Live Free Learn Free Blog » Musings <title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/wp-content/themes/thirteen/style.css" type="text/css" media="screen" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS 2.0" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="text/xml" title="RSS .92" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/rss/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Atom 0.3" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/atom/" /> <link rel="pingback" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/xmlrpc.php" /> <style type="text/css"> </style> <link rel='archives' title='August 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/08/' /> <link rel='archives' title='July 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/07/' /> <link rel='archives' title='June 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/06/' /> <link rel='archives' title='April 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/04/' /> <link rel='archives' title='March 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/03/' /> <link rel='archives' title='January 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/01/' /> <link rel='archives' title='December 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/12/' /> <link rel='archives' title='November 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/11/' /> <link rel='archives' title='October 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/10/' /> <link rel='archives' title='September 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/09/' /> <link rel='archives' title='August 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/08/' /> <link rel='archives' title='July 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/07/' /> <link rel='archives' title='June 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/06/' /> <link rel='archives' title='May 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/05/' /> <link rel='archives' title='April 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/' /> <link rel='archives' title='March 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/03/' /> <link rel='archives' title='February 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/02/' /> <link rel='archives' title='January 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/01/' /> <link rel='archives' title='December 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/12/' /> <link rel='archives' title='November 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/11/' /> <link rel='archives' title='October 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/10/' /> <link rel='archives' title='September 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/09/' /> <link rel='archives' title='August 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/08/' /> <link rel='archives' title='July 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/07/' /> <link rel='archives' title='June 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/06/' /> <link rel='archives' title='May 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/05/' /> <link rel='archives' title='April 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/' /> <link rel='archives' title='March 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/' /> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/xmlrpc.php?rsd" /> </head> <body> <div id="headwrapper"> <div id="header"> <h1 id="title"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog">Live Free Learn Free Blog</a></h1> </div> </div> <div id="wrapper"> <div id="content"> <div class="post" id="post-130"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/05/17/bread-and-tv/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Bread and TV">Bread and TV</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> May 17th, 2006 at 3:42 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>, <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>, <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/the-magazine/" title="View all posts in The Magazine" rel="category tag">The Magazine</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <p>My schedule has been thrown off recently. It’s 3:30 AM, and I’ve just finished making oatmeal honey bread. I’m wide awake, listening to terribly sad songs, editing articles, folding clothes, playing with the dogs. Who knows when I’ll get to sleep…. It’s not all bad, though. I mean, how often do you get to have warm, fresh bread in the middle of the night?</p> <p>Yesterday (or the day before - depending on how you look at it), we attended a homeschooling game day in Austin for the first time. Kenzie had a blast, and now he’s ready to learn the “real rules” for Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, Magic, etc. We’ve always made up our own rules as we went along, playing just for the fun of it.</p> <p><em>Live Free Learn Free</em> was featured in a <a href="http://wtkr.com/Global/story.asp?S=4896897">television news segment</a> on a station out of Virginia. I stumbled upon it yesterday and was astonished when the magazine was mentioned. Just click on “Leaving Normal School Behind” to watch. The article on the website probably does a better job explaining unschooling than the video does, but I’m not complaining. The video is definitely a positive one.