New Orleans Part 4

On Wednesday we took Kaia to Oschner Hospital to see the nurse that took primary care of her when she was born. Tanek and Betty stayed at the apartment and got their things packed.

Arriving at the hospital was a little strange. It's hard to believe we spent a month of our lives in 2001 standing vigil over our daughter in NICU. Jennifer came out to see us and talked to us for a little while. She is a great nurse and we were so lucky to have her as Kaia's nurse. We discussed how her family faired during the Hurricane last year. The hospital is in good shape and Jennifer told us that it faired well during the storm.

We had lunch and then went to the National D-Day Museum. We could have spent more time there but Betty and the kids were leaving at 3:00pm to head home. I particularly like the 45 minute film they showed. The museum is pretty big and filled with lots of info. The people working in the museum were friendly and helpful.

New Orleans Part 3

Tuesday we split up for the morning. Betty and I went shopping in the French Quarter (mostly window shopping). Unfortunately many shops were closed (mainly the ones we really wanted to shop in). After walking until we thought we would drop we started looking for lunch. We were in the River Walk but the only restaurants in the River Walk open for business on a Tuesday were the Sushi Bar, and a Mexican Food place. Since neither one of us eat sushi and we weren't particularly in the mood for tacos we left the River Walk to find food elsewhere.

Vins had taken the kids to City Park to play but much of it was closed and not being very well cared for. They drove around and finally found a small park but it also was in need of some maintenance. I guess with loss of money and employees the parks are one of the last places to be maintained. They also had a hard time finding a place to eat. The lines at the fast food restaurants were long so he called us and we had him pick us up. We went back to the apartment and had leftovers for lunch.

We spent the afternoon at the Audubon Aquarium of the America's. We all enjoyed the aquarium more than the zoo. Kaia had only been once when she was a baby so it was a whole new adventure for her. We had a great time and even got to touch a baby shark, a starfish, a horseshoe crab and a sea urchin.

If you are ever in New Orleans the Aquarium is a must see even if you don't have children.

For supper we ate at Bubba Gumps. We were a little disappointed in the food. We were expecting a more southern flavor. At least we got to say Run, Forest, Run!

New Orleans Part 2

Monday morning we drove out to Laura Plantation near Gramercy. The plantation tour was very interesting. The tour guide (her name was Laura) walked us through the main house across the property and through one of the slaves homes. It was about a 50 minute tour. She told us the history of the property as it was passed through the family. She even asked Tanek to ring the dinner bell.

The main house is being worked on at this time. A few years ago they had a fire that destroyed a large portion of the house. Even though we couldn't walk through the entire house it was still worth going on the tour. Laura also talked about Creole life and about the architecture of the house.

After the tour we drove back to Gramercy and stopped at the tourist area to eat lunch. They had a nice covered pavilion with picnic tables which was just right for our picnic of sandwiches and chips. They also had a very short nature trail that Vins and the kids walked down. When everyone was done we cleaned up our mess and went back to New Orleans.

Our next stop was the Imax Theater. We were planning to see "Wild Safari" but they were no longer showing it so we saw "Into the Deep". "Into the Deep" was about ocean life and was in
3-D. Kaia spent most of the movie trying to touch the fish. It was fun to watch the kids experiencing a big screen 3-D movie.

Ralph and Kacoo's was our stop for supper. The food was delicious and we ended up taking half of it home in a to-go box.

New Orleans Part 1

We are back from our week long vacation in New Orleans. We all had a great time. The weekend started off with me, the children and my mother in law sitting in New Orleans traffic for an hour. Not a fun way to start vacation but the kids were pretty good and didn't whine too much. Vinson met us at the apartment later that night after he got off work. He had a quicker trip since he didn't have to sit in traffic.

Arriving the evening before gave us a fresh start on Saturday. We woke up and got ready to head to the Audubon Zoo. It was hot but we still had fun seeing the various animals. After a long day of walking in the zoo we went back to the apartment and rested. Later in the evening Vins and his mother went to Pat O'Briens for a hurricane and some piano music then they went to Preservation Hall for some New Orleans Jazz. The kids and I spent the evening reading and resting.

On Sunday we went to Cafe Dumonde for a breakfast of beignets and chocolate milk. You can't spend a week in New Orleans and not eat a beignet. When we arrived the place was packed. We finally located a table inside. We would have preferred to eat outside but sometimes you take what you can get. This was Tanek and Kaia's first time to have beignets. They loved them and got pretty messy from all of the powdered sugar.

After our heavily sugared breakfast we went to the Odyssey's Shipwreck Treasure Museum. It was advertised mostly towards children. While it was enjoyable we found it to be more for older children. We started off watching a film about the company and some of the treasures they have found. After the film you go through the museum where they have some fun interactive things to do. There were several games that took a lot of reading in order to play so they were a little out of my kids age range. I think the most enjoyable thing about the museum was the hurricane chamber. You step into a small glassed chamber and experience hurricane winds reaching up to 78mph.

