This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.

Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

You almost have to wonder, if Stanford University had known what he would say that day, would they have still invited him to give the speech? Did anyone sitting there take his words to heart, or have they placed their pursuit of the almighty dollar ahead of their passions? Sometimes when someone realized that we homeschool, one of the first questions they ask is "why?", most of the time I don't really think it is a question, more a statement (as in why would anyone do that), but when asked, I almost always respond with the same answer, "I want to give my kids the chance to be passionate about something and the opportunity to pursue that passion." Can I only hope that there passions one day might afford them the wealth that Jobs has found? Of course I can! We can all dream! But regardless of whether their passion translates into riches, I am sure that it will translate into happiness!

READING INCENTIVE PROGRAMS:

Thought I would share some reading incentive programs (some are for the summer and some are for the school year). If you are aware of any others, please leave a comment here on the blog and I will update my list! I would love to find more incentive programs for teens, since most of ones that run through the school year are only from grades K-6.

BARNES AND NOBLE SUMMER READING PROGRAM: B&N Summer Reading kicks off May 26. Kids can earn a free book! I don't see any details other than the kickoff date on the website, but suspect that it will be there soon. www.bn.com

LIBRARY READING PROGRAMS: All of our local libraries offer summer reading programs for children and teens. From looking at Clermont County Library website, it appears their program kicks off June 6th. I can't find any details at the Hamilton County Library website, but figure we will just pop in to find out all the details.

BOOKWORM WEDNESDAYS: Bookworm Wednesdays is a fun and rewarding summer reading program developed to encourage young children to read during the summer months. BOOKWORM WEDNESDAYS runs for eight weeks and entitles kids to free admission to a select children's film when they present a book report at a participating Showcase Cinemas, Multiplex Cinemas or Cinema de Lux box office. Accompanying parents or guardians and children under six receive free admission and do not need to submit a book report. Every summer, attendance at BOOKWORM WEDNESDAYS has grown and we expect that it will continue. Thanks to our many sponsors there will be more fun and prizes in the seasons to come. http://www.nationalamusements.com/programs/bookworm.asp

READ TO SUCCEED: From their website, We are accepting registrations for the 2009-2010 Read to Succeed program. Log on to www.rtsregistration.com to order the programtoday. I have heard from some homeschoolers that you can register individually and from others that they registered through their local homeschool co-op. Each child that completes the program receives on free admission ticket to a Six Flags Park. Open to children in grades K-6.

BOOK-IT PROGRAM FROM PIZZA HUT: For anyone who might be interested ... This is a reading program which begins October 1st and ends March 31st (certificates are good through May 1st). Children read, based on goals set by the teacher/parent and are rewarded with Pizza Hut personal pan pizza coupons. We have used this program for years and it is always nice to be able to use the certificates for a special lunch out each month. Open to children in grades K-6. Each family must register at their website: www.bookitprogram.com/enrollment/homeschool.asp

My friend Wally send me the following article in an email. I just couldn't NOT share it. This is a wonderful piece by Michael Gartner, editor of newspapers large and small and former president of NBC News. In 1997, he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing.

It is well worth reading and a few good chuckles are guaranteed. My own grandfather, who died back in 2003 at nearly 90 years old, NEVER made a left turn! My grandmother, never learned to drive. It brought back some memories. Only grandpa would have NEVER listened to a Cubs game, unless they were playing his beloved Reds, he listened to every game on the radio!

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My father never drove a car. Well, that's not quite right. I should say I never saw him drive a car.

He quit driving in 1927, when he was 25 years old, and the last car he drove was a 1926 Whippet.

'In those days,' he told me when he was in his 90s, 'to drive a car you had to do things with your hands, and do things with your feet, and look every which way, and I decided you could walk through life and enjoy it or drive through life and miss it.'

At which point my mother, a sometimes salty Irishwoman, chimed in:
'Oh, bull----!' she said. 'He hit a horse.'

'Well,' my father said, 'there was that, too.'

So my brother and I grew up in a household without a car. The neighbors all had cars
-- the Kollingses next door had a green 1941 Dodge, the VanLaninghams across the street a gray 1936 Plymouth, the Hopsons two doors down a black 1941 Ford -- but we had none.

My father, a newspaperman in Des Moines , would take the streetcar to work and, often as not, walk the 3 miles home. If he took the streetcar home, my mother and brother and I would walk the three blocks to the streetcar stop, meet him and walk home together.

My brother, David, was born in 1935, and I was born in 1938, and sometimes, at dinner, we'd ask how come all the neighbors had cars but we had none. 'No one in the family drives,' my mother would explain, and that was that.

But, sometimes, my father would say, 'But as soon as one of you boys turns 16, we'll get one.' It was as if he wasn't sure which one of us would turn 16 first.

But, sure enough , my brother turned 16 before I did, so in 1951 my parents bought a used 1950 Chevrolet from a friend who ran the parts department at a Chevy dealership downtown.

It was a four-door, white model, stick shift, fender skirts,loaded with everything, and,since my parents didn't drive, it more or less became my brother's car.

Having a car but not being able to drive didn't bother my father, but it didn't make sense to my mother..So in 1952, when she was 43 years old, she asked a friend to teach her to drive. She learned in a nearby cemetery, the place where I learned to drive the following year and where, a generation later, I took my two sons to practice driving. The cemetery probably was my father's idea. 'Who can your mother hurt in the cemetery?' I remember him saying more than once.

For the next 45 years or so, until she was 90, my mother was the driver in the family. Neither she nor my father had any sense of direction, but he loaded up on maps -- though they seldom left the city limits -- and appointed himself navigator. It seemed to work.

Still, they both continued to walk a lot. My mother was a devout Catholic, and my father an equally devout agnostic, an arrangement that didn't seem to bother either of them through their 75 years of marriage.

(Yes, 75 years, and they were deeply in love the entire time.)

He retired when he was 70, and nearly every morning for the next 20 years or so, he would walk with her the mile to St. Augustine's Church. She would walk down and sit in the
front pew, and he would wait in the back until he saw which of the parish's two priests was on duty that morning. If it was the pastor, my father then would go out and take a 2-mile walk, meeting my mother at the end of the service and walking her home.

If it was the assistant pastor, he'd take just a 1-mile walk and then head back to the church. He called the priests "Father Fast" and "Father Slow."

After he retired, my father almost always accompanied my mother whenever she drove anywhere, even if he had no reason to go along. If she were going to the beauty parlor, he'd sit in the car and read, or go take a stroll or, if it was summer, have her keep the engine running so he could listen to the Cubs game on the radio. In the evening, then, when I'd stop by, he'd explain: 'The Cubs lost again. The millionaire on second base made a bad throw to the millionaire on first base, so the multimillionaire on third base scored.'

