If you haven’t noticed, I love television and movies. I love the art that allows people to be different from who they really are in order to entertain us.
But I also recognize the reality that they are just as human as we are. They can suffer from the same insecurities and maladies that we do.
That being said, I absolutely hate waiting in grocery check out lines. You might be saying, “Lizzie? What the actual f does grocery lines have to do with actors???”
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
01 February 2020
05 December 2019
History, the Present, and the Future
Tonight I launched a very bare bones Facebook page dedicated to my blog. It is my hope that people not on my friends list who come across it will enjoy it as well as allowing people on my friends list who are not interested in my blog to avoid having to see posts about it.
Now on to some thoughts that occured as a result of my past few weeks of research and redesign.
Now on to some thoughts that occured as a result of my past few weeks of research and redesign.
02 December 2019
TealNotes.com and New Year's Resolutions
This is a long post today, so don't say I didn't warn you!
I know I certainly have a difficult time keeping up with it. I thought I could sort it out a bit more, by creating mail filters and multiple email accounts, each covering a different aspect of my life. If you thought a single account was difficult to keep up with, try seven!
Email Overload
If you're anything like me, you sign up for newsletters willy nilly and it soon fills your email inbox to capacity. Many people I know, and you might be like this too, very rarely check their email inboxes. We input our email addys into the form and forget about it.I know I certainly have a difficult time keeping up with it. I thought I could sort it out a bit more, by creating mail filters and multiple email accounts, each covering a different aspect of my life. If you thought a single account was difficult to keep up with, try seven!
27 October 2019
How I Plan a Blog Post (or How my Attention Deficit Disorder Rules Everything)
Today gets really heavy folks. I apologize up front, but there is a point to the story. And thank you for taking the time today to read it. You really didn't have to put in the effort, but I'm thankful you did. Maybe it will help you today. Maybe it will help you with a friend or stranger you encounter. Maybe it will distract you from whatever is bothering you. In any event, remember you can get through anything. 💗
23 October 2019
Unplanned Blurb #499: Unemployed Productivity
As I am now officially and unfortunately unemployed, it is amazing how much around the house is actually getting done, both in our home and at my father's house. When you haven't a job, all those things you were too tired to do while you were working are getting done. But who can afford to live this way for very long? Definitely not my family.
17 August 2019
Bubby's Dinner Experiment: YUM!
So my son is a burgeoning chef and I couldn't be happier about that. The other day he experimented again and the results were absofreakinglutely amazeballs.
08 March 2019
Silly Simple Status Spree
It’s been a couple weeks, but I promise you, I haven’t forgotten about you!
It’s been eventful and not in the all good things way, nor the “I really don’t want to talk about it” bad way either. It was a nice even mix of losing my mind and making progress in life.
For starters, I really did lose my mind for a moment. I tend to be a functioning manic depressive, much the same way I was a functioning alcoholic. Unfortunately, manic depression isn’t something I can quit easily. Brain chemistry management is a lot different from deciding you won’t drink alcohol anymore. For some it might be far more difficult than making a decision, but luckily for me, it was that simple. It helps that no one else in the house drinks either.
In the good news column, I took the time to flesh out 90% of The Feminine Quirk blog, getting it completely ready for linking to podcasts... after we get equipment... after we record... after we learn the art of editing the files. ☺️
Back in the tough to handle column... there was a situation at my father’s house that is ongoing, messy, and emotionally draining. Right up until I managed to decide that the person causing the upset was no longer going to bother me. The person is gone, and once they pick up the rest of their stuff off the front porch, or it goes in the dumpster if they can’t be bothered to make it a priority, I will be free to fix the problems that festered under the surface and finish my father’s remodeling in the space the person vacated. Fresh start. Always feels so good.
And finally, Bullet Journalling has become therapeutic and a nearly daily thing. I’m rarely forgetting things that need done, I’m remembering to record my son’s school hours for his online school, plus help him study, and we’re learning more recipes. There’s even sections for podcast research notes and cleaning schedules. We’re staying on top of things a little better.
So all in all a growing experience. And in down time that I make sure I get every so often, I’m back to playing Wajas and having quite a bit of fun with it.
~^..^~
It’s been eventful and not in the all good things way, nor the “I really don’t want to talk about it” bad way either. It was a nice even mix of losing my mind and making progress in life.
For starters, I really did lose my mind for a moment. I tend to be a functioning manic depressive, much the same way I was a functioning alcoholic. Unfortunately, manic depression isn’t something I can quit easily. Brain chemistry management is a lot different from deciding you won’t drink alcohol anymore. For some it might be far more difficult than making a decision, but luckily for me, it was that simple. It helps that no one else in the house drinks either.
In the good news column, I took the time to flesh out 90% of The Feminine Quirk blog, getting it completely ready for linking to podcasts... after we get equipment... after we record... after we learn the art of editing the files. ☺️
Back in the tough to handle column... there was a situation at my father’s house that is ongoing, messy, and emotionally draining. Right up until I managed to decide that the person causing the upset was no longer going to bother me. The person is gone, and once they pick up the rest of their stuff off the front porch, or it goes in the dumpster if they can’t be bothered to make it a priority, I will be free to fix the problems that festered under the surface and finish my father’s remodeling in the space the person vacated. Fresh start. Always feels so good.
And finally, Bullet Journalling has become therapeutic and a nearly daily thing. I’m rarely forgetting things that need done, I’m remembering to record my son’s school hours for his online school, plus help him study, and we’re learning more recipes. There’s even sections for podcast research notes and cleaning schedules. We’re staying on top of things a little better.
So all in all a growing experience. And in down time that I make sure I get every so often, I’m back to playing Wajas and having quite a bit of fun with it.
~^..^~
28 January 2019
Contemplating a Podcast Gig and How it Came to Be
So it has been a hot minute since I posted, but I have taken the time during this inclement weather we are having in the northeast corner of Indiana to catch up on some television binge-watching. I'm nearly caught up with all of the currently airing US shows, and holding off on some Canadian programming until the full seasons are aired. There's just something about Canadian programming. I cannot just watch it one episode at a time. I gorge myself on a full season because I cannot seem to just wait for the next week's airing.
Since I have to be in the mood for certain shows when I watch them, such as Madam Secretary and Blindspot, I scroll through my available videos and came across a tile for an animated television show called Carmen Sandiego on Netflix.
Wait just a red hot minute!! Did you just say 'Carmen Sandiego'?
Yes. Yes, I most certainly did. If you ever played the Carmen Sandiego games on computer or game console in the late 80s to early 90s, or watched the game show in the mid 90s starring Lynn Thigpen as the Chief, the show will bring back nostalgic memories in no time. I want to do an in depth profile on the Carmen Sandiego property at a later time, but if you hadn't yet heard of it, go watch it now. Seriously, I mean right now.
Unless you want to finish reading this then go watch it, by all means.
