I thought after yesterday's post of my Green Cabinet organization that it might be nice to share some of my links on Organization.
Below are a few Flickr photo groups I have found inspiring. Please share any other groups you know of.
Flickr Groups
Operation: Sewing Room Organization
I've posted photos before of the Green Cabinet in our Dining Room, but I don't think I've ever shown the inside of the cabinet.
Here is the Green Cabinet shown again standing in the corner with our wine rack which holds decorative bottles.
The cabinet holds some of our school supplies but had gotten quite messy lately. I decided this week that it had to be tidied. Let's take a look at the results.
Not perfect, but better. I really should have taken a before photo.
Shall I tell you about each shelf?
Here are the top three shelves:
The top shelf holds two free brass planters - one with colored pencils and the other with markers. I plan to spray paint these planters soon. I'm thinking a blue or green.
The second shelf holds pens and pencils. The white milk glass cup holds pens and highlighters. Ten years ago, it held toothbrushes in our bathroom. The large white jar used to be part of a kitchen canister set and now holds our unsharpened pencils. The blue star tin cup is where we keep the sharpened pencils and erasers. The tin cup is from Target's dollar section.
The third shelf holds our stapler and tape dispenser. The white tub has our scissors, staple remover, calculator, hole puncher, and compass, but it held baby wipes long ago. It was long, long ago because my youngest child is nearly twelve-years-old. This sturdy container has been very useful all these years.
The fourth shelf has a large, blue metal bin from the thrift store with all of our crayons in it. The little blue tins has our Crayon Twistables. It came from Target just like its twin above.
On the fifth, and bottom, shelf we have our watercolor pencils, a box of index cards, and our index card binders. The box for the index cards actually was part of a small paper shredder years ago. The part that sat on top broke ages ago, but I saved the the hard plastic box and it has been very helpful.
So, that's my tour of the Green Cabinet. I hope you enjoyed a look inside this useful (and free) piece of furniture.
I suppose I should have known, but I didn't. Obviously, I should pay better attention because I was simply shocked to find out...that the IKEA chalkboard is magnetic. This will really transform our lives. How? I have no idea, but a magnetic chalkboard is an amazing feat of technology and I must reap the benefits - whatsoever they may be.
Above you can see my overachieving chalkboard working her heart out by holding a Columbia Restaurant magnet while simultaneously displaying fractions AND guarding our clothespin doll collection. Quite the skilled kitchen helper, isn't she? She definitely deserves a gold star.
This weekend, H went after his Honey-do list with a passion and one item he marked off the list was hanging some items above my sewing desk in the Family Room.
In one of my very first blog posts (back in 2005), I mentioned a great organization show called Neat. I recently started watching the show again - thanks to the FitTV channel and my DVR. Neat is a great source of organization inspiration and I was pleased this week to discover that the host, Hellen Buttigieg, has her own website, ezine, and blog. Buttigieg is also on Twitter. Four more ways to get inspired about organization - isn't that neat?
Monday we participated in the GBBC 2010 and enjoyed ourselves much. This was the most I have exerted myself since my brain surgery in November, so I was very tired afterwards. We stayed in our own neighborhood and didn't travel the local trail, as we usually do. Because of this, we didn't spot as many birds as in past years, but I think we still did well.
Here's our tally:
See? Not too bad. As you can see, we found many water birds - thanks to the three ponds in our tiny neighborhood.
The best part of the bird count was that we got a chance to see a newly laid clutch of Muscovy eggs.
A few photos from the bird count:
Shakepeare's plays are an integral part of our homeschooling curriculum. We typically read three of them per year - one play during each school term. After four years of this, we've read most of the most famous ones:
We will finish this school year with Romeo and Juliet and something else.
The reason for all this Shakespeare is for enjoyment, yes, but also because these plays influence our world. From the World War II miniseries Band of Brothers (Henry V) to the TV show Lost (The Tempest), the Bard of Avon touches everything.
If you also enjoy Shakespeare, you might like to participate in Extreme Shakespeare and read 38 plays in 38 days. Sounds fun...and hectic. I'm not sure I have the time. For those interested, the 38:38 group reading challenge begins March 1 and ends on April 7. Check the calendar for the schedule of books. Oh, I just realized something. If the challenge had begun yesterday, it could coincide with the 40 days of Lent - though I don't think Shakespeare would actually qualify as a Lenten sacrifice.
The picture above is a lovely blank journal I found at a thrift store. I was attracted by the graphic, but the pun makes me smile.
