Little Ol' Me---Interview

I found this over at Regina's. She's a wild chick, so I thought it would be fun to let her interview me. Fun and scary. But I think she was gentle and just threw me softballs. Besides, we can always use new ideas for blog posts around here! If you want to join in the fun:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me".
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

1. You have been homeschooling for 13 years so you started back when it was less popular and accepted. What made you decide to homeschool?

I had been interested in homeschooling since our first was born, especially since I'd been hanging around with counter-cultural wackos from La Leche League, like myself, but the Master of the World thought it would be too difficult. As luck would have it, or God, we met some people through Couple to Couple league who were homeschoolers and started inviting us to all their family events where me met others and learned what kind of resources were available curriculum-wise. We also noticed that they had really great kids who were able to work and play with different ages and converse with adults!

This was also when we were actively seeking God's actions in our lives, so when KT's parochial school raised tuition out of our reach, we saw it as a clear sign. Why didn't we just put her in public school? Because we thought (and still do!) we could give her a much better education at home, without the negative aspects that come with public school.

2. If you had one mulligan (do-over) in life but it would have ended where you are now (same husband, kids, etc) what would you redo?

I'm glad I get to keep my husband and kids, because I like them. I think the only real regret I have is not taking advantage of some things that were available to me in college---like piano and voice lessons.

3. What do you like best about knitting? What drew you to it?

Sometimes I think knitting is one of the scars left by my stepmother who always said, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop!" Not in a nice way, in a "you're so lazy, get off your butt and do something" way. But she did teach me to crochet. My favorite grandmother was a knitter and I loved to watch her. Knitting brings back those happy memories, and I just love to create things. I learned in college when one of my sisters was knitting a tiny Irish sweater for a new baby. She taught a bunch of us and we sat around watching soaps and knitting.

4. I see you let your kids read Harry Potter which is a controversial (in Christian circles) book series. What made you decide it was ok to have your kids read the books?

I always use dh as the litmus test when I'm tempted to be dogmatic about something, because I was afraid of them at first, so he read the first one and approved it. I read it next, and all the others before the kids did. The witchcraft still concerns me a little, but the kids have informed me over and over again that it is fantasy. I think the broader message is an excellent one---that every person has value and their race (magic or muggle; jew or aryan; muslim or Christian; born or unborn) shouldn't matter and no one has the right to decide that they should be exterminated because of it. I see Voldemort as Hitler.

Yes, Harry is the Chosen One and does things wrong. He's not perfect. It would have been great if he had access to confession! But he's a good kid who grew up and learned his morality by seeing the terrible example of his aunt and uncle. His heart is in the right place and he rarely goes down the wrong path and does things with malicious intent.

It drives me up a wall to read Christian or Catholic writers who bash the series and say things like: "One character said "such and such" and we know that's wrong." Yes, but, those characters saying those things are THE BAD GUYS, not Harry or Dumbledore. And we're not supposed to like it even more now that we know Dumbledore was gay. Well, Dumbledore never did anything during the series that was reprehensible in that way. For all we know he was living a perfectly chaste life. Being gay doesn't make a person evil. Hate the sin, love the sinner.

Getting down off my soapbox now....

5. If you could witness one event in the Bible, what would it be?

IDK, the Sermon on the Mount? Just to hear Him talk and be warmed by His words and to be able to sit at His feet. And maybe make some personal contact. One of the miracles would be great, but I think I wouldn't like the emotion and negativity that surrounded those. Or the Wedding at Cana would be cool because He was unknown then and you could sit across from Him at the table and converse. Bask in the glow without all the other thousands of people clamoring for His attention. Yeah, that's the one. Wedding at Cana.

Who wants to play along? Send me a comment and let me know---especially you lurkers so we can get to know you! :-D