Effervescence

Library book sale!

2010-04-30T22:22:00.000-05:00

Took a little money and spent a little time at the Better Books Sale at our local library, and came home happy. I'm the new owner of:- Angie Debo's Prairie City: The Story of an American Community- Bill Bryson's Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States- The Library of America's The American Revolution: Writings from the War of Independence- Margaret

Summertime realities

2009-06-17T14:31:00.004-05:00

I'm not telling the kids our summer break has two-thirds left; I don't want to face the crushed reactions. For all of us, the first month flew by. Now I need to buckle down before the rest of the summer gets away from me.An essential: a wish list of activities brainstormed by the boys and me (we'll reap the benefit for many months, actually).Also, we must get back to the morning structure so the

Taming the Inbox Paper

2009-01-02T23:38:00.002-06:00

Info I'm gonna use to set up my incoming paperwork system, and tweak for my homeschooling paper handling.Look down the page at Maintaining Your Filing SystemWay down the page, past all the sales pitch, see Here's How 'My Oh-So-Organized filing System' helps keep you organizedHalfway down the page, see the No-Fail Paper SolutionVisual organization idea -- so cool! Stay Organized with Binder

Garlands, who'd a thunk it?

2008-12-28T16:28:00.001-06:00

Who would've thought that I'd be captivated, charmed by these?! Somehow I stumbled across a Flickr group focused on photos of handcrafted garlands. ALL KINDS of garlands. Love it!Flickr: The Ga-ga for Garlands Pool(Tip: browse with the full-screen slideshow -- very nice)

Freeze Yer Buns 2008 challenge

2008-12-18T19:22:00.002-06:00

As soon as I realized Crunchy Chicken had launched the Freeze Yer Buns 2008 challenge, I knew I had to join! (Ask my husband and kids!)

Copenhagen Cycle Chic

2008-11-08T14:54:00.000-06:00

How very fun! Dressing normally, nay, with style! and bicycling wherever you need to go. Yay Copenhagen and contributors from elsewhere!Copenhagen Cycle Chic - Streetstyle and Bike Advocacy in High Heels

Pad Thai and jasmine rice

2008-11-08T14:43:00.002-06:00

Last night, thanks to some clearance'd items I picked up at the grocery store a while back, we learned that the whole family likes Pad Thai and jasmine rice. Yay! No need for a Pad Thai boxed kit next time; I'll pick up some rice noodles and either buy or make the sauce.Yet again, I am reminded that all of us like various Asian dishes. Yum!By the way, thanks to my now-daily habit of stopping by

Meal plans for late summer

2008-08-28T17:43:00.011-05:00

So... I've lost 10 pounds since April 1 and joining SparkPeople.com and tracking what I eat (as well as continuing to walk for fitness). Now that summer weather has started to break a bit, and we're back to school and fall family routines, I Need To Plan Good Meals! Here's what I have so far for the next two weeks or so. (I'm SURE we'll grill out over the Labor Day weekend, too.)On hand for

Random thoughts on a Friday night

2008-02-08T19:40:00.000-06:00

Feet up. On couch. My legs and feet are soooo tired. Went on a good walk this morning, but really what did it was working a funeral reception at church all afternoon (from set up to cleanup). Groan. It was a lovely reception; maybe I can find all-black sport sandals to wear?Love taking walks. Love, love, love taking walks. Last fall I was going on 30-minute walks two or three times a day. Loved

I flew into & out of Minnesota

2007-12-14T23:24:00.000-06:00

Create your own personalized map of the USAThat was kind of fun :)Waiting for the rain to turn over to snow. Maybe before sunrise? I'll be in bed, then.

Good company lifts the spirits

2007-12-11T18:33:00.000-06:00

Our very homey Internet cafeSome friends came over with their kids to get out of their no-power houses. My kitchen table turned into our own little Internet cafe! and the kids enjoyed the change of pace, power, heat, and electric light, too. You can't see the cell phones charging, but they were practically the first thing plugged in -- a cell phone is a lifeline this week.Most trees are free of

Ice Storm: yep, it's a big one

2007-12-10T22:10:00.000-06:00

The trees around our house glisten and glitter, bow low and creak under the weight of half an inch (I think) of ice coating every twig, branch, limb, old leaf, and future leaf bud. Our river birches are bowed very low, and the lower branches of our stiff, young oak have been pulled down so they actually touch the driveway and sidewalk. Branches are down and trees are broken or completely fallen

A brief history of the previous four months

2007-12-08T11:16:00.000-06:00

August - preparation for the new homeschooling year, deeper and more intense this year. Number One destination for my energy and creativity -- until we started lessons/schooling! Then the homeschooling and the last of the prep work took over my life and squeezed blogging out of the picture, sorry. See the weekly routines and yearly reading plans on my homeschooling blog, A Bit of Bubbly, for a

