yellow tassel
Current Events, Journal, Tips and Tricks

Home Schooling in California

My face when I think about having young kids now

Way back in the long, long ago, I had little ones (who have miraculously become wonderful adults). For various reasons, I chose to home school some of them (that sounds like I had 1,000 children. No, I had three and home schooled 2 of them for a time). I would like to share my experiences and resources (there are probably better ones now, since everything has changed). It doesn’t have to be as Mad Max as it used to be.

First: if you choose to truly home school your children (not just choose distance learning through an established school or school district), you must officially become a private school. There are no exceptions. However, just because you are a private school does not mean you are free from the state of California’s control. There are basic requirements for who can participate in your school, what information must be accessible to the state if they show up at your door, what basics need to be taught, etc. However, at the time of the writing of this article, students are not required to have immunizations for entry if they attend a home-based private school or an independent study program with no classroom-based instruction. Due to the nature of executive orders, this could change any time. Be sure to check the Department of Education’s Immunization Requirements page.

I would suggest you become a member of the Home School Association of California. They were immensely helpful when I began (and the internet was young) and used to offer a fantastic CD of ready-made school forms to keep you more organized (I do not know if they still do that). Here is their quick guide to home schooling:

https://www.hsc.org/quickguide

Second: Before you embark on this journey, decide how you are going to teach your children. The state of California’s Department of Education has some basic requirements listed on their website, per grade: Education Code for Private Schools and Schooling at Home.

Kindergarten through 6th Grade
7th Grade through 12th Grade

As you can see, these are very general, wide-ranging areas of study. So, what is required to obtain a high school diploma? Not as much (or as many credits) as you think. Here is the breakdown of state requirements, plus UC and CSU requirements for freshman admission: Graduation Requirements.

Graduation and Freshman Enrollment Requirements
neon signage
Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels.com

Third: Now that you can see how minimal California’s education requirements are, it’s time for the hardest part for me: how to teach to your child. This is immensely beneficial for life: how many times have you tried to teach your child (or help them with homework) and nothing you tried worked? We all learn differently. I learn differently than my children and it made it difficult for me to connect with them. If I had the online resources there are now, I would have been a much more effective teacher and my children would have been much happier being home schooled.

Here are some wonderful articles about how to discover your (and your child’s) learning styles and how to connect with material:

Here are both parts of podcast from “Focus on the Family.” While they are a Christian foundation, these episodes are wonderfully educational.

teacher talking to the class
Photo by Max Fischer on Pexels.com

Fourth: Now it is time to develop your curriculum. Exactly what (and how) are you going to teach your children? This is all up to you.

  • If you want physical books, go to thrift stores. You cannot beat $.25 to $1 for a book!
  • Do you want videos or audio books? YouTube, Vimeo, or Odysee are fantastic options along with various podcast options.
  • Are you looking for projects for you children to do? What do you do around the house?
    • Cooking, baking, or canning/fermenting are wonderful for not only Home Economics but Math and Chemistry.
    • Geometry, basic Math AND the essential skill of reading a tape measure (it’s surprising just how many people cannot read a tape measure) can be building a dog house.
    • Science is replacing a light fixture or installing a solar charged light fixture outside.
    • Biology could be incubating some eggs and breaking them open once per week to compare the changes throughout the incubation cycle.

Here are some more wonderful suggestions:

Fifth: Be patient with yourself and your child. Neither one of you will ever be perfect. There will be fantastic days and there will be horrible days. If you accept this from the beginning, this will give the both of you the freedom to find your groove. I wish you and your child the best of luck, love, and success during this new phase in your lives.

And here are two resources for high school students/parents that I did not have a specific place for. I do not know if I wholeheartedly support the main organization, these are handy:

grey condenser microphone close up photography
Business, Journal, Just Because

Podcasts I Love

I love podcasts. Why? I love that I am not attached to a screen (which is why I love audio books, too). I can still get mundane things done while learning something or just enjoying a conversation I don’t have to be properly dressed for and actively participate in.

