Fog rolled over the hill and settled in the woods.
And this morning we saw sun for the first time in four days.
Yay!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Trying to spring
Fog rolled over the hill and settled in the woods.
And this morning we saw sun for the first time in four days.
Yay!!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
A new song
We sang this AWESOME new song at church last week. Of course (!), I like our worship band's version better, but I couldn't get an audio of that. Here's the next best thing.
Lyrics:
All My Tears
When I go don’t cry for me
In my Father’s arms I’ll be
The wounds this world
left on my soul
will all be healed, and I’ll be whole
Sun and moon will be replaced
with the light of Jesus’ face
and I will not be ashamed
for my Savior knows my name
It don’t matter where you bury me
I’ll be home and I’ll be free
It don’t matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away
Gold and silver blind the eye
Temporary riches lie
So come and eat
from heaven’s store
Come and drink
and thirst no more
So weep not for me, my friend
When my time below does end
For my life belongs to Him
who will raise the dead again
Lyrics:
All My Tears
When I go don’t cry for me
In my Father’s arms I’ll be
The wounds this world
left on my soul
will all be healed, and I’ll be whole
Sun and moon will be replaced
with the light of Jesus’ face
and I will not be ashamed
for my Savior knows my name
It don’t matter where you bury me
I’ll be home and I’ll be free
It don’t matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away
Gold and silver blind the eye
Temporary riches lie
So come and eat
from heaven’s store
Come and drink
and thirst no more
So weep not for me, my friend
When my time below does end
For my life belongs to Him
who will raise the dead again
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Art is history
So it's been one of those "years" where history has lasted for a year and a half. We had one of these way back when Holly first began Story of the World; at that point, I resolved to work through one volume over the course of one year. It amazes me that I've stuck with that schedule for so long. Until now. This is the first time that Trevor has been the sole user of SOTW, and he's enjoyed spending time to soak up the Middle Ages. No complaints from me, I want that flexibility; as long as we are working and learning, I'm not too concerned about how long it takes (math and science being the exceptions).
Under usual circumstances, we'd move right into the next volume. But Trevor's ready to skip Vol. 3 and move into Vol. 4. He's excited about WWI, WWII. I'm not so sure, and I want some time to think about this. I have always been drawn to the chronological aspect of SOTW, and there's just too much good stuff to skip. So we're taking a break.
We haven't done much art this year, either in history or application, but that's changing. (Woo-hooo!) I've pulled together a few things to wind up the year on a great note. We're starting with the fabulously wonderful Art in Story. This is a terrific book to use either at home or in a classroom/co-op setting. Artists are loosely grouped chronologically (see the appeal?!), by genre, and each artist has his (her) own chapter. Beginning with background information for the teacher, there is a read aloud story about the artist. They are interesting and age appropriate, often from the artist's childhood. There area recommendations to the teacher for viewing the art, where to find resources, and what to point out to the students. There is a brief suggestion for "journaling," where the child will write something about the artist: It might be a reaction to a style, or the child's opinion on comparing artists from a similar time period, or what a child noticed in a particular painting. The journaling activities are always varied, and we like that around here too. There is a section for a corresponding art and/or drama activity with each artist too. Each section also contains "Curriculum Connections," ideas for combining other subjects into the artist study, along with a wider range of book suggestions.
Discovering Great Artists is another book providing additional choices for art application ideas. I've used this periodically for several years. The art ideas are simple to pull together, and also cover a wide variety of techniques.
Earlier this month, we began with studying Giotto. From Art in Story, we read about Giotto's childhood and apprenticeship with the great Cimabue. We read Mike Venezia's Giotto; Venezia has a series of a few dozen books on famous artists. They are engaging and quick reads; I'd used these from my library in Colorado and recently ordered a bunch for our children's department here. To view the art, we paged through L'Engle's The Glorious Appearing, and we looked at a work or two of Cimabue's online. We used an idea from Discovering Great Artists, and Trevor created his own paint by grinding up pastel chalk and mixing the colors with egg.
He later wrote a paragraph describing his reactions to the art if he were a child living in Florence in Giotto's time, and seeing Giotto's work for the first time.
