Page 1 of Jean Horst's writing

1. Social Media; the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Am I a Social Media butterfly? Hmmmm, I've had my moments, for sure. In my household of tech-savvy dudes, I am proud to say I was the early adopter of Facebook - I logged on for the first time all the way back in 2007 then convinced them all to... (posted by Jean 9 days 2 hours ago.)

2. Mom's the Word I'm a mom, I've got a mom, she has a mother, and I'm lucky to have an extra honorary mentor mom or two as well, so when Mother's Day rolls around, there's a lot to think about and wonder how to appropriately mark the day. There aren't any... (posted by Jean 19 days 3 hours ago.)

3. Fifteen Things I Like & Why 1. My husband and three boys. I know you'll be saying, "Well, duh." but I mean this legitimately. I know more than a few people who LOVE their family but don't really LIKE them. I genuinely like my guys. They're my favorite people and my first... (posted by Jean 77 days 7 hours ago.)

4. All I Want For Christmas... All I want for Christmas is... well, Christmas. Yeah, that doesn't really make any sense, I know. So, I shall endeavor to explain. I don't need any gifts, I don't really even have a list of "wants". Just accumulating more "stuff" is not... (posted by Jean 168 days 4 hours ago.)

5. When I Was Young; Is Simple Really Simple? When I was young, I remember a simple life, but what does simple mean? It can mean "easy" or "uncomplicated". I think many adults remember their growing up years that way. Was it really like that? My parents shielded me from a lot of things so I... (posted by Jean 187 days 23 hours ago.)

6. Likely To Get Into Trouble I've been thinking about getting into trouble. (That sentence is going to scare my husband.) I used to get into trouble all the time but I've gotten better at controlling myself as I've gotten older and gotten responsibilities, so it rarely... (posted by Jean 257 days 23 hours ago.)

7. In Defense of the Next Generation I'd walk a mile to defend the next generation. I know, I know, "Kids these days" is a favorite line of over 40 folks to begin a rant about how this next bunch of kids is a disrespectful, slovenly, apathetic, lazy bunch of so and so's. I... (posted by Jean 321 days 6 hours ago.)

8. Is Change Good? Dealing with Change They say change is inevitable - that is true. Change happens. I would have said that I'm a person who enjoys change. Much to the consternation of my routine loving husband, I like to "change things up" so to speak. I will vary routine just because... (posted by Jean 1 year 26 days ago.)

9. How to Celebrate Arbor Day - Go Plant A Tree! I love Arbor Day. It's odd for me to say that since I'm pretty sure I've never participated in an actual Arbor Day event in my life, so maybe I should say I love the CONCEPT of Arbor Day. The thought that on one day a year, we should all set aside... (posted by Jean 1 year 47 days ago.)

10. 25 Years and Counting: Secrets of a Long, Happy Marriage Twenty five years ago this month, I walked down the church aisle toward the guy I was crazy about and embarked on the life adventure of marriage without really any thought other than, we love each other and that will make it all be fine!... (posted by Jean 1 year 68 days ago.)

11. MyFitnessPal & CardioTrainer, Weight Loss & Fitness With SmartPhone Apps I realized around Christmastime that middle age was upon me and if I didn't want to buy another entirely new wardrobe, I was going to have to seriously tackle the creeping weight gain that had me carrying around 20+ more pounds than my normal... (posted by Jean 1 year 81 days ago.)

12. Sojourner's Asks, " What Would Jesus Cut?" "What Would Jesus Cut?", is the question being posed by the organization, Sojourner's, to United States' legislators this week as they debate proposed budget cuts in Washington, D.C. Sojourners, a Washington, D.C. based group was founded in 1971... (posted by Jean 1 year 84 days ago.)

13. What is the Coffee Party? Why I Became A Founding Member. Yesterday, I became a founding member of the Coffee Party. Ever heard of it? It's not just because I adore drinking coffee and don't care much for tea. I am really not much of a "joiner". I resist when someone tells me there's a bandwagon that I... (posted by Jean 1 year 87 days ago.)

14. Are You Sick of Highly Paid Teachers? I have been an active volunteer in my children's public school classrooms ever since my firstborn went to Kindergarten. I will freely admit, I could not do what they do. Teaching is a gift, an art form if ever there was one. Being in the classroom... (posted by Jean 1 year 93 days ago.)

15. Writing For the Internet, Can We Read Emotions? For thousands of years, human beings have been having nearly all verbal conversations face to face. Written forms of communication developed sometime later than that but were used primarily for recording events, stories, business transactions... (posted by Jean 1 year 307 days ago.)

16. A Nook Review: Why I Love My Nook from Barnes and Noble My husband got me a Nook for Christmas the year Barnes and Noble first released it. I wasn't sure I'd like an eReader but I am totally hooked. I have found an item that is not only the coolest toy I've ever owned, it makes my life simpler and... (posted by Jean 2 years 30 days ago.)

17. The Glaringly Obvious... or What Your Brain Knows But Won't Tell You I've been reminded recently of the amazing capabilities of the human brain. In this particular case, it involves the brain's ability to tell you that what you ARE seeing is what you think you SHOULD be seeing. Let me illustrate. Several days ago... (posted by Jean 2 years 49 days ago.)

18. We Need A Better Health Care System My health care coverage isn't working for me. Well, it's technically working for ME, but not for my whole family. Here's the deal. My husband isn't eligible for private health insurance. He has several "risk" factors that the private companies... (posted by Jean 2 years 295 days ago.)

19. Things I Want My Kids to Know About Life I've gotten to the age where my children are young adults and moving in the direction of going out on their own. That has caused me to ponder what sorts of things I want them to remember. Things I wish someone had told me when I was younger. With... (posted by Jean 3 years 106 days ago.)

20. How I Honor My Dad This Father's Day I'm taking care of my dad now. He would hate to hear me say that. The aging process has been hell for him and he's fought it with all his strength. He's become more accepting now that he can't win, his sharp, inquiring mind increasingly trapped in... (posted by Jean 3 years 353 days ago.)

21. The Christmas Story From the Bible Of course, I did not write this... "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14 "For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and... (posted by Jean 4 years 163 days ago.)

22. What Makes A Mother? I'm a lucky girl. You see, I have two Mothers and every year on Mother's Day, I remember them both and send cards and notes to both of them in gratitude for all they have helped me become. I was born in a rural area in a farming community. My... (posted by Jean 5 years 27 days ago.)

23. Tyra Banks Is Fat??? Are you kidding me? Things have gotten really crazy in our world. There are a lot of reasons you can say that, but I’m specifically referring to the obsession with body sizes of women. I’m a casual observer of pop culture and the trends that come... (posted by Jean 5 years 115 days ago.)

24. What to Buy for a Geek - A Gift Guide for the Guy Who Has Everything I live in Geek Heaven - or Geek Hell - all depends on your point of view. With four of them actively in my life, I never know what to expect. However, there is one thing about them that always causes me panic. Buying them gifts. They don't need... (posted by Jean 5 years 195 days ago.)

25. Energy Conservation - Who Has Practical Ideas? This last year has started to turn me green. Not a lot, but a little. For me any amount of green is significant. By green, you may have figured out, I mean the conservation-style green, not the jealousy-style green, or the... (posted by Jean 5 years 285 days ago.)