A little tropical storm action in Oklahoma

2007-08-19T15:26:00.000-05:00

After a rain-stormy afternoon and evening yesterday, bedtime included the accompaniment of thunder and lightning. The weather alert radio woke me up a lot around 2:30 am, I think. Not to mention the lightning and all that. I finally looked at the clock at 3. I slept off and on (more weather alerts), and when they started mentioning tornado watches in counties that sounded nearby, I gave up, got

iPod fun with podcasts, but not what you think

2007-08-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

Current track: Latinum, the Latin class: My Second Latin Lesson.As the surprised recipient of a new-to-me iPod mini, I've spent a little time the last week or so figuring out what to listen to and how to set it up. At the moment music doesn't attract me as much as all of my neglected podcasts. The opportunity to listen to something interesting that I normally don't get around to makes grocery

Summer reality in the front garden

2007-08-12T08:10:00.001-05:00

Those deliciously cool mornings are now a matter of context. Here I sit on my entryway bench, enjoying the nice temperature of the morning and the chatter and buzzy murmur of the birds and insects... but I hustle to get out here between 7:30 and 8 am because by 8:30 it'll be a lot less sumptuously cool. Right now it's 79F, after a morning low (around 7 am) of 75F. It will be 85F pretty soon, and

Reduction update: power

2007-07-28T08:53:00.000-05:00

Our electricity meter was read on Tuesday, July 17, and I downloaded the stats and statement the next day. Our usage for the previous 32 days was 739 kWh, or 22.4 kWh/day -- half of what it was two years ago!Two years ago, before I started being careful about our a/c (air conditioning) use in summer, our usage for this time period was 1510 kWh. Last year, when I was pretty serious and yet we had

Reduction update: garbage & compost

2007-07-27T08:50:00.000-05:00

The boys and I actually set up sheet composting/bed preparation about 2 weeks ago on the grass-overrun backyard garden beds. I still can hardly believe that I finally did this thing I've been "meaning" to do for several years. A friend has this quote in her email signature:"There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when it's

Eating locally: a book review

2007-07-26T09:10:00.000-05:00

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver, one of my favorite authors, was a couldn't-put-it-down book for me this week. Her prose didn't have the inner glow of her essays and novels, but I stayed up late one night trying to read as far as the season I am in right now!The book is about Kingsolver and her family's year of eating locally, focused mostly on what food they grew, why, how, and

A deliciously cool morning, from our entryway bench

2007-07-26T08:03:00.000-05:00

Cool morning air gently stirs the upper tree leaves and branches. A scarlet male cardinal pauses briefly in the grass below our river birch's low branches. The red geranium in the pot at the front step blooms again after a quiet few weeks. Not a cloud in the blue, blue sky.I hear the gentle clatter of Son2 getting his breakfast... cars going by on the cross street... the gas mower working the

Harry Potter 7 is in the house

2007-07-21T07:32:00.000-05:00

We've had Harry Potter book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, since Tuesday. Yes, that's four days before the worldwide release in English-speaking countries (which would be... 12:01 am today in the USA). I. Could. Not. Believe. It. A friend preordered it from a small bookseller/distributor that is now being sued for delivering 1,200 copies on Tuesday.We got our copy Tuesday early evening,

Blogiversary - three years today

2007-07-17T14:19:00.001-05:00

Amazingly, today is the very day of my three-year blogging anniversary. Plus ca change, plus ca ne change pas -- the more things change, the more they stay the same. I'm blogging a lot of the same stuff! I don't know whether to be cheered by or disappointed in that, but I'm going to go with cheered.And a heads up: I'm working on changing this blog into a WordPress blog, as soon as I make some

Doing anything with those grass clippings, mister?

2007-07-17T09:44:00.000-05:00

The sheet composting is a go! A week ago Sunday I marshalled the troops -- well, the kids -- to prepare some neglected garden beds for sheet composting while dear husband mowed the front lawn (so he could add the grass clippings as a top layer).Sheet composting, a/k/a horizontal composting, a/k/a lasagna gardening, is composting in horizontal layers in the location you intend to grow plants. The

Keeping cool

2007-07-16T19:18:00.000-05:00

Some really great, easy ideas for keeping the house cooler on those blazing hot Oklahoma summer days I'm sure we're gonna get any time now.102 and No Air Conditioning on the Blue Skies Urban Farm blog. Fresh tips: honeycomb insulated blinds; siesta schedule.Keeping the Heat Out on the Green Living Ottawa blog. Excellent tips: Coolaroo shade sail for outdoor living areas, or sunny walls and

Another baking day

2007-07-07T18:46:00.000-05:00

Yep, that Amish Friendship Bread starter was soooo ready. No denying it; today had to be a baking day. I still have three and a half loaves of breads in the freezer, and plenty of granola, so I am baking only I needed or had promised to do.1. Chocolate cake layers, for Son1's cake to enjoy (he left for Boy Scout camp the day after his half-birthday party last month)2. Four loaves of Amish

And the other son... Gryffindor!

2007-07-06T11:38:00.001-05:00

Son2 being Sorted Originally uploaded by Pioneer Library System"Because I like Harry Potter."Who could argue with that logic?!Thank you, dear husband, for locating Son2 in the sea of Sorting photos!

