Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored," parenting with the big, broad, flexible outlook since 1989!
No wonder it's such a zoo around here.
Honestly. What can you say about teenagers? You try to raise them right. You try to set a good example for them. And what do they do? When you aren't looking, they pinch your theatrical-grade buzzard costume and make a video!
Not only do they make a video, they film it in big sister's bedroom ... off limits, of course.
Why, readers. Why? Why has my daughter The Spare turned out to be such a hellcat? Was it something I did?
Evidence of the crime, below.
Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored," blue as the Wild Pacific on a rainy New Jersey day!
Since I got a full-time job, I've been pondering the possibility of buying out my family members and owning the family property on Polish Mountain outright. Just now the 76 mountainous acres are one-sixth mine.
My uncle and cousin are living there right now. My cousin had a realtor come out from Cumberland, Maryland. The gig is up, dear readers. The farm is worth almost $200,000. Why? The views. The size. The location, just a two-hour drive from all those deer-blasting Washington lobbyists.
I can't afford to buy the farm. I will never be able to afford to buy the farm. Well, let's never say never, but let's say BIG FAT PROBABLY I'll never have the dough to buy the farm.
Okay. So there are two things I could do. I could wallow in self-pity, weep and wail, or I could ask the faeries to help me devise a Plan B.
ATTENTION ALL FAERIES: ANNE NEEDS A PLAN B TO EASE THE PAIN OF LOSING HER BELOVED FAMILY FARM! FRONT AND CENTER!
Puck: Neither a borrower nor a lender be. Take the money and go on a spree! Why should I have to say anything more? You're 55 miles from the Jersey Shore!
Anne: (weeps) The Jersey Shore? That's my consolation prize? @#$@##@$!
Princess: Trees and stones, bucks and does... that place is a dump. Buy some new clothes!
Anne: Geez, no wonder the fairy tales always make faeries look flip. Come on, faeries ... I'm crazy with grief!
Puck: Crazy with grief. She needs some relief! Let's go to Wendy's. Where's the beef?
Princess: She wants a barn full of rusty old tools. With her share of the booty she could buy a few jewels!
Anne: For the very first time in my life I'm actually looking forward to an afternoon of teachers' meetings. Gosh. I think I'll go early and sit in the auditorium. Puck. Princess. Thank you ever so very much for your help ... NOT!
Host of Faeries: We want chocolate! We want chocolate!
Some days, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Ah well, according to my handy Mayan calendar, this is the week of the Vulture. Flap, flap. Self-pity is crap.
Since I got a full-time job, I've been pondering the possibility of buying out my family members and owning the family property on Polish Mountain outright. Just now the 76 mountainous acres are one-sixth mine.
My uncle and cousin are living there right now. My cousin had a realtor come out from Cumberland, Maryland. The gig is up, dear readers. The farm is worth almost $200,000. Why? The views. The size. The location, just a two-hour drive from all those deer-blasting Washington lobbyists.
I can't afford to buy the farm. I will never be able to afford to buy the farm. Well, let's never say never, but let's say BIG FAT PROBABLY I'll never have the dough to buy the farm.
Okay. So there are two things I could do. I could wallow in self-pity, weep and wail, or I could ask the faeries to help me devise a Plan B.
ATTENTION ALL FAERIES: ANNE NEEDS A PLAN B TO EASE THE PAIN OF LOSING HER BELOVED FAMILY FARM! FRONT AND CENTER!
Puck: Neither a borrower nor a lender be. Take the money and go on a spree! Why should I have to say anything more? You're 55 miles from the Jersey Shore!
Anne: (weeps) The Jersey Shore? That's my consolation prize? @#$@##@$!
Princess: Trees and stones, bucks and does... that place is a dump. Buy some new clothes!
Anne: Geez, no wonder the fairy tales always make faeries look flip. Come on, faeries ... I'm crazy with grief!
Puck: Crazy with grief. She needs some relief! Let's go to Wendy's. Where's the beef?
Princess: She wants a barn full of rusty old tools. With her share of the booty she could buy a few jewels!
Anne: For the very first time in my life I'm actually looking forward to an afternoon of teachers' meetings. Gosh. I think I'll go early and sit in the auditorium. Puck. Princess. Thank you ever so very much for your help ... NOT!
Host of Faeries: We want chocolate! We want chocolate!
Some days, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Ah well, according to my handy Mayan calendar, this is the week of the Vulture. Flap, flap. Self-pity is crap.
Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored," where we're time-starved and chore-laden! I'm going to keep this one short.
I'm not kept up to date on the news like I used to be before I started teaching school. So it was just yesterday that I heard about the most recent scandal in the Roman Catholic Church -- that of deaf men accusing priests of having abused them when they were schoolboys.
Just when you thought you'd heard it all about that Church, huh?
I've been thinking a lot about the evils of the Catholic Church. Only a few of them are coming to light, I'm sure. Some big ones have made history. Heck, Dante put two popes in the lowest bowels of Hell, and when he sees them on his journey, they tell him that the next pope will soon join them. (In fact at first they think Dante is said pope.) Inferno was written in the early 1300s.
