Is Technology Evil?

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted on my blog. I can use my daughter's heath issues as part of my excuse, but I guess time just got away from me.

But, what has been on my mind lately is the automatic assumption every time there is some new technology that it is going to be the downfall of civilization. I admit that any technology can be an incredible time waster and can be used for bad things. But it has been that way since the beginning of time. The latest concern I have heard discussed quite a bit is Twitter. I admit that I haven't found any use for it, even though I have an account. I don't believe people want to know everything I am doing throughout my day. But, I have heard some instances where Twitter can be a benefit. Since it is a new technology, I think it is still evolving. I remember when e-mail was viewed the same way and now it has become indispensable for businesses and almost everyone else.

I don't know the first advancement that raised concern but I do know that when the printing press first was invented and books were going to be able to be printed for the common man to read, there was a large outcry that it was going to ruin society. After all, if anyone could read a book, especially the Bible, what would the world become? It would turn into chaos!

In the early days of the computer it was mainly used by a few businesses that had the money to invest in the technology and most people who were fortunate to have one just played games or wrote letters on them. And then the internet came along and there was great fear that it would do all sorts of damage. None of the predictions have come to pass and just like all advancements, it can be used for good or evil. It is up to the people how they use it.


(Oregon Trail Game - one of our favorites)


I, for one, love having the world at my fingertips. I can spend an hour on the computer and in that time I can pay my bills, buy movie tickets, get driving directions to a store, look up prices of an item I am looking for and watch a tv show that I missed on television. Research is so much easier with a computer. Yes, there is lots of misinformation out there, but there is a wealth of good information, as well as support from people who have been dealing with the same types of things you are.

What does concern me is what I have been hearing about in regards to younger people being so afraid of being away from their technology that they are choosing their summer camps based on which ones allow them to bring their phones, ipods, etc. with them. However, I believe that is a problem that the parents need to address and help keep their kids from being so addicted to their technology that they can't enjoy life without it. It does seem sad to me.

So, I am keeping an open mind about Twitter. It may come into itself and become a useful tool, once people figure out how it can be used in positive ways. But, right now I have nothing worthy of tweeting about.

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It's The Camping Life

I admit it, I love to go camping, or traveling, or anywhere at all. It's an opportunity to get away from the responsibilities of life and just relax. We had an opportunity to do that last week to one of our favorite campgrounds, Fort Worden State Park.

We have been going to this park for around 15 years. Instead of having a cabin that the family goes to, we have a park that we go to every year. We started going when some friends went up there and we decided to visit them. The first time we just came up for the day and visited with my friend and her kids. The next year we camped in our tent over 4th of July with our friends. We quickly learned that camping in a tent in Washington state isn't a sure thing any time of year. We spent a miserable 4th with flooded tents and a soggy barbeque. We looked longingly at our friends in their trailers and I decided we needed a trailer of we were going to camp in Washington.


The following year we purchased a nice used trailer that was perfect for our family of 5. We used that trailer for 10 years and took it to many campgrounds in Washington and Oregon, and a visit or two to family in California. Having a trailer allowed us to camp in all seasons without worrying if the weather was going to be good or bad. If the weather was bad, we just stayed inside watching movies, coloring and playing games. It was a great and inexpensive way to spend time as a family together.

After the kids grew up and began leaving home, we sold the trailer and spend one year without a place to camp. I really missed the freedom of camping and convinced my hubby that a motorhome was a good alternative for us. Of course, that was before gas prices went through the roof. We began using it close to home and took it on a few trips to visit our families in Arizona. I love having my own place to relax and my own bed. Motels are ok but you never know what you are going to get.

We have had the motorhome now for almost 3 years now and I still look forward to a weekend, or week away. We were able to spend 5 days with our friends at Fort Worden and get that "camping fix". What we love about Fort Worden is the variety of terrain and things to do there as well as the fact that it is just 45 minutes from our home. The kids loved the beach and the military bunkers to explore when they were growing up. Now, my hubby and I still enjoy walking the beach, walking around the park and just people watching. We also enjoy visiting the town of Port Townsend just outside of the park. It has the most interesting, and quirky, shops restaurants and people.

The trip wasn't long enough and I'm already making plans for our next weekend away. The best part of living in Washington is that there are more parks to camp in than you can possibly visit in your lifetime. I can't wait for the next trip.

No More 4-H - Say It Isn't So!

