Sunday, July 16, 2017
I'm Back!
We are back from vacation and we've had a great time! Regular posting will be resumed as soon as possible. Comments moderation is back to normal.
Sunday, July 2, 2017
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Intelligent vs Stupid
Have you ever thought that the behaviour often lauded as "intelligent" nowadays is actually quite stupid? For instance, women are told that if they spend their best fertile years at school and later climbing a career ladder, and chasing multiple "bad boys" (and STDs), they are intelligent even though later on, they often lament that they can't find a husband or can't get pregnant. In the same manner, women with children out of wedlock are "courageous, strong single moms" while married housewives raising their children well are somehow "Stepford wives"?
Or take the debt issues. Apparently, "intelligent, successful people" all take huge mortgages which causes both father and mother to work full time, while an institution or grandparents raise their children, while "losers" acquire a modest house or even rent. Yet, the loser's wife is at home with their kids and they probably save more by the end of the month!
When I hear of parents bragging about their children buying a bigger house than children of someone else, that's the dialogue I imagine:
"My children owe the bank 200 000!"
"Well, my children are way cooler than yours!!! They owe the bank 300 000!!! Isn't it just great???"...
Or take the debt issues. Apparently, "intelligent, successful people" all take huge mortgages which causes both father and mother to work full time, while an institution or grandparents raise their children, while "losers" acquire a modest house or even rent. Yet, the loser's wife is at home with their kids and they probably save more by the end of the month!
When I hear of parents bragging about their children buying a bigger house than children of someone else, that's the dialogue I imagine:
"My children owe the bank 200 000!"
"Well, my children are way cooler than yours!!! They owe the bank 300 000!!! Isn't it just great???"...
Monday, June 26, 2017
Weekly Housewife Goes On Vacation!
Not now, but next week, so there will be a break in our programming:) In other news of today, the weather came back to normal, so right now it's sunny and moderately warm. I hope all of you are having a nice day! The summer has officially begun, so I thought it was time to change my dinner table centerpiece, like this:
It's white on white, but who cares! There can't be too much white in summer:)
The book of the week is The case is closed, a Miss Silver mystery by Patricia Wentworth:
Now this is a book I can recommend to everyone, just like all the other books of this series. I've written about Miss Silver on this blog before, and I liked the stories so much that I have decided to re-read them all again! The case is closed was written before WWII and tells us about a guy framed for murder by his own relative. Luckily for him and his wife, her niece is determined to find out the truth and then Miss Silver appears just in time to save the day.
Speaking of the 1930s, how do you like this picture?
That was an example of a casual outfit...
Speaking of outfits, here was mine for today:
I'm really not planning to turn this blog into a personal photo album, but I've noticed that blogs about "one week in a feminine dress" appear to be quite popular so I thought I'd try to do something similar. However, since I'm not really that vain, I restricted myself to only one personal photo this week and decided to post the pics of Tarl instead. A couple of days ago he decided to climb on top the wardrobe, I really don't know why! A cat under the ceiling:
His eyes are really blue, though, it's just flashlight! Here is one more:
Since he lost all interest in women and fighting, he's getting fatter and cuter by the day:) Though he still spends quite a lot of his time outside.
Speaking about going outside, I have been wondering whether we as a society are growing too protective towards our children? I know, some areas in the USA are quite dangerous for the little ones to travel or even play outside alone, but here it's still relatively safe and yet, helicopter parenting becomes more and more popular, while, on the other side, more parents than ever neglect their children (and yes, daycare, while necessary sometimes, is certainly a part of this trend).
Behold the video about independent kiddies in Japan:
Japan's independent kids
Quite shocking to our Western sensibilities, isn't it? I'm not sure whether I agree with letting a 7 year old to go alone by train, but on the other hand, it seems to work for them, so who am I to judge?
The food of the day is mustard. Actually, the article linked also discusses ketchup and hot sauce. Isn't it nice that there are at least some health benefits to something that tastes so great???
It's getting quite late over here and I've had a busy day which is far from over since I still have laundry hanging outside and the kitchen has not been cleaned after dinner yet, but before I say good-bye, I'd like to draw your attention to aspirin. It's long been recommended as a blood thinner, to reduce the chance of stroke or a heart attack, but it apparently improves your fertility, can help prevent pre-eclampsia and even reduces the risk of getting cancer!