Is there a Hogwarts in his future?

2007-07-06T10:29:00.001-05:00

Son1 being Sorted Originally uploaded by Pioneer Library SystemAt our public library's second annual MuggleFest last month, the staff snapped a photo of Son1 being Sorted by the Sorting Hat, in conversation with Dumbledore.Oh, you want to know which House he chose? Dumbledore told each candidate that in their heart they would know to which House they belong. My dear 11 year old son said,"

How lucky do you feel?

2007-07-05T12:12:00.000-05:00

About climate changeA very interesting argument is made in this short video. Check it out, and see what you think.In the media and in watercooler conversations, are we arguing about guesses or about choices? Watch the video!If you find yourself thinking up (or reading in the comments) various counter-arguments or muttering about details, check out his followup ventures into the complexities.

Independence Day

2007-07-04T22:45:00.000-05:00

White peaches, nectarines, more peaches, watermelon.Lots of little flags along our curb.Kids' special treat of small-bottler birch beer and cream soda in glass bottles.Plenty of time for conversation with friends.Good beer. Margaritas.First-ever homemade three-bean salad, a success!First-of-the-summer homemade salsa, always delicious.Grilled burgers and sausages.Ice cream bars.Fireworks from near

How low can we go? June report

2007-07-01T20:56:00.000-05:00

90 Percent Emissions Reduction -- Month 1 progressElectricityWe're coasting this month because it's been so cool. Usually we're well into our peak a/c season, the height of our yearly electricity usage, but we're still in spring-type usage.Unusually cool, cloudy (and rainy) month -- easy to keep the air conditioning off. We run it once in the late evening to dry the house out a bit. I set it

I do love this psalm

2007-07-01T15:23:00.000-05:00

Psalm 84 1 How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts! 2 My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young— Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. 4

Baking day results

2007-06-30T09:34:00.000-05:00

Great breakfast of cinnamon rolls. Family declares undying love for mom.Peaches not ripe enough for easy peeling; peach pie postponed for another day.Three pounds of pecans toasted. House smells great.Big batch of oat granola, with a big handful of multi-seed mix, baked. More great house aroma. After granola is cool, chopped toasted pecans are mixed in.Bread baking! Four loaves of a basic

Triple our normal rainfall

2007-06-30T09:29:00.000-05:00

Central Oklahoma remains the big winner during the month with an average rainfall of 12.34 inches, nearly triple their normal amount of 4.57 inches.~ Oklahoma Climatological Survey summary of June 2007's drought-busting rain, June 29, 2007That's where we live. No wonder we're feeling so soggy.This very minute I'm watching The Weather Channel to get out of the "sorry for myself" rut. It's helpful

Baking day plans

2007-06-27T11:31:00.000-05:00

A friend gave us some Amish Friendship Bread starter, which should be divided and a loaf of quick-like bread made every ten days. I had been mulling over the idea of a baking day this summer, but once a week seemed too often (since I don't want the heat in the house). Aha! Every ten days, with a little flexibility of a day early or late, seems like it could work well.The starter will be ready to

Summer finally breaking in?

2007-06-27T11:14:00.001-05:00

The boys are choosing to play board and card games! They set out to walk around the (very irregular and large) block yesterday and got sidetracked playing in the park behind our house! They are reading books, and want to bake with me! This is a great thing, after weeks of the two of them bickering with each other and pining for video game time, seemingly unable to find anything else worthwhile to

Eat local once a week, or gradually in July, or...

2007-06-24T13:58:00.000-05:00

There are more and more ways to try this eating local thing.One Local SummerEat one dinner of local ingredients each week. From the blog post at PocketFarm.com:It’s a way to explore your world and support local growers and start learning what’s available in your local foodshed.Don’t fret over salt, spices or condiments. Focus your efforts on produce, dairy, eggs, meat and grains.Local Food

Dust to eat

2007-06-24T13:07:00.000-05:00

Who has given to me this sweetAnd given my brother dust to eat?and when will his wage come in?William Vaughn Moody, "Gloucester Moors," Gloucester Moors & Other Poems, 1910. Quoted by Caroline Henderson, Letters from the Dust Bowl, in her letter to Henry Wallace, then-Secretary of Agriculture, July 1935.This snippet of poetry really struck me when I came to it in Henderson's Dust Bowl letters. So

Another list: the book stack

2007-06-22T21:28:00.000-05:00

From the library, I've got some good reading going.Material World: A Global Family Portrait, and Women in the Material WorldLibrary: An Unquiet HistoryThe Way of Ignorance and Other Essays, by Wendell BerryOlder kid's fiction:The Worst of Times (a 12-year-old boy encounters the Great Depression with his family; Son1 loved it and urged me to read it, so I'm halfway through and enjoying it)Waiting

