Can you read it?

Can you do it? Last week while my daughters were having their riding lesson at Victory Stables, I had some extra time on my hands that I wasn't expecting. There's a nice little outdoor "chapel"on the grounds where I got to hang out in peace and quiet for a couple of hours. It was a beautiful day - birds chirping, sun shining, breeze blowing, and once I got over being worked up because I didn't "have anything with me to do" I really enjoyed this poster, and its admonition.

But they were for the freezer . . .

Yesterday I made these Harvest Muffins. When I went to bag them up for the freezer last night, there were 3 left, out of 24. That should tell you that they are yummy! BTW we aren't total pigs - we did have a few extra kids around yesterday!

Harvest Muffins

2 cups flour*
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup (1 medium) apple, peeled, cored, shredded
½ cup raisins
½ cup coconut
½ cup nuts
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup oil
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, combine carrot, apple, raisins, nuts and coconut.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, oil, milk and vanilla. Stir carrot mixture into the wet ingredients. Then add this all at once to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Yield 2 dozen.

*I usually make a gluten free version, using 1 cup sorghum flour and 1 cup brown rice flour. It also works well with 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat – or really just about any combination of flours, since it’s so full of other dense ingredients. You can leave out nuts and/or raisins, no problem. These make a healthy “grab and go” snack.

More geography stuff.

And again . . . made with stuff I had in the house. These are for the kids in my co-op class to do a state project. They are to use this "suitcase" to record information about a U.S. state of their choice. Then they'll present it to the rest of the class, taking us on a "visit" to their state. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. I'm antipating "lapbook" style projects - but who knows!

The "suitcases" are colored file folders with black cardstock handles, and a nametag made from an old file folder cut into pieces. The big "label" where they'll record their state name is from the same old folder, and the state stickers were stashed in our very messy "homeschool cupboard". I got the stickers free a long time ago in a promotional mailing that was trying to sell me something.

Count them today . . .

I love how this banner turned out - and it was totally made from stuff I had in the house - scrapbook paper from the dollar store, a yard or so of ribbon, paper rickrack from my scrapbooking stuff, and letters cut out at my friend/neighbor's house using her cricut machine. Fun stuff!

In Times Like These

I think it was one of those subconcious things. After driving my son to work this morning I found myself singing this song on the way home.

"In times like these, you need an anchor . . . Be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the solid rock. This rock is Jesus, yes, He's the one, This rock is Jesus, the only One, I'm very sure, I'm very sure my anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.

Are you very sure?

Anxious about Wall Street and federal bailouts? When Jesus was on earth He had to ask "Show me a penny" to use it as an object lesson. As foreclosures soar I'm reminded that "The Son of Man (Jesus) had no place to lay his head" in this world.

So what qualifies Him to be my anchor? He's the Lord of heaven and earth - the Creator who became my Savior. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and He is coming again. This world has not seen the last of Him, but some day it will see the last of me! Then my REAL living begins.

In the babble of rhetoric that invades our culture, I'm reminded that He is THE way and THE truth, and THE life. And I'm sure glad that song came to mind this morning. My anchor holds, and grips the Solid Rock. This Rock is Jesus.

Writing contests for students

From my inbox today - here's a link to a great website listing several writing contests for kids. Some contests are exclusively for homeschoolers, but most are not. It's a great resource to have these opportunities listed all in one place, rather than having to scour the internet looking for them. In fact, this site even offers a free "deadline reminder" service.

I find that contests can be a great motivator in getting kids to write, and I must say that some of the prizes offered are sure motivating me to have my kids enter!

It followed us home . . .

Can we keep it?

Unfortunately not.

This little cat really and truly did follow us home when we were out walking a couple of weeks ago. She was pitifully thin, but obviously not afraid of people. I think someone dropped her off on the road that goes through woods near our house.

Anyway, she's been living in our garage, and looks like a new cat since we've been feeding her and caring for her. The big problem is that I'm allergic to cats, and so is my son. Visiting someone with a cat doesn't bother us for a few days, but we know from experience that a cat living in the house is QUITE a different story.

So, Tibby needs a home. Winter is coming and this sweet little cat needs a lap to curl up in on a comfy couch on a cold night, not a litter box in a garage. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a good home for a cat? Anybody in western PA want this baby? She's not a little kitten, but she's pretty young, and SO sweet and cuddly and friendly!