For lunch we went back to the apartment and made some sandwiches. We rested for a little while and then walked down the street to find a place to watch the Southern Decadence Parade. I'll post some pictures for that in a separate post. When the parade was finished we had supper and then walked to St. Peter's square to listen to the street musician. We heard a really good singer playing guitar and sat down to listen for half an hour.

To end the evening we walked down Bourbon Street taking in the lights and sounds of the French Quarter.

Crocodile Hunter

I couldn't believe it this morning when I read online that Steve Irwin had died. Tanek had always been a big fan of Steve Irwins. He will be missed by his many fans.

Back to School

Like everyone else we have started back to school. Although as homeschoolers we never really stop having school. We believe that learning takes place all of the time, not just when they are sitting at a desk.

We are trying some new things this year. One thing we are doing differently is dividing the subjects (half one day and half the next). This helps to give Tanek a break from all of the writing he has to do this year and we can concentrate better on the subjects we are working on that day.
Our homeschool group will be getting back together next week to start meeting regularly. We took the summer off so I think everyone is now ready to get going again. We have some great field trips planned for this year and I don't know who is more excited the kids or the adults. We plan to check out the U.S.S. Kidd, a plantation, the Louisiana Renaissance Faire and much more.

Here is to a fun and educational school year!

We See You

My friend AWG is going to love this story. The City of Alexandria has passed a new ordinance. Stores with Class B liquor licenses will now be required to have security cameras. If they don't comply the business could lose it's license and face civil penalties.

You can read the Newschannel 5 report here: http://www.kalb.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=KALB/MGArticle/ALB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149190154586&path=%21frontpage

How long do you think it will be before every privately owned business will be required to have surveillance cameras? Things that make you go Hmmm.

My Cousin's Band

I recently found my cousin Jon on Myspace. (He's on the far right in the picture) While we don't live very far from each other we don't see each other much. He is about six years younger than me and the entire family doesn't get together very often. After finding him on myspace I got the chance to hear the music his band plays. You can hear some of the bands (Enemy Breed is their name) music here: http://www.myspace.com/enemybreed Also, they list when and where they will be playing.
Interesting sound. It's not what I usually listen to but I figured some of my friends might like to check them out.

Vote Libertarian!

Wednesday we traveled to Baton Rouge to qualify Libertarian candidates for offices that will be voted on in September and November.

Here is a list of our qualifying candidates:
Secretary of State - Rayburn Clipper
Commissioner of Insurance - S.B.A. Zaitoon
1st Congressional District - Peter Beary
2nd Congressional District - Gregory W. "Rhumbline" Kahn
3rd Congressional District - James Lee Blake, Jr.
5th Congressional District - Brent Sanders
6th Congressional District - Richard M. Fontanesi

All of these candidates represent smaller government and individual responsibility.
Pictured above: Libertarian Candidates

On the Bayou

On Monday we took the homeschool group to Kisatchie Bayou. The weather was beautiful until about 2:30 pm. Even though it was the middle of summer, in the woods, it was not nearly as hot as it was at home.
The kids swam and played in the water for hours. They played in the sand and rearranged some of the rocks to build a wall. They even found a funnel of water to ride down. I think they enjoyed the ride the most.
The men barbecued burgers and hot dogs for lunch. After eating the kids ran off their energy waiting for us to give the go ahead to be back in the water. Not long after returning to the river it started to sprinkle and we were just going to wait it out but the sprinkle turned into a deluge. We sat under an umbrella for about 30 minutes and then decided the rain was not going to let up and it was getting chilly so we headed out. Not long after heading down the road the weather cleared but it was 3:30 so we thought it would be best to continue home.
This is definitely a trip worth taking if you are in the area.
Pictured above: Tanek

After the Storm

Vinson and I went to New Orleans Monday to visit with the New Orleans Libertarians at their monthly meeting. The New Orleans Rep. Ray is doing a great job down there. The meeting was interesting and we saw many new faces.
Lee Horne let us stay overnight in his apartment in the French Quarter. We walked down Bourbon Street that night and were surprised at the lack of tourist. Many of the shops were open for business waiting for any passing tourist.
On Tuesday we ate beignets for breakfast and enjoyed the street musician. It was strange to walk in the French Quarter in the middle of summer and only pass a few people. We did some window shopping and I happened to look across the street at one point and saw Mitch Landrieu walking into a restaurant.
If you visit New Orleans anytime soon check out the store Wicked Orleans on Decatur Street. This was a very cool shop. They had some really interesting clothes and the shop owner was friendly. You can find them online at www.wickedorleans.com We will definitely stop by again.
We found a new museum. It is a museum about Hurricane Katrina and is free to the public. We walked around the small museum for a while and looked at the pictures of the flood they had posted around.
After lunch we decided to head back home. On the way out of New Orleans Vinson pointed out areas where they had worked to rescue people during the flood.
Unfortunately we forgot to bring a camera so next time we return to New Orleans I will be sure to pack the camera and share some photos with everyone.

