Tookshire

Well, I did what you aren’t supposed to do…I asked for help in fixing something about my computer…and when I didn’t receive a response I understood (and then felt an itsy bit laughed at) I tried my best to fumble through…and in the process monkeyed it up big time.  So much so, in fact, that all possible connection to the Internet is gone.  As in, I don’t believe my laptops “antenna” is working…because everyone else can access the network but my own…and all the icons that are supposed to be there are gone.

So my leisurely time to work and post on the computer aren’t going to happen…at all.  I don’t know when I’ll be back on again, as I take this forced technological detox. 

There are a few of you out there who kept in contact with me via Facebook. A few months ago I mentioned my plans to deactivate the account. I signed up for the “social” aspect, but in truth, it bugged me. I’m just not the Superpoke type of gal. With my slow computer, waiting for pieces of flair to load was an irritant to say the least. In all, I never truly socialized on Facebook - though I did come in contact with some interesting folks and situations…like Facebook’s support of Hammas. And that, my dear friends, is what brought me to finally close my account.

Their terms of service prohibit the “upload, post, transmit, share, store or otherwise make available any content that we [Facebook] deem to be harmful, threatening, unlawful, defamatory, infringing, abusive, infalmmatory, harassing, vulgar, obscene, fraudulent, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable…one cannot “upload, post transmit, share, store or otherwise make available content that would constitute, encourage or provide instructions for a criminal offense, violate the rights of any party, or that would otherwise create liability or violate any local, state, national or international law;….“

The various groups they have celebrating Hamas is a violation of their own terms. Yet they mask their support of such evil and allow it to flourish by calling it political discourse. We aren’t talking, however, about legitimate political discourses or even legitimate (but admittedly opposing) points of view from Palestinian territories, but platforms for Jihadists and the systematic dehumanization and desensitization process..the same genocidal process of Hitler and Goebbels.

I’ve spent the entire day with my husband…we discussed our marriage, the uniqueness of our union and the depth of our friendship.  It’s a very rare treat when it is just the two of us alone for such an extended period.  We shopped, we talked, held hands while strolling through Riverside, we snuck embraces, playfully teased, ate hamburgers, and refreshed ourselves with real strawberry and vanilla slushies.  We day dreamed about growing old and and discussed our children’s futures.  We purchased pieces of our future lives, we paid off portions of our past.  We winked at one another to shared memories.  I’m convinced that there is no other woman in this world half as blessed, half as in love as me.

 

Lucky Jamie will have several hours to herself each day of the week next week.  That means I’ll have oodles and oodles to post/blog on.  I have lots of half written posts to clean out of my que, and I have lot of homeschool items to upload.

Hot on the tail of my 101 Things in 1001 Days Challenge, I’ve started babysteps on a handful of projects. The biggest and the one that will be finished first, is #44 Paint Living Room Walls. Since we don’t have the money/time/motivation to tear out the old 80s panelling, real wood thank you, from our living room, we’ve decided to paint. I’ve lived with the dark wood long enough. While Max (ds) is adament that painted panelling will look even worse than leaving it alone, I have to at least try to brighten our home. The living room is the one in which we spend the most time as a family and as individuals. As such, I want it to be an inviting room, and that means vibrant.

The kids and I moved all the furniture to the center of the room, removed faceplates, curtain rods and wall art. We sanded, filled in holes with wood putty, sanded again and dusted down the surface. Franklin taped off the room, and is applying the first coat of Kilz as we speak. He doesn’t believe we’ll need more than one coat…but all the online places suggest two. It’s his call, however.

The color we decided on was a very attractive, very safe selection caught somewhere between heavy cream in coffee and sandy taupe. Completely catching us off guard, however, was Sherwin William’s #6213 Halcyon Green as seen in this PDF file (page . SW’s instore color sample shows a little darker…but I’ve googled the Halcyon for sample rooms, and they all pretty consistently are an aqua color heavier on the blue side (like the picture). We’re using this color as our room’s neutral. I’ve snapped some before/during pictures…and when we have the “after” photo’s ready, I’ll update my 101 list and post pictures.

“It has been told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you: only to do justice, and to love loving mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Found this little meme/challenge while tooteling around the internet.:

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

My Reasons for Making A List:I work better with a plan. I love to make lists. I enjoy completed tasks. I’m more motivated for the next thing once I cross something off. And, honestly, I need a boost to get things done.  My goals don’t have to be Pulitzer level or require mental gymnastics…just something for me to look forward to, something to keep me moving forward, something for me to grow.  This post will be duplicated and then updated on a new page of the Tookshire blog.  If you join this meme, will you drop me a line to let me know? 