Last week, we did something similar with Donatello, Brunelleschi, and Ghiberti. Trevor's really pleased with the hands-on work, and I'm just happy to be out of my usual rut that I fall into this time of year.
We are definitely looking forward to the remaining eight weeks of school!
Under usual circumstances, we'd move right into the next volume. But Trevor's ready to skip Vol. 3 and move into Vol. 4. He's excited about WWI, WWII. I'm not so sure, and I want some time to think about this. I have always been drawn to the chronological aspect of SOTW, and there's just too much good stuff to skip. So we're taking a break.
We haven't done much art this year, either in history or application, but that's changing. (Woo-hooo!) I've pulled together a few things to wind up the year on a great note. We're starting with the fabulously wonderful Art in Story. This is a terrific book to use either at home or in a classroom/co-op setting. Artists are loosely grouped chronologically (see the appeal?!), by genre, and each artist has his (her) own chapter. Beginning with background information for the teacher, there is a read aloud story about the artist. They are interesting and age appropriate, often from the artist's childhood. There area recommendations to the teacher for viewing the art, where to find resources, and what to point out to the students. There is a brief suggestion for "journaling," where the child will write something about the artist: It might be a reaction to a style, or the child's opinion on comparing artists from a similar time period, or what a child noticed in a particular painting. The journaling activities are always varied, and we like that around here too. There is a section for a corresponding art and/or drama activity with each artist too. Each section also contains "Curriculum Connections," ideas for combining other subjects into the artist study, along with a wider range of book suggestions.
Discovering Great Artists is another book providing additional choices for art application ideas. I've used this periodically for several years. The art ideas are simple to pull together, and also cover a wide variety of techniques.
Earlier this month, we began with studying Giotto. From Art in Story, we read about Giotto's childhood and apprenticeship with the great Cimabue. We read Mike Venezia's Giotto; Venezia has a series of a few dozen books on famous artists. They are engaging and quick reads; I'd used these from my library in Colorado and recently ordered a bunch for our children's department here. To view the art, we paged through L'Engle's The Glorious Appearing, and we looked at a work or two of Cimabue's online. We used an idea from Discovering Great Artists, and Trevor created his own paint by grinding up pastel chalk and mixing the colors with egg.
He later wrote a paragraph describing his reactions to the art if he were a child living in Florence in Giotto's time, and seeing Giotto's work for the first time.
Last week, we did something similar with Donatello, Brunelleschi, and Ghiberti. Trevor's really pleased with the hands-on work, and I'm just happy to be out of my usual rut that I fall into this time of year.
We are definitely looking forward to the remaining eight weeks of school!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Book Review -- Waiting for Morning by Karen Kingsbury
Well, this was a pretty depressing book. Hannah Ryan leads the perfect southern California life, made perfectly that way because of her belief in God. And then her husband and oldest daughter are killed by a drunk driver. Hannah dumps her faith, emotionally abandons her surviving daughter and becomes soley focused on revenge upon the man who destroyed her family.
Too dreary for me. Hannah was boring, unsympathetic, and hard to believe. Some things were way too unrealistic: the lack of intervention for Hannah's daughter on the part of the school; the tacky expensive defense attorney (in my experience, they are one or the other, but not both); the prosecuting attorney's fancy house (unrealistic because he did NOT have a trust fund in the book, and DAs don't make that kind of money). Yes, I know these are trite, but the little things really bug me.
Oh yeah. It ends up happily every after, the D.A. gets his conviction and falls in love with Hannah. Hannah sees the truth, returns to Jesus and her daughter, and forgives the defendant, who is saved along the way.
This is not up to par for a Kingsbury book; not recommended.
Too dreary for me. Hannah was boring, unsympathetic, and hard to believe. Some things were way too unrealistic: the lack of intervention for Hannah's daughter on the part of the school; the tacky expensive defense attorney (in my experience, they are one or the other, but not both); the prosecuting attorney's fancy house (unrealistic because he did NOT have a trust fund in the book, and DAs don't make that kind of money). Yes, I know these are trite, but the little things really bug me.