If she were going to the grocery store, he would go along to carry the bags out -- and to make sure she loaded up on ice cream. As I said, he was always the navigator, and once, when he was 95 and she was 88 and still driving, he said to me, 'Do you want to know the secret of a long life?'

'I guess so,' I said, knowing it probably would be something bizarre.

'No left turns,' he said.

'What?' I asked.

'No left turns,' he repeated.. 'Several years ago, your mother and I read an article that said most accidents that old people are in happen when they turn left in front of oncoming traffic.
As you get older, your eyesight worsens, and you can lose your depth perception, it said. So your mother and I decided never again to make a left turn.'

'What?' I said again.

'No left turns,' he said. 'Think about it. Three rights are the same as a left, and that's a lot safer. So we always make three rights.'

'You're kidding!' I said, and I turned to my mother for support 'No,' she said, 'your father is right. We make three rights. It works.' But then she added: 'Except when your father loses count.'
I was driving at the time, and I almost drove off the road as I started laughing.

'Loses count?' I asked.

'Yes,' my father admitted, 'that sometimes happens. But it's not a problem. You just make seven rights, and you're okay again.'

I couldn't resist. 'Do you ever go for 11?' I asked.

'No,' he said ' If we miss it at seven, we just come home and call it a bad day. Besides, nothing in life is so important it can't be put off another day or another week.'

My mother was never in an accident, but one evening she handed me her car keys and said she had decided to quit driving. That was in 1999, when she was 90.

She lived four more years, until 2003. My father died the next year, at 102.

They both died in the bungalow they had moved into in 1937 and bought a few years later for $3,000. (Sixty years later, my brother and I paid $8,000 to have a shower put in the tiny bathroom -- the house had never had one. My father would have died then and there if he knew the shower cost nearly three times what he paid for the house.)

He continued to walk daily -- he had me get him a treadmill when he was 101 because he was afraid he'd fall on the icy sidewalks but wanted to keep exercising -- and he was of sound mind and sound body until the moment he died.

One September afternoon in 2004, he and my son went with me when I had to give a talk in a neighboring town, and it was clear to all three of us that he was wearing out, though we had the usual wide-ranging conversation about politics and newspapers and things in the news.

A few weeks earlier, he had told my son, 'You know, Mike, the first hundred years are a lot easier than the second hundred.' At one point in our drive that Saturday, he said, 'You know, I'm probably not going to live much longer.'

'You're probably right,' I said.

'Why would you say that?' He countered, somewhat irritated.

'Because you're 102 years old,' I said.

'Yes,' he said, 'you're right.' He stayed in bed all the next day.

That night, I suggested to my son and daughter that we sit up with him through the night.
He appreciated it, he said, though at one point, apparently seeing us look gloomy, he said:
'I would like to make an announcement. No one in this room is dead yet.'

An hour or so later, he spoke his last words:
'I want you to know,' he said, clearly and lucidly, 'that I am in no pain. I am very comfortable. And I have had as happy a life as anyone on this earth could ever have.'

A short time later, he died.

I miss him a lot, and I think about him a lot. I've wondered now and then how it was that my family and I were so lucky that he lived so long.

I can't figure out if it was because he walked through life, Or because he quit taking left turns.
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about those who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it.'

Too Funny Not to Share!

OK, most of the time I HATE those forwarded emails, but this one was rather funny!

I love this Doctor !

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true? A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it.. Don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables? A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q:Should I reduce my alcohol intake? A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q:How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q:What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is : No Pain...Good!

Q:Aren't fried foods bad for you? A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ...... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle? A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me? A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure? A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle? A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape! Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

AND.... For those of you who watch what you eat , here's the final word on nutrition and health.. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Nineteen Years Ago Today.....

It is hard to believe that today my oldest son is 18 1/2 years old. Nineteen years ago to today I found out that I was going to be a mother. Exactly 6 months later, he came into the world, way ahead of schedule, fighting for his life. Harder to believe is that my "baby" will soon be having a baby of his own. It isn't the path I would have chosen for him, to be a teen father, but as with so many of the paths in his life, there was no choice on my part. I wouldn't have chosen for him to be a preemie, for him to develop hydrocephalus, for him to have to endure numerous hospitalizations, seizures and brain surgeries, but I know he will travel this path well. He will be a wonderful father, as he has been lead by his wonderful father, and in my opinion nothing beats having a shining example to follow! Sarah will be a wonderful mother, she will turn 21 in August, the same age I was when I gave birth to Brett and a year older than her mother was when she gave birth to her. I always knew I would be a young grandmother, simply because I had given birth young, but I never thought it would be before my 40th birthday! I never thought that it would be possible to love a child that I hadn't given birth to the way I love my own children, but I have found that I definitely can! I have fallen hard for this baby.

And before you begin to think that this news is something that was just recently imparted upon us, let me set the record straight. The day Brett found out Sarah was pregnant he came and told us immediately. That would have been the day after Thanksgiving! I suspected that something might be up from a few things he had said in the few days prior to it, so maybe that softened the news! He didn't try to hide it or make excuses. He came to the adults in his life and explained the situation and enlisted their support. I would have NEVER done the same thing in his situation, heck to this day I wouldn't enlist my mother's help for anything, well at least not for anything life altering. I credit the strong relationship he has with his family and the fact that he knows we love him unconditionally with him coming to us first. Yes, he knew we wouldn't be happy, but he also knew that we would support and help him on this new path. It probably took Jay the longest to adjust, but he has! It probably took him a week to be able to talk to Brett, and I think that hurt Brett the most, knowing that his father was disappointed in him. Brett told me he was surprised, he thought I would take it harder than Jay did, I guess that was meant to be a compliment...lol. I just decided that today was the day that I would share this with everyone as I mused on my 19 years of motherhood!

So the specifics.....baby is due August 3rd according to Sarah's calculations and July 27th according that little magic wheel. So sometime around the middle of this summer my grandchild will make his or her appearance and will be born into 2 families that are eagerly waiting! What more could you ask for a child?

I would have never thought 19 years ago...as I experienced my "first" mother's day as an expectant mom what the next 19 years would bring....who would have been about to anticipate the love, joy, laughter and pain? Nine kids? Child led weaning? Family bed? No vaccinations? Homeschooling? If you had told me that then, I would have laughed at you! It has been an amazing journey......I can't wait to see what the next 19 years have to bring!

Greenacres Wildflower Program

We attended another wonderful program at Greenacres yesterday! For the first time I got to go over and hike the "big trail" across the road. It was a wonderful hike, warm enough for summer clothes, but cool enough that you weren't drenched in sweat by the end of the hike. There were tons of beautiful wildflowers and a large variety of fungi! Will was disappointed that we didn't encounter a snake, but we did see an adorable little toad! Hope you enjoy the slideshow!

