Mr. Prof designer home

So it's a bit late, but I wanted to show off our steampunk pumpkin from Halloween:



Although he bears an unfortunate resemblance to the Planter's Peanut Man, he is charming in his bowler (there's a pair of goggles that you can't really see perched on the bowler), mustache and monocle.

He's even more charming in the dark:



I can't take too much credit for him though -- the idea was mine, but the execution was all Ben.

I'm very pleased with how the CB2 borosilicate vases turned out (although they managed to mess up my order, sending me only 2 of the 3 long necked vases, they have since rectified the situation to my satisfaction).



A nice, scientific touch to my library/dining room.

The beaker pitcher and the hourglasses were also ordered (and the small hourglass already broken by the steampunklet, sigh), but I'm still working on where to put them, so no pictures yet.

SO... I'm curious... on a recent 150 things about me post, I revealed that I would SO engage in risky behaviors if I didn't have a loving husband who protects me from my own risky ways. :) I would love to go sky diving, hang gliding, bungee jumping, cliff diving, base jumping... I really would love it! But until the kids are grown, I'll wait.

So I know you're not all like me, actually wanting to do these things, but I'm curious... if you could engage in a risky extreme sports kind of action and it wouldn't have the risks associated with it (death, injury, etc.), but you could still experience the actual event and the adrenaline rush of it, which of these would you choose?

(Come on, play along... it's no fun if you don't answer!)


IF YOU COULD PICK ONE OF THESE, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE:

• (A) SKY DIVING
• (B) BUNGEE JUMPING OVER A HUGE RIVER OR GORGE
• (C) HANG GLIDING
• (D) DEEP SEA DIVING WITH SHARKS
• (E) HARDCORE OFF-TRAIL SKIING/SNOWBOARDING
  
• (F) MOUNTAIN CLIMBING (like K2, Everest, etc.)
• (G) CLIFF DIVING OVER A DEEP WATER BODY (landing in the water, of course!)
  
• (H) BASE JUMPING (jumping off of a high cliff with just a parachute)

Leave your answer in the comments! :)

Happy Holidays Everyone! I've been busy as an elf lately getting the shop transformed into a Christmas wonderland! It was a lot more work this year as the shop is bigger and I fear I could have used a little more inventory! Oh well there's always next year! Here's a peek inside....







I am in love with all the fabulous architectural pieces I've added! But most of all, I adore the angel wings I found in Tennessee last summer and was going to hang them from the ceiling. But I'm sure you'll agree that they were meant to be used just as I have!







May The Joy Of The Season Be Yours!

Shelley

I have written before of our heart desire to adopt children one day. God has not *yet* made that a part of our family's story, but what a joy it is to see other families that God is blessing in this way. One of those families is that of my friend, Renee.

I just wanted to publicly rejoice with her and share with all of you the JOY of a godly family receiving God's blessings through adoption. Their family of 11 (currently 9 children, some biological, some through adoption) is about to grow to be a family of 13, as the adoption of their two sons in Ghana, Joel and Ebenezer, has just been finalized!

She has just written a beautiful post thinking through some of the small things that will be huge adjustments for these two new sons (not to mention the BIG things, like language, culture, etc.). Would you please take just a moment to pray for Joel & Ebenezer, that God will begin preparing their hearts for all the changes to come, and that their time of transition will be eased by His grace?

James 1 tells us that caring for widows and orphans is a way to practice TRUE religion... I am so thankful to rejoice with and offer prayer support to a family living out the love of God!

I am astonished. I honestly don't know how I missed this:

Last month, at the Democratic presidential debate at Dartmouth college, John Edwards made a statement which should HORRIFY all Christian parents who have any interest in their children's moral upbringing. Boston.com reports:

[The candidates] were asked about a controversial incident in Lexington, Mass., where a second-grade teacher, to the dismay of several parents, had read her young students a story celebrating same-sex marriage. Were the candidates "comfortable" with that?

"Yes, absolutely," former senator John Edwards promptly replied. "I want my children . . . to be exposed to all the information . . . even in second grade . . . because I don't want to impose my view. Nobody made me God. I don't get to decide on behalf of my family or my children. . . . I don't get to impose on them what it is that I believe is right."

Folks, this is but one step away from completely communistic thinking. I, the parent, don't get to have input and control over what goes into the mind of my child?! Have we completely lost our SOULS as a nation? What is a parent for, then? To simply clothe and feed children? Can't the government do that too? Why have families at all? Do you see where this leads? This rhetoric from Edwards leads to the complete fracturing of the family.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE TO PARENTS? OR VICE-VERSA?
It used to be the case that the public at large saw the government education of children as beholden to their wishes as parents... that the GOVERNMENT was responsible to the PARENTS for the dollars spent, education received, and activities of their child while on the school's watch. Now, we are at risk of the complete opposite: now, in the words of a major contender for the role of leader of our nation, parents would be "imposing their views" on their children if they teach moral behavior... and, dare I say it?, if we merely teach what the Bible says.

I can't tell you how these words from a potential president chill me to the depths of my soul. Can you imagine if this kind of view became normative in America? In many countries around the world, already, moral and religious education of minors is illegal. Can you imagine if the American government (which funds abortions, teaches kids how to use condoms, hands out birth control--with or without parental awareness, increasingly not only tolerates but encourages same-sex relationships, and does an increasingly shoddy and shameful job at actual education of children) begins not only taking over but forbidding anyone else to perform the moral training of our youth?

It has been oft said that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world... What say you? Do you think that the moral education of our children ought to be left up to government schools? Do you think that you are "imposing your views" on your children when you teach them right from wrong according to the Bible? Does this frighten ANYONE else?!?

If you know me, you KNOW I'm not normally driven to emotional pleas or arguments... but this truly does frighten me. Let me hear your thoughts...

Datamancer has two of his wonderful Steampunk Keyboards up for sale on eBay.

First, the warm copper "Baron of Cyprus". Truly lovely, a work of art.




Second, it's dangerous (I know, it's a keyboard, but this one looks like it would grab your fingers and leave them mangled if it found you trashing science fiction with it), it's made of engine parts (hex nuts for keys!), it's The Industrial.

Lots more pictures of both over at the eBay posts.

We also have a peek into Datamancer's workshop.