Teaching Company Ideas

I just made this post to a list and thought since I wrote it all out it might be of use to friends here.

Also check my labels as I have some more indepth reviews under "teaching company".

Please comment with other TC lectures you and yours have liked!


Libraries often carry their titles. TC fully refunds any lecture for unlimited time. And, they put every lecture series on sale once a year. You can go to their site and request to be put on their email list and they will tell you about sales, etc.

Here are the ones we have seen/heard.

High School Math: (DVD- video)
There are many high school math lectures. I bought them all and reviewed them a couple of years ago. I didn't care too much for them. It was like a standard high school lecture, but with a good teacher. I personally would have liked more hands on than it gave. So they were not for us. (returned them all for full refund, no problem)

These are ones I have watched/ listened to, my boys have not, though I have shared a lot of info with them in passing. Mostly chosen b/c my library had them available and my interests and previewing for boys. I want them to listen to parts of the Augustine one- it was great. And the others are appropriate for teens, too.

History of the English Language (awsome!) audio
St. Augustine’s Confessions (also awesome) audio
From Monet to Van Gogh: A History of Impressionism (on DVD- I learned so much)
How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition )(OK not my fav) audio
Great World Religions: Hinduism (facinating... I never knew the complexity of this religion and the importance of the country of India) audio
Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis (I have not heard this specific series, but I know the professor personally and have attended many of this CSL and other lectures. Highly recommended)
Old Testament (started- did not like prof's style or world view.. :( ) audio
High School Level—How to Become a SuperStar Student (looked at and didn't care for, a bit too canned for me) video
Aeneid of Virgil (loved it, loved this professor) audio
Classical Mythology ditto - audio
Iliad of Homer ditto- audio
Odyssey of Homer ditto- audio
Shakespeare: The Word and the Action I REALLY wanted to like this but could not get into it! I just can't seem to connect with Shakespeare. :( Wah!

Boys and I both watched/listened to:
Joy of Thinking: The Beauty and Power of Classical Mathematical Ideas ( I really liked.. boys liked ok. They watched first 1/3 or so, plan to suggest it again down the road. Say they didn't get much out of it, but have heard them quote the 'golden triangle' and other concepts later on! lol)

Joy of Science (I really like this one.. kinda wish it was on audio so I could listen to it more. This prof has the premise that science is something all laymen should know and this series of lectures covers ALL disciplines of science (chem, physics, etc) from a 'working knowlege pov. So won't drill down into the depths of each area, but does get into bios of people, formulas and what they mean, how all areas are interrelated, etc. My plan is to keep this as our 'backbone' of science, since my boys are not too into it, though we do manage to cover a lot from their love of animals, health and nutrition and current events ('global warming' and other myths.. lol, etc)
I bought this series and enjoy it for my own learning as well. The boys have watched the first 10 lectures and were getting a bit burned out so we took a break, but I plan to 'suggest' again soon. I see it is on sale now, too.


Life and Work of Mark Twain A friend here loved this as did her 17 yos son. She was not sure he would, but did!

Their website is here.

Two Quotes

Awesome post from Leonie.

I like how she sees things from this point of view and ties John Holt to our Holy Father.. wonderful!

The Man Who Was Poe

The boys and I all just finished a very interesting book called The Man Who Was Poe by Avi.

No mistake, the man is dark This book is written for the kids (but good for teens and adults), it is very interesting... kind of twisty, turney, you are not sure really who the main character is... very enthralling!

We got the audio CDs narrated by David Case, unabridged.

We have read a bit of Edger Allen Poe over the years:The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Raven are ones I can think of. We got a bunch on tape a while ago.

This book was interesting because apparantly the writer, Avi (who has no last name that I can see..) really got into Poe's character and made him a character in this story, but this story mirrored much of Poe. Weird. Interesting. It also gave such a clear picture of Providence, Rhode Island at that time, the setting and I am guessing Poe's stomping grounds.
His world was not such a pretty place, but the book was good.

Anyway, wanted to post it. Kind of a departure for us, one reason I love our big library (I found accidentally on a search online there) and could preview it on tape, and we all enjoyed it.

Now I have a hankering to go read those short stories and poems again by Poe. Feel like I know him better now, if Avi was on target. A talented but tormented man. Reminds me a little of Picasso in a way.

=====
After I made this post I went to read The Raven... oh my! You can't help but find the rhthym he intended.. rapping, rapping, rapping at the door... take a peek!

