Update

Hi everyone!
Things have been mighty irritating around here.

I got the new notebook. Thank God - because my damned desktop bit it! It started wheezing and snorting and refusing to cooperate like the day before, if I remember right.
I thought at first it was my fan's failure, so my machine was overheating, because the first time after I left it off for a couple of hours it started back up. Then it started up again, but this last time it's been a full 24 hours, and no loading up.

So get this - the night I recieved my notebook via UPS, I put a password on it so Trev wouldn't tear into it while I was sleeping- I haven't had time to show him how it works, yet.
The next morning, I typed in my password - my serious same-old password, and it didn't work! I had typo'd my password and the verefication!
:0 !
What the hell do I do now?!? I wondered. Didn't make a backup, as it's the same one I use for my more serious stuff.
Let me tell you how long that took me to happen across the very same typo. I misplaced my hands on the keys in a hundred different positions, mixed up common letters, (for instance 'teh' or 'nad' for and, I do that a lot), etc.
I was really starting to despair, when finally I got it. It was only one letter off.
God! What a relief that was (and pretty lucky, too).

So no sooner did I straighten out that mess, and went to add my camera software into the new notebook, and found my dear friend Little Canon dead!
Dead, folks. My right hand! One of my truest friends. It's not the battery.

In the meantime, my desktop works then doesn't work, and I put (at least I thought) some important documents onto a cd. Well, that was the last time I managed to get into it.
Since then, it's refused to work at all.
C0uld be the processor. Could be the hard drive. I've been too busy to have the time to mess with that (on top of all my other stuff), too.

The good news is that little notebook is cooperating, (after some tweaking), and I was able to get most of my stuff done for bc.

Anyway. So that's where I've been.
Started this note three days ago, and just now publishing it.
Didn't I say in 103 Things that I wanted to have two "up and running"?, and not just that "I want a laptop?" I sure hope so!

Been trying to figure out what it means to me (karmically) that two Very Important (communicating) machines died in the same day!
I'm not feeling especially 'cut off' simply because I did recieve the notebook in a very timely manner.

But still doing some soul searching about that one (the Why of it)....

What grade are You in?

I have to admit, that as advanced and free-thinking as I suppose myself to be, it had not ever occurred to me to think of adults as being 'graded'.
So, what grade are you in?
Meaning I'll judge you according to a standard. I'll judge your spiritual development, how far you've gotten past shallow or mainstream thinking, what religion you are (how advanced it is), how good of a mother you are, how much father-time you have with your children, where you stand on world ecology, whether or not you eat meat, who you voted for in the last election, where you attended college and how much money you spent (still owe) for you college education, what trouble you go to recycle and pick up stray garbage, how fast you moved up the corporate ladder, how may times you've attended the opera, how popular you were in the office, how much time you spend watching the history channel, and what books you like to read.
All of these things will determine what grade you're in.
And... You'll not pass into the next grade until those 'above' you have deemed that you are worthy.

Now I'm not speaking of a matter that should between you and (your) God (should you believe in any), or you and your conscience, folks - this is a matter of being judged by your fellow man. Those that for some reason suppose that they are superior in one way or another to you.
Those that imagine themselves to be the ones "in the know" as far as your own personal Rights of Passage are concerned.

Don't get me wrong here - I'm not angry, and getting all fired up about this issue.
Where I am coming from is the mind of the mother of a "kindergartner".
Not that I judge my son to be a graduate, or failure of such a thing. Just that I have had a certain amount of comfort with the idea - "five years old, kindergarten" sort of thinking.

I read Ren's post today, and it sent me reeling.
"Of course!" thought I. "Why had this not occurred to me?"
Now I knew - understood - that grading and rating in such a way wasn't a very unschooly or healthy outlook. I don't do it. I don't think in terms of "my son needs to get this (pressure/pressure) in order to be up with his peers". But I had not considered it actually harmful.
I don't know why not - especially since I am obsessed with shedding all things judgmental lately. (Not that I am completely free from such binding thoughts, only that I strive to be.)

But I hadn't even considered that judging my son, and putting him in a "grade", could be detrimental to his own thinking, or mind, or freedom in his growth and learning.

Some might say that there's no harm in it.
But to me, there is.
The harm lies in the fits and starts of the parental ego.
Where one has beamings of (parental) pride, one also has shame-faced downfalls, as all children (as all humans do) have interests and disinterests.
If one accepts a grade level, one must attach oneself to expectations, and "should be's".

I'm not interested in that.
Where is the magic and the individuality and creativity and the celebration in "You Must Be"?

Seems to me there's no happiness or self discovery in striving for You Must Be.
And I feel it's my duty - indeed, it's my life and breath right now - to provide my children room for Happiness, Personal Growth, and the Soul's Magic.
It's not even a choice for me, Dear Reader.
It is just what I absolutely Must Do.

Here Comes the Sun King

A glorious day in the sun, Friends.

Recycling Becomes Mandatory

Today the county issued these beautiful bright blue containers to the World At Large (now not just for those of us who pay an extra monthly fee).

One small step for Man.... one giant step for Mankind.

midsummer's magic

#20

#20 is Go on family bike rides.
Woohoo! We did our first one tonight - and it was super fun!
We went up the street a ways, and then up to the next block then back down and around, and ended up at the neighborhood church cruisin' in the parking lot.
Maddie ran and ran, Trev chased and shouted "I'm gaining on you!", and we in general just raced and frolicked and had a most excellent time.
I love my new cruiser! And the new bike trailer.

My dad called today and said "you mentioned a laptop, I have this one for x amount of dollars, you'll have 90 days to pay for it (through Dell - it's on his account), do you want it?
Woohoo!
Eric said okay, so we should be getting that in the mail in a few days.
Looking forward to it!
(Not so sure about Vista, but we'll see!)
Almost two down!
I really gotta get that list finished.

I'm so tired - maybe I'll get up early tomorrow (it's Midsummer!) and have a bit of wit in the morning.
Remember to say hi to your fairy friends tomorrow -and leave them a bit of milk and honey.
Sleep extra well on this shortest night of the year! And Blessed Be.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, everyone.
I hope your day is full of your Best Dads.
I hope it has rumpusing, and wrestling, and squeals of delight. I hope you hear "Hey, Dad!, Wanna....?" a hundred times.
I hope you'll get to grill up something especially fine.
I hope there is bird identification, and bug naming, and firefly catching.
I hope there's watching the races, and playing golf.
I hope there's hiking and fishing and bike rides.
I hope there's horsey and piggy-back rides and steamrollers.

I hope you find a dozen ways to celebrate your life with Yours.
In Love and Joy.

Disclaimer - sort of.

Okay.
here's the thing.
I truly believe that God, and all those that are "above" us - I mean this in a perhaps physical sense as well as sort of higher up on the food chain- have a really grand sense of humor.
I remember a religious friend mentioning last year getting a Play-Mobile Nativity set for her children two Christmases ago.
She mentioned being a bit chagrined - but laughing, too - that her child was taking the head off of baby Jesus, and tossing him around, and Mary wasn't being treated with reverence, etc.
My thoughts on it - and I expressed them to her - were, "Well, the good news is that Jesus wouldn't even be slightly offended at such treatment. He'd think it were just precious child's play."
This is where I'm coming from for those of you who might be offended with my last post(s).
I just really believe that God et al has a Marvelous sense of humor.
How can we be anything greater than God?
Better parents, more loving, more caring, more forgiving, etc.
Whatever I am, or manage to be, I figure those that have it dialed (are perfect) are far moreso than I.
So I say God is a jolly old chap, who understands me, and can laugh at a good joke.