In this fandom vein, I have come across a conundrum of the highest order. I have too many interests. Here's the story behind that:
Several years ago I became bored with my Spotify playlists and went in search of something else to listen to. The music was monotonous and I wanted to find something else to enrich my mind. Enter Beckett Graham and Susan Vollenweider, better known as The History Chicks. I started with their very first podcast and was pleasantly amazed at this amazing list of historical women who deserve their stories told again and again. However, I quickly forgot all about The History Chicks as real life got away from me, and it wasn't until the past few months as I began to research becoming a YouTuber that I revisited the Chicks. I am currently caught up to their 'Season 3' and enjoyed the heck out of their Teeny Tiny Tudor Tutorial. (LOL) But then again, I watched Showtime's The Tudors religiously. I love Jonathan Rhys Meyers and watch as much of his work as I can get my eyes on.
So in the grander scheme of things, I am up to their published podcasts circa 2012. Just 7 more years to catch up on. Hee Hee!
The History Chicks found a niche, a concept on which Kong and Jesse at Jumpcut have based their entire formula for creating a successful YouTube channel. So at the very beginning of the process, the Jumpcut guys walk you through a formula for creating a magical channel idea.
In attempting to nail down that idea for myself, I quickly realized I have too many interests, and not enough of an idea on how to rate what the public is truly interested in. At the very heart of the issue is this: I have no idea what topic to center a YouTube channel on. Plus, I have to work full time to make money, which limits the amount of time I can dedicate toward filming for YouTube in the first place.
Oh! And let us not forget about the near crippling stage fright condition I have suffered from since childhood.
Now it just doesn't seem to make any sense whatsoever. For those who know me personally, I'm the wacky and quirky person who always laughs and cracks jokes. I'm an absolutely card, a shock jock, funny, gregarious, friendly. I am everything any of the successful YouTubers seem to be... Right up until you turn a still or video camera my way.
Suddenly my palms get sweaty, my heartbeat races, my vision goes down to a pinpointed red and black tunnel, and my mouth gets dry. And when the video plays back, I am hypercritical of how I look and how I sound. I don't even like my recorded voice.
Jump forward to the past few months at work, all the while the internal struggle regarding a YouTube channel, do I or don't I, continues, I'm making more work friends and finding that people actually do like me. I won't say they love me, as that is definitely an acquired taste and it is for them to say, not me. But people genuinely like me and my personality.
Now we back track to The History Chicks. What do they have that I don't? Other than successful careers and podcasting equipment to actually pull off a successful podcast, even if it nets them no money other than to offset their operating costs. (For the record, I am simply spitballing here; I do not know if The History Chicks make money off their podcast, nor what it actually takes to produce a podcast. I am currently researching that information with a friend of mine, Becca.)
I have tons of 'useless' knowledge in my head and love to share it with others. I love to research new people, places, things, and events all the time. My Google search history is filled with such oddball and diverse topics and questions, it boggles my mind sometimes. But as I listened more and more to Beckett and Susan, I was reminded of my friend from work Becca and how often our conversations in the break room at work are back and forth, consistent, and others often cannot get a word in edgewise. We are so different, Becca and I, and yet so, so, so similar.
I was clocked out and getting ready to leave when I noticed her turning in her equipment, signalling she too was leaving for the day. Before my better judgement could silence me, I boldly asked her if she'd ever heard of The History Chicks. Her reply was sooo typical Becca (which you perhaps will get to hear soon enough) and quickly produced a 25 minute conversation that also included her clocking out, and us walking out of the building, pausing by her car, and ending when I headed to mine. Twenty-five solid minutes of non-stop conversation. It started out with our love for the Chicks' podcast, went through several mutations of ideas, and ended with "Let's do a Podcast!!!"
What?!?
Yeah. I know. You really had to be there to watch the completely organic development of this idea. There's no other way to describe something like this.
We'll keep you posted. This may take some time. lol
And to think, this blog post started with the realization that in order to keep warm, I am wearing articles of clothing that are from several fandoms. Her Universe Superman leggings under my jeans. A tie-dyed 'Country Rocks My Soul, Est. 1977' tank, under a tie-dyed Pirates of the Caribbean tee, under a long sleeved Green Bay Packers quarter zip Dri-fit style shirt, under an embroidered sweatshirt bearing the symbol of my alma mater, Concordia Lutheran High School. I mean really. How can one be sane and normal while at the same time this diverse?
Who says I am sane? I certainly never said I was normal.
Since I have to be in the mood for certain shows when I watch them, such as Madam Secretary and Blindspot, I scroll through my available videos and came across a tile for an animated television show called Carmen Sandiego on Netflix.
Wait just a red hot minute!! Did you just say 'Carmen Sandiego'?
 |
| Netflix's Carmen Sandiego |
Unless you want to finish reading this then go watch it, by all means.
In this fandom vein, I have come across a conundrum of the highest order. I have too many interests. Here's the story behind that:
 |
| The History Chicks |
So in the grander scheme of things, I am up to their published podcasts circa 2012. Just 7 more years to catch up on. Hee Hee!
The History Chicks found a niche, a concept on which Kong and Jesse at Jumpcut have based their entire formula for creating a successful YouTube channel. So at the very beginning of the process, the Jumpcut guys walk you through a formula for creating a magical channel idea.
In attempting to nail down that idea for myself, I quickly realized I have too many interests, and not enough of an idea on how to rate what the public is truly interested in. At the very heart of the issue is this: I have no idea what topic to center a YouTube channel on. Plus, I have to work full time to make money, which limits the amount of time I can dedicate toward filming for YouTube in the first place.
Oh! And let us not forget about the near crippling stage fright condition I have suffered from since childhood.
Now it just doesn't seem to make any sense whatsoever. For those who know me personally, I'm the wacky and quirky person who always laughs and cracks jokes. I'm an absolutely card, a shock jock, funny, gregarious, friendly. I am everything any of the successful YouTubers seem to be... Right up until you turn a still or video camera my way.
Suddenly my palms get sweaty, my heartbeat races, my vision goes down to a pinpointed red and black tunnel, and my mouth gets dry. And when the video plays back, I am hypercritical of how I look and how I sound. I don't even like my recorded voice.
Jump forward to the past few months at work, all the while the internal struggle regarding a YouTube channel, do I or don't I, continues, I'm making more work friends and finding that people actually do like me. I won't say they love me, as that is definitely an acquired taste and it is for them to say, not me. But people genuinely like me and my personality.
Now we back track to The History Chicks. What do they have that I don't? Other than successful careers and podcasting equipment to actually pull off a successful podcast, even if it nets them no money other than to offset their operating costs. (For the record, I am simply spitballing here; I do not know if The History Chicks make money off their podcast, nor what it actually takes to produce a podcast. I am currently researching that information with a friend of mine, Becca.)
I have tons of 'useless' knowledge in my head and love to share it with others. I love to research new people, places, things, and events all the time. My Google search history is filled with such oddball and diverse topics and questions, it boggles my mind sometimes. But as I listened more and more to Beckett and Susan, I was reminded of my friend from work Becca and how often our conversations in the break room at work are back and forth, consistent, and others often cannot get a word in edgewise. We are so different, Becca and I, and yet so, so, so similar.