</p> <p>Well, that’s the good TV news. The bad news is I’ve been contacted, yet again, by the Wife Swap team. This makes five times, now. They really want me to send them names of unschoolers, post their casting calls, etc. Gag. The show is scornful and patronizing, and I hope they never find their coveted unschooling family. But, no matter how many times I tell them this, they keep contacting me, again and again. In fact, they’re now offering $1000 if I find them a usable family. Ick. </p> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/05/17/bread-and-tv/#comments" title="Comment on Bread and TV">3 Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-129"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/05/01/fridgeful-of-groceries/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Fridgeful of Groceries">Fridgeful of Groceries</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> May 1st, 2006 at 2:30 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <p>I came back from my late night / early morning grocery trip loaded down with produce, dried beans, and other assorted goodies and realized my fridge was a disaster. I couldn’t store these beautiful fruits and veggies and such in my crowded, ugly, filled-with-old-left-overs fridge! So, I cleaned it. And cleaned it. And, yes, cleaned it some more. Now, much emptier and a bit better-smelling, it sparkles.</p> <p>Does anyone else do this?</p> <p>Probably… not. </p> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/05/01/fridgeful-of-groceries/#comments" title="Comment on Fridgeful of Groceries">5 Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-128"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/30/snack-tray-foods-and-a-fun-dessert/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Snack Tray Foods and a Fun Dessert">Snack Tray Foods and a Fun Dessert</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 30th, 2006 at 6:26 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>, <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <p>No, we never got any rain. Not surprising, really. Kenzie’s spent the day playing outside with friends. It’s been hovering around 90 degrees, so he’s come in a time or two for a juice pop refueling and to watch part of Willy Wonka (the 1971 version, of course), and then run back out - bike helmet, Pokemon cards and colored pencils in tow.</p> <p>I’ve been gathering ideas for snack trays for the past few hours. My blood sugar has always fluctuated throughout the day, often making me dizzy, weak and faint, especially if I leave gaps between meals. The three meals a day thing doesn’t work well for me. Grazing actually works best, and putting out a snack tray in the morning encourages me (and Kenzie) to grab small portions of healthy foods when hunger strikes. At first, it was just fruits and the occasional veggie, but today I compiled a much broader list:</p> <p><strong><u><br /> Fruits</u></strong></p> <p>Grapes<br /> Apples<br /> Bananas rolled in oats<br /> Orange segments<br /> Dried fruit<br /> Banana chips<br /> Raisins<br /> Cantaloupe/Honeydew<br /> Cherries<br /> Papaya chunks<br /> Berries of all sorts</p> <p><strong><u><br /> Veggies</u></strong></p> <p>Small pickles<br /> Grape tomatoes<br /> Broccoli<br /> Cauliflower<br /> Carrots<br /> Celery<br /> Cucumber slices<br /> Cold peas<br /> Cold corn<br /> Olives<br /> Avocado chunks<br /> Cubed butternut squash<br /> Cubed sweet potato</p> <p><strong><u>Grains</u></strong></p> <p>Whole wheat crackers<br /> Melba toast<br /> Pieces of homemade bread<br /> Pretzels<br /> Rice cakes<br /> Puffed rice<br /> Cold pasta<br /> Pita bread pieces<br /> Sesame sticks<br /> Cereals<br /> Whole wheat tortilla pieces</p> <p><strong><u><br /> Dips</u></strong></p> <p>Hummus<br /> Homemade bean dip<br /> Plain yogurt with spices<br /> Applesauce<br /> Nut butters</p> <p>And if this wasn’t enough to make you hungry, check out this <a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=9939.0">fun dessert</a>! Planning on trying it soon (without the soymilk, of course, since Kenzie is alergic).</p> <p>I guess a trip to the grocery store is in order. I’m curious to see how it works out…. Just typing in the list is making my stomach growl. Off to raid the pantry! </p> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/30/snack-tray-foods-and-a-fun-dessert/#comments" title="Comment on Snack Tray Foods and a Fun Dessert">3 Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-127"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/28/dry/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Dry">Dry</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 28th, 2006 at 3:58 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <p>Swollen storms are curling past us to the north. Their long tails tease us, but, as usual, there has been no rain here. Soon, we will begin to drag our tangled hoses across our lawns, fill our pools, lovingly service our air conditioners. There will be yet another drought declared, yet another summer of restricted water. We will not be allowed to wash our cars or spray down our sidewalks. Each night, news anchors will inform us of new brush fires and of the lingering burn ban as we wash the ash from our throats with iced tea.