02.28.07
Posted in Life, the Universe and All that Jazz at 4:36 pm by Meg
Yes, I got home from the Chicago conference 3 days ago, it just has taken me this long to find the time to post about it.
This was our third year at this conference and I was actually able to talk a friend, T, into coming and bringing her kids. Going with a friend made it a somewhat different experience, but still a whole lot of fun.
I love seeing all the people that come to this conference. They come from all over the Midwest and from all ‘walks of life’. And all ages. I met some little tiny infants as well as some Grandparents.
And the numbers of people that come. T and I volunteered on Thursday and ended up stuffing the take-home bags. 3 hours and nearly 500 bags later, we ran out of steam. We did find out that out of the 1200 participants, there are only about 350 families. So imagine how much fun that is to have some 500/600 homeschool kids running around! (most families are one parent with the kids)
I can’t say that any of the talks that I went to really set me on fire. Mostly I think it was just me and where I am right now - coasting. Boy is nearly done and Girl is fairly easy sailing (unless they can have a session about dealing with obnoxious nearly teenagers). We go to this conference mostly for the kids. Even so, I did come out of a couple of sessions with some ideas.
A highlight of the trip was getting to meet Applestar IRL. She was one of the speakers, and we (and our kids) went out to dinner one night. We had a great conversation about acceptance between homeschoolers, and the need for us to remember that what sets us apart should make us not try to divide ourselves into groups. Since I’ve been home I’ve also notice a couple of other bloggers here that were at the conference. I wish we had all known about each other, it would have been fun to meet more. Well, maybe next year the organizers will develop a way to bloggers to connect.
Anyway, we are already making plans on going back for next year. The dates are March 7 and 8 and they are moving out to St. Charles, IL (where ever that is). I actually put in a proposal to do leatherworkshops, so maybe I’ll be doing some sessions next year.
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02.21.07
Posted in Life, the Universe and All that Jazz at 4:49 pm by Meg
You get the picture.
Last night a good friend asked me to do my leatherworking workshop for her son’s weblo (I think that’s how you spell it) cub-scout troop. (Excuse me if I don’t have all that right, I’m not ‘into’ boy-scouts for so many reasons, so I’ve never had to try to understand whats-what. - whatever they’re called, they were 9 and 10 yrs. old.)
Now, while I may not be fond of the boy-scouts, T is a good friend and I like introducing kids to leatherwork. It’s a great activity for any kids. They can be creative and active at the same time, and while they can ‘ruin’ their individual projects, they’d have trouble really hurting my tools. (though I’m still waiting for the hammer through a window trick) And how many things are there that you can tell boys (especially) ‘hit away to your heart’s content’? And when they are done, they get something useful that they can hold up and share.
So, there we are in a small room with 8 boys, T, a few parents that stuck around, Girl and T’s middle son, D (a good friend of Boy), (I roped Girl and D into helping me because they’ve been to more than a few of these), and I.
And those boys bounced. There’s no other way to describe it. They had a good time. They made some beautiful wallets and neckerchief slides (though more time would have been helpful - note to self), but they bounced. Off each other, off D, off the walls…..The energy level was high.
But it was interesting for me. You see T’s youngest boy is often the midst of the ‘high energy’ in our homeschool group. Sometimes when they are here, Hubby will come out afterwards looking kind of dazed asking how anything gets done. And he was the calmest, best focused one there!
All the other boys go to public school - I can’t imagine trying to hold their attention all day.
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02.16.07
Posted in Life, the Universe and All that Jazz at 8:32 pm by Meg
Remember when I wrote about Girl’s metal allergies? Well, I thought last year was bad.
Since early October she has been breaking out with a rash all over the backs of her legs and knees, and her tummy, and her back. So, since we’re home and all, I made her a dermatologist appointment. This week we finally got in to see her.
The good news - I like this doctor and she had a lot of helpful insights.
The bad news - We learned a lot more details about nickel sensitivities that the dermatologist that we saw 3 years ago didn’t tell us.
For anyone not familiar with nickel allergies, here’s a little statistic - “The incidence of nickel dermatitis, which appears to be increasing, is estimated to be 14% to 20% of women and 2% to 4% of men in the United States. The primary means of sensitizing women to nickel is widely accepted to be the popular practice of ear piercing, usually with nickel-plated studs and clasps. Sensitivity has even been shown to develop in infants who have their ears pierced within the first few weeks of life.”
It turns out that there’s a whole list of foods that nickel sensitive people should not eat:
- anything out of a can unless it’s lined (the inside is coated with a white subsistence)
- anything cooked in cast-iron
- herring and oysters
- asparagus
- beans
- mushrooms
- onions
- corn
- spinach
- tomatoes
- peas
- whole-grain flour
- fresh or cooked pears
- rhubarb
- tea
- cocoa and chocolate
- baking powder
So, while Girl is in active reaction mode we are trying to avoid a lot of things on the list. Once her legs and all heal up, we’ll try to follow a normal diet.
The doctor also gave us a list of 20 instructions for nickel sensitive people.
- you will probably remain sensitive in nickel for the rest of your life.
