Erica in PA
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Posts posted by Erica in PA
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Tears here,too!! Praise the Lord!!! I'm sure you've considered, maybe this is a big part of why the Lord brought you to Malaysia... to answer your prayers for a child! And of course, to strengthen your trust and faith in Him (as well as those of your family and friends) in the process. This is wonderful news. Natalie is a beautiful baby, and may she continue to grow strong and healthy under the loving care of your family!!
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Because IMHO, Thurmond's racism and refusal to support Civil Rights trumps a long career.
astrid
I agree with you on that point. It's despicable. However, I don't believe that Trent Lott displayed racism himself when he praised Thurmond. Politicians of both parties praise those on their side of the aisle all the time... it doesn't mean they agree with everything that person has done or said. I think it's absolutely ludicrous that he was pushed to resign over it. I don't even think Reid necessarily needs to resign, and I think what he said actually *was* racist. I think the voters in his state should remember this when he runs for reelection, though.
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Here's how I take Lott's remarks: (my interpretation in red below)
Trent Lott said:
"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. (We are proud of voting for Thurmond, and the racism and segregation he extolled) And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either," (and if the rest of the country and rejected Civil Rights and left segregation in place, we wouldn't have all the problems that have arisen, such as urban poverty, crime, etc.)
Again, my interpretation. YMMV.
astrid
I understand that some interpret it that way, but why? Why would that be *the one thing* about Thurmond, out of an incredibly long political career (longest ever, from what I recall), that Lott would be referring to? Isn't it more likely that he was referring to his conservatism, for example? Suggesting that if the country had stuck to a more conservative approach, we wouldn't have had "all these problems?" It sounds much more logical to me. There is nothing in Lott's comment that leads me to believe that Thurmond's racism is what he was applauding.
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Trent Lott said, "I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either," Thurmond was a Segragationist and racist. He conducted the longest filibuster ever by a lone U.S. Senator in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Any politician that would extol the virtues of a known racist deserves what he gets. While what Harry Reid said was stupid and ignorant, it hardly compares with what Lott said.
Margaret
I have never understood this position, at all. I don't have an opinion either way on Trent Lott (probably more negative than positive, if I had to choose), and I strongly oppose any racist views, but I do not see anywhere in Lott's comment that suggest that he agrees with Strom Thurmond's views on race. He had a very long political career, and stood for lots of other things as well. I have never understood why people made the leap from this statement to Lott sharing his views on race specifically.
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Am I a bad conservative if I see little wrong with Harry Reid's comments about candidate Obama? Of course, I'm referring to his comments reportedly quoted in the new book Game Change. Here's the passage:
Harry Reid was wowed by Obama's oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a "light-skinned" African American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one," as he said privately.
Although perhaps insensitively put, I really don't see what's wrong with this. It sounds to me like a positive opinion based on a fact and that everyone's making a PC storm out of it.
Am I missing something?
Imo, you may be missing something... the implication is that a "light skinned" African American is preferable to a darker skinned one. It reflects racist thinking. What if Obama had had a very dark skin tone-- would he be less qualified to be president?? Not to mention the mention of a "Negro dialect"--- what does that even mean? Imo, Reid's comments make it clear that he thinks negatively of the average African american, and thought that Obama would be successful because he was *different* from that negative stereotype.
I do not understand the various comments I've heard in the media that this was a poor "choice of words." Even Obama, in an attempt to defend a political ally, chalked it up to mere "inartful language." It's not a matter of word choice... it is the *concept* that is offensive, not the words.
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We're trying to decide what to do about the flooring in our new house. The existing carpet needs to be replaced in all rooms. We love the look of wooden floors, and have heard that when you do it yourself, it may not be much more expensive per sq. ft than having carpet installed. We would probably only do the living room and hallway in laminate for now, and have the rest of the rooms carpeted, to save time and money.
So, how difficult is it to install laminate flooring oneself? Of course dh would be the only doing it, since I can't even cut a straight line on construction paper. I also find googling laminate flooring to be incredibly overwhelming-- so many different kinds, prices, etc. So where is generally the best place to get a good price on solid quality flooring? Any specific brands to recommend?
Any btdt would be wonderful!! Thank you!
Thanks everyone, this is sounding very encouraging! Dh would also have the help of his dad and a good friend who both recently did laminate flooring in their homes, so it shouldn't take more than a couple of days.
Now, how about which brands/types are best, and where to buy them?
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We're trying to decide what to do about the flooring in our new house. The existing carpet needs to be replaced in all rooms. We love the look of wooden floors, and have heard that when you do it yourself, it may not be much more expensive per sq. ft than having carpet installed. We would probably only do the living room and hallway in laminate for now, and have the rest of the rooms carpeted, to save time and money.
