More Minecraft Love…

May 9th, 2013 § Comments Off on More Minecraft Love… § permalink

I wrote my post, What My Kids Are Learning While Playing Minecraft back in July 2012. I have observed since, that there has been a lot of talk about the benefits of the game and it’s ability to teach our kids real world skills. I’ve heard that even some classrooms are using it as a teaching tool.

Since writing my previous post, I have observed even more opportunities for my kids on Minecraft, especially with the addition of mods.

For instance, there is a Minecraft Mod called the Galacticraft mod. My youngest son is very interested in space, so this mod appealed to him on a grand scale. We got the mod and his interests soared even more. In this mod, you are able to build a space rocket, fuel it up and take off to the Minecraft Moon. You can’t forget your oxygen though. (You can’t breath on your own on the moon). When you land on the moon, you can walk there, leaving permanent footprints,( just like on the real moon.) You can also build, interact with the space creatures and return to earth.

Or, you can build a space station, where you can observe the earth and the moon, do “experiments” or just hang out with your friends in space . The makers of this mod are planning on adding other planets soon. More to explore and learn about!

There really is no end to the subject matter that can be explored on Minecraft. There is a mod on every subject you can imagine. The galacticraft mod got my son off and running, learning about space history, gravity, oxygen, physics and more. He even got a Neil Armstrong “skin” to use when he’s playing on this mod.

There are mods on mythology, forestry, medieval times, farming – Mods that experiment with the atmosphere, atoms, engineering  and many, many more. Here’s a link to just a few of the mods available, all free, for Minecraft.

Often I hear parents asking, “How can I get my kids OFF of Minecraft?”

And I have to ask…

Why would you want to? 

I can only suspect that these parents have either not played or not really engaged with their children while they are playing. Most kids are very excited to share with you what they are doing on there. If we are open to listening without judging the game as a “frivolous” activity, we will see that they are learning far more than we might suspect. And not only that, they are happy and functioning in creative and critical thinking, stretching their minds and enjoying it! What more could we want for our kids?

In my mind, Minecraft is not even a game. It’s a tool for engaging in subject matter that might not otherwise be available. It most definitely holds their attention and gives them the means to experiment with anything and everything they might be interested in. It also leads to fascinations of subject matter that they might not have otherwise been exposed to.

I’ve seen my kids much more open to looking at books on geology and space than they would have been without the game. They’ve also been more interested in visiting museums and other venues that relate to things they are working on in Minecraft. When they are playing with space on Minecraft, for instance, they want to know more. How does the rocket get enough power to get to the moon? Who was the first person on the moon? Why does the moon have less gravity than earth? And so on and so on. It never ends. And I’m glad for it.

These are the kind of questions I want my kids to be asking. I want them to walk into adulthood with questions about our world, with the ability to answer them with their own innovative thinking. Minecraft fosters this type of thinking. It creates a space for passion in subjects that might be boring in school. It encourages them to ask those questions and get creative about answering them.

Two Movies

April 30th, 2013 § Comments Off on Two Movies § permalink

Last night I watched a movie that was a great validation to where I am in my life right now. . . Following my Bliss. Honoring my inner voice. Watching my mind. Allowing my passion to unfold.

These things tend to come into my life at random, seemingly to coax me on and show me that I’m going in the right direction. The movie last night was called Finding Joe, based on the teachings of Joseph Campbell.

Finding Joe – Trailer V.7 from pat solomon on Vimeo.

 

Again tonight, seemingly by mistake, another movie showed up – a little lamp post lighting my way. This time the movie was called Discover The Gift.

 

I don’t believe in accidents. I don’t think things happen by mistake. Everything that comes to us has a gift in it. These movies were definitely a gift to me at this time in my life.

As I finish up the end of my blog post a day for the month of April I have come even further along on my writing journey. When I started this commitment through NaBloPoMo, I knew that if I could do it this month – commit to writing – Every. Single. Day. – I would prove to myself that I CAN write, that no matter how I am feeling or how busy I am, I CAN make time for what I love to do.

