Terriffic Tuesdays--"In The Muthahood"

Terrific Tuesdays

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade...It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

The Images of Mother

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it.

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom' s opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair ... The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul ... It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

A Shocking, Subtle, Secret Story

No doubt you've seen the adds for the movie. It's reminiscent of the Narnia movie, but looks can be deceiving, just as the tip of the iceberg was to the Titanic--by the time anyone saw it, it was too late.

We had seen the trailer for The Golden Compass over the summer which looked like a fun, cute movie to take the kids to see. Fortunately, I recognized the storyline, and when I heard the name "Lyra", immediately scratched it off my list.

Lyra is the main character in the first of a trilogy of books put out by Phillip Pullman, and is the secondary character in the second book, The Subtle Knife. My son had innocently brought home this book from his elementary school's library when I picked it up and started reading it.

The reason I'm so fervent, for those of you just hearing this from me for the first time, is because I read the entire second book in the series called The Subtle Knife and was quiet disturbed by its content very early on.

The media is defending this movie, making it look like only "kooky Christians" are concerned. I'm here to tell you that while I am indeed a born-again Christian, I was disturbed about its content long before I ever learned of this book's plot at the very end when "killing the Authoriy" is revealed.

How many of us would be indifferent upon learning of a book that talks about castrating young boys and girls? Shocking? Just wait, there's more!

It also paints evil as good and good as evil, revenge and murder as justifiable and worthy, among many other things.

In a very short amount of time, our town received over 400 signatures from concerned citizens who signed petitions when a murderer moved into one of our neighborhoods. They were neighbors. I doubt very many, if any at all, would call this man, or any other murderer a "worthy companion" like Lyra does in the second book!

These books are vile even if they did not attack God or Christianity. They are surprisingly found in many elementary schools for the advanced readers. I strongly believe they should be removed. All books influence people, especially young, impressionable minds, even in the name of "fantasy".

Pullman writes very compellingly, and Hollywood is out for the big bucks. Mega efforts are going toward promoting not only the more benign film, but the wicked trilogy itself.

Does the below sound like a book you'd like your kids to read? They are taken from The Subtle Knife: --LKR


He (Will) couldn't get out of his mind the crack as the man's head struck the table, and the way his neck was bent so far and in such a wrong way, and the dreadful twitching of his limbs. The man was dead. He'd killed him.

And now he'd killed one of them.

So the police would be after him too.

Well, he was good at not being noticed. He'd have to not be noticed harder than he'd ever done in his life before, and keep it up as long as he could, till either he found his father or they found him. And if they found him first, he didn't care how many more of them he killed.



She had asked: What is he? A friend or an enemy?

The alethiometer answered: He is a murderer.

When she (Lyra) saw the answer, she relaxed at once. He could find food, and show her how to reach Oxford, and those were powers that were useful, but he might still have been untrustworthy or cowardly. A murderer was a worthy companion.

54 "I know the man Stanislaus Grumman. I used to love him. But I hate him now with such a fervor that if I see him, I shall kill him... .."--a young witch named Juta Kamainen 322-323 ...Something shot down from the turbid sky, and he John Perry) fell back dead before he could say a word, an arrow on his failing heart. "No! No!" Cried witch Juta K., and fell down after him, clutching her own heart. ... "Why did you do that?" he [Will] shouted. "Why did you kill him?" Because I loved him and he scorned me! I am a witch! I don't forgive!" "What did he ever do to you that you needed to kill him?" he cried. ... And she looked at the dead man. ... "No, I can't explain," she said. "You are too young. It wouldn't make sense to you. I loved him. That's all. That's enough." And before Will could stop her, she fell softly sideways, her hand on the hilt of the knife she had just taken from her own belt and pushed beteewn her ribs.

257

261 talking about his mother: "They were tormenting her just like those kids at the tower with the cat.... They thought she was mad and they wanted to hurt her, maybe kill her, I wouldn't be surprised. She was just different and they hated her. Anyway, I found her [his mom] and I got her home. And the next day in school I fought the boy who was leading them. I fought him and I broke his arm and I think I broke some of his teeth--I don't know. And I was going to fight the rest of them, too, but I got in trouble and I realized I better stop... so I just pretended to be sorry and told the teachers I wouldn't do it again, and they punished me for fighting and I still said nothing. But I kept her safe, see. No one knew [about his mother's problems--being afraid of things she couldn't see, but he didn't want people to think she was crazy and get separated from his mom] apart from those boys, and they knew what I'd do if they said anything; they knew I'd kill them another time. Not just hurt them. ..."