Cactus Love

Can you find the heart in this cacti? This is a cactus plant that is growing beside my house. My son pointed out the heart to me the other day.

On Pins and Needles

I hurt my foot a few years ago. Basically I fell down some steps and dislocated all the toes on my left foot. It was very painful and because an emergency room doctor told me it was just pulled ligaments it was not treated properly. After two weeks of pain, swelling and a foot that was black and blue I went to a specialist. He informed me it was a LizFranks Dislocation and put me in a boot for six weeks. He said that I would probably have pain for the rest of my life.
Vinson called an acupuncturist a few weeks ago and set up an appointment for me. The picture you see above is from my second visit. So far it is helping. The pain is not completely gone but it is much better. I am now able to sleep at night without having to take Tylenol or Ibuprofen to kill the pain. This is a definite improvement. We will see if it last and if it continues to improve.

Horne Commercial

Here is the new commercial for the T. Lee Horne, III for Governor of Louisiana Campaign. This commercial is aimed at motorcycle riders and freedom lovers.

Vote for T. Lee Horne, III!

Happy Father's Day!

I thought this quote was very fitting for Father's Day:
He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. ~Clarence Budington Kelland
Happy Father's Day to all the men out there who give their children someone to look up to.

Winding Roads

The other day we were driving down the interstate in a hurry to get from Shreveport to our home in Bunkie. We had just recently heard John Taylor Gatto speak at our LPL Convention and Vinson and I had both started reading his book “Dumbing Us Down”.
I realized on this journey home that public school education (the education Vinson and I both received as children) was a lot like driving down the interstate. It’s a straight shot from point A to point B. You rarely turn off course and the scenery is much the same throughout the entire trip. After awhile it becomes somewhat mind numbing.
As I sat thinking about it I came to the conclusion that homeschooling (my children’s education) is much like the vacations Vinson and I take. We tend to take the roads less traveled. They are windy, hilly and you never know what you will find at the end. The scenery is much more beautiful and we stop more often to look at interesting and unknown sights. Overall the trip is just more enjoyable, rewarding and much more memorable.
*I am pictured above with John Taylor Gatto*

Hectic Weekend

Our weekend started out on a bad note. I received a phone call Thursday afternoon from my brother telling me my dad was on his way to the hospital because he was having chest pains. We drove down to Lake Charles to see about him. When we arrived they told us his blood sugar was really high and they were taking care of it. After a few hours we headed back home and my brother promised to keep me updated.
Friday morning we packed for our trip to the LPL convention in Monroe. My brother called me while we were on the road and said the doctor had performed a scope and found one of his arteries to be 95% blocked. They put a stint in and kept him for two days to make sure everything was alright.
We arrived in Monroe after lunch and started preparing the hotel meeting room for the Friday night social party. We were able to get everything set up early enough that Vinson and I got to go for a swim in the hotel pool. It's been a long time since I was able to swim without worrying about the kids.
The convention went very well. We had about 40 people in attendance. Greg Kahn gave a Strategic Planning session to help us define our goals as a party. It was very in depth and gave us an idea of what we need to do to make the party more successful. Our banquet was very nice. John Taylor Gatto gave a speech about Liberty. He is in the picture above with me. You can find more info on Gatto here: http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/index.htm It was nice to have someone validate much of what I am coming to realize in our education system and our government. After his speech T. Lee Horne, III gave a short speech and we were able to watch the commercial for his campaign. At the conclusion of the banquet Vinson handed out awards to people in the party that have worked hard these last two years. I was surprised when he awarded me with a Lights of Liberty award. It's nice to know someone recognizes the effort I've put into the party. The kids were very well behaved during the banquet. I was very proud of them.
Sunday we headed to Shreveport to see Vinson's family. We stayed overnight and went to the airport Monday to pick up his aunt who was arriving from California. We had a nice but short visit with aunt Sherry and Vinson's grandparents. Late in the evening we headed back home to thankfully sleep in our nice comfortable beds.

Preparations

We spent the day in Alexandria running errands and getting what we need for the LPL Convention. Now we just have to pack, get through the Convention, a visit with Vinsons aunt from California and then maybe I can breathe for a few days (probably not but one can hope).
I was hoping that after a full May calendar I would get a slower June but it looks like June will be just as busy. We already have most of our weekends planned and almost every day that Vinson is off. I don't know how I'm going to make it through next year when the Governor election gets into full swing.
The children are finally getting to an age where they are a bit more cooperative when things get hectic. It's either that or else we've learned how to bribe them into cooperation. They will actually be attending the Convention banquet with my mother-in-law (I'll be crossing my fingers). We've already discussed what the banquet will be like and how we expect them to behave (i.e. no yelling, jumping, burping, hitting, kicking......) so here's hoping they can remember all of that.