I read in the paper recently that the state of Washington is considering cutting off all funding for Extension programs which would include the 4-H program. That would be a hugh loss to kids of all ages in Washington. My kids learned so much in their experiences with 4-H that I can't imagine it not being available to future generations.

My first introduction to 4-H was at a school bookfair when my oldest daughter was just 6 years old. I didn't know much about 4-H and thought it only was for kids who raised animals and showed them at the county fair. But, my world was expanded when the woman who was working along side me at the bookfair mentioned that she taught sewing in a 4-H club. I had wanted my daughter to learn sewing and was amazed that people were teaching it for FREE to kids. I immediately began researching where the closest 4-H club was in our area. I found a large 4-H club that met not to far from our home and it offered many projects for the kids to explore.
My daughter and I learned together about the world of 4-H as she began her 4-H journey. Not only did she learning sewing, she later participated in a cat project, craft projects, cooking projects and a variety of others over the years. My other two children also participated at times and my son spent three years doing archery, along with rocketry and woodworking, just to name a few others. But, beside learning about the projects they were involved in, they learned many other skills that I think have helped them in their life.

There was the public demonstration and public speaking, journaling about their project, participating in state contests, camps, and learning how to be part of a team. I really believe all of those experiences have been a life-long value to each of my kids. My oldest daughter still has friends from her 4-H years. I know that 4-H hasn't been as popular in recent years and that is sad to see. I don't believe schools promote 4-H as heavily as some sports and other activities that are considered more college worthy. So, I am hear to say that our 4-H experience as a wonderful addition to a well rounded education and it will be sorely missed if it goes away.

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Menopause - Say What?

Nothing in life stays the same and I am finding that out these days when it comes to that dreaded term "menopause". It wasn't something I thought about alot but wondered when it was going to happen and what I could expect. I am considered on the older side to begin experiencing the joys of the 'Change Of Life'. Of course, many friends told me what horrors I could expect - hot flashes, memory loss, night sweats, etc... It reminded me of when I was pregnant and received lots of 'helpful' stories of birth that would curl your hair. I'm not sure why women think they need to share their terrible delivery stories to young, innocent women who have not experienced the joys of childbirth. I've heard that it is the equivalent of men's war stories. It's what we have to share...

I don't know if I'm one of the lucky one in regards to menopause but so far the experience has been fairly easy. Yes, there have been a few hot flashes and some other discomfort but, for the most part, it hasn't been the horror I've heard. But, I have been blessed with fairly easy monthly issues for most of my reproductive life. Short periods, minimal hormonal fluxuations and minor physical discomfort has been my history and I am so grateful for it all. My mom assures me that her transition was easy so I am praying I take after her. So far the worst part has been the headaches that come at any time of month now.

However, I am still waiting for the 'other shoe to drop' and am afraid I will wake up one day with all of the full-blown menopausal conditions. It may or may not happen, but it is hard not to be wary of this easy period (no pun intended). My best friend from elementary school has kept a diary of her symptoms for the past five years and was amazed when I told her that I had not been having enough symptoms to record. It is hilarious that we talk so freely about it now when I remember in Jr. High she and I having a 'code word' for when we first started our monthly gift. We couldn't even bring ourselves to use the word then. Now, everyone is talking about menopause and all that is associated with it over coffee and pastry.

For right now, I will be thankful and not try to think too far ahead. Not that I can change anything but I am looking forward to the other side of a woman's blessing, and curse.

Crawling Around Seattle For Coffee

If you have ever been in Seattle, you know that you wouldn't have to crawl far to find coffee. However, we didn't actually have to crawl there, which was good for my knees.

While my son-in-law and daughter were visiting, my son-in-law had found this website called "Seattle By Foot" and suggested we go on a Coffee Crawl tour while they were in town. Since we all love coffee (except my son-in-law), we thought it would be a fun way to spend a day. So, we made reservations and planned to arrive at Pike Place Market at the 10:00 am start time. However, we missed the ferry and arrived about 15 minutes late. Fortunately we were able to meet up with the group at their second stop for the day. The place was a little independent coffee shop, directly across the street from an new Starbucks being built.

