Old Houses Smell Funny

At least ours does.  Part of it is Sophie (the dog).  She has a malady called Black Skin Disease, and one of the results of this is not only an ugly mangy looking dog, but a dog that smells Really Bad.  The past few days I've put her doggy bed out on the back porch (it's plenty nice out there), and we've shampooed her with a new product, something that's suppose to cut this problem (it also claims to work on cats and horses).  My optimism far out weighed the actual results-- she still smells, though she might not scratch as much.

Then there's the house cats and their litter boxes, which is still better than the dog.  There's that Musty-Old-House-Basement smell; and there's the pungent good Old-Wood smell; and the Old-Insulation aroma; and probably Mice (though I'm not going to blame the one mouse we see on a regular basis (the House Mouse, who's getting tame!), but I will blame the mice we probably don't see in the walls.  Once there was something Really Heavy bumping along the floor, up in the attic, across the living room ceiling, but no one wanted to climb the ladder in the kitchen closet and stick their head up through the opening in the floor-- no one was brave enough.  We surmised that it was either 1)  a raccoon  2)  a big possum or 3)  some Paranormal Something that should just stay where it was.  (This was shortly after we watched the movie, The Grudge, for the first time, so imaginations were running on high-- remember the attic scene?)

I burn incense, buy lots of air freshener (Glade's "lavender/vanilla" being my favorite), burn scented candles, and go through lots and lots of Febreeze. 

Sometimes it seems to help, and sometimes-- not so much.



Don't let appearances fool you, this house smells funny.


 

Home School Kidz, Part 2

 

The Scott Aquarium

 

The Scott Aquarium is visually overwhelming; I'm going to mostly just let the photos speak for themselves.  People find the Undersea Tunnel fascinating, and you'll see individuals just sitting quietly in awe.  It's actually very peaceful:

 

Mermaids! 
(Sara & Emma)

 



You get the opportunity to touch!!  The girls were chicken, but Joe was more than willing.  He said the creature he's touching here was "spikey & sharp".

Shark!

It gives me a funny feeling in the tunnel at first, but it's cool.  There is constant movement within the tank, it seems, and people's voices murmuring and chattering, all echoing in the tunnel.  And it can be very crowded!

This is one Big eel.
 

 We are such wimps-- we go through two exhibits and stagger out to the tables for a Sugar Fix.  We brought our own drinks and snacks, which Joe had been toting all through the zoo in a black backpack.  One thing about the zoo food-- it's outrageously expensive, and it's not all that good.  My advice...bring your own, which you see people do all the time.
 

Yes! Home School Kidz Do Stuff

The Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha NE

I've been a stay-at-home home-schooling mother for over 20 years.  I started out all super serious and scared to death that I wouldn't teach my kids everything they need to know, or teach them the "right" way-- whatever I thought "right" meant.  I have to say that I was a hard taskmaster with my first three kids and have been much more laid back and easy on the youngest three, which I'm reminded of periodically by the Older Ones.

I have realized over the years that everyone learns differently, not everyone is going to be A+ material in every subject. I've learned that everyone finds their niche, what they're good at.  I've learned that if you turn a kid loose with a question or an obsession, they will read and learn and absorb almost everything there is to read and learn and absorb about a topic. 

The most important thing I've learned is that "Learning is Natural", so stand back, give the kid some space, and let them do what comes naturally.  (Wow, I'm rather proud of this paragraph-- I didn't realize, till I read it, how progressive I've become over the years.)

Anyway, in answer to all those people who ask, Yes! Home School Kids Do Stuff.

This is our September Field Trip to Henry Doorly Zoo...

Home School Kidz, Part 1
The Butterfly Exhibit

The first snap of the shutter-- the wings were closed.

Second snap of the shutter-- the wings were open.

Third snap of the shutter-- the wings were closed.

We heard this bird long before we saw her.

 

 

Going through the exhibit is like entering another world-- it's a beautiful green lush jungle filled with butterflies.  You have to be careful where you step; you have to allow them to land where they will; you have to give them the right of way.  When you leave, you also have to check for hitchhikers!

 

There were other exhibits to go along with it, including an insect area, as well as mounted butterflies, and a view into the Lab.  It's way cool-- though the insect side might be a little intense if you don't like Creepy Crawlies (including spiders).

Mama and Emma

Papa and Sara

 

Upcoming Post:  Home School Kidz, Part 2

The Scott Aquarium

 

And Then Again...Strike 3

I've been calling Premier Staffing once a week religiously since I put in the application for the position-- the one where I'd get to write brochures and pamphlets for a company here in Fremont and take care of their internet social sites-- I even stopped there in person one week.  I learned yesterday that this position was filled. 

Boo!...sez I.

I told the lady, quietly and rather anti-climactically, "I can promise you that I'm better qualified for this position than whomever the individual was who got the job."  -- and I am, you know.  I write and I do internet social sites, both on a personal level, as well as professionally for promotion. 

I think this sucks.

Was it...

1) My age (56, going to be 57 the 24th of this month)?

2) No job history except for self-employment and publishing companies?

3) The pagan content on my own internet sites I gave them as an example of my work?

My rebuttal

1) I know that 56 going-on 57 might sound old, especially if you're really, really young.  But it's not.  When you turn 50 you will be surprised that you will still hike, bike, run, have sex, ride horses, play sports, fish n' hunt, and generally participate in life same as you did when you were 30-- really.  Yes, really, I mean it.  The only difference is, you will be a lot smarter.

2) No job history except self-employment & my publishers...If I were not a good employee, I would have fired myself.  Really.  I would have been ruthless.  I'd have come to my desk for work one morning, cup of coffee in hand, and I would've called myself right into the main office, sat myself down, and said, "I'm sorry Amythyst, this just isn't working out-- you suck.  You're Fired."

3) Pagan website content (meaning Witchcraft and all that occult forbidden-- but intriguing-- type stuff).  Hey, this is Fremont.  If you don't like football (and especially Nebraska Husker football) you are already considered odd.  I hate football.  My Freak Flag is waving bravely in the wind-- in big slow-motion ripples, with really cool special effects lighting and everything.