November 30, 2007 - Progress on Bexxar and Zevalin

Thank you to all who wrote to government officials about the Medicare reimbursement policies for the radio- immunotherapy drugs, Bexxar and Zevalin (see November 14th, below). It seems the flurry of lobbying activity has had some effect. It’s too early to declare victory, but there are some encouraging signs.

The Lymphoma Research Foundation reports, on their website, that the Senate Finance Committee leadership is preparing a Medicare and Medicaid measure that will be considered by the full committee next week. It includes a one-year freeze on reimbursement levels for Bexxar and Zevalin.

It takes a lot of money to develop a new drug. Some is put up by the pharmaceutical company during research and development. The rest is paid afterwards, by consumers and their insurance companies. It’s scary to think that effective medicines could be pulled from the market if insurance reimbursements drop too low.

Let’s hope that won’t be the case with Bexxar and Zevalin.

Tagged!

Lizz at Red-Dirt-Mother tagged me for this. Fun!

Rules:
*link to the person who tagged you
*post the rules
*name 8 things others don't know about you
*link to 8 other bloggers



1-I had a sudden urge two days ago to go to Ireland and I think I'm going to go but I don't know how. I just feel like it's going to work out.


2-I remember specifics about a few past lives I've had and as a I child I understood Russian before I ever studied it but I couldn't tell you how


3-I use to where CK1 all through high school and never went anywhere without it


4-I was given a Lakota name by a Lakota elder. He named my Mato Eelie which means Mother Bear. The night before the naming ceremony I was awakened by a bear nosing around my sleeping bag only to find her diassapear into the mist before my very eyes. That same night I heard native drumming and singing when there were supposedly no natives left in that valley

5-The older I get the more I look like my bio mom and I hate it.

6-I'm addicted to the show Heroes and I download each new episode on my PC


7-I miss Adam and I don't even know exactly why, I can't pinpoint the specific reasoning but I think about him often


8-My grandfather visits my dreams often and I know him better in death than I ever did in life.



I'm tagging the following people

Qalballah

Moonprysm

Enrique

Carlee

Ashleigh

Tagged!

Lizz at Red-Dirt-Mother tagged me for this. Fun!

Rules:
*link to the person who tagged you
*post the rules
*name 8 things others don't know about you
*link to 8 other bloggers



1-I had a sudden urge two days ago to go to Ireland and I think I'm going to go but I don't know how. I just feel like it's going to work out.


2-I remember specifics about a few past lives I've had and as a I child I understood Russian before I ever studied it but I couldn't tell you how


3-I use to where CK1 all through high school and never went anywhere without it


4-I was given a Lakota name by a Lakota elder. He named my Mato Eelie which means Mother Bear. The night before the naming ceremony I was awakened by a bear nosing around my sleeping bag only to find her diassapear into the mist before my very eyes. That same night I heard native drumming and singing when there were supposedly no natives left in that valley

5-The older I get the more I look like my bio mom and I hate it.

6-I'm addicted to the show Heroes and I download each new episode on my PC


7-I miss Adam and I don't even know exactly why, I can't pinpoint the specific reasoning but I think about him often


8-My grandfather visits my dreams often and I know him better in death than I ever did in life.



I'm tagging the following people

Qalballah

Moonprysm

Enrique

Carlee

Ashleigh

My Horoscope Today, VERY accurate

Aries Horoscope
(Mar 21 - Apr 19)

You can earn your name as the Ram today by running headstrong into an obstacle currently blocking your path. It's true that you can often bust your way through resistance and you can inspire awe when this tactic is successful. But now an impulsive attack is foolhardy. Don't push so hard; just try to understand what the current situation can teach you.

My Horoscope Today, VERY accurate

Aries Horoscope
(Mar 21 - Apr 19)

You can earn your name as the Ram today by running headstrong into an obstacle currently blocking your path. It's true that you can often bust your way through resistance and you can inspire awe when this tactic is successful. But now an impulsive attack is foolhardy. Don't push so hard; just try to understand what the current situation can teach you.

Bibliography from my thesis

My thesis had two main sections, German Anabaptist and Mormon and then there are many topics within that. For those wondering this is where I got my information.

Bibliography and Works Cited
Books
Franz Joseph Mone as cited through, Adler, Margot. Drawing Down the Moon, New York, NY: Penguin Press, 1997.
Anderson, Robert D. Inside the Mind of Joseph Smith; Psychobiography and the Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City, UT, Signature Press, 1999.
Anonymous, Spiritual Polyamory, New York: iUniverse, Inc, 2004.
Arms, Suzanne. Immaculate Deception, Myth. Magic and Birth, Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts, 1994.
Armstrong, Penny. A Midwife’s Story, Philadelphia, PA: Pinter and Martin, Ltd, 2007.
Baker, Jeannine Parvati. Prenatal Yoga and Natural Childbirth, Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 1986.
Bender, Sue. Plain and Simple, A Woman’s Journey to the Amish, New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1989.
Behringer, Wolfgang (translation by Midelfort, H.C. Erik). Shaman of Oberstdorf: Chonrad Stoeckhlin and the Phantoms of the Night, Virginia: Virginia University Press, 2004.
Brady, Margaret, K. Mormon Healer and Folk Poet, Mary Susannah Fowler’s Life of Unselfish Usefulness, Logan, UT: Utah State University Press, 2000.
Braud, William and Anderson, Rosemarie, Transpersonal Research Methods for the Social Sciences, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing, 1998.
Buchman, Christina and Spiegel, Celina. Out of the Garden, Women Writers on the Bible, New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1994.
Carr, Anne and Van Leeuwen, Mary Stewart, Religion Feminism, and the Family, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996.
Deseret Book Company. LDS Women’s Treasury, Insights and Inspiration for Today’s Woman, Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company, 1997.
Dick-Read, Grantly. Childbirth Without Fear, London: Heinemann Medical Books, 2005.
Dunham, Carroll, et al. Mamatoto, A Celebration of Birth. United States of America, Viking Press, 1991.
Fiorenza, Elizabeth Schuessler, In Memory of Her, A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins, New York, NY: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1983.
Gaskin, Ina-May. Spiritual Midwifery, Tennessee: Book Publishing Company, 2002.
Goldsmith, Judy. Childbirth Wisdom; From the World’s Oldest Societies, New York: East West Health Books, 1990.
Gross, Rita. Women Religion and Social Change, Boston, MS: Beacon Press, 1996.
Guerber, H.A. Myths of Northern Lands, 1885.
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft , United States of America: Facts on File, 1989.
Hanks, Maxine. Women and Authority: Re-emerging Mormon Feminism, Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 1992. (This title is out of print and I used an online version available from the publisher, so I do not have page numbers to cite for this work)
Hostetler, John A. and Huntington, Gertrude Enders. Children in Amish Society, Socialization and Community Education, San Francisco, CA: Holt, Rinhart and Winston, Inc.,1971.
Katlyn. Faery Call, The Way of the Fay, Las Vegas, NV: Mermaid Magickal Arts, 1997.
Klassen, Pamela E. Blessed Events; Religion and Home Birth in America, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001.
Leloup, Jean-Yves (translated by). The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 1997.
Martens, Katherine and Helmes, Heidi. In Her Own Voice: Childbirth Stories from Mennonite Women, Manitoba, PA: University of Manitoba Press, 1997.
McClure, Vimala. The Tao of Motherhood,Willow Springs, MO: Nucleus Publishing, 1991.
Mollenkott, Virgina Ramey. The Divine Feminine, the Biblical Imagery of God as Female, New York, NY: Crossroads Publishing, 1989.
Morgan, Laurie A. The Power of Pleasurable Childbirth, New York: Writers Club Press, 2003.
Noall, Claire. Guardians of the Hearth, Utah’s Pioneer Midwives and Women Doctors, Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers, 1974.
Nibley, Hugh. Enoch the Prophet. Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1986.
Pearson, Carol Lynn. Daughters of the Light, Provo, UT: Trilogy Arts, 1973.
Pearson, Carol Lynn. Mother Wove the Morning, Walnut Creek, CA: Pearson Publishing, 1992.
Peterson, Daniel C. Nephi and His Asherah , Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 2000.
Quinn, Michael D. Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 1998.
Ransome, Hilda. R. The Sacred Bee: In Ancient Times and Folklore. Burrowbridge, Bridgwater: BBNO Bee Books New and Old, 1987
Ratliff, Bradley, Compellation of Family History Including the Ratliff Family self published February 1, 1997.
Ravenwolf, Silver. American Folk Magick, Charms, Spells and Herbals, Paradise, PA: Llewellyn Publications, 1998.
Rydberg, Viktor. Teutonic Mythology, Gods and Goddess of Northern Europe, New York, NY: 1907.
Scott, Stephen. The Amish Wedding, and Other Special Occasions of the Old Order Communities, Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 1988.
Smith, Joseph, Jr. (Translated by). The Book of Mormon, Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1981.
Stoltzfus, Louise. Traces of Wisdom, Amish Women and the Pursuit of Life’s Simple Pleasures, New York, NY: Hyperion, 1998.
Toscano, Margret and Paul. Strangers in Paradox, Explorations in Mormon Theology, Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 1990.
Valiente, Doreen. An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present , Washington: Phoenix Publishing, 1988
Yoder, Don, Ph.D. and Duncan, Barbara, Ph.D., Amish Folk Medicine, Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, Ltd., 1999.
Reference Guides
True to the Faith. Salt Lake City, UT: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 2004.
Articles
Bing, Elizabeth, RPT, LCCE, FACCE. “Lamaze Childbirth among the Amish People.” Journal of Perinatal Education Spring 2002.
< http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1595106>.