- you are especially susceptible to a rash when the weather is hot and when you are perspiring
- sweat dissolves nickel out of metal, even through a layer of cloth, paint, nail polish, and adhesive tape
- very small quantities of nickel can produce a rash where the nickel contacts the skin and may even be conveyed by perspiring fingers to distant areas
- many metals contain some nickel, including 14K yellow and white gold. Stainless steel contains nickel, but it is so firmly bound in the steel that it does not leach out with ordinary contact. Thus, stainless steel earrings are fine
- earrings marked ‘hypoallergenic’ can still cause a rash because they will release nickel. - they must be marked ‘nickel-free’
- there is a chemical test for nickel (dimethylglyoxime test) that you can purchase to test various objects -(a web search for somewhere to buy it didn’t work, but the doctor said to try Dermatologic Lab and Supply in Council Bluffs, IA) - though I have trouble believing most stores will be willing to let me spread a chemical over something before I purchase it.
- be careful of the following wearing apparel: garter snaps, wire brassiere cup supports, sanitary napkin pins, zippers, hooks and snaps on undergarments, eyelets on shoes, metal arch support, shoe and belt buckles, jewelry, medallions, ID tags, watch bands, blue jean metallic buttons - substitute with plastic snaps, buttons and Velcro
- you need to hold a nickel-releasing coin for more than 3 mins to develop a rash. Coins can produce a rash if kept loose in a pocket for a prolonged period, use a plastic bag
- you may react to metal keys - substitute with aluminum
- be careful of household utensils, vacuum cleaners, sewing machines, needles, scissors, thimbles, drawer handles, paper clips, and ‘old-fashioned’ telephone dials
- substitute wood for metal chairs and arm rests or put seat covers on and cover arm rests with thick fabric, chrome-plated objects contain nickel
- use all plastic eyeglass frames. coating frames with a polyurethane varnish is only a temporary measure.
- rashes on your hands may come from: cigarette lighter, lipstick case, pens, pencils, scissors, needles, vacuum cleaners, razors, door handles, hand bags, carriages, kitchen utensils, thimbles, typewriter parts, bicycle handle bars, metal sinks or umbrellas
- rashes on the head and face may be caused by: hairpins, curlers, bobby pins, eyelash curlers, earrings, spectacle frames, metal pins held in the mouth, and applying lipstick with a metal lipstick holder
- rashes on the body may be from: necklaces, medallions, metal ID tags, wire brassiere cup supports, zippers, eyelets on shoes, metal arch support, bracelets, napkin safety pins, and button on jeans
- cook with stainless steel, Teflon, or aluminum pots and pans.
- ask your dentist to not use nickel-plated instruments, use stainless steel instead
- any surgery that requires the insertion of metal parts should use special metals - including heart valve installations
- nickel containing liquids can penetrate rubber gloves - use heavy duty vinyl gloves.
For anyone curious, it was #12 that (we think) caused the rashes on her legs. She was using a metal folding chair to sit in when she uses her computer. - DUH - it turns out that the nickel can affect you through blue jeans!
The doctor also confirmed that Girl does have atopic dermatitis or eczema (and it is inherited) which means that she doesn’t produce enough body oils. The idea of being ‘allergic to soap’ is really just that the soap destroys what little body oils that she does produce. To deal with it, she gave us a list of management tools, including:
- 2 minute showers
- 15 minute soaks each night - without soap, but with a good miscible bath oil (it mixes into the water) followed by any medications and lotions in the first 5 mins. after she gets out of the water. (also pat dry, not rub)
So now we’ll see if we can get her skin to calm down and heal over.
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Posted in Life, the Universe and All that Jazz at 12:24 pm by Meg
Girl surprised me this week by telling me that she doesn’t like roses. (I mean it’s hard this last week not to run into roses and rose-shaped chocolates.) Quite mystified, I asked her why.
It turned out that she had it all thought out and it wasn’t the smell or anything intrinsic to roses. No, she decided that she didn’t like roses because liking roses meant that you wanted people to tell you that they needed/wanted you. She feels that needing that outside input doesn’t fit her mental image of herself, and so she’s decided that she’s not going to like roses. Other flowers - yes, roses - no.
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02.15.07
Posted in Specials and opportunities at 10:23 am by Meg
A new little activity from Border’s Bookstores.
If you’ve taken in and loved a homeless, displaced, or abused animal who is now part of your family, send us their photo and story and give them a chance to touch readers’ hearts. Let that furry (or feathered, scaly, or hairless) friend shine in the upcoming book Hopeful Tails: Stories of Rescued Pets and Their Forever Families, a Borders exclusive.
One lucky winner’s pet will be chosen as the Borders Pet and featured on signs in Borders stores, on the cover of Hopeful Tails, and online. In addition, the pet parent will receive a library of pet-care books from Howell Book House.
It’s easy, just:
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Find a digital photo of your pet |
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Share a story or poem about your pet (optional) |
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Submit your materials by March 31, 2007 |
What is Hopeful Tails?
Hopeful Tails is a heartwarming collection of photos and stories that celebrates rescued pets and the pet parents who gave them new homes. It’s an affirmation of hope and a testament to the mutual love between these special pets and their pet parents.
When will the book be for sale?
It is scheduled to publish in Fall 2007 and will be available at all Borders and Waldenbooks stores.
What is the deadline for submissions?
Submissions must be received by March 31, 2007. Late entries will not be accepted.
Can I e-mail my photo and story?
No, we cannot accept entries sent by e-mail. All entries must be submitted through the BordersPetProject.com site.
How will I know if my photo has been selected for the book?
We will contact you by August 31, 2007, to let you know whether or not your entry was selected for the book.
If my photo is selected, will I be paid?
As outlined in the Guidelines, Terms, and Conditions, we will not pay for the use of any submissions.
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