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
Only this and nothing more..."

Gosh, this tastes good! lol

My Baby is Seventeen

Ok, he is my oldest, so not the 'baby' of the family.

But he was my first baby. This is going to be sentimental, so feel free to skip it. I promise to post a cartoon or something tomorrow. lol

Birthdays are pretty special around here and that may be in part because there is just the four of us, we can do them up pretty well. I know big families who also love birthdays but they have them almost every month with all the kids! But around here, July is a big birthday month for Stephen and me, the October for John and Bryan. ;) We only get birthdays twice a year!

We are not celebrating until the weekend as John is out of town on a sales trip. But, of course, we need to mark the day and make it special.

I have loved doing up the day for my boys in years past. Every birthday I make them a 'certificate' framed and signed by the whole family, pets sometimes, too, and grandparents when they are in town. It tells them how special they are and basically gives them a pass from all chores on the big day. The boys each have a wall of certificates framed on their bedroom walls. :)

We are in the habit the past few years of giving the boys a 'starter' present in the morning as John would be working and then we would have our family celebration in the evening, complete with chocolate cake (with homemade butter cream frosting) for dessert. I only make that cake three times a year. It is so rich, that is just enough---oh it is heavenly!

In past years the starter present has often been a video game, and they get to play all day (no limits!)-I also have been known to wrap up beautiful packages containing such things as 7up, Pringles, Almond Joys, Skittles (when they were little) to make the day extra special.


Today I just have a bunch of balloons tied to Stephen's chair. And I wrapped up some beautiful fridge magnets I found at Franklin Covey. One says:

Never never never never never never give up. ~Winston Churchill

The other is a wonderful quote about following your dreams. (it is wrapped so I can't quote it exactly). They will end up on the fridge for us all to see every time we grab a snack or drink.

Later today we follow another tradition that started somehow a few years ago. The boys have a good friend, C.B, and we got in the habit of going the four of us to Olive Garden and ordering soup and breadsticks (and salad for me). It is unlimited! So we go in the non-rush hours, and they bring and bring and bring food and I get to talk with these young men. I take them on each one's birthday- so we get to go 3 times a year. Fun!

I always warn the waiter... prepare to bring LOTS of breadsticks! Seeing three teen boys they always nod knowingly.


So, as I was in the grocery store buying balloons, it hit me. My baby is 17. I tried to survey the years as I walked through the aisles and back to my car. What a privilege it has been to watch him grow up. The past few years have especially been poignant as we see him passing my dh and myself at times in knowledge and insight.

And I see more clearly each year that God created each child, each person so uniquely. The traits I remember when Stephen was 2, are still here at 17. It is who he is through and through. I feel incredibly lucky to have been his mom on this journey.

The I tried to remember his birth day. Oh, that was so long ago. Long, long. I was in such a different place. My faith has grown so much since then (thank you, Lord)- as it was barely on my mind then. I was so young and had such little experience with babies. I know God's graces were with me, as I made many mistakes, but somehow learned. I know he put people in my life. I can see them all, many who I still keep up with and have met in recent years and are reading this now. What a wonderful tapestry life is.

Ok, so my big kids and I are going to enjoy this day, then await our weekend celebrations. I am feeling very lucky these days.

First Grade

My (just today) 17yos got his very first grade yesterday.

He is taking a Bravewriter course that assigns grades to the essay assignments. (He did OK, of course or Mom would not be posting..)

But I sat back and realized it is rather amazing we have gone 17 years in his life with no grades, save some standardized tests we do ever so often. But he is still learning all that stuff that grades are put in place to make kids learn. Amazing. :)

OTOH, I could tell he was happy with it, so there is something about the tangible sign of an accomplishment.

Koko Talks

Something we ran across in the 'trivia' category... gave me a giggle!


================
... according to Wikipedia, the longest sentence ever communicated from a primate so far has been:

“Orange eat me orange orange me eat orange eat orange me me me me orange eat orange orange me eat eat orange me eat me.”

All About Love

Combo of insights:

At Mass tonight I again saw that this is all about the love God has for us. As we celebrated the Eucharist, and Father reminded us in his homily. God is coming to us, to see us, at this moment.

After the first reading about Moses he asked how many have seen a bush burn but not consume. A show of hands?
None.

Then asked what that bush represented. The answer: God's presence.

So, he asked, how many have experienced God's presence. A show of hands?
They all shot up.