</p> <p>All my poems are of liquid, now - thickening clouds, salt tears, kisses, dew. </p> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/28/dry/#respond" title="Comment on Dry">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-124"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/14/dreaming-of-land/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Dreaming of Land">Dreaming of Land</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 14th, 2006 at 11:39 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <p>My grandmother is slowly getting better, and we’re hoping they discover the source of the problem soon. My mother is there with her.</p> <p>Driving through east Texas always stirs up those old homesteading feelings in me. Passing my great-grandmother’s house, craning my neck to look at the tops of the trees, seeing all those patched-up pick-ups driving down un-patched roads…. I feel drawn to the place like nowhere else, and I imagine buying a bit of land, building a house and starting a large garden. I see myself feeding chickens, milking the family cow, canning, sewing…. We came awfully close to delving into this life about three-and-a-half years ago, but finally decided to put it off for at least a while. In case you’re wondering why, I <a href="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/editor/2005/03/driving_by_gran.html">posted about it</a> early last year.</p> <p>I spent the drive home thinking about land. Buying it and passing it on. Family land. My great-grandmother’s land is being parceled out, now, as her children grow older and die and their children sell it off to strangers. It feels wrong to me, somehow, but that’s life, I guess. I would like to have a bit of land to my name, though. Perhaps, I’ll start looking into locations and prices…. </p> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/14/dreaming-of-land/#respond" title="Comment on Dreaming of Land">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-123"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/13/over-the-river-and-through-the-piney-woods/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Over the River and Through the Piney Woods">Over the River and Through the Piney Woods</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 13th, 2006 at 12:28 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <p>So many things have been happening this past week, I’m left wondering where to begin….</p> <p>My maternal grandmother took ill Saturday, and on Sunday, we thought we might lose her. By Sunday night, I was in Tyler, Texas with my mother visiting her in the critical care unit. They allowed a few family members to visit patients for fifteen minutes several times a day, so we spent a lot of time running back and forth from my grandmother’s house where we were staying to the hospital.</p> <p>She was brought in, delusional, with extremely low sodium and pneumonia. After a particularly frightening episode on Sunday, they thought she had experienced a heart attack, but after performing a heart catheterization, decided that wasn’t the case. No one knows what caused the episode, nor what caused the low sodium in the first place. It’s difficult not knowing, but we were happy to find out her heart was in excellent condition.</p> <p>Yesterday, she was well enough to be moved to a regular hospital room, and after getting her settled in, my mother and I each came home to piles of both regular and e-mail. She’s returning this afternoon, but I’m staying behind to be with Kenzie and to work.</p> <p>This, in fact, was only the second time Kenzie has ever slept through the night without me. Four years ago, we spent the night apart when my youngest brother entered the hospital with about 1/2 his normal blood volume (he was eventually diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease). This week, he slept alone for three nights and did just fine. I, on the other hand, slept next to my mother in my grandmother’s bed. It was wonderfully comforting in a time of stress.</p> <p>There’s so much more to write about, but I should probably catch up on bills and emails and…. Though I was only away for three days, the work has piled up. </p> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/13/over-the-river-and-through-the-piney-woods/#respond" title="Comment on Over the River and Through the Piney Woods">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-120"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/02/beautiful-blogs/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Beautiful Blogs">Beautiful Blogs</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 2nd, 2006 at 5:16 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <p>From time to time, I go blog hunting, and my favorites tend to be very image-based. Today, I stumbled upon <a href="http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/">BibliOdyssey</a>, a gorgeous, but very basic, blog showcasing stunning illustrations from around the world and throughout history. Absolutely awe-inspiring. Just thought I’d mention it.