I was clocked out and getting ready to leave when I noticed her turning in her equipment, signalling she too was leaving for the day. Before my better judgement could silence me, I boldly asked her if she'd ever heard of The History Chicks. Her reply was sooo typical Becca (which you perhaps will get to hear soon enough) and quickly produced a 25 minute conversation that also included her clocking out, and us walking out of the building, pausing by her car, and ending when I headed to mine. Twenty-five solid minutes of non-stop conversation. It started out with our love for the Chicks' podcast, went through several mutations of ideas, and ended with "Let's do a Podcast!!!"
What?!?
Yeah. I know. You really had to be there to watch the completely organic development of this idea. There's no other way to describe something like this.
We'll keep you posted. This may take some time. lol
And to think, this blog post started with the realization that in order to keep warm, I am wearing articles of clothing that are from several fandoms. Her Universe Superman leggings under my jeans. A tie-dyed 'Country Rocks My Soul, Est. 1977' tank, under a tie-dyed Pirates of the Caribbean tee, under a long sleeved Green Bay Packers quarter zip Dri-fit style shirt, under an embroidered sweatshirt bearing the symbol of my alma mater, Concordia Lutheran High School. I mean really. How can one be sane and normal while at the same time this diverse?
Who says I am sane? I certainly never said I was normal.
03 January 2019
Second Weebly Blog Deleted
Once I deleted the Mom on a Narrow Path blog, a secondary site that I had completely forgotten about popped up. Turns out I had three Weebly websites, one being a poor attempt on my part for my husband's landscaping business.
In any event, the first site I started was Narrow Path Home Study, a website that the kids and I would use to try getting them used to attending school online. It really and truly failed. There was a blog on the front page and no one but the kids could access the education pages because they had the URL of a page that was not in the main page menu. I wasn't about to pay yearly for a website to have username access for 2 kids, which after a single year was reduced to 1 kid.
But I still like the idea. I realize that there are lesson plans out there and educational websites all over the place, and as I have mentioned before, CrashCourse and places like Khan Academy. I might play with it some more, especially since I spent so much time building badges for my kids to collect, lessons, schedules, and report pages. Plus, the one lesson plan I put together actually helped my son. I'm still so proud of how he was able to relay the basic story of The Odyssey, even though he couldn't do it anymore if his life depended on it.
In any event, I copied all the Narrow Path Home Study blog posts over here the same way I did Mom on a Narrow Path this morning, and deleted the pages from the site. I want to salvage the lessons somehow.
~^..^~
Deleting Mom on a Narrow Path Weebly Blog
I had a blog at Weebly called "Mom on a Narrow Path". There is a lot to digest with that thought process and maybe someday I'll go through and explain it, but don't hold your breath. Earlier today I already explained my ability to follow through on things like that.
But so as to not lose my thoughts that I had 'back then', let alone when that when was (make sense?), I copied and pasted everything, adjusted dates, uploaded images and PowerPoints elsewhere... Essentially transported the whole thing over here. Thankfully, there were just as few posts over there as there were here before this morning, so it only took me 2-3 hours. I think I'm going to continue to hang out here at Blogger. It remains to be seen if I head out to the rest of the blogosphere and pull everything else here too, to centralize my thoughts. Some may be lost to the ether. I'm okay with that. Some will make no sense here, particularly my old LiveJournal Icons stuff. I'm okay with that too.
So anyway. In some of those posts, I tried to catch all the references to a "Clark", a short lived blogging nickname I had for my son. I'm still debating the use of a nickname or his actual name... Frankly, I'm just not sure how to approach his anonymity. So if there's a reference to "Clark", and references to anything at all relating to my son... I only have one. I have several stepdaughters, former and current, as well as a former stepson. But I'm not so sure how I want to handle all that. Other moms are so careful in their blogs about their children's privacy and I'm one of those people who WYSIWYG really applies (What You See Is What You Get, for those of you who are not familiar with web design lingo,)
Anyway, I'm saving the headline and About information here as well. On a side note, round about June of last year, I lowered my reading goal back to 100, and ended the year with only 55 books read. Not bad. I challenged my son to read 100 as well... He didn't keep up to date on checking them off. That's okay. He's learning how to navigate social media and apps. We'll get there.
TTFN
Weebly Headline
Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Weebly About Page
The basics:
Name: Elizabeth mK
Location: northeast Indiana
Education:
Pets (Also pictured below):
Additional information:
But so as to not lose my thoughts that I had 'back then', let alone when that when was (make sense?), I copied and pasted everything, adjusted dates, uploaded images and PowerPoints elsewhere... Essentially transported the whole thing over here. Thankfully, there were just as few posts over there as there were here before this morning, so it only took me 2-3 hours. I think I'm going to continue to hang out here at Blogger. It remains to be seen if I head out to the rest of the blogosphere and pull everything else here too, to centralize my thoughts. Some may be lost to the ether. I'm okay with that. Some will make no sense here, particularly my old LiveJournal Icons stuff. I'm okay with that too.
So anyway. In some of those posts, I tried to catch all the references to a "Clark", a short lived blogging nickname I had for my son. I'm still debating the use of a nickname or his actual name... Frankly, I'm just not sure how to approach his anonymity. So if there's a reference to "Clark", and references to anything at all relating to my son... I only have one. I have several stepdaughters, former and current, as well as a former stepson. But I'm not so sure how I want to handle all that. Other moms are so careful in their blogs about their children's privacy and I'm one of those people who WYSIWYG really applies (What You See Is What You Get, for those of you who are not familiar with web design lingo,)
Anyway, I'm saving the headline and About information here as well. On a side note, round about June of last year, I lowered my reading goal back to 100, and ended the year with only 55 books read. Not bad. I challenged my son to read 100 as well... He didn't keep up to date on checking them off. That's okay. He's learning how to navigate social media and apps. We'll get there.
TTFN
Weebly Headline
Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Weebly About Page
The basics:
Name: Elizabeth mK
Location: northeast Indiana
Education:
- Central Lutheran School, New Haven, Indiana (Class of 1994)
- Concordia Lutheran High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana (Class of 1998)
- University of Phoenix Online, Graduated 2017
- Associates of Arts with Concentration in Accounting
Pets (Also pictured below):
- Tigger (2000-2017)
- American Longhair/Shorthair Orange Tabby Mix
- Mia (2001)
- Seal Point Himalayan Persian
- Lizzy (2008-2018)
- Border Jack (Border Collie/Jack Russell)
- Bailey (2016)
- Shollie (Border Collie/Shepherd)
 |
| Tigger |
 |
| Mia |
 |
| Lizzy |
 |
| Bailey |
Additional information:
- I grew up on a dairy farm with a lot of cats that I tamed and named.
- Tigger and Mia are my 114th and 116th cats respectively.
- I tamed and rode Holstein steers and bulls, because I really wanted a horse.
- I homeschool my son through Indiana Connections Academy since 2014.
- He started in 4th grade.