However, throughout its career, the Roman Catholic Church has also done a great deal of good. A huge amount of good. Let's say we were to weigh good vs. evil in the Catholic Church. If we did that, and we found that for every evil deed, the Church produced 10,000 good deeds, does that mitigate the evil deeds? Put another way, does the preponderance of good allow leeway for some evil?
I'm interested in what you have to say on this subject.
As for me, I just look at that whole RC thing and thank the bored gods that I never had any truck with it. Bad enough to have spent time in a Pentecostal Church, but the Roman Catholic Church -- where my poor husband was born, raised, and educated -- seems to have taken the fork in the road that leads to Creepy about 3,000 miles ago.
This is just my opinion, though. I am not going to sit here and lob stones. It's not my place to judge a particular sect of a particular praise and worship team. What I'm wondering about is a deeper issue. Does a preponderance of good mitigate a smaller amount of evil? How much evil is too much? Can any praise and worship team be condemned solely on its bad deeds if it has also done good in the world?
If all this is too heavy for you to ponder, hey. I hear ya. Who do you think will win the World Series this year?
I'm not kept up to date on the news like I used to be before I started teaching school. So it was just yesterday that I heard about the most recent scandal in the Roman Catholic Church -- that of deaf men accusing priests of having abused them when they were schoolboys.
Just when you thought you'd heard it all about that Church, huh?
I've been thinking a lot about the evils of the Catholic Church. Only a few of them are coming to light, I'm sure. Some big ones have made history. Heck, Dante put two popes in the lowest bowels of Hell, and when he sees them on his journey, they tell him that the next pope will soon join them. (In fact at first they think Dante is said pope.) Inferno was written in the early 1300s.
However, throughout its career, the Roman Catholic Church has also done a great deal of good. A huge amount of good. Let's say we were to weigh good vs. evil in the Catholic Church. If we did that, and we found that for every evil deed, the Church produced 10,000 good deeds, does that mitigate the evil deeds? Put another way, does the preponderance of good allow leeway for some evil?
I'm interested in what you have to say on this subject.
As for me, I just look at that whole RC thing and thank the bored gods that I never had any truck with it. Bad enough to have spent time in a Pentecostal Church, but the Roman Catholic Church -- where my poor husband was born, raised, and educated -- seems to have taken the fork in the road that leads to Creepy about 3,000 miles ago.
This is just my opinion, though. I am not going to sit here and lob stones. It's not my place to judge a particular sect of a particular praise and worship team. What I'm wondering about is a deeper issue. Does a preponderance of good mitigate a smaller amount of evil? How much evil is too much? Can any praise and worship team be condemned solely on its bad deeds if it has also done good in the world?
If all this is too heavy for you to ponder, hey. I hear ya. Who do you think will win the World Series this year?
Picture from http://www.catalogs.com/
Påsken banker på dørene, og mange av oss er allerede begynt på Påskeferien.
Her i StampARTic tar vi også Påskeferie nå frem til 6. april, men vi går ut i ferie med brask og bram!
Vi har nemlig en spennende nyhet å dele med dere samt et DT CALL
Easter is knocking on our doors, and many have already started their Easter Vacation.
We are also taking a break during Easter and we will be back April 6th, but we start our Easter break here at StampARTic with some Exciting News and a DT CALL!
StampARTic' s ARTSY TEAM
Noen av de tilbakemeldingene vi fikk fra dere på vår 1 års dag, var at dere savnet litt mer artsy stil kort her inne. Vi er helt enige i det, men måtte bare innse at de fleste på teamet lager helst søte kort...
Og mange av våre sponsorer sender oss materiale til den stilen vi behersker best, nemlig søte kort.
Så hva kunne vi gjøre med det, og vi har kommet frem til å opprette et
Artsy Team i StampARTic!!
Og nå trenger vi Design Team medlemmer til vårt helt nye Artsy Team.
Om Artsy Team:
*Artsy Team vil bli et selvstendig team innad i StampARTic
*Artsy Team vil ha sitt eget planleggingsforum
*Artsy Team vil ha 1-2 poster i StampARTic i månden
* Artsy Team kan bidra med DT kort i artsy stil til våre vanlige utfordringer
*Artsy team vil ha sine egne sponsorer, og medlemmene må hjelpe til med å finne sponsorer.
Høres dette interessant ut og du behersker Artsy stilen?
Legg igjen navn og link til bloggen din i Mister Linky skjemaet som du finner nederst i posten eller send oss en e-mail med link til bloggen din til artsyteam@gmail.com
innen 6. April
ved midnatt StampARTic tid.
Vi er i utgangspunktet på utkikk etter dt medlemmer fra Skandinavia.
Har du noen spørsmål, så kan du sende oss en mail på
Some of the feedback we got from you at our first anniversary was that you missed seeing artsy cards.
We totally agree on that, but had to realize that most of us are making cute cards...
and most of our sponsors are sending us kit that matches the style we are doing best....cute cards.
So what to do..what to do...??
We have decided to start an
Artsy Team within StampARTic
And now we are looking for Design Team Members for our brand new Artsy Team.
