Fall Mixed Up

Scarlet Autumn by Raceytay encapsulates fall with a single glance. Nicely done.

No joke. I had to thaw myself out before writing tonight's post. It's COLD here in Michigan. Methinks we have skipped right over fall in order to welcome winter.

Hopefully the apple-cider-drinking, bonfire-enjoying, apple-picking weather will be back soon. Until then, here is what is warming my heart ...

Happy Scrap Girl is offering a free weekly meal/activity planner. (Click on the photo to visit her site and get your OWN free planner.) She offers several sizes for printing/framing/planning purposes.

Great idea: Frame the schedule and use a dry erase marker on the glass. Easy and efficient!

I'm going to try this as soon as my printer warms up ...

SPARK #10: A Turn in the Road

I love mamapainter's work! Check out this print, BOO.

I am very excited to unleash a new feature here on HouseHoncho.com! If you are a blogger, this post is for YOU!

Since beginning SPARK Thursday, I have received several requests from readers to find a way we can share the things fellow bloggers are writing in response to the weekly SPARK challenge. I think it's a great idea.

So here's the deal. At the bottom of this post, I have listed a place where you can easily link up your blog post if you choose to write the weekly SPARK. You have 1 week to post your blog until the linkup locks.

Very cool. Give it a try!

Today's SPARK challenge is simple. I suggest setting the egg timer for 5 minutes and writing, unedited, on the following topic:

Robert Frost wrote a poem titled The Road Not Taken.  Name a road you’ve always wanted to travel. 

Letter to the Editor

Today I could use this wonderful vintage umbrella, from calloohcallay.

Notes like this make my day. I'm not going to lie. I loved opening my House Honcho inbox and finding this:

Just a quick thanks for the daily e-mails.  I am a full-time working mom who insists on a spotless house, and so I spend a lot of my free time cleaning and organizing.  Your daily reminders have helped me to remember that baby steps are still steps, and so I choose 3 things from your list in addition to the "have to" chores like laundry and dishes.  My house is clean and I still have time with my family.  Thanks.  PS -- How to you choose items to put on the daily list?  Do you have a master list for each area that rotates?  How often do tasks repeat?

Denise



Dear Denise,

First of all, thank you. I made myself a mug of french toast coffee because of your sweet note. (And I don't even drink coffee.)

Home management, as I have learned and am still learning, is all about baby steps. In years past, I was overwhelmed by everything that "keeping house" included. At times, the various tasks began to feel like a hamster wheel. No sooner than the dishes were cleaned it was time to clean the dishes again, etc.

I love it now, and it is my desire (via this little blog) to encourage others to consider loving their homes as well.

Choosing tasks for the daily to-do list, is as simple as walking around my home and deciding what needs to be done. Not very scientific, but usually practical. Items sometimes repeat because not everyone chooses the same 3 tasks each time. I can honestly say I have never sent the same list twice. It's truly home-spun.

It is funny that you mentioned a "master list," because I am in the process of overhauling how the tasks are selected. Thousands of people have signed up for the list (and continue to sign up!) and I want to offer the most practical, yet attainable e-mail.

I feel like this blog has miles to go before I sleep. I am always looking for feedback and thank you for yours! It is always welcome!

The Art of Eating Well

It's true. I'd rather use a typewriter, like this one from mirandas31, than any other writing instrument. (Computers are overrated.)

When it comes to creativity in cooking, I am as exciting as a tooth extraction.

I prefer to find 10 or 15 recipes that I can make in my sleep and stick with those. (Keep in mind that safety and simplicity are important while cooking in your sleep.) So it is a big deal that I introduced something brand new tonight. And now I want to share it with you.

If you read my blog a couple of Sundays ago, you know that a friend of mine was preparing to die after years of battling a difficult disease. That friend has since passed away, and this was her recipe. As the smell of something delicious wafts upstairs from the crockpot tonight, I am thinking of her.

