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RSSArchive for the ‘carnivals’ CategoryThe Unknown Insect (that’s giving me nightmares).Posted June 22nd, 2008 by Jen in carnivals, the ranch15 Comments » WHAT is this???
I’m so sorry to post such a disgusting picture. My apologies in advance if you have nightmares about this enormous arthropod crawling in your bed tonight. The kids found this on our property, and I can’t for the life of me figure out what it could be. I’ve looked in local field guides and can’t find it. Anyone know? This was found in Central Oregon on our desert property; the kids accidentally dug it up or overturned it while shoveling dirt. Other habitation/features nearby include juniper trees, dry, volcanic soil, lava rocks, Western Fence Lizards, rattlesnakes, gopher snakes, jackrabbits, deer, field mice, owls, quail, lots of other birds of prey. And….this. ugly. thing. I’m sure if I know the name of the creature my nightmares will stop. Thank you. UPDATE: You all bloggers are so smart! Thank you for your input!! Drum roll, nightmares away, it’s a Jerusalem Cricket, commonly called a potato bug! It’s neither from Jerusalem, nor a true cricket, nor does it prefer to eat potatoes. Most importantly, it is NOT venomous. But it is known to have a powerful bite, so do beware. ************ Technorati Tags: insects, Central Oregon, country, desert creatures Blog RoundupsPosted June 12th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals2 Comments » I interrupt my irregularly scheduled blogging for a station blog identification. Have to let you know of a few blog carnivals, giveaways, sponsors… The Carnival of Country Living has been posted. The Christian Carnival is up, The Carnival of Homeschooling is going strong, and The Carnival of Family Life continues as well. Julie is hosting a fun giveaway, don’t forget about Heather’s art lessons, Laura was kind to mention my Father’s Day giveaway, and today is the last day to enter Debi’s hammer giveaway. A local blogger is getting her own newspaper column, and also for you locals, check out the upcoming events at Camalli Book Store in Bend, like the “What to plant and when” talk this coming Tuesday evening by local gardeners/authors. Thank you, and have a sunny day. Technorati Tags: blog carnival, blog contest, blogging Homesteading Carnival: Oregon Trail EditionPosted June 9th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, the ranch13 Comments » Welcome to the Homesteading Carnival Oregon Trail Edition! The articles will be arranged around details of the Oregon Trail, so let’s pack our wagons and head west.
The Oregon Trail was a route to not only Oregon, but the only feasible pathway to the entire western United States. Travel to places like Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, and California was only possible because of this passage over the mountains. The 1843 wagon train, with about 1,000 pioneers making the journey, kicked off the big westward expansion, with over half a million travelers over the next 25 years braving the journey. Carole DeJarnatt presents Build A Chicken Feeder Series posted at Fowl Visions.
GP presents The Innside Scoop on Hosting House Guests posted at Innstyle Montana- Come on Inn.
Belle presents Did You Know……All Soaps Have Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)? posted at Born 100 Years to Soon.
Dora Renee’ Wilkerson presents Soap Creations review posted at Y-2K Hippie.
Jacque presents Summer Plans posted at Walking Therein.
Miss Jocelyn presents Making The Home: Washin’ The Laundry posted at Growing In Grace Magazine.
Lady Olivia presents Cherry Pie in a Cup posted at Growing In Grace Magazine.
Thanks for visiting, this is the end of the trail! The next Homesteading Carnival will be hosted by The Daily Planet. You may submit your post HERE.
Technorati Tags: blog carnival, Homesteading Carnival, country, family life, gardening, Oregon Trail Calling All Homesteaders!Posted June 5th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals1 Comment »
The Homesteading blog carnival description reads:
Now, if you don’t have a big ranch or farm with 12 children milking goats and collecting eggs every day, do not exclude yourself from this carnival! The Homestead Act (1863) provided the original homesteader with 160 acres if he could build a home on the property and inhabit the place for five years. But how many folks have 160 acres these days? And certainly not for free. Homesteading has a broader interpretation these days. There are urban homesteaders who may not have a lot of real estate but sure have a lot of self-sufficiency. Maybe you have a balcony vegetable garden, maybe you have some good advice for living simply, being frugal yet generous, becoming debt free, or have figured out creative ways for how to make do with less. Please share your wisdom!! My theme will be The Oregon Trail, so pack your wagons, and prepare for a long, bumpy ride, with paradise at the other end. [p.s. Your post isn’t supposed to be about the Oregon Trail, that’s just my fun way of organizing the articles.]