Declercg, Eugene, PhD and Stotland, Naomi E. “Home birth.” UptoDate. July 2006.
< http://patients.uptodate.com/topic.asp?file=labordel/15656>.

Christensen, Kevin. “Plain and Precious Things Restored: Margaret Barker and the Queen of Heaven” Meridian Magazine. 2005

< http://www.meridianmagazine.com/ideas/051229plain.html>

Fox, Russell Arben. “Are Mormons Crunchy?” Times and Seasons. November 21, 2003.
< http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=2943>.

Griesmer, Lyn M. “Top Ten Reasons to Birth At Home.” Unassisted Homebirth.
.

Geranios, Nicholas K. “Move over, Martha: Native Utahn may be next domestic maven - with a rural twist.” Desert News. November 11, 2003.
< http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,525037043,00.html>.

GREKSA, LAWRENCE P. “Birth Seasonality in the Old Order Amish.” Cambridge Journals, 2004.
.
James M. Stayer, Wertner O. Packull, Klaus Depperman, "From Monogenesis to Polygenesis: The Historical Discussion of Anabaptist Origins," The Mennonite Quarterly Review 49 (1975) 111.

Lallanilla, Marc. “US Babies Die at Higher Rate.” ABC News Health. Nov, 1 2005.
.

McCoy, Krisha. “Birth Statistics in the US.” Unity Health Systems.
.

Moore, Carrie A. “The divine feminine, Historical depictions of faithful women are influencing modern religious worship” Desert News. August 14, 2004.
< http://deseretnews.com/dn/print/1,1442,595083988,00.html>.

“Homebirth: As Safe as Birth Gets.” Compleat Mother.
.

Noall, Claire. “Superstations, Customs and Prescriptions of Mormon Midwives.” California Folklore Quarterly, 1944.

Olmstead, Dan. “The Age of Autism: Amish Ways.” The Washington Times. June 6, 2005
< http://www.nomercury.org/science/documents/Articles/UPI-The_Age_of_Autism-Amish_ways_6-6-05.pdf>.

Reimensnyder, Barbara Louise. POWWOWING IN UNION COUNTY: A STUDY OF PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN FOLK MEDICINE IN CONTEXT, University of Pennsylvania
Date: 1982
http://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI8217169/
Robinson, Bruce A., “THE AMISH: The early years in Europe: How the Protestant Reformation generated the Free Church movement, which led to the Mennonite movement from which the Amish split.” ReligiousTolereance.org, 2002-2007.
< http://www.religioustolerance.org/amish1.htm>.


Sagers, Larry A. “Navoo Gardens, They Provide a Glimpse at the City’s Botanical Tradition” Desert News. June 2, 2002.
< http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,405008476,00.html>.
by the Ordained Ministers of the Esoteric Theological Seminary

Satterwhite, Amber. “God the Mother in Mormonism.” Written Works: Thesis, Poem, Papers, Books by the Ordained Ministers of the Esoteric Theological Seminary
< http://northernway.org/membersworks.html#mothergod>.

Wiker, Benjamin. “Mennonite Midwife Behind Bars: A Case of Overreach”, National Review Online, December 3, 2002
.
Yost, Birdeen, The Yost Family Web Pages. 1999
< http://www.fluckers.com/family/yost/appendix.htm>


Websites
I would like to make a special note of my sister scholars website which was a great resource to me.
Quick, Elizabeth. In Memory of Her.
http://bethanymagdalene.atspace.com/home.htm

“Rally in Support of Pennsylvania Lay Midwife - Legality of Lay Midwifery” Mothering Magazine.

< http://www.mothering.com/sections/action_alerts/january2007.html>.

Neader, Scott. “The Amish Lifestyle.” Amish.net
.

.

CAMPBELL, BEVERLY, “MOTHER EVE, Mentor for Today's Woman: A Heritage of Honor.”
< http://www.kenningtons.com/kennington/campbell.htm>.

“Unassisted Birth Discussion Boards.” Mothering Magazine Online.
.

LDS Attachment Parenting Yahoo Group
.

Christian UC, 2002-2007
.

LDS Unassisted Homebirthers Yahoo Group
.
English Dissenters, Anabaptists


Pittsburg Post gazette
http://post-gazette.com/pgcharities/spellingbee/word.asp

Chronology of the Church History, Official Website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
http://scriptures.lds.org/chchrono/contents
www.lds.org
www.cofchrist.org
http://www.lds-mormon.com/sepsix.shtml
www.thinkbabynames.com

Movies
Devils Playground, Directed by Lucy Walker, Cinemax Reel Life, 2002

Bibliography from my thesis

My thesis had two main sections, German Anabaptist and Mormon and then there are many topics within that. For those wondering this is where I got my information.

Bibliography and Works Cited
Books
Franz Joseph Mone as cited through, Adler, Margot. Drawing Down the Moon, New York, NY: Penguin Press, 1997.
Anderson, Robert D. Inside the Mind of Joseph Smith; Psychobiography and the Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City, UT, Signature Press, 1999.
Anonymous, Spiritual Polyamory, New York: iUniverse, Inc, 2004.
Arms, Suzanne. Immaculate Deception, Myth. Magic and Birth, Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts, 1994.
Armstrong, Penny. A Midwife’s Story, Philadelphia, PA: Pinter and Martin, Ltd, 2007.
Baker, Jeannine Parvati. Prenatal Yoga and Natural Childbirth, Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 1986.
Bender, Sue. Plain and Simple, A Woman’s Journey to the Amish, New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1989.
Behringer, Wolfgang (translation by Midelfort, H.C. Erik). Shaman of Oberstdorf: Chonrad Stoeckhlin and the Phantoms of the Night, Virginia: Virginia University Press, 2004.
Brady, Margaret, K. Mormon Healer and Folk Poet, Mary Susannah Fowler’s Life of Unselfish Usefulness, Logan, UT: Utah State University Press, 2000.
Braud, William and Anderson, Rosemarie, Transpersonal Research Methods for the Social Sciences, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing, 1998.
Buchman, Christina and Spiegel, Celina. Out of the Garden, Women Writers on the Bible, New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1994.
Carr, Anne and Van Leeuwen, Mary Stewart, Religion Feminism, and the Family, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996.
Deseret Book Company. LDS Women’s Treasury, Insights and Inspiration for Today’s Woman, Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company, 1997.
Dick-Read, Grantly. Childbirth Without Fear, London: Heinemann Medical Books, 2005.
Dunham, Carroll, et al. Mamatoto, A Celebration of Birth. United States of America, Viking Press, 1991.
Fiorenza, Elizabeth Schuessler, In Memory of Her, A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins, New York, NY: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1983.
Gaskin, Ina-May. Spiritual Midwifery, Tennessee: Book Publishing Company, 2002.
Goldsmith, Judy. Childbirth Wisdom; From the World’s Oldest Societies, New York: East West Health Books, 1990.
Gross, Rita. Women Religion and Social Change, Boston, MS: Beacon Press, 1996.
Guerber, H.A. Myths of Northern Lands, 1885.
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft , United States of America: Facts on File, 1989.
Hanks, Maxine. Women and Authority: Re-emerging Mormon Feminism, Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 1992. (This title is out of print and I used an online version available from the publisher, so I do not have page numbers to cite for this work)
Hostetler, John A. and Huntington, Gertrude Enders. Children in Amish Society, Socialization and Community Education, San Francisco, CA: Holt, Rinhart and Winston, Inc.,1971.
Katlyn. Faery Call, The Way of the Fay, Las Vegas, NV: Mermaid Magickal Arts, 1997.
Klassen, Pamela E. Blessed Events; Religion and Home Birth in America, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001.
Leloup, Jean-Yves (translated by). The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 1997.
Martens, Katherine and Helmes, Heidi. In Her Own Voice: Childbirth Stories from Mennonite Women, Manitoba, PA: University of Manitoba Press, 1997.
McClure, Vimala. The Tao of Motherhood,Willow Springs, MO: Nucleus Publishing, 1991.
Mollenkott, Virgina Ramey. The Divine Feminine, the Biblical Imagery of God as Female, New York, NY: Crossroads Publishing, 1989.
Morgan, Laurie A. The Power of Pleasurable Childbirth, New York: Writers Club Press, 2003.
Noall, Claire. Guardians of the Hearth, Utah’s Pioneer Midwives and Women Doctors, Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers, 1974.
Nibley, Hugh. Enoch the Prophet. Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1986.
Pearson, Carol Lynn. Daughters of the Light, Provo, UT: Trilogy Arts, 1973.
Pearson, Carol Lynn. Mother Wove the Morning, Walnut Creek, CA: Pearson Publishing, 1992.
Peterson, Daniel C. Nephi and His Asherah , Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 2000.
Quinn, Michael D. Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 1998.
Ransome, Hilda. R. The Sacred Bee: In Ancient Times and Folklore. Burrowbridge, Bridgwater: BBNO Bee Books New and Old, 1987
Ratliff, Bradley, Compellation of Family History Including the Ratliff Family self published February 1, 1997.
Ravenwolf, Silver. American Folk Magick, Charms, Spells and Herbals, Paradise, PA: Llewellyn Publications, 1998.
Rydberg, Viktor. Teutonic Mythology, Gods and Goddess of Northern Europe, New York, NY: 1907.
Scott, Stephen. The Amish Wedding, and Other Special Occasions of the Old Order Communities, Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 1988.
Smith, Joseph, Jr. (Translated by). The Book of Mormon, Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1981.
Stoltzfus, Louise. Traces of Wisdom, Amish Women and the Pursuit of Life’s Simple Pleasures, New York, NY: Hyperion, 1998.
Toscano, Margret and Paul. Strangers in Paradox, Explorations in Mormon Theology, Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 1990.
Valiente, Doreen. An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present , Washington: Phoenix Publishing, 1988
Yoder, Don, Ph.D. and Duncan, Barbara, Ph.D., Amish Folk Medicine, Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, Ltd., 1999.
Reference Guides
True to the Faith. Salt Lake City, UT: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 2004.
Articles
Bing, Elizabeth, RPT, LCCE, FACCE. “Lamaze Childbirth among the Amish People.” Journal of Perinatal Education Spring 2002.
< http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1595106>.