</p> <p><a href="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/child.jpg"><img width="180" height="290" border="0" alt="Child" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/editor/images/child.jpg" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/map.jpg"><img width="180" height="119" border="0" alt="Map" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/editor/images/map.jpg" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/tyukanov_1.jpg" /><a href="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/tyukanov_2.jpg" /><a href="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/botanica_1.jpg" /><a href="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/botanica_2.jpg"><img width="180" height="195" border="0" alt="Botanica_2" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/editor/images/botanica_2.jpg" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/traumstadt_1.jpg"><img width="180" height="147" border="0" alt="Traumstadt_1" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/editor/images/traumstadt_1.jpg" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/tyukanov_3.jpg"><img width="180" height="145" border="0" alt="Tyukanov_3" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/editor/images/tyukanov_3.jpg" /></a> </p> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/02/beautiful-blogs/#respond" title="Comment on Beautiful Blogs">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-112"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/02/14/making-the-rounds/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Making the Rounds">Making the Rounds</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> February 14th, 2006 at 10:29 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <p>Well, I knew it was coming. I’m getting the cold that’s been going around the house. So, I’ve brewed some echinacea tea, and I’ll be getting to bed soon. I picked up a copy of Dorothy and Raymond Moore’s book <em>Home School Burnout</em> (the first book of theirs that I’ve run across) at Goodwill this evening, so I think I’ll curl up and read for a bit.</p> <p>Kenzie is in bed sniffling while playing his Gameboy. He’s drinking some hot tea and feeling awful. Poor kiddo. That’s no way to spend Valentine’s Day (or any day, come to think of it). Terry is watching TV - something he does only when he feels terrible. We’ll see how everyone is doing tomorrow…. </p> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/02/14/making-the-rounds/#comments" title="Comment on Making the Rounds">2 Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-110"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/02/09/tagged/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Tagged!">Tagged!</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> February 9th, 2006 at 12:50 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <p>Okay, I’ve never been tagged before, but today, I was tagged twice - for the same “meme”! Guess that means I need to play, huh? Well, if it will get me back into the blogging spirit, I’m game. Here goes:</p> <p><u><strong>The Four Things Meme</strong></u></p> <p><strong>Four Jobs You Have Held<br /> </strong>1. Publisher/Editor of <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com"><em>Live Free Learn Free</em></a> (of course!)<br /> 2. Owner of an extremely cool (if I do say so myself) coffeehouse/concert<br /> venue<br /> 3. Receptionist at an eye clinic (to help me get over my near-phobia of eye<br /> stuff - it didn’t work)<br /> 4. Barney at children’s birthday parties (my first job <shudder>)</p> <p><strong>Four Movies You Could (And Do!) Watch Over and Over</strong><br /> 1. Harold and Maude<br /> 2. Sabrina (the original with Audrey Hepburn)<br /> 3. When Harry Met Sally<br /> 4. Harvey (Jimmy Stewart and a giant white rabbit - what else do you need?)</p> <p><strong>Four Places You Have Been on Vacation</strong><br /> Oops - Never taken a vacation….</p> <p><strong>Four Websites You Visit Daily</strong><br /> 1. My Own (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com">Live Free Learn Free</a>) - I’m constantly updating it (or overhauling<br /> it completely)<br /> 2. <a href="http://craigslist.org">Craigslist</a> (I’m an addict - what can I say?)<br /> 3. <a href="http://www.doonesbury.com/">Doonesbury</a><br /> 4. <a href="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/">Mothering.com discussion forums</a></p> <p><strong>Four of Your Favorite Foods</strong><br /> 1. Crackers with farmers cheese<br /> 2. Black cherries<br /> 3. Veggie burgers<br /> 4. Fettuccine Alfredo</p> <p><strong>Four Places You Would Rather Be Right Now</strong><br /> 1. The coast of Oregon (don’t know why - just always wanted to live there)<br /> 2. The western shores of Ireland (see above)<br /> 3. Watching a great concert (Arlo Guthrie comes to mind)<br /> 4. Or, well, I kinda like where I am at the moment - with my child asleep in<br /> the next room, my glass of Merlot and apple juice (yum!) sweating on my<br /> desk, and the hum of the dishwasher in the kitchen….</p> <p><strong>Four Cars You Have Owned</strong><br /> 1. A little, red 1967 bug. My first car, and it’s still in the driveway.<br /> 2. That’s it. Just the bug.<br /> 3. No, really. I’ve been driving it for twelve years.<br /> 4. You should see the bumper stickers….