Technorati Tags: blog carnival, gardening, homesteading, Homesteading Carnival, recipes Meanwhile, back at the ranchPosted May 13th, 2008 by Jen in carnivals, family life, the ranch11 Comments » Would you like to see what we’ve been up to at the ranch? The outside is nearly done, save for some dormers, the porch, and landscaping. Here’s the view from the east side.
Inside, we’ve been busy, busy. Drywall and texture is now complete, and tomorrow we begin painting. We spent the morning finalizing our interior colors (mostly earthy tones, some yellows, browns). We’re doing it ourselves, and the rest of today will find me and the kids pulling up paper from the floor and sweeping/vacuuming all the dust, in preparation for tomorrow. Here is my husband’s grand office last week (since been textured and primed):
It’s not all work and no play. The kids run around and find so many interesting things to do for a break. Like climbing trees: ….catching lizards…. We hope to be moved in to our new place in a few months. It’s been about three years since we first embarked on this project, so you can imagine how ready we are to be done, how excited we are to be “home,” how exhausted we are. :-) Learning in the Great Outdoors Technorati Tags: blog carnival, Central Oregon, country, family life, building a house, outdoor play, outdoors Even My Dog Has a Blankie!Posted May 2nd, 2008 by Jen in carnivals, family life, humor20 Comments »
My Aloha Friday Question is this:
From the loveable Linus eternally dragging his blanket to that maddening Maggie Simpson sucking on her pacifier with every breath, a child’s need for a comfort item seems to be universal. What sort of character were you? If you can’t remember or think you had no special comfort thing, what about your own children? Me, I had a bottle. I actually have no memory of being attached to my bottle; I only know from old photographs showing in stark black and white my chubby little hands clutching what must have been my soothing object. Plus, my big sister says so.
Technorati Tags: aloha friday, baby bottle, blankie, childhood attachment, family life, Linus, pacifier, dog Blog RoundsPosted April 29th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals2 Comments » 1. The Carnival of Homeschooling is up with a futuristic theme; lots of good posts including:
2. I always find some interesting perspectives on the absurdities of our culture and world at the Carnival of the Insanities, including these:
3. Make it From Scratch - a carnival full of inspiring ideas, including:
4. The Christian Carnival will be up tomorrow at Brain Cramps for God. Technorati Tags: blog carnival, blogging Carnival of Family Life: Tea EditionPosted April 28th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, family life9 Comments »
By the eighteenth century tea had taken hold of Britain and one remarkable consequence was the rapid development of pottery and porcelain for tea wares. The original Chinese tea cups were tiny fragile things without handles or saucers. The Europeans modified accordingly to suit their grand tastes for tea, making a bigger cup, and giving the teacup a handle to make holding a hot cup an easier matter. One ingenious tea cup variation of the late nineteenth century was the mustache cup. This cup was fitted with a bar across the inside for the drooping mustache to rest upon so the tea could be swallowed without first passing through a hairy filter. Which brings me to the first post about family pets (just thinking about hair): Matt M presents Polluted Pets EDUCATION Josh Lien presents Free Rosetta Stone - Learn a Foreign Language Elaine presents 2 - Two Little Dicky Birds Rose presents Trendy, green, frugal, and homeschooling Mark Montgomery presents Visiting College Campuses: Observations by a Professional Tour-Taker Renae presents Muss-Makers FAMILY FINANCE iMagxz presents 22 uses for Toothpaste tipsandtricks presents Getting More From The Tube Neelakantha presents 101 Tips & Resources for the Upside-Down Homeowner Matthew Paulson presents Lunchtime Lessons: Cheap Fixin’s and Good Ideas Debt Freedom Fighter presents 