Blast from the Past

This has been an interesting day. Earlier this week I asked Vinson about our friend Gary Nolan. He ran for the Libertarian Parties Presidential nomination but unfortunatly did not get the win. While he was running a filmmaker was taping his progress to make a documentary. Well today we recieved an email from Gary about the documentary. It will be premiering at the Atlanta Film Festival. There is a slight possibility that we may be somewhere in this film. Who knows..
On another note we recieved a phone call from a friend we had in the 1990's. It's been over 10 years since we last saw him. We were so surprised to hear from Steven Lopez. He is doing great and he and Vinson talked for a long time. Vinson and I had wondered over the years where Steven was and what he was doing. Hopefully we will see him sometime in the next year or so.

Catching Up

I haven't blogged in a while. I guess life just got in the way. We have been really busy with family, homeschool, work, politics and everything else.
Today was no different. We spent the morning in Alexandria getting supplies for the LPL State Convention which is taking place next weekend. Then we spent the afternoon running errands in Bunkie. I had the fun job of going to the eye doctor. After many weeks of itchy, bloodshot, and sometimes swollen eyelids he tells me my eyes are just irritated and gives me some prescription eye drops (not cheap). I hope this works because it's really starting to bother me.
Work on the T. Lee Horne, III campaign is going well. We were in two parades this month and are having a social party at the convention. We are planning several more events for June.
The kids are enjoying the warm weather. We've moved our homeschool meetings to parks for now while the kids are able to enjoy the outdoors. I am currently working on a homeschool yearbook movie for the homeschool group. It's a tedious job but I'm having fun doing it. It will be a nice way for the kids to look back at the activities they took part in over the past year.

They Do!

Last weekend my friend Amy (we've been friends since kindergarten) got married. She asked Kaia to be a flower girl so Kaia and I went to Jennings Friday afternoon for the rehearsal. We helped with the decorating and spent the night at Amy's sisters house.
I forgot how much work went into a wedding but it was well worth it. After a late night and early morning we finally got the wedding under way. Kaia did great walking down the aisle and dropping flower petals. Amy looked beautiful in her wedding gown. It was a very beautiful wedding.
After the wedding we all went to the reception. Vins had videotaped the wedding for them and then added personal wishes from guest at the reception. The food was great and we had so much fun watching the children dance to the music. Tanek and Kaia said they had a lot of fun and neither one wanted to leave when it ended.
Amy and Antonio I wish you many years of happiness together!

College?

Over the years many people have asked why I didn't attend college. To put it simply I didn't believe I belonged there. I probably would have done well academically but socially I didn't think it was a good idea. Also, I planned to get married and stay home to raise my children. What was college going to teach me that I couldn't teach myself?

The other day I recieved my homeschool newspaper "The Link" in the mail. I came across this interesting article by John Taylor Gatto " The Richest Man in the World Has Some Advice for Us about College . . . (P.S. He didn’t take it himself). Here is an excerpt from the article:

On February 28 of this year, Bill Gates of Microsoft, told a gathering of the 50 American state governors that the United States has reached a competitive crisis which we were losing. This could best be combated by making college prep the sole function of secondary schooling, college prep for everyone, and college, too. Those who couldn’t afford it should be subsidized by the states. In Erving Goffman’s chilling locution, college was to become a “Total Institution,” controlling all work in the economy.
If Gates’ proposal was such a great idea, then how was it that Gates, like Faulkner, dropped out of college his freshman year? And why didn’t he ever go back? And how was it that from among millions of college-trained techies, Gates decided to hook up with another dropout, Paul Allen, to found Microsoft? That could have been a million-to-one coincidence, of course, except for the fact that Steve Jobs, the brains behind Apple, dropped out of Reed College after one semester. And never went back to college, not for a single day! Was it only an accident that Jobs chose to partner with another dropout, Steve Wozniak, in the founding of Apple?Michael Dell of Dell Computer didn’t bother with college either. Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle, said he didn’t have the time to waste on college. Is the penny beginning to drop? These multi-billionaires, who’ve changed the face of the global society in technology, were all dropouts. What do you make of that?

If you think this is an interesting article so far then read the full article at: http://www.homeschoolnewslink.com/v8i3_gatto_college.html

I am stunned by the amount of people I know that went through college, obtained degrees and then had to work as waiters to pay the bills. People now believe that without college you will go nowhere. I believe with college you have a long expensive road ahead. People are putting off life while they are young to run up huge education loans and then spend the rest of their lives hoping the college education they receive will allow them pay off those huge loans.

Life is short and I prefer to live and learn through life rather than sitting in a desk in a room waiting for someone to tell me what I need to know.