Declercg, Eugene, PhD and Stotland, Naomi E. “Home birth.” UptoDate. July 2006.
< http://patients.uptodate.com/topic.asp?file=labordel/15656>.

Christensen, Kevin. “Plain and Precious Things Restored: Margaret Barker and the Queen of Heaven” Meridian Magazine. 2005

< http://www.meridianmagazine.com/ideas/051229plain.html>

Fox, Russell Arben. “Are Mormons Crunchy?” Times and Seasons. November 21, 2003.
< http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=2943>.

Griesmer, Lyn M. “Top Ten Reasons to Birth At Home.” Unassisted Homebirth.
.

Geranios, Nicholas K. “Move over, Martha: Native Utahn may be next domestic maven - with a rural twist.” Desert News. November 11, 2003.
< http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,525037043,00.html>.

GREKSA, LAWRENCE P. “Birth Seasonality in the Old Order Amish.” Cambridge Journals, 2004.
.
James M. Stayer, Wertner O. Packull, Klaus Depperman, "From Monogenesis to Polygenesis: The Historical Discussion of Anabaptist Origins," The Mennonite Quarterly Review 49 (1975) 111.

Lallanilla, Marc. “US Babies Die at Higher Rate.” ABC News Health. Nov, 1 2005.
.

McCoy, Krisha. “Birth Statistics in the US.” Unity Health Systems.
.

Moore, Carrie A. “The divine feminine, Historical depictions of faithful women are influencing modern religious worship” Desert News. August 14, 2004.
< http://deseretnews.com/dn/print/1,1442,595083988,00.html>.

“Homebirth: As Safe as Birth Gets.” Compleat Mother.
.

Noall, Claire. “Superstations, Customs and Prescriptions of Mormon Midwives.” California Folklore Quarterly, 1944.

Olmstead, Dan. “The Age of Autism: Amish Ways.” The Washington Times. June 6, 2005
< http://www.nomercury.org/science/documents/Articles/UPI-The_Age_of_Autism-Amish_ways_6-6-05.pdf>.

Reimensnyder, Barbara Louise. POWWOWING IN UNION COUNTY: A STUDY OF PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN FOLK MEDICINE IN CONTEXT, University of Pennsylvania
Date: 1982
http://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI8217169/
Robinson, Bruce A., “THE AMISH: The early years in Europe: How the Protestant Reformation generated the Free Church movement, which led to the Mennonite movement from which the Amish split.” ReligiousTolereance.org, 2002-2007.
< http://www.religioustolerance.org/amish1.htm>.


Sagers, Larry A. “Navoo Gardens, They Provide a Glimpse at the City’s Botanical Tradition” Desert News. June 2, 2002.
< http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,405008476,00.html>.
by the Ordained Ministers of the Esoteric Theological Seminary

Satterwhite, Amber. “God the Mother in Mormonism.” Written Works: Thesis, Poem, Papers, Books by the Ordained Ministers of the Esoteric Theological Seminary
< http://northernway.org/membersworks.html#mothergod>.

Wiker, Benjamin. “Mennonite Midwife Behind Bars: A Case of Overreach”, National Review Online, December 3, 2002
.
Yost, Birdeen, The Yost Family Web Pages. 1999
< http://www.fluckers.com/family/yost/appendix.htm>


Websites
I would like to make a special note of my sister scholars website which was a great resource to me.
Quick, Elizabeth. In Memory of Her.
http://bethanymagdalene.atspace.com/home.htm

“Rally in Support of Pennsylvania Lay Midwife - Legality of Lay Midwifery” Mothering Magazine.

< http://www.mothering.com/sections/action_alerts/january2007.html>.

Neader, Scott. “The Amish Lifestyle.” Amish.net
.

.

CAMPBELL, BEVERLY, “MOTHER EVE, Mentor for Today's Woman: A Heritage of Honor.”
< http://www.kenningtons.com/kennington/campbell.htm>.

“Unassisted Birth Discussion Boards.” Mothering Magazine Online.
.

LDS Attachment Parenting Yahoo Group
.

Christian UC, 2002-2007
.

LDS Unassisted Homebirthers Yahoo Group
.
English Dissenters, Anabaptists


Pittsburg Post gazette
http://post-gazette.com/pgcharities/spellingbee/word.asp

Chronology of the Church History, Official Website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
http://scriptures.lds.org/chchrono/contents
www.lds.org
www.cofchrist.org
http://www.lds-mormon.com/sepsix.shtml
www.thinkbabynames.com

Movies
Devils Playground, Directed by Lucy Walker, Cinemax Reel Life, 2002

Women in the priestood and Polgamy in early Mormonism

(Full bibliography available upon request)

Women in the Priesthood

To begin talking about the priesthood as it was given to women we must first speak to the Relief Society. The Relief Society was a group begun for women under the direction of Joseph Smith, Emma Smith and Eliza Snow. In their book, Strangers in Paradox, Margaret (a University of Utah professor) and her husband Paul Toscano, put forth the idea that the Relief Society was established as a way to begin to confer the priesthood to women.

The first Relief Society meeting took place on March 17th, 1842. It was at this meeting that Joseph explicitly compared the Relief Society to the ecclesiastical priesthood within the Mormon Church, which had already been established. Joseph wanted to elect a presidency within the Relief Society and ordain them. Emma was then elected the first president of the Relief Society (Toscano 182).

Emma was called the “elect lady” by Joseph and he said that Emma’s election fulfilled the promise of Doctrine and Covenants 25 (scriptures within the LDS theology considered the word of God given to Joseph Smith through revelation). By reading D & C 25 this means that Emma was; “ordained under his hand to expound scriptures and to exhort the Church according as it shall be given thee by my spirit (Toscano 182-183).”

D & C 25 goes on to say that “he shall lay his hands upon thee, and thou shalt receive the Holy Ghost…” Which means that Emma and other women within the LDS church, and more specifically the Relief Society, are called through the churches founding prophet by the word of God (Spirit) - to expound upon scriptures, teach, learn and write by the fact that they have received the gift of the Holy Ghost (Toscano 182-183).

Joseph Smith spoke to women and the priesthood on a number of occasions, all of which I will not be covering here, but I will give a few more of my favorite examples. In his April 28th of 1842 discourse, Joseph Smith directly spoke to the relationship of women of the priesthood (Toscano 184).

You see at this point women had been giving blessing to each other and many male church members felt that this was wrong because blessings and priesthood were solely within the male domain. In reply to this objection Joseph said that women had the right to administer to the sick because of their ordination and authority they received through the Holy Ghost. He quoted Mark 16:16-18 and explained that casting out of devils, speaking in tongues, laying on of hands are given to all either male or female (Toscano 184).

He continued by saying, “…wherein they are ordained, it is a privilege of those set apart to administer in that authority which is conferr’d on them – and if the sisters should have faith to heal the sick, let all hold their tongues , and let every thing roll on (Toscano 184)”

Joseph had further justification for women’s authority to heal the sick. He said that soon women would have an even greater right to administer in spiritual gifts. He said that he was “turning the key” to them by revelation. He said that, “the time had not been before that these things could be in their proper order – that the Church is not now organiz’d in its proper order and cannot be until the Temple is completed (Toscano 185).”

At that time Joseph was hurrying to finish the Temple in Nauvoo since he had premonitions of his own death. He seemed to be grooming the Relief Society to raise women up to the level of priesthood so that they could fulfill the “will of God” when the Temple was completed. Joseph often referred to delivering the “keys” to the Relief Society which is very significant because in Mormon scriptures and theology the term “keys” implies priesthood rights and presiding authority (Toscano 185).

It’s important to take a moment here to pause and reflect on the seriousness of what Joseph was trying to do. From its beginnings, Mormonism has been a religion of restoration - trying to restore the true church, the true word of God, on earth. It seems that Joseph was called by the Spirit of God to very carefully lay a foundation whereby God was gradually giving women the priesthood.

Why is that if he wanted women to be priestesses he didn’t just come out and announce it to the world? We must think in terms of the 1800’s and the mindset of the time. Women did not have any rights then at all. They were seen by most as subhuman. They did not have the right to an education, they did not have the vote and they certainly did not hold religious positions – in fact, it was thought by some that women did not even have souls.

