Follow Friday Four Fill in Fun (how’s that for an alliteration!)

This week’s statements:

1. Lately, I have been feeling  a little___________

2. I am usually a ­­­­______

3. ________________________is always the best feeling at the end of the day

4. _________________________is the first thing I do in the morning

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My answers:

1. Lately, I have been feeling  a little numb. 

2. I am usually a ­­­­good mom and wife. (at least that’s what they tell me)

3.  Sitting with my husband is always the best feeling at the end of the day

4. Kiss my husband goodbye as he gets ready to leave for work is the first thing I do in the morning

Homeschool Mother’s Journal- School Is Next Week??

In my life this week…
…well Christmas was last week {oh, wait, no that was the first day of THIS week..} so I’ve been enjoying that. My dh was able to have 4 days off of work. It was great! Absolutely the best Christmas that I can recall in a long time. It was just the four of us- relaxed and enjoyable.

In our homeschool this week…
…there hasn’t been since the week before Christmas. But I must get planning for next week! All of my homeschool files were wiped out (along with every other file on my computer) by a virus. I did fortunately back up a few planning documents to an online place so have those to go by.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
…I will take any you can give!!

I am inspired by…
…Ann Voscamp. I discovered her blog when I first was looking into homeschooling and about the time I started blogging. And ridiculous as it sounds, I never bookmarked her site. Never. It is on my list of blogs I follow but I do not seem to get to read many blogs lately. But her posts seem to find me lately. When I’m not looking for them {or I don’t think I am}. Her posts make me cry often because I am not living up to what I could be. What God has offered me and knows I can be. She is inspiring. On Sunday last, Pastor said that church should more often convict you than make you feel warm and fuzzy. Amen. That is what Ann Voscamp’s blog does to me. Often.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
…no where and no one. At least there aren’t any plans. Sunday we will go to church and see all the people there and perhaps {I’m hoping} we will go back on Wednesday night. I’m supposed to be working next week but have no scheduled time as of yet. I think it is still 6 more hours of training, actually. We will go grocery shopping and possibly to the library.

My favorite thing this week was…
…it’d have to be Christmas ‘weekend’. The four days that my hubby was with us. It was so so nice.

What’s working/not working for us…
…things are going peachy! I’ll tell ya how next week goes however…

Questions/thoughts I have…
…where are all my files!? I sometimes will search for something on my computer and supposedly it is there but it isn’t there. Perhaps they are being hidden. They might still be there. Wouldn’t that be great.

Things I’m working on…
…thinking about thinking about school next week for the kids If I have work (which I am hopeful), I will need to make sure that the kids’ schedules are laid out well and without question. Nothing worse than coming home and them saying they didn’t know what to do.

I’m reading…
…The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, KJV Bible (Proverbs- I’m way way behind in my reading), Sherman: The Ruthless Victor by Agostino Von Hassell and Ed Breslin (it’s a review book that I keep putting off) and The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (historical fiction- set in 1893 at the World’s Fair)

I’m cooking…
…baking actually- bread today and not sure what’s for dinner. This week is shopping week so we are down to slim pickins!

I’m grateful for…
…the wonderful life that I have. I was watching a documentary of WWII and it hits home how easy we have it, in general, nowadays. Very grateful for all my many blessings.

I’m praying for…
…my friend Christy- she has some medical issues that we hope can be dealt with sooner rather than later; my mom- that she continues to lean on God in all that she does; my family- that we can look towards God in all that we do and make it a conscious effort all the time.

A quote to share…

If it matters, you make the time.

If it doesn’t, you make excuses. (Ann Voscamp)

New Year Goals

I don’t make resolutions- I always fail. Honestly, I don’t usually do goals either- seem a lot like resolutions. But goals help me define my purpose, I think. I’m a day-by-day kind of person and generally don’t think past the week’s end. {well, in most things}

Deciding that goals can be helpful- even if they aren’t written down- I’ve resolved {‘resolution’?} to make some goals for the New Year.