- He has ADHD, anxiety, and is possibly on the autistic spectrum, though extremely high functioning if so.
- I enjoy reading, cross stitch, yoga, DIY, and farming.
- I am trying to read 100 books in 2018.
- (~^..^~ Edit: Upped to 200 books as of April 2018 ~^..^~)
- Cross stitch has been ever present in my life; still working on many projects.
- I wish I had space for a home fitness room so I could do yoga more often.
- I am constantly starting DIY projects, a small percentage actually get finished.
- If I could live solely off the land, I would.
I suck at this blogging thing... and New Year's Resolution # 1
So, I really am really, really bad at this. I started this blog in 2004 when I was pregnant with my youngest child, my son, who is now a whopping 14 years old. I had so many hopes and dreams for writing about my life, what I am passionate about, picking apart so many topics and maybe sharing a perspective of life that others might not have thought about.
And how many posts have I actually made? The breakdown is dismal.
2004: 4
2005: 0
2006: 1
2007: 1
2008: 4
2009: 0
2010: 0
2011: 0
2012: 0
2013: 9
2014: 2
2015: 0
2016: 0
2017: 0
2018: 0
2019: 1, this one.
Not a single year did I break into double digits. So really, why bother writing this one? Why bother continuing to attempt blogging? I mean really. What is the point?
Because this year I made two New Year's Resolutions. I haven't made resolutions for New Year's in well over a decade. I know my level of follow through. It's non-existent to be honest. But I resolved to blog more and game more. More on the gaming thing some other time.
The views I've had for my various blogs over the years have never been anything to sneeze at, so why continue? Is the method of blogging what is stopping me? Am I choosing lesser platforms for my blog? Should I just use Facebook? Move to a new platform? Consolidate my blogs? Start fresh? What do I do?
And it doesn't help that I have too many passions. I am a Jane of All Trades, Master of None, which basically means that I like too many things and I'm not good enough at or well versed enough in any one thing. There's no way people will flock to my site and find me interesting. My Pinterest boards haven't a core theme. They are quite literally all over the place in interests. Games and their platforms are all fair game, pun intended. My favorite crafts run the gambit from wood crafts, to painting, to drawing, to sewing, to needlepoint, to movies, books, television... You see the problem.
Facebook allows me to post and share anything I come across, but it's hard to sit and write a long post on Facebook. No one wants to read it. Then, if I post something extra long, my husband isn't exactly supportive, as he says "I see you wrote another novel," in a completely condescending tone. As much as I love him, he barely knows what a good novel is unless it's written by Stephen King, and books are a 'waste of space' because you 'only read them once'. I bought him a hardcover Doctor Sleep a few years ago and I don't think he's even cracked it open. So I fear writing more than 4 sentences on Facebook because if I do, I'm going to hear his disdain. But utilizing Facebook in some way, shape or form is how I'm going to share my words to people I care about. So there's juggling that.
The current attention span of the masses is so incredibly short. If they are not entertained within the first minute or so, you've lost them already and they click away. Reading on an electronic is 'oh so difficult', and most prefer their stimulus in video format. Hey, that is not happening from me. As much as I fantasize about vlogging rather than blogging... Yeah. I am not prepared to do that. Even though I have plans to use a room screen my uncle made with some curtains I bought as a backdrop... It's all someday and a someday a long way off.
And if you've made it all the way to this point in my post, you see how much I jumped around on the topic. The downside to having my level of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder for those who have been living under a rock the past 2 decades), is that my brain runs tangential. Anything can spark a topic and within that topic a word or phrase or background noise while I type can cause some other topic to enter the writing.
And if I just press "Post" or "Publish" without editing, I sound like a rambling fool. If I take time to edit, I get bogged down in the process, giving anything else the opportunity to pull me away from the edits. Before you know it, I have drafts that never get published.
Oy. What to do? So here's why the Resolution to Blog More: I need to share. Hold on. I'm pulling away for a minute to watch Jada Pinkett Smith on Live with Kelly and Ryan. Be Back Momentarily...
Perhaps the point is to just get things off my chest and out into the universe. If I put it out there, my intention is not to earn money this way. I'm far too busy working and recovering from work daily to invest time even learning how to make money blogging. But perhaps something I say and post will help someone later.
Okay. Jada's back on. BRB
Christmas morning I was at the in-laws' Christmas. For the past 9 years, we go to my mother-in-law's house for Christmas with my husband's immediate family. I wasn't feeling well, having come down with a flu-like bug the night before at 11:30. Ish. So that I didn't even remotely risk anyone else getting anything from me, I sat in the corner of the couch and messed with my new phone. I saw an ad for Jada's Red Table Talk and proceeded to watch the first five episodes. Jada and Will Smith are like realer than real to me, you know? Their lives and experiences are not typical, but if you know anything about them, where they came from, how they chose to raise their children, how they interact with the public, you know that they seem just a little too good to be true.
And that's why I think Jada's show with her mother and her daughter is so very important. Our society today cannot seem to take anything real at face value, but anything shocking is believable even when it is not. Jada's first two topics, Motherhood and Surviving Loss, were so real for me. Then it went on to Body Confessions, getting real with Gabrielle Union, and how she raised Jaden and Willow and how it affected them. Despite all the controversy surround the youngest two Smith children, as 'out there' as you may think them to be, they are amazing kids if you truly listen to them.
So what's the point again? If you've made it this far, I think you get it. We all want a voice. We all want to be heard. None of us want to feel inconsequential. We want to matter. And so many get into trouble when they find something that makes them feel important, especially when it gets them on the wrong side of the law or in bad situations.
Sharing how I've lived my life, what is meaningful to me, sharing my opinions on entertainment for its own value, and while I'm at it, attempting to not delve into gossip, that's my point.
I promise to attempt a better rapport. And at first, I'm quite sure I won't have feedback or much of an audience. Doesn't mean I'm going to give up this time.
The blog may change looks. Maybe it will stay the same. Maybe it will get a new name. Maybe it will stay 'her royal pinkness'. I mean it is kinda out there. Just like me.
Uncut. Unedited. Uncensored. Okay. Barely edited. But I'm not going back through and reading and critiquing the heck out of it. That will distract me from the purpose and I'll drown in the drafts.
TTFN
And how many posts have I actually made? The breakdown is dismal.
2004: 4
2005: 0
2006: 1
2007: 1
2008: 4
2009: 0
2010: 0
2011: 0
2012: 0
2013: 9
2014: 2
2015: 0
2016: 0
2017: 0
2018: 0
2019: 1, this one.
Not a single year did I break into double digits. So really, why bother writing this one? Why bother continuing to attempt blogging? I mean really. What is the point?
Because this year I made two New Year's Resolutions. I haven't made resolutions for New Year's in well over a decade. I know my level of follow through. It's non-existent to be honest. But I resolved to blog more and game more. More on the gaming thing some other time.
The views I've had for my various blogs over the years have never been anything to sneeze at, so why continue? Is the method of blogging what is stopping me? Am I choosing lesser platforms for my blog? Should I just use Facebook? Move to a new platform? Consolidate my blogs? Start fresh? What do I do?