How radical a notion it would have been to give women the priesthood! Can you imagine how hard it would have been to just come out and declare it? So, in my opinion, Joseph was smart. He worked a little at a time. He set up the Relief Society, he argued for their right to heal the sick and confer blessings upon one another. He made speeches were he said he was about to turn the keys of the priesthood to them.
In the D & C 113 Joseph said that Zion cannot be strong until women were restored as equals (Hanks). We also find church history manuscripts which say that Joseph spoke about showing how the sisters of the church would come into the possession, blessings and privileges and gifts of the priesthood (Toscano 186).

My personal favorite reference to the priestesshood that Joseph was known to have said comes from an account given by Bathsheba W. Smith of Joseph addressing the Relief Society. She writes that Joseph, “wanted to make us, as the women were in Paul’s day, ‘a Kingdom of Priestesses (Toscano 183-184).’”

In an address given in 1842 to the Relief Society Joseph Smith said, “I am glad to have the opportunity of organizing the women, as a part of the priesthood belongs to them (Hanks).” It is amazing to think that upwards of 6 million or so women potentially gather on Sunday across the globe, following the sacrament meeting, for Relief Society within LDS churches – a kingdom of priestesses!

Polygamy

In popular culture many jokes about Mormons surround the once practiced doctrine of polygamy, or plural marriage. As I write these words a popular HBO TV drama called Big Love plays out one modern fundamentalist Mormon family’s trials and tribulations of one man who has three wives. The practice of polygamy within the church is a hot topic among Mormon and non Mormon scholars alike.

It seems that in the 1830’s Joseph Smith secretly began marrying women other than Emma, his first wife. It seems that at first at least, Emma did not know about this. Apparently the practice spread to other members of the church and led to difficulties in Kirtland, OH and later on in Nauvoo, IL, as non-Mormons in the area suffered from moral outrage (Toscano 250).

When the church split, the new LDS Prophet Brigham Young openly practiced polygamy and was even arrested on bigamy charges in 1863 (Toscano 250). Polygamy was widely practiced and even deemed necessary to attain the highest level of heaven at one point in LDS theology. In a general conference of the church on October 6, 1890 the practice was finally put to rest and outlawed. Some fundamentalists Mormon’s, the community of Hildale, Arizona for example, still practice polygamy. For the record, the Community of Christ has never practiced polygamy (www.cofc.org, Official website of the Community of Christ).

Polygamy seems a shocking and unacceptable practice by today’s standards. It seems demeaning to women – and many equate it to slavery. How could a church established on equality of women practice polygamy? Let’s first establish the difference between the practices of Joseph Smith and others who came later in church history.

Joseph Smith was sealed (a Mormon wedding practice which assures the couple will be together in the afterlife (www.lds.org, Official Website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)) to women who were already married and/or sealed to other men. This is not actually polygamy as we understand it today (multiple women married to one man) but is a form of plural marriage which consists of multiple people married to multiple people. It wasn’t until after Joseph’s death when the Saints had moved to Utah that they began practicing the type of polygamy they are infamous for, one man with multiple wives (some as many as forty as in the case of Brigham Young). These women were then not allowed to have other husbands.

What Joseph Smith practiced was not women-oppressing, multiple wife taking, female slavery. He did not even cohabitate with any of his plural wives. Furthermore, there are many examples in the bible of plural marriages, not just in the old testament but Mary, the mother of Jesus herself, conceived a child of God’s while married to Joseph (Toscano 250).

Many people in our culture practice what is known as serial monogamy. While having little tolerance for other marriage practices, we in the West, often get married, commit infidelity, divorce, separate and remarry. According to the anonymous author of the book Spiritual Polyamory (polyamory being a modern term to describe loving more than one person, at one time), the adaption of a more tribal marriage style encourages freedom, honesty, and self empowerment. Not relying on one person to make you whole, you instead rely upon yourself and your inner strength to contend with feelings of jealousy and lack of self worth (Spiritual Polyamory, author remains anonymous).

This type of multiple partnership has gained modern popularity. Articles and books on polyamory can be found, as well as support groups, websites and conferences. It is a lifestyle grounded in free choice and love. The movement even finds itself aligned with modern lifestyle revolutions such as the gay and lesbian movement and transgenderism (Spiritual Polyamory, author remains anonymous).

One can argue that what the LDS church practiced after Joseph’s death was not based in equality for women. Joseph Smith however obviously had no problem with his female partners having other male partners so the arrangement seems entirely equalitarian and not lacking for feminist approval. This is amazing and it is in keeping with the revolutionary aspect of Joseph’s attempt to further spirituality and restore old truths in the modern day.

Women in the priestood and Polgamy in early Mormonism

(Full bibliography available upon request)

Women in the Priesthood

To begin talking about the priesthood as it was given to women we must first speak to the Relief Society. The Relief Society was a group begun for women under the direction of Joseph Smith, Emma Smith and Eliza Snow. In their book, Strangers in Paradox, Margaret (a University of Utah professor) and her husband Paul Toscano, put forth the idea that the Relief Society was established as a way to begin to confer the priesthood to women.

The first Relief Society meeting took place on March 17th, 1842. It was at this meeting that Joseph explicitly compared the Relief Society to the ecclesiastical priesthood within the Mormon Church, which had already been established. Joseph wanted to elect a presidency within the Relief Society and ordain them. Emma was then elected the first president of the Relief Society (Toscano 182).

Emma was called the “elect lady” by Joseph and he said that Emma’s election fulfilled the promise of Doctrine and Covenants 25 (scriptures within the LDS theology considered the word of God given to Joseph Smith through revelation). By reading D & C 25 this means that Emma was; “ordained under his hand to expound scriptures and to exhort the Church according as it shall be given thee by my spirit (Toscano 182-183).”

D & C 25 goes on to say that “he shall lay his hands upon thee, and thou shalt receive the Holy Ghost…” Which means that Emma and other women within the LDS church, and more specifically the Relief Society, are called through the churches founding prophet by the word of God (Spirit) - to expound upon scriptures, teach, learn and write by the fact that they have received the gift of the Holy Ghost (Toscano 182-183).

Joseph Smith spoke to women and the priesthood on a number of occasions, all of which I will not be covering here, but I will give a few more of my favorite examples. In his April 28th of 1842 discourse, Joseph Smith directly spoke to the relationship of women of the priesthood (Toscano 184).

You see at this point women had been giving blessing to each other and many male church members felt that this was wrong because blessings and priesthood were solely within the male domain. In reply to this objection Joseph said that women had the right to administer to the sick because of their ordination and authority they received through the Holy Ghost. He quoted Mark 16:16-18 and explained that casting out of devils, speaking in tongues, laying on of hands are given to all either male or female (Toscano 184).

He continued by saying, “…wherein they are ordained, it is a privilege of those set apart to administer in that authority which is conferr’d on them – and if the sisters should have faith to heal the sick, let all hold their tongues , and let every thing roll on (Toscano 184)”

Joseph had further justification for women’s authority to heal the sick. He said that soon women would have an even greater right to administer in spiritual gifts. He said that he was “turning the key” to them by revelation. He said that, “the time had not been before that these things could be in their proper order – that the Church is not now organiz’d in its proper order and cannot be until the Temple is completed (Toscano 185).”

At that time Joseph was hurrying to finish the Temple in Nauvoo since he had premonitions of his own death. He seemed to be grooming the Relief Society to raise women up to the level of priesthood so that they could fulfill the “will of God” when the Temple was completed. Joseph often referred to delivering the “keys” to the Relief Society which is very significant because in Mormon scriptures and theology the term “keys” implies priesthood rights and presiding authority (Toscano 185).

It’s important to take a moment here to pause and reflect on the seriousness of what Joseph was trying to do. From its beginnings, Mormonism has been a religion of restoration - trying to restore the true church, the true word of God, on earth. It seems that Joseph was called by the Spirit of God to very carefully lay a foundation whereby God was gradually giving women the priesthood.

Why is that if he wanted women to be priestesses he didn’t just come out and announce it to the world? We must think in terms of the 1800’s and the mindset of the time. Women did not have any rights then at all. They were seen by most as subhuman. They did not have the right to an education, they did not have the vote and they certainly did not hold religious positions – in fact, it was thought by some that women did not even have souls.

How radical a notion it would have been to give women the priesthood! Can you imagine how hard it would have been to just come out and declare it? So, in my opinion, Joseph was smart. He worked a little at a time. He set up the Relief Society, he argued for their right to heal the sick and confer blessings upon one another. He made speeches were he said he was about to turn the keys of the priesthood to them.
In the D & C 113 Joseph said that Zion cannot be strong until women were restored as equals (Hanks). We also find church history manuscripts which say that Joseph spoke about showing how the sisters of the church would come into the possession, blessings and privileges and gifts of the priesthood (Toscano 186).

My personal favorite reference to the priestesshood that Joseph was known to have said comes from an account given by Bathsheba W. Smith of Joseph addressing the Relief Society. She writes that Joseph, “wanted to make us, as the women were in Paul’s day, ‘a Kingdom of Priestesses (Toscano 183-184).’”