This life is about experiencing God and sharing that with others.

Fast forward to our homeschool meeting tonight. It eventually got to where it always goes: how do I make my dc do this? How can I get them to learn that?

We then talked about helping them find their own path, and love of learning.

As I think back, it really is about love. God's love for us, his presence. And our love for our children, and our presence to them. Really just paying attention to who they are, what they think, what makes them 'them'. All about love.

What Kind of Homeschooling?

Lovely post by Donna, here.

Expressed much of my life and feelings about our homeschooling journey. Thanks, Donna!

Video Games Live Concert

Last night we all went to the Video Games Liveconcert and it was amazing!

Ok. Now they are not kidding when they say the music in video games is no longer bleeps and bloops!

VGL is a concert that tours around the country. They have a big screen with video from favorite video games and under the screen is an orchestra and choir playing live! The conductor conducts live to the video feed! It was amazing... fun music like Mario and Donkey Kong, but then lush incredible music such as that written for Halo and Zelda.

It remimded me of the documentaries we watched on our Star Wars DVD where John Williams was directing the orchestra for the movie tracks with the screen video feed as his guide.

Even dh liked it!

I could write on and on about it.. but it started with a blast from the past... a giant PONG game on the screen, and the orchestra played *something* that sounds like 'PING!' 'PONG!' they they were completely sycronized to when the ball hit the edges. Too cool.
Here is video of the opening segment! These are all the old games.. and my dh and I remimised about Donkey Kong.

After this they got into the really beautiful music and choral.

Then big highlight of the night (standing ovation) was Martin Leung Neat story.. he has played piano for 16 years and this video got onYOUTUBE
of him playing Mario blindfolded really fast. People thought it was sped up for the Internet... It became so popular, now he tours with VGL! We saw him play it life and FAST! He was amazing.

They were all so nice, and had a meet and great after. Here are the boys with Martin. :)





















Here is Martin playing the Zelda theme. I love this song!

Here is some more trivia about Martin:

Full article here

He has three goals he wishes to accomplish: promote and elevate video game music's image, enhance the piano’s image so it can become a more mainstream instrument, and, since he believes a bridge exists between classical and video game music, his third goal is to popularize classical music [6].
When Video Game Pianist performed at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, on October 13, 2005, he was spurred by the audience to do 21 encores [7].

On the way home the boys explained all the jokes we didn't get... when the audience laughed or cheered and we had no clue why. Ya gotta be a gamer to get all the jokes. But we enjoyed it!

Update on Neighborhood Newsletter Editor Postion

We got the job!!

More later..... as the stories come into the newsroom!

St. Benedict of Nursia

Today is the feast day of St. Benedict!

Taking a cue from my friend Leonie a friend and I are going to get our kids together and celebrate today.

Actually Leonie gave me more than a cue, she gave me a how to, as I always try to overplan everything!

KISS! (keep it simple, sillygoose!) lol

Ok, so here are our plans:

I found some info on the internet (excuse me while I give my dear computer a big juicy hug!) about St. Benedict. I learned so much. I mean, I really had no clue about this saint. One reason this idea appealed to me was to learn more about the liturgical year and saints.

Some things I learned-
-He was Italian and died in 537 AD

-He was a monk.

-He wrote the Rule of Life. Until that time monks had no formation or set of guidelines and from what I learned there were some pretty wild monks out there! And some not so wild.

-He also spent time discerning HOW to live like Christ, but also relate to ourselves and people. So as not to get so strict and autocratic with rules that we don't see our humaness, in ourselves and others. Something I think all faithful people struggle with at some point.

There is much more to this saint... go google him! If I can do this, anyone can. :)

I found the following websites and suggested the teens and olders read yesterday in preparation for today:
Biography of St. Benedict

Rule of St. Benedict
This is very long and involved. I just printed out the table of contents for the kids to read- that in itself is very enlightening. If you want to read the actual rule, it is all hyperlinked in this text. Very interesting reading!
How to Write your Own Rule of Life This site is interesting as it is one person's suggestion of how to apply the rule to your own life and write a personal Rule of Life

For the little kids (my friend has several youngers) I printed out this coloring sheet:
Coloring saints

And did a word search puzzle for them on Puzzlemaker
(this is one of my all time favorite sites.. used it a lot when kids where younger- took 3 min to make the puzzle..easy!)