A list: local purchases

2007-06-22T20:50:00.001-05:00

Last night I picked up what I ordered this month from our Oklahoma Food Co-op. Here's the list.Pecan flapjack granola, 1-pound bagFresh beets, a bundle of 5Cream, 2 pints (very rich and yummy)Butter, 8 ouncesButtermilk, 1 pintHealing lip balm, citrus"Nuthin' But Clean" goat's milk soap, unscentedGoat's milk laundry powder, 48 loads (a pound or so)I didn't buy much produce because last Saturday I

Glub glub

2007-06-22T16:20:00.000-05:00

Rain, rain, and yet more rain. That glorious wet stuff falling from the sky? Enough already! Thanks for the bountiful blessings! We're about to float away here; give the water to the parched parts of the nation!I'm getting a bit tired of gloomy mornings and sudden downpours; this is Oklahoma in June?? The subsoil moisture has been recharged, and every rainwater reservoir in the region is full.

Laundry, accomplished

2007-06-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

It is entirely enjoyable to have dried six or seven loads of laundry in two days by wind and solar power -- i.e., hung to dry! The weather forecast for this week was lots of warm days and, by mid-week, a lot of wind, so I took it as my chance to catch up with the laundry all at once without using the dryer. It has been so easy!For instance, two days ago, a hot and windy day, I hung a load of

How low can we go?

2007-06-01T00:11:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite, most-challenging bloggers is Sharon of Casaubon's Book. She and another blogger, Miranda, have concocted the most amazing challenge: the 90% Reduction challenge or the "Riot for Austerity"!This year-long adventure is open to everyone interested in making big lifestyle changes and discovering the possibilities. The goal is to show by example that Americans and others who have

Rambles: around my neighborhood

2007-05-28T12:50:00.000-05:00

I took a walk this morning. Hurrah!In college and grad school I walked all of the time, mostly to get places. I always loved being outdoors like that, and the walking usually seemed an easy, natural thing. It's been years, though, since I routinely walked places or took walks. For a year or more I've been yearning to start walking. I wanted to get outside in my neighborhood, get my body moving,

Water, water

2007-05-13T13:32:00.000-05:00

So far this month we've received over six inches of rain. I think it all showed up last week! With curious timing, water has been a theme for me lately.It sort of ended up that I began reading quite a lot about water, where we get it, how we use it, and lots more. Informative booklets to help me learn about possibilities for rainwater capture and use on our suburban lot (Water Storage, Create an

Watching the weather

2007-05-06T14:54:00.000-05:00

A quintessential weather-watching day at our house! It's Sunday afternoon, everyone is home and relaxing (well, that's actually sort of unusual in the spring), and dear husband and I are watching/listening to the television tuned to a local channel, for live coverage of the bad weather in far western Oklahoma. Meaning -- intense thunderstorms, big hail, and potential for tornadoes.This is the

Meals on the run, for baseball nights

2007-05-03T21:55:00.000-05:00

Thanks to a full schedule of weeknight baseball games and practices, it is time to get a grip on dinners besides fast food. I need to prepare dinners ahead of time, or stock practically ready to eat fixings from the fridge, and figure out dinner food I can pack in our little rolling cooler cube to eat before, or between, or during games.Our first, basic thoughts were these:Fast at-home

It's May, it's May, the lovely month of May!

2007-05-03T21:50:00.000-05:00

May Day has come and gone, drenched in rain and little in the way of garden flowers to pluck for ring-the-doorbell-and-run bouquets for neighbors. Instead, my recent quirk of mindlessly singing songs related to what I notice or am thinking about... brought this to my lips. "Tra-la, it's here..." Perhaps you recognize it, from the musical "Camelot"? I listened to the cast recording of "Camelot" a

Book Stack, oh my! And it's a big one.

2007-04-30T12:56:00.000-05:00

In which I detail my own connections among the various books around me, nearly all of which are from the library.Stacked on the buffet, to inspire our spring/summer cooking.- Barbecue, Biscuits, and Beans: Chuckwagon Cooking- The Big Book of Backyard Cooking. Food for the grill, side dishes, desserts, drinks, condiments -- yum!- The Complete Book of Outdoor Cookery (James Beard & HE Brown, 1955).

Play ball!

2007-04-18T19:52:00.000-05:00

The practices have been scheduled. To get ready for the season, which starts in about two weeks (yikes), Son1 will have three practices per week, and Son2 will have two practices per week. Oh my. Now every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening, at least one of our boys and a parent will be at a baseball field somewhere, and Saturday mornings too.Well, that is, until the games start.

Baseball creeps in

2007-04-14T20:26:00.000-05:00

The boys and I play catch on the driveway every few days. We're all getting back in practice. Of course I am much more of a beginner than they are. If we move much farther apart, the ball smacking my bare palm will hurt! I need a ball glove. And yet, it's fun. This coming week I'm going to start throwing grounders to the boys in the park. After I get a glove, we'll also keep moving farther apart

Book Stack news, some environment study (in frustration)

2007-04-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

Until today my library book stack was down to three: Nourishing Traditions, The Story of French, and, for my nonfiction book club this month, The Other Face of America: Chronicles of the Immigrants Shaping Our Future.I did some serious book browsing online Friday evening, between some links to Amazon, other books they led me to, and our library's online catalog. Here's what was waiting for me

Old postcards, by state

2007-04-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

How fun this is! Look up a state you're familiar with, and enjoy a few glimpses of the past. Penny Postcards.I've looked at the Oklahoma and Washington postcards so far; on to Pennsylvania, California, Florida, ...

