Elena 
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1. One piece of advice that I have sort of held on to as I homeschooled my kids through homeschool was, “Give all of your students a college prep education, even if they don’t go to college.” The thinking was that kids change their minds and if they want to go to college later, they will be prepared to go.
The only thing is, I know that not all kids that go to college from the public school get a college prep education. In fact, a lot of kids around here get vocational training and still go right into a four year institution. A young friend of mine was in the Animal Management Program at her local high school and now is in college to get a business degree. I can see how the two things will easily mesh together.
Yet, I think there are some skills that should be taught to a student who is pursuing a career outside of the usual 4-year university. Izzy isn’t quite sure what she wants to do yet, but she knows how to sink a toilet and is learning to drywall. She can also solder, make jewelry, and decorate a cake.
For some reason my brain was processing all of this when I bolted straight up in bed and said, “OMG!! I haven’t taught her to sew yet!!!”
I don’t know why these types of things bother me so much.
2. Rosie has befriended a very nice girl who goes to our church and is also homeschooled. Their family wear veils to church, as was the custom in the diocese they came from.
So yesterday Rosie said she would like a veil too.
I’m not against it. In fact I have thought about wearing a veil for years now. I just have never gotten around to it. I don’t think I’d wear one when I’m participating in the music ministry, but for a daily mass or just in the congregation I think I’d like to start veiling.
It’s so funny to think that when I was a little girl, everyone wore a veil and it was odd if you didn’t, and now the reverse is true!!
Phil via Flickr licensed cc2.0
3. My husband is becoming a curmudgeon, and my feminine wiles, (such as they are) are no longer as persuasive as they used to be. Yesterday I wanted Mr. Pete to come with us to the homeschool mass and the ice cream party to follow. I hate going to those things without my husband, especially if other husbands will be there.
But he had a list of reasons why he couldn’t possibly go, the main one being that he had to stripe the soccer fields before nightfall. So we made a deal. If I got all of the fields striped, he would go to the mass.
I got over to the fields at 4:30 and by 5:45, I had all of the fields striped! I used more paint than he usually does, but they were done.
So I called Mr. Pete. “The fields are all striped!” I proclaimed.
“You’re kidding?” he replied. And then he ran through a quick litany of everything that had to be done. “You did the big field?” “The jr. Field?” “What about the Pee wee field?”
“All done!” I said smugly.
A deal being a deal he had no choice but to go with us – but in the end, he had a good time and was glad he went.
4. A Facebook friend and relative of mine is planning a double mastectomy as she transitions into becoming a transgendered man.
It’s interesting to see how the family is divided on this. The left of center, socially liberally family all “Like” that status. Everyone else is silent.
The modern dilemma is, do you risk extended famly discord and drama by saying something negative, like, “Mastectomies are a painful major surgery with risks of bleeding, infection and damage to other areas and a potential for healing problems”? or is simply not hitting the “Like” button enough of a stand?
JHaggard via Flickr, licensed cc
5. Today is the Akron Marathon, or as us nonparticipants call it, “Akron Held Hostage.” Our ability to get around town today will be severely restricted until at least 4 p.m. So glad this only happens once a year.
6. My mother was a good story teller. People used to tell me all the time what a good story teller she was and how much they enjoyed talking to her.
I apparently am not as blessed. Twice this week, I started to tell some type of anecdotal story and people have literally gotten up and walked away! Mid. Story. Was it the topic? the delivery? too much distraction? I’m not sure but when it happened for a second time I thought maybe I should just refrain from sharing for a while and concentrate more on my listening skills!
7. My oldest son, Calvin, and his wife live in Charlotte, North Carolina. Yes, THAT Charlotte, North Carolina – the place with all of the riots, fights, tear gas and mayhem this week. I Facebooked both of them to see if they were okay and Calvin finally called me to say that they were fine. Apparently he only worked downtown the first night of the protesting and ended up taking two police officers to the hospital. He didn’t work the second night and then the other nights they had him in a different part of the county. Sarah had an event downtown to attend, but it got cancelled. Charlotte’s businesses are definitely hurting this week and probably will continue to hurt for some time to come. I don’t see how that can be good for anyone. Both Calvin and Sarah put the word “SAFE” in their Facebook statuses because so many friends and relatives were worried about them.
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