And it doesn't help that I have too many passions. I am a Jane of All Trades, Master of None, which basically means that I like too many things and I'm not good enough at or well versed enough in any one thing. There's no way people will flock to my site and find me interesting. My Pinterest boards haven't a core theme. They are quite literally all over the place in interests. Games and their platforms are all fair game, pun intended. My favorite crafts run the gambit from wood crafts, to painting, to drawing, to sewing, to needlepoint, to movies, books, television... You see the problem.
Facebook allows me to post and share anything I come across, but it's hard to sit and write a long post on Facebook. No one wants to read it. Then, if I post something extra long, my husband isn't exactly supportive, as he says "I see you wrote another novel," in a completely condescending tone. As much as I love him, he barely knows what a good novel is unless it's written by Stephen King, and books are a 'waste of space' because you 'only read them once'. I bought him a hardcover Doctor Sleep a few years ago and I don't think he's even cracked it open. So I fear writing more than 4 sentences on Facebook because if I do, I'm going to hear his disdain. But utilizing Facebook in some way, shape or form is how I'm going to share my words to people I care about. So there's juggling that.
The current attention span of the masses is so incredibly short. If they are not entertained within the first minute or so, you've lost them already and they click away. Reading on an electronic is 'oh so difficult', and most prefer their stimulus in video format. Hey, that is not happening from me. As much as I fantasize about vlogging rather than blogging... Yeah. I am not prepared to do that. Even though I have plans to use a room screen my uncle made with some curtains I bought as a backdrop... It's all someday and a someday a long way off.
And if you've made it all the way to this point in my post, you see how much I jumped around on the topic. The downside to having my level of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder for those who have been living under a rock the past 2 decades), is that my brain runs tangential. Anything can spark a topic and within that topic a word or phrase or background noise while I type can cause some other topic to enter the writing.
And if I just press "Post" or "Publish" without editing, I sound like a rambling fool. If I take time to edit, I get bogged down in the process, giving anything else the opportunity to pull me away from the edits. Before you know it, I have drafts that never get published.
Oy. What to do? So here's why the Resolution to Blog More: I need to share. Hold on. I'm pulling away for a minute to watch Jada Pinkett Smith on Live with Kelly and Ryan. Be Back Momentarily...
~^..^~
Okay. There's a commercial break... Do you see what I'm talking about? How can I even hope to be a successful blogger?Perhaps the point is to just get things off my chest and out into the universe. If I put it out there, my intention is not to earn money this way. I'm far too busy working and recovering from work daily to invest time even learning how to make money blogging. But perhaps something I say and post will help someone later.
Okay. Jada's back on. BRB
~^..^~
All right, her segment is over so I'm back. And her appearance on the show is actually my point. She just finished saying that we're all in this together. We are all living this life and if we survived something or did something, we should share it. It might help someone else. And you know what? That's exactly why I have to keep trying to blog.Christmas morning I was at the in-laws' Christmas. For the past 9 years, we go to my mother-in-law's house for Christmas with my husband's immediate family. I wasn't feeling well, having come down with a flu-like bug the night before at 11:30. Ish. So that I didn't even remotely risk anyone else getting anything from me, I sat in the corner of the couch and messed with my new phone. I saw an ad for Jada's Red Table Talk and proceeded to watch the first five episodes. Jada and Will Smith are like realer than real to me, you know? Their lives and experiences are not typical, but if you know anything about them, where they came from, how they chose to raise their children, how they interact with the public, you know that they seem just a little too good to be true.
And that's why I think Jada's show with her mother and her daughter is so very important. Our society today cannot seem to take anything real at face value, but anything shocking is believable even when it is not. Jada's first two topics, Motherhood and Surviving Loss, were so real for me. Then it went on to Body Confessions, getting real with Gabrielle Union, and how she raised Jaden and Willow and how it affected them. Despite all the controversy surround the youngest two Smith children, as 'out there' as you may think them to be, they are amazing kids if you truly listen to them.
So what's the point again? If you've made it this far, I think you get it. We all want a voice. We all want to be heard. None of us want to feel inconsequential. We want to matter. And so many get into trouble when they find something that makes them feel important, especially when it gets them on the wrong side of the law or in bad situations.
Sharing how I've lived my life, what is meaningful to me, sharing my opinions on entertainment for its own value, and while I'm at it, attempting to not delve into gossip, that's my point.
I promise to attempt a better rapport. And at first, I'm quite sure I won't have feedback or much of an audience. Doesn't mean I'm going to give up this time.
The blog may change looks. Maybe it will stay the same. Maybe it will get a new name. Maybe it will stay 'her royal pinkness'. I mean it is kinda out there. Just like me.
Uncut. Unedited. Uncensored. Okay. Barely edited. But I'm not going back through and reading and critiquing the heck out of it. That will distract me from the purpose and I'll drown in the drafts.
TTFN
Blogging, Vlogging, and the vlogbrothers
(Originally posted to Mom on a Narrow Path blog on Weebly, now deleted.)
We all know someone who blogs. We may even know someone who vlogs. Some stay in a level of low notoriety, and others become famous. Some even become famous because of activity other than their internet work. Some maintain a large following, though not in the mainstream.
John and Hank Green did not come to my attention through John's novel The Fault in our Stars. Nor was I aware of NerdFighters or VidCon. No, I found the brothers by looking up videos for summer homeschooling my children in the spring of 2014. To say I was pleasantly surprised by their vast knowledge is an understatement of the highest order. To find out that the hoopla surrounding the novel was a result of one of my favorite famous nerds writing it was indeed a moment of "Woah! Small World!"
To be completely fair, I like the overboard way in which the brothers talk, explaining their topics in a fashion that keep you interested. And interesting it is, if you're into that sort of thing. Which of course I am.
Where I came from, there were not many farm-girl geeks. I am not by any means saying that farm-girls are dumb. Far from it! But there are not many true nerdy, geeky, smart farm-girls in my neck of the woods when I was growing up.
Seriously. How many D&D dice-throwing, dungeon mastering, story-telling, World of Warcraft addicted, Magic the Gathering playing, computer techy, cow-milking, hay-throwing, trivia buff, Wonder Woman obsessed cowgirls do you know?!? Probably none. Well, except me now, of course.
What I want to share at this time is that as parents we are often blown away by the subjects that our children are learning in school. If my son struggles with a specific subject and I haven't a clue about the topic, I head over to Crash Course on YouTube and see if they've covered it, especially in the realm of history and "social studies". Trust me. Crash Course is exactly what it sounds like and every nugget of information in their videos is verifiable if necessary. Feel out of depth with your child's history homework? Get a Crash Course in the topic and go from there.
We all know someone who blogs. We may even know someone who vlogs. Some stay in a level of low notoriety, and others become famous. Some even become famous because of activity other than their internet work. Some maintain a large following, though not in the mainstream.