So, how difficult is it to install laminate flooring oneself? Of course dh would be the only doing it, since I can't even cut a straight line on construction paper. I also find googling laminate flooring to be incredibly overwhelming-- so many different kinds, prices, etc. So where is generally the best place to get a good price on solid quality flooring? Any specific brands to recommend?
Any btdt would be wonderful!! Thank you!
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Wow, that does sound doable!! Especially for someone like me, who does better tackling one big project (i.e. all the auctions at once when they're ending), rather than lots of little things scattered throughout the week. Thanks for explaining how you do it; I am going to try that this week. I have a bunch of books sitting around, and I could use that money toward moving expenses. Thanks again! You've given me hope that I can really do this! :001_smile:
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Not all greens and blues are necessarily "cool" feeling. Our family/dining combo room is painted a green similar to the green in this photo. We have medium to dark wood floors and furniture, and a brick fireplace, and I love the contrast of the green with the browns and reds. It gives the room a warm, earthy, almost foresty feel. :001_smile:
Ooooh, that is a beautiful green, and not cold at all. I will have to keep that one in mind. Do you know the brand and color you used?
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Can't help you as I'm "blue, grey, green - the colors of the sea" (cf Sarah Plain and Tall) but I suggest you find a Benjamin Moore paint dealer and go in & get some of their brochures. And then get some brochures from other paint companies - even if you won't use their paint, getting an idea for color schemes you like is good. BM paint btw is excellent but $$$.
There are a number of online things too but I find the colors on the monitors are just not going to be true. Getting the brochures from several paint companies & laying it all out on the coffee table worked for us.
Thanks for the tip! I will pick up some brochures and try to get some ideas there.
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My mil is an interior decorator, so I stole some of her colors. She uses Sherwin Williams in all her homes, so when I say the colors you will know where they are from. She used Blonde in her Living Room, but I thought it was a little too dark for our smaller living room. I switched to a lighter color on the same palate which is Ivorie. We get so many complements on the color and it goes well with our Reds, Tans, Browns, etc.
I wanted a tan type color for our bedroom and chose Sensational Sand and then the lighter color Lightweight Beige for the Master Bath. We even found the matching color grout for the bathroom shower tiles...looks really nice. Black accents look great with the Beige color; we used black granite for the sinks and black picture frames on the walls.
My other color choices were Cosmos blue for the bathroom and Recycled Glass green for the study, but you probably won't like them. Although the Recycled Glass looks great with the Ivorie, the study opens off our living room with a double door entry (no doors).
We used Friendly Yellow for our large girls bedroom. The color is very inviting and feels fresh.
Hope that helps!
I will check out those colors; thank you for the suggestions. That Ivorie sounds like it might work well for us. A friend just told me that the painter who did their house also prefers Sherwin Williams paint. Must be good!
I love the name Friendly Yellow! Just perfect for a girl's room! I'll check it out just for name's sake, even though I'm not usually partial to yellow. :001_smile:
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What "style" does your furniture have? I like cottage/coastal, so my colors are light and neutral in the living room with blues and greens in the bedrooms. My sister has more of a Mediterranean leaning in her likes, so her colors are warmer and richer. My furniture would look horrendous in her home and vice versa.
I always try to pick up a color from my fabrics and upholstery, or art, to dictate the colors of the room. I have tried, a few times, to just pick colors I liked, but they ended up being repainted b/c it didn't work with my existing stuff. I love plum and thought a rich plum would be stunning in a dining room. And, it IS -- just not in ours, LOL. KWIM?
That is good guidance, thank you! Our style is pretty eclectic, especially since we have a lot of hand-me-down furniture. :tongue_smilie:But when I like best tends to be a warm, rich, comfortable style. My favorite room in our current apt. has an oak mission style table, chairs with beige pads, oak side table, a large bronze-ish mirror, shimmery dark tan curtains, and gold and burgundy glass mosaic wall sconces. Our walls are white, because we can't paint here, but I think a rich, neutral tan would look nice in that room. That's the kind of color I am thinking of for our living room, dining room, and hall in our new house.
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For the almost 15 years we've been married, I've done very little when it comes to fixing up our various apartments. It just hasn't been on my radar much at all. However, now that we're thinking about moving into our first house, it's suddenly become very important to me, and I'm actually very excited to choose carpet, paint, etc. We'll have the whole month of February to paint our entire house the way we want it. But since I've never spent any time thinking about it, I'm not sure what I want. I do know that I want it to be classy looking, warm, and inviting. I'm drawn more to warm colors like golds, browns, reds, and taupes, than to shades of green or blue.
So, could you share with me how you've chosen colors for your home? Shades that you really like for certain rooms? Even specific brand names for the shades that really have worked well?
