Starting the new school year with Creation vs. Evolution

If there's one thing I would go back and change if I could when homeschooling my older two children (grown and graduated now), it would be that I would have them watch more great educational videos online, instead of focusing mostly on textbooks.  

(And I would let them have more time to pursue something they were passionate about.  I'd rather have a kid who was passionate about something, anything - studying bugs, piano, building, classical literature, writing stories, etc. - than have a kid who did all the boring bookwork but never developed a passion in any one area.)   

Sometimes, for some people, watching things is more inspiring and memorable than reading about it.  It brings things to life more, helping you feel more and remember more.  My boys would have really enjoyed and benefitted from more educational videos.  There are so many interesting, good ones out there; what a shame we missed out on them.

So this year as I start school with my younger two, we are going to add some good videos, maybe starting our morning with them while the kids are still too groggy for reading.  And we are starting right from the beginning, with videos on creation.  God's Word and creationism has been under such attack in recent decades, and I want my boys to understand that science affirms - not contradicts - the Bible and a biblical worldview of creation.  I want to give them reasons now to believe it, before the world tears their faith down (which it attempts to do at every turn).  

I've always known!

When I'm online, I don't normally click on articles that are suggested to me, but I just had to check out this one: "What your dream home would be like based on your Myers-Briggs personality type", because at the beginning of the article, it showed a few different houses - one of which was a Hobbit hole - and I knew, just KNEW, that it would be my dream house according to my personality type (INFP).

And I had to see if I was right.

And so I pulled up the article, clicked on INFP, held my breath while muttering "Come on, be the Hobbit hole!  It's gonna be the Hobbit hole; I just know it!" ... and then ...

"Yes!  Hobbit hole!  I knew it!"

And I always known it.  Because like I said in this post years ago, I'm a Hobbit deep down.  I just know it.

It's Late Summer!

As a gardener, you know it's late summer when the sight of one more overgrown zucchini or ripe tomato makes you groan. 

Can I get an "Amen"!?!

Just had to share ...

Oh my goodness, I just made a sweet-and-sour cabbage recipe for the first time.

It smells like a biological weapon and tastes like vomit.

Never again!

And now you'll have to excuse me while I air the place out. 

Book-lovers will understand!

A conversation between my husband and me as we were leaving for a hike:

Me: Am I gonna need a book?

Him: No, we're just hiking.

Me: Yeah, but are we gonna stop anywhere for a few minutes where I might need a book to read?

Him: That's not the plan.

Me: I'm going back to get a book.

I'm not a fan of country music but ...

... this video is good, worth watching and sharing:

John Rich - Progress

Watch it before YouTube takes it down.

Books I Finished and Books I'm Starting

I’ve been working my way through a bunch of books right now.  I’ve always got several books going at once for different moods and different times of the day.  I prefer Christian/inspirational/Bible-based books (and the Bible itself, of course) in the morning and maybe right before bed (depending on how much anxiety I’ve got that day), relaxing ones in the lull between finishing lunch and starting dinner, and heavier books when I feel like I can handle heavier topics (which isn’t often lately, which is why I’ve gravitated towards children’s/young adult books). 

[Ugh, I’m so bummed!  I was driving home the other day from some stupid random outing, and I saw a “library book sale today” sign on the front of the library.  I missed the first, critical day of the area’s best library book sale by ONE HOUR!  I was so mad the whole rest of the day.  I LOVE library book sales.  Bummer!  But I did go the next day, when everything was all picked over, and I found a few random art books … and a book called The Gospel According to Tolkien.  SCORE!  I’ve been totally addicted to Lord of the Rings since lockdown 2020, so I was tickled pink to find this book.  Made it okay that I missed the sale the day before.  Well, not really, but kinda.]

Still think it wasn't a "plandemic"?

Watch this 2-minute clip, and see if you still think this whole coronavirus thing wasn't planned from the beginning:

BOMBSHELL: Video emerges where Fauci and others planned for a "Universal mRNA Flu Vaccine" which became the "COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine" because people were not afraid enough of the flu virus

Sounds a little familiar, doesn't it?  

An mRNA "vaccine" has been planned and they want people to take it ... but because it would take a decade to properly test it and get people to put faith in it, they need some sort of major disruption that would cause so much "excitement" that it would bypass "bureaucratic strings and processes," to circumvent the normal process of vaccine production and testing.  (That alone is very telling, that they know it should take a decade to do it all safely and to get people on board properly.  And yet, this coronavirus "vaccine" - a brand new type - was produced, tested, and shoved into most people's arms in just over a year after the virus spread worldwide.) 

"My God"

 Because I need some encouragement today, some hope:

"My God" by The City Harmonic

And two favorites: 

"Fell Apart"

"Praise the Lord"

Herbal or Homeopathic Remedies I use for Anxiety

[An excerpt from this post: Help for Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts] 

... Also, if you need it, do not be ashamed to get counseling or medication.  I think it's far worse to fall into a pit of despair than to get a little help.  After one of my most recent anxiety attacks which caused me so much stress that my neck got all tight, which caused me to have such a neck pain that I threw up every hour for half a day, which caused me to not have any food or water or sleep, which caused me to wake up at 3 in the morning and pass out into my husband's arms on the bathroom floor (I laid there barely able to move, thinking "I could die right now if I wanted to," and then my husband fed me ice chips till I felt a tiny bit better) ... I decided that I had to try taking something to help my anxiety.  I am not ready for medication yet, but I did look into herbal remedies.  While they don't take away the anxiety fully (can anything really?), they do take the edge off or help me sleep easier.  

Research everything for yourself, but I like herbal teas for stress or sleep (particularly with chamomile or passionflower or ashwaganda) ... and chamomile or lavender pills ... and Herb Pharm's "Relaxing Sleep" herbal supplement (it's disgusting but it helps, so put a dropperful in a tiny bit of orange juice before bed and take it like a shot) ... and Herb Pharm's "Passionflower" and "Good Mood" herbal supplements ... and Genexa Stress Relief tablets, and Bach's "Rescue Pastilles" (little homeopathic "candies" you suck on when you feel anxiety coming) ... and Bach's "Rescue Sleep Liquid Melts" ... and those little homeopathic "pearls" that you put under your tongue, particularly chamomilla, coffea cruda (my husband takes this when he starts buzzing after too much coffee, which can feel like anxiety coming on) and, my preferred one to take at the first tickle of anxiety, ignatia amara.  (I actually prefer Ollois brand of organic homeopathic pearls when I can get them.  FYI, I am linking to these sites just to show you the product, not because I order from them.  I get mine from our local Fresh Thyme store.)  

I believe God put a lot of good, healing properties in plants, and we would be fools not to utilize them.  And you know what?  Even if this stuff was just placebo, which I don't believe it is, I wouldn't care.  I'd still take them.  Because when you suffer from anxiety or depression, you'll take any help you can get, even if - especially if - it's just in your head.  Because, oftentimes, that's where the anxiety and depression stems from anyway.