John and Hank Green did not come to my attention through John's novel The Fault in our Stars. Nor was I aware of NerdFighters or VidCon. No, I found the brothers by looking up videos for summer homeschooling my children in the spring of 2014. To say I was pleasantly surprised by their vast knowledge is an understatement of the highest order. To find out that the hoopla surrounding the novel was a result of one of my favorite famous nerds writing it was indeed a moment of "Woah! Small World!"
To be completely fair, I like the overboard way in which the brothers talk, explaining their topics in a fashion that keep you interested. And interesting it is, if you're into that sort of thing. Which of course I am.
Where I came from, there were not many farm-girl geeks. I am not by any means saying that farm-girls are dumb. Far from it! But there are not many true nerdy, geeky, smart farm-girls in my neck of the woods when I was growing up.
Seriously. How many D&D dice-throwing, dungeon mastering, story-telling, World of Warcraft addicted, Magic the Gathering playing, computer techy, cow-milking, hay-throwing, trivia buff, Wonder Woman obsessed cowgirls do you know?!? Probably none. Well, except me now, of course.
What I want to share at this time is that as parents we are often blown away by the subjects that our children are learning in school. If my son struggles with a specific subject and I haven't a clue about the topic, I head over to Crash Course on YouTube and see if they've covered it, especially in the realm of history and "social studies". Trust me. Crash Course is exactly what it sounds like and every nugget of information in their videos is verifiable if necessary. Feel out of depth with your child's history homework? Get a Crash Course in the topic and go from there.
13 May 2018
Why Social Studies is Important
(Originally posted to Mom on a Narrow Path blog on Weebly, now deleted.)
This second PowerPoint Show was actually the first one I started working on the other day, and as such it's cumbersome. A lot of text, and for one of the slides, the sheer volume of text isn't meant to be read, but just seen as an overwhelming list of choices. There's not as many cool pics, and there's way too much text, but social studies as a whole is so vast.
It still irritates me that in our daily lives, people think it's a stupid subject for our kids to learn. And look what that public has done to our political landscape by choosing the elected officials they did! If we don't understand even the smallest portion of social studies disciplines, THIS is what we are left with. Lack of education is getting the American Public railroaded hard.
So it's not my best work, but it's something.
This second PowerPoint Show was actually the first one I started working on the other day, and as such it's cumbersome. A lot of text, and for one of the slides, the sheer volume of text isn't meant to be read, but just seen as an overwhelming list of choices. There's not as many cool pics, and there's way too much text, but social studies as a whole is so vast.
It still irritates me that in our daily lives, people think it's a stupid subject for our kids to learn. And look what that public has done to our political landscape by choosing the elected officials they did! If we don't understand even the smallest portion of social studies disciplines, THIS is what we are left with. Lack of education is getting the American Public railroaded hard.
So it's not my best work, but it's something.
School Excitement? Yeah, right.
(Originally posted to Mom on a Narrow Path blog on Weebly, now deleted.)
Still trying to come up with whatever I can to get him invested in his own education. Here's another try.
Still trying to come up with whatever I can to get him invested in his own education. Here's another try.
21 February 2018
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
(Originally posted to Mom on a Narrow Path blog on Weebly, now deleted.)
As I have said before, I am currently in a college mathematics class and we are revisiting/refreshing pre-algebra knowledge. Our Dear Aunt Sally has shown up repeatedly. In an effort to introduce my son to the types of math he will some day be expected to calculate, I brought up Aunt Sally.
Granted, he is only in the fourth grade, however, I do not think it is ever too soon to share the wonder and awe of higher learning elements. I walked him through what the phrase actually stands for by talking about acronyms. He understands acronyms, of course, from SHIELD (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), HIVE (Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination), STAR Labs (Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories), ARGUS (Armed Revolutionaries Governing Under Secrecy), HAMMER (meaning unknown), and of course TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).
PEMDAS, or "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally", needs to come with a little teaching, not thrown in the garbage. The memory trick worked fine for generations, yet many mathematicians are cringing at its continued use. Google "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" and you will come across an Education Week article by David Ginsburg, excusing Aunt Sally forever - forever out of use in Math class.
Most of my fellow college classmates are quite aware of PEMDAS as we are the generations who were still taught order of operations via this acronym. The crazy thing to me, is that somewhere along the way, kids got confused or teachers failed to express a fine point of "Left to Right". I did not want to completely confuse my son, so I left out much of how to use PEMDAS for now, opting to just explain what it is and what it stands for.
I really do not think it fair to toss Aunt Sally to the side. For starters, Aunt Sally did nothing wrong. The teachers were wrong to assume that using her without guidance was okay. You can not just throw PEMDAS at students and expect them to understand every aspect and rule of it.
When I wrote PEMDAS out on my paper with my son, it read as follows:
Please = Parentheses
Excuse = Exponents
My Dear = Multiplication & Division
Aunt Sally = Addition & Subtraction
Now honestly, I do not remember my teachers explaining it in any other way. They told us that you do multiplication and division together from left to right, just like we read, and then addition and subtraction in the same way. For this reason, they did not write the last two-thirds on four lines, but two.
So why, exactly, are kids getting the impression today that they are to do them separately? Why do they think that 4 - 2 + 1 equals 1?
Do not penalized Dear Aunt Sally for teachers' inability to effectively teach.
As I have said before, I am currently in a college mathematics class and we are revisiting/refreshing pre-algebra knowledge. Our Dear Aunt Sally has shown up repeatedly. In an effort to introduce my son to the types of math he will some day be expected to calculate, I brought up Aunt Sally.
Granted, he is only in the fourth grade, however, I do not think it is ever too soon to share the wonder and awe of higher learning elements. I walked him through what the phrase actually stands for by talking about acronyms. He understands acronyms, of course, from SHIELD (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), HIVE (Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination), STAR Labs (Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories), ARGUS (Armed Revolutionaries Governing Under Secrecy), HAMMER (meaning unknown), and of course TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).
PEMDAS, or "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally", needs to come with a little teaching, not thrown in the garbage. The memory trick worked fine for generations, yet many mathematicians are cringing at its continued use. Google "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" and you will come across an Education Week article by David Ginsburg, excusing Aunt Sally forever - forever out of use in Math class.
Most of my fellow college classmates are quite aware of PEMDAS as we are the generations who were still taught order of operations via this acronym. The crazy thing to me, is that somewhere along the way, kids got confused or teachers failed to express a fine point of "Left to Right". I did not want to completely confuse my son, so I left out much of how to use PEMDAS for now, opting to just explain what it is and what it stands for.
I really do not think it fair to toss Aunt Sally to the side. For starters, Aunt Sally did nothing wrong. The teachers were wrong to assume that using her without guidance was okay. You can not just throw PEMDAS at students and expect them to understand every aspect and rule of it.
When I wrote PEMDAS out on my paper with my son, it read as follows:
Please = Parentheses
Excuse = Exponents
My Dear = Multiplication & Division
Aunt Sally = Addition & Subtraction
Now honestly, I do not remember my teachers explaining it in any other way. They told us that you do multiplication and division together from left to right, just like we read, and then addition and subtraction in the same way. For this reason, they did not write the last two-thirds on four lines, but two.
