Saturday Morning on the Homestead

Good morning from our little corner of the world.  Saturdays are usually our "slow" days here.  Nevin usually (always) has a project of some sort going- today is the Men's Breakfast at church, then he will be moving some furniture, and then home for the day.

The boys are just now stirring.  We had an overnight guest, and he was up about 7.  My guys, though, are not early risers unless they have to be. And on Saturday, they usually don't have to be.

It is clear and cold today.  Here is the view off my front porch as the sunshine was just starting to spread.

The shop, the playset, the remains of the garden, asleep for the winter

And, here is the back deck view

My first morning project is my daily Bible reading.  I am using a plan from the YouVersion app.  I am also currently reading Knowing God by J.I. Packer.   Excellent book.

I also wanted to update our ongoing science experiment for the co-op I do on Wednesdays.

We have glasses of bouillon here - one also has salt, one vinegar, one is refrigerated, and one is a control.  The control is full of bacteria.  I only have this out to photograph, otherwise I grow bacteria in the laundry room cabinets.  Below the glasses are two slices of banana. One just has water on it, one has yeast.  Did you know yeast is a fungi, and a decomposer?  Yep, and it is eatin' up some banana.

All the animals have been fed and watered.  Hunter seems particularly content in his bed.  Daisy and Hunter like to spend most of their time in the shop with Nevin, but he is not home so they are locked out now.  They will be so happy when he gets home and lets them in.  Around here we don't have barn cats (even though that is what I call them) - we have shop cats.

And for the piece-de-resistance: breakfast.  Today it is sausage, nice fresh eggs from our hens, and I mixed up some biscuits.  Yum, yum.

Saturdays are my slow days - time to do accounting/bookwork for our business, time to update our school   records and plan a little for next week, time to plan a menu and grocery list.  Today, some of this may be curtailed, as it is also a BIRTHDAY here - my #2 son turned 12 today.  He got to pick the cake (chocolate layer cake) and the dinner (Chicken Tortilla Chowder), so I have a bit of baking and wrapping to do today.

I will post the recipes later today, though!

Have a glorious Saturday!

Is Learning Dangerous??

I was very impressed with this article today.  I do follow the Ladies Against Feminism blog, and while I don't agree with everything posted there, overall I find it refreshing and thought-provoking.

The link below is to a post from the Botkin sisters,


homeschool graduates, speakers, writers and authors of this book:



in response to an email they received.
http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/education/a-little-learning-a-dangerous-thing/

Field Trip!

 Just a few pictures from our trip to The Magic House this week.  Once a month there is a Homeschool Morning.  The upside is that it is only $3 and it is generally not too crowded.  The downside - only two hours.  Last year I went twice so I could spend time on the younger kid stuff with my little guys, and then the second time to hit all the "big" kid stuff.

My crew, plus a few friends.  Tony is a good sport to get his picture taken in the Magic Tree House area, especially since he was about a foot taller than most people there!

The kids really  had a good time.

And, just to keep me humble..........

It is Monday! What are you reading this week?

I did one start-and-put-down last week - The Fairy Godmother, by Mercedes Lackey.  I love fairy tales re-told (I am devoted to ABC's Once Upon a Time series) but this was......dull.  I gave it about 50 pages, then dumped.

The littles and I started Pippi Longstocking last night, and the bigs and I are still in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  I am moving forward slowly in Organized Simplicity. I want to take it all in before I start organizing my life, and it is giving me a few things to chew on.

My biggie for the week is Knowing God by J.I. Packer.  This book is on my "goal" list for this year, and so far (2 chapters) I am really getting a lot out of it.  A thorough review will be provided at the end of the month.  But for now, suffice it to say that it is NOT stuffy or sleep-inducing, but moves at a good pace and is very convicting.

I also have an ongoing Bible study by Kay Arthur and am on a regular reading schedule in the ESV Study Bible.  All my current books are in the Goodreads box on the right.

I am stopping by the library today, so there is a chance I may come home with something new, too.

And what are YOU reading this week?

Priorities, priorities

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."  Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV

Life this week has been turned around and upside down. After managing to wax philosophical about the changes in my plans on Wednesday, it seems like I should have been ready for the rest of the week.

It certainly seems that way, doesn't it?  But, not much went according to plan Friday, either.

We did get school done, yjough.  The highlight of the day was our Bible study.  I was listening to Glenn Beck.  I don't usually, because I think he is an alarmist, and slightly off his rocker.  But, he was talking about the crash of society as we know it, and God used that. God showed me clearly that I have not got our priorities right.  There are a lot of days that the kids and I will get math, science, social studies, etc. done - especially Tony and Ben, since they can do most of theirs on their own.  But Bible study requires all of us, it requires time and me sitting down and going through scripture with them.  And sometimes that gets missed.  I will tell them to do some reading, or work on their AWANA, but not sit down myself with them.  And really, what is our priority?  God's Word is always our first, or should be.  The rest will come, if we have our priorities in line. I get myself in a tizzy over the things of this world - preparing for the SAT for instance.  While it is good to teach them math, language arts, science, etc. it has to come second to God's Word.  The Word is eternal, all the rest of this is so temporary.  I say I want to prepare them for a future by educating them, but what sort of future is there without God?  None at all.  Anyway, when I got back home all I wanted to do was crash with a cup of tea and play on the computer for a bit, but we all got our Bibles and continued where we left off in John.  We are just going straight through that book, reading and discussing, and when we finish we will do another.  We also had a great time of prayer together.  The littles are not quite ready to pray out loud, but that is okay.