Things to do this Summer

I am signed up for MANY email newsletter on a variety of subjects, parenting, mothering, photography, scrapbooking and of course homeschooling. Many I signed up for a long time ago and rarely every really read, but one that came into my inbox today caught my eye "101 Things To Do This Summer" from Homeschool.com (I am in no way endorsing this newsletter, it if far too schooly for this unschool chick, but for once it contained something I found incredibly interesting!)......I think what I liked was that everything had a link with more info in it, although I will admit that MANY of the links I clicked into looked rather DRY and COMPLICATED but you still have to give credit to anyone who would spend time finding sites to support each of their ideas.....

It contained some INCREDIBLY COOL ideas for summer like:
Make a scrapbook of everything you do this summer The Basics of Scrapbooking www.betterphoto.com/photography-for-kids.asp

Compare a book to a movie Compare and Contrast Essay (PDF) www.csudh.edu

Write a poem 30 Days of Poetry www.msrogers.com/English2/poetry/30_days_of_poetry.htm

Sketch a picture of your house from the outside Perspective Drawing www.artyfactory.com/perspective_drawing/perspective_1.htm NOTE FROM ME: COOL IDEA, not so cool link!

Learn how to make a movie Digital Movie Making for Kids http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/intro_video/making_of_movie.html NOTE FROM ME: COOL IDEA, horrible link, far too complicated for any kid in my house!

Create a web site Lissa Explains HTML for Kids www.lissaexplains.com/

Make an obstacle course in your back yardHow To Set Up An Obstacle Course www.ehow.com/how_3113_set-obstacle-course.html

Build a tree house The Tree House Guide www.thetreehouseguide.com/

Have family game nightsWhat Game Should We Play?http://www.hasbro.com/familygamenight/en_US/

Make a collage from magazine words and pictures Collage http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/do/collage.html

Make up bubble solution and have a contest Casey Carle's "Secret" Bubble Solutions www.bubblemania.com/faq/solution.html

Host a yard sale How to Plan a Yard Sale www.ehow.com/how_137461_yard-garage-sale.html

Invent your own board game Design Your Own Board Game http://www.essortment.com/all/boardgamedesig_rxcu.htm

Make your own comic book Comic Creator http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/comic/

Tie-dye some t-shirts How to Tie-Dye http://www.essortment.com/all/tiedyedyefa_rmel.htm

Learn some new outdoor games Games Kids Play www.gameskidsplay.net/

Make something from recyclables Crafts from Recycled Products www.makingfriends.com/recycle.htm

Organize a scavenger hunt Outdoor Scavenger Hunts www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/kids/scavengerhunt.htm

Write a fairy tale Fractured Fairy Tales http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/fairytales/

Create your own holiday A Month With No Holidays? Make Up Your Own!www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson018.shtml


And some REALLY LAME ideas:
Blow up balloons, put notes inside and hand themout to friendsMessage in a Balloonwww.nmhct.nhs.uk/pharmacy/nmha-activities.html HAVE YOU NEVER HEARD OF LATEX ALLERGIES?????

Make a fire planHome Fire Safetywww.usfa.fema.gov/kids/flash.shtm PLEASE TELL ME YOU ALREADY HAVE ONE? I am surprised they didn't tell us to make sure we had changed our smoke detector batteries too!

Get a magazine subscription (parent permission) Magazine Listing www.magsonthenet.com/chilmag.html This just seems like a LAME thing to put on a list with so many COOL ideas.....come on now...maybe something like CREATE your own magazine, or COMPILE a newsletter with your friends, but encouraging magazine subscriptions????

Donate some of the toys and clothes you no longer use How To Donate Toys www.ehow..com/how_10124_donate-toys-children.html COME ON? You really need to put this on a list, especially a list geared to homeschoolers? Most homeschoolers I know are frugal and pass items on on an ongoing basis. And that there is a WEBSITE telling you HOW to donate items? Well someone had WAY TOO MUCH TIME on their hands!

Spend time with your grandparents 10 Great Activities www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson136.shtml OK? Obviously the author doesn't know the ONE grandparent my children have! But seriously, someone needs to TELL YOU to spend time with your grandparents????

Rent a video of a ballet Easy to Read Profiles of the Histories of Ballets classicalmusic.about.com/od/historyofballet/ Hey GRANT, JACOB AND CADE...wanna watch a DVD of some guys in tights? If you are going to SUGGEST a BALLET, at least encourage families to GO TO A REAL BALLET...even small towns have local ballet companies, why stick kids in front of a TV when they can experience first hand????

Adopt a pet (parent permission) http://www.petfinder.com/ NEED I EXPLAIN THIS ONE???

But it got me thinking.......and I decided to come up with a list of my own!
Letterboxing: http://www.letterboxing.org/ or http://www.atlasquest.com/

Geocaching: Wanna go a little more high tech? http://www.geocaching.com/

Explore a local creek, pond, stream or river: We are lucky, the Little Miami River is just blocks from our house http://www.littlemiamiriver.org/ but there are plenty of creeks, streams and waterways ripe for exploring. For a free guide we really like a copy of Stream Insects and Crustaceans located on pages 9 &10 of this pdf http://www.mostreamteam.org/activity_guide/ST%20Act.%20Guide%20activities/ST%20Act%20Guide%20p%20119-128%20aqua%20stream.pdf I printed it off and lamenated a couple of copies! If you are more the already made/ full color kind of person, our favorite guide is a lamenated trifold entitled PondWatchers: Guide to Ponds and Vernal Pools of Eastern North America ISBN 0-932691-14-5

Go for a bike ride : We are lucky, we live blocks from the Loveland Bike Trail http://www.lovelandbiketrail.com/ but there are plenty of other great places to ride bikes. Do you remember being a kid and riding your bike EVERYWHERE? Recapture that feeling of freedom with your children!

Take in a local youth, highschool or college BASEBALL game: don't live in a city with a major league team or live in a city with a team but can't afford the big league prices? I find youth, highschool and college baseball to be just as exciting (if not moreso since the players tend to be passionate about the game and aren't there for a paycheck) and the admission fee (if there is one at all) if far more reasonable than the MAJORS....you can get in the whole family (and I am talking a family the size of mine) for less than one ticket to a professional game. We are fortunate to live close enough to a WONDERFUL youth baseball complex http://www.tealtownballpark.org/ and just about any day you can find exciting action on at least one field. OK I would avoid the T-BALL games on Friday nights!