About the Artsy Team
*Artsy Team will be a team for itself with it's own team leader
*Artsy Team will have their own planning forum
*Artsy Team will have 1-2 posting in StampARTic a month
*Artsy Team can participate with Artsy cards to our regular challenges
*Artsy Team will have their own sponsors, and design team members will have to help find sponsors.
Sounds interesting and you can master the Artsy style?
Leave your name and link to your blog in the Mister Linky Scheme at the bottom of this post or e-mail us the link to your blog to artsyteam@gmail.com
Deadline will be April 6th
Midnight StampARTic time.
We are looking for DT members from Scandinavia.
If you have any questions you can e-mail us at:
Noen medlemmer har vi allerede i Artsy Team:
Team leder:
Charlotte Ravn
Charlotte er allerede med på StampARTic sitt design team, og skal være team leder for Artsy Team. Charlotte blir med på begge teamene.
Charlotte lager de lekreste kort både i artsy stilen og søte kort.
Vi er så glade for å ha henne med i begge teamene.
Charlotte is already on the StampARTic design team, and will be team leader for Artsy Team.
Charlotte will be design team member on both teams.
She makes the most gorgeous cards in both artsy and cute card style!
We are so happy to have her on both the teams.
Vi har også fått med et helt nytt medlem i Artsy Team
We also has a brand new member in Artsy Team
Connie-Helen Bæver
Connie er et velkjent navn blant norske kortlagere, kjent for sin flotte artsy stil på kortene sine.
Hun er et oppkom av kreativitet og vi er så stolt og glad for at hun har takket ja til vår invitasjon til å bli med i Artsy Team.
Her er noen ord fra Connie
Håpløst kreativ på godt og vondt, og det meste av dagene går til kreative tanker og utfoldelser. Noen ganger litt og andre ganger mer, men det viktigste av alt "det er meg". En norsk jente som har falt pladask for alt som heter av Art journaling, kortlaging og scrapbooking. Noe som ikke er så altfor langt i fra mitt yrke som grafisk designer. Jeg er en stor fan av Claudine Hellmuth og Teesha Moore, og kanskje en smule fan av Tim Holtz. Har etterhvert blitt det jeg selv kaller en "bakgrunnsnerd", og jeg digger alt som assossieres med klæsj og klin.
Connie is a well known card maker from Norway, famous for her artsy card and her creativity just amazes us. She has been on as a guest designer for StampARTic once before, and we are so happy and proud she accepted our invite to Artsy Team
Here are some words from Connie
Hopeless creative in a crazy way...most of the time! Sometimes less, sometimes more - but the most important thing is that it is me. A Norwegian girl who have fallen in love with Art Journaling, Card making and Scrap booking. Not to fare away from my profession as a graphic designer, but so different tools to work with. I am a huge fan of Claudine Hellmuth and Teesha Moore, and not to forget Tim Holtz. Call my self a "background-nerd", and love all products that involves background techniques.
Her er noen av Connies kort ~ Here are some of Connie's work:
Charlotte og Connie skal plukke ut resten av team kollegaer,
og vi vil annonsere vårt nye Artsy Team 11. April.
Vi håper dere syns dette er like spennende som vi gjør,
og at vi får mange søkere til vårt DT call. ****
Charlotte and Connie will be picking the rest of their team mates
and we will announce the new Artsy Team on April 11th.
We hope you find this as exciting as we do,
and we also hope to see many entries for our DT call.
picture from www.thundafunda.com
and we will announce the new Artsy Team on April 11th.
We hope you find this as exciting as we do,
and we also hope to see many entries for our DT call.
Vi ønsker dere alle en riktig God Påske!
We wish you all a Happy Easter!Saatin kun saatiinkin pääsiäis kortteja tähän haasteeseen ja kauniita kortteja saatiinkin. Haaste oli eittämättä, ehkä pikkaisen haastava. Tulihan kortti tehdä väreillä lila, tumman sininen ja musta sekä lisäksi kortissa käyttää hiukkasen keltaista ja vihreää. Tumman sininen ja musta on vieras väri pääsiäis korteissa. Värit musta ja tumman sininen ovat kuitenkin kuten lila kirkossa käytettävät pääsiäisvärit. Tästä siis tämä väri-idea sai alkunsa.
Vi fick till all lycka in påskkort till vår utmaning. Utan tvekan kan man säga att kortena fint följde färgskalan lila, mörk blått och svart med en gnutta gult och grönt som ju var färgena i vår utmaning. Det hör säkert inte till det normala att se påskkort gjorda just med mörk blått. Men just dessa färger tillsammans med den lila färgen år påskens kyrkliga färger. Det var från detta som iden till att andvända fårgerna kom.
We luckily got some Easter cards to our challenge. The colors lilac, dark blue and lila with a hint of yellow and green where without doupt a difficult task. The colors dark blue and black is not a color you traditional see in Easter cards. The colors dark blue and lilac is the churchy colord during Easter time. It was from here we got the idea to use these colors in our challenge.
Haasteen kolme palkintoa sponsoroi ......
De tre vinstena sponsras av ....
The three prizes is sponsored by ....
Ensimmäinen palkinto
Första priset
The first prize
Koska meillä oli kolme palkintoa päätimme, että ainakin yksi palkinnon saajista valitaan äänestämällä. Voittajasta ei tällä kertaa ollut epäilystä.