DISCLAIMER: Since it's a blood-thinner, it can cause bleeding in some situations, especially high doses (that's why baby aspirin is usually recommended) and long-tern use. Please consult your doctor and remember that I'm not one and bear no responsibility for the consequences of your decisions. I'm just sharing public information!
See you in three weeks!!!! (But, of course, I'll post inbetween, too...)
It's white on white, but who cares! There can't be too much white in summer:)
The book of the week is The case is closed, a Miss Silver mystery by Patricia Wentworth:
Now this is a book I can recommend to everyone, just like all the other books of this series. I've written about Miss Silver on this blog before, and I liked the stories so much that I have decided to re-read them all again! The case is closed was written before WWII and tells us about a guy framed for murder by his own relative. Luckily for him and his wife, her niece is determined to find out the truth and then Miss Silver appears just in time to save the day.
Speaking of the 1930s, how do you like this picture?
That was an example of a casual outfit...
Speaking of outfits, here was mine for today:
His eyes are really blue, though, it's just flashlight! Here is one more:
Speaking about going outside, I have been wondering whether we as a society are growing too protective towards our children? I know, some areas in the USA are quite dangerous for the little ones to travel or even play outside alone, but here it's still relatively safe and yet, helicopter parenting becomes more and more popular, while, on the other side, more parents than ever neglect their children (and yes, daycare, while necessary sometimes, is certainly a part of this trend).
Behold the video about independent kiddies in Japan:
Japan's independent kids
Quite shocking to our Western sensibilities, isn't it? I'm not sure whether I agree with letting a 7 year old to go alone by train, but on the other hand, it seems to work for them, so who am I to judge?
The food of the day is mustard. Actually, the article linked also discusses ketchup and hot sauce. Isn't it nice that there are at least some health benefits to something that tastes so great???
It's getting quite late over here and I've had a busy day which is far from over since I still have laundry hanging outside and the kitchen has not been cleaned after dinner yet, but before I say good-bye, I'd like to draw your attention to aspirin. It's long been recommended as a blood thinner, to reduce the chance of stroke or a heart attack, but it apparently improves your fertility, can help prevent pre-eclampsia and even reduces the risk of getting cancer!
DISCLAIMER: Since it's a blood-thinner, it can cause bleeding in some situations, especially high doses (that's why baby aspirin is usually recommended) and long-tern use. Please consult your doctor and remember that I'm not one and bear no responsibility for the consequences of your decisions. I'm just sharing public information!
See you in three weeks!!!! (But, of course, I'll post inbetween, too...)
Friday, June 23, 2017
Redwall, A Tale Of Feminist Mice (and other creatures, too!)
It's not really a proper review, just my impressions. Since I mentioned the book in a previous post, I felt obliged to write a follow-up:)
For those who don't know, Redwall, written in 1986, is a children's book about a heroic mouse who lives in a Redwall Abbey, a strange sort of monastery which apparently includes both male and female mice. The monastery and its surroundings are threatened by a barbaric rat army and the whole story is about the war between them and Matthias's (that's the protagonist's name) quest to recover an ancient sword which will bring the ultimate victory to the forces of good. It's the first book of the series by the same name, too.
Well, I'd had my doubts about it and I was right:) Feminists will love this one. Not only does it feature plenty of "fierce, strong female warriors" of all sorts, but also a complete role reversal with a mother squirrel going out to war while her husband works in the kitchen and takes care of their son. Plus a warrior sparrow queen, replacing an evil king!
The plot is quite complicated so the story obviously wasn't meant for very little children, yet most of the females hardly exhibit any distinctly female character traits, with the exception of a mouse called Cornflower, which Matthias has hots for and later marries. Most of the time, she just works in the kitchen with Mr. Squirrel, but during the final battle, she saves the day by putting a tower on fire burning lots of enemies in the process, and earns great respect of everyone.