During the process leading up to making this commitment for April and during the process itself, I was published in two different magazines. I am feeling a great pull to finish and edit a book that I started a couple of years ago. So beginning May 1, that’s where my writing efforts will go.

All of the sign posts are there, pointing me in that direction. The publishings, the blog posts and now the movies. It seems as though the Universe is screaming loudly for me to jump, yet again, into the vast unknown. To trust in the process, to stay in tune with myself and to take small baby steps in the direction I am being called to explore.

These two movies meant a great deal to me and I am honored to share them here. Perhaps you will check them out and see if they resinate with you and where you are on your path.

 

Old Fashion White Bread

April 29th, 2013 § Comments Off on Old Fashion White Bread § permalink

Homemade White Bread2

 

When I make bread, I usually try to use whole wheat. But on this rainy day I decided to look for a recipe that called for white flour to go with our hot steamy stew I made for dinner.

My grandmother left me all of her cookbooks and recipes because I took after her love of cooking and baking In the stack I found a very old Betty Crocker cook book and found this recipe.

So when you’ve got a hankering for some good old fashioned white bread, whip this recipe up. It’s fairly easy and taste oh so delicious.

 

Ingredients

6 – 7 cups of All Purpose White Flour

3 TBL sugar

1TBL salt

4 1/2 tsp yeast (or 2 pkgs)

2 TBL Shortening

2 1/4 Cups very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)

 

Mix 3 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt shortening and yeast in a large bowl. Add warm water. Beat on low, scraping bowl frequently, 1 minute. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl frequently, 1 minute. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. (I just used my kitchen aid for this but you can hand knead if needed) and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a well greased bowl, turning greased side of dough up and cover with a cloth. Place in a warm spot in your kitchen and let rise for 40 to 60 minutes or until doubled.

Punch down the dough and divide into halves. Let rest for 5 minutes. Flatten each half with hands or rolling pin into rectangle, 18 x 9 inches, on lightly floured surface. Fold into thirds and place, seam side down, into 2 greased loaf pans. Brush lightly with butter if desired.

Place in a warm place and let rise 35 oto 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place loaves on low rack in oven. Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack. Serve with real butter.

 

 

A Bee and a Sunflower

April 27th, 2013 § Comments Off on A Bee and a Sunflower § permalink

Bee & Sunflower from Stacy Conaway on Vimeo.

We’re having thunderstorms today where I live so I didn’t get to work in my gardens. Instead I looked back at some of the video and pictures of garden days gone by.

I found this video that Stacy (my husband) took almost two years ago. I love the pollinators that live in our yard. And the video also got me excited about how huge our sunflowers will be getting very soon, especially with the aid of all this rain today.

I hope you enjoy the Sunflower, the Bee, the music by Evgeny Grinko and my husband’s ability to capture the nuances of nature.

How to Care for Introverts

April 26th, 2013 § Comments Off on How to Care for Introverts § permalink

introvert

 

I love this visual about Introverts. Since I have a son that is a true blue introvert, I have learned to interact with him in all of the above ways.

Introverts are such special and gifted people. They usually think long and hard before acting. They can figure just about anything out, given the time and space to do it. When they find someone that is their true friend, they will honor that friendship like no other. They usually don’t like crowds. When they DO speak, they like to be really heard, so pretending to listen doesn’t work with them. THEY DO notice when you’re not really present.

They NEED alone time, much more than an extrovert does. They NEED quiet. They really do need to be given lots of transition time from one activity to the next. When they are rushed they are stressed, more so than the rest of us.

Introverts DISLIKE labels. Don’t label them. Empower them to be exactly as they are.

Honor the introvert in your life by respecting his need for solitude and quiet spaces. Honor him/ her by being ultra respectful of his/her needs. If you do, you will have a confident, loyal and thoughtful person in your life. One who might change the world with his introspective nature.