När vi nu har tre priser att dela ut bestämde vi att rösta om vinnaren till ett av priserna. Vi var totalt eniga om vinnaren.
As we had three prizes we dicided to vote for one of the winners. We wher totaly unanimous for the winner.
***
Voittaja on...
Vinnaren är ...
The winner is ...
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Kaksi muuta voittajaa on arvottu.
Toisen palkinnon voittaja on ....
Det två andra vinnarna har vi lottat ut.
Det andra priset går till ...
The two other winners has been drawn.
Te second prize goes to ....
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Kolmas palkinto menee ....
Det tredje priset går till ...
The third prize goes to ...
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Kiitos kaikille osallistujille ja Onnittelut kaikille kolmelle voittajalle.
Jojjo, Minna ja Therese lähettäkää yhteystietonne meille osoitteeseen stampartic@gmail.com
Tusen tack för alla ljuvliga bidrag och Gratulationer till alla tre vinnarna.
Jojjo, Minna och Therese var vänliga och skicka oss era addresser till stampartic@gmail.com
Thank's for all the lovley entries we got and Congratualations to all three winners.
Jojjo, Minna and Therese please send your address to stampartic@gmail.com
****
Huomenna on tiedossa uutta ja ihmeellistä täällä StampARTic sivustolla.
Tätä ei kannata jättää väliin.
Imorgon kommer det att hända något mycket fantastikt här i StampARTic.
Det lönar inte att missa detta.
Tomorrow there will be marvel new things going on here at StampARTic.
Don't miss it.
Huomenna on tiedossa uutta ja ihmeellistä täällä StampARTic sivustolla.
Tätä ei kannata jättää väliin.
Imorgon kommer det att hända något mycket fantastikt här i StampARTic.
Det lönar inte att missa detta.
Tomorrow there will be marvel new things going on here at StampARTic.
Don't miss it.
Next week will bring April 1. And that means only 29 days until the annual Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm!
The Fairie Festival in Glen Rock, PA is a kid-friendly, farm-friendly, three-day love fest for faeries and their human fans. There's entertainment, good food, activities for the tots, vendors, and -- for those of us who love the bored gods -- the affable companionship of like-minded Pagans. Although the festival tries to be secular, its true nature is revealed both within the venue (thinly disguised Rituals led by a Bard) and without (loud protests by local Christian fundamentalists).
After attending the festival a few times, I was asked to lead the Mountain Tribe. This is quite an honor for me, since my heart will always reside in Appalachia, on this side of the veil and the other side too.
Last year I met some "Gods Are Bored" fans at the festival. And oh, it did warm my heart! So now I'm trying to extend that warmth even further.
Over the next three weeks I'll be encouraging you to join the Mountain Tribe at the Spoutwood Fairie Festival.
Let it never be said that I am overly demanding. My friend in South Africa needn't book a flight. Nor am I issuing a royal call to my buddy Down Under.
However, if you live in the Baltimore/Washington metro area, or in the lower half of New Jersey, or out about Pittsburgh, I do wish you would join my Tribe and help us welcome in the May! It's not often that May Day falls on a Saturday. This year it does. Come and dance with me, many wonders to see!
Nok en gang har visa kortet vårt gått seg varmt, og noen go'biter har vi sikret oss til hobbyrommet.
Og som alltid så deler vi gjerne vår shopping med dere....
Once again our visa card has felt the heat, and we have got our selves some new goodies for the scrap room...
and of course we will share our shopping tips with you...
Petra
Petra har funnet noen lekre stempler fra Ladybug and friends denne månden
De er så anvendelige som tilbehør og bakgrunn stempler.
Petra has found the most wonderful clear stamps from Ladybug and friends this month.
They are so easy to use, and gives a great results as both accessories stamps and as backgrounds.
Petra has bought her stamps here:
Carola
Carola sitt første tips er de nye Distress ink fargene.
Som så mange andre kortlagere, så fargelegger Carola med distress ink og de nye fargene er nydelige!
Carola's first tip is the new Distress ink colors.
As so many other card makers Carola loves to color in her images with distress ink, and the new colors are just wonderful!
Carola har enda et shopping tips til oss denne måneden:
Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint
Denne unike ett-steg malingen slår sprekker når den tørker. Den har en børste i lokket, noe som er hendig ved bruk. Den lager et nostalgisk preg over dine prosjekter og kan brukes på det meste, kartong, bilder, stemplede motiver, chip boards og mye mer..
This unique one-step paint cracks as it dries. With a convenient, built-in applicator brush, create a nostalgic clear cracked finish over artwork, stamped images and photographs. Use on cardstock, chipboard, paper maché, Grungeboard and more!
Distress Glitter Glue Rock Candy
Distress Glitter Glue Rock Candy
Dette gir et fantastisk glass-lignende overflate. Glitteret har en tidløs glimmer av vintage glass, uten at det blir for glossy.
gives a unique chunky glass-like texture! This glitter has the timeless sparkle of vintage glass, without the glass!
gives a unique chunky glass-like texture! This glitter has the timeless sparkle of vintage glass, without the glass!
De vil begge reflektere de fargene du selv har valgt under, siden de er gjennomsiktige.