Mardi Gras

We had quite an adventure Mardi Gras day. We left home headed for Iota but had to stop and detour a few times. Our first adventure was when I noticed a car in the ditch around a curve in St. Landry. Vins turned around and sure enough some guy had straightened out the curve. He was fine but the front of the car was pretty banged up. Vins called the sheriff department and after some neighbors came over to see the situation we headed down the road. Vins said the guy smelled like alcohol so that's probably the reason he didn't notice the road curved.
When we got to Eunice we took Hwy. 90 so we could pick T. Lee Horne, III, http://www.governor.ws, up at the La Pay E Bas Campground. About a mile down the road we realize we are traveling behind the Eunice Mardi Gras'. They were stopping and it looked like it was going to be a long slow drive. Vins waved down some people on the side of the road and they gave us directions to back roads to get us around the traffic. This is when we realized a map would have been a handy item to bring along. We turned around and headed the other way using their directions. We missed the turn by Pentecostal Church (never saw one) but somehow managed to find our way there.
After picking up Lee and his campaign supplies we made our way to Iota where Lee was planning to do some campaigning. We parked at my brothers and grabbed lunch then Lee got to work shaking hands and meeting people. Tanek and Kaia weren't having much fun so we drove over to Evangeline to see my parents. After a short visit we went back to Iota to get the men.
We brought Lee back to his campground and Vins talked to the owner about putting their campground in the TGI Camping book. Tanek and Kaia played in the dirt and rocks while we waited for Vins to finish. We left the campground at 3:30 and finally started our trek to Lake Charles.
We stopped in Iowa at Faustos for supper. It was interesting to see the devastation the hurricane had caused to the areas along I-10. When we got to Lake Charles we decided to pass by the L'Auberge Casino to see how it looked. I must say it was a grand sight. Much fancier (on the outside at least) than many of the other casinos in Louisiana. After that we figured it was about time to find our spot along the parade route.
We waited about an hour. During that time we witnessed two guys almost come to blows across the street from us. We also watched some pretty strange people walk down the street. Finally after much whining from the kids the parade finally started. They loved it, jumping up and down waving their hands and screaming for throws. When it was all over we left the parade with a backpack filled to overflowing and beads around our necks.
Great fun. We could have done without the two hour drive home. Maybe next year we will stay in town overnight.
Hey, A.W. we missed you at Mardi Gras this year!

Lake Champlain Monster

I found this story on Yahoo News about a monster in Lake Champlain, New York. Very interesting. Two fisherman caught a small portion of some type of serpent underwater. You can read the story at http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1648547
Is it Champ the Lake Champlain monster or not?
The world may never know.

Homeschool and Socialization

Homeschool and socialization is a subject that always comes up when you meet a non-homeschooler. Being a homeschool mom it's an issue that you must think about and define.
Well I've thought about it a lot. We are not hermits. My husband and I are very active politically and with the Cub Scouts. Tanek takes karate and is in Cub Scouts. He will probably be on a little league team this summer and take swimming lessons. Kaia is in the Girl Scouts and takes part in a lot of the Cub Scout activities.
Some might say but those are organized groups and the kids don't have much "play-time" together. Well, that is also the case in a regular school. Those children are seated in desk most of the day so they also don't have much "play time". Plus my children are learning to socialize with children of varied ages and that really isn't the case in most elementary schools.
We are part of a homeschool group that meets once a week. Some of our meetings are two hours of our children just playing and interacting. Our children also have friends that come over to play and they go over to their friends houses.
My husband and I both attended public schools and our ability to deal with social situations is very different. My husband is an extrovert. He can talk to anyone like they are his best friend. I, on the other hand, am an introvert. If you put me in a room full of people I don't know I sort of panic. Did public school make us that way? I'm not really sure. I think Vinson just has a knack for dealing with people. Public school probably didn't help my situation too much. Being an introvert is like having a kick me sign on your back. Some people take that as a sign of weakness. Not a good thing when they are looking for someone to pick on.
So, are my children socialized? I think so. Tanek will walk up to a group of kids he's never met at the playground and just start taking part in whatever game they are playing. I guess he's like his father. Kaia needs more time to get to know people and feel her way around a situation, like her mom. I think that's alright and as long as she can find her comfort level without others making a big deal about it she will probably step out of that shell a little more.
So how do I define my children's socialization? Not a problem, they are normal kids having fun and enjoying life while meeting people from all different walks of life. They seem to be doing a pretty good job of it to.

Valentines

We had a great Valentines yesterday. Nothing fancy just fun. I woke up to roses and a beautiful card. I spent the morning trying to get everyone and everything ready to be at the homeschool group Valentines party.

There were games with valentines themes for the kids to play. Vins even got into the games. I think he kept the adults laughing with his antics. The kids all traded cards and candy. We had pizza, chips and dip, and cupcakes to snack on. I think the kids will remember this Valentines Day for awhile.

When we got home we all traded gifts then went to the video store to rent some movies. Like I said nothing fancy but very enjoyable. Sometimes the simple things in life are what matter most.