</p> <p><strong>Four Bloggers You Are Tagging </strong><br /> 1. <a href="http://unschoolinglife.blogspot.com/">Miranda</a><br /> 2. <a href="http://journals.aol.com/granron5557/TheColemanHomeschoolingAcademy/">Mom Coleman</a><br /> 3. <a href="http://waynforth.blogspot.com/">Schuyler</a><br /> 4. <a href="http://melonary.blogspot.com/">Mary Ellen</a> </p> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/02/09/tagged/#comments" title="Comment on Tagged!">3 Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-103"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/01/03/odds-and-ends/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Odds and Ends">Odds and Ends</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> January 3rd, 2006 at 4:48 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>, <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>, <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/the-magazine/" title="View all posts in The Magazine" rel="category tag">The Magazine</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <p>Well, Issue 9 is about to go to the printers, and I feel like an enormous weight has been lifted. With the holidays and the flu (followed by various infections), this has been, perhaps, the most difficult month I’ve had in years. But, I’m quite happy with the way the issue has turned out, so I’m not really complaining.</p> <p>A few days ago, I brought home most of what I’ve had in storage for the past ten years. Since then, I’ve spent quite a lot of time purging the junk, washing dolls and doll clothes, going through old poems, and generally reminiscing about a life that seems so far removed from the one I live now that I hardly recognize it. Kenzie was happy to find himself suddenly in possession of a large number of Cabbage Patch (and other) dolls, as well as old books and small toys I hadn’t seen in years.</p> <p>For Christmas, Kenzie received a box of note cards adorned with ancient Egyptian artwork. He’s been writing to friends and family, and there was no need, this year, to remind him to send out thank-you cards. He’s also spent a lot of time reading his new books, riding his new, red bicycle and playing with his new treasure chest (an old jewelry box shaped like a pirate’s treasure trunk).</p> <p>I’ve started taking walks at night with one of the dogs, making huge loops around the neighborhood. It clears my mind, being alone (save for the Oscar or Alaska) and walking with no real destination…. I’ve always loved nighttime walks, but have felt uneasy about walking alone at night. It never occurred to me to bring a dog along, since I don’t think of our dogs as vicious in any way. They’re happy and sweet, and would most likely lick and jump on a “bad guy” - not snarl at him or bite him. But, the “bad guys” don’t need to know that.</p> <p>Kenzie’s in the kitchen mixing up “potions.” These usually include a bit of soy sauce, some milk, sugar, and whatever else he can find in the cupboards. They’re magical, of course, and usually look pretty cool, with the denser liquids on the bottom. He stores them in the refrigerator for a day or two, then pours them out and starts mixing anew.</p> <p>It’s popcorn time, so I’ll warm up the popper and get out the seasoning salts. Kenzie’s decided popcorn is the perfect snack, so we’ve been having quite a bit of it recently. Yum! </p> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/01/03/odds-and-ends/#comments" title="Comment on Odds and Ends">1 Comments</a> </p> </div> <p> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/"></a><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/page/3/">« Previous entries</a> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/"></a> · <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/page/3/"></a> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/">Next entries »</a><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/page/3/"></a> </p> </div> <div id="sidebar"> <ul> <li id="meta"> <h2>Meta</h2> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/wp-login.php">Login</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/" title="Syndicate this site using RSS">Entries <abbr title="Really Simple Syndication">RSS</abbr></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/comments/feed/" title="The latest comments to all posts in RSS">Comments <abbr title="Really Simple Syndication">RSS</abbr></a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="search"> <form method="get" id="searchform" action="/blog/index.php"> <p> <input type="text" value="" name="s" id="s" /> <input type="submit" id="searchsubmit" class="submit" value="Search" /> </p> </form> </li> </ul> </div> <div id="footer"> <p> <a href="http://wordpress.org" title="Powered by Wordpress, state-of-the-art semantic personal publishing platform.">Powered by Wordpress</a> · Design by <a href="http://beccary.com" title="Theme designed by Beccary">Beccary</a> and <a href="http://weblogs.us" title="Theme sponsored by Weblogs.us">Weblogs.us</a> · <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer" title="This page validates as XHTML 1.0 Transitional"><abbr title="eXtensible HyperText Markup Language">XHTML</abbr></a> · <a href="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/check/referer" title="This page validates as CSS"><abbr title="Cascading Style Sheets">CSS</abbr></a> </p> </div> </div>  <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"> var sc_project=605365; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_partition=4; var sc_security="d224bf47"; </script> <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js"></script><noscript><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://c5.statcounter.com/counter.php?sc_project=605365&java=0&security=d224bf47&invisible=1" alt="free stats" border="0"></a> </noscript>  </body> </html>