Stilig ikke sant???
Because they both are clear, it reflects any color that you put it on top of!
Pretty Cool, Huh!!!!!
Because they both are clear, it reflects any color that you put it on top of!
Pretty Cool, Huh!!!!!
Her er en liten videosnutt på you tube om dette ~ Here is a little video about this in you tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd8UAaVPrVw
Marianne
Marinne har kjøpt nye blonder og her er det hun sier:
Denne gangen vil jeg tipse om noen vakre blonder. Det er en norsk nettbutikk "kuttut" som har de vakreste blondene og det til en billig penge også,
bare 6 kr. pr. meter
bare 6 kr. pr. meter
Marianne has been lace shopping and here is what she says:
This time I have a shopping tip for everyone that love laces. The Norwegian net shop “Kuttut” has the most beautiful laces for a very nice price. Only 6 NOK pr.meter
Maissi
Maissi har funnet en lekker die:
Marianne design creatibles butterfly. En nydelig die til å stanse ut store og vakre sommerfugler til kort eller andre prosjekter.
Maissi har kjøpt sin die hos Heinkkia
Marianne design creatibles butterfly. Beautiful butterfly die for making big and imposing butterflies. You can buy it from Heinikka
Jorunn:
Jeg har tilslutt et blomster tips... det er ikke en hemmelighet at jeg elsker blomster på mine kort, og min nye forelskesle er Magnolia sine blomster med tyll i..!!!
Jeg har kjøpt mine hos http://www.papirloftet.no/
I have flowers as my shopping tip... no secret that I love flowers on my cards, and Magnolias flowers with tulle is my new love!!!
I have bought mine at http://www.papirloftet.no/
Det var våre shopping tips i Mars, men ta turen innom i morgen også da kårer vi hele 3 vinnere av vår Påske kort utfordring!
Ha en fin lørdag!
That where our shopping tips in March, but make sure you visit us tomorrow too, we are announcing 3 lucky winners from our Easter card challenge.
Have a wonderful Saturday!
Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored!" Praise the Lords! And Ladies! All of them! One is the loneliest number.
I don't know what happened to Follower #78, but I'm down a notch. All three of you who are sticking with "The Gods Are Bored" during lean times, will you please drum up some more business for me? I'll bake you a pie just as soon as I have a moment to spare.
Have you ever seen a person who just can't stop asking annoying questions?
(If you answered no, have you ever looked at your own patterns of questioning?)
I have several students who like to steer my class off topic. Duh. Students live for this, don't they? Let's talk about anything else except transition words! Can't say I blame them much.
Today, however, the conversation in class was not about transition words, but instead about euthanasia. My sophomores have been reading a novel called Stuck in Neutral, about a teenager with cerebral palsy. "Mercy killing" is a theme in the story.
This afternoon I asked my students to write a position statement about euthanasia. And my off-topic questioner piped up. It went something like this.
Student: Miss Johnson ...
Self: Yes?
Student: I know this is off topic, but...
Self (to Self): here it comes, today's attempt at diversion....
Student: Have you ever wondered if the Bible was written by a crazy person? I mean, I go to church every Sunday with my grandma, but I still think about it. What if the Bible was written by someone who's nuts? I mean, look at all the stuff in it. There's some crazy shit in there! Ooooops! Sorry, Miss.
Self can see another student in the front of the room that Self knows is very religious. This student is quietly fuming. Self does not blame her.
Self: This is off topic, Student.
Student: I know, I know. But look. There's all this stuff about Moses going up and getting the Ten Commandments, and a bush that's burning. It's like, who wrote this?
Other Student: God wrote it.
Class erupts in spirited debate, all at the same time. Self is thinking Self is about to be fired.
Self: Please note that I'm not saying I go to church, or even what religion I am. But the newest parts of the Bible are 2,000 some years old, and the rest of it is older than that. I think if all the stuff in it was crazy, people would have discarded it by now. (To Self: Am I actually saying this?)
Student: Why do we read it anyway, if it's so old?
Self: I appreciate your questions, Student, but this is off topic and also off limits. You're asking me to comment on religion, and the Constitution.....
Student: It's just STUPID! Give me one reason why people read the Bible.
Another Student, to Student: If you don't believe in God, why do you waste every Sunday at church? That's retarded, yo.
Self: Look. We need to get back on topic. But I will address your question, Student. Here's what I think. And once again I want to preface these remarks by reminding you that I haven't said whether or not I believe in the Bible, or whether or not I go to church. I don't think the Bible is stupid. I don't think it was written by a crazy person. (To Self: Liar, liar, pants on fire!) The reason the Bible has been around for thousands of years is that it does contain some good advice about how to get along with other people. (To self: I can't believe I'm defending the Bible.) Now. We were talking about euthanasia, and whether or not people should be able to choose to end their own lives when they have no hope of cure for their illness. Would you all please write a paragraph stating your opinion on euthanasia, pro or con? Thank you.
Student: Miss. You are always trying to make us work!
Self: (Evil laugh) Yep. So do it!
