Things Worth Remembering The three habits that lead to success are: Patience, Application, and Vision.
Take care: The person who will tell others' faults to you - will tell yours to others.
It is always better to be underestimated.
There are three things that are better than riches: Health, Freedom, and Honor.
Think swiftly, speak softly, act wisely.
"The world is neither Scottish, English, nor Irish, neither French, Dutch, nor Chinese, but human, and each nation is only the partial development of a universal humanity." - James Grant on founding the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights, 1862
All from: The Book of Celtic Wisdom
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“What could possibly have come over Master Luke? Is it something I did? He never expressed any unhappiness with my work.” - C-3PO, Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
I fight the good fight. I want, no demand, equal rights for women. I expect women to be taken seriously in the workplace - even (especially) if that workplace is the home. I hate doing it, but I make myself speak up every.single.time someone (be it dentist, hairdresser, or family member) makes a comment about the fact that I don’t work. “Would you have said that if I was volunteering at the Art Museum?” Because I do work, I just don’t get a paycheck for my physical and mental labors. I may go back into the labor force at some point, but it will be my and Dad Windu’s choice – we make all our important and family-affecting decisions jointly – and not my dermatologist’s misgivings.
Maybe I don’t look the part of the traditional housewife (whatever that is). Maybe it’s because I don’t have a gaggle of small children following me everywhere I go. Maybe it’s because I hold an advanced degree. Maybe it’s just assumed that people at home are just scratching at the walls or bemoaning a lost income.
This is the reality and explanation of my current non-employment status.
No, I have no plan to get a job at present. I did have a very successful career for many years, doing important work, and I made decent money doing it. I was very good at what I did, was in high demand with vendors because I got results, and I hated every minute of it. It is always a stressful job working with people at their worst physically and emotionally. I was the middle man in ongoing contentious legal situations every minute I worked, while trying to do right by the clients receiving services and the funding sources paying the bills. Money was, not surprisingly, the root of the conflict, as it so often is.
These days, I make my family’s life better and easier by staying home. I save us money in a variety of ways to keep us living comfortably and well on one income. I budget, cook, clean, comparison shop, and as often as possible take care of our things rather than sourcing out their care. I still get results. Additionally, by not entering the labor force, I free-up a job opening for someone who absolutely must work in these tough economic times. All in all, this isn’t a bad way to spend my time.
“That blast came from the Death Star! That thing’s operational!” – Lando Calrissian, Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
Oh, that crazy Galactic Empire… what will they think of next?
Death Star PR
Darth Vader: “Yes, Admiral?”
Admiral Piett: “Our ships have sighted the Millennium Falcon, Lord. But it has entered an asteroid field and we cannot risk…”
Darth Vader: “Asteroids do not concern me, Admiral. I want that ship, not excuses.”
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
Dad Windu and I are beginning to look for a new car. The fearless wonder that is our current transport ship vehicle is beginning to, planning to, maybe even trying to die. From the horrible sound that it makes when it’s below freezing outside - we think it’s pissed about not sitting in a garage anymore – and which it continues to make until it warms up some 15 minutes later, we’re not expecting it to be our primary vehicle for many months longer. With Padawan Learner beginning to drive though, we’ll probably keep it until a) it dies outright, b) it becomes too expensive to maintain, or c) PL gets into his first accident and it’s totalled.
Have any recommendations (or anything you’d especially suggest we avoid)? We’re looking for a car that:
- is sized for our small family,
- doesn’t cost too much,
- has a good safety rating,
- is fuel efficient,
- can accommodate drivers ranging from 5 ft tall to 6 ft tall,
- is (pretty please) a little fun to drive.
Even more, our sole vehicle needs to be able to handle the variety of seasons and weather found in Iowa and the Midwest in general, namely
- high winds (nothing to slow that wind out on the prairie),
- ice- or water-covered roads,
- several inches of snow on the road.
So, while we do have boring road conditions like everyone else most of the time, and we only drive two or three times a week, we need to be able to drive year-round.
Have at it folks! What’s your opinion?
Ric Olie: ….our communications are still jammed.
Obi-Wan : Now stay here, and keep out of trouble.
Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace
That’s an apt quote. My communications have felt jammed lately. For a couple of months, actually. In the past, I’d have those ‘I have to write about this’ thoughts a couple of times a day or week, but lately… Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. And since I’m of both the If you don’t have anything to say, do us all a favor and put the keyboard down and It’s your blog, so don’t feel the need to apologize if things go quiet camps, I’ve not written and I’m not sorry about it. I wish it hadn’t been so long, but it has been and I guess it needed to be.