Oh yeah. It ends up happily every after, the D.A. gets his conviction and falls in love with Hannah. Hannah sees the truth, returns to Jesus and her daughter, and forgives the defendant, who is saved along the way.
This is not up to par for a Kingsbury book; not recommended.
Book Review -- PrayerWalk: Becoming a Woman of Prayer, Strength, and Discipline by Janet Holm McHenry
Wow, two things I'd love to improve in my life would be my prayer time and exercise. What better way to combine both by prayerwalking? This book is filled with the ups and downs of prayerwalking (ha!), and woven throughout is plenty of practical advice regarding the health benefits of walking, recommended apparel, prayerwalking partners, and more.
I don't think I'll be actually doing this soon. When I do walk right now, I take advantage of it by bringing along at least one of my kids to chat. But this will definitely put my walking in a different light...
This encouraging and inspirational book is recommended.
I don't think I'll be actually doing this soon. When I do walk right now, I take advantage of it by bringing along at least one of my kids to chat. But this will definitely put my walking in a different light...
This encouraging and inspirational book is recommended.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Weekly menu
Dad's choice
beef stroganoff, noodles, salad, orange jello
breakfast burritos
Dad's choice (this just means that I am working)
orange chicken (Holly's request)
Nacho dogs
Marlboro Man sandwiches
Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J
parmesan pesto things
tortilla rollups w/meat, lettuce, tomato, dressing
On the back burner:
Renita's Funnel Cakes!!!
Laura S.'s chicken pot pie (when I'm feeling particularly brave)
meatloaf (ground beef in freezer)
hot dog ideas from SHS! (link only available to SHS members)
breakfast with Chef Greg's hash browns
giant burritos
chicken
Nacho Dogs, pasta salad
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge, thanks again to Heather
dilled chicken pasta salad
chicken fajitas
husband delight
beef stroganoff, noodles, salad, orange jello
breakfast burritos
Dad's choice (this just means that I am working)
orange chicken (Holly's request)
Nacho dogs
Marlboro Man sandwiches
Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J
parmesan pesto things
tortilla rollups w/meat, lettuce, tomato, dressing
On the back burner:
Renita's Funnel Cakes!!!
Laura S.'s chicken pot pie (when I'm feeling particularly brave)
meatloaf (ground beef in freezer)
hot dog ideas from SHS! (link only available to SHS members)
breakfast with Chef Greg's hash browns
giant burritos
chicken
Nacho Dogs, pasta salad
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge, thanks again to Heather
dilled chicken pasta salad
chicken fajitas
husband delight
Book Review -- Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron
Librarian Vicki Myron finds an abandoned kitten in the book drop. Named Dewey Readmore Books, the kitten grows into an affectionate and playful library cat. As an international media magnet, Dewey puts the dying farm town of Spencer, Iowa on the map, attracting visitors as far as China. Dewey also fills a big need for Vicki, a divorced mom struggling to raise her teenaged daughter.
This is a sweet book, fine to curl up with on a rainy day IF you like cats. Let's face it, there's only so much that can be written about a cat that lives in a library. Along with Dewey's life, this is also a journey of Vicki's life of healing and growing, of library politics, and of the attempts of a small town to survive. I would neither recommend nor not recommend it.
This is a sweet book, fine to curl up with on a rainy day IF you like cats. Let's face it, there's only so much that can be written about a cat that lives in a library. Along with Dewey's life, this is also a journey of Vicki's life of healing and growing, of library politics, and of the attempts of a small town to survive. I would neither recommend nor not recommend it.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Women's retreat
I didn't really want to go to the women's retreat this weekend. I don't like moving out of my comfort zone, and I don't like being away from home--but God really impressed it on my heart to attend. I was happy willing to see how His plan played out, so I refrained from asking anyone at church if they were going, if they wanted to ride up together, or anything else. And I honestly also figured He'd put me with someone I'd otherwise not choose on my own, or --gasp--someone who may be a bit of a thorn in my side. ;)
It turned out that my friend Susan was praying about the weekend, still not knowing how she was going to get there, and not knowing anything else about it. When she asked our pastor's wife last weekend, Robert was right there and told her, "Hey, Kristine's looking for someone to ride up with her!" I love Susan; she's another homeschool and soccer mom, and it was such a blessing to drive up with her. (Uh, I'm hoping I'm not the thorn in her side!)