Obviously, the author (who was a man, by the way) considered the enemy-slaying abilities in the female of the species as much more important than her nurturing skills. No such Victorian nonsense as "an angel in the house" for him:)
Naturally, one could expect so much from a rather modern book, though personally I found first two Harry Potters (I only read two of them), which were written much later, less feminist than that. But the point is, I saw this book recommended as good reading for children on a "right-wing" site and a pretty hardcore at that. How can anyone with reactionary leanings give it to their children, I can't comprehend, but may be, it's just me. Others have different standards, of course, so by writing this, I don't mean any offence, I just feel that the parents should be informed:)
For those who don't know, Redwall, written in 1986, is a children's book about a heroic mouse who lives in a Redwall Abbey, a strange sort of monastery which apparently includes both male and female mice. The monastery and its surroundings are threatened by a barbaric rat army and the whole story is about the war between them and Matthias's (that's the protagonist's name) quest to recover an ancient sword which will bring the ultimate victory to the forces of good. It's the first book of the series by the same name, too.
Well, I'd had my doubts about it and I was right:) Feminists will love this one. Not only does it feature plenty of "fierce, strong female warriors" of all sorts, but also a complete role reversal with a mother squirrel going out to war while her husband works in the kitchen and takes care of their son. Plus a warrior sparrow queen, replacing an evil king!
The plot is quite complicated so the story obviously wasn't meant for very little children, yet most of the females hardly exhibit any distinctly female character traits, with the exception of a mouse called Cornflower, which Matthias has hots for and later marries. Most of the time, she just works in the kitchen with Mr. Squirrel, but during the final battle, she saves the day by putting a tower on fire burning lots of enemies in the process, and earns great respect of everyone.
Obviously, the author (who was a man, by the way) considered the enemy-slaying abilities in the female of the species as much more important than her nurturing skills. No such Victorian nonsense as "an angel in the house" for him:)
Naturally, one could expect so much from a rather modern book, though personally I found first two Harry Potters (I only read two of them), which were written much later, less feminist than that. But the point is, I saw this book recommended as good reading for children on a "right-wing" site and a pretty hardcore at that. How can anyone with reactionary leanings give it to their children, I can't comprehend, but may be, it's just me. Others have different standards, of course, so by writing this, I don't mean any offence, I just feel that the parents should be informed:)
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Summer Solstice
Today is the summer solstice or midsummer, though most Christian churches have always officially celebrated it on St John's Day, the 24th of June, or rather, a day before, on St John's Eve. Midsummer is still a very important holiday in Sweden and is observed also in Germany. It's rooted in pre-Christian European traditions and is a part of our cultural heritage. It's usually celebrated by bathing in a river which has to do with heathen purification rituals but also with St John baptising people, and lighting a bonfire. In some countries, people decorate their houses with greenery.
It was also time to gather medicinal herbs and to celebrate fertility and pray for a good harvest. You can read more about it over here.
It was also time to gather medicinal herbs and to celebrate fertility and pray for a good harvest. You can read more about it over here.
Monday, June 19, 2017
Weekly Housewife: Feel Good Edition
Summer in the Heat Street. It's HOT today. Like 30 degrees hot. It was hot yesterday, too, and it's going to be hot tomorrow. Heaven knows, with the way things are progressing, there is little to feel good about, but we will try nevertheless. While Merry Old England is appearing to slide further on the slippery slope, things look much brighter in Eastern Europe: this video features firemen saving little ducks and reuniting them with their mother.
Speaking about parents, yesterday was Father's day, I hope you all had a great time. We spent the whole day outside, it felt like a vacation:)
The second feel-good video is out of the "amazing seniors" category. Who said that once you hit a certain age, life should be dull and spent behind geraniums??? Here we have a 78-year old nun hover-boarding around and enjoying herself. It's never too late to try something new, as long as you live:)
Keeping it all in mind, I decided that the book of the week will be Redwall.
Yeah, I know it's a kids' book. I'm not going senile yet (at least, I hope so!). I just missed it somehow growing up and decided to fill up this lacune. I'm also always hunting for good books for children. I've heard about the series being all praised up by the equality brigade, but surely those from the 1980s should be safe? There is but one way to know, and that is, to read it:)
BTW, The Virgin In The Ice was really good, I liked it much more than some other of her books, but then it's probably impossible to write 21 books on the same topic which are all equally interesting.
