So sad . . . mostly because it is so unsurprising.

"And what does this have to do with the resurrection?"  E-zactly.

Nice piece -- and something very good to consider.  Thanks for posting it!  It was a bright spot in my day.

I think I saw John Tyler's grave in Richmond, VA.  Could it be?  And I remember that I was surprised by how recently one of his sons had died (could that son have been buried there, too? Goodness, it stinks getting old and not being able to remember what you saw 2 summers ago.).  Anyhoo, congrats to the randy Prez, begetting those munchkies well into his golden years!

Is there a link to an additional interview?

I'm rooting against California.  I was born there and escaped when I was 25. I do not even like the weather. If there were a way to saw it off of the continent and push it out into the ocean, I would be all for that.

That said, I am more surly and grouchy than most conservatives.  Especially when it comes to Cali.  

Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
--Thomas Paine, 1776

Democrats are . . . the party that says government can make you richer, smarter, taller and get the chickweed out of your lawn. Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work, and then they get elected and prove it.
--P.J. O'Rourke, from Parliament of Whores (1991)

Right now it is a terrible thing to be a rugged individualist; but we don't know what else to be except a feeble nonentity.
--Isabel Paterson

Some politicians are Republican, some are Democratic,
And their feud is dramatic,
But except for the name
They are identically the same.
--Ogden Nash, from "The Politician"

Some people seem to think that the answer to all of life's imperfections is to create a government agency to correct them. If that is your approach, then go straight to totalitarianism. Do not pass "Go." Do not collect $200.
--Thomas Sowell

A lot of American principle is contained in the two words: "Just don't." Much of the rest is encompassed by the suggestion of minding one's own business. The whole is summed up in the word "liberty."
--Isabel Paterson

Study the language where your passion lies!  Sounds like French, based upon what you've written.

I studied German in high school and college, and then it lay dormant within the grey matter for almost ten years.  I began to teach it to my daughter when she was 2, which was good -- a lot of it came flooding back.  A few years after that, I began to cultivate a friendship with a Swiss woman, and now I try to speak German with her, which helps more than I can say.   Also, for me, reading the Bible in German is very helpful.  I ought to do all these things more often to approach fluency.  So, my recommendation for those "living" languages is to find a native speaker and wrangle them into a friendship, and then find a child and teach him or her all that you know.  :-)

This is a cool website for short and sassy language lessons: www.babbel.com I like it for grammar reviews.  You can try it for free and sign up if you find it useful.

My father, who is a Ph.D., would never use the honorific "Doctor" outside of his professional setting (and I'm still not sure if he does now at university, or if he prefers "Prof." -- Dad, if you see this, please enlighten me).  I asked him once, "Why?"  He said that, should a medical emergency arise in a public place, he did not want anyone to look at his name on, say, a dinner reservation or passenger list, and come to any grievously false conclusions about his life-saving abilities. 

Mrs. Biden's doctorate is in English.  I would have thought it might have been in Education based upon her dissertation title. 

A Ph.D. is nothing to sneeze at, no matter what the field of study.  I wonder how someone competent enough to gain an advanced degree could stand being married to a man as incurably stupid as Joe Biden. 

I'm re-reading The Narnian right now.  Loving me some Lewis . . .

What Christi said about technology is probably a big factor.

Here is my idea: Women are everywhere now.  There are no all-male places anymore.  There are plenty of all-female places.  And men behave differently when women are around.  So, men do not have the time alone with each other that they need to create, nurture, and sustain deep friendships. There used to be clubs and pubs and areas galore for men to be men.  Then, a bunch of harpies and harridans decided that they couldn't just let men be and enjoy time sans femmes.  So, they sued and whined and pouted and [possible CofC violation] until they got their way and helped destroy in the process the great Western tradition of male conviviality.  We women need to let men reclaim their spaces and places and not poke our XX's into every facet of their lives. 

"There's no sound I like better than adult male laughter." ~C.S. Lewis

I'm curious to know: which part of CA do you see becoming red?  The L.A.-dominated southern part or the SFO-OAK-dominated northern half?  Seems like two sides of crazy to me.  Or would you slice it up higher -- somewhere near Chico?  Voting records show a blue coast and red interior pretty much up and down CA, so are you thinking a more vertical slice?  But, then you'll lose whatever beauty CA can boast. 

Nah, stick with WA.  It's smaller, prettier, saner, and fewer conservatives could make a bigger difference.  Michael Medved lives here, and you should, too!