Bowling: Many bowling alleys participate in FREE BOWLING in the summer http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/. If you aren't near one of these bowling alleys, check out your local alley for great summer deals. Our favorite alley, Cherry Grove Lanes (http://cglanes.com/) doesn't do the free bowling, but has great summer deals..
Rollback Days Monday - Saturday
May 4th to Aug 22nd Noon - 5 pm
$1.75 Game Open Bowling
$1 Shoe Rental, Hot Dog & Soft Drink

Free Movies: This was by far one of my favorite summer activities, I can't afford to take my gang to the movies, so this is a real treat! Last year both local theater chains that participated also offered specials on popcorn/pop during these shows.

Rave Motion Pictures: http://www.ravemotionpictures.com/ffff.asp
All Rave Motion Pictures locations nationwide will host the Free Family Film Festival 2009. All locations will play these movies on the dates listed:
June 9 & 10 Kung Fu Panda PG 92 minutes
June 16 & 17 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa PG 89 minutes
June 23 & 24 Surf's Up PG 85 minutes
June 30 & July 1 The Tale of Despereaux G 90 minutes
July 7 & 8 Horton Hears A Who! G 86 minutes
July 14 & 15 Space Chimps G 81 minutes
July 21 & 22 Igor PG 87 minutes
July 28 & 29 Shrek the Third PG 93 minutes
ALL MOVIES START AT 10AM

Regal Theater Group: http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx you have to check the website for your local theater, here is the listing for the one we attend, they offer 2 choices most week!:

Deerfield Stadium 16 5500 Deerfield Blvd Mason ,OH 45040 513-770-3186
06/16/2009-06/17/2009 Kit Kittredge: American Girl (G) AND Star Wars: Clone Wars (PG)
06/23/2009-06/24/2009 Everyone's Hero (G) AND Inkheart (PG)
06/30/2009-07/01/2009 Space Chimps (G) AND Kung Fu Panda (PG)
07/07/2009-07/08/2009 Charlotte's Web (G) AND Journey To The Center Of The Earth (PG)
07/14/2009-07/15/2009 Horton Hears A Who (G) AND Firehouse Dog (PG)
07/21/2009-07/22/2009 Wallace And Gromit (G) AND Evan Almighty (PG)
07/28/2009-07/29/2009 Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Veggie Tale Movie (G) AND Alvin And The Chipmunks (PG)
08/04/2009-08/05/2009 Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (G)
08/11/2009-08/12/2009 March Of The Penguins (G) AND Igor (PG)
Selected G & PG movies start at 10AM each Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. First-come, first-served seating is limited to theatre capacity. The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer.

OK....enough for now....I will add more later!

Spring has definitely SPRUNG here, we are at the baseball fields just about anytime it isn't raining. I love baseball season, being in the sun, the company, the excitement of the game. Grant (13) played last night and the game was a real nail biter....we were winning 2-0 in the top of the 7th (we play 7 inning games) and the other team scored 4 runs, so when we got up to bat, we were trailing 4-2.......the boys managed to rally and come back, winning 5-4.....our team went undefeated last season, and it was funny to watch the crowd gather last night as news spread around the park that we were losing a game! Tonight, if the rain stops and the fields are playable, Cade (9) has a game! And if it doesn't rain tomorrow, another game for Cade...a makeup for one of the many rainouts already this season!



















Dance season is winding down. Our final competition of the season is this weekend, we will be at the competition, Friday night, all day Saturday (literally from 6 AM to midnight) and Sunday from 7 AM to 11:30 PM.....I love watching the kids dance, but I am not looking forward to the schedule! The girls are trying to decide what the want to do next year, so there is a POSSIBILITY that they may not be competing next year....Emily is looking into taking more classic ballet training and Hannah is just fed up with the hypocrisy at our current studio. It is funny to watch them navigate this new path... approaching new studios and instructors and watching the reaction when they realize that it isn't ME they (new studios) have to impress, it is my daughters...I don't think most people are comfortable with children making decisions, they tend to look to the adult/parent. I like to witness their reaction when they realize that the decision is firmly in the hands of my children.

I love being able to get outside again. We had a blast hanging out at the park this past Monday...Luke just LOVES playing on the playground equipment now, it is so cute to watch him run around with excitement and explore everything! We typically tend to hang out in the Loveland/Milford area but when we were heading home, the boys told me that they are wanting to explore some different parks. They film their own videos called DKK (Dumbest Kids You Know) for youtube (along with their friend Chris and any stray kids they can rope into participating!) and Grant informed me that they had "worn out" that park! Wonder if it was the park or the cop that "visited" with them while they were filming their stupid stunts?

I am going to try to get better about updating things here....I feel so bad when I don't add anything for days or weeks at a time...I think about BLOGGING all the time, I just don't get around to it!

My HOMESCHOOLING PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE:

HSN Parent Networking Night: GETTING STARTED HOMESCHOOLING!
When:Wednesday, May 13 6 to 8 PM
Where: Madeira Library Meeting Room 7200 Miami Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45243
Cost: Free
Who: Adults with an interest in home education, attached infants, interested teens. You do not need to be a HSN member to attend. Feel free to bring a friend who has expressed interest in homeschooling!

RSVP: Deanne at HSN_cincy@yahoo.com

Are you thinking about homeschooling or just getting started? We invite you to join us as we do our best to answer your questions and help with the basics, such as: Where do I begin?, How and Who do I notify?, What do families do all day?, Do I need to spend a lot of money?, What about a social life?, Does homeschooling work for teenagers?, Can homeschoolers get into college?

We encourage experienced homeschoolers to join us also. Come share what you know about Home Education with others!

Please pass this information onto anyone you know who’s considering homeschooling, or just getting started with it.

Directions
From the North:
Exit I-71 at Montgomery Road exit (#12).
Left on Montgomery Road
Right on Hosbrook
Left on Euclid Avenue
Library is on the left.

From the South:
Exit I-71 at Kenwood Road (exit 11)
Right on Kenwood
Left on Euclid Avenue
Library is on the left.

My friend Deanne, her son Chris and three of my boys Jacob, Cade and Grant were heading to a fieldtrip when the minivan they were in was blindsided by a car that ran a redlight, going about 45 MPH......everyone appears to be OK, a little bruised up but OK..... when I went to the accident scene the cop thought I was nuts when he asked me if I was OK and I responded "YES, I am FINE, I am picking them UP from an accident"....I don't think he understood that in my mind, being able to pick them up beat any alternative.....they could have been seriously injured or killed. The woman (I am using this lightly, I am not having very pleasant thoughts about this woman right now) driving the other car didn't even apply her brakes...there wasn't a skidmark or anything in the road and her car went STRAIGHT into the side of the minivan......the van was hit dead on the passenger side, right on the front passenger door and at the beginning of the sliding door, Cade (my 9 year old) was in the seat by the door that was hit.