I should have more unplanned days.  This is good stuff.  The Lord truly ministered to me through the little trials that I had.  If I could just learn to keep my focus on Him and not on my own little plans and ideas, how much better the days go.  And how much more useful to Him I can be.  How much more in tune with His great purposes.

And here is what I read last month - January, 2012

Overall, a good reading month.  Six books completed, several in progress, a few started and tossed aside.  No 5 stars, but a few 4s.  And heeerrrrreee they are:

1.  I Am Half-Sick of Shadows: A Flavia De Luce Novel by Alan Bradley.  I only gave this a 3 (Liked it).  These usually earn a 4+.  It started slow and never seemed to pick up.  The only really interesting parts were the clues about Dogger's past, and some light being shed on the feelings of Ophelia for her sister Flavia.  I will certainly read the next one.



2.  True Christian Motherhood an ebook by June Fuentes.  Another 3.  I guess I have read so many of these sort of books that it would have to be really outstanding for me to take notice.  This book is really a series of blog posts.  Would be good reading for a new Christian or new mother, just discovering these things.

3.  The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis - 4 stars (really liked it alot).

 I was surprised how much of the book WASN'T about Michael Oher - it really is about the evolution in game strategies in the NFL, and how that trickled down to college and high school teams and recruiting.  I was also surprised at how different the chronology of the lives of the Tooheys and Michael were from that portrayed in the movie.

The books really ARE always better, aren't they?

4.  The Importance of Being Seven (44 Scotland Street #6) by Alexander McCall Smith - 2 stars (it was okay).  Not as good as some of the others.  The continuing saga of Bertie is getting to be more than I can bear.  Can I admit that when his mother Irene disappeared I was really hoping she wouldn't be back??  I can't stand the sadness in his life, yet Bertie keeps trying, keeps hoping for things the rest of us take for granted - like a friend.  Maybe in book #7 his new friendship will bloom and his father Stuart will grow a backbone.  If I don't see some improvement, Mr. Smith, the next installment will be my last!
5.  Free Land by Rose Wilder Lane - 4 stars.  In case there is a bibliovore out there who doesn't know, Rose is Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter.  She is also strongly rumored to be the true "author" of the Little House books.  Laura wrote out her memories, and the Rose edited and assembled them into book form.  If you compare "The First Four Years" to any of the previous Little House books, you can see the difference (Rose did not edit TFFY).



Free Land contains many elements from the LH books and Laura's experience as a pioneer, but it is told from  an adult perspective, so it is considerably darker.  David and Mary are a young couple, earning their "free land" in the Dakotas in the 1880s.  David especially is based on Almanzo Wilder - same names for his siblings, growing up in the same places (NewYork and Minnesota) and even raising Morgans.  Many other elements of the LH books, such as the Hard Winter, play key roles in this story.

6.  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, 4 stars.  This should probably be 5 stars, but I have read it so many times that some of the wonder has faded I guess.  This was one of my favorite books as a child, and I read it to my older boys a few years ago.  This month I read it to my 7 and 8 year old sons, and they loved it.  After we read the book we compared it to the movie (1971 version with Gene Wilder).  One of the best parts of my day is when I get to share some of my favorite books with my sons.  Even the older boys, who are turning 12 and 14 in the next few weeks still enjoy that time each night to soak up a good book together.

And that is it for me- what did YOU read?

The Unplanned Day

Every so often, the unplanned happens in my well-planned life.

I really don't care for it.

Not that I can't be all happy-go-lucky, and a free spirit.  I can.  I do.  It's just......I like to plan ahead, pencil in my happy-go-lucky days on the calendar.

I guess I could say that I LIKE it when the unplanned pleasant things happen - unexpected friends coming by, a last-minute invite, a toss everything and go to the park day.

I don't like the unpleasant.  Sudden car malfunctions are the worst, in my opinion, but they are pretty infrequent.  Illness, on the other hand..........

With four kids, even with the relative shelter from germs that homeschooling provides, there is going to be illness.  Usually when you are trying to go out of town, or have something planned that you really need to attend.

Today we are fortunate that all I had planned was science co-op, guitar lessons and family fellowship tonight. This is the first science I have had to cancel, and we are over halfway through the year, so I guess that isn't too bad. Next week will be a lot of catch-up. There are six other moms who could be writing posts just like this, since they all got texts and emails early this morning that their entire morning was cancelled.

So, what to do today?  It was a very busy day, now it is a suddenly....not busy day.  I don't know yet who if any of our family is going to fellowship, so I don't know if I need to be cooking food to send with my husband.  I can certainly do school with the well people.  I have many "paperwork" projects that have been waiting for my attention.  Show me a homeschool mom that DOESN'T have some paperwork or record-keeping calling out to them.  Always a lot of housework that I could be getting done, too.  If all else fails, I can always read a book.

But for now, my husband is working in the shop, one kid (sick) is on the couch, one kid (not sick) is complaining about how our usual Wednesday plans got cancelled (his mother's son, I am telling you) and two more are still in bed.  Usually the house is getting really noisy about this time of day, but right now the loudest thing is the washing machine.  I think I am going to try to absorb some of this peace, for just a few minutes.