All disaffected conservatives in lost-cause states ought to move to WASHINGTON.  Yes, really.  The good Washington, that is, not D.C.  We may be bluest of the blues, but I have reasons to think that this state could be turned around within a decade.

WA is more libertarian-lefty than statist-thug lefty.  The voters consistently vote down higher taxes and there is a streak of independent pure cussedness here in the Northwest.  We have no state income tax.  But, the statist-thug lefties are relentless in pursuit of bringing WA down to CA levels.  We need a massive influx of conservatives taking root up here to drive them back into their caves.

Republicans keep losing statewide offices by extremely narrow margins.  Building up some of the more conservative counties to take power out of the obnoxiousness that is King County would be a boon.

And Washington is BEE-AY-OO-TEE-FUL, if I do say so myself.  Sure, it rains a lot in Western WA, but that means that we are green and brilliant in the summer -- unlike certain more dry states I can name (CA, cough, cough, TX, cough, cough, AZ, cough, cough).

Move here! 

Sounds great -- any time before the 27th should at least sort of work for me.  On a selfish note, as I do not have a car, I would prefer either a stop before or at Westlake Center (light rail) or Seattle Center (light rail + monorail) (or Renton, ha! ha! ha!); but, I would certainly do my best to make it to another place.  And, if on a Saturday, husband could drive me or I could borrow his car (maybe).

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I agree with the above comments:  Definitely try to get to a homeschooling convention or conference.  And, unless you really want to be, don't feel like you have to marry one curriculum.  If you're typical of the homeschooling families I've met, you'll end up mixing and matching and trying and discarding and maybe even, eventually, writing your own curricula to sell at homeschooling conventions (the circle of life).

If your daughter loves science, as mine does, I would wholeheartedly recommend Exploration Education's curricula.  You build things and then conduct experiments using them.  We built a racer in September and have used it in experiments that explore ideas like centripetal force, power, work, action & reaction, etc. Fun!

When my daughter was 4, I went to an "introduction to homeschooling" meeting put on by what is now our HSA.  One of the most important things the speaker said is not to worry about gaps.  Every student has gaps, no matter how good his school.  Grow life-long, excited learners with the ability to think for themselves, and they will fill in the gaps on their own.  That has given me comfort.

First of all, how is Mr. Tumnus?

Secondly, if you choose to homeschool, welcome!  You are embarking on a wild adventure that will not kill you and will definitely make you stronger.

I do not know what state you are in, but here in western WA, within our HSA, there are a fair number of dads.  Many bearded, groovy dads with Ph.D.'s in physics and such.  Very cool.  Your husband will most likely be surprised by the parents he discovers who also homeschool.  It's quite diverse -- at least in WA.

Organization: There are so many different ways to homeschool; it's really up to your family to find its style.  I am highly organized and write everything out neatly and lovingly in a planner so that I can enjoy checking it off.  Many other homeschoolers think I'm nuts. 

Latin!  Yes, do!  Try Memoria Press.  We used Latina Christiana in 3rd Grade and are now in First Form for 4th.  They start with Ecclesiastical Latin in the lower grades, then ramp it up to classical for the older kids.  They also offer an on-line academy -- looks awesome!
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Aaw . . . your mom is sweet.  I bet he knew exactly what she meant.  Pelosi/Biden Catholic rosaries have little O symbols instead of beads, right?

When I first met my favorite singer/songwriter, Carolyn Arends, after a concert, she was signing CDs with a black Sharpie.  When it was my turn, I blurted out, "Could you sign mine with this special sparkly pen I brought?"  She graciously agreed, but I was mortified.  I could barely get out anything else -- maybe a quick, "I just love your music." 

I've been lucky to have a few do-overs with her since then, and we have laughed together about "special sparkly pens" and other such goofy things.

Ditto.  My daughter is nine and is looking forward to the Romney Administration.  We have had wonderful and many conversations this election cycle. 

Funny, I remember when I was 10 and they had an "election" at my school for the 1984 Reagan/Mondale contest.  My friend and I (both kids of public school teachers) were the only two in the whole school to vote for Mondale!  LOL!  This was in Southern California!

Like Doc, I have no guilt whatsoever in influencing my daughter heavily with my own political views.  I'll only feel guilty if I don't do it well enough and foist another mushy-headed leftie onto the world.  'Cuz all kids are commies until you set them straight. 

He's so sweet!  He has always just loved Ann!  He seems to be the most romantic man ever to run for President.  Seriously.  He reminds me of my husband.  And, yes, I am a very blessed woman (just like Ann!).