So if you all could send healing thoughts to Deanne, Chris, Jacob, Cade and Grant I would appreciate it. And pray that this all works out without too much hassle, as the "woman" is saying she didn't run a red light, unfortunately NONE of the witnesses to the accident even bothered to pull over and of course it is about the only intersection without one of those stupid traffic camera. Add a prayer that any witness might decide to call the police and say what happened. Both Grant (my 13 year old) and her son Chris, saw the car coming at them, so he seems a bit more shaken up than the other boys!

Grant's 13th Birthday Scavenger Hunt!

We resurrected the scavenger hunt from Emily's birthday and invited all the boys for Grant's basketball team as well as some of his friends for basketball and football and decided to throw a party! We added a couple of new rules (everyone had to be in at least one picture) and gave everyone 1 1/2 hours to hunt and make it back to the house! The winning team was team #3! Special thanks to my neighbor who let one of the teams into his house and into his shower and to all the local business owners and local residents who helped the kids out!

Here is the updated scavenger hunt list:
Take a picture of your team by a police car (10 pt) (10 pt extra is including a police officer)
Take a picture with a total stranger. Your team must be in the classic "YMCA" pose (15 pt)
Take a picture of your team riding a lawn mower (15 pt)
Take a picture of a horse (10 pt)
Take a picture of your team in a shower CAN NOT be the Riesenberg's shower! (10 pt) Collect a sample of play sand (5 pt)
Take a picture of your team climbing a tree (10 pt)
Take a picture of your entire team on a playground slide (10 pt)
Take a picture of your team doing the chicken dance in front of a stop sign (15 pt) Take a picture of your team holding different kinds of balls (10 pt)
Take a picture of your team next to construction equipment (5 pt)
Collect a real estate magazine/book (5 pt) Collect a feather (10 pt)
Take a picture of one of your team mates drinking from a water fountain (5 pt)
Take a picture shaking hands with a bearded man (15 pt)
Take a picture of your team on a fire truck (20 pt)
Take a picture giving an older person a hug (15 pt)
Take a picture of your team mates with paper cones on their heads (10 pt)
Get the following coins from 6 different people (other than team members): $0.01 $0.05 $0.10 $0.25 $1.00 (3 pt per coin) Bonus points if you get them all (10 bonus pt)
Get a picture of some walking their dog can NOT be the Riesenberg’s dog (5pt) Picture of someone in work attire (5 pt)
Picture of someone on your team mimicing a statue (statue must be in the picture)( 5 pt)
Picture of someone on your team knee high in the river (10 pt)
Picture of someone on your team in a garbage can (10 pt)
Picture of a member of your team pumping a stranger's gasoline (15 pt)
Picture of someone with more than 4 children with them, children must be in picture (10 pt)
Picture of your team doing a human pyramid (10 pt)
Trade a piece of clothing with a stranger (15 pt)Must have a photo to prove trade. You DO NOT have to keep the clothing!
Get a random person's phone number (10 pt)
Get a cup from a restaurant and get it autographed by the employee that gives it to you (15 pt)
Collect a shopping bag from a local store (5 pt)
Collect something red ( 5 pt)
Collect a receipt from a local restaurant (10 pt)
Get a piece of sidewalk chalk and write all your names down at the Riesenberg's house. (10 pt)
Find someone who was born in another country (other than someone in your group). (10 pt)
Get a sea shell (5 pt)
See how many signatures you can get. (1 pt per signature)
Get a free informational pen (must have company's information on it) (5 points)
A family recipe from a local resident (20 points)
Take a picture of someone wearing sandals and socks (5 points)
Take a picture of your team making a "G" with their bodies (10 points)
Fit your whole team into one bathroom stall (5 points)
Find a coke tab (5 points)
A picture of your team doing either handstands or cartwheels in a field (10 points) Someone sliding into second base (5 points)
A team member jumping off a swing (5 points)
Get a photo of a stranger dancing (10 points)
Collect a movie stub (10 points) Take a picture of your team reading a newspaper upside down on a park bench (10 points)
A picture of someone riding a bike with training wheels (5 pt)

Hopefully this works....

The Children's Civil War/ JAMES A. RAMAGE CIVIL WAR MUSEUM

This program was originally scheduled for last fall and had to be rescheduled.

What: The Children's Civil War/ JAMES A. RAMAGE CIVIL WAR MUSEUM

When: Friday, April 17, 2009 10 AM. Program will last approximately one hour and 15 minutes and include a guided tour of the Museum.

Where: 1402 Highland Avenue , Fort Wright, KY 41011 (directions below)

Who: Program is geared to students of gradeschool age (Grades K-6) but is open to all homeschoolers grade K and above. The maximum number of students is 30. Toddlers CAN NOT participate in the program, but the museum is located within a park.

Costs: $3 per participating student. Adults free

RSVP to: Laura

Note: The museum is located in a park We plan to pack lunch and picnic and play following the program, weather permitting.


The Children's Civil War
Program Description: This program focuses solely on how children's lives in both the North and the South were affected by the Civil War. This is a very engaging program that allows students a chance to relate how their lives today vary so much from their Civil War era ancestors. Imagine telling students about the daily chores and general welfare of African-American slave children. Inquire about what sort of chores children do today and compare them with the chores children were responsible for during the war. Students' faces after learning they were responsible for dumping the chamber pots are unforgettable. Talk about fashion, have little girls try on a hoop skirt and ask them if they see any dangers in wearing this type of skirt, do they like it? Have little boys try to put old fashioned suspenders on and see their reactions. The goal of the program is to allow students the opportunity to learn about the lifestyles and the roles that children played during the Civil War. Discover the sacrifices that had to be made, and explore their daily home life and rediscover what it would be like to observe the warfront in your own backyard.

Program Goals:
Students will be able to compare their lives and the lives of children living during the Civil War Students will observe and gain in understanding of the home front, the
lifestyles and hardships of the average American citizen during the Civil War Students should be able to relate how war impacted the lives of all American
children during the Civil War Era

Suggested Pre-Visit Activities:
Lead a discussion about the Civil War, discuss the various factors that lead to the beginning of the Civil War Brainstorm what roles children may have had in the Civil War, how did the civil war affect their lives? Research children's roles during the Civil War, what were some of theirresponsibilities, did any of them serve as soldiers? Discuss how war has impacted our economy over the centuries

Suggested Post Visit Activities:
Have students write a letter to a solider, students can write letters to a current solider serving in the armed forces today, or they can write a period letter to a Civil War solider Have students discuss what chores they are responsible for today and then discuss how the roles of children have changed since the beginning of the
Civil War Make homemade hand dipped candles or homemade soap with the class

Suggested Resources:
Damon, Duane. Growing Up In The Civil War, 1861 to 1865.
Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 2003.
Herbert, Janis. The Civil War for Kids.
Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Review Press, Incorporated, 1999.
Pioneer Thinking, How to make hand dipped candles:
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/dipped.html

Teacher Resources:
Channing, Steven A. The Civil War Confederate Ordeal
Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1984.
Smith, George Winston & Charles Judah. Life in the North During the Civil
War.
Albuquerque, New Mexico: The University of New Mexico Press.