So why, exactly, are kids getting the impression today that they are to do them separately? Why do they think that 4 - 2 + 1 equals 1?
Do not penalized Dear Aunt Sally for teachers' inability to effectively teach.
24 January 2018
Mother Failure!
(Originally posted to Mom on a Narrow Path blog on Weebly, now deleted.)
Well my son failed nearly every core subject first semester. And he's not off to a good start in second semester. 7th grade is apparently too hard. We've got a plan to fix the grades, but we'll see how well he can stick to it.
While I feel like a failure, he feels worse, but when it boils down to it, I cannot complete his schooling for him. He must take ownership of it himself and experience accountability for his actions (and inaction!) I just don't understand.
I thought we started off the semester pretty well. I looked ahead in the courses to determine what we needed to do for each course. We started an experiment with an egg for Science, learning about osmosis in cells. Then the teacher dropped the assignment after we had all the data collected and were getting ready to put together the portfolio. The only upside is that the teacher will accept it as extra credit, which he sorely needs.
Thankfully, Math is currently covering Geometry. This I'm good at and he loves.
Language Arts is always a struggle. He reads well and can tell you what he read, but explaining or expressing deeper meanings within text is nearly impossible for him.
In Social Studies, his course is expanding on Economics from the previous semester's unit. He did rather well originally; we'll have to see how it progresses.
~Mom on a Narrow Path
Well my son failed nearly every core subject first semester. And he's not off to a good start in second semester. 7th grade is apparently too hard. We've got a plan to fix the grades, but we'll see how well he can stick to it.
While I feel like a failure, he feels worse, but when it boils down to it, I cannot complete his schooling for him. He must take ownership of it himself and experience accountability for his actions (and inaction!) I just don't understand.
I thought we started off the semester pretty well. I looked ahead in the courses to determine what we needed to do for each course. We started an experiment with an egg for Science, learning about osmosis in cells. Then the teacher dropped the assignment after we had all the data collected and were getting ready to put together the portfolio. The only upside is that the teacher will accept it as extra credit, which he sorely needs.
Thankfully, Math is currently covering Geometry. This I'm good at and he loves.
Language Arts is always a struggle. He reads well and can tell you what he read, but explaining or expressing deeper meanings within text is nearly impossible for him.
In Social Studies, his course is expanding on Economics from the previous semester's unit. He did rather well originally; we'll have to see how it progresses.
~Mom on a Narrow Path
21 February 2015
A Beginning...
(Originally posted to Mom on a Narrow Path blog on Weebly, now deleted.)
To be fair, I am no math genius, but I do so enjoy the subject. Surprising, since I always hated Honors Algebra/Trig in high school. Honors Geometry was a little better, but it seemed easier to deal with math that could be seen in drawings and shapes.
Mathematics at a rudimentary level is black and white to me. Numbers can be manipulated to do some pretty crazy and amazing things, but when you answer a problem, there can be no interpretation like in the humanities, language arts, or social sciences. In math, the answer is what it is and there is really no room for debate when dealing with an equation or formula. Professors, teachers, mathematical geniuses, or a bunch of nerds at a coffee shop can debate the best or quickest or easiest way to arrive at an answer. (Some of the liveliest discussions I've ever heard, ironically!) But it still boils down to the black and white fact: when given an algebraic equation and values for any variables, there is a right answer.
Do you enjoy any aspects of math? If so, what is your favorite (or least dreaded) discipline and why?
To be fair, I am no math genius, but I do so enjoy the subject. Surprising, since I always hated Honors Algebra/Trig in high school. Honors Geometry was a little better, but it seemed easier to deal with math that could be seen in drawings and shapes.
Mathematics at a rudimentary level is black and white to me. Numbers can be manipulated to do some pretty crazy and amazing things, but when you answer a problem, there can be no interpretation like in the humanities, language arts, or social sciences. In math, the answer is what it is and there is really no room for debate when dealing with an equation or formula. Professors, teachers, mathematical geniuses, or a bunch of nerds at a coffee shop can debate the best or quickest or easiest way to arrive at an answer. (Some of the liveliest discussions I've ever heard, ironically!) But it still boils down to the black and white fact: when given an algebraic equation and values for any variables, there is a right answer.
Do you enjoy any aspects of math? If so, what is your favorite (or least dreaded) discipline and why?
19 February 2015
Welcome! & Mathematics
(Originally posted to Mom on a Narrow Path blog on Weebly, now deleted.)
I am trying a new tack with blogging. Simple sharing.
New Weebly site. New look. Just simple sharing.
So without further ado, I'll dive right in.
Right now, I am in the second week of College Mathematics I with University of Phoenix through their online campus. Math has pretty much taken over my brain. I forgot how good it feels to look at a problem, solve it, sit back and just glow.
Last week, our assignment covered maybe 10 topics and should have taken all week to study and complete. Granted, the topics were pre-algebra and designed to be relatively simple so that we were not learning brand new concepts while learning the MyMathLab interface, but this was beyond ridiculous.
When an assignment designed to take several hours a day at the minimum only takes 30 minutes for me to complete, I am shocked I ever had trouble with this stuff in high school. Let alone why I am even taking this class. Why wasn't I able to test out?
We never use algebra in daily life, true. But knowing that my brain can wrap itself around these complicated operations of logic in an insanely quick way after all these years is priceless.
I had not thought of Dear Aunt Sally in nearly two decades, maybe more. I just simply knew that when facing an equation, one must work through anything bracketed first. Inside those brackets, you calculate any exponents, then all multiplication and division from left to right, then all addition and subtraction from left to right. Once the parenthetical calculations are complete, you must move on to exponents from left to right, all multiplication and division from left to right, and finally all addition and subtraction from left to right.
Apparently in grade/elementary school, we learned this as "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally".
Please = Parentheses
Excuse = Exponents
My Dear = Multiplication and Division
Aunt Sally = Addition and Subtraction
While I must have learned it this way as well as it does sound familiar to me, I think I used it for what it was, a neat memorization/learning tool, and then tossed it out once I knew in which order to do the operations.
All those sweet little word games in order to remember things. Ahh. To be a kid again and learning those things for the first time. But again, what true good is algebra anyway if you do not use it in daily life at all? Maybe it is understanding that every action or inaction as an equal action or inaction that must result. Now THAT we deal with every day.
If you have an equation, let's go easy, say ...
5x^2*4=16
... you have to remember that whatever you do to one side of the equation, you have to do to the other side. Of course this is a wonky problem and completely solvable for x, but it is not a clean answer for sure.
5x^2*4/4=16/4
5x^2=4
5x^2/5=4/5
x^2=4/5
Now reverse the exponent of 2 on x by getting the square root of x^2 on one side. This is then x on the left. Then you have to get the square root of 4/5, which is, to say the least, a disastrous, calculator required answer, so the most accurate way to write it would be to leave it be as the square root of 4/5 or the square root of 0.8.