The problem with podcasts is, if you aren’t on a desktop computer, data usage. If I am not on WiFi, I can blow through my data really quick through my phone plan (especially when I wasn’t planning on being away so long so didn’t download episodes before I left). We have T-Mobile and one of the wonderful things they have done (and I know others have) is allow free streaming of some apps, like Spotify and Pandora.

Well, Spotify and Pandora have now begun carrying podcasts! I am not sure if they will include the entire catalog you can find on ITunes but they are now carrying some that I listen to. The following are a list of my favorites, the ones I listen to on a fairly consistent basis (I say fairly because sometimes it feels like I don’t have enough time in the day to actually do things AND listen to all of my podcasts, since quite a few of them release their episodes on Fridays).

MFCEO

First on the list is the MFCEO Project (and Real AF) with Andy Frisella.

I love his brutally honest take on all things business, health, and life. His back story is the kind of story that would cause so many to hide from the world but he did the opposite. He fought his fears, doubts, and insecurities to become one of the most dynamic speakers and entrepreneurs

On ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mfceo-project/id1012570406

And Spotify:

Second on the list is Rune Soup with Gordon White.

I stumbled onto Rune Soup when I was searching for podcasts about runes. Imagine my surprise when Gordon didn’t discuss runes! 🙂 He describes his podcast like this, “A weekly podcast about magic, culture and the paranormal.” That’s what it is, with a lot more topics!

On ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/rune-soup/id1066024691?mt=2&ls=1

And Spotify:

The third is 48 Days to the Work You Love with Dan Miller.

He gives the most practical career advice I have ever heard (or written). Seriously. Dan is a “don’t quit your day job” kind of advisor. He offers realistic, helpful options to improve your financial situation AND obtain career/life satisfaction. Almost every episode is Dan answering listeners’ questions.

On ITunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/48-days-to-the-work-you-love-internet-radio-show/id178145160?mt=2

And on Spotify:

Fourth is The Ed Mylett Show.

Ed Mylett interviews anyone who has a story to tell that offers hope and advice in business and life. When I say he interviews anyone, I mean that. He has interviewed the wrestler “The Undertaker” and Vivica A. Fox. He also has a wonderful sense of humor and if you want to see a big burly guy snuggle with some Pomeranians, follow him on Instagram.

It looks like his show is only on ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ed-mylett-show/id1181233130?mt=2

And YouTube:

Health, Health And Wellness, Journal

Spiritual Healthcare

Last year, I learned about a cancer diagnosis of an online friend. We (our little group) prayed and intended for her. After all of her treatments, she let us know she was cancer free. That was the extent of the information I was privy to. This year, I received my own scare. I had her email address ready for me to pick her brain. A week after I received my benign diagnosis, Ivy Bromius released, free for all (you do not even have to give her your email address), “The Cancer Grimoire – Magic on the Poison Path.”

Ivy’s Grimoire is beautifully written and she didn’t hold back, fearing her descriptions of what she went through would scare people away. I love, too, that no matter what your spirituality is, you can take the basic framework of her method and mold it into your spiritual path. After reading this grimoire, I realized this magical/spiritual journey could be applied to so many more maladies. Especially when you really look at what cancer is: it is you. Cancer is not some foreign invader that needs to be destroyed. Cancer is your body destroying itself. As much as I want to continue writing about Ivy’s process, my words will never do justice to hers. Here’s her first interview after the release of “The Cancer Grimoire“:

https://runesoup.com/2021/09/talking-health-crises-as-initiations-with-ivy-bromius/

And here is the link for Ivy Bromius’ “The Cancer Grimoire – Magic on the Poison Path.”

I encourage everyone to download this and read it.

Journal, Product Review, What I'm Doing Now

2020: It’s Almost Over!

What a year this has been! Despite “all of this” I have been busy! First, I want you to take a look at my shop. I have finally figured out how to list products properly!

My newest product is a pizza pan. I know, that doesn’t sound very amazing but watch Emmy’s video!

SEE?????