Museum's website: http://fortwright.com/index.asp?page=museum


Directions:


From I-75 Northbound take Exit 189 - Kyles Lane. Turn right onto Kyles Lane and proceed 0.3 miles to traffic light and turn left. At first stop sign, turn left onto Highland Avenue. Proceed 0.75 miles to the Community of Faith Presbyterian Church on left. Please park in the church parking lot.

From I-75 Southbound take Exit 189 - Kyles Lane. Turn left onto Kyles Lane and proceed 0.4 miles to traffic light and turn left. At first stop sign, turn left onto Highland Avenue. Proceed 0.75 miles to the Community of Faith Presbyterian Church on left. Please park in the church parking lot.

Handicapped Parking is available at the Museum. Follow directions above, but go only 0.7 miles down Highland Avenue - you will see a driveway to your left, follow that driveway to the top, Handicapped parking is to the left, next to the building.

What a beautiful day for a shoot-out!

I am talking PHOTOGRAPHY! Nancy, Fredrik and I ventured downtown and shot some pictures in and around Findlay Market....

This cheapy digital scrapbooking program came with the new printer we bought so I thought I would play with it. I created this page in honor of Cade's 9th birthday! It was super easy to make the page, I can understand why people fall in love with digital scrapbooking! I don't plan to give up all my paper supplies anytime soon, but making digital pages to post on the internet might become a new addiction!

It's hard to believe that the FREE summer offers are already popping up! Here is a great offer for FREE BOWLING if you happen to live anywhere close to any of these bowling alleys. We went last year and it was GREAT rainy day fun or a retreat from the blasing sun, the bowling alley wasn't crowded at all...unfortunately it was a bit too far to drive very often!

Check out the Kids Bowl Free Program!
http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

You can bowl free throughout the week, starting May 1 - Sept. 30, with your kids!!!! Includes 2 free games a day per kid! Includes locations all throughout Ohio. Sure wish I lived near one of the participating bowling centers!

Note, you do have to sign-up and pre-register your kids for available spots.

Here's the info from the Kids Bowl Free Website: http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

" Select bowling centers and schools around the country are participating in the first ever “Kids Bowl Free” program. This program is designed by bowling centers to give back to the community and provide a safe, secure, and fun way for kids to spend time this summer.

Children whose age does not exceed a limit by a participating bowling center are eligible to register for 2 free games a day, all summer long, courtesy of the particpating bowling centers along with the schools and organizations"

Additional Opportunity
In order to accomodate parents and older children in your family that may like to bowl, the participating bowling centers are offering a Family Pass. The Family Pass provides the same great "2 games a day" package for up to 4 adult family members for a one-time payment from $23.95.

Last night my photo class had a potluck gathering to celebrate (or bemoan) the departure of our fellow classmate Fredrik who is returning to his native Sweden in less than two weeks. We all brought a dish to share and I took my cheesy potatoes. Everyone asked for the recipe and I thought I would post it here as well since it is such a quick dish to prepare and take to those summer cookouts.

Here is the recipe...of course I removed ALL the calories from it before bringing it anywhere!

1 bag of frozen hash brown/diced potatoes
16 oz velvetta cheese (I buy the large package and use 1/2 of it)
2 cups mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
onion (I didn't add last night and usually use those dried/minced onions in a pinch, your guess is as good as mine!)

Melt velvetta in the microwave...I usually go about 3 minutes, stir it and then go another 2 minutes. Once it is melted, stir in the mayonnaise and add the potatoes, salt and pepper (and onions if using them). Spread the mixture into a 9x13 pan, cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes and then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes to lightly brown the top.

Great FREE fieldtrip to the Apple Computer Store!

We had the pleasure of taking part in an absolutely AWESOME FREE workshop offered at our local Apple Computer Store today. Our coordinator was Brian M and he was wonderful working with the kids and keeping everyone inspired and on task. We learned how to make iMovies and my kids (Hannah, Emily, Grant, Jacob and Cade) are now addicted. I can see an iMac in our future, hopefully we can work one into the budget before our current desktop completely gives up the ghost. Brian mentioned to the kids that he could also do a music workshop with them sometime in the future, they can't wait for me to schedule it. On top of the great fun of the workshop, the kids all left with free t-shirts and a dvd copy of the video they produced. It was amazing how quickly they all caught on, especially given that none of them had any iMac/Apple computer experience before today.

A few pictures:

Ballerina Girl!

Sophia humored me and let me take pictures of her for my photography class. She loves to dance and is so beautiful to watch, even at her young age. Emily let her use her prized possession, her first pointe shoes, for the pictures. I really like how these turned out!

What: History Hunters Tour of City Hall
When: Friday, March 20, 2009 10 AM
Where: Cincinnati City Hall 801 Plum St. Cincinnati, OH 45202, meet at the information desk Who: Homeschoolers of all ages: Tour limited to 30 participants
RSVP: to Laura with the number of people attending

The tour consists of a guided tour through City Hall. You will learn about the rich culture of Cincinnati through the images in the beautifully detailed stained glass windows. In addition, you will learn about the workings of Cincinnati's city government and the Romanesque design of the building. The tour will last about one hour.

I stumbled upon the information about this tour quite by accident but figured it fit well into our history hunter theme of exploring interesting historic places in and around the Cincinnati area. Our tourguide was a wealth of information and for the most part managed to hold the attention of our VERY LARGE group. We had about 40 people (yes, some people showed up without RSVPing!) but the group was well behaved! The building is AMAZING on the inside, you don't really realize from the outside just how grand the building is. We got to go into the office of the mayor and the city manager and also sit in the city council meeting room.

Thanks to my friend Stephanie for this AWESOME tag! Have to hate gmail for not letting me put it in my siggy line!

Great list of local places to take pictures!




Thanks to my friend Debbie for this AWESOME list of places in and around the Cincinnati area for possible opportunities to take pictures. Some are events (with dates listed), other are just great locations that might inspire your creativity! If you happen to have any other great ideas for photos in the Cincinnati area, post a comment here and I will add them to the list!

