I can't read this!

I have long ago sworn off watching TV. It just isn't a part of my life and I don't miss it.
I haven't enjoyed popular music for almost as long. You can call me fuddy-duddy, but I am more "entertained" by a sermon or a Christian song. Everything else is just so cheap and meaningless. And I know this God's work in my life.

Last week, I read the Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck despite the feeling that I shouldn't. I feel the worse for having done so. It left me with so many negative emotions. It really was Ecclesiastes "all is vanity" personified. I have decided that I don't need that in my life. Just because you are reading doesn't mean you doing good. Books don't always make you think, but they always make you feel. Naturally, as I have sought a higher state of mind, I have given up murder mysteries and fantasy. But now I am no longer interested in the more "realistic" or historic novels. I have also decided to refuse to read any more celebrity biographies, they have such ridiculous, empty lives. I feel capable of understanding others without reading fiction about the ugliness of life. I can see plenty of that without reading about it for fun in my "free" time.

What I want is Truth which is so much better than reality. Reality can leave you feeling empty and desperate while Truth is full of wisdom and life and love and beauty.

Happy reading,
Verity

Bird Brain

Honestly, I don't know what has come over me. Right now, I am desperate to go walk in the rain so I can determine if the birds I saw yesterday are yellow wagtails or yellow warblers. Warren noticed that the "hopping" flighted ones are yellow. And silly me, all this time, I thought they were white-crowned sparrows because they both are so common here. And it is really starting to bother me that I can't tell what kinds of sandpipers I am see when I am out.

Early this morning, I finally had the wit to use my binoculars in identifying the ducks on my neighbor's dock. After a long consultation with the bird book, and since they had the grace to return for a second look with the girls, I positively identified them as American wigeon. What beautiful birds, I am so giddy! Binoculars are the greatest things since sliced bread, I'll never go leave home without them again!

I fell in love with the swallows first, I can't hear them enough and the way they fly is so amazing. The ravens are so fun to watch on windy days. But seeing snow buntings for the first time felt like my initiation. Next I "bagged" the white-crowned sparrow. The red-necked phalarope was a very interesting addition, the female has the fancy colors. The flock of snow buntings I attracted with bird seed this year was so delightful to watch. Last week I got to see a fierce swallow battle. I think I got a tundra swan yesterday. Sweet!

I know some birds on sight, and can recognize different flight patterns. I am beginning to distinguish bird calls. I start looking up for the raven whenever I hear croaking. But I really must get out and identify that yellow bird.

Sea of Faces

Warren, after trying MySpace and rejecting it for it's ad content, finally tried out Facebook the night before last. He loved it so much, that I joined up too. So we have been very busy since then exploring all the options and finding friends and family. I am very pleased, but the house is a mess so I better go.

See you on Facebook,
Verity

Snow, Beautiful Snow

When the sun finally came up this morning we could see a lot of new snow. I guessed that it was at least three inches. Sure enough, when measured it with my longest finger later, it came out to over three inches. What fun, now we can go sled. If only we had skis.

Playing out,
Verity

Sara's 1st Logic Problem

In their logic books the girls have recently been introduced to logic (grid) problems. Here is Sara's original - no parental input at all! I am having her type it as well-- I will have her do her own editing.

There were three friends, they each need coats. So they went to the store to get coats. They each got two coats. Each friend had two colors;red and orange blue and green and pink and yellow
The three girls were named:Lolly Becky and Betsy. There was two ten- year-olds,and a six-year-old.Find out who got red and orange, pink and yellow, and blue and green, and how old they were.

Clues:

1. Becky didn't get blue and green.
2. The six-year-old wasn't named Becky.
3. Lolly didn't get blue and green.
4. Betsy wasn't Lolly's twin.
5. Lolly wasn't ten.
6. Becky got red and orange.

Have a logically good time,
Verity and Sara

Heaven on earth?

Lately I have been coming across a collection of ideas about life that are appealing to me.
Voluntary Simplicity. No Buy Month. Buy locally produced goods. Alternative energy. Unschooling. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Slow Food. Organic Farming.

We are as close as we can be to these ideas. I have been an avid fan of my Complete Tightwad Gazette for years. We are increasingly reticent to spend on ourselves and are putting off buying even little things we don't really have to have, so we may have No Buy months frequently, but it's hard to be sure. Buying local is something I would like to try, but it isn't available here except for native clothing or decorative items. Warren is currently in the process of installing mini-windmills on our roof. True unschooling allowed too much control by the child for us, but school is a lot more relaxed this year. We have significantly reduced our processed foods since moving here, so now we only buy a dozen or less multi-ingredient product, half of them condiments and spreads. Instead we are using more rice and legume based meals centering around this week's box of organic produce from our CSA.

But the underlying philosophy of the people advocating these wonderful sounding ideas was something that kept bothering me. New Age shows up frequently and their ideas about government are much different than mine. I went for a walk to clear my head and as I was out and reciting Psalm 84 to myself (I am trying to memorize it) I realized what was bothering me.

These philosophies are focused on personal pleasure and creating a perfect world. That will never happen-- we will never get heaven on earth until Jesus returns. Taking a winter walk in the
Arctic while knowing another person has just died and you will attend another funeral within the week was ample evidence of that to me. The news is replete with more evidence. So we choose not to focus on creating a self-sustaining life for ourselves. It would be so easy to go and find a place where our family could take care of ourselves. But we choose not to. We are trying to give away more to others who are starving either temporally or spiritually. We are more interested in caring for others than for ourselves. Psalms 37:24 says "Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging for bread." After all, "Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?" Matthew 6:25

Awaiting Heaven,
Verity

A new view of school

I have seriously considered unschooling or delight-directed learning, which taken to it's ultimate conclusion, lets children decide whatever they want to learn. I still agree that the teacher can not decide what a student will learn or when or how, and that learning does happens best when the student is excited and finds it relevant. However I found it difficult to drop "school" altogether, so now I am doing the three R's and Inupiaq. I have a storytime every day that works for our science/social studies/history. Warren also reads some more stories after evening worship. Since our return from Washington, after encouragement from an old friend, added to my own thoughts I found time in our schedule for music and exercise again. The girls seem really ready this time.

Isn't learning fun,
Verity