Bonspiel!

Tonight was the local Family Bonspiel. The three of us and my nephew (who can drive now!) competed. It was T's first time in a competitive Bonspiel. Last year, we entered in the non-competetive category. The rules require at least 2 children and at least one female (either adult or child). The combined ages of the 2 (youngest) children determines your category. We were in the "under 28."

Family Bonspiels don't carry you to Zones (higher competetive levels), but in our little area, the 4 little towns created their own, unofficial Zone. If you place 1st or 2nd in your category, you get to go to what is colloquially known as the "O-Zone."

So... drumroll, please... we're going to the O-Zone! We placed 2nd (in a very close call), so we get to go again in 3 weeks, once the rest of the towns have their bonspiels. I'm really proud of T. He is a pretty good little curler. He was so serious through the whole thing, and he did very well. Plus, we all had a really fun time, which is kind of the whole point of it, really.

Say NO to GE alfalfa

Canada may be close to having something wicked this way come. If you'd rather not have yet another Monsanto owned crop -- this time alfalfa -- in our country, see here for the full details on how to act.

We grow alfalfa organically. It's one of the easiest crops to grow. Input costs are very low because the initial cost of seed is spread out over 3-4 years -- the length of time a crop is producing well. Sometimes you can get an extra year out of it, still with decent production. The process for producing alfalfa goes like this:

