MUSINGS

I read an article on NPR this morning about laziness in America.  It wasn't written to bash anyone or anything, just an observation on life in the US beginning with the founding fathers and their attitudes towards idle time. In our home growing up, we were never allowed to utter the words "I'm bored" without repercussion.  If there were no immediate chores to be done, the answer was to go read a book, which we did with fervor.  Other than that, there was always something to be done whether it was to wipe down baseboards, dust the living room, sweep anything and everything, or pick through peas.  Sleep was not an option.  Naps were reserved for a rare Sunday afternoon and only if mama took one first.  The only real way to get out of work at the house was to leave...in our case, go hide in the woods all afternoon until she was calling us in or we got hurt and just had to get it patched up proper.  Even heading over to hide at a friends house could result in being dra

Another spring holiday has come and gone.  After the harrowing week of random attacks of illness in my house, a few not so minor changes, and standardized testing...we needed more than a few days to breathe.  You wanna talk about rebirth???  Yeah.  We got some rebirth going on here. Our little family walked into Ostara (Easter) holiday with some heavy hearts, frazzled minds, and aching bodies.  The Girl has been raising money for school trips and whatnot as well as battling the last standardized test of her elementary career.  While I was moving and cleaning up the rest of the house, she had officially taken over the bigger of the two secondary bedrooms.  No easy feat for a teenage girl who has a TON of stuff.  Honey wound up with medical issues ranging from infection to kidney stones all in the course of 3 days.  Never have I seen a man so exhausted or in pain.  In the midst of the insanity, the Boy came back to stay with us for a while till he gets his own path figured out.  Mama h

OK, so you know how a while back I said this year would be as good as I can make it?  Having remarried and found some much needed stability?  Weeeellll.  It looks like things are coming together more than I ever expected. I registered, paid my admin fee, and was accepted back into the University that I quit so many years ago.  I am also eligible for school funds through the Veteran's Administration. I think I'm in shock.  No.  I know I'm in shock. You see I wasn't looking to go back into a degree plan.  I just wanted to take a couple of classes on metal working...nothing fancy.  Those classes, however, are offered as part of a curriculum, therefore are the standard rate if taken alone.  There is no way I could afford a $750 class, much less three of them.  After some panic and some tears, I began to look over the university website and found a link for veterans.  I perused and found a link to a GI bill that I never knew existed.  Lo and behold.  Something I'm