I don’t usually like articles from the Huffington Post, but this one was spot on – Regrets of the Very Old and How to Avoid Them. Of course the author didn’t say so, but it’s very scriptural – See the Book of Matthew at around 6:26.
I am loving Pope Francis – I think he could be known as the Common Sense Pope. Here is an example:
“They were afraid. All of the disciples were afraid,” he said. As they walked toward Emmaus and discussed everything that had happened, they were sad and complaining.
“And the more they complained, the more they were closed in on themselves: They did not have a horizon before them, only a wall,” the pope said, according to Vatican Radio.
The disciples had had such high hopes that Jesus would be the one who would redeem Israel, but they thought their hopes were destroyed, he said.
“And they stewed, so to speak, their lives in the juice of their complaints and kept going on and on and on with the complaining,” the pope said. “I think that many times when difficult things happen, including when we are visited by the cross, we run the risk of closing ourselves off in complaints.”
Get your copy of the “Weekly Francis” – writings of Pope Francis in an e-book- here!
Michael Farris from HSLDA has some sobering thoughts about the Romeike family and what the case against them could mean to homeschoolers in this country.
You can read about the Romeikes here. In a nutshell:
Uwe and Hannelore Romeike fled from Germany to the United States after their family was vigorously prosecuted (fines, forcible removal of their children, threats of jail and more) for homeschooling. Initially, the Romeikes were granted political asylum, but the U.S. government appealed that decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. That Board sided with the government. HSLDA then appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals—the federal court just below the Supreme Court
But, let’s assess the position of the United States government on the face of its argument: a nation violates no one’s rights if it bans homeschooling entirely.There are two major portions of constitutional rights of citizens—fundamental liberties and equal protection. The U.S. Attorney General has said this about homeschooling. There is no fundamental liberty to homeschool. So long as a government bans homeschooling broadly and equally, there is no violation of your rights. This is a view which gives some acknowledgement to the principle of equal protection but which entirely jettisons the concept of fundamental liberties…
our government does not understand that families like the Romeikes have two goals when they chose homeschooling. There are things they want to teach and there are things they want to avoid their children being taught in the government schools.Does anyone think that our government would say to Orthodox Jewish parents, we can force your children to eat pork products for 22-26 hours per week because the rest of the time you can feed them kosher food?
Freedom for the mind and spirit is as important as freedom for the body and spirit.
We should understand that in these arguments by the U.S. government, something important is being said about our own liberties as American homeschoolers.The Attorney General of the United States thinks that a law that bans homeschooling entirely violates no fundamental liberties.It is important that Americans stand up for the rights of German homeschooling families. In so doing, we stand up for our own..
Also on the education front- Spunkyhomeschool has a good synopsis of the Core Curriculum and what it all means.
See also her testimony before the Michigan legislature on Core Curriculum and what federal control means for schools at the local level.
April is Cesarean Awareness Month: 
I’ve had three and I blogged about the importance of how women give birth here. ICAN online has more information for women looking for education, support and VBAC information.
Trying to figure out why the gay marriage issue is front and center these days? Time Magazine gives a bit of insight.
But perhaps to understand that, you have to read this:
For a good example of how to defend marriage, Thomas Peters does a great job in this clip:
and here
On a lighter note – Audubon Bird painting lessons for kids here:
Lastly, I found this old Rex Smith movie from 1979 on Amazon and bought a copy! I have been mesmerized with it all week. I’m not sure why – I was 20 when it came out and months away from my own wedding. I guess it was just the idea of an improbable couple getting together and making it work. Any way, while I was watching it with Izzy (13 – and the age of the Jessie the teenage leading lady of the movie) and Rosie age 7, it was clear that they couldn’t get over the dated look of the movie – especially Mr. Smith’s hair and wardrobe! But I still think it has swoon – ability, particularly this nice little piece in the middle of the movie. Of course if these two really did get together it would be illegal – but in 1979 it was like a Romeo and Juliet.