Mix 12 oz. of your favorite barbeque sauce, 1/2 cup of Italian salad dressing, and 1/4 cup of brown sugar and put it over 6 frozen chicken breasts in a crock pot.

Leave it on high in the crockpot for 4 hours and then pull the chicken apart with 2 forks. It is YUMMY.

You're welcome.

Chicken Soup for the Cold

I heart owls. Check out these vinyl decals from ennashop. I'd like to put them on my windows at home.

Three things to share tonight. Monday's Junk Drawer was made for moments like this.

1. Tonight I am announcing the winner of the contest, hosted by Trendy Bliss! Trendy Bliss is a relatively young business that is already gaining momentum! Trendy Bliss offers a variety of things such as accessories, home decor, photography, party planning, and sweets! The lucky winner of our recent contest, per the random number generator, is Taylor Anne B.! Please send me an e-mail with your address so I know where to send your loot.

2. I have decided to select a word for 2012--something I can think about, strive toward, meditate on, aim for here on the blog. I have no idea what that word should be. I am asking for your help. If you have suggestions, please share. I am beginning to think about this now before January sneaks up on me.

3. Finally, below you will find a clip from the Today Show that had the girls at my office talking. It's packed with helpful information. The main arguments my co-workers were making centered on this one question: Can chicken soup cure the common cold? Hmmmm. Check it out.





Stay warm--

The Relaxation Response

My little superhero

This morning, I was strapping my son into his carseat, trying (as usual) to beat the clock and get to our destination on time. My little boy was not pleased at the prospect of putting on his seatbelt. He pointed out a detail that--in his opinion--prevented him from staying in his seat. These words came out of my mouth:

"Mommy knows about that. Relax."

Not two minutes later, when we were (finally) on our way, my words came back to haunt me.

With all the responsibilities I am juggling in my life right now, I am concerned that I do things correctly. I have places to be, people to see, things to do. And little, if anything, is simple.

So here are the questions I asked myself as we drove: How often do I strangle the life out of a task with my obsessive fears and worries? How frequently do I refuse to take a step of faith or follow a direction because of a detail that--in my opinion--prevents me from obedience?

As we cruised down the street this morning--the houses and trees standing in silent witness to the fact that we were finally on our way--these were the words on which I fixed my mind:

"God knows about that. Relax."

The Art of Reading

Check out this lovely vintage file box by havenvintage. Brilliant, really.

Late at night when my son is soundly sleeping and my husband is strenuously studying (of which they both do frequently), I tune in to a class I am enjoying from Lawrence University, entitled The Art of Reading.

I don't have time to take a class. But thankfully--since the class comes to me via CDs--I can cook and clean, polish and plunder with a ball point pen tucked behind my ear and a notebook stuck in my apron. (There is evidence of dish soap on several of the pages.)

Simply put, I am taking the class because I believe in reading. Reading, in my opinion, is synonamous with learning or improving or growing. I make it a point never to go a day without learning something from a book.

Professor Timothy Spurgin, teacher of The Art of Reading, said: Reading should be a pleasure, not a chore or a burden.

And I agree. But I would also add that reading should be a habit.

Tonight, I am passing along some free eBooks:

Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren
A Daughter's Inheritance by Tracie Peterson
The Keeper by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

One more thing before I head off to clean and listen ... please consider adding your name to the hat before the drawing tonight at midnight ...

SPARK #9: The Namesake

Happy Autumn! Friday marks the first day! Check out these lovely earrings by CreaShines!

I am thinking about names tonight. I attended a baby shower. It's inevitable.

After searching the Internet in vain for a baby shower game to enjoy with my friends, I created one of my own. (Mainly, I didn't want to pin the tail on anything--specifically the mother's belly--and I wasn't interested in sticking my nose in a diaper of any kind.) In the process of creating the game, I did some research of baby names and here are 10 of my personal favorites that I found. (Yes. These are actual names that belong to actual human beings.)

