The Wildly Eclectic Me

I believe that it is our responsibility to raise, educate, and develop self-sufficient young adults who can make a difference in the world in whatever field they choose.  We are living in a changing world where technology dominates our lives.  Many people fear what that technology is doing to our children's attention spans and ability to relate to peers and leadership.  I, on the other hand, am not afraid of technology. I love technology and all the ways that it has added to our lives.  I grew up in a very small town in southeastern Arkansas.  My graduating class consisted of about eighty-five students of which approximately 15% were African American and the rest Caucasian.  The ethnic diversity was virtually non-existent.  If your religion was anything other than Baptist or Methodist it was best just not to mention it, and if your sexual or gender identity would not one day land you in a happy, little nuclear family then you took a deep breat...

Nicky is totally into Five Nights at Freddy's.  Actually Avalon kinda loves it too.  Which is weird for a 4 year old girl...but whatever floats her boat. I've been totally into making things with Perler beads lately.  You know those melty beads?  I couldn't find a good pattern for Purple Freddy so I made one for him, and I don't think it's half bad.  I did the eyes in glow in the dark white. (which really looks more yellow) It's kinda huge so you're going to need several of the interlocking square boards. And here is the finished product!

The Science of The Dress

Okay, I started this as a Facebook post and it grew too big for that. So I read this article...  I think that this article and maybe the whole liberal arts based core curriculum of college educations places too much emphasis on the learning of what you need to be a "good citizen" at a college level.  Only 33.5% of 25-29 year olds have at least a bachelor's degree.  So that's only 1/3 of students (if they learned and retained everything they should have haha) that have what it takes to be a "good citizen." This stuff needs to be taught at a high school level and not just as part of the college prep. They need to understand the basis for our government and the history behind it's creation.  No high school graduate should not be able to tell you why we have a balance of power between the three branches of federal government.   They need to be taught how to read an article and recognize if it's sources are worth listening to, and they need to f...

So I've discovered something. I think I like to bake just for the sake of baking.  I made 42 or so cupcakes, iced them, and sprinkled them without so much as licking the icing off my fingers.  I also made about 42 Pumpkin muffins without eating any. (I did taste a bite and spit it out to make sure it was the right recipe.)  I thought it was going to be a nightmare to be on Atkins, because I wouldn't be able to safely bake.  Apparently, however, I'm totally good with baking and feeding stuff to others.  I'm not saying I don't want to taste it...but the urge is not so great that I can't resist it. Next baking experiment? BTW I LOVE that girl! She's perfectly adorable! So instead of the Tetris design, I'm going to do MARIO! Since Finny is obsessed!

Wrap it in BACON!!! Yes, that's right! Bacon! I like venison steaks fried. They are yummy. I'm not wild about the baked. However if you take a venison steak and wrap that puppy in bacon and bake it. We are talking SHAZAM!!!! I enjoy salmon. It's quite good. Lots of Omega Fatty Acids. But wrap that salmon filet in bacon! Ohhhh yes! Then to trick yourself into thinking you are getting pasta, sauté some shredded Zuke in butter and olive oil, drain it really well in a colander, put your bacon wrapped salmon on top of it, and then...   Wait for it... Drench it all in Alfredo sauce! Then. Just sit back and enjoy your Atkins friendly dinner!

I'm not going to post on more than one blog about my various interests. There just isn't that much extra time in my life. So here comes a diet post! The hubby and I just started the Atkins diet. We both have a good chunk of weight to lose. I've been reading the 1991 book by Dr. Atkins himself and while it is probably a little outdated in the most recent scientific research, I started reading this one and loved his kind but firm style of convincing you to do the diet. He simultaneously makes you feel less guilty about your weight problem while still making it clear that you have to make changes. Now I'll be honest, I was REALLY skeptical about even trying it. I LOVE bread and well you have probably seen my cake posts. It's really not as bad as I thought it would be. I've been taking the L Glutamine supplements he recommends for cravings, and I think they really help. Coffee is an obstacle. Did you know that coconut milk in coffee is vile? Like gag...