Holy Week and Easter around here

2007-04-05T15:20:00.000-05:00

About two years before I became an Episcopalian at age 30, Holy Week was a wonderful discovery. In Holy Week, the week from Palm Sunday to Easter Day, the various Episcopal churches we have attended in different states have all held special services on each day of the Triduum -- Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. I don't usually go to most of the services, but rather take time

If I had a dogwood in bloom...

2007-04-03T19:19:00.000-05:00

I'd really, really want it to look like the last one in this series of photos: Dogwoods, at Suburban Tomato Liberation Front.I set it as my desktop background, surrounded by a very pale sage green. Yowza -- so wonderful to drink in that stunning spring moment every time I use my laptop.

Gotta blog while I wait - Scouts, food, garden

2007-04-01T14:31:00.000-05:00

So Son1 is at his Scoutmaster conference, the last necessary thing for his Arrow of Light (!!!), and I'm nervous on his behalf. In our Pack/Troop they do this at a monthly Board of Review for the Boy Scouts, apparently because the Arrow of Light helps these Cub Scouts enter Boy Scouts at the rank above Tenderfoot? So I'm nervous, but this afternoon Son1 seemed be well prepared, confident, and

Community growth possibilities

2007-04-01T12:19:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday our community held the latest in a series of community dialogue meetings to help the city discern a path for its future. This one was on Smart Growth. At my discussion table we briefly puzzled over the definition of infill. I thought there was more to it than a brief pooling of our knowledge came up with (though it was fine for the moment).Today I was moseying around the Web site

Our family's must-see TV

2007-03-27T16:34:00.000-05:00

Apparently our family TV viewing has become this: we gather around the glowing screen to watch the anime sci-fi series "Oban Star-Racers" and "Avatar: The Last Air-Bender", as well as watch-'em-do-stuff shows "Survivorman" and "Dirty Jobs", and a long-time favorite, "Good Eats", the cooking show for analytical folks. This week we added the new Discovery Channel limited series, "Planet Earth". We

Let's garden!

2007-03-25T22:49:00.000-05:00

My arms and lower legs ache, I'm tired, and my comfy bed is calling me Right Now -- but I just gotta say: we have achieved launch with my yard/garden projects!After a lovely, relaxed spring break from homeschooling, this weekend we hefted the garden tools and literally dug into the boring, sort of pathetic dit-dot-dit row of plants in our front entryway garden bed. The leaves dropped by our oak

How then shall we live? Baby steps add up

2007-03-18T18:55:00.000-05:00

We made some big changes last year: local, seasonal food; warm house in summer/cool in winter; hang most clothes to dry... It seems that many small and large decisions made over the years have begun to really add up.Before last year... Major: One-car family. Every move in the last 15 years but one, chose to live within 2 miles of where my husband works, and within 5 miles of grocery shopping,

Springspringspring

2007-03-16T14:32:00.000-05:00

Over the last seven days spring sprung! A week ago there was a faint haze of spring green in some trees, daffodils were blooming in pockets of sunny warmth, and the days and nights were quite warm.A few days later, the Bradford pear tree buds were opening to create a slight haze of white; the greening of other trees was more noticeable; and I discovered my daylilies had thrust the tips of leaves

The man in black

2007-03-13T20:27:00.000-05:00

My boys LOVE "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash! They heard it about two weeks ago when we were hanging out with my MOMS Club friends at the new, stand-alone Starbucks in town. Of course Starbucks doesn't have enough seats for a group, so we found some seats for the kids and stood around talking, drinking our snazzy coffee drinks. I didn't even notice the music -- too busy gabbing, I'm sure -- but

Knitting bits

2007-03-07T19:13:00.000-06:00

Waiting for last night's Cub Scout pack meeting to begin, I knit a few rows on my long-neglected lacy socks for me, and it felt great! Son1 received a bunch of badges he'd earned, as well as his Webelos rank badge, hurrah!! He was so proud, and so were we, dear husband and I. No time for knitting in the hubbub of the meeting, of course.The spring issue of the online magazine Knitty is up. I wish

Local good things

2007-03-02T21:39:00.000-06:00

Yesterday the boys and I went to the dedication of the latest historical plaza on our downtown walking trail beside the railroad tracks. It was interesting and very worthwhile. But you'll see that a lot of this post is about very good coffee...At the dedication, the boys were patient enough during the remarks by various dignitaries, even though I wouldn't let them go for the cookies (yet). They