Lloyd Pans Kitchenware 10 by 14 Inch Detroit Style Pizza Pan (here’s the link) is AMAZING! We made the pizza exactly like Emmy and, I’m telling you, this is just amazing! Look!

Not only is the crust crispy (not tooth-breaking hard) BUT none of the cheese stuck to the pan. I can’t wait to try low carb pizza or lasagna in this!

I have a few more items to add to my store (and some videos to make) but this year has been a focus on me.

  • My coturnix quail are doing fantastic and I have added some Chinese Ringneck Pheasants to the mix.
  • I now have a she-shed! She isn’t pretty but she’s mine! I can add my toys (like yard work tools, my bird supplies, and maybe my wood working tools) without worrying about them being moved. It’s currently water-tight, so now I just need electricity.
  • I am finally getting my official high school diploma (I got California’s equivalent to a GED the year I was supposed to graduate but it is only recognized in this state), with the goal of getting my AB degree (free through my husband’s union).
  • I am also dipping my toe into tattooing! Yes, I know that sounds random but this is my way to finally give myself permission to tap into my creative side. I’ll be making a video of my tattoo machine preference once I test them all out. I began with cosmetic tattooing but am planning my first body tattoo in a few weeks. I can’t wait to show you all!
  • I also took a break from micromanaging my food intake and exercise. I had been tracking all of my food for almost 10 years and exercising for 2 hours/day for over 3 years. I needed this break AND I can still fit into my jeans, so I haven’t done too bad! 🙂

I can feel the weight of 2020 lifting a little, though I know the world outside of my house will still be fraught with trials and tribulations. I am thrilled I was able to accomplish (or begin) as much as I have while maintaining my sanity. I hope you all have been able to do the same this year. If not, you can always start today!

Journal, What I'm Doing Now

My Shop, Updates and Questions

Some changes and have some plans in the works.

  • First: I have a shop. It is a list of all of the things on Amazon I recommend (and, once again, I am not an Amazon affiliate). I am unable to personally fulfill any orders at this time, so please click the link in the description (do not add to cart … I can’t figure out how to NOT have that option show up right now). Here are a few of the items.
  • Second: I have merged my www.atkinsjourney.com website with this one. All of my low carb/keto information is on this page. I am not sure how far I will take this (if I will merge my YouTube channels or not). Since the merge, there may be duplicate posts (I think I caught most of them) and any links to the Atkins Journey website may not work properly. I will slowly be working on those issues over the next few weeks.
My Atkins/Keto Journey
  • Third: I got some new goodies. I have a taller tripod for my phone, so my videos will be a bit better (and I will be able to do a few different ones), I got a wireless microphone so I can walk around the yard and you can still hear me, a webcam so I don’t have to use my phone for video conferences, and
  • Fourth: I got a fancy microphone so I am thinking about starting a small podcast. Is there anything specific you would like to hear about? Any questions you haven’t asked? Let me know! Also, would you like strictly audio or audio/video posted on YouTube also? I haven’t even opened the box yet (I have been busy with home improvements), so it may be a month or so until I am ready to get this going.
See? Fancy!
Dinner, Journal, Low Carb, Lunch, Preserving, Pressure, Recipe

My Pepper Steak

This was one of my mom’s staples when I was growing up. This is my tweaked version.