5 Ways To Save Money On Everyday Purchases Ken Clark presents Mother’s Day: Shop for Mom and Save for College Linda W. presents How To Talk About Money With Your Partner Mark Butler presents Living With Less Fathersez presents How I intend to help my daughters secure jobs they would like Leaving The Folks presents Creating a Budget Amy @ The Q Family presents Be a Hero. “Save the Cash, Save the World” Stephanie presents Coupons and Deals Matthew Paulson presents Cheap Vacation Idea: Don’t Leave Home Debt Freedom Fighter presents Why God Doesn’t Always Answer Prayers About Money K presents Meal Planning On Vacation
FAMILY HEALTH AND WELLNESS Theresa L. Twogood presents Big Picture Progressive Exposure Amy Vernon presents Are plastic baby bottles really dangerous? Aparna presents Correcting a gummy smile
FAMILY HUMOR Robert Bach presents Daddy Daughter Day Harrison presents Top 20 Wedding Dresses You Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead In Jenny Rapson presents My Daughter, the Cover Girl Tipper presents Lightning Strikes & Granny Terri Mauro presents Our First Special Olympics
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS Evan Pangburn presents Park Chapel Christian Church Baby Dedication Erica presents Kids or Career? American Women Are Still Forced to Choose BeThisWay presents Love Uncluttered Jen presents Seasons Come and Seasons Go Amy Dyck presents Raw Passion Steven Chang presents Reconnecting With Your Spouse Leslie Williams presents The Nature of the Beast, A Problem to be Addressed, or Failure as a Mother
Christine presents The Earth Laughs in Flowers FitBuff presents Nintendo Wii Fit Release Date GP presents Mending Fences.. Not for the Sheepish Riley presents A Plumm Summer Kelsey presents Kids’ Face Painting PARENTING TIPS AND ADVICE Fred Black presents Have we Forgotten Amanda presents Keeping up, the story of three journals Abel Cheng presents What I Did When My Daughter said, “I Don’t Want to Go to School!” Lori Jewett presents Baby Talk Jessica Jones presents Winning at Parenting through Trust Neena presents Parenting Tips: Naptime Chief Family Officer presents Potty Training Tips Melitsa presents Tip: Sound communication This concludes the Carnival of Family Life: Tea Edition. Said Rev. Sydney Smith on tea and posts: “It is a place with only one post a day…In the country I always fear that creation will expire before tea-time. (from The Smith of Smiths). Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Family Life using the handy BlogCarnival Submission Form. Up next at All Rileyed Up. Technorati Tags: blog carnival, Carnival of Family Life, tea party, tea time Carnival of Family Life - up next here!Posted April 24th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, family life2 Comments »
I look forward to presenting your excellent family posts! Be sure to come back here to Diary of 1 to see the great variety of articles on Monday, April 28. Oh, and the Christian Carnival is hosted this week at Everyday Liturgy.
Technorati Tags: blog carnival, Carnival of Family Life Some Blog BusinessPosted April 22nd, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, giveaways2 Comments » The blog carnivals are great places to browse for topical subjects. Here’s the latest: Carnival of the Insanities Do you know of another fabulous blog carnival? Let me know! The winner of my ziplock-bag-books (The Child’s Spring Book) is commenter #9, Shannon at Song of my heart!! These will be on the way shortly. Email me with an address, Enjoy! Technorati Tags: blog carnival, blogging, giveaway Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots Winner!Posted April 15th, 2008 by Jen in arts & crafts, blog stuff, carnivals, giveaways, product review0 Comments I’m pleased to announce the winner of my Gardening with Children book: commenter #17, AreWeThereYetMom, your book will be on the way shortly! Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together With Children is sure to delight your whole family! Thank you so much, everyone who left me a comment on that post. Thanks to Laura for mentioning this book giveaway!