Audio Science
Brick Wall
Camera
ESPN
Moon Unit
Moxie CrimeFighter
Male and Female (twins)
Mr.
Number 16 Bus Shelter
Violence

There are two main reasons my husband and I gave our son the name that we did. 1) It is a family name. 2) It passed my litmus test (which is simply: How would the name look on a nursing home door in 80 years?)

Anyway.

SPARK #9: Where did your name come from? What does it mean? What do you want it to represent to others?

I'm still trying to imagine how someone would introduce himself/herself as "Brick Wall."

Dear June: Let's Talk About Calendars!

Fall is here on Friday! I plan to celebrate all season with Etsy items, like this Orange and White Pumpkin Pincushion from SeaPinks. Love it.

Tonight's question from a reader is one I get often. Please feel free to contribute your own suggestions in the comments section.

I'm on the hunt for the "perfect" calendar/agenda/planner, etc. and was wondering what you use.  I searched your blog and saw a post where you mentioned writing in your planner every day.  I have used wall calendars forever.  Lately, I used the family organizer type (Amy Knapp, etc.), but am open to new ideas.  It's kind of awkward to grab my huge wall calendar off the fridge and head out the door to a meeting.  :-)  Although that's what I've done for years! 


I really love the monthly format...it must be how my brain works, but am willing to try a smaller weekly planner that I can keep on my kitchen counter and then throw in my purse as I head out the door.  Just wondering if you had any ideas for me!  One thing that bugs me about many of the planners I've been looking at on-line is the (increasingly popular) Monday - Sunday format.  Guess I'm old fashioned, but I really want one that starts on Sunday!  The Lord's Day starts my week so I'd love my planner to have that format too. 


Thank you for your time! 
Jena


Dear Jena,

Calendars are wonderful inventions. I know exactly what you mean about "being on the hunt" for a good calendar. Calendars are a dime a dozen, but good ones are really hard to find!

That said, I like calendars that 1) have plenty of writing space, 2) don't include a lot of useless "fringe," and 3) travel easily.

I am a huge fan of Franklin Covey. (Admittedly, I suggested naming our son "Franklin Covey," but my husband shot it down faster than a rat in the attic. Oh well.) Specifically, I love Covey's printable forms. I bought these years ago and have never paid a penny since. The upside is having the exact forms that I need. The downside is having to print them myself.

I am also a fan of Microsoft Office templates. These forms are free and simplistic. (Consequently, if you use Microsoft Outlook, they offer an insanely addictive online calendar.)

Finally, for the papyrophiles, I love the magnetic calendars found in the stationery section of many grocery stores. My favorite are the one-page-per-week choices. Tim Coffey offers a great line through Tri-Coastal Design.

I hope this helps. Readers, feel free to add your own calendar preferences ...

Changing the Game: {Please Read}

Admission: I have an unhealthy love of stationery. This card by DawnCorrespondence is perfect!

I read a post that stopped me in my tracks today.

One of the reasons I hesitated to write a blog for several years is because I didn't know how to spread the word that it is existed--or, frankly--if anyone would care that it did. Blogs seem to be a dime a dozen these days. And while some of them have made a tremendous impact on my life, many of them--likely more of them--have had all the practicality of an umbrella on a sunny day.

Internet Garmins would be nice, yes? Destination: blogs that offer helpful insight vs. those that don't.

Yesterday, I posted a contest to help spread the word about House Honcho. I didn't consider it narcissistic as much as I considered it a plea for readers. One of my concerns has always been waking up to find that absolutely all of my readers gave up and went home.

Then I read a post that discussed--among other things--the lack of humility involved in self-promotion.

As someone heavily involved in the publishing industry (it puts the bread on my table, frankly), I don't believe that promotion is entirely evil. But the article did cause me to re-think the promotion of this blog. And I came to the conclusion that I don't need to promote House Honcho for it to be successful. If it's helpful, it will continue. If it's one of those useless umbrella kind of blogs, it will fade away.

And that will be okay.