My Pepper Steak

Notes

My Pepper Steak
(For the original recipe, see Ma’s Pepper Steak)
2 pounds beef, shredded
Marinade
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons Chinese rice wine (or white wine or water)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons corn (or potato) starch
Vegetables (any vegetables can be used)
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or 1 teaspoon peeled, grated ginger with 2 cloves minced garlic)
6 medium bell peppers, seeded and julienned
1 large onion, peeled and julienned
1 head of cabbage, cored and sliced
Sauce
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes (or black pepper)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar (optional but highly suggested)
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Thickener (whisked together)
1 Tablespoon corn (or potato) starch
2 Tablespoons cold water
Leave your beef partially frozen and slice against the grain as thin as you can. Once sliced, cut it into strips, then place in a bowl with the marinade. Mix well and let sit for 30 minutes to overnight, in the refrigerator.
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, pour in 2 Tablespoons oil. Let that heat up a bit, then add all the vegetables. Sautee until mostly cooked. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon, trying to leave as much oil in the pan as possible.
Add 1 Tablespoon of oil (if needed), then brown the meat in a single layer. Once all of the meat is brown, turn the heat down to medium and add the vegetables and sauce to the pan. Mix well and let that cook until the beef is thoroughly cooked (2 to 3 minutes), then pour the thickener evenly around the pan. Mix and let simmer until sauce is thickened.
Serve over steamed rice, noodles, steamed vegetables, or by itself.
This can be pressure canned (with or without the vegetables) in quart sized jars for 75 minutes at the pressure for your altitude (mine is 12 pounds).
Breakfast, Journal, Low Carb, Recipe

Basic Egg Loaf

For those who don’t know, this is keto/low carb french toast! Today, I made french toast dippers in my corn stick cast iron pans (and they turned out better than I have ever made them).

This is one of the easiest recipes! It’s full fat cream cheese, eggs, and melted butter in a ratio is 2:2:1. That means it can easily be adjusted up or down!

Basic Egg Loaf

Notes

Basic Egg Loaf
8 ounces full fat cream cheese
8 eggs
4 ounces butter, melted
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Once all of the ingredients are at room temperature, place them all in a bowl and blend until smooth. You can use a Kitchen Aid, a food processor, a blender, a stick blender, etc.
Pour into a greased baking dish (just about any will work: loaf pan, 13×9 casserole, muffin tins, etc.) and bake 30 to 45 minutes (or until brown).

Here’s the link to my meal prep containers:
https://amzn.to/31czIBI

Fitness, Health, Journal

Don't Wait For The Middle Finger

white haired man in jacket with watch
Photo by Life Of Pix on Pexels.com

Young ones (well, anyone younger than me, aka 50 and younger), please don’t be like me.

I treated my body like it was immortal: nothing I did or didn’t do would have a lasting effect. Despite the little things (which just kept building up) I felt when I turned 30 years old, I kept right on rolling, downing that Crunch Berry cereal while doing virtually no physical activity. The scale didn’t matter, how my body felt didn’t matter, all I cared about was what goody I was going to put in my mouth next to drown out my emotions. I told myself I didn’t care what anyone else thought and I didn’t. The problem was, I just didn’t care, period.

I only looked in the mirror with “tunnel vision”, seeing only my face to put on tons of makeup (to cover up my blotchy skin and apply contour to my double chin) and fix my highly damaged hair but never looking at my body. I cannot remember ever looking at my body just out of the shower.

The year I turned 42 years old, after YEARS of warning signs, was the year my body stuck up its middle finger at me and said, “I’m done”. Thankfully, I have never had high blood pressure or high cholesterol but I became allergic to just about everything, I got sick if anyone looked at me funny, and I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Through diet and exercise over the past 8 years, I have reduced my A1C from 9.0 to 5.7 (my first ever fasting blood sugar was 400). I am very proud to officially no longer have type 2 diabetes and did it on my own.

Unfortunately, there is only so much proper (for me) diet and exercise can do after 42 years of neglect and abuse. Here is a partial list of the issues I am dealing with:

  • Allergy shots for the next 5 years
  • Gallbladder removal 7 months ago
  • Severe intestinal issues that were not resolved by removing the gallbladder. I am still undergoing testing to figure out what is causing this (upper endoscopy, MRI, so much blood work the technician knows me by name). Next will probably be scheduled for a colonoscopy (if none of the current tests reveal anything).
  • Just had a TIA (mini-stroke) in my eye last week. There was no permanent damage but this means more tests (went to the lab two days in a row this week and have 2 MRI scans next week), more doctors (in addition to my allergist, dermatologist, ophthalmologist, primary care, and gastroenterologist, I have an appointment with a neurologist and am waiting for a referral to a cardiologist) AND I had to stop exercising because that TIA could possibly lead to a full-blown stroke (can you say stress?).