New books for the stack

2007-02-27T20:45:00.000-06:00

I'm delighted to be hosting the library's copy of The Story of French, by the authors of Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French. Should be a good read, beginning with the roots and dialects of French -- something I never learned in seven years of French study (junior high through college). I requested the library buy it after I listened to an interview with

A maturing boy, Scouts, and Mom's readjustment

2007-02-26T17:36:00.000-06:00

Thank you, Cub Scouts, for helping me move to more discussion with my now 11-year-old son. Early in this first year as a Cub Scout he tackled the Readyman badge with his dad, and learned to check the oil in our car and check the tires' air pressure, as well as set up a household chemicals area and various other tasks. I began to readjust my expectations for this young man, nearly as tall as me

Blow me away

2007-02-24T13:58:00.000-06:00

It's incredibly windy today, here in the southern Great Plains. Sustained winds at 30-40 mph, gusts to 50 mph and occasionally higher.The good:Amazing power of the wind. The sound. The rocking water in the toilet bowls, both upstairs and down. The brownish sky and foggy look, due to so much Texas and Oklahoma dirt pulled into the air. I wonder what it looks like a thousand feet up; down here it's

Current reading

2007-02-24T11:29:00.000-06:00

Thanks to the book meme, I figured it's about time to mention what I'm currently reading.Euclid's Window: The story of geometry from parallel lines to hyperspace, by Leonard Mlodinow. A very readable book, and the explanations of the geometry are easy and interesting so far; I'm about to learn about the Romans' role in the story. What I expected was a well-written overview of the development of

A book meme

2007-02-24T11:28:00.000-06:00

I wonder, what was the source of this list? It's an interesting collection of books. I'm simply not interested in reading Ayn Rand or Stephen King, The Celestine Prophesy or Ulysses. There are a lot of books here that I really would like to read, and I'm curious what the books are that I've never heard of. Maybe this will spur me to a reading kick like the summer I read American authors I'd never

Friday Five - Companions on the Way

2007-02-23T22:42:00.000-06:00

As we take the beginning steps of our journey through Lent, who would we take as a companion? Name five people, real or imaginary, you might like to have with you as guide or guardian or simply good friend.I'm going with my first thoughts here.My dear friend J and my once dear friend S, in opposite corners of the country, for our deep, utterly inexplicable connectedness despite time, difficulties

How to deal with living in Tornado Alley

2007-02-23T22:13:00.000-06:00

It's unusually warm this week and we're expecting thunderstorms and possibly even a bit of tornado action overnight tonight. This afternoon my MOMS Club email list discussed how to deal with living in Tornado Alley, because one of the new members is new to our area and was really stressed over the talk about possible tornadoes. Here's what I wrote.The spring after we moved here my husband wanted

Weather woes, and back to school, er, lessons

2007-01-23T10:06:00.000-06:00

Two weekends ago we did have a bit of an ice storm, though the most difficult thing was icy roads from frozen rain, then sleet (piled up -- quite a lot of it), and then more freezing rain. What a mess. Yet it was just a glaze compared to the incredibly icy, no-electricity, winter wonderland that is eastern Oklahoma.Each afternoon, all week, the public schools decided to cancel school for the next

Hymns for hard times

2007-01-22T19:41:00.000-06:00

A friend and her family are in an incredibly stress-filled situation that rings bells with me. I remember, I told her, some of our own tough times and the unbelievable stress. I offered her two verses from an old hymn that really, really, REALLY meant a lot to me. As I looked up the hymn in my church's hymnal, I discovered a wealth of other hymns about strength, and God's love, in tough times.

New blog look / Baby, it's cold outside

2007-01-13T12:47:00.000-06:00

I finally made the switch to the new Blogger, and in the process found it to be simpler (at least a smidge) to use a new template. I'd customized the old one so much that it was going to be really hard to combine my customization with some of the new Blogger features. I don't love the current look, but it'll do. I do like the drop-down navigation for the archive. And so it goes. Change is the

The ice storm approacheth

2007-01-12T13:51:00.000-06:00

Time for a good old Oklahoma ice storm. It was supposed to start as rain this morning turning to freezing rain this afternoon as the temp dropped with the arrival of arctic air, and another surge of freezing rain tomorrow (Saturday), turning to sleet or a snow/sleet mix by Sunday.Well, things are working out a bit differently -- typical for something as incredibly complex as continent-scale

2006 blogging in review

2007-01-01T20:26:00.000-06:00

I've seen this several places, mostly recently at The Black Pearl Academy, and finally decided to go for it. The idea is to post the first line of your first blog post from each month of 2006. Here goes...January 2006 - Two things I've learned already in the new year: Magic Loop is very helpful for hats, and it IS possible to muck out and rearrange my office space in one day even with several

Is breadbaking frugal?

