It's Been a While

Hello long lost blogging friends,

It has been a while since I told you what I was up to.  I have actually been doing more updating on my home school blog than here; and that is saying something.   So here is an attempt to bring you up to speed.

Well let's see.  I have been working on getting our local home school support group up and going again.  Homeschoolers On Whidbey (HOW) has been around here since about 1988.  It has gone up and down in memberships over the years, but in recent years has dwindled and was essentially defunct. So when I went looking for it last year, I couldn't find it.  I eventually received an email response from one of the old leaders.  Membership had dwindled with the remaining few either moving away or graduating their children.  So I decided to start it up again with their help.  Last January I met with 3 of the old leadership and 3 new ladies who are helping me and we made the transition.  It took us a while to figure out the legal stuff, but we have received a decent response and have gone from 4 member families to 14.  Not bad when we have only had 2 field trips so far.  We will see how this year goes.

I have been spending some time over at the Church's addiction recovery family support site.  What a fabulous resource.  I have been working my way through the lessons and the talks and helps they provide.  It has been wonderful for my testimony of the Atonement and providing peace.  I have been distracted from that and need to get back to it soon.

I have always been interested in politics and world events, but can't seem to pay attention for long before I become overwhelmed, depressed, and just stop.  A year ago, or so (more, now that I think of it) I felt it was time to pay attention again.  But this time I decided to do so prayerfully.  I prayed to be lead to reputable sources that don't rely on hype or fear for readership.  It has been good, and through it all, I have felt peaceful.

As part of my study of current events, I have been listening to LDS Liberty's newly revamped podcasts.  I liked them before, but I love the direction they are going with them.  One of the episodes was on Islam, some of its history, some of the problems with various translations and interpretations, and the similarities that Islam has with LDS.  I actually listened to this episode on our Arizona trip in June.  Then, just days later, I met the episode's guest while we stopped off in Utah on the way home to stay with friends.  That sort of thing never happens to me.  Anyway, I have been reading a bit of the Quran.  I got a bit distracted and want to get back to that too.

I have also been working on a home school science Study Guide for the soon to be released Universal Model of Science book that will be released in October.  I am super excited about that.

Then, when I was minding my own business, I was distracted again with a link that lead to an article that lead to a website, that lead me to realize it is time for me to revamp my way of eating.  So I am reading a lot about that.  But I need to bet back to the science study guide so that I can get back to the other things.

In the mean time we have started school again.  Fun times.  There are a few more items of interest that fill in the gaps, but this is long enough for now.

I think I am a lot like my Dad in this way:  I get hyper focused on a topic or project but can easily be distracted by another, and then hyper focus on it.

love,
Flora

Magic of Family

So this video has been around for some 10 years but I haven't seen it until now.  That's OK.  Perhaps I appreciate it more now than I would have 10 years ago.

I must be in way too philosophical of a mood today but I absolutely loved this video.

Yes it is funny.  It is hilarious.  But it struck me as so fabulous and even beautiful.

I got a few take-aways from this.

The first is that no family is perfect.  When we look at each other superficially (like in a picture or from facebook posts) we see the surface.  We don't usually see the realness behind: the struggles, the prayers, the joys, the triumphs...

Second, kids are great: babies, littles, middles, teens, and adult kids.  They are great.  I  had kids so that I could have teens.  And now that I have them, I know they are better than I imagined.  I am so excited to see what it will be like to have adult children.

Finally, Families are the best invention EVER, as in ever!  eternally!   No other organization has ever come close to the simple beauty of the lessons learned in the family.  No where else can you so perfectly learn the lessons of love, sacrifice, compassion, forgiveness, long suffering, the value of work, obedience, humility, cooperation,... oh, the list goes on.

Leadership and Business Books

Over the last year or two, I have read several "leadership" or "business" books.  I have really enjoyed it and thought I would share the list here.  Some have been around for a while, some are newer.  But I have enjoyed these.

At the top of my list is Simon Sinek's two books.  I have become a huge fan of this guy.

Start with Why

Leaders Eat Last

I heard about Turn the Ship Around from Simon Sinek.  It too is a great book.  Leadership in an environment that is inherently top down and how he turned that around.

I think Death by Meeting is what actually started me on this kick.  This is a fictitious "fable" so it is different than the other books on the list.

Death by Meeting

The Tipping Point has been around for a while, but I finally got to it.

The Tipping Point

And one more:  Not necessarily business related, but it can impact how one relates to others.  It is about creating and keeping habits.  It talks about personality tendencies of how those tendencies affect how people approach habits thus helping you know how to approach them..

These are my non-fiction's for the year.  (not including educational or history books)