To be brutally honest, I have no idea how much of what is still wrong with me could have been avoided if I had cared about myself earlier in life but now, I will never know. All I can do is hang on, say a few prayers, and do whatever I can to get through this so I can (once again) start over on my fitness journey. As soon as I am given some sort of clearance, I am hitting the weights and my neglected exercise bike (there will also be some digging in the yard going on, too, since I was not able to finish planting before this all happened).

So, you young whipper snappers, please. Take a good, hard look at your lifestyle. Take into account that you will not be in your 20’s forever. Our bodies age, whether we want them to or not. How old do you want to feel when you are 30, 40, or 50? Do you want to be able to do whatever you enjoy or would you prefer to get out of breath walking to the mail box? Do what is best (not easiest) for your health now so you do not end up like me.

Dinner, Journal, Level 1, Recipe

One Week of Whining (and South Beach Ginger Chicken)

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Over the course of the last week, I have been such a whiner! I have been desperately searching for ideas about how to reduce my fat intake without having to buy a ton of new food. So, I have begun diligently tracking my foods again on My Fitness Pal. I then remembered bodybuilders typically eat lower fat, so I am eating a modified “bro” diet but with flavor (lowering my fats, raising my non-meat proteins while keeping my fiber really low).

The idea of plain baked chicken breast or fish made me cry BUT I just discovered that Costco sells egg whites!
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One of the books I have been holding onto (my sister is a pathological book buyer and gives me some when she purges her inventory) is the South Beach diet. I never got a chance to even open it before last week but I am glad I did! This recipe is amazing! This would be wonderful with just any meat (I have been fantasizing about this with shrimp)!
South Beach Ginger and Garlic Chicken Breasts


I doubled the recipe, poured everything into a baking dish, and baked it at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. The chicken was so moist and tender! If you need more fat, you can add a little bit of olive oil to the basic marinade before cooking. The resulting juices were fantastic as a sauce!


I have also bought a few new things to help me get into shape while we try to figure out what is going on with my gut:

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This recumbent exercise bike is amazing! After the first use, I did have to put a cushion on the seat due to my bum falling asleep but I have used it every day since I got it without irritating my stomach. It’s a Marcy ME 709.
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AND a new scale that has the geek in me squealing with delight!
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So, this screen shot is the closest thing to porn you will get from me! Take note that I am currently 49 years old but the results show that metabolically I am 53. I am doing what I can right now to change that but will do so much more once we figure out what the heck is wrong with me!

That’s it for this update! Please, try that South Beach chicken recipe! You will not regret it! Have a great week!

Breakfast, Health, Journal, Level 1, Recipe

"Spam" and Eggs … Help!

Well, it looks like my gallbladder was just one part of my health issue. Since having it removed in October, I started feeling a little better, then slowly went downhill. All my organs look good (especially the surgical area), so last week I had my first audition for a porn movie (Upper Endoscopy). There wasn’t anything dire but they did see several inflamed areas. I am currently waiting for the biopsy results (they took several) and waiting for my insurance to approve a scan to make sure there aren’t any rogue gallstones floating around anywhere.

In the mean time, I have been instructed to change my eating to low fat, little to no fiber, nothing hot/spicy (especially black pepper) and no large solid chunks of meat that will be more difficult to digest. EVERYTHING in my house is high fat! Last week, I was whining and crying because I have no idea how to even cook low fat (and no solid meat)!

So, now that I have calmed down, I wanted to show you my way of getting at least some meat in my belly for breakfast:

This is 2 eggs, half a cup of baked on a rack so it is lower fat DRY ham, and just a bit of half and half blended and cooked in a non-stick skillet sprayed with PAM. It’s actually tasty and surprisingly filling but I need help!

Does anyone have any ideas/recipes that I might be able to tweak that aren’t all scrambled eggs? I could boil meats to remove more fat but then what? My intestines HAVE been happier/less fetal-position painful but I need ideas! All I have in my house is meat and full-fat everything else. Please help me!