There you have it, my ten faithful readers. It is not humanly possible to get through a school year without having to debate the relative merits of Christianity in a classroom. And yet I want to dodge this grenade with every ounce of my being. Nevertheless, I felt like I had to defend the Bible when one student was just trying to steer the class off course, and another student was clearly upset by the new course the discussion was taking.
Moral of the sermon: Love it or hate it, the Bible has endured because it was not written by a crazy person. Some of its writers might have been a little trippy, but when I think "crazy" and "long book," I think Thomas Pynchon. Nobody is going to be reading Thomas Pynchon 2,000 years from now. So the Bible was not written by Thomas Pynchon.
Emmmm...... I'm starting to babble. It's a long day, teaching. Don't let anyone tell you different.
I don't know what happened to Follower #78, but I'm down a notch. All three of you who are sticking with "The Gods Are Bored" during lean times, will you please drum up some more business for me? I'll bake you a pie just as soon as I have a moment to spare.
Have you ever seen a person who just can't stop asking annoying questions?
(If you answered no, have you ever looked at your own patterns of questioning?)
I have several students who like to steer my class off topic. Duh. Students live for this, don't they? Let's talk about anything else except transition words! Can't say I blame them much.
Today, however, the conversation in class was not about transition words, but instead about euthanasia. My sophomores have been reading a novel called Stuck in Neutral, about a teenager with cerebral palsy. "Mercy killing" is a theme in the story.
This afternoon I asked my students to write a position statement about euthanasia. And my off-topic questioner piped up. It went something like this.
Student: Miss Johnson ...
Self: Yes?
Student: I know this is off topic, but...
Self (to Self): here it comes, today's attempt at diversion....
Student: Have you ever wondered if the Bible was written by a crazy person? I mean, I go to church every Sunday with my grandma, but I still think about it. What if the Bible was written by someone who's nuts? I mean, look at all the stuff in it. There's some crazy shit in there! Ooooops! Sorry, Miss.
Self can see another student in the front of the room that Self knows is very religious. This student is quietly fuming. Self does not blame her.
Self: This is off topic, Student.
Student: I know, I know. But look. There's all this stuff about Moses going up and getting the Ten Commandments, and a bush that's burning. It's like, who wrote this?
Other Student: God wrote it.
Class erupts in spirited debate, all at the same time. Self is thinking Self is about to be fired.
Self: Please note that I'm not saying I go to church, or even what religion I am. But the newest parts of the Bible are 2,000 some years old, and the rest of it is older than that. I think if all the stuff in it was crazy, people would have discarded it by now. (To Self: Am I actually saying this?)
Student: Why do we read it anyway, if it's so old?
Self: I appreciate your questions, Student, but this is off topic and also off limits. You're asking me to comment on religion, and the Constitution.....
Student: It's just STUPID! Give me one reason why people read the Bible.
Another Student, to Student: If you don't believe in God, why do you waste every Sunday at church? That's retarded, yo.
Self: Look. We need to get back on topic. But I will address your question, Student. Here's what I think. And once again I want to preface these remarks by reminding you that I haven't said whether or not I believe in the Bible, or whether or not I go to church. I don't think the Bible is stupid. I don't think it was written by a crazy person. (To Self: Liar, liar, pants on fire!) The reason the Bible has been around for thousands of years is that it does contain some good advice about how to get along with other people. (To self: I can't believe I'm defending the Bible.) Now. We were talking about euthanasia, and whether or not people should be able to choose to end their own lives when they have no hope of cure for their illness. Would you all please write a paragraph stating your opinion on euthanasia, pro or con? Thank you.
Student: Miss. You are always trying to make us work!
Self: (Evil laugh) Yep. So do it!
There you have it, my ten faithful readers. It is not humanly possible to get through a school year without having to debate the relative merits of Christianity in a classroom. And yet I want to dodge this grenade with every ounce of my being. Nevertheless, I felt like I had to defend the Bible when one student was just trying to steer the class off course, and another student was clearly upset by the new course the discussion was taking.
Moral of the sermon: Love it or hate it, the Bible has endured because it was not written by a crazy person. Some of its writers might have been a little trippy, but when I think "crazy" and "long book," I think Thomas Pynchon. Nobody is going to be reading Thomas Pynchon 2,000 years from now. So the Bible was not written by Thomas Pynchon.
Emmmm...... I'm starting to babble. It's a long day, teaching. Don't let anyone tell you different.
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Skogstokigas stämplar är lekfulla och roliga att färglägga.
Stämplarna är tillverkade i ett speciellt gummi som inte behöver bli EZ-monterade.
Gummit fäster nämligen direkt på akrylklossen.
Petra ”spottar” ut motiv efter motiv och man kan hitta mängder med stämplar
till de flesta ändamål inne på hennes blogg. : http://skogstokiga.blogspot.com
The design team has been sponsored by Skogstokiga with some lovely stamps.
The stamps are playful and funny to color.
The stamps are made of a special rubber, so you don´t have to assemble them with EZ-mount.
The rubber stuck directly to your acrylic block.
Petra is just launching motif after motif and you can find lots of stamps for the most moments
in here blog http://skogstokiga.blogspot.com
Här kommer några ord från Petra på Skogstokiga om hennes företaget;
”Skogstokiga kom till av en ren slump.
