Is Public Education Necessary?

I purchased "Is Public Education Necessary?" from Amazon used books a while back and just got the chance to sit down and start reading it. I'm only on page 7 but I wanted to share a bit of what Samuel Blumenfeld writes because I whole heartily agree with it .......

"Today, most of the young adults who emerge from the process [of public school] read poorly, write miserably, have stunted vocabularies, cannot do arithmetic well, know little geography and less history, and know virtually nothing about the economic system in which they live. At school they fall under strong peer pressure, are introduced to drugs and sexual promiscuity, while their teachers preach the moral relativism of secular humanism as a substitute for the outmoded codes of religion. Traditional discipline has been replaced by behavior modification techniques, which include the use of powerful drugs developed by behavioral psychologists. Some students, puzzled by the deeper, spiritual questions of life, which neither the humanists nor behaviorists can address turn to astrology, black magic, or religious cults for answers. The average graduate, however, tries to make his way into the adult world with a serious deficiency in basic skills and the use of logic. The process, in short, is a stunting of intellectual and spiritual growth. Every September a new generation of American children are fed into this crippling process, and American parents are at a loss to understand why the young adults emerging at the end are the way they are. The school buildings look fine from the outside. But parents are only vaguely aware of what goes on inside."

WOW. Did that hit you like a ton of bricks? Or maybe you're saying, "Yep. That's what I've been saying all along!" Either way, this book looks as if it is going to be wonderful and I'm excited to read it.

Want to know the crazy thing? This book was first published in 1981! Over 30 years ago! How have we been so blind for so long?

I may share more as I read through it. Want to read through it with me, for free? Here is the link to read the book online.

The Best $28 Ever Spent

I'm all for being frugal. Sometimes a little too much in certain areas. There is, of course, that other side of me that isn't so frugal in other areas. But, we're talking saving money here so let's get on with it....
I am always searching for ways to cut our budget. About 2 years ago the thought came to me! Why am I paying to have my boys hair cut?! At that point we had 3 boys in the family (2 boys and one husband) that were regularly getting their hair cut about every 6 weeks. Now we have 4 (3 boys and one husband.)

A haircut in our area, for a boy, can run anywhere from $12-$20, depending on where you get it cut. So, let's do some math......

52wks in a year/ 6wks = 8.67 haircuts per year per boy

and 8.67 haircuts x $12-$20 per cut = $104 - $173

With 4 boys the total would then be $416 - $692 per year!!!

So, just over 2 years ago I ventured down to our local Wal-Mart and bought this....

For $28.

Yep. That is all I have spent on boy's haircuts in the last 2 years, a whopping $28.

Savings? Best case scenario = $832 (2 years worth) - $28 = $804
Now that is a chunk of change.

I do get my hair cut (for $20) about twice a year and Timber has yet to even need a haircut. Yay for being frugal! Excuse me while I go spend that extra money on fabric.........er, I mean bills.

Do you cut your boys hair? Have you ever figured up your savings for doing so?

IndoctriNation Giveaway Winner

The IndoctriNation giveaway is now closed. Here is what Random.org had to say this morning:
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
21
Timestamp: 2012-01-21

That means that Katy~The Country Blossom is our winner!
Congratulations Katy, I'll be emailing you!

We're still inside!

The last 3 days have been very stormy and we've been in the house A LOT. Today is the first day where while it is still raining, it's not coming down in buckets and you can safely walk outside without being blown over into the next county. I haven't seen the river today but I'm hoping it has come down since yesterday. It was beyond flood stage yesterday.

But with all this time inside we've been able to still enjoy ourselves.

We've had the wood stove going strong for about a week straight. First it was the cold weather and sprinkling of snow....

Then the warm up with high surf (at the ocean), high wind, and flooding advisories everywhere!

We're looking at these books. Have you ever seen them? I know they can't be anything new, but they are new to us and we absolutely love them! If you have any at your library I'd highly recommend checking a few of them out.

I've been working on Mason's quilt too and have 13 of the 20 blocks done!

So here is to winter finally being here! Here's to hot fires and warm toes... drawing, reading, sewing and snuggling! I can certainly wait a little longer for spring.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... It's windy, overcast and cold. The ground is still wet from last nights rain.
I am thinking... that staying on top of discipline is a discipline in itself. And a hard one, at times, at that.
I am thankful... for my daughter. I am constantly thankful that the Lord's plans are always better than my own.
From the learning rooms... lots of reading and narration.
In the kitchen... leftover clam chowder for lunch today and a pork roast tonight for dinner.
I am wearing... this skirt with a long sleeve blue top
I am creating... Mason's quilt.
I am going...to violin lessons this afternoon with Timber.
I am wondering... if I'll ever measure up to the type of mom and wife that I want to be in my heart.
I am reading...I just finished "Raising Maidens of Virtue" and am in the midst of "Created to Be His Help Meet."
I am hoping... better yet, praying, that I do my husband (and my children) good and not harm all the days of my life. Lord, lead me.
I am looking forward to...the eggs we'll be getting from our 3 new laying hens!
I am hearing... the sound of the Suzuki Violin CD playing as my little children sleep.
Around the house... dusting and laundry are on my to do list.
I am pondering...signing Layton up for T-ball.
One of my favorite things...winter storms.
A few plans for the rest of the week... getting together with a friend to finish up a sewing project, cleaning house, running Wyatt back and forth to his bike repair class, etc.
A picture thought... sometimes you're just desperate for some snow!