St. Patrick's Day Parade March 14, 2009
●Starts on Eighth Street and Broadway, down Eighth to Vine street, Vine to Fifth
street and Fifth to Sentinel. Viewing stand by Fountain Square http://www.cincinnatisaintpatrickparade1.netfirms.com/

Red’s Opening Day Parade
●Downtown Cincinnati April 6, 2009

Flower Show
●April 18-26, 2009 Symmes Township Park instead of at Coney 11600 North Lebanon Road http://www.symmestownship.org/


Krohn Conservatory
●Butterfly Show - Flowers with Wings - India
Sat, April 18, 10am – Sun, June 21, 2009, 5pm

●Fall Floral Show - Backyard Birds & Wildlife
Sept. 12 – Nov 1, 2009


●Winter Floral Show - A Swedish Holiday
Nov 21, 2009 – Jan 3, 2010


Airports/Air Shows
●Blue Ash Airport/Airport Days
●Clermont County Airport
●Dayton Air Show July 18-19, 2009 Thunderbirds are scheduled to perform.
Available for an extra fee: Phototour/Photopit passes http://www.usats.org/
●Wright Patterson Air Force Museum—free admission http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/
●Lunken Airport

Cemeteries
●Spring Grove Cemetery http://www.springgrove.org/ gates open at 8 AM
●Mt. Moriah Cemetery (in Withamsville--close to I-275 at the Beechmont Ave exit) The Cemetery is open to the public from dawn to dusk every day. http://www.union-township.oh.us/index.php?id=mm§ion=rules

Sports
●Paul Brown Stadium
●Great American Ball Park
Amusement Parks
●King’s Island opens April 19 http://www.visitkingsisland.com/
●Old Coney

Fairs/Festivals (2009 dates)
●Bock Fest—March 6-8 http://www.bockfest.com/
●Brown County Fair Sept. 28-October 3
●Clermont County Fair July 26-August 1
●Ohio State Fair July 29-August 9
●Old West Festival Williamsburg OH September 12-October 1, 2009 Weekends only 10AM-6 PM http://www.oldwestfestival.com/
●Taste of Cincinnati May 23-25
●Rubber Duck Regatta—OH river
●Riverfest Sunday September 6
●Octoberfest Zinzinnati September 19-20
●The Ohio Valley Antique Machinery Show August 6-9
●Brown County Quilt Barn and Covered Bridge Tours
http://county.brown.oh.us/tourism/pdf/Cover.pdf

At Old Coney
●Appalachian Festival May 8-10 2009
●Summerfair May 29-31 2009
●Cruise a palooza Saturday Sept 5 car show
●Fall O Ween Festival Sept 27-Oct 4 weekends only noon-6pm

Hot Air Balloons
●Balloon glow at Coney Friday July 3, 2009
●Balumineria—Eden Park usually in November

Parks
●Ault Park http://www.blogger.com/
●The Friendship Park
●Sawyer Point
●Devou Park—Northern KY
●Mt. Adams Reindog Parade
●Cincinnati Nature Center http://www.cincynature.org/
●Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum—Hamilton OH
they are having a juried photo contest http://www.pyramidhill.org/
●Highlands Sanctuary www.highlandssanctuary.org/
●Beech Acres Skate Park—Beechmont Avenue

Landmarks/Points of Interest
●Carew Tower Observation Deck 241-3888 Hours vary –admission charged
●Union Terminal—Museum Center
●Cincinnati Zoo Zoobabies May 2009 Festival of Lights Nov 27-Jan 3
●Findlay Market
●Cincinnati Fire Museum—call for hours as they vary $7 admission
●Cincinnati Heritage Tours (In the summer) Walking tours of historic Cincinnati
●American Sign Museum
●Granny's Garden on the grounds of Loveland Elementary and Primary Schools,
so you can't go during school hours, but late day, weekends and summer you
can go any time. Roberta (aka Granny) is WONDERFUL! Here is a link to her
webpage http://www.grannysgardenschool.com/
●Loveland Castle 12025 Shore Rd Loveland, OH 45140 683-4686.
http://www.lovelandcastle.com/
●River Downs
●Fountain Square

Out of Town
●Hocking Hills
●Lexington
●Louisville
●Columbus /Columbus Zoo
●Yellow Springs OH
●Portsmouth OH

Here are a few pictures I took the other day down at Krohn Conservatory the other day. It is so nice to be inside a nice warm conservatory on a dreary winter day. Right now is the pre-spring flower show, the tulips looked a little sad, but I was happy with the daffodil, orchid and gerber daisy shots!

OUR BIG SHOW!

The turnout was absolutely AMAZING at our photo show opening last night! You couldn't even see across the coffee shop, it was that crowded. Since I had made the intial contact with the coffee shop and set everything up, I had been a bit apprehensive that it might just end up being the eight of us from the class and our teacher at the show. I was pleasantly surprised (as was the coffee shop, it was their busiest day EVER!)! I had a great time as did everyone in the class. As a group we sold three pieces, I have someone interested in buying one of mine as well, we will see if it comes through or not!

Our first show...hopefully the first of MANY!

Here is the text from the poster we displayed at the doorway.....

Eight random individuals of various backgrounds and life stages come together every Thursday night with a common purpose… to share their love of photography.

On their journey, they conquer the elements and make time stand still. They understand that taking the perfect picture is not for the timid and doesn’t happen by chance.

Tonight they invite you to take an eclectic journey through the help of their steady hands, keen eyes, and relentless persistence.

What once was referred to as eight random strangers now stands before you as … The Thursday Night Photographers : Nancy, Fredrik, Shelby, Debbie, Tana, Laura, Janet, and Wally

Please proceed to the exhibit and freely ask them about their grand adventures.

Tonight’s Exhibit: Eclectography

A special thanks to Steve Floro for his inspiration and dedication to the art of photography.

My First Photography Show!

This Saturday night (Jan 24th) my photography class is hosting a photography show at Heaven's Roast from 5-7 PM. Heaven's Roast is located at 6416 Branch Hill Guinea Pike Loveland, OH 45140. To get there take I-275 to the Wards Corner Exit, if coming from points west turn left at the end of the exit ramp and then turn right at the second traffic light (there is a pool place on the corner)...if coming from points east, turn right at the top of the exit ramp and then right at the first light. Follow the road for a while (maybe a mile or mile and 1/2) and you will see a sports bar (Shooters) and a National City Bank on your left, you need to turn into the driveway that takes you into the strip mall area after you pass the bank, but before you get to UDF (which sits on the corner), if you get to the traffic light, you have gone too far. Heaven's Roast sits straight ahead in the small strip at the far end of that driveway. It sits next to a fitness place (I believe it is called BEAT) and near the carwash (if it is warm out at all the carwash will be packed!).

There will be free food and coffee, specialty drinks are available for purchase.

So if you are bored and have nothing else to do I would love to see you there! If you can't make the show, the art will be hanging for about a month, so feel free to stop in an see it another time!

My crappy day Friday!

I would have SWORN yesterday had to be FRIDAY the 13th, given the CRAPPY day I had.....

