Recently, I obtained a building permit for a remodel. The reputation of this building department was quite negative, and I had heard stories of people taking years to get permits to build their houses. I was doing a remodel, not a new building, but I wondered if I could even get a building permit by… Continue reading Things I Learned From Getting a Building Permit
Category: essay
Confidence
The other day, I was making some phone calls. I have told myself that I don't like talking on the phone and I thought that I wasn't very good at it. But during this phone call, I paid attention for a minute and I realized that I am good at it. I was probably better… Continue reading Confidence
I Don’t Need All the Answers
Information is so easily available that we can basically find whatever information we want. Some of it is incredibly useful, but some of it is also inaccurate and even destructive. When I teach my kids in school, we don't combine religion with other subjects. I teach science from a completely scientific perspective. We watch lots… Continue reading I Don’t Need All the Answers
Humor in Misfortunes
Recently, I've been learning how to laugh at myself and my life. A few weeks ago, I hit a deer. While on a deer hunt. In a new-to-us minivan that we had literally just replaced the brakes and tires in a few days before. It was so completely unfortunate that I found it hilarious. A… Continue reading Humor in Misfortunes
Guilt and Apology: Letting Go of Unrealistic Expectations
Have you ever said that you were sorry when you didn't actually do anything wrong? I have. Sometimes I find myself constantly apologize for myself, as if I was a constant inconvenience and never doing as well I need to. Apologizing can be necessary and a really good thing to do. Saying I'm sorry when… Continue reading Guilt and Apology: Letting Go of Unrealistic Expectations
Progress
The first year of homeschooling was difficult for me. It did not always go well. We had some amazing days, but at the end of it, I just felt like a failure. (I wasn't a failure, though. My sister challenged me about why I felt I had failed, and I had to reframe it in… Continue reading Progress
Challenge the voices you hear
I read a few articles lately about people leaving their 9-to-5 jobs in order to live the life of their dreams. And it sounds like a good story. It makes me question for a minute: would I be happy if we were financially independent and self-employed in some creative task? I think the answer is… Continue reading Challenge the voices you hear
Balance of shame and pride
I've been happier lately, and part of the reason is because I stopped shaming myself for not being perfect. I dealt with a lot of shame in my life, feeling that I was never quite good enough: I never did enough when I was homeschooling. I never kept my house clean enough. I never balanced… Continue reading Balance of shame and pride
Teaching Children
This started with the book 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson. One of his rules is, "Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them." He goes on to say that we should discipline our children and teach them social norms. He says: Because children, like other human beings, are not… Continue reading Teaching Children
Your Influence Is Enough
I don't have many readers on this blog. I've been blogging for a very long time (since around 2007 or earlier), and I never had a big following. Other people would get lots of comments and interaction. My stats have always been rather low or even nonexistent. I'm very happy about that. I am a… Continue reading Your Influence Is Enough