Since it's so unbearably hot, the outfit of the day looks like this:
Complete look includes a cute apron:
I normally don't pull my hair up into a granny's knot, but with the weather like this....
All ready to go outside:
The last thing I want is to get sunburned on my shoulders. I've got enough of it yesterday just from driving with a window open:) With the weather like this, it's important to stay hydrated, so don't forget to drink regularly!
In other news, the basic (should be primary in English, I guess?) school teachers are going to get on strike soon. Schools will begin one hour later on a certain day!!!! OMG!!! I guess all the children will be heart-broken:) Seriously, it's only seen as any kind of a problem because so many mothers work nowadays. Otherwise, hardly anyone would notice it. But, if they want to go on strike, they could be better doing it right now. Or, at least, tomorrow:)
You shouldn't think I'm against school, of course, like some American homeschoolers. I just favour the school system described in The Little House On The Prairie, when schools enforced disciple, but on the other hand, didn't function as free baby-sitting services and it was up to parents when children would attend. Most people at that period viewed it as a blessing and were grateful that their children could get an education.
The last thing I'm going to talk about today, is food. Just a simple lunch idea:
Artisan bread with virgin olive oil, some salad leaves with cucumber slices and crumbled soft cheese (and mayo, but whatever, I like the stuff:)) and water with a slice of lemon. The water idea isn't really mine; yesterday at an event which we visited, a lady was selling water bottles with slices of lime in them. I decided to copy it and wasn't disappointed!
And here I'll quit, wishing you all a great Monday and the coming week! Greetings from what feels like Mediterranean cost at the moment:)))
Speaking about parents, yesterday was Father's day, I hope you all had a great time. We spent the whole day outside, it felt like a vacation:)
The second feel-good video is out of the "amazing seniors" category. Who said that once you hit a certain age, life should be dull and spent behind geraniums??? Here we have a 78-year old nun hover-boarding around and enjoying herself. It's never too late to try something new, as long as you live:)
Keeping it all in mind, I decided that the book of the week will be Redwall.
Yeah, I know it's a kids' book. I'm not going senile yet (at least, I hope so!). I just missed it somehow growing up and decided to fill up this lacune. I'm also always hunting for good books for children. I've heard about the series being all praised up by the equality brigade, but surely those from the 1980s should be safe? There is but one way to know, and that is, to read it:)
BTW, The Virgin In The Ice was really good, I liked it much more than some other of her books, but then it's probably impossible to write 21 books on the same topic which are all equally interesting.
Since it's so unbearably hot, the outfit of the day looks like this:
Complete look includes a cute apron:
I normally don't pull my hair up into a granny's knot, but with the weather like this....
All ready to go outside:
The last thing I want is to get sunburned on my shoulders. I've got enough of it yesterday just from driving with a window open:) With the weather like this, it's important to stay hydrated, so don't forget to drink regularly!
In other news, the basic (should be primary in English, I guess?) school teachers are going to get on strike soon. Schools will begin one hour later on a certain day!!!! OMG!!! I guess all the children will be heart-broken:) Seriously, it's only seen as any kind of a problem because so many mothers work nowadays. Otherwise, hardly anyone would notice it. But, if they want to go on strike, they could be better doing it right now. Or, at least, tomorrow:)
You shouldn't think I'm against school, of course, like some American homeschoolers. I just favour the school system described in The Little House On The Prairie, when schools enforced disciple, but on the other hand, didn't function as free baby-sitting services and it was up to parents when children would attend. Most people at that period viewed it as a blessing and were grateful that their children could get an education.
The last thing I'm going to talk about today, is food. Just a simple lunch idea:
Artisan bread with virgin olive oil, some salad leaves with cucumber slices and crumbled soft cheese (and mayo, but whatever, I like the stuff:)) and water with a slice of lemon. The water idea isn't really mine; yesterday at an event which we visited, a lady was selling water bottles with slices of lime in them. I decided to copy it and wasn't disappointed!
And here I'll quit, wishing you all a great Monday and the coming week! Greetings from what feels like Mediterranean cost at the moment:)))
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Jesus Kicks Merchants Out Of The Temple
WARNING: contains graphic images
The current idea that Christianity is all about being "nice" is not scriptural!
The current idea that Christianity is all about being "nice" is not scriptural!
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