So today we are meeting at Fazoli's, a fast food Italian place to celebrate St. Bendict's day with an Italian feast! We will talk with the olders a bit about his life and where he lived and how he lived, and encourage them to think about their own Rule of Life. Littlies will color and search for words.

Also, for futher reading, here are a couple of interesting sites...
Father's Rule of Life and this one...Online Guide to St. Benedict

Thanks again to my friend Leonie who patiently helped me get going on this! Hugs!!

***REAL LIFE UPDATE***

The resturant was closed down, so we ate pizza (Italian food..) at Costco. The teens talked and olders talked while babies and toddler and my friend and I did some shopping. We ate in the food court and I talked with the three teen boys about St. B.. though they already knew it all... lol

Youngers did fine... next time no project for teens... more fun crafts for youngers and I will get to have fun with the littlies which I miss!

But, we knew St. Benedict was smiling down on us as we walked out into the Costco parking lot and we went to Mass tonight, which of course was all about St. Benedict. And now the olders have a benchmark.

Nice day, though not as planned. Ah... homeschooling! Ah... life!

Help Wanted: Editor for neighborhood newsletter

Our neighborhood has a newsletter and is now looking for a new editor. It is a paid position! Not much, but that is luring in my sons. And, this might be a small stepping stone of experience to doing more writing one day. It is limited in scope, mostly ensuring the submissions follow an existing policy, interface with residents and the publisher and some editing.

Last night I had an 'interview' with the board. Wow--took me back to my working days as I stood up and listed my 'qualifications', why I wanted the job and expalined my sons' role in helping me. I don't know if we will get the job, but here is my followup thank you email.

One should *always* write a thank you note after an interview! That I learned in my years of interviewing others and being interveiwed myself. This is good chance for my boys to learn about job interviewing ettiqute as well. Lots of opportunity for learning everywhere in life.... planting seeds for the future...

Dear K---,

Thank you for inviting me to the board meeting last night, as I enjoyed meeting everyone. Please let me know if you or any others have further questions for me. I truly look forward to working with all of you on the newsletter if you determine I am the best candidate.

My sons and I would really appreciate this opportunity and to reiterate, they will be helping in many capacities, but I will oversee and ensure seamless service to our residents as well as a professional interface with the publisher.

Do you know when you all will be making your decision? I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks again,

Cindy Kelly

Wish us luck!

Writing and Life

Yesterday I got to read the first chapter of a story my oldest is writing. He wanted me to wait until the entire chapter was complete and then made sure I didn't see notes of plot ideas he had at the end of the document.

He printed it out for me, and I got a fresh cup of decaf, made myself comfy on the couch and dove in.

Note: I am a proud mama, and this is my blog, so I will probably be gushing here. But I get to. You can gush on your blog (or in my comments.. I love gushing!)

As I read the chapter, I, as Mom, could see so much behind it. Little jokes or witticisms that truly encompass his sense of humor. The names of the characters have some history behind them that only a member of the family could discern, but other characters namings remind me a lot of JRR Tolkien's, since he is a big influece in the writing of both sons.

As I read a description, such as 'light filtering onto the forest floor', I caught myself wondering where he pulled that from. Was it a trip we made to the redwoods in California when he was little? A movie he saw? A nature hike we took in Ohio? Or maybe a book he read?

As I read on, with more descriptions, character development, dialog, I realized this little bit of writing is a reflection of his life and experiences thus far. It was fun when I could relate to one in particular and maybe know where it came from, but also fun to hear him come up with something brand new and wonder where it came from.

This ds will be 17 this month, and the past few months have been one of those transitions. We can all list the big ones, even if they are gradual and we don't see them coming:
- Newborn to babyhood and recognizing the world
- Toddlers ready to take on the world fearlessly
- Adolescents coming into thier own
-Teens and all the push pull it requires

I know which one it is: to adulthood. As he makes that path, I feel very lucky that he writes as it helps me see a small slice of the culmination of ideas and impressions he has garnered that are making up who he is.

[Ok, if you are reading this ds, no pressure on your writing. I don't always get this deep. But if you ever write a story with a mean mother in it, you better be careful, and not name her Syndee. lol ]

Yesterday I went to an neighbor's and we had a glass of wine and talked. She is 74.

She asked me about the boys, amazed at their age and height and what the boys want to be when they 'grow up'. I told her they have not pinpointed it, but they both like to write. Now that ds is 17 it is becoming more real that he will be doing something, working out there in the world. I hope he writes. We need some sane writers, especially in the media. And he likes to write, likes working with words.