Ritat, målat, designat, klippt, klistrat, sytt, fixat och trixat har jag gjort sedan barnsben
så det var inget nytt för mig.
De Skogstokiga motiven började så här.
Jag blev introducerad i scrapbooking av en nära vän hösten 2005 och jag blev fast direkt.
Ritade motiv till mina vänner och till mig själv för det saknades en del på marknaden
samt med en stor dos uppmuntran och övertalning, föddes Skogstokiga den 22/2 2008.
För tro det eller ej. Jag är riktigt, riktigt skogstokig av mig.
Själv hade jag inte en tanke på att Skogstokiga skulle bli så uppskattat och att motiven skulle få så mycket positiv respons.
Så jag är sjukt glad över det samt att det är jätteroligt att det finns så många olika stämpeldesigners på marknaden. Ja, det finns något för alla.
Jag vill inte berätta för mycket men ni har inte fått se allt Skogstokiga har att erbjuda än.
Med ledorden ”Fun, Funky and Fresh” kommer Skogstokiga slå er med häpnad!”
Tack och hej
det var allt för mig
Skogstokiga jättekramar
Petra
Besök gärna Skogstokigas blogg: http://skogstokiga.blogspot.com
För att beställa stämplar mailar ni Petra på: svenssonsvenssons@hotmail.com
Here are some words from Petra at Skogstokiga, about her company;
“Skogstokiga started by mere accident.
I have been drawing, painting, designing, cutting, gluing, sewing and much more since I was little so this was nothing new for me.
The autumn of 2005, I got introduced in scrap booking bye a close friend and then I was caught!
I start drawing motif for my friends and to my self because some motif was missing on the market.
With lots of encourage and persuasion from my friends, Skogstokiga was born 22/2 2008.
And believe it or not, I´m really “Skogstokig” myself (Petra/Paradises notice; I think I can´t translate that word..but..when you are “Skogstokig”, you are…hum?...*thinking* ..just really crazy!
But IF I have to translate it, right away..it means “Forest crazy”) ;)
I really didn´t think Skogstokiga was going to be so appreciate and that the motifs was getting so much positive response.
So I am really glad about that and it´s really fun when it is so many stamp-companies on the market. Yes, there is something for everyone!
I don’t want to say too much, but you have not seen everything Skogstokiga has to offer yet.
With the leading words; “Fun, Funky and Fresh”, will Skogstokiga hit you with astonishment!”
That was all,
Thank you and Goodbye
“Skogstokiga hugs”
Petra
You can visit Skogstokiga´s blog here: http://skogstokiga.blogspot.com
If you want to order some stamps just email Petra at: svenssonsvenssons@hotmail.com
Här kommer designteamets kort gjorda med Skogstokigas stämplar:
Here follows the design teams cards made with stamps from Skogstokiga.
Maissi
Marianne
Charlotte
Rikke
Aija
Carola
Jorunn
Lene
Petra
Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored!" I hope you are hale and hardy today,
On Sunday I went to my Druid Grove. We meet in a large state park outside Philadelphia.
After such a cold and snowy winter, the park still looks beaten-down and shellshocked. There's not much green. Nevertheless, on an unseasonably warm afternoon, I could easily find little buds shooting out of the ground. I also could hear the songs of birds that don't venture into the Jersey flatlands -- the phoebe and the towhee.
I thought to myself, "Spring rolls around every year, and the birds sing, and the buds open up, and the wheel makes a circle."
Then I thought about that circle for a moment.
The birds singing are not the same birds that sang in the park 10 years ago. Those birds have died. These are new ones. The buds coming up are replacing dead foliage. Everything looks and sounds the same, but the cast and crew have changed. This is because, while the wheel turns, life is still linear. We're born, we're young, we mature, we age, we die. New people take our places.
From this cheery little meditation rose the thought that my youth -- my personal springtime, to be metaphorical -- was very difficult indeed. My mom was sick, my family was poor. Everything was a struggle. College was no picnic either. Then I jumped straight into maturity. A long-term relationship, children, cats. Let's not forget the parrot. And all the time I have worked. Constantly since I turned 16. I even worked part time while I was in college. I went back to work two days after The Heir was born.
If I look at my biological calendar, it's time to enter autumn. But I'm not going to do it. Fountain of Youth be damned. I want my springtime!
So, if you will, take an axe to the brittle, old parts of Anne. Let the new growth erupt. Time may be linear, but I'm going to cheat the clock. I'm going to have the first part last. Howl at the moon. Catch a shooting star. Kick up my heels and dance in the rain.
Spring comes every year, but this time I'm going to jump on and ride that train.
On Sunday I went to my Druid Grove. We meet in a large state park outside Philadelphia.
After such a cold and snowy winter, the park still looks beaten-down and shellshocked. There's not much green. Nevertheless, on an unseasonably warm afternoon, I could easily find little buds shooting out of the ground. I also could hear the songs of birds that don't venture into the Jersey flatlands -- the phoebe and the towhee.
I thought to myself, "Spring rolls around every year, and the birds sing, and the buds open up, and the wheel makes a circle."
Then I thought about that circle for a moment.
