Busy Week!

 Kevin and Isaac were sick all week. Both are improving. What IS IT?  Don't know.  Not COVID. I have tested myself and Kevin and Isaac and the tests were all negative. So it is just some stupid virus.

Many of the rest of us got sick too, but in a much milder form.  So I was off for a couple of days and that was it. Various people have been extra tired and achy. Isaac ran a significant fever for a couple of days and felt terrible for a few days more from fatigue and achiness.  Better today.

All this meant that I had more on my plate than usual since both Kevin and Isaac do a lot around here. Joseph is a driver but I don't send him long distances yet. He is a new driver and he just drives to Burger King and back mostly.

We spent a lot of time in the pool. Well, the kids swam a lot and I swam some. It has been hot so the water is in the 80's. Very nice!  The heat also requires a full on war against algae and the algae and I are currently locked in a battle. The pool water is clear but the bottom has algae.  So some extra stuff needs to be done.

I finished my latest book!  Well, the first draft of my latest book. Still need to do final edits but getting the first draft done is huge!

College starts for three of the children in the latter part of the next month. So that is exciting.

Thoughts on Science

 

So I have been reading this book, the Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change by Marc Morano, who is famed as a "climate skeptic" or a "climate denier".

So, a little background. For many years, when anyone has mentioned man made climate change based on increasing levels of carbon dioxide, I have said that I am skeptical that it is true, but that I am not sure because I haven't made time for a deep dive into the subject.

I wouldn't say that I am currently taking a deep dive. It is more of a shallow dive. But I am making the time to study the topic a bit.

I am leaning more heavily to being a skeptic based on the book I am reading. Of course, if I read books by the people who claim that, without a doubt, humans are causing global warming due to increasing CO2 levels, I might think differently?

But probably not, because of my training and my personality.

So here is the thing. I spent almost ten years in college -- four years as an undergraduate student, and almost six as a graduate student. The truth is that scientific experiments, and theories, and models, all have people behind them.

And no one, anywhere, is a computer. We all carry our biases into our work. The truth is that climate change is super super complex.  We are not talking about something that can be studied in a laboratory.  This is in contrast to some issues in science.  As a materials science, if I want to study the effect of chromium on the hardness and oxidation resistance of steel, I can do experiments where I make up steel with increasing levels of chromium and study it.  It is a laboratory problem, so to speak.

Now with climate change we are not talking about something that can be studied in the lab, where we can control variables.  And the number of variables is awe inspiring.  Carbon dioxide levels, and sunspot activity, and volcanic activity, and a whole lot more.

Now, that doesn't mean we don't try to figure out what is going on.  There are other very complex systems which people are doing their best to evaluate by making models and so on and so forth.

But I think people need to be humble about their understanding of complex scientific issues like climate change, and many people are not.

This book claims, and I think it is undoubtedly true, that the so called "97% of scientists believe that carbon dioxide caused by humans is driving global warming" is totally grabbed out of the air. There are a great many climatologists and meteorologists who disagree, way way more than 3 out of 100.

There is so much money involved in this issue, and that frankly makes me even more skeptical.  Bobby Broccoli is a fascinating youtuber who has these amazing documentaries about science fakers.  One guy faked finding a new element. Another faked superconductivity in his experiments. A Korean scientist claimed that he had managed to clone human cells and that turned out to be a total fake.

Why did they do these things? For fame.  For fortune.  For both.

Scientists are people too.  They tend to gravitate toward where the money is. There is a ton of money in renewable energy and the like.  Furthermore, sometimes a person wants something to match his or her theory so much that she throws out any data which doesn't agree with their theory.

I have always been a very honest person. Now I have lied in the past because I wanted to stay out of trouble, or whatever, but in general, I have a black and white view on lying.  (To be clear, there are times when lying is right. I think of the Ten Boom family, who lied about the presence of Jews in their house during the Nazi occupation of Holland.)

But in general, I don't lie and I don't like lies, even white lies.  So Kevin and I told our kids from the time of conception that Santa Claus is pretend. My own parents told me Santa Clause is pretend, and I am very grateful for that!

So what is going on with global warming?  I think that well meaning people think that the earth is going to burn up if we don't stop carbon emissions and therefore are fudging the data to make things look like a slam dunk.

Which frankly outrages me because it isn't right to fudge data when lots of people are affected poorly.

And they are!  Definitely renewable energy like solar and wind power is good, BUT the technology isn't developed enough yet to reduce our use of petroleum products a great deal.

I don't think it is first world countries that will suffer all that much, but third world. If Nigeria and Chad and Kenya are strong armed into reducing emissions, then they may not be able to dig wells, and provide electricity to hospitals, and that kind of thing. 

This whole issue of global climate change is obviously terrifying to poor Greta Thunberg, who is convinced we really are going to die from global warming.  Many other kids are super worried too.  And the message is -- if we don't do something now, we are all going to die!

But I don't think the data supports that.  As recently as the 1970's, in fact, the message was that we were headed for an ice age and were all going to die from famine.

So yes, I think that the alarmists are fudging the data and showing a very one sided picture, and frankly are absurd to fixate on carbon dioxide emissions when there are countless other factors which affect climate.