Wow. Knowing how to do the work is half the problem. Frankly, the only problem, which is to remember how to do so.
Now I just have to figure out what "First Outside, Inside Last" was supposed to remind me to do...
~Mom on a Narrow Path
Comment from Carole M. on 2/21/2015 04:15:51 PM
I am trying a new tack with blogging. Simple sharing.
New Weebly site. New look. Just simple sharing.
So without further ado, I'll dive right in.
Right now, I am in the second week of College Mathematics I with University of Phoenix through their online campus. Math has pretty much taken over my brain. I forgot how good it feels to look at a problem, solve it, sit back and just glow.
Last week, our assignment covered maybe 10 topics and should have taken all week to study and complete. Granted, the topics were pre-algebra and designed to be relatively simple so that we were not learning brand new concepts while learning the MyMathLab interface, but this was beyond ridiculous.
When an assignment designed to take several hours a day at the minimum only takes 30 minutes for me to complete, I am shocked I ever had trouble with this stuff in high school. Let alone why I am even taking this class. Why wasn't I able to test out?
We never use algebra in daily life, true. But knowing that my brain can wrap itself around these complicated operations of logic in an insanely quick way after all these years is priceless.
I had not thought of Dear Aunt Sally in nearly two decades, maybe more. I just simply knew that when facing an equation, one must work through anything bracketed first. Inside those brackets, you calculate any exponents, then all multiplication and division from left to right, then all addition and subtraction from left to right. Once the parenthetical calculations are complete, you must move on to exponents from left to right, all multiplication and division from left to right, and finally all addition and subtraction from left to right.
Apparently in grade/elementary school, we learned this as "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally".
Please = Parentheses
Excuse = Exponents
My Dear = Multiplication and Division
Aunt Sally = Addition and Subtraction
While I must have learned it this way as well as it does sound familiar to me, I think I used it for what it was, a neat memorization/learning tool, and then tossed it out once I knew in which order to do the operations.
All those sweet little word games in order to remember things. Ahh. To be a kid again and learning those things for the first time. But again, what true good is algebra anyway if you do not use it in daily life at all? Maybe it is understanding that every action or inaction as an equal action or inaction that must result. Now THAT we deal with every day.
If you have an equation, let's go easy, say ...
5x^2*4=16
... you have to remember that whatever you do to one side of the equation, you have to do to the other side. Of course this is a wonky problem and completely solvable for x, but it is not a clean answer for sure.
5x^2*4/4=16/4
5x^2=4
5x^2/5=4/5
x^2=4/5
Now reverse the exponent of 2 on x by getting the square root of x^2 on one side. This is then x on the left. Then you have to get the square root of 4/5, which is, to say the least, a disastrous, calculator required answer, so the most accurate way to write it would be to leave it be as the square root of 4/5 or the square root of 0.8.
Wow. Knowing how to do the work is half the problem. Frankly, the only problem, which is to remember how to do so.
Now I just have to figure out what "First Outside, Inside Last" was supposed to remind me to do...
~Mom on a Narrow Path
Comment from Carole M. on 2/21/2015 04:15:51 PM
:) good for you for returning to school!! I love math, too... The fact that there's no ambiguity, an answer is correct or incorrect and very little in between. :). And FOIL is for multiplying polynomials. I wouldn't remember myself, but I tutor math and am working with a student on that very topic right now! :)
18 February 2015
Narrow Path is Defunct
(Originally posted to Narrow Path Home Study blog on Weebly, now deleted.)
As much of a great idea as Narrow Path was, the kids just were not receptive. They do not want to learn. In fact, the only reason they learn anything or do any school work is because they are required to. Granted our Home Study was required by the parents, but as far as they are concerned, they can disregard anything parents say is required. It means nothing. It means less than nothing.
So as great as my intentions were, and as much fun as it could have been to have a family learning experience, I have found that in blended families where behavioral and learning problems abound, the sooner a home learning initiative is started the better.
I keep meaning to get back here and attempt to integrate my Narrow Path plans into their INCA school work, or I should say integrate the INCA into Narrow Path in order to make their learning experience more fun and engaging with better results, time gets away from me and between my own college education and my full time work schedule, it has been impossible.
They say life is what happens while you make plans, and the best laid plans... What is the rest of that quote anyway?
In the end, I'm a Mom on a Narrow Path all by myself, without the joy of bringing my children with me for the joyous adventure. So this is why so many learners are solitary creatures!
Respectfully Yours,
Mom on a Narrow Path
As much of a great idea as Narrow Path was, the kids just were not receptive. They do not want to learn. In fact, the only reason they learn anything or do any school work is because they are required to. Granted our Home Study was required by the parents, but as far as they are concerned, they can disregard anything parents say is required. It means nothing. It means less than nothing.
So as great as my intentions were, and as much fun as it could have been to have a family learning experience, I have found that in blended families where behavioral and learning problems abound, the sooner a home learning initiative is started the better.
I keep meaning to get back here and attempt to integrate my Narrow Path plans into their INCA school work, or I should say integrate the INCA into Narrow Path in order to make their learning experience more fun and engaging with better results, time gets away from me and between my own college education and my full time work schedule, it has been impossible.
They say life is what happens while you make plans, and the best laid plans... What is the rest of that quote anyway?
In the end, I'm a Mom on a Narrow Path all by myself, without the joy of bringing my children with me for the joyous adventure. So this is why so many learners are solitary creatures!
Respectfully Yours,
Mom on a Narrow Path
06 December 2014
Nearing First Semester End
(Originally posted to Narrow Path Home Study blog on Weebly, now deleted.)
Due to a promotion at work, I have been unable to keep up on our blog here at Narrow Path. I think I would very much like to revamp the site, but am also very unsure how to integrate it into the children's INCA work.
INCA has not gone as well as I had hoped. Between one child's refusal to spend quality time on their work and the other is easily distracted and beginning their own refusal to cooperate and my promotion, I have not been able to give them the attention their education deserves. I am further frustrated by my husband's willingness to let the children's education slide the way it has. Their grades are the worst they have ever been, in danger of failing the grade altogether even though we are only at the halfway mark.
When I have the time to work with them, their grades improve. So why can't the three of them manage while I work to provide them this home and with the things they need?
~Mom on a Narrow Path and At Wit's End.
Due to a promotion at work, I have been unable to keep up on our blog here at Narrow Path. I think I would very much like to revamp the site, but am also very unsure how to integrate it into the children's INCA work.
INCA has not gone as well as I had hoped. Between one child's refusal to spend quality time on their work and the other is easily distracted and beginning their own refusal to cooperate and my promotion, I have not been able to give them the attention their education deserves. I am further frustrated by my husband's willingness to let the children's education slide the way it has. Their grades are the worst they have ever been, in danger of failing the grade altogether even though we are only at the halfway mark.
When I have the time to work with them, their grades improve. So why can't the three of them manage while I work to provide them this home and with the things they need?
~Mom on a Narrow Path and At Wit's End.
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