Padawan Learner is off watching Tron 3D with the local teen group, Dad Windu is hob-nobbing on shores of the Mississippi with the corporate headquarters crowd, and I find myself in an aggressively Christian coffee shop eaves-dropping on some very interesting conversations. A mom/daughter duo are discussing a felon’s drug/alcohol addiction (sounds like a dad/brother) and his refusal to enter a half-way/treatment house post incarceration which is – specifically – why he’s not being allowed back home. Apparently his parents in AZ are not facing the fact that he’s going to end up right.back.there if he doesn’t get the help he needs. Dad, it turns out to be.
A customer just said, “Happy Holidays” to the latte-maker girl. This has been such a BIG DEAL on my Facebook status update wall, with calls to (and I quote) “force stores to say Merry Christmas” and announcements that people are “not going to have a Happy Holiday but only a Merry CHRISTmas” or that they won’t go to “Holiday concerts but only to Christmas concerts” that I actually shuddered a little to hear him say it. But no one in the coffee shop even blinked.
The guys next to me are discussing a co-worker (not present) that likes to show off his p@rn collection in the warehouse - can you spell F.I.R.E.D? – and the fact that tomorrow is a guy at the table’s birthday. One of the guys just smiled at me. I wonder if he knows I can hear every word they’re saying.
A new guy at the coffee counter is now debating the existence of God with the girl behind the counter – and doing a good job of it, frankly. Respectful, but not taking the “mystery” and “faith” arguments as definitive answers. I just heard, “Come on, Jonah really sat around inside a whale? You know better than that.” It sounds like this is an on-going conversation with a regular customer.
An intense, Save the Whales bumper sticker on the computer case, trio of guys across the room are discussing ways to bring freedom of the press to some country I can’t quite hear from here, but somewhere in Asia from the sounds of it. Wow, I feel like such a slacker just sitting here. I’m not doing anything to save the planet or expand personal freedom to oppressed peoples anywhere. One of the guys looks just like the lead actor from Napoleon Dynamite – without the painfully poor fashion sense. He must have gotten so much crap after that movie came out.
OK, the religious conversation is beginning to grate on my nerves. Time to find a new typing place. But on the upside, I think I’m digging out. It feels good to write again.
“Always a pleasure to meet a Jedi.” – Jango Fett, Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
I don’t know if anyone else is planning to attend, but Dad Windu, Padawan Learner and I will be at the Skepticon 3 conference in Springfield, MO next month. We’d love to grab lunch or something with some other homeschooling families that go. It looks to be an interesting line up, despite a few sessions (*cough* homeschool-hating PZ Meyers *cough*), and you can’t beat the price.
If you’re planning to attend, please leave me a comment saying so, and I’ll email you privately.
Leia: “I thought you knew this person.”
Chewbacca: [Chewie barks something to Han]
Han Solo: “Well, that was a long time ago. I’m sure he’s forgotten about that.”
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
Doh! I forgot to tell you all that Amy, over at The Foil Hat, is making soap again. Luscious, decadent, lovely homemade soap. As I was typing up the last post, I kept telling myself, “remember to tell everyone about amyjosoap“ (because that’s what I thought about the minute I saw this at the Living History Farms), but alas I popped that picture of the laundry shelf in and just kept on typing.
So how about you all pop over to her new soap making site, order a few bars, and keep small, passion-based, businesses alive and well in the world. I’m saving my pennies, nickels and dimes to gather a few bars in my own galvanized bowl. And the sudsy baths they’ll make… oh, those are going to be divine!
Note: I was not contacted by Amy to tell you about her soap, I just think it looks fantastic.
“I’ve built a racer. It’s the fastest ever!” – Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace
Just found this in my drafts area. I guess I forgot to hit the publish button. It’s from this past May.
I’m watching, well really just staying around with, the boys of my friends, Mr and Mrs Sunday Morning Donut Buddy. Mr is off visiting my dear Dad Windu for the weekend while Mrs is working. After running to and from Jango Fett’s soccer game, I popped the television on just to see and what should be playing but the movie International Pie.
I’ve never seen this movie, which is rather shocking, as it was my most favorite book growing up. Parts of it brought tears to my eyes, just because I knew what was coming. Like when she goes to buy the foal and the drunk college boys and the selection trials. For I wanted nothing more than to compete in three day events until the day I died. My beautiful bay standard-bred, Charlie Brown, and I were inseparable from the age of 12 until I left for college. It was then that the reality that I was poor (I really didn’t know until I was 15, since everyone else I knew was broke, too), that riding was beyond expensive, and that I had to choose between college and riding.
Do I regret my choice? Sometimes.
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