Our retreat center is 3.5 hours away, at a 115-year old former women's college in a little, tiny town. We had over 25 women from our church, and about 250 women at the conference. I knew all of my roommates--Tulima (hiding behind the pillow), Janet, and Carol (the famous danish lady).
The entire two days pretty much consisted of food/fellowship, worship/study, and more food and fellowship. We kicked it off with dinner, followed by our first session.
After our session, we pushed our way through to the hospitality room--which was well stocked the entire time with loads of chocolate, salty things, coffee, and more chocolate.
Our room ended up as the gathering place that night, with at least ten of us in there. I'm afraid I was the party pooper. Usually I stay up pretty late, but I was exhausted. I think I was falling asleep when everyone left. (I really hope I didn't snore. Or worse.)
Leigh Anne, Susan, Leah (our pastor's wife),
and Carol-the-famous-danish-lady
We even slept later than we'd planned, and I jumped out of bed when someone said that it was already 7:15. I desperately needed coffee before breakfast. And after.
We had our second session in the morning, followed by our choice of workshops to attend. I knew I picked the right one when the teacher, at the beginning, offered a few book recommendations, which perfectly meshed with books I own and like.
We wandered back to the hospitality room to fill up on more goodies until lunch.
The food tastes 100% better
We had several hours of free time, and a friend and I walked down to the town cemetery. A neat mix of old and new, the newer graves are tucked in between the older ones. This was the oldest headstone that I could read. (This is just the coolest place for history!)
It was a spectacularly gorgeous day. The conference was supposed to last until early evening, but both Susan and I wanted to get home before dark. We skipped the final session and left a little early.
It was a good time away, but I have a "guilty pleasure" feeling about it. I am once again reminded how very blessed I am by all of my loopy friends, to have such a Godly group of women to share with, to be encouraged by, who are always there for me--that support that so many others don't have. But this was a wonderful opportunity to share that same closeness with my church friends, and I'm looking forward to the next retreat. :)
Oh, yeah. I got a cute shirt and a pen out of it too. (wink)
It turned out that my friend Susan was praying about the weekend, still not knowing how she was going to get there, and not knowing anything else about it. When she asked our pastor's wife last weekend, Robert was right there and told her, "Hey, Kristine's looking for someone to ride up with her!" I love Susan; she's another homeschool and soccer mom, and it was such a blessing to drive up with her. (Uh, I'm hoping I'm not the thorn in her side!)
Our retreat center is 3.5 hours away, at a 115-year old former women's college in a little, tiny town. We had over 25 women from our church, and about 250 women at the conference. I knew all of my roommates--Tulima (hiding behind the pillow), Janet, and Carol (the famous danish lady).
The entire two days pretty much consisted of food/fellowship, worship/study, and more food and fellowship. We kicked it off with dinner, followed by our first session.
After our session, we pushed our way through to the hospitality room--which was well stocked the entire time with loads of chocolate, salty things, coffee, and more chocolate.
Our room ended up as the gathering place that night, with at least ten of us in there. I'm afraid I was the party pooper. Usually I stay up pretty late, but I was exhausted. I think I was falling asleep when everyone left. (I really hope I didn't snore. Or worse.)
Leigh Anne, Susan, Leah (our pastor's wife),and Carol-the-famous-danish-lady
We even slept later than we'd planned, and I jumped out of bed when someone said that it was already 7:15. I desperately needed coffee before breakfast. And after.
We had our second session in the morning, followed by our choice of workshops to attend. I knew I picked the right one when the teacher, at the beginning, offered a few book recommendations, which perfectly meshed with books I own and like.
We wandered back to the hospitality room to fill up on more goodies until lunch.
The food tastes 100% better when someone else is doing all of the cooking and cleaning!