I took a poll of the children's favorite plays. D chose Twelfth Night and The Tempest. S chose Henry V and Twelfth Night. I think I love all of the soliloquies and monologues the best.
Do you have a favorite Shakepeare play?
Today is not Presidents Day (or, Presidents' Day). We are actually celebrating Washington's Birthday. Sorry, Abe, no Federal holiday for you.
But Washington's Birthday isn't celebrated on George Washington's actual birthday. We celebrate it every third Monday in February to give many Americans a three-day weekend. Washington was really born on February 22, 1732 - according to the Gregorian calendar. We use the Gregorian calendar now, but when the stork brought baby George to Augustine and Mary Washington the world was using the Julian calendar. Thus, George was really, truly born on February 11, 1731. Confused? I think I am. This Slate article attempts to clear up things.
Poor George! His birthday keeps moving around the calendar and he has to share his special day with a gaggle of other guys - most of whom he never knew and probably wouldn't like.
Speaking of George Washington, we had so much fun visiting his house, Mount Vernon, during our DC vacation last spring. I think it is one of the best homeschool field trips we've taken. Few things compare to touching a tree planted by George Washington.
While the rest of us are waiting for Hollywood to churn out a Lord of the Rings prequel (The Hobbit), Kate Madison of England has put together an amazing one-hour movie telling the story of Aragorn's parents using her life savings, donations, and over 400 unpaid actors.
Here is the trailer:
Can you believe Madison pulled this movie together for 25,000 pounds? Imagine what she could do with a Hollywood budget. Eat your heart out, Peter Jackson.
I watched the whole movie this morning and was very impressed. If you enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then I think you'll like Born of Hope.
Also, Closed Captioning is available for those us who are hard of hearing. Click on the up arrow on the bottom right of the movie screen and choose the "CC" option.
Here's Born of Hope:
I thought it was too late in the season to revisit our Snowman in a Bottle craft, but the Snowpocalypse has changed my mind.
From December 14, 2006:
These bottle snowmen were quite easy to make. I got the idea while I was washing the bottles (which formerly contained coffee drinks - I try to reuse such things whenever I can) and thought the metal lids looked very much akin to snowmen hats. After washing the bottles and removing the labels, I used a black Sharpie to "paint" the lids black. The kiddies and I filled the bottles with Poly-Fil for snow and used dots of Tacky glue and beads to make the faces. Bits and scraps of yarn, fabric, ribbon, and cord were used for the ties, scarves, and hats. Each snowman represents a family member.
Since today is the 170th anniversary of Queen Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert, I thought I would mention that The Young Victoria is a great movie and up for three Oscars this year. Although not completely accurate, the movie does show the turmoil Victoria lived under right before and right after becoming queen. It also shows how much Victoria and Albert loved each other, despite their's really being a political match. Last Sunday, my local PBS aired a one-hour documentary on Queen Victoria's early life. I wish I could link to it; it was very helpful in understanding the movie. If you can't view the documentary, then I recommend you read up on Victoria's childhood and early marriage. Knowing some background information will make watching The Young Victoria even more enjoyable.
For a well-done review of the movie, check out Laura's Miscellaneous Musings.
By the way, you can currently view an exhibition at Buckingham Palace related to Victoria and Albert's love of art. Some of the items are shown online, including Victoria's wedding brooch and the portrait she gave her new groom.
The Tim Tebow commercial which aired during the Super Bowl was supposed to lead to the destruction of life as we know it. This was the event that the Mayans warned would end the world.
Or not.
I'm waiting to hear a lot of backtracking today. More than likely, though, those who made such a ruckus will pretend nothing happened. Maybe being exposed for the Chicken Littles that they were will wake a few people up. I doubt it.
I hope the good folks at Focus on the Family are enjoying all the free press the pro-abortion folks have given them. This tempest in a teacup is still providing press this morning as most news outlets are discussing how non-controversial the ad was. Even the celebrity gossip website TMZ is shocked that this benign commercial was the source of so much hoopla:
After weeks of hype and outrage, the Super Bowl commercial with Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow finally aired Sunday night -- so what was all the fuss about?
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what the rest of us have been asking since the story on the Tim Tebow commercial first broke: What is all this fuss about?
In case you missed the ad, take a look for yourself:
A successful son and his loving mother - definitely a recipe for apocalyptic mayhem
It's almost time for another Great Backyard Bird Count. Seven more days, to be exact. This year's count will begin on Friday, February 12 and end on Monday, February 15. There will be prizes for the photo contest and a general prize drawing among all the participants. How nice! All of the prizes look great and would be helpful teaching aids in our homeschool; however, we love to participate in the count each year, regardless of potential prizes. It is great fun to look for birds and to contribute our collected data.
To participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, print a tally sheet for your area. Next, you will need to spend at least 15 minutes counting the birds in your area. You can observe in your own backyard or at the park down the street. Just make sure to keep a separate tally sheet for each location and for each day you participate. After you count your local birds, enter your tally at the Great Backyard Bird Count website.
After the bird count, scientists will use the data collected to answer many questions. That's why the bird count is so important.
Teachers and homeschoolers might like the free classroom materials available.
Here are the rules for the photo contest. Here are the galleries of photos from previous years.
If you don't have a bird guide book to help you with identification, you can look online for help. I often use eNature.com for identification. I take the closest photo possible and use it as a reference when I return home. In fact, I identify most flora and fauna in this manner.
I hope you all will join the Great Backyard Bird Count this year. Remember: it begins in only one week.
I know it's a bit late in the season to think of snowmen, but I wanted to show you this adorable miniature that D made for me. He's only 1 3/4 inches tall!
I asked her to make him look like a traditional snowman and she did. However, this little guy is made of polymer clay and toothpicks and he's been baked in the oven so I can keep him forever. No melting in the sun for this snowman.
Look at that long carrot nose. What a schnoz!
I'm very lucky to have such a talented and accommodating daughter.
As we study the Medieval Age this term, D is reading and discussing with me Thomas Cahill's "How the Irish Saved Civilization". Yesterday, she came upon a very interesting quotation from mystery and fantasy author and Christian apologist G. K. Chesterton:
For the great Gaels of Ireland
Are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry,
And all their songs are sad.
Isn't that so accurate? I have yet to meet an Irishman who didn't love a good fight, a melancholy song,..and a strong drink. I think many would agree with Chesterton.
The quotation comes from Chesterton's "The Ballad of the White Horse," a narrative poem published in 1911 about King Alfred the Great's defeat of the Danes in England.
Chesterton explains the ballad in his Prefatory Note:
This ballad needs no historical notes, for the simple reason that it does not profess to be historical. All of it that is not frankly fictitious, as in any prose romance about the past, is meant to emphasize tradition rather than history. King Alfred is not a legend in the sense that King Arthur may be a legend; that is, in the sense that he may possibly be a lie. But King Alfred is a legend in this broader and more human sense, that the legends are the most important things about him.
The cult of Alfred was a popular cult, from the darkness of the ninth century to the deepening twilight of the twentieth. It is wholly as a popular legend that I deal with him here. I write as one ignorant of everything, except that I have found the legend of a King of Wessex still alive in the land. I will give three curt cases of what I mean. A tradition connects the ultimate victory of Alfred with the valley in Berkshire called the Vale of the White Horse. I have seen doubts of the tradition, which may be valid doubts. I do not know when or where the story started; it is enough that it started somewhere and ended with me; for I only seek to write upon a hearsay, as the old balladists did. For the second case, there is a popular tale that Alfred played the harp and sang in the Danish camp; I select it because it is a popular tale, at whatever time it arose. For the third case, there is a popular tale that Alfred came in contact with a woman and cakes; I select it because it is a popular tale, because it is a vulgar one. It has been disputed by grave historians, who were, I think, a little too grave to be good judges of it. The two chief charges against the story are that it was first recorded long after Alfred¹s death, and that (as Mr. Oman urges) Alfred never really wandered all alone without any thanes or soldiers. Both these objections might possibly be met. It has taken us nearly as long to learn the whole truth about Byron, and perhaps longer to learn the whole truth about Pepys, than elapsed between Alfred and the first writing of such tales. And as for the other objection, do the historians really think that Alfred after Wilton, or Napoleon after Leipsic, never walked about in a wood by himself for the matter of an hour or two? Ten minutes might be made sufficient for the essence of the story. But I am not concerned to prove the truth of these popular traditions. It is enough for me to maintain two things: that they are popular traditions; and that without these popular traditions we should have bothered about Alfred about as much as we bother about Eadwig.
One other consideration needs a note. Alfred has come down to us in the best way (that is, by national legends) solely for the same reason as Arthur and Roland and the other giants of that darkness, because he fought for the Christian civilization against the heathen nihilism. But since this work was really done by generation after generation, by the Romans before they withdrew, and by the Britons while they remained, I have summarised this first crusade in a triple symbol, and given to a fictitious Roman, Celt, and Saxon, a part in the glory of Ethandune. I fancy that in fact Alfred¹s Wessex was of very mixed bloods; but in any case, it is the chief value of legend to mix up the centuries while preserving the sentiment; to see all ages in a sort of splendid foreshortening. That is the use of tradition: it telescopes history.
