Valerie on January 31st, 2009

I am all wrapped up in The Greatest Garden Ever That I Am Going To Plant these days- planning, dreaming, etc. While googling “printable garden planner”, I discovered the neatest blog, Little House in the Suburbs. Not only do they have a great little garden planning tool, the ideas there for a cold frame and [...]

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Valerie on January 27th, 2009

Big A has been inspired to enter an American Girl contest. Prizes will be awarded for the best poster about bullying, and she has been hard at work on a colorful and insightful warning to all would-be pesterers. I’ve had trouble with this for a number of reasons. As the oldest child, she herself has [...]

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Valerie on January 24th, 2009

I’ve been following a couple of news items this week: 1. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act- there are parts of this legislation that have small-time children’s product makers, crafters, and even the library quite concerned. I’m having trouble understanding exactly what the implications are, but I plan to watch this drama unfold with great [...]

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Valerie on January 17th, 2009

I’m currently reading The Story of My Life, by Helen Keller. In this edition, letters are included at the end that Anne Sullivan, Helen’s “Teacher”, wrote about her progress. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this part of the book, and wanted to get some quotes down here I thought were especially noteworthy. I am beginning [...]

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Valerie on January 17th, 2009

We do also give up our selves one unto another in the Lord, and according to the will of God, freely covenanting and binding our selves to walk together as a right ordered congregation and church of Christ, in all ways of His worship, according to the holy rules of the Word of God, promising [...]

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Valerie on January 12th, 2009

I love rice. If it weren’t nearly impossible, I might think I had been switched at birth with a Hispanic baby. I am so happy to have found a recipe for Mexican Rice that I could actually accomplish. And it turned out delicious. How fun to be able to make ‘restaurant food’ in my own [...]

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Valerie on January 9th, 2009

I do think we need to stop thinking in terms of ‘what can I handle’ and instead ‘how can I be stretched’. ~Octamom My sister put out a request for good books to read, as she has challenged herself to read more in the coming year. I got to thinking how much I have enjoyed [...]

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Valerie on January 6th, 2009

Gracie, 2009 is not getting off to a good start. Last week I had the flu, as ill as I can remember being in a long time. There was one day I lay in the recliner, only getting up when it was completely necessary. I could only shuffle places, and every pore in my skin [...]

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Valerie on January 5th, 2009

I’ve been paying closer attention to how much my groceries cost, and was astounded to realize that the trash bags I buy at Aldi were $6.29 for 36! That’s a lot of money to be ‘throwing away’. I am stepping up my recycling efforts, including the reuse of the bags themselves as much as possible. [...]

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Valerie on January 2nd, 2009

He has Bubba Teeth in the bathroom vanity, right next to the dental floss He has dressed up as a black man for each of the last three costume parties we have attended If the above doesn’t already indicate, he makes me laugh He is building a house He currently has two paying jobs If [...]

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