The Higher Education Bubble

That is, when are enough people going to realize that investing in a college education is, for more and more people, a foolish proposition, because it’s going to get you deep in a ditch of debt that you cannot easily climb out of. This debt will delay your ability to buy a house, start a family, and get on with the real business of life.

One of the best quotes I’ve heard this year had something to do with the fact that the plumber can’t be outsourced to a foreign country.  What more can I say?

Not in Southern Kentucky!

Last year by this time I’d already picked enough strawberries to give away quarts to friends and neighbors and to make my first batch of strawberry jam.  I picked the first berries of this season on Sunday, only about two quarts.  And they weren’t very sweet.

We’ve had the most beautiful weather for the past few weeks.  There have been a couple of days that were right around 80 deg, but the rest have been in the 70s.  And cool.  And not very humid.  I’m praying we make it through the entire month of May without air conditioning!  *sigh*  I wish it could be this mild all the time.  Maybe that’s why I loved San Diego so much!

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.

Princess(14) has decided to not graduate early and at the same time I’ve discovered that dual enrollment might not be an option for her jr and sr year.

Rooster(16) will be graduating a year later than we had anticipated, BUT it is possible that he could graduate on time since he’s only a semester behind our high school requirements. AND is that what’s right for him or does he need the extra year before college?

All of my plans have gone *poof* and I confess it’s made me flounder a bit. Made me start thinking about the purpose of high school AND God’s plan for each of their lives. I don’t think high school should be a list of courses to be checked off - I’m sure of that now. Just not exactly sure what that means for our school.

So, what do I think is important?

• The ability to write and communicate effectively. better than the average public high school student, if you want to know the truth. This single ability is what separates the best employees from the average, the confident business owner from the mediocre.
• The ability to manage money and finances: How to balance a checkbook, basic accounting, understanding interest and loans.
• The ability and desire to read. A person who reads well can learn anything.
• The ability to recognize that while they were created uniquely special by God, it’s NOT “all about me”. (Shamelessly borrowed these words.)  And I’ll take it one step further…  I want them to recognize that while America is an incredible place to live, we are only one part of the world and it’s NOT “all about America”, either.

There are other goals that are good, but these are the absolute most important. And then I wonder why I’m certifiably insane. Such lofty goals! I don’t always live up to them myself.

Anyhow, all of this thinking has made me rethink some of my plans for next year. Writing for Rooster HAS to be the absolute most important subject. That’s as far as I’ve got , but I’m working on it!

We have seen evidence of the slowing economy right here in our community.  In the last few weeks we’ve had no fewer than five cats show up on our doorstep.  We know that the owners of two moved into town because they could not afford to commute from out here in the country any longer.  The others were most likely abandoned.  Many more come for a day or two and then leave.

Last week I found a small dog in our ditch.  Abandoned by his owners and hit by a car on our busy country road.  Tonight there is a stray dog sniffing around our house.

When I finally saw a short news blurb about the pet abandonment crisis, I wasn’t surprised at all.  I’ve linked one article below, but if you do a google search with the terms “pets”, “abandoned”, and “economy”, you’ll return a plethora of other articles.

The littlest victims

They are the innocent victims of the national housing crisis and Michigan’s economic slump — dogs and cats abandoned by people who have lost their homes to foreclosure or were forced by a job loss to relocate.

The number of pets dropped off at area animal shelters has soared in recent months, according to local officials. In some cases, people who have lost homes to foreclosures or evictions have simply left their animals behind.

Should we do anything?  Can we do anything?  This is something the old man and I really need to sit down and discuss.  In the past, we’ve never turned away a needy animal from our home.  But we just can’t keep up with this pace.  Neither can I take them to the shelter where I know they’ll be put down.  I will try to remember to make inquiries about vets in this area, try to find one who will alter stray cats for a lower fee.  Only our cats will continue to get the Revolution dot and only our cats will be allowed in the house.

“You may take ONE shower a day!  ONE!”

Said to the 16yo boy.  Did I really just say that?  Wasn’t it just yesterday I was yelling that he MUST take one shower a day?  Will he regress?

As The World Gets Hungrier The Big Name Food Companies Get Richer

I get tired of hearing how Free Market Capitalism is somehow The Most Biblical form of economy on the planet.  Capitalism, like every other type of economy or form of government, is not immune from sin.  In the case of capitalism, greed rears its ugly head time and time again.

I’m speaking about homeschoolers, of course.  How dare they step outside the bounds of normal and actually interact with other children who are not their age!  Can you read the sarcasm dripping off that sentence?  I hope so.

Today I was reminded of one of the perks homeschooling sends our way.  For many families who teach their kids at home, including us, this usually isn’t one of the reasons people list when they are making the initial decision to homeschool.  Yet, it is one of the reasons most families continue to homeschool!

At Princess’s soccer practice tonight only a handful of girls showed up.  Of those who showed up, the majority are homeschooled.  I sat in the car so I could catch up on my reading (two Home Education magazines from the library and a Family Circle with a great article on container gardens) and about half way through I looked up and across the field to see not only the girls playing soccer, but Rooster, Flower Child, and two brothers of one of Princess’s homeschooled friends.  A team of 13-14 year old girls, the coach, a 10 yo girl, and 12,13,&16 yo boys.  And they were having fun!  A huge sigh of contentment flew out of my heart.

Don’t worry. Dad says he’s so cute we’ll keep him even though he’s a he.

Hard at work:

This game is REALLY hard work:

Okay… Here I am! Come on down…

Now THIS is why we’re here!