But, again, I see this gradual transition happening. In the past like most moms, I would think about what they would 'be' how to prepare them, what subjects to cover, etc. But now that I am almost on the other side, I am seeing how truly important it is to nurture their interests, make them important and be involved. Focus on strengths and manage weaknesses.

God is also in his wisdom (at least I am guessing this is a God-thing)- putting just the right people in my path. Of course my dear homeschool friends. But also those and other moms whose kids are up and gone. And love their life post-kids. Well they still have their kids, but they have 'grown up' kids.

Just last week at my spinning class (a new endevor for me) I met a women who has three kids, all grown. She was telling me yesterday how fun it is to be a grandma. I need to hear that. My neighbor said the same.. that she and her dh traveled the world together and have had a very full life.

This is good--- being a mom of babies, then little ones is good.. and then teens... but there is life after. And I am on my way there... like it or not.. but I know I will like it.

I look forward to these adults I am going be have in my life.... :)

Want a Joyful Break?

Go check out
Donna's site today... just makes me want to go over to her house, sip wine and watch the tomtatos grow!

I loved it when she talked about what she did when she got a bit down in the dumps. Went and created something. What wonderful advice.

Quotes on Freedom

As we have pondered freedom and what it really means, I found these quotes from The Bravewriter Blog

Why is freedom important? It is all about economics and wanting power and money? I watched The Crossing, about the first major battle led by Washington (where he crossed the Delaware), which turned the tide of the war.

Washington was showing his disgust for the German Hessions against whom he was fighting for Trenton. They were paid mercenaries, fighting not for principle but for money.
His advisor said to him that it is really all economic. Washington himself was fighting for money. The colonists didn't like taxes, the British wanted the wealth. Is that all they were fighting for? When is fighting and war acceptable?
This runs deep especially with our faith and the concept of 'just war'.

I am still working this out, but I think the quotes below shed some light. Still a current topic in our times.

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!

–Benjamin Franklin

Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you. I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.

–John Adams (1735-1826)

Four freedoms: The first is freedom of speech and expression - everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of everyone to worship God in his own way, everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want . . . everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear . . . anywhere in the world.–

Franklin D. Roosevelt U.S. President



(By the way, in an endnote in the movie it said that 16,000+ German mercenaries came over to be paid warriors. 10,000+ returned home. Of those left many thousands were estimated to have survived and settled here, to become part of our America.)

Spinning

I am doing a Tour de France with my local YMCA- where we do spinning workouts all through July and they roughly follow the Tour De France bicycle race.

Here are some links:
What is Spinning?

Virtual Tour De France - my blog charting my spinning and other health goals for July.

It is really a fun challenge!

Another Doggy Family

(titles are not working on blogspot this morning...!)

Boys and I met a homeschool family who just moved here. Get this: They love dogs maybe more than we do!

Very nice family and they have 3 boys, aged 13-17. The 17yo is a dog groomer and they just bought a shop nearby and he bascially runs it. He has been grooming since he was 13- really neat kid.

We plan to take Boomer and Ralph there when they are due for their next pedicures... :)

Yesterday we went to their house and they have 4 dogs! (used to have 5..) And the mom has a favorite.. and I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone.. this dog reminded me so much of Boomer. Older, big brown eyes, but he is a beagle. A bit chubby and creaky like Boomer, named Mr. Beagle.

As my friend showed me around their house, Mr. Beagle followed her everywhere. I inquired and it turns out they have a very similar relationship to Boomer and me. If she sews, he is under the table. If she moves to the office, he follows. He has Mommy Radar just like Boomer!

We enjoyed a nice afternoon and the boys have several common interests... Video games, Star Wars, LOTR, history. The 17yo introduced the boys and me to the world of miniatures- little figure from LOTR or Star Wars, which you paint and then play strategy games. Very interesting.

Think one or more of the boys will join us as the guys start up a new disucussion group... on Star Wars. They are trying to decide whether to do books, movies or both.

I enjoyed meeting them so much- a very unschooly family and full of interests and life.

Also enjoyed hearing how she is decorating her house... lots of fun to see her ideas, and also check out their bookshelf! The oldest is a Civil War buff, so we saw many favorites.