My current book giveaway is two homemade books from the Diary of 1 family, for those interested in native plant life. You may leave me a comment on The Child’s Spring Book by this Sunday to learn about these books and enter the drawing.This giveaway actually has a project attached to it - my kids are putting together an Oregon plant/nature book - a cute ziplock-bag-book - to pass on to a child who lives anywhere other than where we live. And I hope that child will then create a book highlighting his/her region to pass on to another child, and so on. It’s a very simple book, so don’t be intimidated to try it! -P.S., our Oregon book will have some child-intriguing extra odds and ends from our property, like these:
One more note about contests: I actually won something!! SmallWorld had a spring poetry contest, and my mom’s poem, Morning, was chosen, and I hear that I have a basket of spring goodies on the way to me, which of course I’ll share with my mom - can’t wait to show you! And those blog carnivals: The Carnival of Homeschooling, the Carnival of Homesteading, the Carnival of Family Life, the Christian Carnival, the Make it From Scratch Carnival. Technorati Tags: children, contest, garden, gardening with children, giveaway, Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots Carnival of Homesteading #45Posted April 14th, 2008 by Jen in arts & crafts, blog stuff, carnivals, family life, health/cooking/food, the ranch10 Comments »
So here is a very SIMPLE carnival, which I suppose is in keeping with the theme of homesteading! There were just 12 submissions, which I’ve listed first, followed by some of my own Top 10 Editor’s Picks that I grabbed from around the blogosphere, which fit the homesteading motif. You’ll find my own small commentary following each post. (Let me know if you find any errors, omissions, bad links, etc.) Rose Denson presents Spearmint Hot Pepper Horseradish Spray posted at Grandma Rosie’s Texas Home.
Dora Renee’ Wilkerson presents Making Cottage Cheese posted at Y-2K Hippie.
Belle presents My Diary of No Shampoo—-Day 4 and 5 posted at Born 100 Years to Soon.
Valereee presents Foraging: hot new foodie trend, or the hottest new foodie trend? posted at Cincinnati Locavore.
Dave Trenholm presents How to Make a Square Foot Garden posted at Alberta Home Gardening.
Moobeema presents MooBee Farm: The Burn Barrel Incident posted at MooBee Farm.
Sister Brenda presents Da Yooper Pasties Recipe and Tutorial posted at haflinger.
Flossie presents Aunt Lizzie’s Pound Cake posted at The Funny Farm.
Stephanie presents So Much to Say! posted at Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood.
GP presents How Green is Your Garden posted at Innstyle Montana- Come on Inn.
Miss Amanda presents Cake Baking Photo Essay posted at My Learning Experience.
Jacque Dixon presents From the Archives- Gardening 101 - You *Can* Teach Your Children!! posted at Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths.
At Tales from Creekistan, I found The Daffodil House. Just don’t look inside the house. At Blind Pig & the Acorn, I enjoyed The Fields of Home. I love that field, and read her garden wisdom. At Hidden Haven Homestead, this author is Counting Blessings. I’m just trying to count the goats. Down On The Farm shares some “Tails” From the Farm. In search of the perfect Jersey cow - bringing Buttercup home to the Back Forty. At Kentucky Hollers, Running Into the Neighbors can be a literal experience, and Catherine discovers that sometimes movie stars retire to the Appalachian foothills. Adventures in Farming coins a new saying, Snug as pigs in straw. The cutest little things I’ve ever seen. In My Kitchen Garden has an intriguing offer: Attention Homeless Organic Vegetable Lovers: Would You Like To Move To A Farm? Seriously. Pack your bags and go live with the enormous pot-bellied pig. Old Red Barn Co. clarifies work: It’s the reason you have kids, afterall. It was planting time, and lucky for Dana, she has a few sprightly young’uns. Yarnstorm muses about tulips and tempests.Wow, those colors. CraftApple instructs us on Gathering. For the seamstress in you - simple, foolproof techniques for a perfect gather. Happy homesteading, now get on with your baking, planting, stitching, haying, milking, crafting, canning, quilting life! Stay tuned next week, when the Homesteading Carnival will be hosted by Jacque at Seeking Rest in Ancient Paths. Submit your Homesteading posts HERE. Technorati Tags: blog carnival, carnivals, farm, garden, gardening with children, homesteading Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Twist(ed)Posted April 11th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, the ranch27 Comments »
This week’s theme: Twist(ed)
About 1/4 mile down the road from me, this twisted barbed wire fence marks the boundary between one old farm and another. At times it held back cattle, at times perhaps a feud.