9-23-08 updated to add: "Tibby" has a new home! A few days ago I made up a flyer with a photo and a couple of paragraphs telling Tibby's sad story. My friendly Curves lady taped it to the water cooler. Today a Curvey patron was so smitten with the story and photo that she called my cell phone, and waited at Curves for the 45 minutes it took me to get back home, collect the cat (thank goodness for once it wasn't up a tree or out in the woods chasing chipmunks) and deliver it to Curves. Yes indeedy, I think this just might be the most exciting piece of copywriting I've done in a while.

Great Learning Website

It could be that I'm the last homeschooler to find this site - but just in case I'm not, I wanted to share it here. www.yourchildlearns.com. There are so many great things here!

I went on a google search to find free hands-on learning resources for the munchkin U.S. geography class I'm teaching at our co-op. It's a small class, only 4 kids, grades 3-5. I wanted BIG maps that they could mark up themselves, week by week, as we learn about states and capitals, rivers and lakes, deserts and mountains. At this site I was able to print out BIG outline maps - 3 feet by 3 feet. They come out on 16 pages and you piece and tape them together - a bit tedious when you're doing it four times. But for home use - what a great resource. You can print out maps of any state and country, or the whole world, up to 6 feet by 6 feet.

There are lots of other great activities too, and links, and free software. But, I must get back to the kitchen table and tape the rest of the maps together. I'll have to save exploring the site for another day.

What homeschooling looks like at our house

I was curious about homeschooling for a long time before I ever considered doing it. When my oldest child was just a baby I asked a homeschooling mom if I could come over sometime when they were “doing school” and just be “a fly on the wall” She said no!

Some of you family and friends who read this blog have been here when we’re homeschooling . . . and you also know that sometimes our homeschooling packs up into 3 big plastic totes and a laptop and goes out of town, or out of state when life happens. Since all of our relatives and many of our friends live far away I LOVE having that flexibility.

We are fortunate to belong to a small homeschool co-op. Co-ops come in all shapes and sizes, and we’ve been with much larger groups in the past, which have their own strengths and challenges. For the past few years we have met once a week with a half dozen or so likeminded families with jr./sr. high school students. We rent a very comfortable building with a big kitchen, classrooms, common area, etc. Pooling our backgrounds and strengths we teach classes, and we have a nice diversity of ability. We have about 20 kids, ranging from K-11th grade.

This year I have it easy. I’m teaching a U.S. geography class for 3rd through 5th graders, and a story time class for K-2. I LOVE children’s books – classics like “Blueberries for Sal”, “Harold and the Purple Crayon”, “Make Way for Ducklings”, “The Poky Little Puppy”, and such treasures. I find lots of great ideas for accompanying crafts, learning activities, snacks, etc. online at sites like http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ or http://www.enchantedlearning.com/ . My girls benefit from great classes taught by other, qualified moms, and shared with about 10 teens. This year the oldest two (grades 8 and 10) have a speech class, a civics class, and an integrated physics and chemistry class, complete with labs. Next semester a Shakespeare class will replace speech.

The youngest has a Civil War class, a literature class (using Progeny Press Magician’s Nephew program) and a creation science class. They all have phys. ed as well. The idea is that they get enough homework from these classes to do the other days of the week.

At home, the oldest is doing Algebra, using Teaching Textbooks , Spanish (using Rosetta Stone), US History 2 (using books 6-10 of A History of US as a starting point with lots of other readings, activities, and field trips to round it out), a 5 minute “English from the Roots Up” lesson each day, and a pricey but hopefully worth it writing program called “The One Year Adventure Novel.” Three times a week she goes to Curves (just around the corner from us) for their circuit fitness program.

The middle daughter has a similar schedule, but without the writing program, and using Math U See. Her language and writing learning is made up of activities and journalling challenges that I give her to do. She loves to sew, and make one of a kind teddy bears and stuffed or felted animals, and she does a really nice job of it!

The youngest also uses Math-U-See, Rosetta Stone Spanish, and a patchwork language/writing experience that I put together, as well as learning about US Geography. She is also using an A Beka science book, and does most of her schoolwork standing up or dancing about, and punctuated with cartwheels across the family room. But she does get it done! She loves horses, and recently began taking riding lessons at a Christian owned and operated stable not too far from home. The girls and their dad put in some “sweat equity” there to compensate, and I will be helping the stables with some marketing and other projects. I’m sure I’ll be blogging more about that.