In an address given in 1842 to the Relief Society Joseph Smith said, “I am glad to have the opportunity of organizing the women, as a part of the priesthood belongs to them (Hanks).” It is amazing to think that upwards of 6 million or so women potentially gather on Sunday across the globe, following the sacrament meeting, for Relief Society within LDS churches – a kingdom of priestesses!

Polygamy

In popular culture many jokes about Mormons surround the once practiced doctrine of polygamy, or plural marriage. As I write these words a popular HBO TV drama called Big Love plays out one modern fundamentalist Mormon family’s trials and tribulations of one man who has three wives. The practice of polygamy within the church is a hot topic among Mormon and non Mormon scholars alike.

It seems that in the 1830’s Joseph Smith secretly began marrying women other than Emma, his first wife. It seems that at first at least, Emma did not know about this. Apparently the practice spread to other members of the church and led to difficulties in Kirtland, OH and later on in Nauvoo, IL, as non-Mormons in the area suffered from moral outrage (Toscano 250).

When the church split, the new LDS Prophet Brigham Young openly practiced polygamy and was even arrested on bigamy charges in 1863 (Toscano 250). Polygamy was widely practiced and even deemed necessary to attain the highest level of heaven at one point in LDS theology. In a general conference of the church on October 6, 1890 the practice was finally put to rest and outlawed. Some fundamentalists Mormon’s, the community of Hildale, Arizona for example, still practice polygamy. For the record, the Community of Christ has never practiced polygamy (www.cofc.org, Official website of the Community of Christ).

Polygamy seems a shocking and unacceptable practice by today’s standards. It seems demeaning to women – and many equate it to slavery. How could a church established on equality of women practice polygamy? Let’s first establish the difference between the practices of Joseph Smith and others who came later in church history.

Joseph Smith was sealed (a Mormon wedding practice which assures the couple will be together in the afterlife (www.lds.org, Official Website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)) to women who were already married and/or sealed to other men. This is not actually polygamy as we understand it today (multiple women married to one man) but is a form of plural marriage which consists of multiple people married to multiple people. It wasn’t until after Joseph’s death when the Saints had moved to Utah that they began practicing the type of polygamy they are infamous for, one man with multiple wives (some as many as forty as in the case of Brigham Young). These women were then not allowed to have other husbands.

What Joseph Smith practiced was not women-oppressing, multiple wife taking, female slavery. He did not even cohabitate with any of his plural wives. Furthermore, there are many examples in the bible of plural marriages, not just in the old testament but Mary, the mother of Jesus herself, conceived a child of God’s while married to Joseph (Toscano 250).

Many people in our culture practice what is known as serial monogamy. While having little tolerance for other marriage practices, we in the West, often get married, commit infidelity, divorce, separate and remarry. According to the anonymous author of the book Spiritual Polyamory (polyamory being a modern term to describe loving more than one person, at one time), the adaption of a more tribal marriage style encourages freedom, honesty, and self empowerment. Not relying on one person to make you whole, you instead rely upon yourself and your inner strength to contend with feelings of jealousy and lack of self worth (Spiritual Polyamory, author remains anonymous).

This type of multiple partnership has gained modern popularity. Articles and books on polyamory can be found, as well as support groups, websites and conferences. It is a lifestyle grounded in free choice and love. The movement even finds itself aligned with modern lifestyle revolutions such as the gay and lesbian movement and transgenderism (Spiritual Polyamory, author remains anonymous).

One can argue that what the LDS church practiced after Joseph’s death was not based in equality for women. Joseph Smith however obviously had no problem with his female partners having other male partners so the arrangement seems entirely equalitarian and not lacking for feminist approval. This is amazing and it is in keeping with the revolutionary aspect of Joseph’s attempt to further spirituality and restore old truths in the modern day.

Sometimes I wish people would just think...

When I blog I feel like I'm opening up my home and my life to my readers. I really do. What I post is raw and it's me. It's very personal. You don't have to agree with me, it would be a very boring place if we were all alike. When it somes to politics I'm passionate and I don't mind a passionate response. When the Ron Paulers slam me I just sigh and wonder why they think they'll convince me about Ron Paul by calling me names. Yeah, that kind of behavior will make me see the "light" of Ron Paul.

If you were in my house and saw a "Go, Kucinich" poster you might say "Oh, I'm supporting so n' so because of this or that." It's all cool. But if you saw a cross or star of David, Buddha stature or other religious icon, symbol or other statement of belief or faith would you start telling me I'm wrong?

Some people would. Some people would rail on me, telling me I'm going to hell (and I've had people do that to me in my home and on my blog) but more offensive then that is to take my beliefs and tell me I'm just plain wrong and then assume I'm wrong because I must not have educated myself.

Ugh!

First off I don't want pull my degree cred but at this point I have to whip out the fact that I have a very hard earned Master's Degree in Women's Spirituality and half of my thesis was on my beliefs regarding Mormonism. I'm educated OK, I haven't somehow missed the opinion of the larger LDS church.

That having been said....


Don't you hate it when someone says something really judgemental or offensive and then they try to write it off with "I wasn't trying to be offensive, it wasn't my intention." In such a flip manner? Ugh. It gets to me.

When you take an aspect of someone's spiritual beliefs and say they aren't true and then post this on their blog what are you trying to do if not offend?

Would anyone reading this think of posting "Oh, Jesus wasn't really the son of God, he was a nice guy but not the son of God" on a Christian's blog? No. And why? Because it's offensive.


So if you're intention is never to offend just simply think before you rail on someones spiritual beliefs on their own site, please. Regardless of your intention, it IS judgemental and offensive.

I know many people don't think they are being offesive when they really are and I've certainly stuck my foot in my mouth more than a time or two - but just learn, apologize and go on with life - OK.

I accidently offended a friend of mine once a few years back by making an assumption regarding part of her belief structure. When I realized I hurt her I wrote a letter to her apologizing. I would never ave just written it off as "I didn't meant o offend." Because I adnb't meant to offend but I still DID.

Whatever you do don't just say "I wasn't trying to offend..." and dissregard it when you trash someone's spiritual beliefs.

OK, so I don't want to harp on this so that's all I'll say.

Sometimes I wish people would just think...

When I blog I feel like I'm opening up my home and my life to my readers. I really do. What I post is raw and it's me. It's very personal. You don't have to agree with me, it would be a very boring place if we were all alike. When it somes to politics I'm passionate and I don't mind a passionate response. When the Ron Paulers slam me I just sigh and wonder why they think they'll convince me about Ron Paul by calling me names. Yeah, that kind of behavior will make me see the "light" of Ron Paul.

If you were in my house and saw a "Go, Kucinich" poster you might say "Oh, I'm supporting so n' so because of this or that." It's all cool. But if you saw a cross or star of David, Buddha stature or other religious icon, symbol or other statement of belief or faith would you start telling me I'm wrong?

Some people would. Some people would rail on me, telling me I'm going to hell (and I've had people do that to me in my home and on my blog) but more offensive then that is to take my beliefs and tell me I'm just plain wrong and then assume I'm wrong because I must not have educated myself.

Ugh!

First off I don't want pull my degree cred but at this point I have to whip out the fact that I have a very hard earned Master's Degree in Women's Spirituality and half of my thesis was on my beliefs regarding Mormonism. I'm educated OK, I haven't somehow missed the opinion of the larger LDS church.

That having been said....


Don't you hate it when someone says something really judgemental or offensive and then they try to write it off with "I wasn't trying to be offensive, it wasn't my intention." In such a flip manner? Ugh. It gets to me.

When you take an aspect of someone's spiritual beliefs and say they aren't true and then post this on their blog what are you trying to do if not offend?

Would anyone reading this think of posting "Oh, Jesus wasn't really the son of God, he was a nice guy but not the son of God" on a Christian's blog? No. And why? Because it's offensive.


So if you're intention is never to offend just simply think before you rail on someones spiritual beliefs on their own site, please. Regardless of your intention, it IS judgemental and offensive.

I know many people don't think they are being offesive when they really are and I've certainly stuck my foot in my mouth more than a time or two - but just learn, apologize and go on with life - OK.

I accidently offended a friend of mine once a few years back by making an assumption regarding part of her belief structure. When I realized I hurt her I wrote a letter to her apologizing. I would never ave just written it off as "I didn't meant o offend." Because I adnb't meant to offend but I still DID.

Whatever you do don't just say "I wasn't trying to offend..." and dissregard it when you trash someone's spiritual beliefs.

OK, so I don't want to harp on this so that's all I'll say.

FAQ: Home School

Proverbs 6:20-23: "My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life."

We mostly unschool with Waldorf inspiration. I write down my goals for the year, in each subject of study. Our subjects are currently: Writing/Reading, Math, Social Studies, Movement, Spanish, German, Politics, Science, Art and Spirituality.

Each day has a theme such as Math Monday, Musical Tuesday, Foreign Language Friday, etc. I record all the educational things we do (i.e. writing sentences, reading books, telling math gnome stories, reviewing the planets, visiting the museum, going to the park, etc.) Then I review what we've been doing along side my goals every few months and see where there's room for improvement (i.e. watching more Spanish movies, taking more field trips, reviewing division, etc)

We home school to avoid corporate and institutionalized influence on our children. We also believe education should happen in the home, in a multi-generational family setting with real world application and common sense.

In my opinion every girl should become educated. She should study art, literature, math, science, world cultures, etc. She should settle herself then in her faith and rooted in these two foundations go out into the world a strong wife, mother and home school teacher. Homeschool the revolution.