I do intend to keep studying the topic, so maybe I'll change my mind.  Maybe.

 

Mid July

 So this last week wasn't too bad in terms of busyness. We still had some illness but I felt good most of the week.  We had one orthodontia appointment but that was it for medical appointments.  I spent most of the week home, which frankly I liked a lot!

I decided to put this on my blog because it is cute. No other reason.

These are from our fourth of July feast (so a couple of weeks ago).  

A tree frog hanging out on the outside of our sliding doors!  Isn't that funny??

So yes, it is summer and it is hot and the pool is awesome and we are doing well.  I did get stung by a bee yesterday and it still hurts.  Got me good!

First chigger bite of the year too!  I hate chigger bites. But am thankful that it isn't a terrible one and that I made it to mid July before one got through my defenses.  I take two showers a day and often swim as well, which helps a lot.

This week our church is having its annual rummage sale and we may be assisting. Yesterday three kids and I were helping with our church's food pantry, and Lydia was helping set up the rummage sale.  I am thankful for my children and their servant hearts.

Oh, one last thing.  I signed up for both Britbox and Acorn TV subscriptions through Amazon Prime. Prime had a deal where I pay a dollar a month for two months, and then the subscriptions jump up in price.

I have thoroughly been enjoying a mystery series called My Life is Murder, which stars Lucy Lawless, better known for her role as Xena the warrior princess. Which I have never seen.  My Life is Murder is lots of fun, set in Australia for the first season and New Zealand the second and third seasons.  I like mystery series that aren't too deep and depressing and these are charming.

Beautiful Flower Pictures

 Kevin is a gifted photographer. He has taken most of the pictures that appear on my book covers.

Aren't they lovely?

Sickness

 Well, as if this last week wasn't busy enough, Kevin and I both got sick with some virus!

Not THE virus -- I did a COVID test and it was negative. Anyway, the symptoms are mild stomach upset, aches and pains, and major fatigue.  I think it was Thursday that I spent much of the day in bed, sleeping heavily with lots of weird dreams.

I loathe being sick.  Let me rephrase that.  I loathe being sick after a couple of days.  I don't mind one day of lying around in bed, but now I am tired of being tired!

But it isn't anything huge. I am improving. But I still don't like it.

Anyway, last week was full of medical appointments. Monday, Rose had a well child checkup. She is a below average height for her age so maybe she will be petite like Miriam, which is cool.

Tuesday was Fourth of July and we had a big family party with all our kids and Kevin's mother.  That was fun!

Wednesday and Thursday were copious eye appointments.  Seven of us went in and got checked and picked out new eyeglasses.  Sarah had her checkup in January I think.  Miriam has perfect vision.  She and Lydia are the only ones with perfect vision.

I am at the beginning stages of cataracts which is kind of irritating.  The optometrist said no problem for now, but that as they grow they will impact my night vision especially.  My night vision is already not terrific but I am fine to drive. She said that I had cataracts last year when I was checked so this isn't new. I didn't hear her say that a year ago.

Kevin is working away and considering when he will leave his job.  Still lots of stuff to sort out.

Thankfully this upcoming week is way less busy with only one trip to the orthodontist!

Our pool is looking and feeling good.  I really enjoy swimming.

So Happy Summer for us and I don't like feeling sick.

Oh, one last thing that is totally awesome!  The Ohio regulations for homeschooling are being changed and notifying will be simpler starting NEXT (2024-2025) year.  I am excited.  I have been doing this for years and years and can keep doing it for years and years but frankly I find the regs annoying. The local public schools are fairly easy to work with but they do sometimes get crabby about silly things and then I am having to resubmit stuff, and every time I need to go the post office to get the letters sent registered and return receipt requested.

So yes, I am happy it will be easier in the future.

Frustrated. But I shouldn't be

 

Let me start with the good news.  Last week was VBS at our church.  Our three youngest attended and Angela helped. They had a great week and it was awesome.  Jesus all the way!!

So that was good.  It also meant a very busy week, which is why I am feeling frustrated. But let me back up. As you probably know, Kevin's leave got cancelled and he was back to work last week.  We are still sorting out the future.

So I was running back and forth to VBS which meant that all week I was gone in the evenings. Nothing terrible about that.  

But it is stressful to me because I totally like to be home at night.  I don't regret at all the kids going to VBS.  It was good for them. But I am tired.

I have a book to finish. I am 60,000 words in and getting toward the end. BUT I haven't written much in more than a week for obvious reasons.

This week also busy. Today was a well child appointment for Rose. Tomorrow is 4th of July. Wednesday is eye appointments for 3 people. Thursday is eye appointments for 4 people.  

So I am frustrated because I want to write more but I haven't had the mental ability to do so.

Now, backing up, there is no huge hurry on finishing this book.

BUT I am a driven person who likes to get things done.  I would never have finished my previous books if I wasn't driven.

So here I am, trying to be calm, but not feeling particularly calm :-).

Anyway. Everything is fine. We are still figuring out what is happening with Kevin's job.  The kids are healthy and we are healthy. We have much to be thankful for.

I just don't like being super busy outside the home but oh well!