Brian Dennert Here... Ventura County Star Blog

My brother's blog about local politics going on in Simi Valley and the surrounding area!

http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/dennert

crazy day at only 9:30am

Okay, today was off to a crazy start.

Woke up to the dog having diarrhea on the kitchen floor. I was dry-heaving cleaning it up.

Kids clogged the front bathroom toilet with too much toilet paper.

Kids flooded the bathroom floor with water by overflowing the basin when taking a shower.

My sister let my son buy a rat last night at the pet food store. They called and asked and I told her and him NO!!!

AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

On the bright side. I had a garage sale this weekend. Saturday I did GREAT. Sunday was very very slow. BUT, I made aprox. $770 at the garage sale!

;-)

art ? toe-nail art.. ummmm okay?

I guess you can call this art. Folk art? Ecentric art? Crazy weird people? LMAO!!! Not sure I'd want to touch these if they had other people's nails on them. Other people's feet gross me out! Not kidding! Feet by themselves are okay. But, PLEASE, if you have sweaty, hot-in-the-shoes-all-day feet don't ever try to put them near me. And, if you have toe nails so long that a french pedicure would look nice, but instead they are all yellow and gross and cracked and have dirty 'stuff' under the nails, I just might gag!

So, with all that said, please check out this 'lovely' website.

http://rachelzcallahan.blogspot.com/2008/06/toenail-art.html

I have to thank Suzie for sending it to me! Sigh!!! What would I do without my friends?

;-*

Handmade soaps and bath products

This is anther great website. The woman that owns and runs it (and makes the products) is someone I know from a LLL chatgroup. These are great gift ideas and fun to enjoy at home. Very affordable prices too.

http://www.soaps-and-potions.com

:-)

Great meal recipes for free

My friend, Suzie, told me about this great blog. She has a friend that emailed out recipes all the time to family and friends and Suzie encouraged her to create a blog from it. So, she has an posts great recipe ideas all the time. They are in groups on the right to choose from.

Enjoy!!!


http://wfdamy.blogspot.com/

Christ's Birth- Merry Christmas

This is a great video to help us remember the reason we are celebrating Christmas. Not the tree, not the presents, not the eggnog or the photo Christmas cards... but for the birth of Christ the King.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ypUnnqr8Y&eurl=http://co105w.col105.mail.live.com/mail/InboxLight.aspx?FolderID=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&InboxSortAscending&feature=player_embedded

Christmas in Japan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmCrIZeob4w


I have a friend that lives in Japan and she posted this short video on her blog. It is funny and reminds me of the guy that travels all over the world doing the stupid dance with the hand pumping motion.

;-)

Simi Valley Library needs repairs

I have seen the wall like this at the Simi Library for months and months now. I always forget about it and then the next time we are in there I am reminded. The yellow thing sticking out is a candy box and there is other trash shoved in there as well. The brown is a cardboard flap that was taped on and is coming loose. I am seriously wondering why no one is fixing this! I have to remember to ask the next time I am there!

Chistmas in the Attic at the Simi Library

I got a flyer for this from a woman at the library on Saturday. We went there for the Redbird annual Toy and Blanket Drive and Potluck. We hung out, saw some friend and chatted for a few hours.

Anyways, the flyer is for a free holiday movie screening of Christmas in the Attic. It is Dec. 13th. 11:30-12:30pm. For ages 3-9 yrs old.

I'm not sure what it is but might be cute. The small blurb about the story line is about three puppets that are forgotten in an attic and have to spend Christmas alone until they meet a girl.

Photos from Back to Bethlehem 12/06

Girls making pottery.


Girls were selling wreaths. The saw my digital camera and called it a 'lighting maker' and I told them if they hugged and smiled that I'd draw their picture. So, I took a picture and then put the photo on 'view' and they pretended to be memorized that they were in two places at once.














Baby K getting her 'sandals repaired for one coin'. She really enjoyed this! It was cute!