I hope they enjoy it here in Houston.. she told me they were SHOCKED at the cheap housing prices (compared to Virginia..) she was online and kept thinking the site had errors when she saw our prices! Now, that is a GOOD thing about Houston! lol

"It makes you let go of something. And it makes you hold on to something."

PEGGY NOONAN

On Letting Go
How we become American

Friday, June 29, 2007 12:01 a.m. EDT

Happy Fourth of July. To mark this Wednesday's holiday, I share a small moment that happened a year ago in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I was at a wake for an old family friend named Anthony Coppola, a retired security guard who'd been my uncle Johnny's best friend from childhood. All the old neighborhood people were there from Clinton Avenue and from other streets in Brooklyn, and Anthony's sisters Tessie and Angie and Gloria invited a priest in to say some prayers. About a hundred of us sat in chairs in a little side chapel in the funeral home.

The priest, a jolly young man with a full face and thick black hair, said he was new in the parish, from South America. He made a humorous, offhand reference to the fact that he was talking to longtime Americans who'd been here for ages. This made the friends and family of Anthony Coppola look at each other and smile. We were Italian, Irish, everything else. Our parents had been the first Americans born here, or our grandparents had. We had all grown up with two things, a burly conviction that we were American and an inner knowledge that we were also something else. I think we experienced this as a plus, a double gift, though I don't remember anyone saying that. When Anthony's mother or her friend, my grandmother, talked about Italy or Ireland, they called it "the old country." Which suggested there was a new one, and that we were new in it.

But this young priest, this new immigrant, he looked at us and thought we were from the Mayflower. As far as he was concerned--as far as he could tell--we were old Yankee stock. We were the establishment. As the pitcher in "Bang the Drum Slowly" says, "This handed me a laugh."

This is the way it goes in America. You start as the Outsider and wind up the Insider, or at least being viewed as such by the newest Outsiders. We are a nation of still-startling social fluidity. Anyone can become "American," but they have to want to first.

It has had me thinking a lot about how people become American.





I don't know that when my grandfather Patrick Byrne and his sisters, Etta and Mary Jane, who had lived on a hardscrabble little farm in Donegal, on the west coast of Ireland, felt about America when they got here. I don't know if they were "loyal to America." I think they were loyal to their decision to come to America. In for a penny, in for a pound. They had made their decision. Now they had to prove to themselves it was the right one. I remember asking Etta what she'd heard about America before she got here. She said, "The streets were paved with gold." All the immigrants of the late 19th and early 20th century used that phrase.
When I was in college in the 1970s, I got a semester abroad my junior year, and I took a boat from England to Ireland and made my way back to Donegal. This was approximately 55 years after my grandfather and his sisters had left. There I met an old man who'd been my grandfather's boyhood friend. He lived by himself in a shack on a hill and was grateful the cousins I'd found had sent me to him. He told me he'd been there the day my grandfather, then a young man, left. He said the lorry came down the lane and stopped for my grandfather, and that his father said goodbye. He said, "Go now, and never come back to hungry Ireland again."

My grandfather had his struggles here but never again went home. He'd cast his lot. That's an important point in the immigrant experience, when you cast your lot, when you make your decision. It makes you let go of something. And it makes you hold on to something. The thing you hold on to is the new country. In succeeding generations of your family the holding on becomes a habit and then a patriotism, a love. You realize America is more than the place where the streets were paved with gold. It has history, meaning, tradition. Suddenly that's what you treasure.

A problem with newer immigrants now is that for some it's no longer necessary to make The Decision. They don't always have to cast their lot. There are so many ways not to let go of the old country now, from choosing to believe that America is only about money, to technology that encourages you to stay in constant touch with the land you left, to TV stations that broadcast in the old language. If you're an immigrant now, you don't have to let go. Which means you don't have to fully join, to enmesh. Your psychic investment in America doesn't have to be full. It can be provisional, temporary. Or underdeveloped, or not developed at all.

And this may have implications down the road, and I suspect people whose families have been here a long time are concerned about it. It's one of the reasons so many Americans want a pause, a stopping of the flow, a time for the new ones to settle down and settle in. It's why they oppose the mischief of the Masters of the Universe, as they're being called, in Washington, who make believe they cannot close our borders while they claim they can competently micromanage all other aspects of immigration.





