30-Day Fast: Final Week Check In

Well, we're in our final week. I don't feel like 30 days has been long enough in some ways. Both good things and struggles have come from our time of screen-free living, and I'll do a sort of final tally here...

First, our oldest dog, Joker, whom we had with us for thirteen years, and who was about 15 years old died this last month. That was a blow. As we watched various struggles surface in his health, and thought they were only attributable to old age, we determined that we could handle it - he went deaf, then incontinent, then blind... soon after the blindness became apparent though, he began to have seizures and they showed the vet that he was in advanced stages of brain cancer that could not be cured. At that point, we gave him relief. The seizures were coming around every 3 to 5 minutes at that point and he was exhausted. As painful as it was to put him down, we knew it was right when his face showed the relief he so desperately needed.

Our old boy just last April - still pretty spry

Checking In - 2 Weeks

It has been two weeks since I signed off of most of the more recreational things that I do on the Internet. Things like streaming TV shows via Netflix, FaceBook, FaceBook games, my blog... But some of the things I've noticed bear comment so I've decided to do a sort of "check in" post. I still want to leave my last post about Ray up for the duration of September so I am writing this on the 14th, but won't post it until October 1st.

One thing I had planned to "leave behind" more was e-mail. I meant only to check on my e-mail once a week but quickly discovered that it just is not that easy in our society today. I would like to let it all go for the whole time, but I've had requests for information to be sent that just couldn't wait (homeschooling stuff, church stuff, scheduling, etc.)

So much easier is the "do as I say not as I do" aspect. The kids have not watched a show or played a video game. Maestro has been online a few times to work on the Computer Science badge he started for Boy Scouts. He started the badge before we started out "fast" and I decided at the beginning of the school season that I wanted to try to incorporate his badges into his every-day school work so he's been allowed to keep up with his badge work.

The kids have started asking how much time is left in September - or how much time is left before they're not "grounded." But I really don't see it that way. I don't look at it as a grounding at all - more of a ... break. A fasting period. It's good for us as a family.

Remembering A Great Man - and Tillie is Temporarily Signing Off

Yesterday I attended a military funeral for a former "First Shirt" (aka First Sergeant) who was a great man. This post is primarily about him and his leadership. But I'm putting in a side note first...

Lately, I have not been using the Internet and computer as the tools they are, but instead more as time-fillers, and the kids have been looking to watch "special" family movies or play video games almost nightly, creating somewhat of a nightmare in our lives together. Screen time is not what we want for our children or our family dynamic. Personally, I have three work projects to complete now, in addition to the projects we're engaged in as a family (like refinishing the basement!) and I want to reset the way we spend our time. SO, I'm taking a break from the engaging-but-time-wasting activities that I perform on the screen. For the next 30 days, we have put away the Wii and Nintendo DS's; we've unhooked the TV; we're limiting our time on the computer to work- and school-related projects and activities. I get about 150 e-mail a day from various sources - so I'll check those for one hour a week on Fridays.

Otherwise, if I'm needed more urgently, it is best to use the old-fashioned methods of communication: call the house or the cell phone, or hearkening back to even darker days: come knock on the door.

Now on to the funeral - because I cannot think of a more fitting way to pause my blog than to leave a note of remembrance for someone who was truly a stand up fellow.

SMSgt Ray Tudino was Jeff's "First Shirt" for several years and has made the round as First Shirt for a few other local units as well. We arrived ten minutes early, maybe a little more, and the parking lot was already filled with cars - we parked on the street, and walked up the hill to the chapel with friends we've served with who had flown in from Texas, Germany, and other points on the globe. That's what kind of man Ray was, people respected him and want to honor him, so they came from wherever they are stationed, no matter how far. 


At the front of the chapel, was a pair of military boots, standing empty. Where the boots meet at the heels, was a military-issue rifle, stiffly upright, a set of dog tags hanging down in front. On top of the rifle was a military helmet, empty, chin strap hanging down: the symbols of a military man lost. The ceremony started with the Final Roll Call...