SO I AM REVISING THE CONTEST RULES.

They are simple.

Send a note of encouragement to someone this week--someone you haven't sent a note to before would be great! Let's lift someone's spirits, brighten someone's day, put a skip in someone's step. Let me know that you sent a note (no need to say who it was sent to or what it was about) by signing your initials to this post with a quick sentence.

To those who already passed the word about the site, your names are safely in the hat.

As for me, I'm just thankful you took the time to read this. My gratitude is to you ...

CONTEST: Trendy Bliss!

As I near my 500th post here on HouseHoncho, I am asking (read: pleading) for your help.

It's as simple as this. I maintain this blog because of friends like you who challenge me to keep at it. The e-mail I get on a regular basis is overwhelming. The encouragement I receive knows no bounds.

I have big dreams for this little site. I still believe I am just getting started.

I am bursting at the seams with brainstorms. (Dramatic? Yes. True? Also, yes.)

So I humbly ask you to participate in this contest. The rules are simple. The prize is great.

All you have to do is click the brand new "TELL A FRIEND" button at the bottom of this post and ... tell a friend about HouseHoncho.com. Then let me know, by replying to this post, what you did. Each time you TELL A FRIEND between now and Friday at midnight, you will receive an entry into the contest.

The prize?

Krista from Trendy bliss has donated a pair of Black Lace Shoe Clips from her Vintage Collection. (See the photo above.) Totally creative. (I'm guessing you can wear these clips on more than your shoes. We'll talk to Krista later this week and find out. More on Trendy Bliss. Stay tuned.)

Give this new button a run for its money, would you? Please? It'll mean more to me than you can imagine ...

Thank You and Good Night

Photo by Sara Frankl

Tonight, while I am carefully ticking through my to-do list and lamenting the end of the weekend, a friend of mine is preparing to meet her Maker.

I say, "friend" loosely. The Internet Age has made friends of total strangers. (Crazy dangerous and wholly wonderful.) In reality, I have only met Sara--shared coffee, chatted over chocolate chip cookies, compared life goals--via her blog.

But Sara is no less a friend. And Sara has been no less of an influence.

After years of battling a chronic illness, Sara will soon be released from her pain. I can only imagine that those who love her in person must be sorrowing and rejoicing in equal proportions. I know I am.

Something Sara said more than once will stay with me a long time. If I'm fortunate, it will stay with me forever. Her instruction (nearly 3 years ago) were simple and Herculean.

Be intentional in all things.

In Sara's words:

Here's the thing: I really do believe that everything we do, no matter how small, carries with it an impact. The decisions we make about who we want to be, how we want to live and how we treat others affects more than just our immediate surroundings. If I come in contact with someone I either leave them feeling better about themselves or worse, but I never leave them unaffected.

Well-said, Sara. For that and so much more, thank you ...

A Type of Death Worse Than Dying

Pat Robertson's response to the question about marriage and Alzheimer's is worse than the disease itself.

A few years ago, I witnessed the sad, slow decline of my grandpa.

It was particularly painful to watch because my grandpa was the life of the room. The term patriarch was created for men like him. He could hold your attention with a story he had already told you a dozen times. He loved everything in his life ferociously. Yet, at the end, he became smaller, simpler, and sad.

It was hard watching him suffer and eventually succumb to the disease that wracked his mind and body.

What made the largest impact on my life during this time of prolonged, painful descent was the way my grandpa was cared for by my grandma. With love and respect, Grandma prepared Grandpa's meals and selected his clothes and tended to his most basic and personal needs.

It was during this time that the meaning of marriage was crystallized in my mind.

Being married only a short time by comparison, I began to understand that marriage does not exist primarily for the perks that it affords. Among many things, marriage provides companionship, offers stability, and generates comfort.

But marriage--by its definition and design--exists to provide a context for persistent self-sacrifice for the good of the other.