Technorati Tags: barbed wire fence, country, photo hunt, ranch, farm Homesteading Blog Carnival: Call for SubmissionsPosted April 10th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, family life, the ranch0 Comments My, another blog carnival is on the way! The Homesteading Carnival will be hosted here at Diary of 1 this coming Monday, April 14. You can submit your blog post/article HERE by Sunday at 9 p.m. EST. This blog carnival description reads:
Now, if you don’t have a big ranch or farm with 12 children milking goats and collecting eggs every day, do not exclude yourself from this carnival! The Homestead Act (1863) provided the original homesteader with 160 acres if he could build a home on the property and inhabit the place for five years. But how many folks have 160 acres these days? And certainly not for free. Homesteading has a broader interpretation these days. There are urban homesteaders who may not have a lot of real estate but sure have a lot of self-sufficiency. Maybe you have a balcony vegetable garden, maybe you have some good advice for living simply, being frugal yet generous, becoming debt free, or have figured out creative ways for how to make do with less. Please share your wisdom!! Here is an unfortunate thing for a Christian like myself: Christian perspectives about homesteading are lost among the ideas of earth/nature worshippers, pantheists, pagans, socialists, New Age thinkers, and other extremes of the “green” movement. I believe that the Bible has answers for a rightly balanced life, with God at the center, and that Christian homesteading can be a piece of this balance. Once again, submit your homesteading blog post HERE, and I look forward to presenting an educational and inspiring collection of articles on Monday! OH, and don’t forget to leave a comment on my Gardening With Children post if you’d like to win a copy of Roots, Shoots, Bucket & Boots: Gardening Together With Children. Closes on Sunday evening. (The author, Sharon Lovejoy, left me a sweet comment on that post! Not a paid post, just a kind author.) Death by Blogging and Other NewsPosted April 7th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals7 Comments » Blogger, beware: your writing may be dangerous to your health, even fatal! So says the New York Times in yesterday’s article about paid bloggers, especially tech bloggers, sucked into the round-the-clock Internet economy:
I don’t blog anywhere near the level of the individuals discussed in the article, and I’m not paid for posts, but it’s still a warning to heed about technology in general and maybe I should be paying attention to how global media may be affecting my life in smaller ways. So there’s your warning, before I list all the great blog carnivals to visit. Proceed with caution. Carnival of Family Life, and also more here. While I was at the Europe Travel Blog, I came across What I See Out My Window - “bringing the world together, one window at a time…” Anthony is simply posting pictures from folks around the world, of what they see out their window. What a neat project! If you have a photo to submit, and a little story about what you see out your window, send it over there. And I must tell you about a truly fun, different, and kickin’ Appalachian site I found!! If you remember, I wrote a post about my dad called The Appalachian Accent. There are many warmhearted comments on that post, as people shared their own bits of family history, and this is how I met Tipper, a brand new blogger from down in the hollar: I go there to reconnect with the mountain folk and just to listen to her family’s pickin’ and grinnin’ - you must go see what I mean. :-) Well, dear readers, be safe today and NO heart attacks, okay?
Technorati Tags: blog carnival, blogging, carnivals Christian Carnival CCXVII: Attributes of God EditionPosted March 26th, 2008 by Jen in carnivals, religion11 Comments » Welcome to the Christian Carnival CCXVII: Attributes of God Edition! I am honored to present such an expansive and quality array of posts this week. I’ve arranged the posts around several attributes of God, using the wonderful little book Praying the Attributes of God by Rosemary Jensen (former director Bible Study Fellowship International) as my guide. I hope you’ll find some encouragement and insight here as we examine the character of God and read various spiritual thoughts from each of the authors below. 1. God is Accessible Deuteronomy 4:7: What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? Ephesians 3:12: In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
2. God is Creator Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Hebrews 3:4: Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
3. God is Eternal Isaiah 40:28: The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. Revelation 4:8: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.
4. God is Faithful Genesis 28:15: I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. 1 Peter 4:19: Those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
5. God is Good Psalm 34:8: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Matthew 7:11: If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
6. God is our Guide Psalm 23:2-3: He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. John 16:13: When he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
7. God is Holy Leviticus 19:2: Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” 1 John 1:5: This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, in him there is no darkness at all.
