinking of every little thing that's making you unhappy. But, that's not my reality. I’m lucky to have a wonderful husband that works hard to provide for us. Having a business of your own is never easy, but God has continued to bless him with business, clients, and new opportunities. We have money to pay our bills. We have a safe, warm environment to live in. We have plenty of food on our table. We have reliable transportation (most of the time, just not right now … J) There are so many with so much less than this, I’m almost embarrassed to admit my grouchiness of yesterday.

I hope all of this helps to prove a point. We have the power to look at our situation positively or negatively. The next time you are on that downward spiral, try to forget about all the things you don’t have and try to remember all the things you do have. Be thankful for your blessings. Choose to be happy. Choose to embrace joy. I guarantee it’ll turn your day around.