‘memes’ Category
» posted on Saturday, June 10th, 2006 at 10:08 pm by Ellen
From Blestwithsons…
How many blogs do I read regularly?
A lot. I use firefox and read them in tabs so I have them in categories. Most of them I just take a look at and see if there’s anything new.
How many are written by women? By men? I think about half and half.
Are they all Christian? How about the same denomination? No and no.
I have a number of blogs by “special needs” families, educational, political blogs, diets/recipes. And 24.
Of the blogs that are Christian, the blogs by men are primarily reformed, the blogs by women are a real mixed bag.
What kind of posts do you like best? Posts that make me think. Iron sharpens iron and if I have to think to defend my belief, I either come away solid or changed.
What kinds of posts are you most likely to comment on? about 1/3 each encouragement, informational and controversial (although I’ve been trying real hard to not go to another person’s blog and join in a controversy on the opposite side of the host - unless they invite it. I love debates, but have been trying to enter on the host’s side)
What makes you add a blog to your favorites list/bloglines? Or conversely, what drives you away from a blog?
I add a blog to my favorites list if it engages my brain.
If all I read is “fluff”, I take it off.
What’s your favorite kind of post to write?
The theological things that are pertaining to me, or a friend, right now (or what I’m reading right now) are the posts that I enjoy sinking my teeth into.
What do you think is your biggest strength blogwise? Biggest weakness?
I don’t know. I think my biggest strength is that I seem to have about 50/50 men and women, so it’s a broader audience (so to speak)
Maybe my biggest weakness is trying to make a big post when I don’t have big stuff to say.
What do you want to change, if anything, about the way you blog?
I think I’d like to not care about the numbers. I’ve never been “nominated” and have only been “invited” a couple of times. My readership is very small.
Or, I’d like to big. Either one.
How many times a day do you say the word blog? Quite a lot, actually. I’m constantly referring people at work to this blog or that, especially political and special needs.
How many bloggers have you met in real life - not counting the ones you knew before they started blogging? One.
Were they what you expected from reading their blogs? Got any interesting stories? Yes.
Is there anything you’d like to see change here at Blestwithsons? Nope.
2 comments | filed under Blogging · memes
» posted on Wednesday, December 28th, 2005 at 10:17 am by Ellen
Looking Back (even stealing the post name)
I got this from Blest with sons. Like she said, it seems like a good way to sum up the past year (I think I might have had a rather boring year.)
What did you do in 2005 that you’ve never done before?
I owed over $1000 on my federal income tax.
Did you keep your New Years’ Resolutions and will you make more for next year?
No. Yes. They always involve 1) organization 2) diet 3) exercise.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not really. The lead teacher that I worked with last year gave birth, but we weren’t close. The lead teacher that I work with this year gave birth, but we didn’t really know each other then.
Did anyone close to you die?
No. At least not yet (God willing, there won’t be any deaths.)
What countries did you visit?
No countries this year (lots of times we get to Canada, but the closest we got was Sault Ste. Marie, on the US side. So I saw Canada. My dad took the wrong exit and went there, though. And we watched him.
What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked have in 2005?
Other than that which will remain nameless…
I think I’d like self-discipline (see New Years’ Resolutions)
What date from 2005 will remain etched in your memory and why?
There isn’t really a date that will remain etched, but the memory will - my son’s high school graduation. I’m not that good at remembering dates, just events.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting my son through high school - at times it was a near thing.
What was your biggest failure?
hahaha. See New Year’s Resolutions.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
Same early winter cold that keeps hanging on…I’m tired of it. That and a really bad spell of allergies when we had four cats in the house for a while.
What was the best thing you bought?
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. Yummy. In the “pub can.”
(I know - you wouldn’t think chocolate and beer would mix. But even a friend who doesn’t like dark beer is now a huge fan)
Where did most of your money go?
Bills…mortgage, car, heating…
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting an “A” in “History of Western Civilization”. It was a very near thing.
What Scripture is a theme for 2005?
Galatians 6:14
But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
I’m not getting the “crucified to the world” part. But the “Christ on the cross” part - there is no room for anything but Christ. My works can’t be on there, the law, anything. Christ alone paid the price.
