Facial Hair Survey

Beard or no beard. You decide.

I have been growing beards much of my adult life. 15 years ago at 30 I noticed a little grey in my beard and I thought it was distinguished. This may have been because the grey was limited to my beard and was about 5-10 strands in total.

After Amy and I got married and we started having kids I developed a beard system. I would generally stay clean shaven during the pregnancy and would stop shaving once the baby was born. I would then keep the beard until the child's first birthday and shave it off. When my oldest turned one, she was asleep when I shaved my beard and left for work. When I came home she literally did not know who I was. When I spoke, her expression changed from "who is that strange man in my house? (Do expressions come in quotes?) to "Ah, that strange man in my house is Daddy.".

My youngest turned 1 almost 3 years ago and I have gone pretty much beardless since. This year since by birthday was a multiple of 5 (Hint: in paragraph 1, I said 15 years ago I was 30.) I decided to try out the old beard again.

Have you ever noticed that in before after photographs the subject is always better dressed, better groomed more spruced up then in the before pictures? Sure, you have.Not here at Home School Dad. We don't play that way.

Here I am a few weeks ago right before I started growing the beard.








And here I am a few weeks later with the beard.


So what do you think beard or no beard? Let me know.


I literally showed my face today. You don't have to show your face to participate in Six Word Saturday. Just shoot on over to Show My Face Dot Com.


Next Time: What's wrong with the Church?

Three Things Thursday

Thursday again? That means it's time for Three Thing This Thursday!

1. Thank You! Thank You Thank You!

Thanks for the encouraging words regarding last weeks themed edition. I really appreciated it. I was thematically obligated to share 3 fears, and while the ones I expressed were true, the degree I feel them is rather small. I am glad that those reading this enjoy it. I will keep it up.

2. The Good Wife (CBS)

Of all the new shows this fall, this was the one receiving much of the early acclaim. It stars Julianna Marguiles as said wife. BTW Julianna, Terri Hatcher called, she wants her hairstyle back. That aside, I quite like the show. It has a good supporting cast, and plays well as part procedural part human drama. (I don't have cable or tv reception, so I watch it at cbs.com)

3. Blogoversary Contest

Kristen at We Are That Family is celebrating 2 years of Bloggy Goodness. You can celebrate with her by joining her contest. Simply blog about how your family is That Family and link to hers before midnight tonight. I went ahead and shared my story: A Purple Present with Lucy Inside. Show her what youv'e got!









That's it for me. Now it's your turn.

Next time: Facial Hair Considered

WFMW not workin' for me

Word Count Wednesday :
100 Words or Les

Works For Me Wednesday is among my favorite blog features. I have been a frequent contributor in my first 9 months of blogging.

WFMW hasn't been working for me lately. As they say in break-up parlance, It isn't them it's me.

My usual WFMW routine had me up past midnight on Tuesday nights. I have a men’s group that meets at 6 a.m Wednesdays. Something had to give. Sleep won.

I’ll still contribute to WFMW but today I am starting a new Wednesday tradition. Tell me what you think.

Next Time: 3TTT

A Purple Present With Lucy Inside

Kristen at We Are That Family is celebrating her 2nd Blogoversary by letting other families share how They are "that" Family. We are That Family because we have 5 crazy people who love each other. This story I posted about earlier this week illustrates that point beautifully.

 

Last year about this time, in preparation for her third birthday, Lucy began announcing what she wanted as a gift. Her wish: A purple present with cookies inside. That is all she would talk about when the subject of birthdays came up. This was one of her first Lucyisms even before I had a blog to feature them. So on her birthday she certainly did receive a purple present with cookies inside. (She was upset with other people who gave her other gifts, but she quickly got over that.)

A few weeks ago Amy bought a beautiful outfit that Lucy is wearing in the pictures below. When she wears it I have taken to calling the ensemble, a purple present with Lucy inside.

Today at our Home School Co-op, just prior to me taking these pictures, Lucy and I had the following

conversation. . .

Me: It's a purple present with Lucy inside. Lucy: Daddy, I do not like that name. Me: But, Lucy I love you.

Lucy: I love you too, Dad. But, I still don't like that name. It was a very mature conversation especially since the one with the best lines is NOT YET FOUR!

So, congratulations Kristen on being that family and blogging that family for two whole years! Next Time: WFMW

In Praise of Out Walking

Out Walking is probably the first blog I ever read. When exactly I began reading it, I am not quite sure. It was a few years before I took up blogging myself. I discovered it by looking up some Christian Artist on Google. I think it was John Fischer but it may have been Randy Stonehill. The blogs author, Steve West has years of involvement in Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and he is a gifted communicator. His blog topics include movies, books, music, and culture just to name a few.

Mr. West makes many recommendations at his blog. He writes so eloquently and persuasively that I have found myself that I have found myself acting on many of his recommendations. To date I have been genuinely pleased with the results.

First, it was the movie Once. He described so glowingly that I found myself looking for it through our local library system. Once I found Once I discovered a thoroughly engaging film about an unusual musical collaboration.

Once was filmed on a much smaller budget than the similar themed Hugh Grant Drew Barrymore vehicle Music and Lyrics. In actuality, Music and Lyrics is a poor man's Once. The story is less engaging, more predictable and the music is far inferior.

The word vehicle I used to describe the Barrymore-Grant coupling ,may be one reason. Once is story and song driven not star driven. Sorry! I didn't mean to shift into review mode. Click here to see the original review that caused me to watch Once and ultimately buy the soundtrack.

The next piece of advice I followed in Out Walking had to do with an Album called Making God Smile. It is one of those artist tribute anthology compilations that the CCM industry tends to produce with reckless abandon.

The tribute is to Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson. It turns out that West was the executive producer of the album. I purchased it through his amazon store. When I received it I only recognized a few of the artist and less of the songs. But, I enjoyed what I heard.

What I appreciated most was the artist liner notes that spoke so powerfully of Wilson's influence on the musicians covering his work. Much focus was on an album, Pet Sounds, that was being hailed as a seminal work of not only the Beach Boys but of Pop music as a whole.

I was so intrigued by the music and the noted that I again went to my public library (I don't buy much) and procured it.

Pet Sounds, given high praise at Out Walking as well, is worthy of all the accolades it has received. I hope to review it soon in these very pages.

There has been so much that I have enjoyed of what Steve produces at Out Walking. Here are links to two fairly recent posts that I highly recommend. One is about his travels and the other is a story he wrote.

I dig this blog because of it's eclectic style and highly personal nature. The personal fuels the eclectic, and vice-versa. These are also 2 major goals of my blog. I hope that my readers enjoy my work even a fraction of how much I enjoy his.

Next Time: A Purple Present with Lucy Inside.