Here are my goals- separated into categories:

Spiritual:

• Foster a closer relationship with God {I hope to become more involved with our church and to make Bible reading and prayer a consistent part of my day again- I’ve missed the closeness that I used to feel; lately I feel like one of us is on vacation and I know God never leaves me…so it’s got to be me}
• Involvement with church family {mentioned above- there are classes and evening services that I can attend. This also includes my children becoming more involved with the church}
• Cleansing my heart and mind {sometimes tough but I know there are definitely habits I have that are not pleasing to God- they wouldn’t appear to be much in many people’s eyes but I’m more concerned with what God sees and thinks}

Home:

• Make my bed every day {this is something that I do most of the time but I want to make it a habit every day- even if my room is a mess, a made bed makes me feel better}
• Dust at least once a week {dusting is my nemesis- even more so than dishes}
• Keep clutter to a minimum {our house is big but it still can get cluttered in corners, making it look dirty- and if it’s not being used or won’t be used, why keep it?}

Work:

• Be the best I can be at whatever I do {generic, I know, but I don’t know what job I will have throughout the year. I’ve let myself be a poor employee before because I didn’t like the job- I vow not to do that with any jobs I have this coming year}
• Apply for substitute teaching license {in Ohio one must have a Bachelor’s degree to be a sub- subbing will help with attaining hours needed for if/when I should want to go for a teaching degree}
• Make more products for sale in my Artfire Shop {this will require my thinking outside the box- I want to offer more variety}
• *Be the best teacher I can be {we did very well the first half of the school year but towards the end, I let things slide}
• *Make more definite goals for both of the kids in terms of school {Lee is undecided again whether she will go to college; Fox still is without direction at all}

*Those are a mix of personal, work and home. It’s all a mix when families homeschool, right?

Personal:

• Be friendlier {I’m not unfriendly, just mostly shy- I do so much better online!}
• Lose those last 10 pounds {keeping them off is a good goal as well }
• Invite families to our house {in the entire 15 years I’ve been married someone has been to our house perhaps 4 times…can you say ‘anti-social’??}
• Find volunteer opportunities for the kids and myself {I miss the library in Goshen County, WY, but I want something more meaningful- helping the homeless; working at a foodbank; or helping with a clothing drive; etc}

Those are my goals- my resolutions, if you will. I don’t know what the next year holds but if I wait on God and follow His lead, I know that it will be just fine. I may have trials and disappointments but those will strengthen me and when I am tried I hope I will come forth as gold (Job 23:10).

Book Review: Lilies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman

Lilies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman
ISBN: 978-1601421388
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah
Retail: $14.99

He’d lost his zest for life. She was just lost. Will they find the healing and love they long for?
After a roaring night on the town, fun-loving flapper Lilly Margolis, dazed and disoriented, twists her ankle and falls into the backyard of a wealthy family where the effects of the Great War—over for more than half a decade—are still endured. Inside the walls of the Burnside mansion, Cullen Burnside, a disillusioned and disfigured veteran, and his widowed mother, Betty Ruth, who daily slips a little further into dementia, lead a lonely existence … until Lilly. Whimsical, lighthearted, and beautiful, she rejuvenates their sad, disconnected lives and blossoms in the light of their attention.
But Lilly, like Cullen, is hiding from a painful past. And when Cullen insists on returning her to her faraway home, their budding attraction seems destined to die on the vine. The resulting road trip becomes a journey of self-discovery—but what will Cullen and Lilly find at journey’s end?

The beginning of this book caught my attention right away. The sense of Lilly living for acceptance and unfortunately just looking for her next fun episode, most likely at the hands of a man looking for one thing in return, was very well done. There is no foul language nor explicit scenes in this book. Lilly is the picture of beauty and modernity (for the 1920s), she knows how to get what she wants from men but it means giving a little more of herself. I got the impression though that Lilly didn’t really know what she wanted in the first place.

I really enjoyed the exuberance that Lilly is given. When I read the portions where her life is described, even the mundane, it held an air of excitement. Soon, soon, something fun and exciting was going to happen. Just a matter of time. Then when we meet Cullen Burnside, the writing lends a more somber, subdued quality. Muted. Put these two together and it works great.