The Romans harassing a man telling people to not give money to Caesar. Little D LOVED this but last year it scared Baby K. It Looks like they are punching the man and Baby K didn't realize it was all pretend. Not nice at all and too violent for me but stuff like this, and worse, did happen and still does, right? His children raised 50 shekels to give to the Romans so that he could be freed.

















A Rabbi in his school quizzing the children on the bible.

Little D in the petting area, petting some goats and sheep. It was cute that Baby K pointed out (without jealously) that Little D is great with animals.







Little D with a donkey just outside the manger. Last year they had a camel too and they usually do. I asked and where it was and someone told me it was down the hill grazing. I asked if it would be here next weekend and they said (in time era-like dialect) that the camel-renting-business had rates that were too high this year so they had to walk on foot! ;-)

Rocky Peak Church Back to Bethlehem

The Church at Rocky Peak is doing their annual live interactive Bethlehem. This is the church we attend but I never brought the children when they were smaller because it was late and is often cold. This is now our third year going and they LOVE it. On Saturday we went to church, planning to go to the Saturday evening service but they were doing a practice run with people welcome to stop in so we went. We are planning to go next weekend with some family members too.

So, here it is;

Experience the first Christmas at Back to Bethlehem.

More than a nativity scene
and not a play...

Travel back in time and interact with villagers in our outdoor re-creation of the town of Bethlehem. Participate with town merchants and craftsmen. Avoid the Roman centurions and tax collectors (Little D loves being chased by them and tries to antagonize them). See for yourself an overworked innkeeper, excited shepherds, three mysterious travelers, angelic visitors and a young couple with a newborn baby. Back to Bethlehem is a Christmas event for the whole family!

Free admission!

Saturday and Sunday, December 13 &14 7-9pm.

Friday-Monday, December 19-22nd. 7-9pm.

22601 Santa Susana Pass Rd.
Chatsworth. 91311.
(818) 709-0113. (805) 522-5100. www.rockypeak.org

Sunflowers growing in our front yard

Gardening is such a fun way to teach about plants and when seeds that are planted do well they are a great reward too.

A few months ago I was weeding and planting some seeds in the front and back yard (mostly vegetable seeds). Baby K was helping me and I when we were in the front I gave her some Giant Sunflower seeds to plant herself. She planted them too close together but obviously did it deep enough.

There are about 5-7 plants coming up. Mostly small, it is December, ya know, but one of them is growing about the rest and right now it is taller then Baby K.

I think these are suppose to get 10-12 feet tall so we will see! Right now she is amazed and very proud of herself too!

:-)

Followers

Okay, I was goofing off trying to edit some things on my blog. I was TRYING to update the ads on it but for some reason can't do it. There are some new features so I clicked on the one that says 'followers'. I added it to the side of my blog but screwed up because now, some how, I am a follower of my own blog. So, someone, PLEASE add yourself too so that I'm not the only one reading it! lol!

:-)

Educational coloring pictures

This website has over 6400 pictures to choose from to print for children to learn and color on. Holidays, environment, geography, the presidents and other famous people, fairy tales, family and more. The 'Act Now' clip that I posted was from this site as well.

You can also sign up for the 'coloring picture of the day'. I printed a Topographic Map to show Little D tomorrow!

http://www.edupics.com

:-)

Act Now Global Warming Video clip

http://www.edupics.com/

German Fruit Cake Marzipan Stollen

Okay, I got some of this 'stuff' from Trader Joe's and haven't tried it yet (I'm a little chicken to try). It reminds me of fruit cake but is suppose to be some kind of sweet bread.

A friend told me that marzipan means 'almond paste' and that it is a type of German bread.

So, I had to look on Wikipedia and see what it REALLY is! LOL!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stollen

Enjoy! Now you have learned something new too!

;-)

inspiring and humbling video

I found this video so incredibly moving. Great for us to reflect on our fortunes during the holiday season!

Debbie


http://www.cnn. com/video/ #/video/us/ 2008/11/22/ jaffe.wa. boy.dying. wish.obit. komo

Commercial Free childhood

I got this from a post from Tonya. Many things to click on. Learn and be informed!!!