And if you could link to photos of any of your rooms, that would be wonderful!! I have a hard time envisioning things like this without seeing it. Thanks!
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My daughter wants one. A family at church even "blessed" us with their old cage, etc. The question is, do I want one of these little critters? How much do they cost? Are they smelly? Annoying?
We already have 2 cats, a dog, 10 chickens, several fish, and 3 horses. Do we really need another critter?
We had a guinea pig for a couple of years, mainly because we couldn't have any other furry pet, and none of us ever got attached to him. We spent $100 on a vet bill because he wouldn't eat, and then I had to squeeze his rear end over the toilet every day. :ack2: We finaly gave him away to another family, and to be honest, we were all relieved to have him go. Cats and dogs are much more interactive and personable pets, in my opinion, and you already have those.
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Update: Thank you so much everyone, for your support and for rejoicing with us!! It has been amazing how everything has been coming together! I do have a prayer request to share... yesterday our mortgage broker informed us that a $4000 fee that we thought would be covered by our loan, will not be... and not only that, it needs to be in our account ASAP before they will proceed with the loan. We don't have the money, so we likely will need to ask a family member to lend us the money, tonight. Would you please pray that this money would be provided, one way or another, as soon as possible?
Thank you!
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Without a doubt, Weight Watchers. It is an amazing plan, where you are not hungry, can eat anything you want in moderation, and still lose weight at a steady pace. I have huge metabolic resistance to weight loss, and I am still losing 1-2 pounds weekly, without exercising at all. I do plan to add exercising soon, just for the health benefits, but I have found I don't need to exercise to lose weight. WW is def. an eating plan the can work for the whole family, very easily.
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How wonderful. CONGTRATULATIONS.
Before closing make sure all tax liabilites are paid off by prior owner.
Yes, that is very important!! Our realtor had it written into our contract that we are not responsible for any of those liabilities, and covered all of those bases. We'll be sure to stay on top of that!
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This is such an exciting day for us...after almost 15 years of marriage, we are about to buy our first home! Our contract was accepted this morning, and our closing date is Jan. 29th!!! It has been so obvious from the very start of this process (which only started one week ago today!!!!), that the Lord was fully guiding every step of the way. We put out the word that we were thinking about seeing a realtor, and then the same day a friend emailed us a listing in her area for an incredible house offered for an unbelievably low price, we went to see it, fell in love with it, had it inspected and found that absolutely no repairs were needed, called and got a preapproval for a loan, made an offer this morning, and a few hours later we got the call that it was accepted! The asking price for the house dropped $40,000 in the past 4 months, because the previous owner was about to enter foreclosure, and tax liens were accumulating on the house.
I cannot believe this... the house is only six years old, in a beautiful neighborhood on a cul-de-sac. It has a finished basement, 4 bedrooms, 2 and 1/2 baths, a deck, 1/2 acre land, central air, a garage... these are things I have never had in my entire life. I grew up in rented apartments, and have continued that since we've been married. I cannot believe the Lord's goodness and amazing provision for us. To not only have a house, but *this* house, just blows me away. My kids said this was the best day of their entire lives! :001_smile: We're going to take them to see the inside of the house tonight, since they've only seen the outside once so far.
Anyway, wanted to share our super-exciting news!! You've listened to enough of my sob stories over the years, and I wanted to share this wonderful thing that God has done for us!
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Well, personally, I think having a mom like you is great preparation for getting to know women!! There are plenty of more stereotypical women out there, in the media, in books and movies, etc., but men can get to know about them easily just through osmosis, because they are the norm. I think it's great that your dss will know firsthand that not all women are the "typical woman." Women can be just as logical as men, not interested in decorating, bookish, outdoorsy, whatever. Of course, I might be a bit biased on the topic because I am not the typical woman either.
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I don't want to stir up any trouble, or upset anyone, but I am interested in serious informed discussion on this. I was talking to a well-educated (R.N. and counselor) Christian woman who said that she believes homeschool can be good for kids academically, but harmful to their emotional development as they get older. Please know that she spoke out of concern and not out of antagonism toward homeschoolers.
She said that some of the developmental goals for children or tasks they need to learn are:
By age 5- learn to separate from Mom and take orders from other adults;
Grades 3 to 5: learn to get along in groups in a give and take environment (working w/ siblings at home is different because it is such a controlled environment)
Pre-teen to teen: turn more to peers than parents. This is important in order to work our their own viewpoints.
She said if you parent well during these stages they will eventually come back to what their parents taught them, but that they need to work through what they really think and believe themselves.
Her opinion was that homeschooling does not provide enough opportunities for relationships with other adults and peers in order for the kids to accomplish these tasks. She said that homeschooled kids are being set up to be warped emotionally beings unless you do things to compensate for this. Sunday church and AWANA are not enough.