Day by Day

Yesterday we spent all day at the LP Central Committee meeting. By all day I mean that we left the house at 9:30 am and arrived home last night at 7pm. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my day but we had lots to discuss and as usual some of the guys like to talk and talk and talk. Thank goodness my mother-in-law was watching the kids for us.

Kaia has been suffering with a nasty cold the past few days and it doesn't seem to be getting any better so I guess tomorrow we will be off to the doctor. She seems to be infecting Vins and Tanek with it but so far I'm staying out of harms way. I had to make a phone call this morning to ask a friend if she would handle Tuesdays homeschool group meeting since Kaia probably won't be well by then. I don't want to get everyone elses kids sick.

Last Wednesday we decided to put in the jacuzzi tub we got a long time ago. As usual what was supposed to be an easy job is still an on going horror story. Guess there really wasn't any surprise there. Nothing is ever as easy as it appears. Luckily we have more than one bathroom because now that one has a non-working sink and a semi-working tub.

I figure in a few days someone is going to drop by for a surprise visit while my house and family are in total chaos.

Laugh! You Know It's Funny

I was looking at some pictures we had taken earlier this year when I stumbled across the one above. This is somewhere in North Louisiana. I can't remember which town. When Vinson and I saw this sign he turned around and went back so we could get a picture of it. As you may have guessed the place was closed. There were two old men sitting outside a nearby building looking at us like we were crazy.
So, if you were having a bad day today be happy, at least you don't work at Ho-Made.

Shake, Rattle and Roll

We had a busy day today. We left the house at 9am, which is early for us, and headed to the Mansura thrift store for their bag sale. Kaia probably made out the best at the sale. She has a few more winter clothes for this year and some to grow into next year. On the way home we stopped at the Cottonport library to borrow some movies.
After lunch I did some house cleaning and prepared for the Tiger Cub meeting we were having later in the evening. Vins and Tanek went into Bunkie and got haircuts and picked up snacks for the Tiger Cubs.
We allowed Tanek to skip karate lessons today because he's been fighting a cold. We figured with everything else that was going on today he might need the break.
At 5:15 pm Betty and I left to try out the new aerobics class in Bunkie. It was a good workout and the best part is I can pay per class instead of by the month. This works out well for me since I won't always be able to go because of schedule conflicts with Tanek's karate class. We made it back home at about 6:55pm. The Tiger Cub meeting started at 6:45 pm but Vinson entertained everyone until I arrived. We said our Pledge of Allegiance and set the boys (and girls) to work making paper bag puppets. When they were done they ate their snacks and played for awhile while the grownups visited. Everyone left shortly after 8pm and now it is time to get ready for bed.

Horne for Governor

Yesterday T. Lee Horne, III and his cousin Patrick came over for a visit. Lee Horne is running for Governor of Louisiana as a Libertarian (his website- www.governor.ws). After we ate lunch we had a mock debate. It went well and was good practice for Lee. We plan to have several more practice debates to help prepare Lee for the real thing.
His cousin Patrick is going to be a real asset to the campaign. He seems to be very good at research and pointed out several things that need to be worked on for the campaign. This should be an interesting year we have ahead of us.
Later in the evening I did some more work on Lee's Cafe Press shop for campaign merchandise. I worked on the layout, section contents and added some more products. You can check it out at: http://www.cafepress.com/tleehorneiii
If you would like to read some interesting accounts of Lee's visit check out Vins and A.W.'s blogs.
www.tripnwithvins.blogspot.com & www.breadloaf.blogspot.com.

I Know!

Don't you just hate it when you know something but you just can't seem to locate the answer. Today I was trying to remember the title to a book I read a few years ago. It's not any great novel but I really enjoyed the story when I read it. I called my mom because she had loaned me the book. She couldn't remember the name either. The worst part is I can tell you the whole story but I can not remember the stupid title. Man, that really bugs me.
Since I'm talking about books I have to say I enjoyed reading "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini. He wrote the book when he was 15 and its in the young adults section but I had a hard time putting this book down. Now I have to start on the second book in the trilogy "Eldest". I can't wait for the movie that is due to be released in December.
I've also enjoyed all the Harry Potter movies and now I am finally reading the first book. I read a chapter a night to Tanek and he is having a great time listening to the story. We will slowly read our way through all of the books. I think my favorite character is Ron Weasley. His little quips keep me laughing.
The Eragon picture above is from http://www.eragonmovie.com

Look Alike

I have been dealing with something strange. It has happened for as long as I can remember. No matter where I have lived or places I've visited, people have told me I look just like some person that they know. Now my looks obviously have changed over time as has the length of my hair but still I am told that they know someone that looks just like me.
The truly strange thing is I've never met anyone and said, wow we look the same. Vinson also says he's never seen anyone that looks just like me.
So, my question is: Is this a doppleganger, clone, or do I have 100 twins of varying ages walking around in this big world?