The marriage vows were not created primarily to promise loyalty during the for better, for richer, in health years. Those kinds of promises have all the substance of the prodigal son and his buddies during the good years. The marriage vows were made for the storms, the catastrophes, the wildernesses.

I saw my grandma love more fully, more tenderly, more completely when my grandpa was dying than I ever saw when he was well. It is not that my grandma did anything different when Grandpa was healthy. It was that she was just as loyal, just as faithful, and just as supportive when he was sick that made the difference for me. Love unrewarded is the truest love of all.

Pat Robertson's belief that a husband can dump his Alzheimer's-stricken wife and start again is disgusting.

I am grateful for a grandma who stood by my grandfather and said with her life:

I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life ...

SPARK #8 : Ode to Autumn

Time to pull out the fall fashions. What? No fall fashions? Check out these cool patterns by TheFancyLamb.

It is 42 degrees outside. I can smell the faint drifting of a bonfire through the open window. It actually feels good to curl up under a blanket. A trip to the apple orchard is close at hand.

Fall is one week away. Kind of hard to imagine, isn't it? Where did summer go?

Anyway.

Tonight's SPARK comes from a file of prompts I keep in my office.

"What is your favorite memory of autumn? How old were you when it occurred? Take 5 or 10 minutes to write about it as if you were recording it in real time. If it helps to look at photos of yourself at the age when you experienced the situation, go for it."

While you're writing, I'm going to dig out that recipe for gourmet caramel corn.

Gift to the Teacher: A Little Extra Credit

I love this hand drawn card by artist Brandi Powell (perhaps a little more than I should). Just lovely!

It's been a long time since I've read an article that made me want to jump up and down on my couch while pumping my fists in the air. Tonight I found an article that--if I weren't snuggled under a blanket, freezing from the cold--would make me do just that.

The article, What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents, by Ron Clark, begins:

(CNN) -- This summer, I met a principal who was recently named as the administrator of the year in her state. She was loved and adored by all, but she told me she was leaving the profession.

I screamed, "You can't leave us," and she quite bluntly replied, "Look, if I get an offer to lead a school system of orphans, I will be all over it, but I just can't deal with parents anymore; they are killing us."

Read the article here. It is worth your time.

Jumping up and down in spirit--

Out With the Cold, In With the Flu

This sign, by emrooney, is so true. So, so true.

Okay, so tonight's post isn't fun or cheery. But tonight's post demonstrates one thing: tough love. I care about you, Reader, and here is how I will prove it.

Reports are coming out today that this allergy season (mere weeks away) could be a bad one.

An article on msnbc.com, written by Rachael Rettner, begins:

"Plentiful rains coupled with warm temperatures this summer may lead to a particularly severe fall allergy season for those living in the Northeast, experts say." 

The article goes on to explain that numerous parts of the country will be affected in various ways. 

Time to ramp up the drinking of fluids, washing of hands, and acquisition of tissues.

What can I say? Love hurts sometimes--

A Woman's High Calling

I love this bird and owl by moloco! I'd like them to fly to my house ...

Disclaimer: The views expressed in tonight's blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of the blogger all the time. The blogger (and the blog) are a work in progress.

Over the weekend, I was encouraged to read a blog post from someone in Blog Land whom I have never met. The title of her post: Motherhood Is Not My Highest Calling.

Upon hearing the title, I forged ahead prepared to disagree adamantly. I consider my newly-minted role of mother (33 days old and counting) to be of great significance in my life.

But then I read the post.

The blogger, a mother of 5, made some valid points. She doesn't like the highest/lowest value statement expressed in "highest calling," for instance. How does one calling have more validity than another? Who determines which responsibilities are more important than the rest? --I'll be thinking about those questions for a while.

I didn't agree with everything she said. (No worries. I don't agree with everything I have said when I think about it later.) But after reading her post, I have spent considerable time pondering the "highest calling" concept. Here is what I believe:

Whatever role I have been given--whatever task I am expected to complete--is my current "highest calling." One danger in assuming that motherhood is "the highest calling" is found in the alienation of everyone who is not a mother.