We had several hours of free time, and a friend and I walked down to the town cemetery. A neat mix of old and new, the newer graves are tucked in between the older ones. This was the oldest headstone that I could read. (This is just the coolest place for history!)
It was a spectacularly gorgeous day. The conference was supposed to last until early evening, but both Susan and I wanted to get home before dark. We skipped the final session and left a little early.
It was a good time away, but I have a "guilty pleasure" feeling about it. I am once again reminded how very blessed I am by all of my loopy friends, to have such a Godly group of women to share with, to be encouraged by, who are always there for me--that support that so many others don't have. But this was a wonderful opportunity to share that same closeness with my church friends, and I'm looking forward to the next retreat. :)
Oh, yeah. I got a cute shirt and a pen out of it too. (wink)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Trev's Lego real steal deal
My guys found Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull on clearance at Walmart. Regular price: $86.99; clearance price: $30. Trevor had it put together by the time I got home.
I only wish they had more than one box. I'd have sold any extras on e-bay!
I only wish they had more than one box. I'd have sold any extras on e-bay!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Weekly menu
How's this for organized meal planning? If I can just plan to be gone for a few more nights, I'm totally set.
M: Mom working--Dad's choice
T: Mom working--Dad's choice
W: belated St. Patrick's Day--corned beef, cabbage, carrots, baby potatoes
Th: ????
F: Mom gone--Dad's choice
S: ???
S: ???
Lunch (with or for):
filet o'fish sandwiches
smoothies
grilled PB&J
parmesan pesto things
tortilla rollups w/meat, lettuce, tomato, dressing
On the back burner:
Renita's Funnel Cakes!!!
chicken fajitas
Laura S.'s chicken pot pie (when I'm feeling particularly brave)
meatloaf (ground beef in freezer)
hot dog ideas from SHS! (link only available to SHS members)
breakfast with Chef Greg's hash browns
giant burritos
chicken
Nacho Dogs, pasta salad
beef stroganoff (Trevor's request)
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge, thanks again to Heather
M: Mom working--Dad's choice
T: Mom working--Dad's choice
W: belated St. Patrick's Day--corned beef, cabbage, carrots, baby potatoes
Th: ????
F: Mom gone--Dad's choice
S: ???
S: ???
Lunch (with or for):
filet o'fish sandwiches
smoothies
grilled PB&J
parmesan pesto things
tortilla rollups w/meat, lettuce, tomato, dressing
On the back burner:
Renita's Funnel Cakes!!!
chicken fajitas
Laura S.'s chicken pot pie (when I'm feeling particularly brave)
meatloaf (ground beef in freezer)
hot dog ideas from SHS! (link only available to SHS members)
breakfast with Chef Greg's hash browns
giant burritos
chicken
Nacho Dogs, pasta salad
beef stroganoff (Trevor's request)
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge, thanks again to Heather
Sunday, March 15, 2009
How Progressive Are You?
I took this 40 question quiz from The Center for American Progress. Based on a study of shifting American values, the website claims an average American scores 209.5 out of a possible 400.
My score:
No surprises there!
My score:
110/400
This makes you very conservative.
This makes you very conservative.
No surprises there!
Book Review -- Have a New Kid by Friday: How to Change Your Child's Attitude, Behavior & Character in 5 Days by Dr. Kevin Leman
I love Kevin Leman. I love Kevin Leman. And I love Kevin Leman. He's encouraging, entertaining, and knowledgeable on his topics. I've enjoyed his books in the past, and this is no exception.
You can Have a New Kid by Friday in less than 90 pages. I'm sure of it. I don't really need any "new" kids, but sometimes the attitude around here is lacking--MY attitude, which too often backslides and wants to take the easy way out. This isn't a parenting book for beginners, or for parents whose kids are totally out of control. In fact, there's nothing new in it, just a game plan for getting back on track with what's worked in the past. It's a condensed version of Dr. Leman's advice on expectations, consistency, and "reality discipline."
This is a short little book, laying out Dr. Leman's recommendations in 89 pages. The rest of the book is a Q&A for a variety of parent/child scerarios from potty training and temper tantrums to peers and tattoos. The main part, the important part of the book was short enough that I think I can even get Rob to read it. And I'll read it again too.