The birds singing are not the same birds that sang in the park 10 years ago. Those birds have died. These are new ones. The buds coming up are replacing dead foliage. Everything looks and sounds the same, but the cast and crew have changed. This is because, while the wheel turns, life is still linear. We're born, we're young, we mature, we age, we die. New people take our places.
From this cheery little meditation rose the thought that my youth -- my personal springtime, to be metaphorical -- was very difficult indeed. My mom was sick, my family was poor. Everything was a struggle. College was no picnic either. Then I jumped straight into maturity. A long-term relationship, children, cats. Let's not forget the parrot. And all the time I have worked. Constantly since I turned 16. I even worked part time while I was in college. I went back to work two days after The Heir was born.
If I look at my biological calendar, it's time to enter autumn. But I'm not going to do it. Fountain of Youth be damned. I want my springtime!
So, if you will, take an axe to the brittle, old parts of Anne. Let the new growth erupt. Time may be linear, but I'm going to cheat the clock. I'm going to have the first part last. Howl at the moon. Catch a shooting star. Kick up my heels and dance in the rain.
Spring comes every year, but this time I'm going to jump on and ride that train.
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Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored!" Spiritual need fulfillment and upholstery care in one convenient location since 2005! Blessed be the brocade ... can I get an accolade?
The sun is just setting on a beautiful early spring day. How did I honor this day and the bored deities who gave me the life and health to enjoy it?
I did chores.
Yep, that's right. I did chores. Now I'm going inside to cook supper grade papers.
You might think this would anger the bored gods. And I'm sure it would too, except that the praise and worship rituals in this house are conducted by my cat, Alpha.
Alpha came to live with us in 2000, July 4. She had been picked up some months earlier in Delran, with one surviving kitten. The other kittens had starved. Alpha's family moved away and just left her outside the home.
After being rescued, Alpha spent some months in the rescue house. The cat ladies couldn't get her adopted out, because Alpha didn't get along with other cats, and she was all grown up.
I had been patiently waiting for my daughter The Spare to develop enough empathy to keep a pet kitty. Spare saw Alpha in a cage at a store in Snobville, and the next thing we knew, Alpha had moved in.
Some people are deeply attuned to the world of Spirit. They feel holy into their bones. I wish I was like that, but most of the time I'm just a plodder. I have delegated all Spirit work to Alpha.
As I bustled about the property today, fiddling with this and that, Alpha lay basking in the warm gift from the great God Sol. Alpha was at one with the universe. The phrase "Blessed be" seemed to have been coined just for her.
And so do the bored gods rain down upon Alpha every joy and peace beyond human understanding. She accepts these gifts wordlessly, soulfully, with neither a bang nor a whimper.
Alpha had a checkup from the vet this past Tuesday. He pronounced her a "healthy senior citizen" at age 15. Long may she splay and sleep in the sun all day.
The sun is just setting on a beautiful early spring day. How did I honor this day and the bored deities who gave me the life and health to enjoy it?
I did chores.
Yep, that's right. I did chores. Now I'm going inside to cook supper grade papers.
You might think this would anger the bored gods. And I'm sure it would too, except that the praise and worship rituals in this house are conducted by my cat, Alpha.
Alpha came to live with us in 2000, July 4. She had been picked up some months earlier in Delran, with one surviving kitten. The other kittens had starved. Alpha's family moved away and just left her outside the home.
After being rescued, Alpha spent some months in the rescue house. The cat ladies couldn't get her adopted out, because Alpha didn't get along with other cats, and she was all grown up.
I had been patiently waiting for my daughter The Spare to develop enough empathy to keep a pet kitty. Spare saw Alpha in a cage at a store in Snobville, and the next thing we knew, Alpha had moved in.
Some people are deeply attuned to the world of Spirit. They feel holy into their bones. I wish I was like that, but most of the time I'm just a plodder. I have delegated all Spirit work to Alpha.
As I bustled about the property today, fiddling with this and that, Alpha lay basking in the warm gift from the great God Sol. Alpha was at one with the universe. The phrase "Blessed be" seemed to have been coined just for her.
And so do the bored gods rain down upon Alpha every joy and peace beyond human understanding. She accepts these gifts wordlessly, soulfully, with neither a bang nor a whimper.
Alpha had a checkup from the vet this past Tuesday. He pronounced her a "healthy senior citizen" at age 15. Long may she splay and sleep in the sun all day.
Fiskarsin kanssa toteutimme keväisiä kortteja. Kevääseen ja alkukesään sijoittuu monia juhlia ja tällä kertaa teemanamme on äitienpäivä. Tässä ovat kuvat tuotteista joita olemme korteissamme käyttäneet:
We made some spring cards with Fiskars. There is many festivals on spring and early summer, our theme is Mothers day. Here are the pictures from the tools we have used:
Ja tässä sitten DT-tiimin ideoimat kortit:
And here are the cards by DT-team:
Rikke:
Petra:
Marianne:
Maissi:
Aija:
Kukat on tehty kahvaleikkurilla ruskeasta suodatinpaperista sekä erivärisisitä silkkipapereista. Useita kerroksia päällekkäin ja päälimmäisiä ruttaamalla.Flowers are done with the scalloped circle punch from coffee filter and tissue paper. Many crinkled layers.