She also said she has spoken to several college counselors who say that homeschool graduates do very well academically, but have some social/emotional difficulties in college: they don't know how to give and take; don't know how to live in dorms; can't study with the noise in dorms and on campus (must have quiet to concentrate; and can't share with others (outside the family).
The college concerns don't bother me, except saying they can't share or give and take. (I can't concentrate w/ noise and I grew up in public school & I think dorms are a strange living situation anyway, but I don't think there's anything wrong w/ them per se).
But I am concerned about the developmental milestones. Has anyone heard this before? Do any of you have a background in child development?
Looking forward to your comments.
Thanks,
Sherri
It sounds to me that her thoughts are based on *what is normally done,* in our society, and then making the jump that those things are developmentally necessary. I.e. kids normally go to school at age 5, so it's convenient to say that is when they need to get away from Mom and take orders from other adults. In the teen years, kids start to look to their friends more than parents (probably because by that time traditionally schooled kids haven't spent much time with their parents in years), so she's saying that is the way it ought to be. Just because this is the way many in our society have decided to raise their children, doesn't mean that is the best way. I wouldn't let what she said bother me at all. I think we just need to keep our eyes on our own children, and make sure we are working with them in all areas of life, to ensure they will be equipped for whatever path they choose.
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One-pot stews are fine here. And I can get away with the occasional lasagna. But I think my marriage would be endangered if I dared make something that more closely resembles what most in this country call a "casserole" than either of those things... ;) Probably if we'd written our own vows, instead of using the traditional ones, I'd have had to include some sort of promise never to serve casserole (or at least anything made with a canned cream-of-whatsit soup)... ;)
:lol: Really? What makes your dh so adverse to them? I think casseroles made with canned cream of celery or chicken soup are delish!!
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It's the only place to shop for me without driving over an hour. I see lots of people I know, talk to all the ladies who work there that I've know for 30+ years, get all my groceries, prescriptions whatever. I just don't have a problem with WM.
Our local Walmart is Horrible. It's the worst one I've ever been to. It's always dirty, disheveled, and crowded. Most of the shoppers there look completely miserable, and seeing at least one couple fighting and 5 or 6 toddlers screaming and crying is the norm. That said, I still shop there, because there is nowhere else that can match their prices and selection. I don't like it, though! ;)
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do you make sure your kids don't spoil it for others?
Just in the last week we caught up with some Christian friends (they are not long time friends, we were saying goodbye they have moved interstate) and their DD 6yo informed my kids that Santa isn't real. I brushed it off later with an 'if you don't believe, you don't receive' type comment and the kids have been ok with that. They think their friend is missing out and isn't that sad.
I was annoyed that these people don't teach their kids tolerance and respect for others beliefs. So if you don't do Santa do you make sure your kids don't spoil it for others?
We always stressed that very strongly, and to my knowledge, our kids never told any others, even though there were *many* situations where they could have. However, at the same time, it would be difficult to guarantee that kids would always be able to be honest, and still keep the truth from others who do believe, and I'm not surprised that some kids aren't able to pull that off. It's tricky. My oldest son in particular had quite a few exchanges that he found to be very stressful when he was 4 or 5, because various kids were pushing him on whether Santa came to his house, etc. I remember one time he was riding a little train at the mall, and I was watching, and could tell the exact moment when the little boy behind him asked him about Santa, because he went from being happy and excited to totally slumped, and looking at me from across the way like, "Get me out of here." :lol:
So I have sympathy for kids who know the truth, but are put in the position of having to bluff (truthfully) for those who have been told something else. Ultimately, we do what we can to not cause trouble, but I think ultimately if parents want their kids to truly believe something that is not actually true, the burden is on them to maintain it, not us.
Are YOU a slacker? Or are you a glowing example of homeschooling prowess?
in General Education Discussion Board
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This year, I have to admit that I am a slacker. We're pretty much just doing the basics: reading, writing, and math. My kids have a weekly co-op where they do history and science, as well as other supplemental classes like art and music. They have homework in history and science, and pretty much do it on their own. But this year is definitely the most unlike WTM that we've had. I've been really sluggish and tired and uninterested in school. I am hopeful that next year, when we're settled in our new house, it will be different. For now, 2 of my 3 kids are on grade level, and the third is only a bit behind because of initial trouble she had with letter/number reversals last year, which really held up her reading, writing, and math skills. She's overcoming those now, and making good progress.
So I'm not doing horribly badly, but I definitely could be doing better, and be more engaged in schooling. I don't see that happening anytime soon with our new house closing on Jan. 29th, and so much to do before and after that date. But there is always hope for the future!