Start Date: June 14, 2008

Target Date: March 12, 2011

Number of Items Completed: 0/101

Green Bold Text: In Progress

Red Bold Text: Finished with Completion Date

Black UnBolded Text: Items Not Yet Attempted

Health & Fitness (10)

1.                     Participate in my first marathon

2.                     Detox

3.          Carbfreediet for one month

4.                     Loose an average of 5lbs a month for a minimum of six months (July 2008-December 2008).  I hope to do more, but this will be a heavy transition time that, if successful, will put me at 195 pounds.  I ping pong in weight without successfully breaking  the 200 mark in years.

5.                     Loose weight, in a six months time frame (following #4), to reach a goal of 170 by June 2009

6.                     In July of 2009 revisit weight-loss goals and update this post

7.                     Take vitamins daily at least until the bottle is empty

8.                     Make (and keep) an appointment with an OBGYN

9.                     Have eyes checked

10.                 Find out what my blood type is

Food (4)

11.                 Compile and print family recipes and family favorite recipes

12.                 Learn to cook a new gourmet dish

13.                 Try five new teas

14.                 Purchase fresh spices

Intellectual Pursuits (3)

15.                 Increase my vocabulary (using the kids’ old Latin/Greek roots program)

16.                 Learn 50 signs and/or phrases of ASL

17.                 Take a class to learn a skill I do not currently have

Creativity (5)

18.                 Take photography lessons

19.                 Take a knitting course

20.                 Have Franklin tutor me in drawing

21.                 Try my hand at learning to play the drums

22.                 Purchase and try two different crafts through their completion

Experiences & Activities (

23.                 Beach at sunrise

24.                 Film Festival

25.                 One concert

26.                 One play

27.                 Rock Climbing

28.                 Try geocaching at least once

29.                 Try letterboxing at least once

30.                 Drive-in Movie Theater

Travel (6)

31.                 Set aside $30 a month for traveling opportunities

32.                 Take the honeymoon we never had

33.                 Road trip to see my brother

34.                 Visit Williamsburg

35.                 Visit Alaska

36.                 Go to at least one W@H reunion

Financial (6)

37.                 Goal of adding to our long term savings by $100 a month (beginning July 200

38.                 Goal of adding to our regular savings by $200 a month (beginning July 2009)

39.                 Open a Christmas Fund

40.                 Buy a high interest earning CD

41.                 Pay off our last remaining credit card

42.                 Prepare/Organize a mid-October yard sale

Home (16)

43.                 Frame artwork from Israel

44.                 Paint living room walls

45.                 Repurpose a bookshelf (for the living room)

46.                 Make an ottoman

47.                 Paint kitchen cabinets

48.                 Change hardware on kitchen cabinetry

49.                 Create (and hang) shadow boxes from old books for the library walls

50.                 Repair and paint walls in laundry room

51.                 Camouflage litterboxes

52.                 Paint master bedroom

53.                 Strip wallpaper and repaint master bathroom

54.                 Repaint main bathroom

55.                 Replace mirrors in master and guest bedroom

56.                 Regrout master bathroom

57.                 Replace back gate with a wood and glass door

58.                 Make a family photo gallery for the hallway

Purchases (6)

59.                 New living room seating area

60.                 New floor for kitchen and library (the rooms flow from one another)

61.                 New floor for laundry room

62.                 Dutch door for laundry room

63.                 Double-sized hammock for Franklin

64.                 BBQ Grill

Relationships & Social (7)

65.                 Bake cupcakes for a friend, just because

66.                 Send a “just because” care package

67.                 Make a huge fuss over Epiphany’s 19^th birthday (200

68.                 Make a huge fuss over Olivia’s 18^th birthday (2009)

69.                 Make a huge fuss over Maxwell’s 17^th birthday (2009)

70.                 Family portraits

71.                 Read a book together with my husband

Community (5)

72.                 Donate three gifts to Toys for Tots

73.                 Find something to which I can volunteer  

74.                 Host a lady’s night out at least two times

75.                 Donate blood (I’ve never done this before)

76.                 Sign up for some sort of Adopt-a-Soldier program

Random (1)

77.                 Leave 100 post-its with my favorite quotes in random places

Blogging (6)

78.                 Participate in at least one Blogging Festival

79.                 Host two contests on my blog

80.                 Participate in http://www.nablopomo.com/ (using their themes) five times

81.                 Post a video entry

82.                 Post an audio entry

83.                 Document one day with photos (1 photo per hour)

Organizational (7)