G.K.C.
You can read the entire ballad online. You can view the actual White Horse in Uffington, England.
An aerial view of the 374 foot White Horse.
It is an amazing Bronze Age landmark that was, sadly, unbeknownst to me.
Just another discovery made on a homeschooling rabbit trail.
Ok, either President Obama has a serious bowing fetish or he's getting a lice check. Really, I can't think of any other reason why the man would bow to Mayor Pam Iorio of Tampa, Florida. She's an Italian who was born in Maine and grew up in Temple Terrace, Florida, so we can't say it's an Asian or Middle Eastern custom.
All this bowing has me thinking of a cute little movie by my favorite pint-size actress:
While many were watching the Grammy Award Show, the children and I had our own TV viewing.
First, we watched "A Special Duggar Delivery". It was so sad to see the suffering of the Dugger parents and their tiniest baby. We're glad to hear that Josie is now doing well. The show will resume this Tuesday at 9pm Eastern Time. If you visit the TLC website, you can view photos of Baby Josie. You can also visit a forum and read silly and inane comments about the Duggars. I especially enjoyed the accusation that the Duggar children are uneducated about World Cultures. Most Americans do not send their children off to foreign countries to aid the indigenous population. That is more of an education than reading a textbook. What a logic fail!
Next, we viewed the rest of the "Emma" miniseries on PBS's Masterpiece Theater. Hooray! We loved it. Though it did not include all of our favorite lines or scenes and did have an anachronistic PDA (public display of affection), one member of the family has petitioned for this "Emma" to now be declared our Emma. Is this so long and farewell to faux British accents? No, I think we can love more than one Emma. However, for those of us who long to see a bit of post-wedding bliss (my daughter), this newest incarnation illustrated just how romantic Mr. Knightley was.
Just an aside: people always rave over Mr. Darcy, but I've always been a Mr. Knightley fan. I'm not talking about looks, just character. To me, Mr. Darcy is just too high maintenance and is really a "fixer-upper". Mr. Knightley, though, is nearly perfect and aptly named. Just wanted to get that off my chest. Thanks.
So, who is this Lady Gaga? (No, I don't really want to know.) Doesn't Gaga sounds like baby babble.
This page is a archive of recent entries written by Mrs. Happy Housewife in February 2010.
Mrs. Happy Housewife: January 2010 is the previous archive.
Mrs. Happy Housewife: March 2010 is the next archive.
I'll be frank here: I am the world's worst correspondent. Honestly, my closest relatives have to call me to find out if I received their important emails. And don't ask the age of that lovely stack of unused stationery on my desk.
However, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Below is a recent comment from a visitor and I'd like to respond in a new post because I have had many visitors lately with Trigeminal Neuralgia.
Dear TNFriend,
Thank you so much for your comment. It is wonderful to hear from another Trigeminal Neuralgia patient. I hope you are currently doing better than when you wrote me.
It is now a little over three months since my surgery. I know my scar photo was rather gross, but what looked so terrible was mostly surgical glue. The scar is much better and less Dr. Frankenstein now. It's also very smooth. My hair, like yours, covers the scar and the indentation in my skull. I don't touch the area because doing so makes my ear ache. As for the rest of my recovery, I feel normal again, though I don't have as much energy and it's unpleasant to hang my head down. I'm certainly not as afraid now of brain surgery. I feel a bit like a wine bottle with a popped cork.
I am so sorry to hear that you are not painfree, especially since this is a most horrible pain we live with. And it is terrible to have your hopes dashed when you expect the surgery to cure you. As to the success of my Microvascular Decompression: practically none. I'd say none at all, but, truly, I can eat and smile and laugh with a bit less pain than before my surgery. I think I have had far less improvement than most patients of MVD because of the fact that my trigeminal nerve was not in a typical situation for this problem.
As to side effects of the surgery: the attempt to deaden the nerve a little means I often use eye drops in my left eye and for a while I heard a frequent ticking noise in my head; now, I sometimes hear a roaring (like the sea) in my left ear. I've been told that healing can last more than six months. My surgeon has suggested that we try Stereotactic Radiation Therapy, but I am still waiting to see if I have any more improvement - to the chagrin of my husband who would like me to stop hurting.
I'd love to hear from you again. I'm also on Twitter, if you'd like to chat there. Thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment and I appreciate your prayers. You are in my prayers also.
Blessings,
Mrs. Happy Housewife