I found this book to be well written. The excitement of the ‘flappers’ during the 1920s can be felt through Lilly and Betty Ruth Burnside. But it is definitely more about finding what a person truly values and what they find to be worth going for than just being accepted by the world. For Lilly it was beauty on the surface but ultimately it was love and acceptance by even just one person. For Cullen it is somewhat the same; he comes to realize that he is not the scars that are the result of time spent in war.

Cullen’s determination to treat Lilly not like ‘one of those girls’ frustrates both himself (he is quite a gentleman throughout the entire book) and Lilly but in the end it helps Lilly to see things clearly; her life, herself, her faith. It does the same for Cullen; he can be loved, he walks out in faith, and sees more clearly about how he feels.

Other characters include Dina (Lilly’s ‘flapper friend’), Eugenia (Mrs. Burnside’s maid), Miles (the Burnsides’ driver), Ella (Lilly’s mother), the Tatters (owners of a cabin site where a road trip takes the main characters to near the end of the book), and a few others. A character that I gather is in Pittman’s other books is Dave Voyent- a sports journalist.

Pittman smoothly brings Jesus’ love into this book. Lilly realizes that Jesus sees past her sins, loves her and accepts her. That is worth more to her than the love of her mother or Cullen. I won’t spoil the ending but personally I expected a different end- some may not be surprised

I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. I give it .

Kindle Fire- What’cha Got?

Well, I’ve had hmmm, 11 days to get to know my Fire. So, what can it do? I won’t ask “what can’t it do?” because there’s plenty it cannot do. I’m a realist, sorry. It is not an iPad, people.

It works great for checking my email and checking on Facebook. It also works well when someone links to a website (in email or on FB) that I want to read.

Here are a few photos {I changed the screen to bright for better photos this time }:

 

  

First two are the screen when it is first turned on {the bottom ‘shelf’ are my Favorites- and you can see the stylus I purchased for my Fire}; next two are the upper part of the screen at the ‘home’ screen [indicators show ‘settings’ button, wifi connection and battery life] {it shows you how far you’ve advanced in each book at the top right corner of the book [percentage]}; last is my ‘carousel’ [what I have recently looked at or has been recently downloaded onto the Kindle].

The carousel can be cleared by placing your finger (or stylus) on the book or ‘item’ until a little box pops up with choices (sometimes you will be given other options)

Here is what it looks like when I am browsing online. Facebook, of course

The visibility/quality is good for reading online [but it is small print unless you double click to zoom or ‘pinch’ and stretch- check out the video below]. I can read it but sometimes I zoom in.

It works fine when I want to fill out a survey {I got 10% off from Old Navy} or to fill out a form online {required for the TOS Homeschool Crew often} . It works great to get things from Amazon (of course ). Here is a short and very quiet (purposely) video of me going online and browsing Kindle Free Books.

I have always had trouble selecting “Kindle” on Amazon.com- sometimes it takes me way too many tries. You’ll see me click on “Top 100 Free” more than once also... issues.

My Fire won’t read to me So sad… As much as I dislike the robotic voice on my 2nd Generation, I really liked the option at least. Perhaps I had gotten used to her {I prefer ‘her’ to ‘him’}. From what I understand one would need to purchase an mp3/audio in order to get it to read to you. In that case, I’m content reading on my own

It will download amazingly fast the apps I ‘purchase’ from the App Store at Amazon {I don’t pay for much}. The books available from Amazon are sent directly to my Kindle Fire {just like with my other Kindle}. Also with my Kindle Fire, I noticed I get Prime membership for a month. Nice! Saved me quite a bit on shipping already but not just that, Prime-members also get free video streaming {the selection is somewhat limited} for the length of the membership. Oh, and then there is that Prime-members-Kindle-Fire-owners-thing with the Lending Library… I haven’t checked that out yet.

For now that’s enough I will be doing more posts {hopefully} after I learn more about it. I really really am looking forward to when Fire owners can download directly from places such as Gutenberg and ManyBooks. That will be awesome.

*all links that go to Amazon.com are affiliate links

It’s Been A Good One! Here’s To Another Good Year

2011
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In terms of so much, 2011 has been quite a good year. In specific blog terms, it’s been fairly good. There have been quite a few book reviews, TOS Homeschool Review Crew posts, some neat giveaways and many many life in general posts. Fortunately, I also had a lot of photos on my blog.