I enjoyed reading this book, and it's highly recommended.
You can Have a New Kid by Friday in less than 90 pages. I'm sure of it. I don't really need any "new" kids, but sometimes the attitude around here is lacking--MY attitude, which too often backslides and wants to take the easy way out. This isn't a parenting book for beginners, or for parents whose kids are totally out of control. In fact, there's nothing new in it, just a game plan for getting back on track with what's worked in the past. It's a condensed version of Dr. Leman's advice on expectations, consistency, and "reality discipline."
This is a short little book, laying out Dr. Leman's recommendations in 89 pages. The rest of the book is a Q&A for a variety of parent/child scerarios from potty training and temper tantrums to peers and tattoos. The main part, the important part of the book was short enough that I think I can even get Rob to read it. And I'll read it again too.
I enjoyed reading this book, and it's highly recommended.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Robert makes pizza
Pizza is hard to come by out here. We consider ourselves fortunate to have a Dominos in town, but on the flip side of that is that we have to travel 20+ minutes to get there. An option would be to meet them at the outer boundary of their delivery area, but we've never been quite that desperate.
Our favorite Dominos pizza is Philly Cheesesteak, and Robert's fine tuned his own recipe. It's even better than the original. (If Dominos Philly Cheesesteak can somehow be called "original.")
One Boboli crust, smeared with Ragu Alfredo Sauce, and topped with some mozzarella cheese.
We tried this Boboli substitute, but the Boboli is far superior.
The "light" version of sauce works just fine.
Steak'Ums are found in the freezer section.
Who ever thought they'd actually be good?
Our favorite Dominos pizza is Philly Cheesesteak, and Robert's fine tuned his own recipe. It's even better than the original. (If Dominos Philly Cheesesteak can somehow be called "original.")
One Boboli crust, smeared with Ragu Alfredo Sauce, and topped with some mozzarella cheese.
We tried this Boboli substitute, but the Boboli is far superior.The "light" version of sauce works just fine.
Top with sauteed onions and green peppers, along with three Steak'Ums, fried and thinly sliced.
Steak'Ums are found in the freezer section.Who ever thought they'd actually be good?
Top with sauteed mushrooms.
And more mozzarella.
Bake according to the crust directions.
Oh, and he's making fajita burritos tonight.
I'm considering Liz's advice. I think I should marry this man.
I'm considering Liz's advice. I think I should marry this man.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Day at the museum
Trevor and I visited the local science museum today. They offer "Free Fridays" each month, but this was the first time we've taken advantage of that.
I don't remember what this is, but it made for a cool photo.
It's right in the heart of downtown, a terrific location adjacent to a new parking garage.
Rainy day
We watched a cool movie on Australia in the planetarium.
I was thrilled to see four different families that we know, plus a new family from church. The museum is not that big, and it encourages me to again realize that I worked hard to get out and meet people when we moved here. :)
Trevor got to play at a lot of hands on stations. I was impressed with how much there was to do in a pretty small space.
We even were able to (literally) run through the history museum on another floor. They were closing up, but it was fun to note that they had borrowed an exhibit that we've seen at another local museum.
Moonshine. It's everywhere, of course.
I don't remember what this is, but it made for a cool photo.It's right in the heart of downtown, a terrific location adjacent to a new parking garage.
Rainy dayWe watched a cool movie on Australia in the planetarium.
I was thrilled to see four different families that we know, plus a new family from church. The museum is not that big, and it encourages me to again realize that I worked hard to get out and meet people when we moved here. :)
Trevor got to play at a lot of hands on stations. I was impressed with how much there was to do in a pretty small space. 
We even were able to (literally) run through the history museum on another floor. They were closing up, but it was fun to note that they had borrowed an exhibit that we've seen at another local museum.
Moonshine. It's everywhere, of course.Saturday, March 07, 2009
Thursday
Trevor was a wonderful son and made me a beautiful sandwich at lunchtime.
We went to a friend's house in the afternoon. I got caught up looking at curriculum (Notgrass history!) and eating homemade chocolate chip cookies. Those are the two best things about being a homeschool mom, I think.