264 "What about the man you killed?" Lyra said, her heart beating hard. "Who was he?" "I don't know. If I killed him, I don't care. He deserved it. ... And I ran away. That's all that happened. So I didn't mean to kill him, but I don't care if I did. ..."

talking of killing the Authority pages 45-47


46-47 "...I think he's aiming a rebellion against the highest power of all. He's gone a-searching for the dwelling place of the Authority Himself, and he's a-going to destroy Him. ... I'd be afraid to speak it aloud to you if you weren't a witch and beyond the power of the church; but that makes sense. and nothing else does.He's a-going to find the Authority and kill Him. ... The Church teaches that some of the angels rebelled before the world was created, and got flung into hell. They failed, you see, that's the point. They couldn't do it. And they had the power of angels. Lord Asriel is just a man, with human power, no more than that. But his ambition is limitless. He dares to do what men and women don't even dare to think. And look what he's done already... ." --Thorold

50 "...There is a war coming. I don't know who will join with us, but I know whom we must fight. It's the Magisterium, the Church. ...For all history,...it's tried to surpress and control every natural impuse. And when it can't control them, it cuts them out. ... They cut their sexual organs, yes, boys and girls; they cut them with knives so that they shan't feel. That is what the Church does, and every church (c) is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling. So if a war comes, and the Church is on one side of it, we must be on the other, no matter what strange allies we find ourselves bound to. ..." --witches speaking???

319-320 "...If you're the bearer of the knife, you have a task that's greater than you can imagine. ... There's a war coming, boy [Will]. The greatest war there ever was. Something like it happened before, and this time the right side must win. ... The knife,...they never knew what they were making, those philossophers. They invented a device that could split open the very smallest particles of matter... .. They had no idea that they'd made the one weapon in all the universes that could defeat the tyrant. The Authority. God. The rebel angels fell because they didn't have anything like the knife; but now... " Will's father, John Perry, aka Stanislaus Grumman

A Three Hour Walk...

Okay, so you know, the title is meant to be sung to the theme of "Gilligan's Island"!

Poochie and I walked, photographed, and sniffed our way through some trails in Lowes Creek County Park I haven't been on in a long while. (I'll let you figure out who did what!) It was a beautiful day, and we both were really enjoying ourselves. It was in the low 70's, and absolutely perfect weather to be out in the woods and prairie. 

Poochie and I alternated on the sunny Fitness Trail and Bike Trails dappled in shade.  Another poochie was taking his owner for a walk through the park, and we all exchanged friendly chit chat before heading on.  It was a very relaxing walk!

 

We rushed back home when I realized the kids were already home from school. You could hear the school buses rumble down the road from the particular trails we were on. Sure, they're old enough to be left alone, and sometimes they really like it that way. "Humm--Mom's not home, so we can play on the computer, watch tv, and eat those special treats she was saving and say we didn't know we weren't supposed to!" (I hear this from them even when I am home!) Oy!

Since we started off with a song, we shall end with one! "Kids! ...What's the matter with kids today?" ("Kids" from the musical "Bye Bye Birdie") --LKR

A Dobsonfly???

Driving the kids to a park for a picnic after summer school, I stopped to get some gas for our van. While fueling up, I scanned my surroundings, passing the time away. Ho, hum. Woe! What on earth is that??? Right below my hand hanging out on the hose was a huge winged insect, about 5 inches in length! It was unlike anything I had ever encountered, before. This docile creature continued resting quietly as I gazed at it. My oldest daughter handed me my camera and the photo session began!

Getting back into my vehicle, I was about to pull away when thoughts of how someone else might react when they encountered this insect stopped me. If they freaked, which would be easy to do, there was no telling what its fate might be—or the person’s--if I left it there.

I quickly got out of the van and gently coaxed this giant into an empty Parmesan container I keep with me for occasions just like this. (Honestly, I do rescue bugs! Just ask my family and friends!) Handing it to my 11 year old son, he empathetically studied this awesome creature. “Cool, huh?!” I said. He nodded in agreement.

“Mom, I think he’s getting scared.”

”I know, honey. Tell him we’re going to let him go.”

“Mom, he doesn’t speak English. He won’t understand.”

“Tell him anyway. We’re almost there.”

We released him onto a small tree at Mt. Simon Park in Eau Claire, WI which is along the Chippewa River. We ate, the kids swam, he relocated, and we headed for home.

Ever hear of a Dobsonfly? I sure didn’t before this! But there he was on an interesting website that helped identify him. Ours was a sweet little boy. Females have smaller, functional mandibles (jaws) that are capable of inflicting pain. On another site, I learned that they are otherwise harmless in spite of their appearance, and are nocturnal. Most of their lives are spent in the larval stage, growing up under rocks in rivers, steams, and lakes. A few years later, they leave their watery world and pupate (like butterflies do) on land, over-wintering. Come late spring and into the earlier summer months, they begin emerging. They spend only a few days of life as winged creatures, as their sole purpose now is to mate, lay eggs, and die.

The site that helped ID him was here, if anyone would like to check it out: http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

--LKR