Today I turned in my paper comparing and contrasting how J.R.R. Tolkien and Ursula K. Le Guin explore good versus evil in The Hobbit and Wizard of Earthsea, respectively. To sum it up in one sentence: Tolkien had a clearly defined good and an
That's the premise of my next paper. We're confined to Tolkien's translation of Gawain and the Green Knight, but it's full of usable examples and, I think, cheeky commentary on the chivalric code. I've decided to argue (we can
Maybe not entirely lazy. I usually can't sit for long before doing something, and I believe my kids are being fed sugar on the sly because their energy has increased by leaps and bounds. Even the lure of t.v. (which we watched a lot of) wasn't
It's a bit late, but these pictures are sooooo cute. If you're wondering why I'm not in the pictures it's because I was going to work later that day and did not look nearly so pretty:)(Note their silly faces:)(Did you see Minorc's
Now that the Bataan is over I can step up the training. That might sound odd-I mean, I should have been stepping up my training for the Bataan-but I was very concerned that I would injure myself enough that I couldn't even attempt it. I didn't
The Orclette, displaying the tiny bug (which you can't see) on her dinosaur.Gladiolas.Wisteria.Something? I had the markers in the pots but two little someones took them out.Miniorc wanted his picture taken.The water toy, which has been permanently
We launched into Spring Break about two weeks ago. I got on my laptop maybe once or twice but otherwise had a laptop-holiday. It was very freeing. It's also the reason I managed to go three weeks without posting anything (I thought it had only been
As I think I've mentioned, the Orclette is being home schooled. I've been fairly consistent this semester; we do our "regular" school three days a week and then ad lib it the other two days.Some days all we want to do is this:Other
Miniorc had croup, Orclette had a nasty cold and then I came down with what the Orclette had. I held it off for as long as I could, worked through it but by Sunday afternoon co-workers were telling me I should go home because I looked awful and customers
It's been a rough week. First the Miniorc developed croup, which worsened, as croup tends to do. We went to the doctor on Friday, got the meds and figured it would go away. Lo and behold Sunday the cough worsened and Minorc had a few instances of
I stare at an uncertain future. I worry about how tomorrow will go or if I will have a place to sleep in six months. I am scared that all I'm doing is failing even more spectacularly than I ever have before. I have no
I've been plowing through this week's readings for my military history class. Way behind, probably not going to get all of it done in time. Military formations, deployment of battle units? Not really page-turner material. I did, however, come
I love reading. You could call me a voracious reader. Not just of fiction, either; I'll throw in history or serious literature too for good measure. In fact, I clearly remember getting myself into trouble when I was 10? 11? and my mom grounded
Did you know that it is possible to have a bad reaction to cilantro? I didn't. I knew it was a taste you either loved or hated, and for years I have avoided the stuff. I don't like the smell, and I can't get past the taste. I don't
I'm not a big football fan. I'll watch a game if Damm is interested, and I know the basic mechanics of the game, but that's it. I do enjoy the parties but this year we decided not to do anything so I didn't request off of work, which
The Orclette is very curious, like most kids her age. Her latest interest has been brains, children's brains to be exact. So we looked at some Google images until I'd had enough and suggested we look at some sea animals
Authentic Tea:Yesterday I had a powerful craving for something sweet. I don't allow myself, during the week, to have sweets. Dilemma. Fortunately I remembered that I had some vanilla chai tea and I remembered that being a rather sweet drink. I dug
This is the Orclette two years ago. She's still that size in my head, and I suspect I will always, at least in some way, picture her as my little baby. Yes, this is relevant to the topic.So this afternoon I was looking for some way to entertain the
This past summer I had to have my wisdom teeth removed. I'm not averse to some pain but the thought of being awake while my teeth, one of them impacted, were pulled out was a bit much. So I opted for sedation surgery. It was amazing: the
I've been busy reading. First up on the list was Leslie Carroll's Notorious Royal Marriages, a book I had started before but suspected I hadn't finished. Turns out I did finish it that first time but I couldn't seem to put it down,
And bored. Fidgety and bored. It happens regularly this time of year. I would just console myself with the thought of another semester starting but, for me, that is not happening. So my brain is restless, and nowhere was that more evident than in church
I don't do New Year's resolutions. If I need to make a change I make it. I also don't tell a story if I'm in the midst of it but this story has been making itself known to those around us so I'll go ahead and share it with you
Yes, I was finally convinced to try a new game. It's the console version, which means a great deal of the time spent playing was taken up with Damm showing me how to work all the little toggles. Once or twice he laughed at me, but I can't blame
We are back, loaded with presents and pastries. It was an interesting week, one in which I was deprived of my laptop because it needed repairs, so no posting. I'm not sure I would've remembered to; when we first switch to a new schedule I have
My kids are being SPOILED this year. You see, my mother sent her "12 days of Christmas" package early in December. Then their other grandma did a similar series of presents. We're finally reaching the end, tomorrow will be the last day
So my mom called me tonight (10:15 p.m. their time), which was kind of weird because my parents don't generally call people after 9 p.m. I picked up, of course. And this is what transpired:Mom: "So, you're probably not going to believe
So my mom called me tonight (10:15 p.m. their time), which was kind of weird because my parents don't generally call people after 9 p.m. I picked up, of course. And this is what transpired:Mom: "So, you're probably not going to believe
I thought this was an apt picture. I haven't burned any of my school paraphernalia but I have thrown away an awful lot. It's been a joy tossing things (that I won't need in the future, obviously) into the trash can. Done! Done with another
I am recovering from two finals earlier today. My hand cramped, my neck hurts and my back feels thrown out of alignment. I think my face had a grimace of concentration on it most of the day. I'm sure it was very attractive. But now that's over
I hope your Thanksgiving went well. Mine did, although it was a bit weird-it was at my house this year. I didn't host it, we all pitched in, but it was at my house. And therefore it couldn't be Thanksgiving, because Thanksgivings are spent at