8. God is Impartial Deuteronomy 10:17: The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. Acts 10:34-35: I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.
9. God is Immutable Psalm 33:11: The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Romans 11:29: God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.
10. God is Jealous Exodus 34:14: Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Ezekiel 39:25: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name.
11. God is Just Proverbs 17:3: The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
12. God is Love Isaiah 38:17: Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. Romans 5:8: God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
13. God is Merciful 2 Samuel 14:14: Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. 1 Peter 5:10: The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
14. God is Provider Psalm 23:5-6: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Luke 22:35: Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.
15. God is Savior Deuteronomy 32:39: I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand. 1 Corinthians 1:18: The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
16. God is Wise Daniel 2:20-22: Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. Ephesians 3:10: His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.
Technorati Tags: blog carnival, Christian Carnival, Christianity, faith Oregon BeautyPosted March 25th, 2008 by Jen in carnivals, education, family life, france/french8 Comments »
This is a view of Mount Bachelor from Sparks Lake, from a hike we took last summer. Talk about The Perfect Day - we hiked and picnicked with dear family friends, and also our French exchange student. Of course, our French guest had to mention the Alps. Mount Bachelor is part of the Cascade Range, and is the youngest prominent volcano in the Three Sisters (three volcanic peaks) area. Apparently, none of the three sisters could win over the bachelor. Anyway, I had to give you something pretty to look at while I make some public service announcements. Get your submissions in for the Christian Carnival by tonight, Midnight ET. Submit here, and also, Parableman has further information on the carnival. Publishing right here at Diary of 1 tomorrow. Other blog carnivals of interest: Make It From Scratch This concludes the public service announcement. You may continue to gaze at Oregon beauty. Two homeschooling families on a log; same hike (my four kids on the right end):
Technorati Tags: blog carnival, Central Oregon, Christian Carnival, France, Mount Bachelor, Three Sisters Good Friday and Call for SubmissionsPosted March 21st, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, family life, holidays, religion1 Comment » I trust your Good Friday was good. This year, my little JoJo had her birthday on Good Friday. She enjoyed a happy celebration with many friends. As for me, I just loved all the moms who came and I basked in the rare opportunity to fellowship with all these ladies at once.
Here’s a verse that caught my eye as I thought about Good Friday, the day we commemorate the Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I thought this was an appropriate response for believers; as Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, we can respond with a sacrifice of thanks. What struck me about this scripture was that our thank offerings help pave the way for our salvation! Having a thankful heart, a constant spirit of gratitude, is honoring to God and critical to our eternity. I’m hosting the upcoming Christian Carnival, and I hope you’ll consider submitting an article. You can click here to submit your post. This carnival publishes on March 26, and I need your submissions by Midnight Eastern Time on Tuesday, March 25. Here are two past Christian Carnivals I have hosted, if you’d like to see the format: Christian Carnival 189: Dietrich Bonhoeffer Edition Have a blessed Easter.
Technorati Tags: birthday party, blog carnival, Good Friday, Christian Carnival Blog touringPosted March 19th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, product review, sports, the office1 Comment » Oh, the places you’ll go. Dr. Seuss. I’ve been wandering all around. The Christian carnivals, Carnival of Family Life, food blogs, homeschooling blogs, homesteading blogs, BendBlogs. And principled government. Whew, I’ve been to a lot of places, and more to go! Puss ReBoots thinks I rock. Wow, what a compliment! I’m passing this blog award on to: Sometimes I’m Actually Coherent Check out these blogs that rock - I think you might agree. Announcing the winners of my sports products Giveaway: Living For God: New York Giants Rug Congratulations to these blogging winners! Sneaking permission to get on the blanketPosted March 10th, 2008 by Jen in carnivals, family life5 Comments » We have a stone cold floor. Slippers or at least socks are a must in the winter and even spring to keep your toes from a bluish frost. In fact, it’s a rule for the children to put socks on in the morning so they aren’t tempted to huddle by the heater for hours. JoJo dragged a few blankets down this morning, and like