84.                 Install kitchen cabinetry organizational tools

85.                 Create an address book/file that is meaningful and current

86.                 Create a useful home journal

87.                 Create an organized method of storing genealogical materials

88.                 Emergency “to go” kit in the car (think: hurricane)

89.                 Emergency storage area

90.                 Declutter CDs, DVDs and CDroms

Rest & Relaxation (3)

91.                 Make regular (and reoccurring) appointments to have my hair cut and styled

92.                 Purchase at least one article of clothing that I think is sexy that is also comfortable

93.                 Get a professional massage

Personal (6)

94.                 Scan and make a digital photo album for my family on line

95.                 Write a will

96.                 Memorize five poems

97.                 Submit at least one item for an online or a IRL publication

98.                 Learn to shoot a gun

99.                 Learn to change oil in my car

This List (2)

100.             Every time I cross of a goal, I put $2 into a fund to do with as I wish.

101.             On March 11, 2001, donate $2 for every item on this 1001 list that was not attempted.

My on-line friend, Tammy of SNPNMNMI fame, posted her personality profile.  Back in my teen years we were made to take such a test and from that time through my adult years I registered as an INFP.  More than a few years ago, I retook the test and one of the letters flipped…I can’t remember which one, however.  As a lark, and a lack of anything pressing to do at the moment, I decided to see what the personality test would say about me…you know…just this side of 40.  I’ve flipped almost completely, and now register at ISTJ.  What that meant to me:

Intuitive: This is supposed to be about how an individual primarily senses things (which is truly funny because Sensing is also another category.)  I, however, always read this primarily for the characteristics associated with Intuitives as shy and adverse to both visual and auditory noise.  It also explained my extreme displeasure of people invading my visual and auditory space…and my physical space.  Now, I’ve been told that this doesn’t really mean shy, but rather the preference of the individual.  My preference is not to be placed anywhere near loud crowds, tight quarters or places impossible to see the sky or a breeze of some sort.  Large gatherings of people have always made me feel claustrophobic…I don’t care if it is in a club, Disney World or church.  Now, I can do these things (well, some of them) but I have an exposure limit before panic attacks, vertigo or the need to push people ensues.  I’d like to be different, but it seems that I’m best in small groups.  I have never believed people who claim to register as Intuitive and yet they are all about the “look at me, look at me!” public and private mannerisms or activities.

Sensing: Earlier recorded as an “Intuition” had become a bit of a pride thing with me…you know, it is an abstract way of thinking so I could justify my theories as right (or mostly right, LOL) because I could just “know” on a level that, say, my husband couldn’t.  Really it was my inability to communicate effectively…to stop and explain was either a bother or opening myself up to looking foolish (e.g., wrong).  Yea, I had a bit of an ego.  I wonder if parenting changed this at all?  In reading the comparison chartbetween Sensing and Intuition I can see myself much more solidly on the Sensing side.  I don’t know…I guess it just sounds so responsible as to lack umph…it’s like a big beige shirt dress on paper.  Yet, I have to say, I actually respect those qualities when I find them in others and know, on just the interacting level, that I’d rather have a life long friend with those qualities.  Considering I’m intuitive which means I like small groups to begin with, I have to be picky and start cutting applicants at once (lame-o attempt at early morning humor). 

Thinking: I don’t know about this one at all.  One of the descriptors for a Thinking vs a Feeling is that those in the Thinking camp are thick skinned.  I’m not that at all.  I can come across that way, sure; but, only because of pride.  Why would I allow myself to be seen by the vast majority as vulnerable?  I’m not saying I’m thin skinned, but if I’m cut, do I not bleed?  Yes, I can be easily hurt.  I think the only time I’m not easily hurt is when the one slinging the arrows is mentally off (or at least appears to be so) because then I just tsk-tsk-isn’t-that-a-shame-shake-my-head type thing.  Other than that (and that seems to be the pebble in my shoe) I would say that I’ve always fit its ascribed definition. 

Judging: Oh my gosh, yes!  A few of the descriptors are:  ”Judging is the preference outwardly displayed. Judging does not mean “judgmental”. Judging people like order, organization and think sequentially. They like to have things planned and settled. Judging people seek closure.”  If you want to see Tookshire go freaking batty, just have no plan or process in place when working together on a project or towards a “common” goal.  I do not, for the love of all things holy, understand why people are not more respectful of other people’s times in favor of “whatever.”  This has become my pet pet pet peeve for the last year.