That’s why I got the tattoo.
Compared to this time last year are you
a) happier or sadder?
This time last year I was very happy because of the company in my home. Overall - I’m more content and sometimes that’s more important.
b) Thinner or fatter?
Within a pound.
c) Richer or poorer
About the same. Although I have some tuition bills coming up.
What do you wish you had done more of?
Cleaning. Going out for coffee with friends.
What do you wish you had done less of?
Spend money on useless stuff (fast food). Waste time.
How did you spend Christmas?
Just my kids and I. We went to church in the morning and came home and opened gifts. After that, we watched rented movies.
Did you fall in love in 2005?
More.
What was your favorite TV show?
After years of watching TV either very little or not at all…I discovered CSI
What was the best book you read?
Generally, it seems like the best one is the most recent. Seriously, I read “Paedofaith” by Rich Lusk. If you have questions about infant baptism or the process of faith in young children in Christian families - read this. (Reformed alert)
What was your greatest musical discovery of 2005?
Don’t laugh. Flatfoof 56. Christian Celtic punk. Really.
Poke around here for a bit. I recommend “Knuckles Up” (way at the bottom)
What did you want and not get?
That too shall remained unnamed.
What was your favorite film of the year?
Cinderella Man. Probably because of the company I was in.
Or Magdelene Sisters. Because of the depth.
What did you do on your birthday?
I think we just hung out.
What one thing would have made your life immeasurably more satisfying?
Knowing the future (lol)
What kept you sane?
Probably not knowing the future.
What celebrity/public figure did you fancy most?
Golly - I’m not big on public figures.
What political issue stirred you most?
That’s hard. I think it might be the flap over the Supreme Court. A lot of personality traits were revealed.
Who did you miss?
That person knows.
Who was the best new person you met?
There are three of them - the folks I work with this year. As the staff in one room, we’re fitting together pretty well. Julie, Andre, Diane.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
Love may not make a difference, unless the person lets it.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Holdfast (Flatfoot 56)
From the depths of Sheol to the heart of shalom,
we will stand strong together,
we will never be alone.
Fill our cups full of courage, may our face hit the floor,
when we are at our lowest point,
we stand at heaven’s door.
The line is drawn our minds are set
We now know where we stand,
It’s the brotherhood of man that stood
We follow the Father’s plan
The faith that lies within our hearts
doesn’t come from the halls of a church
It’s not about religion
It’s about a friend
And it’s Him that gave us worth.
Like Blest, I’m not going to “tag” anybody - just please post here if you go with it.
2 comments | filed under Life · memes
» posted on Monday, December 19th, 2005 at 10:42 am by Ellen
Feast Meme
She Feasts
The blog I got this from said it was a Friday thing…I’m doing it on Monday.
Appetize
What is a word that your family uses that would not be considered common? Snuberated. It came from an aunt that got offended by video game “kills” - even pacman. Video game “gotchas” are now “snuberations”.
Soup
What theme of calendar do you have on your wall this year? I have “mom’s organized family” calendar.
Salad
Name 3 people you speak with on a daily basis. Phil, Tom, Manda
Main Course
If you could put a new tattoo on someone you know - who would it be, what would the tattoo be of, and where would you put it on them? Manda wants a tattoo anyway…I’d stick a Tom’s Design on her. My son has designed a tattoo with an “alpha” and “omega” interposed. It’ve very cool and would look great on a girl’s shoulder. Or a pale white lily (for lily of the valley) on her ankle.
Dessert
What is the last beverage you drank out of a glass bottle? Easy! Young’s Double Chocolate Stout.
blogger doesn’t use trackback, but here’s a link to she-lives: http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/3865776
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» posted on Friday, August 19th, 2005 at 9:57 am by Ellen
Interview Meme
Here’s how it goes - The first five people that reply gets to answer 5 questions (asked by me) on their own blog and then the whole process gets repeated there!
Here are the questions Shrode asked me over at Thinklings.
How did you meet Tom? Who is he?
I had him…Tom is my son, oldest child - according to a five year old we know, “The pokey haired dude”
2. How many children do you have? What is special about each one of them?
Two, both of them brilliant, if somewhat unmotivated.