Women who aren't currently married or aren't currently mothers are no less significant than those who are gifted with children. To those who are single or childless, theirs isn't a less significant "calling."

I have so many thoughts on this topic, but the one that surfaces the loudest is this:

I believe my highest calling is obedience ... whatever that entails.

Unmeasured Strength: from a 9/11 Survivor

Lauren Manning, from laurenmanning.com

I'm fairly certain I've never written 2 posts in 1 day on this blog. But today is a good day for an exception. Moments ago, I received the following words in an e-mail from Lauren Manning ...

I was running half an hour late on September 11, 2001, when I pushed through the doors of One World Trade Center – soon to become known to all as the north tower – and turned toward the elevators that would take me to my 105th floor office at Cantor Fitzgerald.

Just as I turned left, a tremor shook the 110-story tower, followed by a huge, whistling rush of air. There were only three full-height elevator shafts in the building, but they offered the jet fuel explosion an unimpeded path to the lobby, and a moment later, with a giant, screeching exhalation, a wall of flame exploded from the elevator banks and engulfed me.

Its tentacles latched on with crushing force. I was spun around, and battled to escape the building and run toward a strip of grass across the street to drop and roll. The desire to yield to the blackness that rose around me was overwhelming, but then my mind was filled with a vision of my 10 month old son, Tyler, and I decided to live. To me, it was a clear and conscious decision.

I had been engulfed by the fires that would bring down the twin towers of the World Trade Center, so injured that almost no one held out any hope for me. I spent almost two months in a drug-induced coma before I opened my eyes. Yet in the weeks and months that followed, I battled back from the edge of death to hold my child in my arms, and intertwine my husband’s fingers with what was left of my own.

The injury I suffered was perhaps more intimate than any other; it was all- encompassing, from the outside in. But with each step of my recovery, I learned that the shell encasing me was not my real beauty. Our real reflection is the inner mirror that tells us the truth of who we really are. The body I saw when I looked into that mirror was the body that had fought the battle while I slept and refused to die before I awoke— the one that had invested itself with strength, guarded my soul, and brought me home to my family. There could not be a more perfect body on Earth.

The scars that cover me are proof of man’s capacity for hatred and evil. But these scars speak only of our physical fragility, not the boundless strength in our hearts. The shadows of the burning towers have been overpowered by the twin beacons of faith and love that guided me forward and led me home. Faith in God, faith in love, and faith in myself have vanquished the emptiness I felt when I thought that I would never see Tyler again or never have a second child.

I am grateful to my family and my caregivers, who stood by me and never wavered; most of all to my son, Tyler, who inspired me to fight. I am thankful for the friends and the good people around the world who opened their hearts to me and offered their support in writing or in person. They lifted my spirits during my hardest days, and their good will signals the goodness that lies within all of us.

I will never forget the friends and colleagues who were killed on September 11, 2001. As I wrote Unmeasured Strength, I thought of them constantly. Every breath I share with my own family is in part a tribute to their memory, and to the memory of all the innocents who died on that day.

We are all in debt to the men and women of our armed services who have fought the battle both before and after September 11 so that others will not be harmed by terror or tyranny. I send my most profound wishes for a healthy recovery to all those warriors who have been wounded, and to the loved ones of those who died in the performance of their duty, know that we hold them in the highest respect, and we honor the mission for which they sacrificed their lives.

All of us have been wounded in some way, whether by violence, disease, or other personal tragedy. But though we can never pretend that we have not been touched by adversity, we can refuse to be held by it. Whether you open your eyes after a single night or seven long weeks, from that moment of it is up to you. The only way forward is to gather your courage and take that lonely first step— the step of commitment, the step that will be remembered for generations.

What will you choose to do, with the time God has given you?
Every day you have a choice. Make it count.