This month, unfortunately, my computer was struck with a virus that wiped out all of my personal files and photos. All of our homeschooling files are gone. All of my personal, review and random photos and images are gone. But also this month I found out my degree was awarded from Eastern Oregon University and I was hired at H & R Block as a Client Services Professional. 

Although it is sad that my computer has been compromised (it still doesn’t sound right), it is only one small thing in the larger scheme of things. Even if I do not get those things back, it is okay. Life goes on.

I planned to do a recap of my blog…but not of the year, of the entire life of my blog. This blog started under the url www.northlaurelhome.blogspot.com in February 2010 and was switched to www.nlfamily.net around October 2010. I figured the shorter url would be easier to remember (for me as well as others!). My blog reached 50 followers between August and October of 2010; 100 followers in April of this year. There are now 175 followers- I’m very grateful for all those who follow.

Here are a few of the most popular posts (over the life of my blog):

• Downloading Books onto the Kindle for PC
• Up and Coming- And Going!
• Kindle Collections Manager
• Posting from My Kindle
• Our School Room and Not Back to School Hop

It seems there is a trend… (hint: Kindle lol)

And more specifically of this year on the blog {and in our life}. It started with a New Years’ post. It is interesting to look back on our school plans. It also started with reflections on what Jesus’ transfiguration gives us, the opportunity if affords {I think I had forgotten it…}. Fox used k12.com for the remainder of the 2010/2011 school year {and it didn’t go well, in my opinion}. In February, probably due to my research for my senior project, I reflected on sustainability and Christianity. I posted more about my Kindle {much more lol}. Lee started her first real job! {Fox also acquired a job in March} In March I reapplied to the TOS Homeschool Review Crew and made the choice to use my blog for revenue. April brought about more responsibility by the kids for their own school schedules. I posted a tutorial on how to make your own notecards and envelopes in May and June. We moved from Wyoming to Ohio in September. In June and again in November, I reflected on homeschooling, what I expected and why I do it.

When I sat down to write this post, I tried to think back to the months of this year and what happened when. I can’t recall very much. I’m very thankful now that I’ve put it down on my blog. I am sure, though, that even though there has been much recorded here, it isn’t even a small portion of what’s really been going on in our lives. It has been a very good year.

I’d love to share photos but … sigh, I have none. Here is a post that has a few Christmas photos. We put lights up on our front window (inside) as well as the tree {it is a fake tree- gasp- with built in lights}. My dh put lights on his truck also. That is a first in all the 16 years I have known him to get so excited about Christmas. We have a good life here in Ohio and I am hopeful that the next year will be a good one as well.

Have a wonderful remainder of 2011 and here’s looking forward to a wonderful 2012!

Kindle Fire- Obviously I’m Spoiled

You may have heard that I received a Kindle Fire as a gift from my most wonderful husband for our 15th anniversary. Even if you didn’t- you did now.

I’ve loved my 2nd Generation Kindle. I still love it. It is wonderful for carrying hundreds of books wherever I go. And I can read on it for hours without eye strain. (Check out my review of Yesterday’s Classics ebook collection- you can see other photos of my beloved Kindle ) Love, love, love it!

The Kindle Fire looks so small but it is heavier than my Kindle. Attempting to show the difference in screens (e-ink vs back-lit), I forgot that I set my Fire to the lowest brightness. I’m so used to the Kindle not being ‘bright’ {and not straining my eyes} that I didn’t take into account that it would affect my photos. The screen is brighter on the Fire and not as bright on the Kindle, as they look in the photos, if that makes any sense at all.

 

I also set the reading screen on sepia to lessen the strain on my eyes so it looks a little odd in the photos. After reading for awhile, I forget that the page isn’t white!

Yes, I am spoiled and will not complain again. The end.