2007-01-01T20:19:00.000-06:00

That was sort of the question asked on a favorite homeschooling discussion board. My answer:"Frugal types can bake sandwich bread cheaper than buying it. Or you can REALLY beat storebought prices if you make hearty or fancy types!"I buy flour when it's cheap, yeast in bulk, and make fairly plain bread most of the time for the pleasure of providing good bread to my family. Oatmeal bread or a plain

Waiting for the new year

2006-12-31T23:17:00.000-06:00

Waiting, at this moment we watch the preparations for the battle of Helm's Deep.Our original plan for New Year's Eve was to spend time with friends at one or two kid-friendly parties, one early and the other later, probably heading home late in the evening but before midnight. That's not how it worked out! One party was cancelled due to illness, one of us is fighting a cold, and two are tuckered

Busy but it's good

2006-12-19T12:58:00.000-06:00

The boys are out walking around the block, to help Son1 break in his new light hiking boots. What a great idea, dear husband! The full dishwasher is running, a load of laundry is in the washer, most Christmas gifts are on their way, I have a thorough list of household To-Dos, AND I have a nice list of fun Christmas To-Dos for the kids to pick from.Now, while the kids are gone, I'm going to

A shopping day

2006-12-17T00:08:00.000-06:00

We don't shop often. Oh, groceries, sure, sort of. But clothes? gifts? objects to fill household needs? Well, we pretty much do our utmost to avoid shopping, but sometimes it just needs to be done. And turns out to be rather fine, and even fun. Thus it was today.Our plan: when dear husband returned from a prior commitment in the early afternoon, we would head out to Nearby City and shop our way

Friday Five: Yuletide Favorites

2006-12-15T22:29:00.000-06:00

From the RevGalBlogPals (see blogroll and go check them out!)...For this mid-December Friday Five, let's explore some Yuletide favorites.1) It's a Wonderful Life -- Is it? Do you remember seeing it for the first time? Definitely a major, major favorite, from time immemorial.2) Miracle on 34th Street -- old version or new? Old, I think. We just watched it this evening, colorized. Now we need to

So how's it going?

2006-12-12T16:24:00.000-06:00

I'm in a blogging mood again lately, but haven't had much time to write up posts. Be warned, there may be a flurry of blog posts soon!Homeschoolblogger.com is being glitchy after their update, so I might at long last set up a Moveable Type or WordPress blog. In the meantime, I feel a desire to spell out what our homeschooling looks like nowadays, two weeks before Christmas.So... I wrote a bunch

Second snow day: sun and fun

2006-12-01T23:34:00.000-06:00

Today was pretty fun, as snow days go. The beginning of the day was quite crisp, 19F at 8:30 am when Son1 ventured outside for the newspaper (these kids are all about the comic strips, and are no longer satisfied with the Sunday color comics). It was gorgeous -- little drifts of wind-blown snow providing terrain and texture in the simple whiteness covering the ground everywhere, all dazzling in

Advent Friday Five

2006-12-01T21:29:00.000-06:00

From the RevGalBlogPals, as Advent begins this Sunday.1) Do you observe Advent in your church? Definitely. Advent wreathmaking workshop with volunteer-created booklet of prayers and readings; Advent-oriented readings and prayers and hymns in the services, and I'm sure some small changes to the liturgy that I don't think about; Advent wreath lighting at the beginning of each service on Sunday;

Baked cranberry-orange preserves

2006-11-30T20:02:00.000-06:00

From Helen Witty's wonderful Fancy Pantry (1986, Workman Publishing Co.), her "Baked Cranberry Preserves with Orange and Cardamom", with my simplification of the orange prep.To make about 3 cups of preserves...Preheat the oven to 350F. Gather:4 cups cranberries1 medium-size seedless orange3 cups sugar1/8 tsp ground cardamom1/4 cup waterSpread the cranberries in an 8-inch square glass baking

Random food notes

2006-11-30T19:44:00.000-06:00

From the last week or so, here are some random food notes.Lard-based pie crust: W-O-W. Just, wow. Crispy, flaky, a great counterpoint to our standard (Libby label recipe) pumpkin custard filling made with whole milk and cream. Which, by the way, was also quite delicious. To top that pumpkin pie with fresh-whipped cream was gilding the lily, in my opinion. And it's very nice to not worry about

Let it snow, snow, snow!

2006-11-30T14:35:00.000-06:00

We started battening down the hatches yesterday morning, with firmly worded forecasts ringing in our ears -- of freezing rain, bitter cold and high wind, followed by snow. When we got up it was about 60F; by midmorning the arctic air was already pushing in and the temps had started dropping. The kids and I did some errands. Next time I'll remember bread and cereal, arrgh. At noon it was 38F (

Readying for Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T16:41:00.000-06:00

I'm just wondering. For Thanksgiving Day or weekend, do you have plans to feast, travel, attend a church service, get together with family or with friends (or both), watch the big-city parades or football on TV, do something completely different?We do not travel to our distant families for holidays, so we'll be at home. This is the third year we've gathered for Thanksgiving with two other

Stop, breathe, think -- and food comments

2006-10-24T23:19:00.000-05:00

I just wrote this to a friend, and it bears posting here.Time is flying by for me -- every Saturday I stop, breathe, and think, "It's Saturday again already?!?" That's okay. I'm memorizing Latin and poetry along with the boys, and flexing my little-used math mental muscles, and encouraging Son1 through his writing exercises, and learning to write Italic along with the boys as well, and

42nd Carnival of Homeschooling

2006-10-21T09:31:00.000-05:00

For some interesting browsing, check out the links at the Carnival of Homeschooling No. 42: The Answer to Everything. I'm now going to take my own advice; I shall go forth and browse.