We decided to follow the GPS to get home. It took us to a road that we knew, and we followed the recommendations to turn off and "try a new way." I should have learned by now; but apparently I need more excitement in my life.
Where in the world are we???
Oh, yeah, like I want to drive over THIS bridge. I think it's been here since the Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935.
We finally came out in an area that we recognized. Trevor snapped a photo of the street sign; it described our random GPS adventure perfectly.
We went to a friend's house in the afternoon. I got caught up looking at curriculum (Notgrass history!) and eating homemade chocolate chip cookies. Those are the two best things about being a homeschool mom, I think.
We decided to follow the GPS to get home. It took us to a road that we knew, and we followed the recommendations to turn off and "try a new way." I should have learned by now; but apparently I need more excitement in my life.
Where in the world are we???Oh, yeah, like I want to drive over THIS bridge. I think it's been here since the Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935.
We finally came out in an area that we recognized. Trevor snapped a photo of the street sign; it described our random GPS adventure perfectly.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Weekly menu
hamburgers, breaded noodles, ?
Dad's choice
Robert's beef noodle soup
?, bag salad
bratwurst, dijon pasta salad
BLT's, cottage cheese, chips
Nacho Dogs, pasta salad
Lunch (with or for):
filet o'fish sandwiches
smoothies
grilled PB&J
parmesan pesto things
tortilla rollups w/meat, lettuce, tomato, dressing
On the back burner:
Renita's Funnel Cakes!!!
chicken fajitas
Laura S.'s chicken pot pie (when I'm feeling particularly brave)
meatloaf (ground beef in freezer)
hot dog ideas from SHS! (link only available to SHS members)
breakfast with Chef Greg's hash browns
giant burritos
chicken
Dad's choice
Robert's beef noodle soup
?, bag salad
bratwurst, dijon pasta salad
BLT's, cottage cheese, chips
Nacho Dogs, pasta salad
Lunch (with or for):
filet o'fish sandwiches
smoothies
grilled PB&J
parmesan pesto things
tortilla rollups w/meat, lettuce, tomato, dressing
On the back burner:
Renita's Funnel Cakes!!!
chicken fajitas
Laura S.'s chicken pot pie (when I'm feeling particularly brave)
meatloaf (ground beef in freezer)
hot dog ideas from SHS! (link only available to SHS members)
breakfast with Chef Greg's hash browns
giant burritos
chicken
Book Review -- The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant
"In one county it is claimed 99 people out of 100 are making, or have some connection with, illicit liquor."
Official Records of the Nat'l Committee on Law Observance and Enforcement 1935, referencing my county
I live in the Moonshine Capital of the World. Seriously–you can google it. While I find it amusing, it also gives outsiders have a preconceived notion that we are really backwoods. Yes, I live in the sticks, and yes, you can see "hillbillies" here. But my county is also the fastest growing in the Roanoke metropolitan area. We are home to a lake that is a popular recreation destination and upscale retirement/resort area. Our high school is the second largest in the state and was recently lauded by US News & World Report magazine. We are definitely a mix of old and new.
The Wettest County is based on the true story of author Matt Bondurant's grandfather and grand-uncles, notorious bootleggers during Prohibition. The historical value of the book appealed to me, as I always enjoy reading about locations with which I am familiar. Not surprisingly, it's a popular read at my library right now.
I really, really wanted to like it; I was expecting to. Centering around characters from our infamous Great Moonshine Conspiracy of 1935, the story itself was good, but it was a tedious read. Partially narrated by a real-life New York journalist who is a part of the story, prior knowledge of Sherwood Anderson's past seems almost necessary. (I don't have this knowledge.)
The timeline was terribly disjointed, each chapter jumping from 1928 to 1935 to 1930. Characters were confusing: the brothers were jumbled in my mind, as were their wives and girlfriends. Unfortunately, by the time I figured all of this out, I was 1/3 of the way through the book and had to turn back pages in an effort to get the story straight. It was still impossible to follow.