During the past several weeks, Lauren has been invited to share her story on The View, The Today Show, and in many magazines and newspapers. We appreciate her willingness to share these words with us!
©2011 by Lauren Manning, from Unmeasured Strength, published by henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Turn Again to Life

I love this Blue Triptych Tree Collage by Sascalia. It reminds me of the perfect, blue skies of 9/11/01.

I wept today.

I wept for families I have never met whose pain cannot be quenched with time. I wept with the readers of the names at Ground Zero, whose emotion could be felt these hundreds of miles away. I wept with a country who, for now and always, looks over its shoulder with incertitude.

For my family, our personal connection to 9/11 made it safely out of the Pentagon. She had been receiving an award in a different part of the building and was spared the awful brunt of the day's attack.

But in so many ways--by love of country, by gift of service, by pledge of loyalty--we are affected, every one of us.

Today, I am reflecting on Psalm 46--read by the President in his address this morning--



"The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Because of that, we turn again to life.

FREE While They're Hot

These delicious vanilla/almond sugar cookies, by sugarandflour, give new meaning to, "An apple a day ..."

In honor of today being Friday (which doesn't happen often enough during the week) I am going to share 5 of my favorite things ... yours free if you want them.

1. Enjoy a 2-ounce body lotion from Bath & Body Works (good through Sunday).

2. Enjoy a free waffle at the Waffle House (good through the end of the month).

3. Enjoy a sample of Rachael Ray's Just 6 dog food. (Well, not you specifically.)

4. Enjoy a free eBook from Moody Publishers (good through November 1.)

5. Enjoy 3 cups of Twinings tea (or chai, if that's more your thing).

***Bonus: One of my all-time favorite items is available in the House Honcho Facebook group.

Happy Friday!

SPARK #7: Against Forgetting

This retro flower tree,  by Sascalia makes me think of fall. (And I love fall with all my heart.)

Not long ago, I stood before a classroom of writing students and asked them to share their memories of September 11th. I wasn't prepared for what came next ...

What I anticipated was a recounting of terror-filled moments and media anecdotes. I could almost hear the rumbling of voices talking over voices--"Pick me! I have something to share!"

This was a classroom of talkers, after all, who could make the contents of a phone book sound exciting.

But what I received in response to my question was a room full of glassy-eyed, blank expressions. I could have asked them to translate the Estonian phrase, "Made sa vaatad" and I would have witnessed the same reaction.

I learned quickly that these students knew nothing of 9/11 except what they had read in textbooks or discovered on YouTube.

It doesn't take long, I learned, for generations to be separated by major life events. Today's 15-year-olds know little--if anything--of that horrific day. No doubt they look at 9/11 the way I view Vietnam or the fall of the Iron Curtain. I can respect it in the way I know it was important--the way I know freedom is important or forgiveness.

But it's all conceptual.

And since that day in that classroom, I have grappled with ways that I can share history with those who come after me. Maybe my account will be imperfect. Maybe the details I share will not be relevant to the world at large. But they will be details that make the events more real to those I love.

9/11, after all, is a day that shouldn't be forgotten.

SPARK #7: What do you remember about 9/11? 100 to 200 words.

Here is what I remember.

Privacy in Context

Words of wisdom by the talented and timely J.M.Barclay.

Dear June,

I am Mom to 6 kids. The oldest is 13 and the yougest is 5. I don't know if this is a good question for your blog but I am always very interested in the answers you write and thought I'd give this question a shot. Lately my kids have been demanding more privacy. They want cell phones, computer time, TV privilege and even time alone with friends in their rooms. I am trying to be smart about this. I know kids today have more privacy than I did when I was their age. But I also don't want to be stupid. Care to share?


Mom of 6 from Tennessee



Dear Mom of 6,

Ironic, isn't it, that you are from the "Volunteer State"? I would think--with 6 children--you feel like the state was named in honor of your personal obligations. And anyway, I applaud you. Raising 6 children is admirable!