It happens that I know how my grandfather's sister Mary Jane became an American. She left a paper trail. She kept a common-place book, a sort of diary with clippings and mementos. She kept it throughout the 1920s, when she was still new here. I found it after she'd died. It's a big brown book with cardboard covers and delicate pages. In the front, in the first half, there are newspaper clippings about events in Ireland, and sentimental poems. "I am going back to Glenties . . ."
But about halfway through, the content changes. There is a newspaper clipping about something called "Thanksgiving." There are newspaper photos of parades down Fifth Avenue. And suddenly, near the end, there are patriotic poems. One had this refrain: "So it's home again and home again, America for me./ My heart is turning home again, and there I long to be./ In the land of youth and freedom beyond the ocean bars/ Where the air is full of sunlight, and the flag is full of stars."

Years later, when I worked for Ronald Reagan, those words found their way into one of his speeches, a nod from me to someone who'd made her decision, cast her lot, and changed my life.

I think I remember the last time I told that story. I think it was to a young Mexican-American woman who was a speechwriter for Bill Clinton. I think she completely understood.

God bless our beloved country on the 231st anniversary of its birth.

Ms. Noonan is a contributing editor of The Wall Street Journal and author of "John Paul the Great: Remembering a Spiritual Father" (Penguin, 2005), which you can order from the OpinionJournal bookstore. Her column appears Fridays on OpinionJournal.com.

Peggy Noonan's Site

Our Freedom Cake

I have always wanted to make one of these... it was yummy and easy!

No, we could not figure out how to get all 13 stripes on. But we got 48 blueberres in our 6X8 configuration.. so just plopped Alaska and Hawaii right on top of the others! lol

FOURTH OF JULY FLAG CAKE

1 pkg. yellow or chocolate cake mix (we used yellow- choc is reserved for b'days)
2 pts. fresh blueberries
3 pts. fresh strawberries
3 c. whipping cream (do not use whipped topping in aerosol can)
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

Bake cake according to package directions in 9 x 13 inch pan. Cool. (May be made ahead and frozen). Set on serving plate or board. Whip cream with confectioners' sugar. Cut strawberries in half lengthwise. Spread cream evenly around sides of cake.
Using a pastry bag, pipe (or spread with a spatula) rows of cream alternating with rows of strawberries for the flag "stripes". Make a background of blueberries in the upper left-hand corner, then pipe stars on top to create the "star" section of the cake.

(I just spread the cream all over and placed the fruit.. next time I will try it their way...)

If making the cake ahead, arrange fruit several hours before serving. Add cream up to an hour before serving.

Serves 12.

( I found we didn't need all the whipped cream or fruit to make the cake, but served the extra on the side)

Our Independence Day

I have been thinking a lot lately about what I want my boys to learn. Leonie has had an interesting discussion on her blog about what she requires in homeschooling.

"Requirements" is a completely different post, which I am formulating in my head and hope to post soon. To me it is not a certain list, but a way of life. More on that later.

But, as I was thinking about what ideas or ideals I want my boys to ponder in these learning years, the topics related to our celebration of America's independence rose to the top.

We live in a difficult time, one of many in history. As it said in scripture, we are in a time in which what is good is bad, what is bad is good, what is up is down and down is up. Today that is called political correctness. If one publicly asserts a moral code they are attacked as being intolerant or worse. And, so of course patriotism has become confused in the mire and is often branded as racism.

With immigration things are even more confusing. It begs the question of whether we can be a soverign nation within the culture of political correctness. And more fully, can we be a Christian nation in action and principle, welcoming to all peoples as our faith teaches us, while also protecting our nation and nurtuing its future.

This post will not try and answer those questions, but they are things I ponder and I share with my sons. They will be living in this world a generation past all of us and our grandchildren will inherit it after them. What kind of world will they live in? And what will our country look like in that global scenario? Our children will be facing these issues and hopefully will be leaders in thought and action.

I heard a survey yesterday that by 3 to 1 Americans think things will be worse for our children and not better. But there are voices who think they will be better. I want to be one of those voices. Prayer is foremost. But secondly we must have knowledge.

I think the answers to this depends on us and our children understanding our country, where it came from and where it has the potential to go, all while translating through our faith and God's dominion.


The demographic face of the United States is changing. How does that square with the ideals first set forth for this country? Was the founding of our country based on race, religion or ethnic make up? Is there room for all?

When we look at the immigration at the end of the 19th century, we see a true melting pot. What was it that brought people to want to live here when there were no handouts, welfare or groups to protect and feed the poor? What brought them all here without guarantees?