Typically I’m done working with the girls by lunch time. Then they do their independent work and chores in the afternoon. They have time to do what interests them – writing, bear making, jumping on the trampoline, or whatever floats their boats on that particular day! Usually I’m working during that time. I am extremely blessed to be able to work from home for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, doing some of the things I love best - writing, editing, researching, and communicating with other people. It's a fantastic learning experience and a great "fit" for our family. My boss, Nancy, Director of Marketing, has blogged here recently about homeschooling at her house.

Having said all that – many days are not “typical”! Fortunately, we do live in just about the most regulated state for homeschooling in the nation. We have to meet very specific and fairly demanding criteria each year. The girls are evaluated by a licensed teacher, and a portfolio of their work is submitted to the local school district. It’s a great incentive to make sure what needs to get done – gets done!

I’m extremely grateful to be part of the homeschooling community. I’ve met some great people, made some good friends, and learned right along with my kids. . . and, by the way, I welcome "flies on the wall" and questions about homeschooling!

Fresh for Fall - You'll love winning this.

Homestead Originals is running a giveaway drawing for a bar of their special kitchen soap and a hardwood soap holder. I want to win it - but since I'm so nice I'm giving you a chance, too! I've had soap from this company before - and it is wonderful!

Just leave a comment on their blog to enter the drawing. You will have to register at their blog, but don't let that deter you - it takes all of 20 seconds. A page will pop up asking for your user name. Choose a user name, click on register, and a password will be emailed to you immediately.

I am ticked this morning. Have you heard about Obama's recent comment, "You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig." Puh-lease. Can we bring a little class to this election. Mudslinging gets tiresome enough, but enough of the junior high recess mentality already.

Getting Lost in Pittsburgh

As hard as it is to believe, we've lived in this area for almost 7 years . . . and I'm still known for getting lost around the city. I try to explain to friends and family why I've been able to navigate around other cities and states and countries pretty easily but continue to be stumped here.

Yes, it does have something to do with the fact that 3 rivers run through the middle of the city, and that getting around involves a network of bridges and tunnels that resemble a spaghetti dinner. It is compounded by the fact that lots of the intersections have NO street name signs, but there's that whole extra dimension . . . maybe this little clip from this morning's news will help explain. I must admit I laughed out loud when I read it. As I told my husband, "This is SO Pittsburgh!"

New Transportation Center Opens DowntownPITTSBURGH (KDKA)

― Commuters who rely on Greyhound Bus service to get where they need to go will now have an easier time getting around as the new Grant Street Transportation Center opens today. The new facility, which is actually located on 11th Street and Liberty Avenue, links some of the city's biggest transportation systems – allowing Greyhound passengers to easily connect to the Amtrak station, the T and the East Busway. The facility also features two parking garages with over 1,000 spots. The center will be open 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

Am I the only one who wonders WHY a facility would be named "Grant Street Transportation Center" when it is NOT on Grant Street?

How would like to win an Ipod Nano?

It's the 8 GB version - valued at $199.00!

Here's a link to the contest information. It's being hosted by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine - the leading magazine for homeschooling families.

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine offers an affiliate marketing program, and is inviting bloggers to get on board with this opportunity. It's very simple, and all the details are provided at this link. Become an affiliate and be entered in the drawing.

In case you are totally unfamiliar with the affiliate marketing concept - basically you'd have a button in your sidebar with a link to The Schoolhouse Store. When someone clicks through from your blog to the store, and purchases an Old Schoolhouse product, you earn a commission. It's easy to set up, costs you nothing, but can earn you money!

Giving Away Books!

Yesterday's mail brought a special package - a copy of Sharon Hinck's latest book "Stepping Into Sunlight" for me to review! Here's what I'm going to do . . . I'm going to share it when I'm done. In fact, I'm going to give away my copies of 3 of Sharon's books: Stepping Into Sunlight, Symphony of Secrets, and Renovating Becky Miller.

Want one of these? Here's what you have to do . . . read on . . .

In the novel, Stepping Into Sunlight, Penny Sullivan pulls out her little yellow notebook, and sets a goal to do a small kind act for a different person each day.

How hard can that be? Do one small act of kindness, and leave me a comment below. You don't even have to tell me what you did - just that you did one. Holding a door open or smiling counts - sending a card, making some muffins, or raking your neighbor's leaves is even better. If you'd like some ideas, check this great blog.

On Sept. 12th I'll pull three names from the comments. The first person I draw will get to choose which book she wants. The second will choose from the remaining two books, and the third will get whichever book is left. Sound fair?

Signing out now - I've got a book to read!