the cute, imaginative four-year-old girl she is, began to cocoon herself into a warm ball. With just her head now poking out from her fuzzy yellow swathe, she informed her little brother that NO, he could not come in - “You have socks on, you’re warm.” She, however, had broken the rule and was sockless. Moments later, I heard, “JoJo, I’m cold, now I can come in.” Having stealthily shoved his socks aside, his bare feet were now the proof that he deserved to snuggle in the blanket with her. ******* Catching up on reading: Christian thoughts, more Christian thoughts, family life, homeschool life, homesteading, travel, more homesteading, making things from scratch. My Ultimate Blog Party 2008 & A GiveawayPosted March 8th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, sports, the office22 Comments »
Welcome, I’m so glad you stopped by! The 5 Minutes for Mom blog is hosting another Ultimate Blog Party, which is basically a “carnival” to meet other mom bloggers and surely win some prizes! The idea is to go to their sites and browse through the hundreds of mom-bloggers who’ve linked up there - get your own blog noticed and get acquainted with some you’ve never encountered. So, if you’ve come here through 5 Minutes for Mom and have never noticed me before, here is my introduction:
We changed my blog format last month, and I’m really excited to see where this goes. You’ll notice on my main page that I have a monthly topic, and each week I publish a “feature” article. Last month was famous artists, this month is vineyards, next month will be highlighting some of my industrious girlfriends who have their own businesses. This new endeavor has been a blast - sometimes, I just need a little direction and my features keep me focused as I explore topics that I want to learn more about. I still blog in between my features about the other issues that are very important to me, like education, faith, family life, and world news. Thank you, those of you who check in here regularly - I can’t tell you how enjoyable it’s been to meet people from all over the world, some of you even in real life! And are you ready for my prizes?? Of course, these all come from my business, which happens to be a sports-themed store, so if that’s up your alley, here’s the list of truly excellent products: 1. New York Giants Rug TO WIN, just go follow each link, browse around TeamMASCOT to see what other items you like, and come back here and leave me a comment, telling me which product you’d like to win. You will get special consideration if you mention this contest on your blog and link to TeamMASCOT! And that would just be really nice of you. Let me know if you link. But, you do not have to be a blogger to win. I’ll choose 5 winners (in honor of 5 Minutes for Mom) on March 14, the end of the Ultimate Blog Party. Be sure to fill in your email in the comment form so I can notify you if you’re a winner! Oh, and you don’t even have to be a mom to win! Thanks again for stopping by, and I hope you come back soon!
Technorati Tags: blogging, children, giveaway, contest, prizes, sports business, ultimate blog party Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Party (tea for two)Posted March 1st, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, family life13 Comments »
This week’s theme: Party
Oh, the happy days of a tea party childhood. Would you like some more, my dear? Technorati Tags: photo hunt, tea party, children | ||||
The 
Welcome to the Carnival of Family Life: Tea Edition! I’m so glad you’re here, please sit a spell and I’ll put the kettle on. I’ll be weaving a bit of the fascinating story of tea into my presentation of blog posts, and I hope you’ll be thinking of warm conversations with good friends. I found a lovely old book, 
Before the end of the eighteenth century the firm of Twining was using tea wrappers, printed in the style of tradesmens’ cards of the period. Grocers also began to wrap their customers’ tea purchases in tin and lead foil, which was included in the gross weight of the tea. But the practice led to abuse, and unscrupulous grocers gave false weights. At the same time, some Chinese merchants began to colour their cheap teas with artificial powder so as to make them look like the best. G. Huxley, Talking of Tea
Calling for submissions from all you bloggers who write about family! Graciously maintained by 
Welcome to the 45th Carnival of Homesteading! If you’ve been around here when I host a Blog Carnival, you know how much I love themes! But, alas, I had issues. Computers, kids, work, and some other meanies all conspired against me. Or maybe I was just lazy.
I’m 
My husband got me into blogging one year ago, as an experiment in marketing. He designed my lovely site and enjoys tinkering with it - myself, I have NO clue how to program and have trouble placing simple icons in my sidebar. Well, I discovered to my amazement that I loved to write and now I can’t stop! My husband and I have always made a nice business partnership - he creates businesses, I manage them; he programs, I write. Except for that one day early on when he fired me and I quit all in the same breath. Oh, we’ve come a long way, baby.