FAQ: Home School

Proverbs 6:20-23: "My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life."

We mostly unschool with Waldorf inspiration. I write down my goals for the year, in each subject of study. Our subjects are currently: Writing/Reading, Math, Social Studies, Movement, Spanish, German, Politics, Science, Art and Spirituality.

Each day has a theme such as Math Monday, Musical Tuesday, Foreign Language Friday, etc. I record all the educational things we do (i.e. writing sentences, reading books, telling math gnome stories, reviewing the planets, visiting the museum, going to the park, etc.) Then I review what we've been doing along side my goals every few months and see where there's room for improvement (i.e. watching more Spanish movies, taking more field trips, reviewing division, etc)

We home school to avoid corporate and institutionalized influence on our children. We also believe education should happen in the home, in a multi-generational family setting with real world application and common sense.

In my opinion every girl should become educated. She should study art, literature, math, science, world cultures, etc. She should settle herself then in her faith and rooted in these two foundations go out into the world a strong wife, mother and home school teacher. Homeschool the revolution.

Our Solstice Tree!

Our solstice tree went up today! I love the smell of pine. I remember being a little girl, walking past our Christmas tree and pausing to stick my whole head inside and just breathing. Ahhh... nothing else like it.

We put the tree up on the altar - the only place where Ronan couldn't reach the plugs for the lights. As you can see in this picture the our altar things are now around the base of the tree. Our Goddess statue, our tibeten Dakini, some sage, my healing stone, a wood box with a pentacle on it carved in Poland, my mom's jewlry box, my nana's angel, my midrashed Procliamation to the World, a dakini picture with a picture of Joseph and Emma at the bottom (behind that my B of M and bible), a candle, a medicine pouch from Peru, and other various sacred objects.





Too me the season starts with twinkly lights, it just can't start without them -after all that's what we're celebrating, the return of the light.





Hiding in out tree you'll find star babies





and faeries.

Blessings!

Our Solstice Tree!

Our solstice tree went up today! I love the smell of pine. I remember being a little girl, walking past our Christmas tree and pausing to stick my whole head inside and just breathing. Ahhh... nothing else like it.

We put the tree up on the altar - the only place where Ronan couldn't reach the plugs for the lights. As you can see in this picture the our altar things are now around the base of the tree. Our Goddess statue, our tibeten Dakini, some sage, my healing stone, a wood box with a pentacle on it carved in Poland, my mom's jewlry box, my nana's angel, my midrashed Procliamation to the World, a dakini picture with a picture of Joseph and Emma at the bottom (behind that my B of M and bible), a candle, a medicine pouch from Peru, and other various sacred objects.





Too me the season starts with twinkly lights, it just can't start without them -after all that's what we're celebrating, the return of the light.





Hiding in out tree you'll find star babies





and faeries.

Blessings!

::Classic Mother Lover Goddess::

The Red Sea as Goddess, 1 Nephi 2:5-16

((I know this post is only 2 months old so it's not totally classic but I love it so I wanted to re-post it since I haven't posted any Mor-gan stuff in a few weeks))


In this section of the Book of Mormon we find that Nephi is telling us the story of his father and how his father lead the family away from wickedness and into the wilderness - away from the city and into wild nature.

They made camp by the side of a river and built an altar of stones by the river and made offerings "unto the Lord and gave thanks unto the Lord our God." 1 Nephi 2: 7 (which I believe denotes the fact that the Book of Mormon points to ancestor worship as well as a pagan notion of many "Gods", God's of rivers, cities, the wildreness, etc)

Nephi's father Lehi then goes on to name the river they have camped by. He calls it Laman after his reluctant son who "murmurs" against him.

Now before I go on I need to stop and make an important point that the river we are talking about "emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea" 1 Nephi 2:9

According to Judy Grahn scholar and author of Blood, Bread and Roses; How Menstruation Created the World;

"As "bitter waters," Tiamat describes the salty nature of menstrual blood carried to its greatest earthly denominator, the sea. She is the Red Sea; the Arab name for the eastern shore of the Red Sea is Tihamat. She has been called "Ocean of Blood." Tiamat is menstruation externalized, a complex metaphor about the nature of the earth and other elements. In Egypt, she was Temu or Te Mut, oldest of deities. In Greek, her name is "Goddess Mother," in Latin dia mater. She is measurement/mother/originator by means of dia, two; that is to say, she is creation through separation. Her name is Diameter, horizon, the line that separates heaven and earth, sky and ocean (Grahn 14)."

So we see that this particular river that Lehi lead his family to, that he camped by, that he build an altar by and made offerings to his God by, emptied into the Red Sea, an ancient metaphor for the Goddess, for female energy, for the Earth Mother.

Lehi then says to his son Laman, "O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!" (1 Nephi 2:9)

This happens early on in the Book of Mormon, we are at this point only but a few scant pages in. This sets us up to see "righteousness" as equated with the giving of oneself into the Red Sea. Pouring all of one's energy and resources to the Red Sea.

Righteousness is that which flows toward water, menstruation, Earth, and Goddess.

This sets up an entire structure around the way we view the much talked about "righteousness" within the scriptures and within Mormon theaology (with an "a" for Thea - Goddess).

Choose the Right indeed!

::Classic Mother Lover Goddess::

The Red Sea as Goddess, 1 Nephi 2:5-16

((I know this post is only 2 months old so it's not totally classic but I love it so I wanted to re-post it since I haven't posted any Mor-gan stuff in a few weeks))


In this section of the Book of Mormon we find that Nephi is telling us the story of his father and how his father lead the family away from wickedness and into the wilderness - away from the city and into wild nature.

They made camp by the side of a river and built an altar of stones by the river and made offerings "unto the Lord and gave thanks unto the Lord our God." 1 Nephi 2: 7 (which I believe denotes the fact that the Book of Mormon points to ancestor worship as well as a pagan notion of many "Gods", God's of rivers, cities, the wildreness, etc)

Nephi's father Lehi then goes on to name the river they have camped by. He calls it Laman after his reluctant son who "murmurs" against him.

Now before I go on I need to stop and make an important point that the river we are talking about "emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea" 1 Nephi 2:9

According to Judy Grahn scholar and author of Blood, Bread and Roses; How Menstruation Created the World;

"As "bitter waters," Tiamat describes the salty nature of menstrual blood carried to its greatest earthly denominator, the sea. She is the Red Sea; the Arab name for the eastern shore of the Red Sea is Tihamat. She has been called "Ocean of Blood." Tiamat is menstruation externalized, a complex metaphor about the nature of the earth and other elements. In Egypt, she was Temu or Te Mut, oldest of deities. In Greek, her name is "Goddess Mother," in Latin dia mater. She is measurement/mother/originator by means of dia, two; that is to say, she is creation through separation. Her name is Diameter, horizon, the line that separates heaven and earth, sky and ocean (Grahn 14)."

So we see that this particular river that Lehi lead his family to, that he camped by, that he build an altar by and made offerings to his God by, emptied into the Red Sea, an ancient metaphor for the Goddess, for female energy, for the Earth Mother.

Lehi then says to his son Laman, "O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!" (1 Nephi 2:9)

This happens early on in the Book of Mormon, we are at this point only but a few scant pages in. This sets us up to see "righteousness" as equated with the giving of oneself into the Red Sea. Pouring all of one's energy and resources to the Red Sea.

Righteousness is that which flows toward water, menstruation, Earth, and Goddess.

This sets up an entire structure around the way we view the much talked about "righteousness" within the scriptures and within Mormon theaology (with an "a" for Thea - Goddess).

Choose the Right indeed!

Another Way for NHL Patients To Fight for RIT Drugs

I'm posting this e-mail message here as a public service to other patients with forms of NHL that are potentially treatable with the radioimmunotherapy (RIT) drugs Bexxar and Zevalin. Betsy de Parry, a lymphoma survivor and activist, is inviting comments on her blog, which lobbyists in Washington can use to tell Congress about real cases like ours. If you have NHL and are concerned about the possible disappearance of RIT drugs like these, please visit Betsy's blog and post a brief comment there, including basic details of your situation.

(Scroll down to my November 14th entry for more on this issue. I'm including another link to the Newsweek article by Jonathan Alter, that explains this complex issue. CLICK HERE for that article.)

Thanks!

***

Hi All,

As you all know by now, Bexxar and Zevalin are seriously threated. I've been talking, almost daily, with lobbyists in Washington who are working to have the ruling overturned, and they are telling me that hearing from patients is helping them to convince the staffers. They suggested posting a blog and asking people to make comments which they could then print and take to their meetings.

Thus - if any of you want to voice your opinion - short and sweet is fine - you can do so on my blog which is at www.lymphomablog.blogspot.com

We have very little time to accomplish this mission - if the ruling is not overturned by 12/31, it takes effect on January 1. So, language has to be written into a bill which then has to pass before 12/31. Let's hope that push/pull/shove politics doesn't stand in our way.

Thanks so much,

Betsy

P.S. Ok, this is a long shot, but several people, including senator's offices, have said that good old-fashioned protests work because the press usually picks up the story - and what could be more heartbreaking than cancer patients pleading for drugs to save their lives? Karl Schwartz is organizing one for next Thursday in front of Senator Specter's office in Pennsylvania. Does anybody want to think about going to Lansing and protesting in front of Stabenow's office? I'll do it if at least 9 or 10 others want to join. Or in any of your own states?