Real ISTJ People

Andrew Johnson - American President Benjamin Harrison - American President Elizabeth II - Queen of England Evander Holyfield - boxer George H. W. Bush - American President George Washington - American President

Harry Truman - American President Herbert Hoover - American President Jack Webb - actor, producer Jackie Joyner-Kersee - athlete (heptathlon) Thomas - Christ’s Apostle Warren Buffet - investor, businessman

In my state, if a homeschooled teen is dual enrolled, transcripts needn’t be so involved.  In fact, the community college only wanted the bare bones transcript (name of course, final grade/credit count for each, and the year completed).  However, before I believed that things could be so simple, I created an alphabetical course description page as an attachment for our transcript.  I did not task my poor brain in reinventing the wheel.  Instead, I used the curriculum descriptions used by the publishers themselves, either on their websites or in a descriptive homeschool catalogue.  For courses we created or hodged podged together, I simply used the my trusty homeschool catalogues and Google terms like “course descriptions” to help me abbreviate our year’s work.   Earlier in the week I was updating my younger two teens transcripts - and I’m keeping up with my course description pages (because I’m a glutten for punishment, or just because I like listy things as they bring me comfort).  I decided to do another Google search and found a neat little book for homeschoolers from - get this - CourseDescriptions.com.   

If there is one hard fought lesson learned from being a homeschool mother of multiple children, it’s that time is precious.  It’s precious in spending with them, for them, and in securing a little island of time for oneself as well.  If you are anything like me, you either suffer from the Super Mom complex (which means you really do think you can do it all….and attempt it despite repeated burnouts) or alternately feel the pains from being stretched every which way from Wednesday by all outside forces.  Your best defense is the ability to say “no” without throwing out unnecessary explanations.  The best tool in your arsenal will be a calendar which is simplistic enough to see what you need in a glance, and is comfortably portable.   Keeping one close at hand (and updated!) will protect you from over scheduling your time, assist you in keeping appointments (no dropped ball) and relieve you of any guilt in having to say “no” as you’ll see where your time is already needed.

I use a very thin, month-at-a-glance spiral bound calendar (8 1/2 x 11) that also includes a weekly spread sheet.  Everyone uses calendars differently, but for me, all my planning and commitments go on the month-at-a-glance section.  I save the weekly spread sheet to record actual happenings…say, recording information from the conversation I held with my son’s surgeon…or the phone number of business I’m supposed to call next week…or recording the confirmation # and information of the order I placed via phone.  “Big” things from my homeschool life are recorded in this calendar as well (truthfully this calendar is always with me).  Everything from field-trips to regularly occurring events (guitar practice, dual enrollment schedules) are listed on the monthly pages along with codes for our family life (a circle around the dates number means a payday…PV written by a date’s number means Personal Vacation for my husband…a large circle around the entire day’s block highlight that the square contains a doctor appointment…highlighted numbers indicate days my husband is scheduled to work).

I’ve recently mastered a very simple concept.  Don’t overbook.  Not overbooking can be subjective to each woman, I know.  I had higher expectations for myself, and tried to juggle what would be involved in a “normal” life (or my idea of a normal life) with all the medical and legal things thrown in my path the last couple of years.  The result was that very little was accomplished, and what did pan out was seldom something of which I was proud.  I learned, because of the doctor’s offices lack of respect for other people’s schedules, not to do anything - school or otherwise - if we had an appointment.  Additionally, I kept Tuesday’s (arbitrarily selected) reserved *only* for doctor appointments.  This mean that I fought and sometimes bullied with the reception desk when making future appointments.  I won out nine times out of ten in getting an appointment when it was best for my family (which also includes time of day best for us).  I learned that I felt very exhausted and used if I tried to schedule anything on the days my children also needed to be driven to bowling league…but that I loved shopping on the way home at a nearby produce stand (that also sold yummy frozen fruit bars).  There are a number of other examples…but you get the picture.   What I discovered, however, is that even with reserving Tuesdays and blocking out Bowling League Day for other commitments I was packing the remaining days full - too full to go easy, breezy through the week.  I came to the point where I hated getting into the car.  With the price of gas rising this year, and the price of my time coming to a premium, I decided not to commit to more than three outside things per month.  And by that I mean that nothing would be put upon me (or voluntarily picked up) that could steal more than one afternoon a piece.  At this stage in my life, those positions are taken up for my kids and husband.  This will fluctuate eventually as the girls become more confident to drive on their own allowing me to fill my calendar with something else.