The boy is 18 - starting college for some kind of (TBA) computer science thing. Tom, for the first time this year, was able to verbalize that good came out of his dad’s death - We had a kid living with us in a very bad situation that felt that “everything is random”. Tom would reply, “nothing is random, we belong to a God who is in control of the universe.” He went on to list the good things that have happened since Art died, that would not have happened if Art had lived. To me, that is special - not many kids could lose their dad at age 14 and be able to see good in it.
The girl-child is younger and just got her first job! She doesn’t like pink - in fact she appears to have some kind of pathalogical thing against the color. It’s unfortunate that her first job is in a very pink store. She’s adventurous. She just pulled herself out of public school and is homeschooling for the first time as a junior, dual-enrolled at 16 in our local community college. She also has her nose pierced…
3. How and when did you first become a teacher? What’s the best part about being a teacher? The worst? Why are you in between jobs right now? How’s the job hunt going?
Well…I’m not exactly a teacher, but not a para-pro either. The district that I work for has a rather unique position about half-way inbetween (child care worker or non-certified teacher). We work with severely impaired students, physically or mentally - and child care workers are the “second” staff in classrooms for students with autism. That’s what I’ve been doing for almost 8 years.
I first started subbing because I wanted a job where could pick and choose what days I worked and right after I started I was put into a long-term position with a first-grader in a wheelchair (spina bifida). After that, I was offered another long term position (they liked me) in a room with students with autism. Having watched “Rainman”, I was a little nervous, but I ended up really liking these special people. When the job was offered to be permentantly, I took it.
The best part of my job are the “breakthroughs”; getting a student to learn his colors in sign language, etc. The job I’m leaving now, the focus for most of the students was life skills - so I went on a lot of job sites - restaurants, grocery stores, retailers. I also got to play floor hockey.
The job I’m leaving now - I think maybe the worst part is having people not see the value in what I do. For some people, severe mental impairments are scary and they don’t see the value in getting these kids out into the community - and the extra expense for the district is not worth it (I’ve heard, “spend the money on somebody who will make something of themselves”). I also have a very hard time when I see impaired students targetted because they can’t defend themselves.
I’m not exactly in-between jobs - I’m bidding out of one job in my district and bidding on another one - so my job will be the same, but in a different school with different kids (and a different age group). I have teenagers at home, teenagers at church and teenagers at work - I want to be with little kids…and may be making a switch from students with autism to students with severe emotional impairments. If I could put my finger on why I feel the desire to do that, I’d be able to verbalize it, but I can’t. A very dear friend reminds me that kids like we’re talking about need Christian teachers.
4. Why did you decide to have a tatoo? What does your family think about it? What is it?
My tattoo is a week old today! I recently took stock of where I am, what I’ve done and how I’ve changed and/or grown. And something that might seem out of character underscores the change. This tattoo is a celtic-style cross, only instead of knot work on the crossbar, there are Greek letters, Christos - Christ on the cross. For me, in my Reformation from Arminianism, Christ alone on the cross means that there is no room there for my works, my filthy rags (righteousness). It’s all Christ on there. My son designed it (so it’s not exactly professional, but I’ll probably end up going back to have it shaded later) and the letters are in Greek because Manda and I are taking a Greek class together. So both my kids are “in” the design.
My family…both my kids watched while I was getting it - Tom will likely end up getting one similar (he’s already designed it) and Manda wants a tattoo, but a “cute” one - she’s looking at a lily (Christ’s “lilies of the field”)
My “big family” will probably give me “the look” but be okay with it - except my mom…she doesn’t know yet…but we have a big family wedding next weekend, so I’ll show and tell then.
5. What’s the worst movie you ever saw? The worst song you ever heard? The worst book you ever read? The worst meal you ever ate?
Movie: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
Song: Muskrat Love
Book: There have been a few that I just put away - the last one that I hated was my Spanish textbook, but that was me, not the book.
Meal: I cooked it - it ended up being “scrambled pancakes” when camping - something bad happened…
6. What one quality of Jesus’s do you wish you had more of?
(these all go together) The courage to speak when I should and the wisdom to shut up when I should. The ability to know when to “shake the dust off my feet” and move on.
4 comments | filed under Blogging · Life · memes