As I read and research I find a common bond for the founding of America. It is based on a creed. Ideals. The ideals are that of freedom (religious, economic, etc) and democracy. That implied that if you came to this country, you were not guaranteed the security that a large government or monarchy could provide. But you could live your life in freedom. Thus, the majority of those who came were self-starters, hard workers and not in search of a mother country to take care of them.

That is what has led to much of America's economic success, we were founded by self-starters.

We also were founded by people who had a deep belief in God. For example, as the first Continential Convention was about to give up in frustration, Benjamin Franklin stopped the meeting and called for prayer. They ceased all discussion and prayed, and then went on to finish the job.

George Washington truly was a towering figure, the real father of our country, and I think we have lost a lot of that recognition today. He could have been King of America. He was offered that in lieu of being President. He flatly refused and King George III was amazed and greatly impressed by this truly magnificent man. These were the kinds of people who began our country, despite the writings of the revisionist authors of today.

How does that figure into the America of today, which is a very different country in a different world from that in the 1700's. Can our constitution and founding ideas carry us through for two more centuries? Are the ideas outdated?

That is what I want my family and I to explore. We are going back to the roots to understand who the people were and what they stood for when they broke away from King George III of England.

To me, that is the basis of being able to make sense of where America can go in the future. Are we still a creedo nation? We are especially no longer bound by race, economic group or culture. When we began we were 90% English and most completely Christian. But what bound us together were the founding ideals.

Are those ideals still enough to hold together our country? And if so, how do they translate to guide us in our current issues of immigration, world policy, environmentalism, welfare, and a host of others.

What I want to give my boys is a foundation from which to be able to sort out the world and have vision into the future. Like the wonderful quote: Those who do not understand history are bound to repeat it." I feel that if we don't understand the roots of where we come from we can't know where we are going. Or if it is worth the trip, and particularly if it is worth fighting for.

Because we are currently in a fight to save our nation, from threats without and within.

We are starting with some basic review of the founding of the nation. We read some nice Sonlight and other books in past years, as well as study of our government and how it works. We have read through the Declaration of Independence and Constitution briefly in years past. All along we have followed current events, elections, politics and world events.

I hope to review our founders and history again with an eye to applying it to today's issues. Also we are reading from ,The Spirit of America edited by William Bennett, which takes original writings from the framers of our country. We hear straight from them how they foresaw this country.

If their vision is no longer valid, then really the country is up for grabs. So let's see what they had to say!

God Bless America and the whole world--

Happy Independence Day... and with all the problems of America, I want to remember what an awesome country this is.

I think it is very, very easy to take our freedom for granted.

Small Investment, Big Results!

I finally took some time to organize my 'favorites' in my browser.

Oh, what a pleasure it is to be able to find all the sites and blogs I want at my fingertips! I could see getting addicted to organization!

Take 30 minutes and organize something today.. it is a real rush!

Every Age Has Its Goals...

Great comics pages today! For those of you who don't get the paper, never fear. Boys and I read them each morning and I post the best ones right here on this blog! --ck

I Don't Blame the Dog... yuck... Duckwater!

No Wonder I Have an Ulcer...

Blind Date with a Librarian

Today I was up and out early, way before the library opened. I had a few books to return, so pulled up in the empty parking lot and dodged the raindrops and puddles to the bookdrop outside.

Glancing in the windows of the library I saw all was dark and quiet.

As I opened the door of the bookdrop I saw daylight through the lattice of the receptacle and could make out movement. There was a librarian inside collecting the books dropped last night. I could see the blur of her arms as she gathered the books.

"Good Morning!!" I chirped spontaneously!

Pause....

"Good Morning!" she returned.

Our annoynomous greetings given, I closed the door of the drop and scampered back to my car, the dreary day a bit brighter. I wonder which librarian it was?

Cat Sit Benefits

We are cat-sitting this week. This is our only feline customer and the work is very easy compared to some dogs we have dealt with over the years.

Last night after we had done our scoop/mail/lights/water/try-to-play-with-the-cat duties, we sat in the living room. We stay 30 minutes and I know Allie the Cat liked it. She was always nearby.

Youngest son said-
"This is pretty easy work."

I said-
"Well, that is life. Some days you get paid for easy work, other times you will have a very difficult job with little to no pay." (this was said in my best motherly-wisdom-voice)

He said-
"Well, it is really nice for you. You get to sit and read in a living room that is much neater than your own."

He is right!