Fall Fruit Salad, yummy yummy

2006-10-15T11:42:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago I needed to bring some sort of side dish to a gathering, and had a bright idea that worked out great.Fall Fruit SaladTwo crisp apples or firm pears or one of each, cored and dicedA big handful of pecans, halved, plus bitsA generous drizzle of Vidalia onion dressing from Tastefully SimpleEt voila! A lightly sweet yet almost -- but not quite -- savory fall fruit salad. It's very

Sock knitting update

2006-10-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

Though slowly, I have indeed been making progress on my in-progress socks. In fact, I've turned the heel on two different socks and picked up the rest of the stitches to start knitting in the round for the foot.As it turns out, I did one in the wrong direction and now I have to frog it back to the point just before I picked up all of those parked stitches, sigh. The bright side is that it's the

Enjoy it! Great meat, butter, whole grains, veggies

2006-10-14T15:26:00.000-05:00

I've been reading various things about food over the last several months. Slow food, seasonal foods, traditional local food, eating local foods, eating within 100 miles, organic foods, grass-fed pasture-raised meat, organic butter and milk and cheese, pesticide- and hormone-free fatty foods (butter, milk, cheese, meat), whole grains. This fall I've been reading about hunter-gatherer eating, "

Scouting: the pace picks up

2006-10-14T15:03:00.000-05:00

Both boys have now earned their intro Cub Scout badge (Bobcat), and Son1 is well on his way to his Webelos badge, a couple of other badges, and stuff that will contribute to the Arrow of Light (his big challenge for the year). Son2 enjoys being a Tiger Cub, and the two boys love to practice their den yells and the hilarious one of a Boy Scout patrol (learned on their campout).A newer development:

Game Day

2006-10-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

Today is a Game Day here in our town. Specifically, big-time college football that is a highlight for our entire state. Yes, plenty root for the land-grant/ag school up north a bit, but a whole lot stream into this town in the days and hours before each football game to fill the parking lots, side streets, and any open spaces within a 15-minutes walk of the stadium. They have tailgate parties

Living Math Through History

2006-10-14T14:17:00.000-05:00

Living Math Through History -- this is so cool! Yet another great thing over at LivingMath.net. The first set of topics fits great with our ancient history focus, so I'm going to have fun with this stuff while we wait for our next set of math curriculum books.Introduction and Lesson 1: Math is Everywhere!Ancient Roots of Mathematics in...- Lesson 2: Africa and Asia- Lesson 3 The Americas- Lesson

Very Late Friday Five: Civic Duties

2006-10-09T16:22:00.000-05:00

Friday Five: Civic Duties, from RevGalBlogPals.It's that season of the year when lawn signs are sprouting as surely as flowers in the spring; elections are just around the corner. And so today we bring you a Civic Duty Friday Five.1) How old were you when you voted for the first time? I think I was 22. Thing is, often that first-Tuesday-in-November Election Day falls on my birthday, and when I

I'm extremely logical (when I want to be!)

2006-10-04T16:01:00.000-05:00

I saw this quiz on Jessica's Trivium Academy blog and proceeded to take the quiz very carefully. I think one of the questions had no correct answers so I faked it. Hee!You Are Incredibly LogicalMove over Spock - you're the new master of logicYou think rationally, clearly, and quickly.A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer!Take the quiz: How Logical Are You?

Friday Five: Groups

2006-09-29T18:15:00.000-05:00

The RevGalBlogPal Friday Five, about groups!1. Tell us about any group(s) you currently belong to. (e.g. book club, knitting circle, walking buddies, etc.)I belong to my local chapter of MOMS Club, a nonsectarian organization for at-home moms that offers activities during the day at which our kids are always welcome. My MOMS Club chapter has been a great bonus in my life these last seven years

What curriculum are you using?

2006-09-27T11:56:00.000-05:00

This is, so far, the most frequently asked question that I was not expecting from folks who don't themselves homeschool. I feel at a loss to answer, because I'm not sure that what we use will mean much. On the other hand, it's what they're asking, so I say, "We're using a variety of resources: Singapore math, a mental math approach; Classical Composition, an imitative writing program; Explode

Nickel and Dimed, Fast Food Nation, oh my

2006-09-23T13:35:00.000-05:00

I was ignoring my reading for a week or so, but on Thursday I started reading Nickel and Dimed: On (not) getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich, for my book club meeting tonight (that I may or may not attend as it turns out, but anyway). I am nearly at the end, and it was both less and more than I expected. Also different than I expected. It's going to be a great discussion starter for our