Faith

I've been pondering the faith / religion issue lately as I do often. I guess after much thought I would have to say I have faith. I have faith in a higher power. I personally call this higher power God. What I don't think I have is a religion. I have tried many religions. I was a member of the Catholic Church, the Church of Christ and the Methodist Church. I have attended services at those churches and many more (Lutheran, Assembly of God, Pentecostal). I have also read about some non-Christian religions. So I guess you get the picture when I say I looked really hard for a religion to fit into.
I don't fit into any of them. I guess its because somewhere along the way when I was learning about Jesus I got the impression that he didn't judge people or force them into his beliefs. I thought he led by example. Now a lot of "religious" people I have come into contact with (not all but some) seem to think that if you aren't living exactly the way they do then you are not worthy of their time. Hence my reason for pretty much staying away from religion now.

I have always been able to get along with people even if we believed totally different things. Example: I don't drink alcohol but if someone else wants to do so its their body and their choice. I feel this way with just about every issue. I only ask that other people respect my right to live the way I choose to live.

Everyone makes mistakes and bad choices in their lives at some point and what may be a wrong choice for one person might be a right choice for another. I will never know why some people make the choices they make and having never been where they have been I can't say I would have made a different choice.

Quoting Locke from Lost "You can't MAKE anyone do anything." (That might not be the EXACT quote but it was something close to that.)

Golden Globes & Bigfoot

I didn't watch the Golden Globes but I did see pictures of the actors and actresses that attended. It makes me wonder how some of these rich people can wear horribly unflattering clothes and no one tells them until they are on the red carpet. Can't they pay someone to tell them the truth about what they are wearing.
Onto other things. I just saw a great commercial for Discovery Channels Myth Busters. You can see it here: http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/videogalleries/promo_02.html?clik=fsmain_bannerleft

A. W. Griffin, I think you will enjoy it also. Tanek says they should do a Myth Busters show about Bigfoot.

Questions

Last night Vins and I watched part of a story about Lynyrd Skynyrd on CMT. Afterwards we were talking and I said Ronnie Van Zant will be immortal in a way because long after we are gone people will still be listening to his music and his memory will live on. Then we talked about what a regular person can do to influence the lives of people after they are gone. Vins talked about working with kids in Cub Scouts. We can be a positive influence to the boys we are teaching to be resourceful, honest, trustworthy people and we may even have an impact on what type of adult they become. We talked about how just being nice to someone today could change the rest of their day in a positive way and possibly the rest of their lives. Being aware of how we treat people and the impact we have on their lives, even if we don't know them, can be very important.
So, here are my questions for the week. You can post your answer to the questions in the comments link below.
Question #1 - What will /did you do today to make a positive impact in someone's life ? It could be as simple as saying thank you to a cashier.
Question #2 - Whose memory will be around the longest (considering the earth doesn't blow up in the next 20 years)?

My Week Has Begun

The week has just begun and we are already on the run. Yesterday, I spent part of my day working on a design for T. Lee Horne, III's Cafe Press shop. Lee is running for Governor of Louisiana (check out his site here: www.governor.ws ). I created the above Mardi Gras design for some of his products (http://www.cafepress.com/tleehorneiii).
We signed Tanek up for karate at the new studio in Cottonport. He began his first class last night. He said it was fun except for the push ups and jumping jacks. Kaia is asking to take karate now. I guess we will have to sign her up also.
Today, the homeschool group met at my house. I look forward to these meetings when I can get together with other homeschoolers. The kids had fun but Tanek was in a mood. He ended up getting himself sent to his room twice today. When he finally decided to control his temper we sat down and I read Tanek and Kaia a chapter and a half of the first Harry Potter book. We are really enjoying the story and I was happy to see how closely the movie followed the story.
Now, off to cook supper.

No chips for me!

Well, for the last few years I've been telling people about the RFID chip that can be placed under the skin and can hold tons of info about you. I was surprised how many people had never heard of this. Now it seems it is making its way into the mainstream.
I read this article this morning and you can see a snippet of it here:
With a wave of his hand, Amal Graafstra, a 29-year-old entrepreneur based in Vancouver, Canada, opens his front door. With another, he logs onto his computer. ...end...
You can read the rest of the article here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060106/
tc_nm/technology_implants_dc

I've been waiting for this to come out in the media. It's already been used with the military and some high tech companies. My first thought when I started reading the article was this will only be affordable for rich people. As I continued to read I saw that it was rather inexpensive. I find it pretty strange that for a chip and device that will allow me to open my door simply by waving my hand cost about the same as the remote I need to replace for my TV. What!? You're telling me this will only cost me $52 to open my door. Guess that's how their going to get it quickly into the mainstream. Personally, I won't be putting this under my skin.

Think about it, a thief can either steal my keys to break into my house or steal my hand. Now your thinking "yeah like anyone would do that". Here is the thing, eventually they will be able to put your banking info on it so you can swipe your hand at the ATM. Now the thief won't be stealing your wallet or bank statements, he'll be taking your hand. No thanks, I like my hand right where it is. Not to mention the biblical mark of the beast. Really, before you run out and get this implanted in you think about it, is it necessary?