I am still trying to figure it all out. It appears, at first that I cannot download books directly from websites such as Gutenberg and Manybooks (my two favorites) but still can download to my computer and then upload via USB cable. I did put all of the books from my Kindle onto my Fire but have encountered some hiccups. I am not sure if this is usual or operator error {gauging from the discussions on Amazon.com about the Fire, it’s not my doing…hope it is fixed soon…}. Some of the books say that they cannot be put/read on my Fire and need to be removed. I click remove and then it gives the option to download. Almost all of my books are ones that have been free so they download free- again- but I worry/wonder if sometime I will come across one that will try to charge me. I won’t be happy if that happens.

But until it does- I am happy with my Fire.

And I can get totally consumed by play Angry Birds. My kids want to play with my Fire (the games) but I haven’t let them yet… give me some more time to enjoy having only my fingerprint smudges on the screen (click on that photo and you’ll see the little prints I’ve left lol).

I’ve used my Kindle since having the Fire and try to use it as a touch screen! Haha!

I’m hoping to have a few posts on what nifty things to do with the Fire…but that’ll come after the new year.

When Computers Go Bad

It should read “When People Who Are Bad Attack Computers”. My computer was attacked by some kind of virus that has slowly been deleting my personal files.

It is so heart breaking.

All my photos are gone. All my school documents are gone. All my kids’ school items are gone. My plans for this, that and the other thing are gone.

I’ve been able to get it to do a system restore but it isn’t at its old self. I thought things were okay…but my antivirus scanner can’t open files to scan them (permission denied) and my file folders are slowly disappearing.

It makes me sick to my stomach to think that years are gone from my computer (and really my life, since my memory often is only as good as the photos/documents I had on my computer) because someone out there just makes up these programs that attack computers. And what for? There is nothing on my computer that is of benefit to anyone else but myself and my family.

I’m mad and hurt but I do know that they are just ‘things’. Just things…

Lossolleff Co. Artfire Shop- Newest Items

 Gold Foil Small Notecard & Envelope Set in Small Box- $8.00 (free shipping-see end of post for code!)

These are small notecards; great for gift giving. Attach to a gift or as a little Thank You note. Made from premium acid/lignin free papers, the box measures 4.25 inches by 3 inches by .75 inches. The cards measure 3.5 inches by 2.75 inches. The envelopes measure 3.75 inches by just under 3 inches.
This set contains 4 flat notecards and 4 envelopes.

  

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 Gold Foil Small Notecard & Envelope Set in Small Box- $8.00 (free shipping-see end of post for code!)

Much like the previous set, these feature the same colors and designs but they are different. Most of the items I make are one-of-a-kind (there aren’t two identical!). These, as the previous, have coordinated flat cards to match the envelopes.

Made from premium acid/lignin free papers, the box measures 4.25 inches by 3 inches by .75 inches. The cards measure 3.5 inches by 2.75 inches. The envelopes measure 3.75 inches by just under 3 inches.
This set contains 4 flat notecards and 4 envelopes.

 

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 Fairy Themed Small Notecard & Envelope Set in Box- $10.00 (free shipping-see end of post for code!)

For the fantasy/fairy tale person in your life (or is that you?), these would make a nice gift or Thank You cards. Each envelope comes with a flat card in a complimentary color.

Made from premium acid/lignin free papers, the box measures 4.25 inches by 3 inches by .75 inches. The cards measure 3.5 inches by 2.75 inches. The envelopes measure 3.75 inches by just under 3 inches.
This set contains 6 flat notecards and 6 envelopes.

  

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Visit my Artfire Shop to see all my other items.

    
Cowboy Themed Small Notecard & Envelope Set in Box- $8.00

  
Cowboy Themed Small Notecard & Envelope Set in Box- $8.00

 
Western Themed Small Notecard & Envelope Set in Box- $8.00

  
Western Themed Small Notecard & Envelope Set in Box- $8.00

  
Paisley Themed Small Notecard & Envelope Set in Box- $10.00

All these sets come in a little box with flat notecards and envelopes, hand made. Each notecard, envelope and box was measured, cut and assembled by yours truly (no fancy machines!). As a set, these would make great gifts.

Now if you’ve read this far you will find the code for FREE shipping on any of the Stationery Boxes* in my Artfire shop: BLOGFREESHIP
*Hurry! It’s only for 5 days!

Do not share this code with others but feel free to direct them here to get it!