Further distracting from the story was the author's lack of quotes when characters were speaking. Punctuation exists for a reason. Really. This is an author making an attempt to be relevant and innovative, but he fails. While I'm interested in learning more about the Moonshine Conspiracy trial, this particular book is not recommended, even if you live here.
Official Records of the Nat'l Committee on Law Observance and Enforcement 1935, referencing my county
* * *
I live in the Moonshine Capital of the World. Seriously–you can google it. While I find it amusing, it also gives outsiders have a preconceived notion that we are really backwoods. Yes, I live in the sticks, and yes, you can see "hillbillies" here. But my county is also the fastest growing in the Roanoke metropolitan area. We are home to a lake that is a popular recreation destination and upscale retirement/resort area. Our high school is the second largest in the state and was recently lauded by US News & World Report magazine. We are definitely a mix of old and new.
The Wettest County is based on the true story of author Matt Bondurant's grandfather and grand-uncles, notorious bootleggers during Prohibition. The historical value of the book appealed to me, as I always enjoy reading about locations with which I am familiar. Not surprisingly, it's a popular read at my library right now.
I really, really wanted to like it; I was expecting to. Centering around characters from our infamous Great Moonshine Conspiracy of 1935, the story itself was good, but it was a tedious read. Partially narrated by a real-life New York journalist who is a part of the story, prior knowledge of Sherwood Anderson's past seems almost necessary. (I don't have this knowledge.)
The timeline was terribly disjointed, each chapter jumping from 1928 to 1935 to 1930. Characters were confusing: the brothers were jumbled in my mind, as were their wives and girlfriends. Unfortunately, by the time I figured all of this out, I was 1/3 of the way through the book and had to turn back pages in an effort to get the story straight. It was still impossible to follow.
Further distracting from the story was the author's lack of quotes when characters were speaking. Punctuation exists for a reason. Really. This is an author making an attempt to be relevant and innovative, but he fails. While I'm interested in learning more about the Moonshine Conspiracy trial, this particular book is not recommended, even if you live here.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Seize the day (or C's the day)
It was one long car day for me, beginning with another day of college for Trevor. While Tech is only 30 miles as the crow flies, it's an hour and a half of winding, two lane country roads, over a couple of mountains.
The day's topic was presented by Assistant Computer Science Professor Caitlin Kelleher of Washington University in St. Louis, and the kids learned how characters are manipulated by computer programs. Their "homework" is to play with a program to create their own Pixar-style animated movie. It was an engaging topic, very cool.
The parents were invited to watch the course from a separate auditorium. Ironically, there was a major audio glitch, and a national radio program was simultaneously fed into the room along with the audio of the kids' lecture.
I gave up and found coffee--and discovered the broadcast in the student center. It was perfect: eight tables, four parents, right next to the coffee shop, and a clear audio signal.
After the lecture, we ate lunch in one of the cafeterias. It's a great experience for the kids to see the different buildings.
The afternoon hands on demonstration was at a nearby conference center. The 10 foot tall Armored Hokie made an appearance.
It had been raining for most of the day and we left early. Robert had been planning to drop Holly off at the movie theater to meet up with friends, and I ended up meeting him just a short distance from home, switching kids and driving Holly up into town. I had a few hours of time to pass, made easy with more coffee, a cinnamon crunch bagel, and an interesting book.
Holly totally enjoyed her movie, and when we got home, she had work to do for the Good News Bible Club. She's in charge of snack organization for the second semester, preparing 50 bags each week for snack time, and 50 additional bags each week for the kids to take home. The bags this week included crackers and candy. While we've offered to help her, it's a blessing to have her solely responsible.
It was quite a long day, but definitely good! And I can wait another month to have another just like it. :)
And more snow . . .
It began snowing again on our way home from church and snowed all afternoon. With the big, fat, fluffy flakes, it was like being in Colorado.
It was a perfect snow, enough to make my guys happy, but warm enough outside that I'm happy too.
(It also helps that I'm not scheduled to work tomorrow morning!)
It was a perfect snow, enough to make my guys happy, but warm enough outside that I'm happy too.
(It also helps that I'm not scheduled to work tomorrow morning!)
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