Tv has WAYYYY too many commercials and I even notice a huge increase in the 'I wants' and the 'Will you buy me' after my children have watched tv with commercials. This group has done some great things, like getting Scholastic to remove Bratz from thier school sales!!

:-)

Debbie

http://commercialfreechildhood.org/issues.htm

discount tickets for Renaissance Faire

For a limited time, 11/19/06 - 1/7/07, you can buy tickets for the Ren
Fair half price! (Online only, it's easier to buy tix online and just
hand them at the gate vs. waiting in line.)

The Original Renaissance Faire
2009 ** April 4 - May 17 ** 2009
Saturdays & Sundays 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
School Day is Friday April 24, 2009
Location: Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area - Irwindale, CA
Santa Fe Dam is a unit of the United States Army Corps of Engineers,
maintained and operated by the County of Los Angeles Department of
Parks and Recreation

http://www.renfair. com/socal/

Regular Gate price
Adult (13+) $29.50
Child (5-12) $15.00

OFFER ENDS SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2009, 11:59pm
Adult $12.50
Child $7.50
Children under 5 are always free.

Kids lunchbox cards

I meet these people at Whole Foods a few months ago and signed up for their email list. I have not ordered yet but they do have very cute cards. It is a family business and the prices are reasonable. Even though we homeschool I thought these would still be a nice 'I love you' to slip in lunch bags when the kids are at their enrichment classes!

Here is the link!

http://http//kidsfuncards.com/default.asp?id=638

:-)

Thursday 25% off for educators at Borders

On Thursday, December 4, 2008, Borders Books will be having its first Educator Holiday Savings event at all Borders stores. For this one day only, all current and retired educators and homeschooling parents will receive 25% off the list price of nearly everything in the store including books, music, and DVDs. The 25% off also applies to gifts and stationery and Café items. When you get to the registers just mention that you’re an educator or show your ID to get your discount. J. K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard will be released on the December 4th as well, so customers can reserve their copies now for pick-up on Thursday.

I'm thinking of going to get a present for the family member I picked for the Christmas exchange!!

:-)

Bottle Village Open House

The Open House at Bottle Village was great. We forgot to count but had about 500-700 people there! A sidewalk artist, Ruth Villa, did a drawing of Grandma Prisby. We had some musicians playing. A few tables selling Bottle Village keepsakes. I set up and was suppose to run the snack table but Baby K just took it over and did it all. Once in a while when there were other children around they'd start talking, become instant friends and would help her out until their parents told them it was time to leave. The whole event was 4 hours and it was packed the entire time and we were cleaning up with flashlights (damm that daylight savings).

Here are some photos from my camera;

Baby K removing a pebble on the sidewalk by sidewalk artist Ruth Villa.

From entrance, looking in. People milling around and checking out everything there is to see.

Picture of Joanne and Helen (my mom) at the front taking money and selling books and other BV cool stuff.

Baby K showing off an oreo cookie at her snack table.

She collected over $60 dollars in donations!!!

LOOK at all the people and cars!! WOW! This is the front gates. It was busy like this all day long with no parking on both sides of the street!!

Ruth Villa's finished artwork! I am amazed! I've never seen a sidewalk artist and this was the first time she had done a black and white drawing (she based it on a photo of Grandma Prisby). I hope she comes back again!

Nativities Around the World, No Room at the Inn

I'm passing on info on this nativity called "No Room at the Inn." I have not been to it but I have heard it is wonderful. If you go to the website there is a list of similar ones from all around.

This one is in Agoura and it is next weekend, December 5th - 7th. http://www.noroom.%20org/contact.%20htm

EXHIBIT HOURS Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 710:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Donation $5 adults, $1 Children

St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church
5801 N. Kanan Road, Westlake Kanan & Lindero Canyon Road

Xerox free greeting cards for soldiers

Something cool that Xerox is doing. If you go to this web site, http://www.letssayt hanks.com/ Home1024. html you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services.How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! This is a great site. Please send a card. It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our guys and gals over there need to know we are behind them.