I'm careful on this blog not to respond to questions about which I am inexperienced. And since I am a new mother to a 4-year-old boy whose current hurdles involve American food and the English language, I would normally not feel prepared to tackle "the privacy of America's young."

But. You are the third person this week to send me a question on this topic. So in response to the relentless masses, here are my 2 thoughts on the matter.

(Parents with more experience, feel free to jump in!)

1. I believe that a direct line should be drawn between privacy and trust. To the degree that a child is trustworthy, he or she can appreciate a certain modicum of privacy.

2. To be honest, though, privacy (in my opinion) is overrated and should never be the chief end. Protection and guidance are my responsibility as a parent--higher on the list than, "creating opportunities for privacy." While privacy is an important part of childhood development--and an attractive aspiration for anyone under 18--it cannot be without its safety net. No matter what.

Children don't always know from what they need to be spared.

With trust and maturity, then, cell phone conversations with certain people, computer time on limited sites, television privileges for pre-determined programs, and alone time with approved friends can be enjoyed without violating other virtues.

But at the end of the day, I know more than my child knows. I know the dangers--as well as the rewards--of enjoying privacy. I want my son to grow and experience and learn--but I want to make sure that he is safe in the process. Otherwise, allowing my child to enjoy privacy to the degree he wants it will be like handing him a lit match and a gallon of gasoline and encouraging him to be careful.

Hope this helps.






P.S. I allowed my son to experience a few, rare moments of privacy in his bedroom while I wrote this post. He managed to stuff all the contents of his top dresser drawer down the laundry chute.

The New York Times: Time to Revive Home Ec

Freshen up your living room or bedroom with this unique screen printed pillow cover from sweetharvey.

Ever felt like you believed in an idea before it finally started "catching on"? ...

Here are the opening lines to an article in The New York Times by Helen Zoe Veit.

(I think I will write her a letter.)


NOBODY likes home economics. For most people, the phrase evokes bland food, bad sewing and self-righteous fussiness.

But home economics is more than a 1950s teacher in cat’s-eye glasses showing her female students how to make a white sauce. Reviving the program, and its original premises — that producing good, nutritious food is profoundly important, that it takes study and practice, and that it can and should be taught through the public school system — could help us in the fight against obesity and chronic disease today.

Read the rest of the article here.

Thoughts on Misfits from a Professional Misfit

Check out this photo: A Beginning, by GrainnePhotography

Here is what I am thinking about tonight.

People will be unkind ... for no reason.
Love them.

People will grumble and complain about things that aren't a big deal.
Exhibit joy.

People will backstab.
Pursue peace.

People will make mistakes ... lots of them.
Be patient.

People will say things, do things, believe things ... illogically.
Be kind.

People will do whatever it takes to climb the ladder--regardless of ethics or conscience.
Do them good.

People will break promises (even ones that really matter).
Be faithful.

People will say really harsh things.
Be gentle.

People will place innocent individuals in harm's way so that they can pursue themselves.
Use self-control.

The reason is simple: against such things there is no law.
(Galatians 5:22-23)

Girls in White Dresses

This beauty, by gardenmis, is made with a gorgeous, slightly worn vintage button.

You know what Monday is, right?

Yes, Labor Day. Of course Labor Day. But what else?

In addition to being Labor Day (thank you, President Cleveland), Monday is the day--traditionally--when all white clothing is tucked away 'til Easter. No doubt you've heard the "Don't wear white after Labor Day" rule.

Ever wondered where it came from?

Because Labor Day is traditionally considered the end of summer, and the end of summer traditionally brings cooler weather, white clothing is no longer worn after Labor Day because it doesn't maintain the same amount of heat provided by darker clothing.

But critics have made a good case for doing away with the rule.

White clothing doesn't have to be lightweight, for instance. And summer isn't actually over until the end of the month. And anyway, who wears certain colors to stay warm anymore?

So fashion designers are putting white into their fall collections. And people everywhere are bucking the trend.

Whatever you do, have a merry, white Labor Day.