Willits Council supports ban on plastic carryout bags

Council supports ban on plastic carryout bags
By Linda Williams/TWN Staff Writer
Article Launched: 11/23/2007 10:47:44 AM PST

Plastic carryout bags will be banned throughout Mendocino County if the sentiment of the Willits City Council is echoed by other county jurisdictions.

Mayor Tami Jorgensen requested input from citizens and the council prior to the vote. Willits was the first county jurisdiction to discuss carryout bags as an agenda item. The Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority will likely wait to vote on the ban until early 2008, after all other jurisdictions in the county have reviewed the issue.

Members of the public who spoke at the council meeting supported a future ban, although Lynn Kennelly of the Willits Chamber of Commerce requested businesses be given time to transition to the new requirement.

A Pine Mountain resident spoke of his constant efforts to remove litter from the area, citing three areas in particular where the flimsy bags tended to congregate. Others spoke of the desire for everyone to transition to reusable bags. One person wrote a letter to the council, describing creeks in the area after winter rains being festooned with the bags. Gerry Ward of Solid Wastes of Willits advised one council member that he supported a ban; the plastic bags fouled machinery and were major nuisances when placed in recycle containers.

Most of the discussions by the council centered on global issues associated with the plastic bags. Allowing retailers to charge customers a fee of 10 to 12 cents for each paper bag used to recover their increased costs was considered a reasonable future step.

If MSMWA votes to support the proposed countywide ban on plastic carryout bags in early 2008, the next steps will be to pass ordinances at the county level and within each city to make it the law in Mendocino County.

Willits Council supports ban on plastic carryout bags

Council supports ban on plastic carryout bags
By Linda Williams/TWN Staff Writer
Article Launched: 11/23/2007 10:47:44 AM PST

Plastic carryout bags will be banned throughout Mendocino County if the sentiment of the Willits City Council is echoed by other county jurisdictions.

Mayor Tami Jorgensen requested input from citizens and the council prior to the vote. Willits was the first county jurisdiction to discuss carryout bags as an agenda item. The Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority will likely wait to vote on the ban until early 2008, after all other jurisdictions in the county have reviewed the issue.

Members of the public who spoke at the council meeting supported a future ban, although Lynn Kennelly of the Willits Chamber of Commerce requested businesses be given time to transition to the new requirement.

A Pine Mountain resident spoke of his constant efforts to remove litter from the area, citing three areas in particular where the flimsy bags tended to congregate. Others spoke of the desire for everyone to transition to reusable bags. One person wrote a letter to the council, describing creeks in the area after winter rains being festooned with the bags. Gerry Ward of Solid Wastes of Willits advised one council member that he supported a ban; the plastic bags fouled machinery and were major nuisances when placed in recycle containers.

Most of the discussions by the council centered on global issues associated with the plastic bags. Allowing retailers to charge customers a fee of 10 to 12 cents for each paper bag used to recover their increased costs was considered a reasonable future step.

If MSMWA votes to support the proposed countywide ban on plastic carryout bags in early 2008, the next steps will be to pass ordinances at the county level and within each city to make it the law in Mendocino County.

Most Flu Vaccines Contain Mercury

From Organic Bytes:

Most Flu Vaccines Contain Mercury

Flu season is right around the corner. Although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that almost everyone, including pregnant women, get flu vaccinations, few of the 130 million people receiving this vaccination each year realize that most flu shots contain harmful dosages of mercury.

About 80% of all flu shots distributed in the United States contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal. According to health officials, people getting flu-shots need to request a thimerosal-free vaccination. These vaccines cost roughly $4 more to manufacture and distribute.
Learn more: www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_8370.cfm
Quick Related Quote & Facts:

Hypodermic needleQuote: "There's no conclusive scientific evidence that the amount of mercury one might get from a flu shot is linked with any neurological development outcome that's negative." - Jeanne Santoli, deputy director of immunization services division for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Fact: A typical flu shot contains 50,000 parts per billion of mercury.

Fact: The EPA classifies a liquid with 200 parts per billion of mercury as hazardous waste.

Fact: The legal "safe" limit for mercury in drinking water is 2 parts per billion

Fact: For each flu-shot, a 22-pound baby gets more than 25 times the amount of mercury considered safe. And doctors are recommending that many babies and children get two flu shots this season.

Fact: A material safety data sheet from Eli Lilly and Co., a former producer of flu vaccines, says exposure to thimerosal may include "fetal changes, decreased offspring survival and lung tissue changes. Exposure in utero and in children may cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination impairment."

Most Flu Vaccines Contain Mercury

From Organic Bytes:

Most Flu Vaccines Contain Mercury

Flu season is right around the corner. Although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that almost everyone, including pregnant women, get flu vaccinations, few of the 130 million people receiving this vaccination each year realize that most flu shots contain harmful dosages of mercury.

About 80% of all flu shots distributed in the United States contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal. According to health officials, people getting flu-shots need to request a thimerosal-free vaccination. These vaccines cost roughly $4 more to manufacture and distribute.
Learn more: www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_8370.cfm
Quick Related Quote & Facts:

Hypodermic needleQuote: "There's no conclusive scientific evidence that the amount of mercury one might get from a flu shot is linked with any neurological development outcome that's negative." - Jeanne Santoli, deputy director of immunization services division for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Fact: A typical flu shot contains 50,000 parts per billion of mercury.

Fact: The EPA classifies a liquid with 200 parts per billion of mercury as hazardous waste.

Fact: The legal "safe" limit for mercury in drinking water is 2 parts per billion

Fact: For each flu-shot, a 22-pound baby gets more than 25 times the amount of mercury considered safe. And doctors are recommending that many babies and children get two flu shots this season.

Fact: A material safety data sheet from Eli Lilly and Co., a former producer of flu vaccines, says exposure to thimerosal may include "fetal changes, decreased offspring survival and lung tissue changes. Exposure in utero and in children may cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination impairment."

November 24, 2007 - Tree Farm

This afternoon, we pile into the car with various family members and drive to Conover’s Christmas Tree Farm in Wall Township, to pick out our tree for this year. Besides Claire and myself, it’s Ania (visiting from California for the Thanksgiving holiday); Claire’s brother Victor and his two kids, Chelsea and Nick; and our niece, Elizabeth, who lives with us.

We’re not going to bring a tree home today. We’ll wait till it’s closer to Christmas. By going out now, though, we can tag ourselves a good one, and know it will be ready for us as the holiday grows closer.

Eventually, our tree will sit off to one side of the Manse living room, where it will be ready for the youth-group Christmas carolers to sit around, when they return for hot chocolate after singing for some of our church’s homebound members. It will be the centerpiece of our family Christmas celebration too, of course.

It’s an ideal day – sunny, not too cold. We walk up and down amongst the rows of trees, searching out the ones that still display the two-part paper tags indicating they’re unclaimed. After a good bit of walking, we call everyone together for a consultation, settle on a tree that seems tall enough and full enough, then tear off the lower portion of the tag.

It’s interesting to observe the differing sizes of trees. Here and there you can see where the farmers planted a row of 6 or 8 trees of one particular type, that are of similar heights. Other places, you can see where a tree has been cut down in the past year or two, and has been replaced with a seedling.

This is not a business for people who thrive on instant gratification. To operate a Christmas tree farm, you’ve definitely got to take the long-term view. Evergreens are comparatively fast-growing trees, but still it takes 6 or 8 years before they grow big enough to grace someone’s living room. Most other agricultural operations have an annual harvest. In the Christmas-tree business, you plant your seedlings, then you watch and wait.

I’m learning to take a big-picture view with my cancer treatment, as well. My indolent cancer cells are growing, but slowly (or perhaps, with the “stable” results from my last CT scan, they’ve plateaued for a little while). There’s a part of me that wishes for a swifter resolution, in the form of some immediate treatment, but that’s not going to happen. Beating this thing is a long-term proposition. Like tree farmers, we’ve got to think in terms of years.

For today, though, it’s a nice outing with the family. A little normalcy. Life is good.

Ron Paulers Have No Excuse

Today on Alternet.org they posted a video of Elizabeth Kucinich (which they don't link so I can't repost) and she stated not only would Dennis consider running with Ron Paul but that Dennis and her are in favor of changing the monetary system AND re-opening the investigation on 911!

Now
I already knew this but for all the Ron Paul supports that say Ron's
racists border policies, anti-choice* policies and anti gay rights
policies can be OVERLOOKED because he will bring back the real dollar
and investigate 911 have no
excuse
to still back him when they KNOW that Dennis will do the same thing AND
deal fairly with immigration, abortion and support gay rights.

*I want to make clear, again, my stance on abortion since I get slammed
for it every time I post on Ron Paul. I am personally, pro life. I
think life begins a month or so after conception. I think that herbs
that induce your first period is not an abortion but anything past that
is and is murder. NOW I say that knowing that I personally cannot impose
my spiritual beliefs on other people and that they have a right to draw
their own conclusions about their body. That having been said I believe
that abortion hurts women and kills children and that if more people
were educated as to the processes of human life (i.e. how early the
heart beats, etc) they would not choose abortion and I support every
effort to EDUCATE people to make informed choices. I ALSO (unlike many
conservatives) support sex education. There should be a free condom
stand and sex education booth on every street corner open 24/7. Wesould shut down all the mini marts selling twinkies
and shit and stock them with free birth control and birth control
information. If I was Queen of the world, that's what I would do. So
RonPaulers don't post on here calling me a baby killer or any shit like that because I believe that education will make abortion unnecessary and there's no reason to make it illegal. Are we clear?