"Sergeant Rollins..."
"Present." 'Sgt. Rollins' stands ready.
"Airman Phebes..."
"Present." 'Airman Phebes' stands ready.
"Senior Airman Blake..."
"Present." as 'SrA Blake' stands ready. 
"Sergeant Tudino..."
...  ...  
"Senior Master Sergeant Ray Tudino..."
...  ... 
"Senior Master Sergeant Raymond Tudino..."
...  ...
"I regret to report that SMSgt Raymond Tudino is not present..."


Rest in Peace, Ray. You will be sorely missed. 


And so, I will post again in a few weeks.

Creating an Atmosphere for Exploration *Edited*

Bruiser received a new kiddie-camera for his last birthday. All of the boys have long held interests in photography and drawing. I have tried to be as supportive as I can - and this has been made easier by the use of digital photography. Gone are the days of having to wait to develop the film to find that none of the pictures are worth keeping! While a part of me - the old-fashioned part - laments the loss of "real" film (the old 110 or 35mm film, you know), allowing them to use a digital camera has been a blessing as they explore new methods of seeing the world and new areas of interest. Increasingly, I am finding some pretty good shots, and almost always from an angle or perspective I would not have considered.

One of the best aspects of homeschooling is the freedom to allow our children to explore these new interests and try out new things while still "getting it all in" on the school front. This freedom comes from the fact that their interests are usually easily incorporated into their schoolwork.

Show Review: "Heavy"

As I mentioned in a previous post, I know a few people who struggle with their weight and so I am coming to our relationships from a few angles: First, I am trying to be supportive myself by eating a healthier diet (i.e.: more water, healthy snacks, etc., less sugar) and secondly, I am working to better understand the thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc. that my loved ones struggle with in their efforts to become healthier people. To that end, I've begun watching shows on Netflix to get ideas and understanding. SO... Without further ado, here is my first TV show review...

Corn-Quinoa-Basil-Lime Soup: A Simple Summer Soup

This soup is a mix of two recipes that I have from two different cook books - it is a 20-minute or less type recipe, very easy for even the non-cook types, healthy AND tasty (yes, the two CAN go together!) Pair this with a salad (suggestions below as well), if you want it to be the main part of the meal or if you want it as a starter, follow it up with a chicken breast topped with fresh bruschetta and a side of steamed kale or spinach (recipes for another day and post!) Beyond tasty!

Encouragement in Getting Healthy

No pictures on this post for now, I just don't have a good one yet. This post is a little out of my normal realm but I hope readers will forgive me. I am feeling really pressed lately to start working on posts that are encouraging and helpful in this area of life. I hope to make this only the beginning.

Like so many others in our society right now, there is someone that I love that is clinically labeled "morbidly obese." I have watched her for many years as she struggled to get healthy and get fit... again, and again, and again. I saw her during the "Phen-Fen" years, where she dropped more weight than I remember her ever losing; I watched all that come back after the medication was no longer available. In truth, I'll take the "larger her" than the scary medicine. I've known this person all my life and love her deeply and want to see her succeed in her quest to be healthier and to regain  herself in the process.

Let's be clear, this person is, in so many ways, amazing - and she is wonderful, but this is an area of struggle for her. She is at the end of raising six children. Of those six, all of them talk to her pretty frequently, and only one lives farther than two hours away from her. She has worked two jobs at a time to make ends meet for years and years. She is wonderful with babies and newborns - they adore her (and sleep for her, God bless them!) I'd say that makes for a lot of positives in life!

Up to now, I have watched people in society make nasty, jeering comments; laughing when they thought she was not aware that they were looking; whispering to one another over what food, or how much, was on her plate... Though she puts on a pretty good face of self-confidence, I know from other events that have taken place in her life that she struggles with that. Her weight is one symptom of that. The number of negative, snarky, unsupportive people she surrounds herself with is another: She doesn't feel worthy of being loved or of being fit and healthy. And she is absolutely worthy of both.