Comedy Relief

What a day! We woke early this morning and headed down to Evangeline to have a late Christmas with my family. We ate a delicious lunch and spent a couple of hours visiting with everyone. Stacy even showed up and stayed for more than 10 minutes. Baby Cole is growing and slept most of the time. Kaia was excited to play with Karli.
That afternoon we left Tanek and Kaia with my parents and went to the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette to enjoy the "Cajun Comic Relief XIV" show. Vins and I had a great time. Before the comedy show began we listened to The Pine Leaf Boys, a cajun / creole band. I enjoyed the performance (you can check them out at http://www.pineleafboys.com/) and was amazed at their ability to trade off instruments for different songs. After the Pine Leaf Boys played, the Comeaux High School Brass Quintet played. It also was an enjoyable performance. During the comedy show four different comedians performed. The best comedian, in my opinion, was John Paul Morgan also known as "Rajun Cajun". I laughed so hard I had tears running down my face. His show is definitely worth seeing.
When the show ended we headed back to Evangeline to pick up the kids. My mom said they had a good time while we were gone. My dad said he took them to town to pick up some burgers for supper and they talked the whole way there and back. I think it was good for them to spend some time together without Vins and I being there. We told everyone good night and drove home. We finally arrived at our house at 10:45PM.
Now it's time to get some sleep.

Threesomes List

Okay, for those friends of mine with dirty minds. No that's not what this post is about (you know who you are).
I borrowed this from my friend A.W. Griffins blog: http://www.breadloaf.blogspot.com/. I don't know where it originated but it looks fun. Here goes...


Three screen names that you’ve had: mortal2112, mortal, crecia (I know not very original).
Three things you like about yourself: kindness, a good friend, seeing things in a different way.
Three things you don’t like about yourself: Lack of selfesteem, worry too much, care to much about what other people think about me.
Three parts of your heritage: English, French and (maybe) German (not sure).
Three things that scare you: creepy crawly things, that the stories Andrew sends me are true, that my kids will grow up and say you were a terrible mother.
Three of your everyday essentials: glasses or contacts, watch, the ability to do 10 things at once (hey, I'm a mom).
Three things you are wearing right now: Glasses, Watch, P.J.'s
Three of your favorite songs: Good Riddance (Green Day), I Don't Wanna Be (Gavin Degraw), Crash (Dave Matthews Band).
Three places you want to go on vacation: Roswell, New Mexico; Hong Kong (to see Iris); and anywhere I've never been before.
Three things you just can’t do: Bungee Jump, Sky Dive, Swim with sharks.
Three things you want to do before you die: See my children grow up to be happy successful adults, visit another country, make a positive difference in the world.
Three Celeb crushes: Only three? Ewan Mcgreggor, Hugh Grant, Jude Law (Yes I have a thing for guys with accents).
Three of your favorite musicians: Garth Brooks, Dave Matthews, Clint Black.
Three of your favorite hobbies: Reading, hiking and traveling.
Three things you really want to do badly right now: go back to sleep, drink a Dr. Pepper (I don't have any in the house), hit the road and not worry about anything.
Three careers you’re considering/you’ve considered: Nanny (I've given that up - it's kind of my full time life job now), Owning a store here in Bunkie, Being a school teacher.
Three people that I would like to see post this: Vinson, Mike, I don't have any other friends with blogs.
Now I'm adding this to plug my friends blogs:
Three Blogs that you visit: A.W. Griffins other blog http://www.blueowlsix.blogspot.com/ , Vinson's blog http://www.tripnwithvins.blogspot.com/, and Mike's (he hasn't posted anything yet but maybe this will get him blogging) http://www.blogger.com/profile/16411844 (this link will only take you to his profile).
That was fun. You should try it too.

The New Year Begins

I will start with a recap of the year 2005. I finally got my homeschool group going (Openminded Homeschoolers). We have about 5 families right now. I made some new friends. Tanek and Kaia now have a ton of friends to play with and talk about. They are coming out of their shells. I managed to keep in touch with some great friends from the past. Vinson finally got the promotion he's been waiting for.
So, now onto the New Year. Lets hope it is even better than 2005. I thought about making my New Years resolutions but that just seemed kind of stressful. If I didn't follow through with my resolutions then at the end of the year I would feel like a failure. So, here is what I hope for in 2006 and what I will be working towards. First of all I will work towards losing weight. I know probably 75% of the population is saying the same thing. Secondly, I will work towards being more organized and clearing out some of the clutter taking over my home and life. Thirdly, I want to see my homeschool group grow and continue to find more people with open minds and hearts. Lastly, I will work to become more confident and forget about those who hurt my feelings in the 2005.
It's a new year and I plan to have fun with my family and friends. Ready, set, go!

Above Photo: Taken by Vinson Mouser at Kisatchie Bayou