My Source:

Elizabeth Kucinich: My Husband Would "Absolutely" Consider Running With Ron Paul [VIDEO]
Posted by Adam Howard, AlterNet on November 24, 2007 at 6:21 AM.

The video to your right was shot backstage after the Democratic debate in Las Vegas. In this segment Dennis Kucinich's wife Elizabeth talks about being open minded to teaming up with Ron Paul but also talks about how in a Kucinich administration the investigation into what happened on 9/11 would be reopened. Click on the video to your right for more.

Ron Paulers Have No Excuse

Today on Alternet.org they posted a video of Elizabeth Kucinich (which they don't link so I can't repost) and she stated not only would Dennis consider running with Ron Paul but that Dennis and her are in favor of changing the monetary system AND re-opening the investigation on 911!

Now
I already knew this but for all the Ron Paul supports that say Ron's
racists border policies, anti-choice* policies and anti gay rights
policies can be OVERLOOKED because he will bring back the real dollar
and investigate 911 have no
excuse
to still back him when they KNOW that Dennis will do the same thing AND
deal fairly with immigration, abortion and support gay rights.

*I want to make clear, again, my stance on abortion since I get slammed
for it every time I post on Ron Paul. I am personally, pro life. I
think life begins a month or so after conception. I think that herbs
that induce your first period is not an abortion but anything past that
is and is murder. NOW I say that knowing that I personally cannot impose
my spiritual beliefs on other people and that they have a right to draw
their own conclusions about their body. That having been said I believe
that abortion hurts women and kills children and that if more people
were educated as to the processes of human life (i.e. how early the
heart beats, etc) they would not choose abortion and I support every
effort to EDUCATE people to make informed choices. I ALSO (unlike many
conservatives) support sex education. There should be a free condom
stand and sex education booth on every street corner open 24/7. Wesould shut down all the mini marts selling twinkies
and shit and stock them with free birth control and birth control
information. If I was Queen of the world, that's what I would do. So
RonPaulers don't post on here calling me a baby killer or any shit like that because I believe that education will make abortion unnecessary and there's no reason to make it illegal. Are we clear?


My Source:

Elizabeth Kucinich: My Husband Would "Absolutely" Consider Running With Ron Paul [VIDEO]
Posted by Adam Howard, AlterNet on November 24, 2007 at 6:21 AM.

The video to your right was shot backstage after the Democratic debate in Las Vegas. In this segment Dennis Kucinich's wife Elizabeth talks about being open minded to teaming up with Ron Paul but also talks about how in a Kucinich administration the investigation into what happened on 9/11 would be reopened. Click on the video to your right for more.

We give thanks for our land

Today, the day after thanksgiving, we went up to pick mushrooms on the family land. I'm so stoked about this place you can't even imagin. Seth and I are trying to work out a way to move up there as soon as we can - in the meantime we will have to be content with visitation periods, easy since it's only a half hour away.





We picked mushrooms, coccoras mostly. Nykki loves to find and clean them of, carfully pulling of the universal veil tissue. He looks for bumps in the ground and runs for them, brushing off the dirt to reveal the mushroom growing beneath he helps us look for "walky talky mushrooms" (his way of saying matsutaki mushrooms).



I did some tree huggin'



We spelled out Love with pine cones.



And Nykki practiced his letters - unschooling in the forest.



Truly a sacred place.....

We give thanks for our land

Today, the day after thanksgiving, we went up to pick mushrooms on the family land. I'm so stoked about this place you can't even imagin. Seth and I are trying to work out a way to move up there as soon as we can - in the meantime we will have to be content with visitation periods, easy since it's only a half hour away.





We picked mushrooms, coccoras mostly. Nykki loves to find and clean them of, carfully pulling of the universal veil tissue. He looks for bumps in the ground and runs for them, brushing off the dirt to reveal the mushroom growing beneath he helps us look for "walky talky mushrooms" (his way of saying matsutaki mushrooms).



I did some tree huggin'



We spelled out Love with pine cones.



And Nykki practiced his letters - unschooling in the forest.



Truly a sacred place.....

Dennis Feeds the Turkies

While the other canidates no doubt took part in ritual animal slaughter, Dennis made a stop on Thanksgiving to feed some turkies. Nykki and I got to do this a few thanksgivings ago and it was so powerful to able to take part in such a peaceful act.

Vegan Dennis for President!

Dennis Feeds the Turkies

While the other canidates no doubt took part in ritual animal slaughter, Dennis made a stop on Thanksgiving to feed some turkies. Nykki and I got to do this a few thanksgivings ago and it was so powerful to able to take part in such a peaceful act.

Vegan Dennis for President!

For Non Homeschoolers

I got this off of Islamic Homeschool Diary http://islamic-homeschool.blogspot.com/

*1 - Please stop asking us if it’s legal. If it is - and it is - it’s
insulting to imply that we’re criminals. And if we were criminals, would we
admit it?

*2 - Learn what the words “socialize” and “socialization” mean, and use the
one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now.
Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means
having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly.
If you’re talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go
outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you
can safely assume that we’ve got a decent grasp of both concepts.

*3 - Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir
practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H
club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to
socialize.

*4 - Don’t assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the
same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.

*5 - If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either
on the news or on a “reality” show, the above goes double.

*6 - Please stop telling us horror stories about the homeschoolers you know,
know of, or think you might know who ruined their lives by homeschooling.
You’re probably the same little bluebird of happiness whose hobby is running
up to pregnant women and inducing premature labour by telling them every
ghastly birth story you’ve ever heard. We all hate you, so please go away.

*7 - We don’t look horrified and start quizzing your kids when we hear
they’re in public school. Please stop drilling our children like potential
oil fields to see if we’re doing what you consider an adequate job of
homeschooling.

*8 - Stop assuming all homeschoolers are religious.

*9 - Stop assuming that if we’re religious, we must be homeschooling for
religious reasons.

*10 - We didn’t go through all the reading, learning, thinking, weighing of
options, experimenting, and worrying that goes into homeschooling just to
annoy you. Really. This was a deeply personal decision, tailored to the
specifics of our family. Stop taking the bare fact of our being
homeschoolers as either an affront or a judgment about your own educational
decisions.

*11 - Please stop questioning my competency and demanding to see my
credentials. I didn’t have to complete a course in catering to successfully
cook dinner for my family; I don’t need a degree in teaching to educate my
children. If spending at least twelve years in the kind of
chew-it-up-and-spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left
me with so little information in my memory banks that I can’t teach the
basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there’s a
reason I’m so reluctant to send my child to school.

*12 - If my kid’s only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can
possibly teach him what he’d learn in school, please understand that you’re
calling me an idiot. Don’t act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.

*13 - Stop assuming that because the word “home” is right there in
“homeschool,” we never leave the house. We’re the ones who go to the
amusement parks, museums, and zoos in the middle of the week and in the
off-season and laugh at you because you have to go on weekends and holidays
when it’s crowded and icky.

*14 - Stop assuming that because the word “school” is right there in
homeschool, we must sit around at a desk for six or eight hours every day,
just like your kid does. Even if we’re into the “school” side of education -
and many of us prefer a more organic approach - we can burn through a lot of
material a lot more efficiently, because we don’t have to gear our lessons
to the lowest common denominator.

*15 - Stop asking, “But what about the Prom?” Even if the idea that my kid
might not be able to indulge in a night of over-hyped, over-priced revelry
was enough to break my heart, plenty of kids who do go to school don’t get
to go to the Prom. For all you know, I’m one of them. I might still be
bitter about it. So go be shallow somewhere else.

*16 - Don’t ask my kid if she wouldn’t rather go to school unless you don’t
mind if I ask your kid if he wouldn’t rather stay home and get some sleep
now and then.

*17 - Stop saying, “Oh, I could never homeschool!” Even if you think it’s
some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you’re horrified. One of these
days, I won’t bother disagreeing with you any more.

*18 - If you can remember anything from chemistry or calculus class, you’re
allowed to ask how we’ll teach these subjects to our kids. If you can’t,
thank you for the reassurance that we couldn’t possibly do a worse job than
your teachers did, and might even do a better one.

*19 - Stop asking about how hard it must be to be my child’s teacher as well
as her parent. I don’t see much difference between bossing my kid around
academically and bossing him around the way I do about everything else.

*20 - Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing, aggressive, anxious, quiet,
boisterous, argumentative, pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny, or loud because
he’s home schooled. It’s not fair that all the kids who go to school can be
as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of
anything but childhood.

*21 - Quit assuming that my kid must be some kind of prodigy because she’s
homeschooled.

*22 - Quit assuming that I must be some kind of prodigy because I homeschool
my kids.

*23 - Quit assuming that I must be some kind of saint because I homeschool
my kids.

*24 - Stop talking about all the great childhood memories my kids won’t get
because they don’t go to school, unless you want me to start asking about
all the not-so-great childhood memories you have because you went to school.

*25 - Here’s a thought: If you can’t say something nice about homeschooling,
shut up!