Buy some seed, or use seed saved from previous years.
Plant the seed in well-prepared soil.
Sit back.
Sit back some more.
Wait a while.
Wait some more.
Cut the crop and bale it.
Wait.
Wait some more.
Cut the crop again and bale it.
Wait.
Wait a little more.
Cut the crop a third time and bale it.
~~~~Winter~~~~
In the spring, prepare to wait again. Wait some more. Cut the crop and bale it, repeating as usual. Do this for another year or two.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? Sounds almost fun, doesn't it? Well, Monsanto wants you to think that regular cutting (or mowing, to be precise) isn't enough to keep weeds down and crops lush. That's really kind of funny -- because it's worked for generations. But, no. Monsanto says you need a RoundUp Ready alfalfa now -- and all the licence fees and contractual obligations that go along with everything Monsanto does.

You see, it's not enough to corner the soy, corn and canola markets (and who knows what else). They want it all -- and sweet, little alfalfa is next. Or not!

If you care about the integrity of biodiversity, if you care about the overchemicalization of crop land, if you care about the bully-boy tactics of multinational monopolistic corporations, if you care about good farm practices, then you need to know that Monsanto could be on the verge of being able to release their own franken-falfa upon Canada.

Again, details are HERE on how you can respond against the release of GE alfalfa.

Nice pagan wallpaper for your BlackBerry Storm

I've long wanted a nice pagan-y wallpaper or theme for my BlackBerry that wasn't so OBVIOUSLY pagan that someone glancing over my shoulder would say "quick! Pray before the devil grabs us all!" In other words, something discreet enough to be used in a work setting, yet apparent enough to me to give me that little boost I often desire during a long work day.

I found this.



It shows kind of dark, and the stones are enough in shadow to be there, but not so THERE that someone would notice right away. At least not when your app icons are overlaid on it. Yes, it's sized for a Storm, but I'm sure one could manipulate it enough to make it work for other BBs as well.

Writing class

One of the most difficult things I've tried to teach T is writing. He has an intuitive sense for grammar, so that isn't the problem. He also has a talent for good syntax, so that's no problem either. When he writes, he writes very good sentences. He even understands the purpose and structure of paragraphs.

The problem is two-fold. First, he doesn't quite get the concept of writing an essay, no matter the subject, and no matter how short the essay is to be. In my opinion, until he can understand a simple 3 paragraph essay, we're not going to get very far with writing research for his lessons.

Second, getting him to write anything at all is like pulling teeth. It's not that he can't write. It's that he doesn't want to be bothered to put the effort in to it. Writing more than a couple of sentences is "too long," and the thought of writing a page is "just plain awful."

Not long ago, I pulled out Writing Tales, which I had purchased over a year ago, yet never used. It's below his grade level, but we've got to start somewhere. So far, so good. It's a simple process, explained simply enough for the student to understand, and it has some fun little exercises/games to boot. Although, doing the rewrites still gets him grumbling. Additionally, he claims that "drafts are for losers who can't get it right the first time." After my eyes stopped rolling, I firmly informed him that he was completely wrong, and we would be doing drafts for every. single. assignment. forever.

I have to be the bitchy teacher sometime, eh? I justify the bitchiness with the fact that he'll be in grade 6 next year, and he really does need to step up to the plate as far as his workload goes. I don't mean that he has to be inundated with busy work and nonsense assignments, but he does need to write!

I would be interested in any curriculum that makes the writing process a little bit fun. (But, please don't point me to Classical Writing -- that has got to be the most overwrought curriculum I've ever seen in my life. Just reading the TM sucked all the joy of teaching and writing right out of me.)

Joyous Imbolc

Imbolc is a perfect time to renew your spirit with a good cleansing. I know I need it -- shedding some old dust of negativity.

I hope you all have a beautiful Imbolc. Embrace the light, my friends.

Free Waldorf teleseminar series

The Waldorf Connection is taking registrations right now for an upcoming series of eight 1-hour free teleseminars. The series starts on January 28th, so head over now, if you are interested.

Topics in the series include:

• Story telling
• Science
• Seasonal celebrations
• Handwork
• In-depth temperament study (2 sessions)
• Young Waldorf days
• and, Foreign language

I've done the 1st series of these teleseminars. The discussion is really good, and the hosts are well versed in Waldorf education and lifestyle. You can also access the sessions up to 48 hours after the original seminar. So, if you can't make the exact time, at least you have a bit of room to tune in to the final version.

One caveat: I would suggest having a pen and scribbler handy for taking notes, unless you opt to purchase the final versions, which is sent in downloadable format.

Oh Casper

A few years back neighbours of mine moved back to their hometown of Plymouth, England. Farming on the Canadian Prairie wasn't working out for them. Sweethearts that they were, we've kept in touch.

One item of interest was the cat who shared my friend's bus rides to the shops. She said he reminded her of our big barn tom Scraps.

So, it was sad news to hear that Casper will no longer be riding the No. 3.

Darwin Day challenge

If you or your kids play Spore, there is a neat little challenge going on for Darwin Day (Feb. 2nd). See details here. (You will probably need to log on first.) Also below the challenge, you will find the obligatory xian comment against evolution, along with some other interesting responses.

T loves Spore. He spends a great deal of time building adventures and creating creatures. Yes, it is a flashy video game, but it is also pretty creative, and has inspired him to write remarkably imaginative adventure scripts.

I'll lose super-homeschooler points for admitting this, but I copy his scripts (which he writes first in Word) and keep them in our portfolio as writing. I do give him some tips on how to make it better, but to be honest, he does exceptionally well with grammar and spelling, and the plot flow is usually quite clear.

Positive energy needed

I can't really elaborate, but today is not going well, and this week isn't looking good. At all. I know I can handle this, but my energy is really flagging. I could use all the positive thoughts, wishes, energy, etc. that you could offer.

Thanks.

Sunday bloody Sunday

Woke up this morning to find the pillow, my face, the sheets and half the blankets covered in blood. Poor L screamed. Like a girl.

I had a nosebleed of epic proportions last night or more likely, sometime early this morning. I remember waking up briefly and having a brief sneezing fit. I blew my nose and went back to sleep, thinking nothing but dreamy thoughts.

What was terribly, terribly gross was the coagulated stuff. It was unnerving, to say the least.

No verdict yet on the fate of the blankets and sheets (I scrubbed them out and they're in the laundry now), but my pillow is decidedly unsalvageable.

The theory is that my recent sinus cold is partly to blame, and the very dry conditions in the house are partly to blame. I also blame U2.