The focus of the tour was not just about coffee but about how coffee is made, how it became an icon in Seattle and some different ways coffee can be presented and sold. Not only did I learn more about coffee than I ever knew before, I learned more about the architecture and history of Seattle. It is a walking tour so you have to be prepared to walk up and down a few hills (after all, it is Seattle). Fortunately for us, it was a beautiful day in February so the walking was very easy. The tour takes two hours but the time goes too quickly. I could have easily spent another hour or two learning our neighboring city. It is a fascinating place!

The woman who began offering this tour (and has plans for others later this year) was a former employee of the airline industry. She looked around to see what kinds of tours were being offered in Seattle and realized there were none that focused on coffee. So, she began this venture last year and is planning to expand to other types of tours. I was impressed by her creativity in looking for a new business opportunity. I will definitely plan to try one of her other tours when they become available.

So, if you are in Seattle sometime, check it out. It is worth a few hours and the coffee buzz keeps you going for a lot longer than that.

American Idol Dreams

I've been an American Idol fan since season 2. I didn't watch it on season 1 because I thought it was one of those shows that just chose bad singers and made fun of them. But, by season 2, the buzz about people going on to become serious singers caught my attention. So, I have faithfully followed the past 7 seasons. This year a new twist was added when I found out that a girl my daughter knew from Virginia was in the running.

Each week I rooted for this young woman (she is no longer a girl) to advance and I was amazed at how much more stress is involved when you sorta know someone on the show. Too bad they never showed more than a passing glimpse of her so I never even saw her sing and can't say what kind of singer she is. But, other than a few people who were sent on just to make for a more entertaining show (shall I say Nick Mitchell aka Norman), most of the the people who made it into the top 36 are there because they are great singers.

What was amazing is that she didn't actually make it into the top 36, according to last night's show. The only video clip they showed of her was when the judges told her that the judges were split over her but she didn't make it. Then I heard from my daughter today that another girl who did make it was found to have an "in" with one of the people involved with American Idol so was kicked off. That made room for Felicia Barton to be brought back into the top 36 group. I guess that means she was #37 on the list. I'm excited for her and to see how she does.

I hope she gets some good response from the audience now that the nation gets a chance to vote. I would have definitely said "NO" to Tatiana Nicole Del Toro. Yes, she can sing but she does not have the public appeal to keep her moving forward. I think there are some really outstanding singers this year so it will be a true contest to see who can make it all the way to the top 10.

If you want to know more about Felicia Barton, and possibly cast your vote in her direction, providing she earns it, visit American Idol and click on her picture and video. Go Felicia!

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Pulling the Plug - Cutting the Cord

I remember in our poorer days how amazed I was that people would spend $100 a month for television, another $40 for a cell phone, another $20 for internet and all the other "wasted" expenses that we could not afford at the time. Now I find that we are one of "those" people. The first luxury we got was a cell phone with a monthy fee of around $20. It seemed so extravagant at the time but I justified it's expense as a great way to be able to get away for an hour or two but still be in communication with my kids. When you homeschool, this is a necessity (getting away without kids) for sanity's sake.

The next luxury we decided to explore was satellite television. Of course, after going without anything but broadcast television for most of the years my kids were growing up, I was excited about all the channels we would be able to get once we signed up for the package. It was all of $40 for the channels we signed up for and seemed like a small fortune.

Finally, when the first Mars Rover landed on Mars, we decided it was time for connecting to the internet. We signed up for the free AOL to try it out and were immediately drawn into all that the internet could offer. I believe we paid around $21 a month then. So, we had become the ones that we used to make fun of. But, we also had more money to spend and had teenagers in the house who needed these items. The cell phones increased as each one became a driver so that mom could check up on them and they could call if there was a problem. And so it went.

Now we are looking at going the other direction. With cable running around $100 a month and our cell phone bill hovering around $100, we need to find some way to cut costs. Like many other people, we have questioned whether a landline phone is still necessary. After all, with cell phones, most of our calls are made on them anyway. My daughter's generation doesn't even see the need for a landline and hasn't had one since she moved away from home eight years ago.

As far as getting rid of cable, it is only with the wonders of the internet that we can still enjoy the programs we have come to love (HGTV to name one). Many digital and hi-def channels are available by antenna now so we can still enjoy most of the shows. The others are available to watch whenever we feel like it on our computer. And the most amazing new and improved technology is the TiVo box. Unlike it's previous models, the latest model offers so many new features that I don't think I will even miss cable...much.

And so, we are saying goodbye to cable bills, phone bills and jumping into the twenty-first century with both feet.