It only hit -8 here (I believe that was the low) overnight....so doesn't it figure that our FURNACE DIED the coldest night of the year (overnight Thurs into Fri)???? It got down to 44 degrees in the house on the first floor (I have no idea how cold it got in the basement, but my wet laundry in the dryer FROZE SOLID), luckily we got the repair guy out here yesterday afternoon and it was only a fuse.....but he isn't promising that it isn't a bad blower/motor (OK can you tell I know NOTHING about furnaces) but so far so good, the heat has been back on for 24 hours!

OH, so why was there WET LAUNDRY in the DRYER??? Guess, I forget to mention the dryer we just paid $150 to fix the Monday after Thanksgiving ISN'T DRYING CLOTHES??? It is doing the same FRICKIN thing it did then, it runs, but there is no heat...of course the ass that repaired it (and guarenteed it for 1 year) won't return our phonecalls! Kind of hard to have clean clothes with NO DRYER in the middle of the "arctic" weather we are having of late!

To top off yesterday.....after the girls BEGGED and BEGGED, I agreed to let them go skiing with a friend of theirs--Elaine (the friend is an adult and she was taking her kids) I caved partly because she offered to pay for them and I knew they wouldn't have another chance to go for"free", we certainly don't have extra money for skiing right now! I had SWORN years ago, after Hannah fell and messed up her face really bad, to NEVER let them ski again, especially during competition dance season, but I agreed they could go, I really am losing my mind! So around 12:30 PM yesterday while I am out running around with the other kids (to keep them warm since the heat here wasn't working at that point!) the phone rings....comes into my cellphone as "unavailable" so I almost didn't answer it, but I did, and guess who it is???? the FLIPPIN' SKI PATROL.....Hannah has torn up her knee and they want to transport her to a local hospital. As I listen to the ski patrol, I decide I don't want to take their word for what is going on (figuring they want to cover their own asses!), I ask to talk to Elaine. After our conversation (when I basically ask, if it was your kid would you transport her and she replies "No") we agree to ice it and wait it out and have her just bring Hannah home when everyone else is done skiing, after all it is horribly swollen and I suspect the ER will just say "we can't do anything until the swelling goes down" so why waste the money on an ER/ambulance run?? OK, yes, I am a frugal cheap ass when it comes to medical stuff, plus I HATE waiting in emergency rooms. So Elaine pumps her full of ibuprofen and ices the knee the rest of the time they are there. It looks like SHIT, she can't move it at all today after sleeping on it, and despite my desire for it not to be the case, I think she really has messed it up, but am going to wait until Monday to see and then call the doctor.

The icing on the cake (not that it happened yesterday but to add to my frustration) is that we only have one running vehicle, making it hell to get anyone to anything they need to be at because there are always conflicts in the schedule! Plus the one that runs, is getting about 9 to 11 miles to the gallon right now, so it costs so much money just to run to the dance studio or even to the grocery store. It sucks when you don't have the money anyway to be counting quarters to put gas in the tank of a gas guzzler! Today the schedule was overly hectic...a 9 AM 4-H advisors meeting, the girls had to be at dance at 10:30 AM, Grant had a basketball game at 11 AM, Jacob had a game 25 minutes away at 12 PM, Cade had a game at 2 PM...nothing like spending the day in the car. Brett and Grant had to walk to Grant's game since I was out with the van!

I FRICKING thought 2009 would be a better year than 2008....Yeah, right....I am convinced I am just the running punch line in every one of God's jokes.

New Cincinnati Unschoolers Yahoo Group

Just in case there are any local unschoolers stalking my blog, I thought I would add a link to a new Yahoo Group that I formed. I am hoping to build a local support community for those of us who believe that it doesn't take "school at home" for a homeschooled child to "learn". So if you live in the Cincinnati area, check it out and join us!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CincinnatiUnschoolers

Yummy Potato Casserole Recipe

2 lb. frozen, cubed hash browns
1/4 cup butter
1 can cream soup (chicken, potato, mushroom ... your choice)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
8 oz. shredded Cheddar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 lb (or more) ham, chopped into bite size pieces

Mix all ingredients well and spread into a 9x13 casserole dish. Bake at 350°F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until bubbly and browned.

I used Progresso's Creamy Mushroom soup in this recipe to keep it gluten free. EVERYONE loved it, usually at least one person doesn't like any new recipe that we try so that in and of itself was amazing! I doubled the recipe , took a small portion of it out before adding the ham (to make a veggie version for Emily). This meal will definitely go into the dinner rotation!

10 Hot Photography Tips and Tutorials from 2008:

If you love photography check out these tips:
http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/10-hot-photography-tips-and-tutorials-from-2008/

As most of you know, I LOVE photography and have been expanding my skills by taking photography classes through Great Oaks. I have ended up in a class with 7 interesting and diverse individuals and 1 fascinating teacher! Nancy sent the above link and it is absolutely wonderful!

We are preparing for our first photography show. It will be hosted at a local coffee shop, the prefect, intimate setting! I am so very excited about displaying my work for others to see, a bit nervous too...will it be good enough?

For those with a weight loss resolution:

I was cleaning out my favorite places and stumbled across some really wonderful weight watcher links I saved last year. I know many people have made resolutions to loss weight this upcoming year so I thought I would share these to help motivate you....wish I could motivate myself, but I don't see that happening! I guess for now I will just be happy with the fact that I lost and kept off 20 lb last year! All of these are free and support the Weight Watchers points program.....

A Weight Watchers Support Network: http://www.healthdiscovery.net/links/one_point_list.htm

DeeDee's Page of WW Foods:
http://www.angelfire.com/me/kyoddie/points.html

Dottie's Weight Loss Zone: http://dwlz.com/ this site has amazing recipes and tons of wonderful links

Points Calculator: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/kreider/Points.htm

Good luck to you if your resolution is to loss weight! I have rededicated myself to working out every day, not with the goal of lossing weight (although that would be wonderful) but with the goal of being HEALTHY in 2009! After all I have SO MUCH to live for!

Happy New Year!

From our family to yours, wishes for a wonderful 2009!

New Year's Prayer

As the dawn breaks on a new year, let us give thanks for all we hold dear: our health, our family and our friends.

Let us release our grudges, our anger and our pains, for these are nothing but binding chains.

Let us live each day in the most loving ways, the God-conscious way. Let us serve all who are in need, regardless of race, color or creed.

Let us keep God of our own understanding in our hearts and to chant God's name each day. Let us lead the world from darkness to light, from falsehood to truth and from wrong to right.

Let us remember that we are all one, embracing all, discriminating against none.

May your year be filled with peace, prosperity and love. May God's blessings shower upon you and bestow upon each of you a bright, healthy and peaceful new year.

Reverend Marcy "Melchezedek Order"